The increased popularity of powerlifting has encouraged many students to explore their physical capabilities in their training using three basic movements – squat, deadlift, and bench press. Powerlifting has survived the generations, and has been a revolution in its own right since the late 1940s. This strength sport is especially popular amongst athletes looking to increase muscular strength (the ability to exert a maximal eternal force) and/or muscular power (the optimal amount of work performed) usually in one-to-three sets of three-to-six repetitions per exercise.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, improving muscular fitness is important for boosting quality of life, and the importance of progressing during your resistance training provides more than just neural and strength adaptations. Safely progressing your resistance training can also provide benefits in the following areas:

• Enhanced neural motor control
• Increased fat free mass
• Stimulated bone growth
• Improved heart rate adaptations and glucose metabolism
• Muscles ability to move in a synchronous manner which can contribute to the muscle’s ability to generate more force

One of the best ways to stay on top of your resistance training is to track your progress. Being able to identify and properly implement a program that does not plateau will optimize the benefits of resistance training. We here at the SRWC recommend that if you are new to resistance training or interested in getting into the sport, please seek help from one of our Certified Personal Trainers. If you have not yet tried a program with a trainer, we offer you free fitness assessments and orientations. And if you are already on a resistance training program, make it a goal to compete in our annual Powerlifting Competition this Fall!