The Importance of Power Training

by Aaron Whitten C.P.T., C.E.S.

Bodybuilders and powerlifters are often divided into two distinct camps. Each sees the other as a complete opposite, and both groups often speak negatively of one another. Powerlifters claim that bodybuilders train like pansies and dress like clowns. The term bodybuilder is synonymous with wimp to some of these guys. In contrast, often the first word to come to a bodybuilder’s mind when discussing powerlifters is ‘fat.’ Some bodybuilders love to mock the slow paced training and the distinctive 300 pound waddle of the powerlifter. To keep things in perspective, BOTH may appear ridiculous to the general public!

The division between bodybuilding and powerlifting formed in the modern era. Until the 1960’s, it was common for both groups to train in the same clubs, and the separation between the two sports was not so readily apparent. In fact, early champions such as Steve Reeves and John Grimek stepped onto the lifting platform as often as the stage. Bodybuilders practiced heavy power moves and assorted odd lifts as a major portion of their programs, and they were even expected to display strength in early competitions. During this time, it was if there were not two distinct groups at all. It was more like there were only strength athletes, a small percentage of whom would occasionally slip into tiny trunks to show off the fruits of their labors. Then the tidal wave of change rolled in, forever compromising our already meager sports. And the change was… (drum roll…) … DRUGS!

Now before you toss down this article and laugh, hear me out. Drugs destroyed one of the major underlying principles of weight training: in order to grow larger, you must grow stronger. Don’t get too technical with me and start preaching about how 1-3 reps won’t build size, or how ‘cellular volumization’ only occurs with higher time under tension. Look at the big picture. In order to handle the heavier weights necessary for mass gains, you must grow stronger. Early bodybuilders realized this. They trained in powerlifting fashion most of the year, and then used their new strength in higher repetition routines to grow larger muscles. With all the scientific progress of the last few decades, we have somehow managed to stray from the simple truth that we are all strength athletes at our core. We forgot this fact because anabolic agents allow a person to grow much larger from nearly any routine. Since power training is brutally hard at times, it became much easier to follow radically different routines. Since the magazines covered only the routines of chemically enhanced bodybuilders, we became brainwashed with less effective means of training. Drug usage set back the training of natural bodybuilders by forty years! It is time to return to basics.

I am not saying that you should discard all of your current routines. Three on, one off; six on, one off; and even double splits have their place. What I am saying is that the majority of the year bodybuilders should emphasize strength routines. Let’s get something else straight: I am not advocating the ‘hard gainer’ school of thought or the Mentzer theories, although I believe they are sound. Also, I am not creating my own method. What I am calling for is using the basic routine of the powerlifter for at least half the year. Spend several months concentrating on the big three lifts: squat, bench and deadlift. Use tried and true programs to slowly and steadily increase strength levels. This never requires more than five days per week in the gym, often less. There’s no need to blow up like a balloon, either. Keep the calories moderate to support growth and stay relatively lean year round. Maintain a base level of cardiovascular conditioning as well. As a contest draws near, you can shift gears and begin to employ more exercises, higher volumes, and shorter rest periods. As soon as the show is over, gradually return to your off season routine, and focus on being stronger in the major lifts than you were the previous year. This is the way to ensure consistent improvements from year to year.

To get started, you will need knowledge. Read all you can find and spend time with some of your new fellow lifters. Listen, sample and experiment. There are several schools of thought in powerlifting, just as in bodybuilding. My personal favorites are the programs of Charles Poliquin. For good reason this man is recognized as the top strength coach in many sports. He knows his stuff. His routines are short, intense, and most of all, effective. Give his methods a few months and see if they work for you.

There are no special or magical methods to grow. The way that worked fifty years ago is the still the same way that works today. But it doesn’t sell well and it isn’t particularly fun, so it gets little publicity. The single most important principle in the weight room, regardless of sport or objective, is progressive resistance. You must continuously handle more weight or complete more repetitions to fully stimulate the body. It is time that bodybuilders once again embrace the basic principles of powerlifters. If you don’t call them fat, they may not even call you a wimp.

Aaron resides in Tempe, AZ. He’s been competing for over 10 years. In addition to working as a Programmer, he’s a Personal Trainer with certifications from ACSM (Trainer), and ACE (Clinical Exercise Specialist).