Overcoming Weak Links
“You are only as strong as your weakest link, find it, conquer it, and reach your potential, thus if you ignore it then you will underachieve” Jamie McDougal
Credentials: Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach/ Certified Athletic Trainer
Top Powerlifting Accomplishments: 2009 World Record Powerlifting Raw Total 181 Weight Class 1655 Total and 165 Weight Class 1570 Total. MHP Clash of the Titans Champion, Clash for Cash Champion, NASA, USAPL, IPF, SPF, APA Record Holder. Member of a great team “Top Hogs” started by a great mentor and friend Jeff Phillips.
Best advice I received in my Powerlifting Journey: After establishing the all-time record in the 181’s, Louis Simmons, the head judge of the meet, humbled me as a lifter and changed how I trained from that point on. After all the congrats and other comrodity after the awards, I received much needed criticism and advice from one of the most knowledgeable coaches in the sport. He said “Your 470 lb. Raw Bench was almost flawless, but your Squat sucked due to your mechanics breaking at the knees before your hips thus a shitty descent leading to an inefficient ascent, prioritize box squats with bands and chains thus learning how to engage your posterior chain on the descent and engaging your hips on the ascent. You squatted 540 with wraps, you have the potential to squat 600+. Now for your deadlift, you are fast off the floor but your transition just below your knees to lockout sucks. Learn how to engage your hips faster on the lockout, you should be able to Deadlift 700 lbs. +.” This is a sign of a great coach, he told me what I needed to hear regardless of feelings. Lesson being, listen and learn from those better than you, be humble, always strive to be better, and spread the knowledge to all those involved in powerlifting, all we have is one another in this underground sport.
The following is a brief summary of the exercises that I incorporate in all of my programming. In the future, I will discuss my rationale pertaining to technique, leverage, proper set-up, mindset, equipment (shoes, wraps, sleeves, bars, etc...), and how all this leads to optimal performance during competition. Furthermore, I will have video showing each exercise in action.
POWERLIFTING EXERCISES
"THE BIG THREE"
Squat
Box Squat with chains
*hip/core stabilizers
Box Squat with Bands
*technique
Reverse Band Squat *hip/quad/core Overload
Bench
Chains *shoulder stabilizers
Bands *technique
Reverse Bands *shoulder/chest/Triceps overload
Deadlift
Bands *technique
Reverse Bands *hip/core /trap overload
Block or Rack Pulls *hips/trap bar transition from weakest to strongest leverage in most common sticking point
Deficit *posterior chain
Sample Workout of my 3-week Smolov Junior Supercompensation Bench Emphasis Hybrid Cycle (I am Benching Monday 6x6, Wednesday 7x5, Friday 8x4 and Saturday 10x3 so recovery and brief workouts are key during the weekdays, Saturday is my only high intensity workout of the week)
Why the Light Reverse Band Squat?
Light Reverse Band Squat is for Overload Strength and Mobility. I Squat 2-3 inches below parallel to increase momentum out of the hole created by the bands being stretched further for potential increased energy to increase speed from the eccentric, lowering of the weight, to the concentric, upward ascent to lockout, transition. This is the weakest point of the lift due to mechanical disadvantages. The goal is transition from the Light Reverse Band Squat and be able to hit the same weight and reps without bands by swapping the knee sleeves for knee wraps. On an RPE scale of 1-10, I want my heaviest set to be about an 8, 9 or 10 RPE lengthens the recovery process, overstimulates the CNS and is risking the chance of injury leading to regression not progression. Technique and proper bar speed is everything.
Saturday
Light Reverse Band Squat
*knee sleeves only. (Superset with Inner Thigh Machine 200x10 reps to strengthen Adductors)
Week 1) 315,365,405x5
455,475,495x3
Week 2) 315,365,405x5
455,495,545x2
Week 3) 315,365,405x5
455x3,495x2,545,585x1
Week 4) 8-9 RPE Max without Bands, add knee wraps (goal 550-560)
(I superset Pause Bench with Floor Band Deadlifts with Thera Ball Crunch x 10 reps and Outer Thigh 200x10 reps to strengthen Hip Abductors)
Pause Bench 225x8,275x5,315x3
Week 1) 335 10x3
Week 2) 345
Week 3) 355
Week 4) 8-9 RPE Max (goal 425-430)
Week 5) Start 8-week competition cycle
Medium Tension Orange Floor Band Deadlift
Week 1-3) 315 10x3 *Bar speed/3-second isometric holds on lockout
Week 4) 7-8 RPE Max (goal 675) *just trying to maintain strength on Deadlift while increasing Squat and Bench
DB Hammer Curls
60's,55,50,45,40,35,30,25x5
*Drop-set rest 10-15 seconds between drops
Quick Note:
Advantages of Bands/Chains
-accommodating resistance ensures constant bar speed due to the assistance from the eccentric to concentric phase, weakest portion of the lift. In simple terms the more stretch on the Band or more links of Chain are on the ground then you can generate more potential energy, upon lockout the assistance from the bands is lessened or there are more links from the chain that you have to move thus increasing resistance towards lockout. As you lockout in the bench for example, you are utilizing a lot more muscles predominantly the Chest, Shoulders and triceps thus you are at a better mechanical advantage. During the initial push off the chest, your Triceps are at a mechanical disadvantage thus teaching elbow angle at 45 degrees is highly recommended to both get tricep involvement at a quicker rate while placing the shoulders/rotator cuff in a more stable position limiting too much shoulder abduction “elbows flaring out" which totally sabotaged the Triceps needed for the mid-point to lockout.
Disadvantages of Bands/Chains
-can actually create a weak link in the transition from eccentric to concentric due to accommodating that portion of the lift. That is why it is vital to still train your competition lifts with no assistance. I utilize a conjugate system to address all weak areas of all 3 lifts while not allowing my body to adapt to a basic linear program.
