Strength & Conditioning Archives - Tucson Strength

Gym Has Been Completely Renovated

Danny — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:46:28 +0000

Check out the new layout

We are super excited about our new gym layout. This allowed us to organize the gym with a much more cohesive layout. We have upgraded our equipment line to offer the newest most innovative equipment on the market as well as some of the greatest classic pieces of all time. We have hand picked each piece of equipment from around the country to offer the best experience for the serious strength enthusiast. We are proud to carry some vintage Cybex, Body Masters, and Flex equipment as well as new pieces from Arsenal and Hammer Strength.

Our powerlifting area is the most comprehensive over any gym in the state of Arizona. We have numerous competition combo racks, competition benches, a monolift, and professional deadlifting platforms. All of our bars are competition bars. We have Texas Power bars, deadlift bars, and squat bars as well as every specialty bar you could imagine.

Our Functional Training area boasts an 1800sqft turf inside with More kettlebells than any other gym in town. We have a fully functioning Crossfit area and 5 Olympic Platform with bars and kilo bumpers.

Whether you are into Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting, Bodybuilding, Hyrox, Crossfit, or general Strength, you wont find a better equipped gym.

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STRENGTH TRAINING FOR ATHLETES

Danny — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:53:34 +0000

Strength Training for Athletes: Why it Matters and How to Start

To become remotely competitive in any athletic endeavor it is essential to incorporate a strength training program.

Athletic programs understand the importance of building strength not only for performance but for injury prevention as well. Here at Tucson Strength, we offer classes and 1 on 1 coaching to develop your potential and teach basic muscle mechanics. Using tools such as sleds, medicine balls, ropes, kettlebells, tires, and chains you will build strength and explosiveness to take your game to the next level.

Let’s dive into what a strength program can do for you:

You Need Strength for Power: We’ll keep the math pretty simple, but here it is, Strength+Speed=Power. Athletic power is defined by how quickly an athlete can generate maximum force. By doing so you will be able to jump higher, accelerate quicker, and throw farther.

Injury Prevention: Strength training increases the size and density of your tendons, ligaments, and connective tissues reducing the risk of injury. The stress of lifting and high-impact activities also strengthens bones and helps avoid osteoporosis later in life.

Muscle Mechanics: Developing a mind-muscle connection is crucial for any athletic endeavor. By utilizing a strength program you will better understand how your body works. This will help you incorporate your new strength into sport specific movements.

Improved Body Composition: Muscle mass improves metabolic functions and decreases fat stores resulting in lower blood pressures and a lower likelihood of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Incorporating heavy compound movements will also trigger the production of anabolic hormones aiding in the repair and building of muscle.

All of the best athletes from the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tom Brady, and even Tiger Woods have all used strength training as a way to stay ahead of the pack. Start your strength training journey by talking to one of our experienced trainers to see what you need to up your game.

Author: Cody Grimm CPT

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Low Bar vs High Bar on Squats

Danny — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 16:56:27 +0000

High Bar VS Low Bar on Squats

This blog could be an entire chapter in a book. Lets start with the basics of bar position. High Bar squats should have the bar placed in the meat of the upper traps. Many times lifters will put the bar where the trapezius muscle meets the cervical spine and that is not an optimal position. The bar can end up resting on the spine and cause issues. Also, having the bar that high on the back can cause the bar to roll forward and cause you to tip forward. The ability to let the bar sit on the upper trapezius muscle will give some padding and also also the lifter to achieve maximal tightens and connection to the bar. On the high bar position the lifter wants to think about pulling the body up into the bar to create a wedge. Some people think about pulling the scapula down to create the wedge. Many people will use the cue of Chest up, which is ok, but it can also cause the lifter to arch the lower back which isn’t a position to be in while squatting.

