Two weeks ago, I completed my first 400 pound bench press. This had been a goal of mine since the second I hit my first 315 press, which was a LONG time ago. The journey from the 3’s to the 4’s has been fun, but not without its share of ups and downs. Every struggle …
A few weeks ago, I hit my first 600-pound deadlift. Although far from a world-class number, it’s a big milestone for me. It was my first triple-bodyweight pull and marked a long road of retooling my deadlift from awful to not-too-shabby. I’ve made more progress on my deadlift in the past year-and-a-half than on any …
This week’s Technique Tuesday pulls another question we got from our Facebook live Q&A: how can you improve your deadlift lockout? In my experience, there are two reliable ways to build a stronger deadlift lockout: Get in a better position off the floor. Increase your bar speed. Between these two things, you should crush your …
Technique Tuesday: 2 Ways to Improve Your Deadlift Lockout Read More »
I’m pumped to announce that Greg Robins and I will be hosting a one-day Optimizing the Big 3 powerlifting seminar at Cressey Sports Performance on Sunday, August 14. If you’ve been wanting to get hands-on coaching from Greg and myself, now’s your chance. We’ll spend a full day discussing and performing the squat, bench press and …
Optimizing the Big 3: August 14 at Cressey Sports Performance Read More »
In the final installment of this 3-part series, we’ll talk about how to use paused reps to target weak points in your deadlift. Paused deadlifts might be the most evil of all the paused variants of the powerlifts, but they make up for their brutality with their effectiveness. And in case you haven’t already, check out …
Problem Solving with Paused Reps – Deadlift Edition Read More »
Continuing on the theme of using paused reps to fix weak points, this installment addresses several bench press technique mistakes and how to use paused reps to eliminate them. (If you missed Part 1 of this series which covered paused squats, click here.) More so than the squat and deadlift, pauses are essential for building a …
Problem Solving with Paused Reps – Bench Press Edition Read More »
“You’re only as strong as your weakest link.” This quote applies nicely to powerlifting because technique ultimately limits the amount of weight you can lift, and your technique eventually breaks down due to your weakest link. This three-part series will focus on my favorite method for finding and destroying your weakest links: paused reps. We’ll touch …
Problem Solving with Paused Reps – Squat Edition Read More »
Last week, I talked about two trap bar exercises to build upper back strength. I also mentioned how I didn’t like the trap bar for building the conventional or sumo deadlift, and received several questions as to why. You asked and I answered in this week’s Technique Tuesday. Don’t get me wrong, trap bar deadlifts …
Technique Tuesday: 3 Reasons Trap Bar Deadlifts Don’t Carry Over to the Straight Bar Read More »
The sport of powerlifting serves as a nice little metaphor for life. You’re competing against others, but you’re really competing against yourself. You do a ton of work for a big payoff. And there are aches and pains, but it’s all worth it in the end. This weekend, I had the honor of coaching three …
This week’s Technique Tuesday covers the seated sumo deadlift, which is a drill I use with lifters to fix a common problem: an inability to push with the legs during the sumo deadlift. Lots of lifters get out of position while deadlifting and feel like they’re only using their back. The seated sumo deadlift forces …
Technique Tuesday: Seated Sumo Deadlift to Help You Feel Your Legs Read More »
