Whether it’s the squat, bench, or deadlift...at some point the program needs to consist of dynamic and explosive movement to help the lifter learn to viciously execute their movement for success.

Written By Joseph Lucero

Last weekend, I had a few lifters compete at the annual Metroflex “Open Door Ministry-Christmas Classic” push and pull meet. This event is an incredible opportunity for lifters to get together, lift for a cause and take a majority of proceeds to help support those who might not have the funds during the holiday season. During this event, the ORIGINAL Metroflex hosted some of the strongest lifters not just in the area, but the nation…and to make this event even better, it consisted of raw lifter. No suits, no equipment, just you versus the bar. I know that when I document and post literature, there are some people out there who use equipment.

If you do? All good!

If you don’t? All good!

Ultimately, what works for you…is up to you. I just know that the minute I left my suits behind and started lifting raw, I had to program different, train different, and think different. With a fine dosage of proper programming, and an immense level of testicular fortitude (thanks Josh Bryant), I was able to pass the hump and become a better lifter raw. That’s not the focus of this post, though, so I digress back to the original intent of this post…

 This event allowed for a few lifters of mine to compete and showcase their strengths. As these lifters performed, its just as with any other powerlifting event: good lifts and bad lifts. With intense effort and heavy grit, we performed to our best abilities and left our best efforts on the bar. During this competition, I had a couple ask me about Harvesting Strength…the lifters involved…and what I felt was some of the more important aspects of training for competition.

 This question is a loaded question, as you could commit and answer in depth, or perhaps find a subtle approach and give them an overall summary of your training methodology. For me, though, I was prepared to answer this question with excitement and joy, but after these initial feelings it ultimately came down to me saying “I believe in attacking your weakest points, but most importantly, LIFTING FAST!”

 Now, at a powerlifting competition, you usually have that smartass fan that comments “how is it powerlifting if there is no power involved”? Well, honestly, it could be called anything and I can still be mesmerized by the sport of itself. It could be called barbell wrestling for all I care! But even though at max effort your movements can look slower and decelerated, one thing I believe that’ll help elevate your game is by training with speed.

 Whether it’s the squat, bench, or deadlift, at some point in training the program needs to consist of some level of dynamic and explosive movement to help the lifter learn how to become more vicious with their execution to help them accelerate through the bar and help those heavy loads become easier to conquer. Think about it, if your press RIGHT NOW could be faster and more dynamic, that heavy load would come off with such speed you would by pass the midpoint, and your lockout wouldn’t be as overwhelming as it could be. Some people muscle through their lifts so slow, their body trembles and shakes harder than a rocket preparing for premature take off. So what are some ways to implement vicious speed on the barbell for more powerful movement?

 1. Sub-maximal Cluster Sets: Instead of always lifting at heavy loads…or in addition to lifting heavy loads…it’s a smart idea to work multiple sets (6-12) of light reps (1-3) and working to take that strong frame and lifting the bar with fast and explosive speed. An example of this could be below:

Deadlift 2x4 @88%

Deadlift 8x2 @65%

 The first 2 sets of deadlift are meant to be for strength and development, but then the 8 sets of deadlift are meant to be done fast, explosive, and with vicious speed. The idea is now that we are mixing strength and speed in order to create POWER. If this is new to you, the first few weeks of trying to lift for speed might still seem slow, but the more you practice, the more explosive you will become.

2. Bands and Chains: In addition to the previous step, adding chains and bands is another great tool towards employing dynamic movement of your lift. These bands and chains will require you to lift harder at the end of the movement, as that is when the chains will be their heaviest and the bands will be their tightest. Another nice addition of this movement is that if you perform this on the squat, bench, or deadlift, the lightest of the loads will be at the bottom of each movement, the part that requires you to redirect (besides deadlift) the movement and conquer the lift. The lighter the load, the faster it’ll move. And since the bands and chains are stronger at the end of each movement, that’ll also help you learn to fight through the lockout. So now, we have developed bottom strength, and top strength within the same working set.

3. Plyometric Training: A practice that would be great for any lifter would be utilizing plyometric lifting not just in their programming, but within their working sets as well. What this means is that during a working set, after working a sub-maximal set of lifts, a plyometric movement could be supersetted to help reinforce the explosiveness of the movement and help elevate the sensation of speed. Below is how this could look in a program:

Box Squats 5x3 @ 75%

Seated Box Jumps 5x3 @ Body Weight

Now, just to clarify, these aren’t movements I have created, but these are movements I believe in. Something that is tough in the world of strength and conditioning is that some people make comments that certain theories are better than others…and sometimes programs seem to resemble others. Ultimately, there are so many ways to approach programming, I believe a lifter could go through several different programs and if each program had the same intent, you would see very similar if not the same results from each. I didn’t create these movements, but I believe in them. I program the volume a certain way, and I program the exercises at certain phases. The point of this is to learn “why” and to express the meaning behind each decision made for a program. Not to be some “almighty” organization that is the golden standard towards training athletes. If you have more questions, feel free to contact me even for just a fun conversation on programming. This needs to be a community that wants to learn and support each other, and I intend to keep it that way within the boundaries of my business.

Joseph Lucero
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Together, harvesting the manifestation of these psychological factors can help any lifter achieve their very best, regardless of the load on the bar. -Formal Review #2