Low Bar Position

Low bar has the bar resting on the top of the rear deltoids. The lifter things about retracting or squeezing the scapula together and the bar will rest on ledge made by the rear deltoid muscles. Maintaining the back squeeze throughout the execution of the squat is crucial for a strong squat. Some lifters will allow the bar to be lower than the rear deltoids which may make the squat feel easier because the bar is lower on the back, but this can cause issues of having the bar slide down the back. If this happens it can risk serious injury or at minimum dropping of the bar off the back. The USPA Powerlifting Federation actually have rules in place to ensure super low bar position is not used.

WHO SHOULD USE WHICH POSITION?

If you are an upright squatter the high bar position is optimal. It allows the bar to stay over the mid foot throughout the execution of the squat. If you are someone that has to lean forward a bit to squat to depth then low bar position will be optimal for you. Again putting the bar lower on the back will allow the bar to stay over the mid foot during the execution of the squat. There is so much more I could say on this topic but I will point out a couple of things to be aware of. If you have really tight ankles and long femurs High bar will be very difficult for you to execute, you are most likely a low bar squatter. If you are a low bar squatter you have to have decent shoulder mobility to keep the bar in position on your rear deltoids. So if you are struggling with each position it would be helpful to get with a coach that can get you dialed in and possibly work on any mobility issues you have that is holding your squat back. Here is an article on some other key aspects of squatting you should know if you want to have a big squat. If you are looking for a gym in Tucson that specializes in powerlifting feel free to reach out to us. We also offer online programming and coaching.

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Is it the Shoes?

Danny — Wed, 08 May 2024 19:35:40 +0000

QUICK guide to weightlifting shoes

We see so many lifters show up to the gym with the latest and greatest in equipment. Everything from the hottest new belt on the market, to the tightest knee sleeved ever made. Lifters want the edge and pay good money for the best equipment. So what about shoes? Shoes are the one part of your gear that can make or break your lifting performance and unfortunately we see a great shoe on the wrong lifter all the time. Shoes are one of the biggest parts of our fashion culture. Just ask any teenager that is waiting for the new Jordan to release. In the lifting world, the shoe is 100% about performance and the best looking shoe could be the one thing that kills your squat.

Types of Weightlifting shoes

Before we get into specific types of weightlifting shoes let’s get one thing out of the way. Do not lift in a running shoe, period. They have no place in the performance of the squat or deadlift. They are meant for running, which means they are made to have cushioning and “give” for your feet. These are the exactly the opposite of what you need in squat or deadlifting performance. You need stability. Moving on…..There are numerous types of shoes known as the squat shoe. Most have an elevated heel and a very firm rubber or if you go old school, a wooden base. These provide the foot the most stable base to lift from. Within the squat shoe category there are traditional Olympic Lifting shoes which have a more aggressive heel. These shoes usually have a 3/4″ elevation of the heel. These shoes work best for High Bar squatters since the high bar position needs a more vertical torso in the lift. Olympic Weightlifters also need to keep a very vertical torso through out the lift so the elevated heel will allow for this.

There is also another squat shoe that is made that only has a .60″ heel. This is less aggressive and is more suited for those squatting with a lower bar position.

Who needs an elevated heel to squat

INot everyone needs an elevated heel. If you are looking to improve your performance in the squat a show can help (some people). First, if you have poor ankle mobility a squat shoe may help with your squat especially if you are a high bar squatter. With the bar located high on the traps, you will need to maintain more upright torso since the bar will need to stay over your mid foot through out the lift. In the high bar position the knees will track forward more than a low bar squat..

Though the squat comes very natural to some people, there is a certain group of people that absolutely hate the squat, those with long femurs(thigh bone) and short tibia(lower leg). In order to squat to depth the femur has to sit back further . Even with great ankle mobility, long femurs can complicate the movement pattern. Finding a shoe with an elevated heel will increase the length of the lower leg which can help with squat mechanics. Finding the correct elevation is important. Many people with tight ankles and or long femurs tend to use a powerlifting shoe with a .60″ heel and usually choose a lower bar position since it allows the lifter to sit back further in the squat instead of being so upright.

