​In powerlifting, increasing load is the main goal. However, if you’re in the throes of training and aren’t feeling super confident that you’ll PR during a testing day (usually bench cause meh), here are a few different approaches you can take:

1. Improve technique. This is very important if your previous PR wouldn’t pass in competition. You hit a 315 squat, but it was high? Well, kinda dumb to try for 325 until you nail depth at 315. Didn’t pause your 165 bench? Time to practice! Hitched your 350 pull? PRACTICE.
2. Improve time under tension. Usually when we hear the phrase “time under tension,” it means to slow things down. If you speed through your bench pause, this is a good time to practice pacing yourself. However, increasing the SPEED of a movement is a way to progress for a powerlifter. So if you’re taking 10 full seconds to nail your 400 lb pull, it’s time to work on building that speed.
3. