5 Things to Instantly Up Your Powerlifting Total

5 Things to Instantly Up Your Powerlifting Total

By Andrew Richardson

These are the top 5 things that will add instant kilos to your lifts and they are not coaching cues.

1/ Music: This will motivate you and put you into your “zone”. You may choose something that suits your needs. Some people listen to classical music others listen to heavy metal and or hear a motivational quote. Find something that gets you under that bar with heart, energy and belief that you will lift it.

My personal favourite is Slipknot – Custer

2/Training Group: Train with likeminded people whom will inspire you to work hard and be accountable for your actions. If you do a high rep in squats they will tell you not cover it up by saying it was deep. These individuals will help you go to places you never thought was possible. They walk the same path as you and will make sure you keep up with them. Training partners are great but a group of 8-10 is awesome all lifting together and getting PR’s!!!

I am fortunate enough that when I go to uni I have the Teesside Barbarians Powerlifting Club in Middlesbrough, to make sure I am giving my all each session. Then, when home for the summer I have ABS Powerlifting Team in Dublin to do the exact same. Surround yourself with those you want to be with and you love it.

3/ Equipment: Wrist straps, Belt, Singlet, Knee Sleeves, Oly Shoes/Chucks, Knee length socks, Wraps etc all will add pounds to your total. How? As they are good equipment which has been used by the best, belts to prevent injury, wrist straps for a straighter wrist to press in a straighter angle on benching, knee sleeves to keep knee joint warm and to maintain the patella tendon in its natural path. Wearing all this stuff you will feel a lot stronger and more confident going into a session and or competition.

Don’t buy cheap buy good products that will last such as SBD, Inzer, Toro etc. I use SBD and Inzer.

4/ Psychological Preparation before lifting:  Do your warm up routine, don’t do anyone else’s. Do your own jumps not someone else’s. At the end of the day it is you getting ready to lift and being on the platform. No one else. Think about the cues which get you prepared for the lift, if you walk along the wall then go to rack do that. If you stare and hold the bar then you do that. Whatever makes you tick you do that. If you’re happy screaming or being silent then do that.

Never change something from training on comp day. Keep it the same, practise as you preach. Treat all the weights you lift as 1RM this will ensure you will have great technique when it comes to the actual one. Be confident and think “this is light, I will do this, I am strong”. Positive reinforcement is such a powerful tool in getting new PR’s.

I like to stare at the weight and keep saying to myself some coaching cues/positive reinforcement.

5/ Passion: As Dave Tate of Elite FTS said “Passion Trumps Anything”.  The people who I want to hang out round with, are the ones who live and breathe this sport. As I will feed off their energy and I will learn from them. The benefit of this that, I will have a far more enjoyable time participating in the sport I love.

Passion feeds mainly 2 of the above points

-          A passionate song that gets the emotions going

-          A passionate training group, group of friends that will help you to achieve a new PR

Now go and do the above and I will guarantee you, you will get a new PR.

Andrew Richardson, Founder of Strength is Never a Weakness Blog

I have a BSc (Hons) in Applied Sport Science and a Merit in my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and I passed my PGCE at Teesside University. 

Now I will be commencing my PhD into "Investigating Sedentary Lifestyles of the Tees Valley" this October 2019. 

I am employed by Teesside University Sport and WellBeing Department as a PT/Fitness Instructor.  

My long term goal is to become a Sport Science and/or Sport and Exercise Lecturer. I am also keen to contribute to academia via continued research in a quest for new knowledge.

My most recent publications: 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1752928X19300216

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1752928X19301076 

My passion is for Sport Science which has led to additional interests incorporating Sports Psychology, Body Dysmorphia, AAS, Doping and Strength and Conditioning. 

Within these respective fields, I have a passion for Strength Training, Fitness Testing, Periodisation and Tapering. 

I write for numerous websites across the UK and Ireland including my own blog Strength is Never a Weakness. 

I had my own business for providing training plans for teams and athletes. 

I was one of the Irish National Coaches for Powerlifting, and have attained two 3rd places at the first World University Championships, 

in Belarus in July 2016.Feel free to email me or call me as I am always looking for the next challenge. 

Contact details below; 

Facebook: Andrew Richardson (search for)

Facebook Page: @StrengthisNeveraWeakness

Twitter: @arichie17 

Instagram: @arichiepowerlifting

Snapchat: @andypowerlifter 

Email: a.s.richardson@tees.ac.uk

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-richardson-b0039278 

Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew_Richardson7