If you don’t know what shoe is correct to you we highly recommend getting with strength coach that understands squat mechanics. More than likely it won’t be your personal trainer at LA Fitness. Get with a powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting coach to help you choose your shoe. If you are in Tucson, feel free to contact us!. If you are located else where feel free to reach out and we can see if we can help you find a qualified coach to help you out!

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Thinking About Powerlifting? Part 1

Admin — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 18:00:16 +0000

I speak with many gym regulars asking me about wanting to train for their first powerlifting meet. The sport has become more accessible over the past decade and everyday gym goers are peaking in interest to compete. Powerlifting is a great way to train with a purpose and go after goals.

Competitive lifting is different than recreational lifting, no matter how serious you train.

Before you start putting in the work. Here are some things to consider.

Technique Is Paramount

Though you may have some years behind you with the big 3 lifts (squat, bench, deadlift), competition lifting has many rules. It is crucial to practice as you would compete when training towards the goal. It is important you know the lifting standards of the federation you are competing in so you can practice to competition standards. Though I won’t go into every rule here are some important things to focus on with each lift when you begin training.

Squat

Nearly all credible federations will require a below parallel squat, which means the top surface of the legs at the hip joint is lower than the top of the knees. All of your training reps should be at this standard. Video tape yourself and make sure your reps meet this standard. When the bar gets heavy you will revert to your training. This means treating light weights like they are heavy. Each and every training rep is prep for your meet. It isn’t just about putting more weight on the bar each to prep your body to lift heavy. You are prepping your nervous system to do the same thing every lift. Treat you warm up sets with focus and attention.

Bench Press

Powerlifting requires a pause on the chest and at the finish of each lift. I have seen people that can “gym bench” 315lbs with a bounce, but they get stuck under 285lbs with the required pause on the chest. In your training you don’t have to pause every single rep of your program, but you should become very comfortable pausing your bench working up to heavier sets in your training cycle. It is also crucial to practice controlling the weight at the top before racking. Nothing is more frustrating than hitting a huge PR at a meet, immediately racking the weight and get 3 red lights because you didn’t wait for the “rack” command.

As you get closer to meet day you should practice the commands with someone knowledgeable calling them out. On meet day you will have some jitters and adrenaline, so you will need to depend on your practice to have a successful meet. Again, it is imperative to know the rules of the federation. Some feds allow you to have your heels off the ground others don’t. Some feds allow the head to come off on the bench, others don’t. All federations make sure your butt stays on the bench. Practice practice practice all these things.

Deadlift

The simplest of all the lifts. Pick it up and put it down. Right? Though this is mostly true, there are many lifters that have bad habits with the deadlift that earn them red lights at a meet. I see lifters all the time getting called for soft knees at the lockout and then flip out when they see the reds show up at the end of the lift. Your knees have to lock out at the end. If the knees are soft or shaking, you will get caught. Another common error is letting the knees shoot forward and letting the bar use the thighs to ramp the weight up. Video tape your deadlifts and make sure your warm up sets are to competition standards. If you rush your light warm up reps, you set yourself up for these mistakes to happen on the platform.

Stop Training to Failure

If you have been training for awhile and focusing on aesthetics, it is common to push hard every training session and feel the burn with each workout. We have all walked out of the gym with shaking legs and feeling exhausted after a session. Training for strength is a different beast.

When strength is the goal we rarely ever push to failure. Doing grindy reps that push to near failure are used less in a strength program than you would imagine. A base cycle of strength programming is usually in the intensity range of 70-85% of your 1 rep max. Reps are usually programmed at around 50% of your max rep range. This means if you can bench 225lbs for 10 reps, most of your sets will be made up of rep ranges between 3-5 reps.

