Strength – Conrad Strength and Speed LLC

First Powerlifting Meet Experience

On Saturday, April 16, I made my powerlifting debut as both a competitor and a coach. My team and I competed in the Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate 18^th Annual PowerPalooza that took place in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Competition

The official start to the competition was the explanation of the rules for the event. This allowed any gray areas to be cleared up and questions to be asked. With a basic understanding of the rules coming into the meet this definitely gave me a better understanding of how the meet would flow through the day and the specifics for each lift (timing, technique specifics, commands).

After the rules meeting, the nerves and anxiety increased as the morning session of female and lower weight class male competitors wrapped up their awards ceremony. Once the flights for the afternoon session were posted, I found that I was in the first of three flights for each event. With two of my athletes in the second flight, and one in the third, my team was represented in each flight and helped spread our lifts throughout the day. With my first lift approaching, I began to warm up in the designated area which included two monolifts, two benches, and two deadlift platforms.

Squat

I found two adjustments for squat that I needed to make right away in warm ups. The first adjustment was using the monolift. I have seen these in gyms in the past but have never test driven one. A monolift is a specialized squat rack where once the bar is lifted off of the hooks, the hooks are moved out of the way so that the lifter does not need to step out from the hooks with a large load on the spine. During the rules meeting one of the helpful tips given was for lifters who had never used a monolift, don’t start now. This meant for the competition to step out from the hooks just like I would a normal squat rack. Coming in to the meet I wasn’t sure if I would step out or not, but this made sense and helped to solidify my approach. The second adjustment was the barbell used for competition. It was a 65-pound barbell that was thicker and had a sharper knurling than the barbells that I have been training with. I have used a thicker than traditional barbell in training so this was not as much of an adjustment; the main adjustment for me was planning my weights for warm ups as plates were added. This may not seem like a big deal as it is just simple math, but my mind raced as the opening lifts approached and this became more difficult than it should have been.

After making adjustments, my warm ups went well and I hit the weights that I wanted. I felt really good and hit my opening attempt weight, 285, with my last warm up rep about ten minutes before my flight started. I was around 7^th or 8^th in the flight order so the next twenty minutes involved a good amount of pacing and jittery foot tapping as I anxiously awaited my first attempt on stage. Finally (it seemed like a much longer wait than it actually was), I was up and went out for my first attempt. It certainly was a different feeling being out on the stage under the lights, but I completed my squat with a little concern about my depth. But the three green lights after I racked the weight eased that concern and forced me to think about my next attempt. I decided to go with 305 which was my 1-rep max coming in to the competition. As the rest of the flight continued on I loosened up my shoes and tried to ease some of the tension I was putting on myself. With the first attempt completed, I was definitely much more relaxed going in to my second attempt. My second attempt of 305 went very smoothly and I decided to take a bigger jump than I expected coming in to the meet and went for 320 on my third attempt. On my third attempt I felt really good about the attempt as soon as I unracked the weight as it didn’t feel as heavy on my back as I expected it would. I hit my depth, hit a little bit of a grind out of the bottom but was able to complete the lift. A great start to the meet as I went three-for-three on attempts and knew that I would be leaving the meet with a minimum of a 15-pound personal record in squat.

This energy continued onto my athletes as each of them hit all three of their attempts in squat and each of them set new personal bests in the process. Each of their personal bests was at least 10 pounds better than their previous maxes. My two lifters in the 198 weight class both squatted 415, and my third lifter in 220 pound weight class squatted 460. Not bad at all for two high school seniors and one college freshman. A great start for our team after one event!

Bench Press

Next up was the bench press in which I started to warm up in between my third lifter’s squat attempts. Warm ups went smoothly, though I began to notice my first mistake of the meet. After I finished squatting, I talked with my athletes and family and paced around the facility through all three flights. Because I did this and didn’t sit down for any extended times I noticed that my low back began to tighten up. Though it didn’t affect my performance, it was annoying. As I warmed up for bench I went over my opener of 185 and hit 190 for a single. I wasn’t nervous about 185 as I’ve hit it in training plenty of times so I wanted the increased weight to give me confidence in the second and third attempt. The 185 went as planned and my second attempt was set for 205 (previous max coming into the meet). The 205 went smoothly so in feeling pretty good, I decided to jump to 220 for my third attempt. This was a bit too big of a jump as I lifted about two inches off my chest and hit a wall. While it didn’t end up in a new record, I’m glad that 205 felt as good as it did and will look for 215 in a couple weeks.

