Pause reps: How and why you should use these.
You may see people in the gym pausing mid-rep during a squat or maybe even a deadlift. For anyone who hasn’t, it is when you come to a dead stop at a certain point in the movement. There are two main reasons why I suggest you should apply these to your training program.
The first reason would be to target an area of weakness or sticking point during the movement. For example, if you are consistently failing your bench press 2inches off your chest or notice that this is the point where the bar speed significantly slows down, doing a training block where you perform a pause just under this point will overload and strengthen that specific part of the lift.
Secondly, pause work can also be a great way to slow things down and target any point in the lift where there is a technique breakdown. This is especially useful for novice lifters. It can sometimes be overwhelming having a lot of cues to remember and the pause allows time to stop and make sure that everything is in the right place at that certain point in the lift. A good example of this is pausing at the knee in the RDL, which allows you to focus on hinging at the hip and then keeping the bar in contact with your shins below it.
Whatever the reason for using this tool in your training, be aware that this will make any weight you are lifting feel significantly heavier and you will need to reduce the load accordingly. Also remember that when you are under tension with weight in your hands or on your back, your perception of the length of pause will feel greater than it probably is, so it’s always good to ask someone to watch or take a video to obtain an objective opinion. A lot of people will “push through” the pause (because pause reps are hard and this is what your body naturally wants to do) but try to make them a full 1 second halt for maximum benefit.
An All4Fitness Blog by Kelly Hodges-Personal Trainer and Powerlifting Australia Coach
What is Powerlifting, and what to expect at our in-house Competition?
Our in-house powerlifting competition is fast approaching! It’s no doubt that some members who are new to resistance training are wondering what it’s all about. Powerlifting is a strength sport, where people of all ages and experience levels compete in the squat, bench press and deadlift. Our in-house comp is set up as a “mock meet” meaning it’s a fun, cost effective way to participate and gain some experience in the sport, in a much more casual environment. Spectators are encouraged to come along to support the lifters, which also ads to the overall atmosphere on the day!
On the day the lifting will start at 8:30am, so we suggest you turn up at least 1 hour beforehand at 7:30am to weigh in, submit your opening attempts, record your squat rack heights, and start warming up for your opening squat attempt.
Each person will have 3 attempts in the squat, bench press and deadlift (9 lifts in total) respectively and will be given 15-20mins to warm up before each. If you need help warming up, or are unsure of how to structure this effectively to maximize physical preparedness and minimize fatigue, please talk to one of our coaches who will be happy to help you. After the warm up time has lapsed, the lifting will begin with the first lift being the squat. At our comp, participants will take turns in order from the person starting with the lightest weight through to the heaviest. You will have a full minute from when your name is called to set up for the lift and take your attempt. You will get plenty of rest (whilst everyone else is having their attempts) between each lift. After your squat, we will move onto bench press and finish with deadlifts.
After the deadlifts are completed, we will calculate each person’s Wilks score. (A coefficient way in which measures relative strength to bodyweight) This number will be a total of your heaviest squat + heaviest bench press + heaviest deadlift, calculated against your bodyweight. The Wilks score will be used to determine the best competitor of the day who will receive full bragging rights and our $100 cash prize!
If you are still yet to register, make sure you do so as soon as possible to secure your spot, as spaces are limited to 15 people.
An All4Fitness Blog written by Kelly Hodges-Personal Trainer and Powerlifting Australia Coach