Get on A Program Sooner Than Later

There are tons of programs out there, but depending on where YOU are at in your development, choosing the right program is important. A newer powerlifter jumping on Sheiko, Conjugate, or Smolov makes me cringe. Just because that strong Instagram influencer says it’s the way to go doesn’t mean it’s great for you. I have always focused on different phases of programming and playing with the variables to get the desired results. There are many different phases of a strength programming which we will discuss in Part 2.

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Using your Lats on the Shoulder Press

Admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 09:00:34 +0000

As with most of the powerlifting as strength exercises, the lats are key. The shoulder press is no different. The lats are some of the biggest muscles in your body. Your ability to use them to pull the bar down will help you decrease stress on your shoulders and rotator cuff muscles. Activating the lats concentrically opn the way down will allow your shoulder to be more useful on pressing the weight up. Think about doing a pull up as your bring that bar down bringing your elbow in front your then driving them back behind you. Also, don’t let the elbows flare out until the bar is passing your head.

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Can You Crossfit and Powerlifting at the Same Time

Admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 23:15:41 +0000

Crossfit has been the best gateway drug to the barbell sports. It is single handedly responsible for the rebirth of Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting in the United States. Crossfit found the way to put the bar back in people’s hands and got them to think about fitness and training differently.

Now Powerlifting has seen exponential growth over the last decade. Crossfit served up some amazing workouts with the barbell and the people wanted more of it. We consistently get Crossfit Athletes that want to compete in the barbell sports because they love getting stronger. The problem is many want to continue to Crossfit while undertaking the sport of powerlifting. They love their Crossfit community, but want something different.

Up until recently I accommodated these requests to program and coach powerlifting while they did WODs at their other gym. Why did I stop? It never worked. Each person either fell out, or just stopped training because they were burned out.

Powerlifting is a sport of specificity that generally focuses on lower rep strength and building volume with out overwhelming fatigue. There are times where PL programs will have a larger amount of volume and variety, but when peaking for strength, the purpose is to eliminate fatigue and express low rep strength in 3 specific movements. In general you also want to be relatively fresh when you are training for Powerlifting. If you are sore or exhausted from a squatting session it is important to make sure your deadlifting session is spaced out enough to somewhat recovered. We are training not only the muscular system, but also the nervous system. If you are grinding out slow ugly reps because of fatigue you aren’t training optimally and setting yourself up for injury.

When I would program for a Crossfit athlete I would routinely have issues with them showing up to training sessions trashed from a WOD on the previous day. I was told that the days before WOD was a “conditioning” day, but the workout was still a tremendous amount of volume and they would come in sore and fatigued. Though the conditioning WOD involved lower weight movements in involved hundreds of reps. I would have to constantly change their program or send them home to rest.

THE SOLUTION

I encourage Crossfit athletes that want to cross over to powerlifting to consider thinking of their training in seasons. If they are looking to focus on strength and powerlifting, they should prioritize it and focus on it for 3-6 months. With their powerlifting coach they can organize some conditioning days that will not interfere with Powerlifting recovery and keep a base of conditioning for when they choose return to Crossfit with a bigger strength base.

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Let’s Talk About Practice

Admin — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 22:39:26 +0000

Alan Iverson, arguably one of the most talented stars to ever play in the NBA will be immortalized for the video above talking about practice. I have heard numerous stories as to how and why this video went down as it did, but regardless I couldn’t resist using it for this blog. For long term success in most things, there are few things that guarantee it except consistent and mindful practice. The goal of practice is to master the fundamentals and train on a program that focuses on incremental gains over a long period of time. Regardless of what Instagram shows you, it isn’t about going beast mode every session or setting PRs in training every week.

I have spoken to Olympians, world class coaches, and numerous professional athletes, each of them has re-iterated the same thing to me in our discussions, it’s about the fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. Some of the greatest athletes of all time seem to have one thing in common, unbreakable habits, and the drive to practice the fundamentals no matter how advanced they were in their career. Kobe, Larry Bird, Jordan and others all have amazing stories of how their practice habits made them the best. I’ll move on from basketball to strength training. It drives me crazy seeing decent lifters that want crazy rep schemes, bands, and chains without mastering the fundamentals. They still struggle with leg drive on the bench but somehow think adding bands or an advanced programs are going to fix it.

