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 Written by: Lindsay McGuire, MS, CSCS, PT, DPT Our core is an essential part of performing the three main lifts in powerlifting correctly, safely and effectively. Core training is vital to amplify our lift potential but also for maximizing the safety of the lift. I see many training programs...

  by Gage Reid of Nova Strength First Off, You're An AthleteI feel as though I have to constantly remind my Powerlifters this but contrary to popular belief, modern-day Powerlifters ARE athletes. If you look around at some of the top lifters in the world you'll see extremely athletic, relatively...

by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Training Systems It's very rare that mentality is discussed amongst Powerlifting circles and strength athletics, but when it is talked about it's often based around, "Just get mad at it! Give it all you got!" Although that can be a useful tactic in some...

by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Training Systems In the past I've discussed how Front Squats, High Bar Squats, and Belt Squats (among others) are highly useful in developing the Raw Squat- in fact, if I were to pick just one variation to build the Squat, it would be the...

Written by: Lindsay McGuire, MS, CSCS, PT, DPT We all know that our glutes play a major role in the power and strength of our squats. However, many of us fail to realize the importance of training the specific parts of the glutes and of their influence on injury prevention....

Written by Nikita Ross Putting yourself out there and standing in front of a crowd can be challenging. Even those who don’t regularly suffer from anxiety experience this event-specific phenomenon. Call it performance anxiety, stage fright, agoraphobia; call it what you will. Then, pair the fear of messing up with...

by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Disclaimer: Before attempting any weight cut it's important to underage the risks, potential damage that can occur during extreme weight loss and periods of dehydration. As an athlete it's on you to ensure that you are putting the most important aspects at the top...

Written by: Lindsay McGuire, MS, CSCS, PT, DPT Do you have shoulder pain? In my years in the gym, I have heard many people mention that they have shoulder pain, especially my fellow powerlifters, and then subsequently correlate it with shoulder impingement. But what is shoulder impingement? What are the...

Written by Jeremy McCann of Range Of Motion Squatting should be simple when you think about it. I mean all you are really doing when you squat is bending at the hips, the knees, and the ankles before you stand up again. Considering that you are likely to do these...

by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Ask any Powerlifter what the hardest lift to improve is and 9 times out of 10 you'll hear, "the Bench Press". Although there are a few outliers in the sport, Jen Thompson is an excellent example, but for the most part the Bench is...

Written by Zack Henderson For the competitive powerlifter and those in the pursuit of maximal strength, the deadlift is life. It’s the most simple and, for many, the heaviest lift of all.  This means the most weight you’ll ever hold in your hands will probably be on a deadlift bar....

  by Gage Reid of Nova Strength 1. High Bar SquatProbably one of my favourite accessories to the Competition Low Bar Squat; the High Bar Squat is similar in execution in that it is a Squat-variation with the bar on your back (therefore sport-specific enough to have a strong carry...

by Gage Reid of Nova Strength I'm going to start this article by stating that I am not a Doctor, nor am I a medical professional, so if you're experiencing consistent, excruciating or reoccurring back pain you should seek the advice of a qualified medical professional. On the other hand,...

By Gage Reid of Nova Strength Technical efficiency/inefficiency It is a common idea that technical breakdowns begin to occur in the 85-95% range and if you already have a very pronounced technical inefficiency (for example, Valgus Collapse [knees caving], or hips shooting back hard in the Squat) then it is...

By Gage Reid of Nova Strength Belt Pictured Above by Pioneer "Yeah, I actually wear this belt so I don't blow out my spine.""If I don't wear a belt my back will hurt so much after the gym."I'm sure you've heard it before, and more than likely it was from...

Abs??? Ewwww. Core work?? But I’m a powerlifter! Yep, that’s what I thought too. No more crunches, leg raises and crap. Squats and deadlifts work my core enough! Well, I was wrong. About a year into lifting low back pains started and that’s when I found out the abdominal muscles...

  BY GAGE REID OF NOVA STRENGTH  1. "The ONLY way to get strong is to do 1-3 reps, anything more is useless."    This is easily one of the most common "facts" of Powerlifting that I see floating around comment sections on YouTube/Facebook/Instagram and from people at your local...

Written by Rachel Jimenez Photo by Recon  So, let us examine two different scenarios. For the first, let’s pretend that you had a fantastic meet. Everyone’s dream, right? You went 9-4-9, never got called for depth or commands, and you lifted more weight than you had ever touched in your life....

Written by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Photo by Recon  The old cliché for Powerlifting is that "anything over 5 reps is considered cardio" or "Powerlifters only need to do 1-3 reps, anything over that is useless". Not only are these old Powerlifting words of wisdom long extinct, but if you...

  Written by Jeremy McCann of Range Of Motion  When we talk powerlifting greatness the conversation always starts with, “How much do you pull?” When we say, “pull,” we aren’t talking about dumbbell rows or the number of weeds YOU YANK from your yard, we're talking about your DEADLIFT. The deadlift is...