Once again my athletes each achieved new personal bests. With one of them completing all three attempts and the other two completing two out of three, it was a strong showing by our team. Of my two 198 class competitors, one lifted 210 while the other hit 290. My 220 weight class competitor finished at 300.

Deadlift

Wrapping up the day was deadlift. Once again I was in the first flight and began to warm up towards the midway point of the third attempts of the last flight of bench press. This turned out to be a little too early. Realizing this I cut my warm up at 225, killed some time, and came back and moved through the second part of my warm up with 225, 275, 315 and 335. With my opener being 325, I warmed up with 335 because I was feeling really good as my low back began to loosen up (very surprised that this happened with deadlift of all movements). My first attempt of 325 on stage went well and decided to make the jump to 355 which also went smoothly although my set up was off. As I lowered to the bar, I realized that I forgot to take my big inhale at the top so I stopped midway, reset, and continued with the lift. I think this was because I never settled into a consistent deadlift set up routine during training. My set up changed as the weights changed, so this is something that I need to work on moving forward. My last attempt was 375. This weight was my goal for coming in to the meet because a month earlier in training I failed on this weight around the knee. Today I completed the rep and felt decently fast through the rep.

My athletes completed all of their deadlift attempts and put up some big personal records in the process. My two 198 competitors finished with 430 and 435-pound deadlifts while my 220 class lifter completed a 500 pound deadlift without using a belt! Great work all around!

Overall

Looking at all three lifts I completed a 900-pound total. Coming in to the meet I hoped to crack 900 and I was able to do just enough. I was very pleased with squat and deadlift. With bench press, I did about what I expected. I had hoped to break my previous record but realize that my training was focused more on squat and deadlift.

As far as competition, my main focus was myself. I didn’t watch other competitor’s in my classes totals closely because I was too busy trying to plan my teammates and my first meet. My 900-pound total was good enough for third place in my division- 181 Open Raw Classic. This meant that I was able to take home this awesome trophy.

On a whole as a team, I’m very proud of our effort. While it still has not yet been released how are team ranked compared to the other teams competing, I am excited about the personal records that were set and the fact that between the four of us only three attempts were missed. Individually they finished with two first place and one second place finish in their respective divisions.

Experience Outside of Competition

This meet was a blast! It was a great first experience in the sport of powerlifting. It was very organized and the events moved in a timely fashion. While I haven’t experienced meets through other organizations, I would have to think that Revolution Powerlifting Syndicate runs their meets as well as the best. The staff was very approachable and willing to help with any questions that we had.

The one thing that stuck out the most to me on the day was the atmosphere. While it was a competition, everyone was very supportive of each other. Through help with loading weights in warm ups, spotting, advice, or motivation each participant was willing to be there for the rest. It really showed that the sport is more of a brotherhood compared to the team sports I have played in the past.

Even if you don’t think you’re the strongest at your weight in your town I recommend participating in a powerlifting competition simply for the experience. It provides a target to train for, allows you to meet others with a passion in lifting/training, and can just give you a glimpse at the possibilities of human performance.

The Value of Working with an Educated Fitness Coach/Trainer- Part II

Since we have already discussed what to look for in a strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer, now marks the time to talk about why this individual can be crucial towards your fitness and athletic goals. In this article I will discuss three of the reasons why working with an educated and experienced coach can benefit you (even if you already know your way around the weight room).

MOTIVATION

In order to get the most out of a strength and conditioning program, an individual typically needs to step out of his or her comfort zone. When working out by yourself, you may not step out of your comfort zone and try extra weight or repetitions because you do not have a spotter or the motivation to push yourself. The best way to step out of your comfort zone is to have an educated and experienced individual leading you out of that area of comfort. This coach will know when to push you for that extra rep or when to put five more pounds on the bar. On the other end of the spectrum, this individual will also recognize when to back off and end a set due to technique breakdown or fatigue.