I see way too many powerlifters these days get sucked into so many different programs and methods that the fundamentals are lost. They are training consistently which is great, but fundamentals seem to get lost because they want to lift like that one beast they saw on their IG feed. They chase complexity rather than simplicity and consistency. Complexity has it’s place, but if you lack mastering the fundamentals those tools will not be impactful anyway.

PRACTICE HOW YOU COMPETE

I watch lifters warm up sometimes, and all I can do is shrug my shoulders. I have never understood the sense of someone bouncing a 225lb or 315lb deadlift off the ground like a trampoline and then not complete a lockout at the top while they are warming up. I watched a guy once bounce 405 off the ground (with bumpers) for 12 repetitions. The reality was, he couldn’t even deadlift 475 x 1. All that bouncing didn’t carryover to lifting more weight.

The same goes for rushed / shortened range of motion warm up reps on the bench press that look like you are having a seizure. Im not sure if it is an act to show strong they are or if it is just being in a hurry to warm up. The reality is, you always revert to your training. When you are tired, exhausted, and stressed your body will revert to what it knows best. That is why at the end of a long meet day you see a lifter shoot their hips up in the air, the bar gets away from them, and they totally miss a deadlift they should have made. They reverted back to their training even though they don’t want to think so. It wasn’t a fluke or a misgroove, that is a representation of how you lift. There is a way to miss a lift like a pro and a novice.

If you are strong, you spend a considerable amount of training time warming up to your working sets. Those warm up sets add up to a good amount of training volume and should be considered practice for heavier working weights. Use those sets to create habits or traditions of each lift. When warming up with the bar, practice how you place your hands in the same position every single time you set up. Practice foot position and how you place your feet. Master breathing timing and lifting mechanics with each rep. Sure, you won’t be applying the same amount of force and tension to a bare bar as you would a max load, but the focus and intention is the same.

I remember hearing Eddy Coan, one of the greatest powerlifters of all time talk about warming up in an interview .. He said

“I treated light weights like I did heavy weights. So, it was always the same weight done. I could walk out a weight. I could walk up to a deadlift, set up for a bench. Everything was exactly the same, all the time. So, that variable was already gone. So, there was no negative thought walking up to the bar. I didn’t need to be slapped, or need ammonia, or anything like that, ’cause I was confident.”

Unfortunately our Instagram feed only shows the things that appear to be exciting.

INJURY PREVENTION

The other aspect that smart practice brings is that of injury prevention. I can’t count the times I have heard lifters tell me about an injury and the story goes something like….”It wasn’t even heavy, but I tweaked my shoulder re-reacking the weight” Again this is many times not focusing on the fundamentals. How we un-rack and rack the bar are all part of our practice. One of my most aggravating back injuries happened when rushing to walk in 50% of my max squat back into the rack. I rushed and slammed the bar into the rack and the rebound caused me to twist with a heavy enough loaded bar. I knew better and it taught me a valuable lesson into smart practice.

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The Bench Press: Gym PR vs Competition Bench

Admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:16:56 +0000

I can’t count the times someone has come into the gym that tells me they can bench a certain amount, only to get trapped underneath the bar when attempting 1 competition rep at that weight. Bench pressing in competition is a different beast, and the skills must be practiced. To make it even more confusing each federation has slightly different rules. Since I am a referee for USPA I will write this referring mostly to USPA rules but there are some commonalities amongst all many of the feds.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Showing control and following commands are the biggest difference. It is one thing to psych yourself up for a huge PR in the gym. If you are just lifting off and bouncing the bar off your chest then locking it out, it counts in the gym and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are getting stronger then good for you. If you are in a meet, the referees are looking for you to be able to control the weight throughout the range of motion. There are 3 commands you need to know on the Bench. “START”, “PRESS”, “RACK”.

