Are Powerlifting Training, Training for General Strength, and Training to Improve Your Physique Different Programs? NO!

There’s a common misconception that powerlifting training, strength training, and training to look good are all completely different, requiring vastly different programs. The reality is they’re not as different as you might think. Let’s break them down.

Powerlifting Training

• The goal in the sport of powerlifting: have the heaviest total
• Total= the heaviest attempt of squat, bench, and deadlift, added together
  • Lifter has three attempts of each exercise; 1 rep done for each attempt.
• How does one accomplish this?
  • Proper caloric balance defined by appropriate macronutrients depending on if the athlete is in a maintenance, muscle mass gain/”bulk” or fat loss/”cut” phase
  • Training program: Block periodized, i.e. the plan from least sport specific to most sport specific, comprised of hypertrophy (aka muscle size/bodybuilding), strength, and peak (most sport specific) blocks
  • Reps: 8-12 in hypertrophy, 3-6 in strength, and 1-3 in peak
  • Sets: vary depending on lifters advancement level but generally 1-5 sets per exercise in each block
  • Exercises: Match the block. i.e. Least sport specific -> most sport specific. In this context, the sport is powerlifting.
    • Exercises in hypertrophy should be comprised of squats, benches, and deadlifts e.g. Safety bar squat, front squats, competition (comp.) squat, close grip bench, dumbbell bench, comp. bench, touch-and-go bench, wide grip bench, axle deadlift, Romanian deadlift, comp. deadlift
    • Exercises in strength and peak should be as competition specific as possible e.g. low bar back squat (comp. squat), pause bench press (comp. bench press), barbell deadlift (comp. deadlift)
  • Volume, i.e. sets, reps, and exercises, should decrease as the program moves forward. Again, least specific-> most specific
  • Intensity, i.e. weight on the bar, should increase always in every block but should be the heaviest in the peak block.

Strength Training

• The goal is to get stronger
• How does one accomplish this?
  • Proper caloric balance defined by appropriate macronutrients depending on if the athlete is in a maintenance, muscle mass gain/”bulk” or fat loss/”cut” phase
  • Training program: block periodized without a peak block
  • Reps: same as powerlifting training
  • Sets: same as powerlifting
  • Exercises: same as powerlifting except there’s a little more wiggle room. Exercises should be comprised of squatting, pressing, and pulling movements using heavy, compound movements with a barbell. Lifter preference plays a role as well. Compliance is important. E.g. if the lifter doesn’t like comp. squat, it can be replaced with a barbell squat variation like safety bar squat. Sport specificity doesn’t matter since there’s no sport. However, weight should increase in whichever movement is selected as the lifter progresses.
  • Volume: same as powerlifting
  • Intensity: same as powerlifting

Training to Look Good

• The goal is improved physical appearance via gains in muscle mass and losses in body fat
• How does one accomplish this?
  • Proper caloric balance defined by appropriate macronutrients depending on if the athlete is in a muscle mass gain/”bulk” or fat loss/”cut” phase
  • Training program: block periodized without a peak block.
  • Reps: same as powerlifting training
  • Sets: same as powerlifting
  • Exercises: same as powerlifting except there’s a little more wiggle room. Exercises should be comprised of squatting, pressing, and pulling movements using heavy, compound movements with a barbell. Compliance is important as is for the general strength trainee. Exercise weight should increase over time.
  • Volume: same as powerlifting
  • Intensity: same as powerlifting

Why are these programs so similar? Getting stronger results in greater performance in sport/daily living and improved aesthetics. Getting stronger increases performance by increasing the “horse power” your body can produce. The process to get stronger will result in improved aesthetics (aka body composition) through the increases in muscle mass developed from this. Therefore, powerlifting, strength training, and training to look good are the same program with differences only in exercise selection determined by the athlete’s training goal.