30 Seconds SummaryExercise Variation for Powerlifting: Practice Makes Perfect?
- Improving skill on traditional powerlifting lifts can increase strength beyond just muscle growth or psychological factors.
- Variations in exercises, involving both similar and different motor patterns, may slightly improve performance over exclusive practice of standard competition lifts like squat, bench press, and deadlift.
- Exercise variation should be purposefully used to address specific weaknesses in lifts, and should be incorporated even close to competition times.
- Research shows varied practice, which includes performing exercises in random orders or with modifications, can enhance skill in motor tasks better than constant or blocked practice methods.
- Studies in barbell training indicate that mixing exercise types and intensities could lead to greater strength outcomes and muscle growth compared to constant practice routines.
- Variations should be selected to directly address the causes of sticking points in lifts, with adequate intensity to ensure the sticking point is challenged.
- Incorporating different types of same lift variations within a single training session can boost motor skill acquisition.
Data Driven Strength
Nathan Henderson
