Power Lifting

I've grown bored of my strength routine, which meant it was time for a change. The time had come, I decided, to conquer the one type of lifting I had never tried before: power lifting.

This is *not* something to try if you are inexperienced in strength training and, even if you are experienced, it's crucial to have someone well-versed in power lifting with you for safety reasons. Also, when first starting out, take the first couple of sessions to just practice form with the bar (this is the phase I'm in now).

Today was my first power lifting workout. A couple months ago, I had an experienced personal trainer show me some power lifting essentials, but I made sure to have one of the strength training coaches here at the University to make sure my form was correct. These exercises should be taken very seriously; they combine explosiveness with heavy weight, which if done correctly could lead to any number of sprains and strains and tears.

The great thing about power lifting (now that I've scared the crap out of you) is that it's a phenomenal full body workout and burns some serious calories. Power lifting, along with kettlebell training and plyometrics, is one of the best forms of strength training for serious athletes; it fosters pure, explosive, human force. This is strength in its most elemental, functional form.

So what exactly is power lifting? Here are the basics:

Power Clean:


Clean and Jerk:


Power Snatch:


I did not attempt the power snatch today, maybe next time; after doing a bunch of power cleans and cleans & jerks, I was exhausted (and incredibly sweaty). Something important to keep in mind with this type of lifting, again concerning safety, is to be careful when disengaging the weight. For example, after the power clean has been performed and the weight sits in the hands at the collar bone, it's important to snap the weight right back down keeping it close to the body, i.e. hinge with the elbows only, and avoid bending at the waist. When working with light weight this is less of an issue, but as the weight increases so will the strain it will place on your lower back if you disengage improperly.

There is still a lot I don't know about this type of lifting, but I am actively finding out more about it. I will update as my lifting grows more advanced, for now I'm going to continue to work on technique.