Preparing for Power and Weight Lifting Competitions

Weightlifting competitions are heavy duty, high adrenaline competitions involving athletes competing to see who has the most brute strength and muscular power. Preparing for such an event requires proper training tips and a lot of practice. Entering any contest can be a scary idea at first, but don't get discouraged if you have no experience. After all, every athlete has to start somewhere and you will feel better if you start out in a local, smaller competition where you can get your feet wet.

Before you train for this type of event, you should know that there are three types of resistance training competitions which require separate training techniques. These three are Power Lifting, Olympic Weightlifting, and Body Building. These three types are considered motor performance sports because you utilize your motor functions of the body when performing.

The first type of resistance competition is bodybuilding. The goal in bodybuilding is to develop muscle hypertrophy (growth), definition, and symmetry. Bodybuilding is a sport based on looks. In other words, the judges do not consider strength when they are rating the competitors. They are looking for muscular definition and how well the muscles are symmetrical on the body.

Bodybuilders have a strict regimen of weight training, dieting, and presentation training. This sport can be an abusive sport for the human body. Extremely low body fat in the single digits is required to be able to see the muscle tissue through the skin. The body is unable to maintain this low body fat for long periods due to unhealthy side affects related to extremely low body fat such as amenorrhea, the loss of a menstrual period in women, and lack of proper nutrition.

The second type of resistance competition is Olympic Weightlifting. The goal in this sport is to lift maximum weight in two lifts. The two lifts are the Clean and Jerk and the Snatch.

Power lifting is the third and perhaps most challenging type of resistance competition. The goal in power lifting is to lift maximum weight in three lifts. Many local competitions of strength are power lifting competitions. The three events judged are the Squat, Dead Lift, and the Bench Press. The judges are looking for the participants' one-rep max, or how much can be lifted in one repetition. The best of three is scored for each event and muscular strength, not muscular endurance, is the primary factor being judged.

There are normally three weight classes in these motor performances sports: Light weight, Middle Weight, and Heavy Weight. Power lifting can be hard on the joints and preparation is detrimental for excelling in this type of sport. Continuous power lifting will increase muscular size and strength.

To prepare for a power lifting competition, start out with a 10-minute warm-up on the treadmill. Then start each of the three routines lifting five to eight repetitions using just the bar with no weight on it to warm up the muscles. The bar itself is 45 pounds. Put on increasing increments of weight, continuing to lift five to eight repetitions.

Do not use a belt when lifting lighter weights. Your abdominals and back muscles need to be able to develop and strengthen. This will be difficult if you wear the weight belt all the time. Put on the belt for back support when you finally put on the heavier weights that are a struggle for you to lift.

For the Bench Press, a good tip is to arch your back while lying on the bench but still keeping your buttocks and upper back on the bench and feet planted on the floor. When you become more seasoned, you will be able to easily slide a hand, palm to the sides, in the arch of your back. If your feet cannot touch the floor, blocks may be used to place your feet upon. You will be required to lift the bar, lower it to the bottom of your chest and hold it for a count of three to five seconds, then lift it up again while fully extending your arms. The pectorals or chest muscles will be the major muscles used in this event. The anterior deltoids or front shoulders will be the secondary muscles utilized.

In the Dead Lift, the erector spinae or lower back muscle will be the primary mover muscle, while the hamstrings will also be used. To execute a proper dead lift, you may use either the Sumo or the Conventional method. The Sumo method is used by spreading your feet more than shoulder width apart, while the conventional method is shoulder width or closer together. The bar should be placed in front of you with your shins touching it and your feet directly underneath the bar. If you are practicing with the bar alone, the shins will be unable to touch and the feet will be unable to slide underneath the bar.

Begin by flexing your hip while keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent. Grasp the bar with one hand supine (palm-up) and one hand prone (palm-down). Hands should be from shoulder width to slightly wider apart. Lift up by extending the hip and moving the back to its original erect position. At the top, hold the bar with arms straight in front of your thighs and try to clinch your shoulder blades together.

In the Squat event, keep your head facing forward when squatting, which will assist in keeping the back straight. Muscles used are the quadriceps (thighs), gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus (buttocks). Feet should be at a 45-degree angle with legs at a wide stance. This is only recommended for power lifting competitions, not daily weight training, as it is hard on the joints and spinal alignment. Bend at the knees to squat the weights. Although flexing the knees beyond 90 degrees may cause knee problems if done continuously, power lifting squats are performed by flexing or bending the knees more than 90 degrees then extending back up.

Now that you know how to perform each event, what do you eat? Two to three hours before competition, eat carbohydrates such as potatoes, pasta, and breads for energy. DO NOT consume any sugars or sweets in the form of candy as this may make you feel lightheaded and deplete your energy levels. It is a bad idea to power lift on an empty stomach also. Drink a lot of water and do not overeat before competition.

Allow yourself plenty of training time and recovery time for your muscles. By applying basic safety and preparation principles, you will able to slowly gain strength and power to be more competitive in your