If you have completed one of our courses or been coached by us you'll know how important we consider technical proficiency.
Proficiency is a measure of the level of expertise you have at a particular skill. In the case of Powerlifting we are talking about one of the three lifts.
Now it's not black and white, proficiency is a spectrum.
We certainly prioritise quality of movement over quantity (weight on the bar) and we believe everyone should be. A high level of proficiency facilitates better long term, sustainable results.
The question is, how do we progress a lifter but keep them at an acceptable level of proficiency?
It's actually quite simple (in theory) - we ensure a lifter is spending the majority of their training in percentage ranges where they are able to execute lifts to a high standard. We call this range the 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘡𝘰𝘯𝘦. By doing this we are reinforcing quality of movement and strengthening position. The end goal is to build a lifter that is bullet proof in the right mechanical positions.
This 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘡𝘰𝘯𝘦 will be different for everyone but typically we say anything under 50% is a warmup. The value of the upper range (X%) is where lifters will differ based on strength strength levels, experience, skill level etc... We find the more experienced and highly skilled a lifter is the higher we can push that upper percentage as they are able to move well at higher percentages. As opposed to a novice lifter who typically will show technical break down at lower percentages.
It's important to spend most of your training time in these ranges where you display a high degree of technical proficiency. Develop your skills and compound strength on top of function, that's the key to getting proper strong.
We cover this and so much more in a lot more detail in our Powerlifting Fundamentals Course, more info available at https://www.ruccisgym.com/powerlifting-course-fundamentals
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