A strength coach can set realistic goals and push you towards them in a methodical fashion. By setting short-term as well as long-term goals, you can ensure your training is working in the intended fashion, whether you measure that by weight loss/body composition, strength assessments, speed timing, or by overall feeling of well-being. An educated coach will know how to challenge your body to achieve the goals that you set out for.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability works in tandem with motivation. If you struggle to muster the motivation to integrate your workouts into your schedule, an appointment with a coach or trainer will hold you more accountable in keeping a regular workout routine. This may seem like a hassle or inconvenience as you first adjust to it, but I have witnessed the difference that it makes. After about a month or so of training, many of the clients that I have worked with have admitted that having the appointments scheduled was tough at first but now they feel guilty to themselves if they miss a workout. The accountability has helped them to adopt consistent (weekly, biweekly, tri-weekly, etc.) workouts so that they fit their regular weekly schedules, thus achieving a healthier lifestyle by making the commitment to themselves and to me.

When your work or school schedule goes through an unforeseen change, the idea of accountability with a coach shines brightest. Typically when this happens, one of the first things that may get cut from the to-do list is your workout. If you’re on your own without a reliable workout partner, this can happen in a split second. A scheduled appointment increases the odds that if you must miss the session you will reschedule in the future.

Accountability also factors into the specifics of the workout. If a workout program is written for you or is provided to you by a coach, in most cases I believe that you’re more inclined to follow it. A program that is written for you is more of a requirement when it comes to sets, repetitions, and exercise selection. Compared to a program that you have created or one that you make up as you wander around the gym, an outside program does not feel as flexible or as easily changed because you know that the person who wrote it thought out each step (don’t be afraid to ask why a set, rep, exercise, or load is written as it is, a professional coach should be able to explain every aspect of his/her workout). This difficulty in changing or modifying the program will ensure that you complete a full workout as prescribed. As a novice to moderately experienced lifter, your body can be put at an increased risk of injury by haphazardly making up a workout on the fly.

TECHNIQUE

Another benefit to working with a strength and conditioning coach is that every repetition (or close to every rep) will be under scrutiny. The most experienced, competitive lifters constantly tweak their technique to improve, so don’t be naïve and think that your exercise execution is perfect. Having an educated set of eyes can help to point out details that you may not notice. These details can help to improve your lifts and the health of your joints through proper use of body mechanics.

A coach can also ensure that you learn new movements properly from the start. It is much easier to learn proper technique from the start than it is trying to fix a practiced bad habit. Once again by learning the movement correctly to start you will reduce the risk of injury through faulty technique.

CONCLUSION

In order to reach your training goals, it is important that you put the work in, work in a consistent manner, and perform the work in a proper manner. These three facets are presented when working with a responsible strength and conditioning professional. The combination of these skills and a resumé that shows experience and education can really enhance your level of fitness and sports performance.

Starting Squats: Teaching the Squat through the Box Squat

The squat. Back squat. Front squat. Goblet squat. Box Squat. Squat with bands or chains. Bodyweight Squat. And all of the other variations that I missed. The squat is one of my favorite exercises. It’s one of the most functional exercises out there, meaning that it translates well to all sports as well as activities of daily living. It is more functional than the leg press because you are on your feet and using the musculature throughout your body to support your bodyweight and the additional load. Like other movements in weightlifting and sport, this multi-joint movement can have its dangers if it not taught/performed properly.

Proper squat technique should be a staple of all personal training/sports performance programming. Whether you’re training for athletics, competitive lifting, or general fitness the squat has a crucial role in lower body development. However, the client cannot reap the full benefits with improper technique. Too many times I have witnessed individuals let their ego get the best of them and put too much weight on the bar only to perform an ugly squat. One of my favorite examples and lines that I’ve heard on this subject took place in a college weight room. One individual loaded up the bar with 250+ pounds, set himself up under the bar, unracked the bar, performed four reps of what might have been a quarter of a squat, and confidently re-racked the barbell. After witnessing these attempts, his buddy in the rack next to him immediately asked, “Did you even move?!” The weight on the bar may look cool, but it’s not doing much good if you can’t perform the exercise properly. Getting back to teaching the movement properly and my focus for this article, I am a big proponent of starting my clients with some variation of a box squat when I have them learning or re-learning the squat.

