Ever feel like your lifts just aren’t progressing anymore? You’re putting in the work, but the results just aren’t there. This could be due to a phenomenon called accommodation.
What is Accommodation?
Accommodation is when your body adapts to a constant training stimulus and progress plateaus. It’s like your muscles getting too comfortable with the same exercises and weights.
The Westside Barbell Solution: Accommodating Resistance
Westside Barbell, a renowned powerlifting gym, tackles accommodation with a concept called accommodating resistance. This involves incorporating various techniques to keep your muscles challenged and prevent plateaus.
Here’s what Westside Barbell recommends:
- Vary Your Exercises: Don’t just stick to the same lifts. Use box squats, rack pulls, floor presses, and other variations to target different aspects of the main lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift).
- Change Your Grip: Try sumo and conventional deadlifts, different bar widths for squats, and various grip widths for benching.
- Utilize Special Bars: Safety squat bars, cambered bars, MantaRays, Buffalo bars, and more can target different muscle groups and weaknesses.
- Wave Periodization: Change the weight you lift over time. Westside Barbell suggests a three-week wave, increasing weight for three weeks before returning to the starting point.
- Incorporate Bands and Chains: These add variable resistance throughout the lift, mimicking the natural strength curve where you’re strongest at the bottom and weakest at the top. This can help develop explosive power.
- Adjust Rest Periods: Rest periods also play a role. Shorter rest periods (30-90 seconds) are ideal for speed-strength work, while heavier weights require longer rest (up to 2.5 minutes).
- Don’t Neglect Technique: Proper form is crucial throughout your training journey.
Examples from Westside Barbell:
- Speed Deadlifts: Use 60-70% of your 1RM for explosive singles with perfect form. Rest for 30-45 seconds between reps.
- Banded Deadlifts: Use mini-bands or lighter bands for progressive resistance throughout the lift.
- Lightened Deadlifts: Suspend the bar in bands to reduce weight initially and increase it at lockout.
- Chain Deadlifts: Attach chains that fall off as the weight increases, forcing you to generate more power.
Beyond Powerlifting:
The concept of accommodation applies to all athletes. By incorporating variety and challenging your body with different exercises and techniques, you can prevent plateaus and keep improving your performance.
Key Takeaways:
- Accommodation can hinder your training progress.
- Fight accommodation by incorporating variety, accommodating resistance, and proper periodization.
- Westside Barbell offers valuable techniques to keep your workouts challenging and effective.
- Remember, proper form and addressing weaknesses are crucial for long-term success.
Don’t let accommodation hold you back! Implement these strategies and keep pushing your limits!
Check out our previous post about Unleash Your Deadlift Speed: Explosive Training Techniques.