Once you un-rack the weight (or have your spotter lift you off) you have to show control at the top with your elbows locked out. Once you show control the referee will shout out, “START”. Once that command is called the only thing you can do is bring the bar down to your chest. Once the bar touches the chest the referee will wait for the bar to be motionless on your chest and they will scream out “PRESS”. The next movement has to be directly up. When the elbows are locked out and you show control at the top your will receive the “RACK” command, and you put the weight back into the rack. Failure to obey the commands will get you red lights, even if you have a “successful” attempt.

THERE IS MORE..

Knowing the commands is great, but there are a few other things to know about the rules. Ill never forget when I was 18 years old I was at a hardcore gym and I witnessed a guy stacking on plate after plate on the bar. I watched him lift the weight off the rack and bounce the bar off his chest like a trampoline. As he was fighting the weight, his back arched and his ass came off the bench by at least 10 inches or more. He got the weight up and the gym cheered. It was cool to watch, but that would never fly in a competition. On the bench press, your butt must stay on the bench at all times to have the lift count. Once you get that start command your butt cannot leave the bench.

Another problem that occurs, is when lifters start their set up and lift the bar off with their butt off the bench, then set their butt down after the fact. Since the head judge can’t see your butt on the bench he is only looking at bar control. If your bar is out of the rack and he feels you are ready to lift you will get the “START” command. If your butt is off the bench you will receive red lights from the side referees. If you are going to use this set up method in USPA you can let the head ref know you put your butt down late, but you are still risking a red light since he cannot see that angle.

BELOW are 2 videos demonstrating things not to do with your butt on the bench.

WATCH THE SINK

Once the bar is motionless on your chest and your receive the “PRESS” command your next movement has to be up. Many lifters will sink the bar deep into their chest before pressing. That is fine, but make sure that you sink it before the press command. If you get “PRESS” then sink and press you will be red lighted. It is super important that if you have this habit that you practice your press timing on the bench.

There are a few more key differences between hitting legit benches in a meet vs being in the gym.

EVEN LOCKOUT and BAR PATH

Having both arms lockout at the same time is important. If you have a discrepancy in your arms and you let one side fall behind it is crucial to have the bar lockout at the top evenly. The bar can’t look like a seesaw going up. Another important factor is the bar cannot move back down at all once the press command is given, the bar path has to continue up. If you are fighting a max weight and the bar starts to come back down, even for a split second you will get a red light. The bar can stop if you are grinding, and it can be super slow, but it just can’t start moving back down. If that happens the ref will yell out “TAKE IT” and the spotters will grab the bar and rack it.

HEAD and FEET

In USPA your head can come off the bench during the bench press. In a few other federations the head cannot come off the bench. In USPA you can be on your toes, but your feet cannot move all over the place during the lift. Other federations require heels to be planted on the ground so it is important to know the rules of the fed you are competing in. Again it is important to know the rules and most importantly practice your training utilizing the rules.

Here is a link to the USPA rule book. If you have any questions regarding competing in the sport of powerlifting please feel free to reach out to us. We will be hosting a free powerlifting workshop on January 16th to discuss the rules, meet prep, and what to expect on meet day. Join our newsletter below and add us on social media to get alerted when we RSVP!

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So You want to Focus on Strength?

Admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 22:21:39 +0000

Focusing on improving maximal strength is trending. Putting up impressive numbers has become popularized on social media. Seeing 140lb women deadlifting 300+lbs is a common occurrence nowadays if you are following along on Instagram. Though we are seeing a lot of newcomers wanting to improve strength, many are making the cross-over from general fitness, bodybuilding, and Crossfit to focus on strength and the strength sports. Olympic weightlifting and Powerlifting have seen a boom over the past decade, primarily due to the influence Crossfit has had on the industry. It got people off the machines and put the bar back in their hands.

