Posts tagged power

lifftt:

THIS GOES OUT TO ALL THE OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTERS OUT THERE, 

reblog this so we can follow eachother

Just had my first meet yesterday so it’s official :)

(via holmesimprovements)

I’m really happy with how squats are going for me (deadlifts too).  Every week I am able to increase the my max weight by 5lbs and usually I add more reps to the weight that I was able to squat the week before.

I always try to do better than the week before. Whether it’s 5 more pounds or 1 more rep, I have to do something more.

Recently I’ve started Reverse Pyramid Training (RPT) which I think has made it much easier to increase my strength. Basically you start with the highest set of weight first (usually 80-90% 1RM) and do as many reps as you can (should be a small number since it’s heavy) but stop 1-2 reps before failure.  For the next set decrease the weight a little and do the same thing.  The reps should still be low in number but should still feel challenging because the previous sets will fatigue you.

Make sure you warm up first!!

For example, Here is my warm-up and workout for today:

The warm-up:

• 5 minute spin on stationary bike to warm-up
• 10 body weight squats
• 10 squats with the bar
• 135lbs for 5 reps

The Workout:

• 170lbs for 5 reps (New PR! woop!)
• 165lbs for 5 reps
• 160lbs for 5 reps
• 155lbs for 5 reps

This is how I like to do my workouts.  You can modify RPT training however you want to suit you and your body.  

Depending on how much weight you are using you might want to decrease by more weight each time. For example, for deadlifts I will decrease the weight by 10lbs each time.  

Power lifting is a misnomer. You don’t need lots of power to be a good powerlifter, you just need to be able to perform a lot of work. 

Work can be thought of as the amount of weight you can move a certain distance (Work = Force X Distance with force proportional to the weight being moved).

Power on the other hand, is a measure of how fast you can do a certain amount of work.  The equation for power is P = Work/Time.

Powerlifters can lift a lot of weight but they can take as long as they need to do it.  They have a great deal of strength.

Olympic lifting on the other hand requires immense amounts of power.  The movements require extreme precision and speed because Olympic lifters must take heavy weights from the floor to above their head in a short amount of time.  

Lets say someone is lifting 100kgs to a height of 2 meters in 5 seconds. If we calculate the power required to do this we come up with:

• Force = 100kg*9.81m/s^2 => 981 N
• Power = 981N/5 seconds => 196.2 Joules

Let’s compare this value to one that we would get if we performed the same amount of work (same weight & distance) but faster. Let’s say that this time we move the weight to a height of 2 meters in 1.5 seconds this time (such as with Olympic lifting). Then we come up with:

• Force = 100kg*9.81m/s^2 => 981 N
• Power = 981N/1.5 seconds => 654 Joules

As you can see from the two equations, the amount of work done in both lifts is the same but the power in lift #2 is much greater because it was performed much faster. That is Power. 

fitvillains:

1. You have all the muscle fiber you will ever have by the time you’re in your early teens! You can make the fibers bigger (more toned) or they can shrink, but once damaged they cannot be replaced.

2. You have as many muscle fibers as the biggest body builder guy you can think of. His are just bigger. :)

3. The term ‘ripped’ is derived from the process that makes your muscles grow. When you hurt yourself, your body sends cells to repair the damage (like a scab). When you work your muscles, you cause tiny little tears (ripping them). Your body sends cells to help heal these tears, causing the formation of proteins which increase the size of your muscle. (This is why protein is so important for your muscles!) No pain, no gain. Literally.

4. Fast & slow twitch fibers do different things for your body. Fast twitch muscles are the ones you use for quick, short bursts of exercise or power (sprints, plyometrics etc.). Slow twitch fibers don’t produce much power, but are perfect for longer, endurance based activities (think long distance running). If you’re looking to train for endurance, think lighter weights & more reps. For power? Heavier weights & fewer reps.

5. Your muscles don’t have memory… they have efficiency. Every movement you make, your brain sends signals to the muscles involved to contract. As you repeat movements over and over, the communication between your brain & muscles becomes more efficient: you become more coordinated. That’s why riding a bike feels so natural after years, or why you get better at dance moves the more you practice them. This applies to your workouts too. Moves that require coordination will get easier with practice.

6. For once and for all, lifting weights will NOT make you bulky. Men gain muscle more easily because of their hormones; hormones women don’t have. Female body builders spend hours in the gym every day, training intensly & heavily (think using 100+lbs), often take supplements for size & eat very specifically for YEARS to get that look. Picking up a 10lb dumbbell will NOT make you bulky. Or a 25lb dumbbell. Or a 45lb barbell. Relax.

7. Where you’re likely to tone up first? Your shoulders. Women don’t have a lot of fat in that area, so you’ll see definition there first. Having wider shoulders will also make your waist appear smaller: a little trick from the supermodels.

8. There are NO muscles in your fingers! The muscles that move them are in your palm and mid-forearm: they are attached by tendons that run up to your fingers, making them move when the muscles contract (like a puppet).

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(Source: womenshealthmag.com)