Setting up the Box Squat

In selecting the proper box (or combination of boxes, plates, benches, pads, or whatever you can use in your weight room), I like to use a box that reaches just below the knee joint level for the individual while in their squatting stance (feet slightly wider than the hips, for most). This height gives the lifter an idea of where a parallel squat is for them. By parallel squat, I mean that at the bottom of the squat the lifter’s thighs will be parallel to the floor. I aim for at least parallel on the squat, because at that depth the musculature through the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps are firing. If an individual can get below parallel in a controlled fashion that is great, but most have a hard enough time getting to parallel to begin with due to tight hips and other issues. By training to squat to parallel, we can work on some of these issues.

I like to place the box down so that a corner of the box will be between the lifter’s feet as he sets up. I do this rather than using the flat edge behind his legs because this gives me an increased confidence that my athlete will not miss the box. I’ve seen squats to a bench where people have come very close to missing the bench because they do not push their hips back enough, I like to avoid the suspense.

Your feet will be placed just outside the hips and slightly turned/angled outward. Your body should be centered over the box and the feet should be equidistant from the box on each side.

Execution of Movement

Starting from a standing position, push the hips back, bend at the knees and lower down towards the box in a controlled fashion. Reach your tailbone back so that it sits on the backside of the center of the box (X marks the spot). Pause in the seated position keeping the muscles active (do not relax at this point!). Push through the heels, keep the chest up, and return to the starting position.

Position the feet just outside of hip-width, slightly angled outward. Feet should be equidistant from box. Aim for the tailbone to land on the "X" — Position the feet just outside of hip-width, slightly angled outward. Feet should be equidistant from box. Aim for the tailbone to land on the “X”

Where Things May Go Wrong

Halfway on the descent to the box, the common thought is “Hmm there’s a box below me, it’ll catch me, I’m going to crash down like I do on the sofa after school/work.” Bad idea. If you were to relax and “plop” down on the box, your muscles would not get the full benefit of the movement and your spine would get pretty mad at you for all of the force that it would absorb. Be nice to your spine. Typically your low back takes enough of a beating throughout the rest of your day as it is. Control your descent as you push the hips back until you meet the box.
Now that you’re on the box, pause for a second before you move upward. Just like we don’t “plop” onto the box, I don’t teach athletes to bounce off of the box. Even with a controlled descent, a bounce off of the box can be painful on the tailbone. When teaching the movement, I use a one to two second pause just to help the squatter “feel” the depth and get the muscles used to being in that position. When using the box squat for power or speed training, longer pauses on the box may be used.
When paused on the box, some athletes tend to let their body relax. Typically the core softens and the back rounds. This is not a desirable position in any circumstance, especially when you may have a loaded barbell on your back. Keep the core engaged, upper back pinched, and the heels driven into the ground.

Aspects I Like About Teaching with a Box

Depth

The box gives the athlete a visual and tactile reference point for when they reach proper depth. Now an audible cue, like a coach in your ear, with a free standing squat can be just as valuable and effective, sometimes more valuable and effective, depending on how that athlete learns. Once the athlete gets used to the feeling of his muscles at parallel on the box, this feeling will translate to free standing squats in the future.

Confidence

Along with the visual and tactile cues, I believe that the confidence that the box brings to the squatter (especially in adults who may have not squatted in 15+ years) serves as a great contribution to proper squat technique. Knowing that the box will catch them allows the squatter to push his limits in what he feels is the range of motion that he is strong in. Many cautious, first time squatters may only reach half of their depth with a free standing squat because they do not want to fall down if they get too low. The box gives them a landing pad if needed and can help them to develop strength through the entire range of motion. This full range will help the client to become more functional in his everyday movement patterns by adding strength to muscles that may have not been activated in a long time.