Here are a few important things to know, before deciding to make the switch to focus on strength goals.

STRENGTH TRAINING FEELS SLOWER PACED… BECAUSE IT IS

When coming from the energized environment of training for time, AMRAPS and pushing your intensity to the limits, it can be a bit of a buzz kill when starting your journey in strength. Rest is your friend, and its important to understand that 2-3 minutes of rest between sets is part of your training. Strength training utilizes the creatine phosphate energy system. Even though you’re not breathing heavy and your muscles aren’t burning, you may not be recovered for your next set. Creatine is used for short bursts of work and can take anywhere from 2-5 minutes to fully recover, depending on the loads you are using. Set a timer and practice resting. You can push faster paces when doing your accessory work.

VIEW TRAINING AS PRACTICE, NOT EXERCISE

Gains in strength are achieved by focused your attention on practicing the skills of each lift, and increasing volume of training over an extended period of time. If you want to improve your squat or bench press it will take practice. Workouts are no longer about solely getting “exercise” in. You are showing up to practice your technique and build training volume. We are focusing on training specificity, not variety and intensity. The skills involved in the barbell movements take time master, and building up good habits will pay off in the long run. It’s easier to build good habits than breaking old ones, so making this distinction early on is key. In the beginning, workouts may not feel as challenging, but over time the intensity will increase and you will be looking forward to your recovery days.

SETTING PERSONAL RECORDS ISN’T THE GOAL OF EACH SESSION

Hitting a new personal record is awesome, but it can’t be done all the time. Strength building is achieved primarily in the range of 70-85% of your 1 rep max. We rarely go maximal in training. Strength is built by increasing training volume up over time. The most successful trainees show up consistently, keep a journal, and put in work over long periods of time. There are numerous ways to get strong, and though we love seeing more weight on the bar each session, it isn’t the case all the time.

It is common to keep the same weight on the bar for multiple weeks and simply add sets or reps weekly to build base strength. There is a time where weight gets heavier each week, but there is a time and place for everything. There is a process to building strength and you have to trust it. Lying in a pool of sweat exhausted isn’t the outcome we are looking for. You should walk out of your session knowing you put in work, but not wiped out. Having said that, there are times where pushing to near exhaustion is involved, it just isn’t the goal of every session.

CONDITIONING IS IMPORTANT, IT’S JUST SEPARATE FROM YOUR STRENGTH WORK

Keeping a base of conditioning is important, even when focusing on maximal strength. Too many powerlifters and strength athletes are lazy when it comes to keeping an aerobic base. Let’s be honest, unless you are making tons of money being a strength athlete, our health is more important than anything else. An aerobic base is also crucial for optimal recovery in strength training. If you think cardio is getting your heart rate up by doing sets of 5 on squats you are lying to yourself. Cardio should be kept separate from strength work. What does this mean? Doing a squat session, then deciding to do a finisher of bodyweight Squat/Burpee AMRAP is counter productive for optimal strength. Getting on that boring elliptical for 30-40 minutes keeping your HR at 130bpm after you session is more effective. On an off day doing a HIIT session that focuses on cardio is also fine. Just realize that it should be cardio, not lifting weights faster. Using Rowers, Ski Ergs, or bikes are a great way to include effective intervals without trashing your body. If you are squatting and deadlifting a few times per week you don’t need to do ineffective conditioning involving those movements.

GET ON THE RIGHT PROGRAM

Doing a Google search of powerlifting or strength programs can leave your head spinning. There are hundreds of programs out there. Many are awesome and some are just trash. Finding a solid coach to help you get on the right program is important in building a successful strength plan. I love seeing someone that has no base strength tell me they are running Sheiko. Sheiko is a great program for experienced lifters, but if you can’t squat your body weight you are better off starting off on a basic linear progression.

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