<\/p>\n
I have argued in favor of hybrid training for improving performance in powerlifting during the past two years. There is no published scientific evidence for that. Actually, there is very little published scientific evidence for any given training method or protocol for powerlifting. The reasons for this go beyond disinterest from the scientific community. Actually, we may have unavoidable methodological issues involved in it. One of them is common to all elite athletics: elite athletes are, by definition, exceptional. Only they\u2019re not exceptional in the same variables, which makes any statistician crazy. You may find yourself calculating the average of a certain indicator in a group of 7 or 8 where the standard deviation simply suggests you throw the observation on the trash can. Maximum effort makes everything worse, \u201cneural\u201d aspects complicate it to the cube.<\/p>\n
As some very wise coaches claim, all methods work and most may not work for you \u2013one will. Or a combination of, who knows?<\/p>\n
A lot of (very wise and reasonable ) people criticize using Olympic WL for powerlifting performance \u2013 I don\u2019t and I use it. I have recently observed a lifter who, for 10 years, was an average good lifter but became an outstanding one when he gave up powerlifting for two years due to an overload of disappointments. He trained and competed in Strongman, in which he could never match the stars: he is too short. When he lifted again in powerlifting, he was the star \u2013 international level numbers.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been training Olympic WL for two years. And for two years I\u2019ve been accumulating world records in powerlifting, including an all time WR (squat). Does that prove Olympic WL did the trick? That it is the magic bullet to make a world champion?<\/p>\n
NO.<\/p>\n
To claim that would be methodologically unsound. Many other variables could have contributed: I bought my own equipment and started training alone at the same time. Maybe that works for me, who knows? I\u2019m weird. I also started competing only outside the country I live, knowing very little people around at the meet. Maybe that\u2019s what matters. Again, who knows?<\/p>\n
We can\u2019t even say that, if it didn\u2019t help, WL didn\u2019t spoil my preparation. Well, it might, mightn\u2019t it? We can\u2019t go back in time and change those variables.<\/p>\n
If I were to bet \u2013 and betting is not scientific at all \u2013 I\u2019d say it did contribute a lot, for many reasons: one, WL seems to \u201csave\u201d overtraining. It provides intense power stimulus without maxing out in static strength. \u00a0Two, it\u2019s been known that power transfers back to maximum effort performance. One can argue that not at that level of intensity, but, again, there\u2019s no evidence for that. Three, it might not be a coincidence that my performance improved at the same time I started WLifting.<\/p>\n
The truth is: I LOVE weightlifting. I\u2019m not good at it. I\u2019m a pretty good powerlifter and a mediocre weightlifter. Having started WL at my age, I will never be an excellent, world level weightlifter. But I have so much fun doing it that I am not willing to give it up, even if someone whose opinion I respect like the bible says so.<\/p>\n