Ability to Analyze Movement

Having a box below can also give the squatter an opportunity to breakdown his squat technique at the bottom of the movement. While it can be done with a free standing squat, it is easier to have a client freeze on the bottom of a bodyweight box squat and look around. Here they can notice, with the help of a knowledgeable coach or properly placed mirror, where the knee is in relation to the ankle, if the weight is on the heels of the feet, if the hips are back far enough, and if the chest is up. This is valuable feedback even for experienced squatters.

The squat is one of the fundamental movements of weightlifting. It is crucial that it is taught and executed properly. Improper technique can lead to increased risk of injury. When teaching this movement to the people that I work with, I prefer to use the box squat for the reasons mentioned above. Coaches/trainers, how do you teach the squat? Clients of trainers/athletes, how do you feel that you would best learn this movement?

The Value of Working with an Educated Fitness Coach/Trainer- Part I

I know the title of this article sounds like I’m pushing the reader to feel like they NEED to work with me. Though I would love to train as many people as I can, this article is intended to encourage you to work with any certified strength and conditioning coach or personal trainer (the key word being CERTIFIED). The first part of this article is going to discuss what you should look for in your trainer or coach.

Education

Someone who tells you how to work and train your body should have a solid understanding of the body and its functions. In order to have a sound understanding of the anatomy and physiology behind training, your coach should have a Bachelor’s degree (or be pursuing a Bachelor’s) in a health or exercise related field like Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Health and Wellness, Strength and Conditioning, or Physical Education. This formal education gives you the reassurance that your trainer has more education than just the typical high school biology or anatomy classes (you probably took those classes too). College level classes discussing exercise physiology and exercise prescription give the coach a basis to understanding how to effectively train individuals of various backgrounds (in-shape/out-of-shape, athlete/non-athlete, young/old) safely. For example, I see advanced plyometrics, like a box jump, performed way too often by individuals who are not ready or who do not need to take the risk of doing an exercise like this. Box jumps require a high level of strength to handle the demands placed on the ankle, knee, and hip joints. With an educated trainer, you will receive instruction appropriate for your skill set, needs, and goals (i.e. Grandma doesn’t need to deadlift 400lbs during her first workout back after a few years).

The next priority would be to see if the coach has a certification in strength and conditioning or personal training. Some examples of organizations that provide reputable certifications include:

National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) http://www.nsca.com/
- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
  - Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise-Related Field, Adult CPR/AED Certification
- Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT)
  - Requirments
- Certified Special Populations Specialist (CSPS)
  - Requirements: One of the following: Current NSCA Certification, Bachelor’s Degree, or Physical Therapy/Athletic Training License
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
- Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
  - Requirements: High School Diploma, Adult CPR/AED Certified
- Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP-C)
  - Requirements: Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise-Related Field, Adult CPR/AED Certification
- Certified Group Exercise Instructor (GEI)
  - Requirements: High School Diploma, Adult CPR/AED Certified

There are other certifications that are respectable as well. There are also less reliable certifications that can be accomplished over a weekend course. I would steer away from these certifications because you want your money to go to someone who has spent more than a weekend learning his craft.

Ask your trainer what personal training related certifications they hold, then with the power of the internet you can do some research as to what prerequisites are needed and what is involved with the certification process.

Experience

The next area to address with your prospective coach/trainer is the experience he or she has in training. Has the professional worked with individuals who have similar goals as you? For example, if you play baseball or are a marathon runner, has this trainer worked with athletes in your sport? If so, they will have a better idea on how to help you reach your goals. Aside from athletics, goals that you may want the trainer to have experience with may include weight loss, working with low back pain, working with novice weight lifters, etc.

If your prospective trainer does not have much experience, this does not mean that he should be immediately crossed off the list. This opens the door for you to pick his brain on how he would train someone with your goals. What types of exercises would he have you do? If the trainer proposes plans that sound on track with your goals and that he can back up with his educational background, then it could be a good fit for you.

My greatest recommendation is to ask questions. Investing in a trainer or coach is a worthwhile investment, but it is your money so that service should be valuable to you. As the customer, it is your right to be able to ask questions about education, experience, training styles, etc.

The next part of this article will focus on the benefits of working with an educated and experienced strength and conditioning coach (even if you already know how to lift weights)