Emphasizing Heavy Lifting and Effective Training Cycles
Today’s bodybuilding world is very different from the past, with more focus on looks than building real strength. This change is concerning, especially when it comes to how younger athletes train.
One major issue is that many younger athletes avoid lifting heavy weights and lack the mental toughness needed to push through difficult reps. Lifting heavy weights is important because it builds both physical strength and mental toughness.
Many young athletes in today’s world tend to give up when things get hard, wanting to stop as soon as they feel discomfort. This attitude holds them back from reaching their full potential in strength training. Effective programs like the 5/3/1 method are great for building a strong foundation. Created by Jim Wendler, this program focuses on lifting heavy with progressive overload, which means gradually increasing the weight. It combines both muscle growth and strength training.
Another effective training program designed for younger athletes comes from Power Athlete’s Bedrock program. This program balances muscle growth with strength by using a linear progression to progressively overload the barbell. This simple approach using fives and threes has proven to be effective for tens of thousands of lifters around the globe.
For more experienced lifters, training needs to change to account for years of hard work, injuries, and physical stress. Ed Coan, a famous powerlifter, recommends slow progression and listening to your body. High-rep barbell exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses can be very tough on the body, especially if done in sets of 10. Lifters need to be careful to avoid by monitoring volume, frequency and intensity.
Lifting heavy isn’t just about building muscle; it also builds mental toughness. Training programs that gradually increase the intensity of the workouts while allowing enough time to rest are very important. High-rep training helps build endurance, but it needs to be balanced with lower-rep, high-intensity work to prevent overtraining and injuries, especially for older athletes with more wear and tear on their bodies.
The shift in bodybuilding towards focusing more on appearance rather than real strength has some drawbacks, especially for young athletes. Focusing on heavy lifting, using progressive training programs, and building mental toughness are key to developing true strength. Programs like 5/3/1 and Power Athlete’s Bedrock offer great ways to build both muscle and strength. For experienced lifters, balancing high-rep work with heavy lifting while considering their body’s limitations helps them keep progressing and healthy for a lifetime.
John Welbourn is Founder/CEO of Power Athlete Inc and former NFL player. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and started for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his NFL career, John started over 100 games regular season games with 10 play-off appearances. He was a four-year letterman while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated from the college of letters and sciences with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. And did his Masters work at the UC Berkeley School of Education in 1999. Since retiring from the NFL, John has worked extensively with the NFL, NHL, MLB, Olympic athletes, the US Army and Naval Special Warfare. He works as a consultant and advisor for several companies focused on improving human performance through training, nutrition and fitness-based technologies. John provides daily coaching and mentorship to over 5000 athletes around the world through his Power Athlete Coaches Network and training program delivery platform. Since in 2013, John has hosted a weekly podcast, Power Athlete Radio; a podcast dedicated to improving performance and connecting with some of the smartest people on the planet. With more than 700 episodes Power Athlete Radio has proven to be on the top podcasts in the strength and conditioning realm. John travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition for Power Athlete and as a keynote speaker. John is a married father of three and resides in Austin, Texas. You can catch up with him at his personal blog, “Talk To Me Johnnie”, at Power Athlete or on social media @johnwelbourn.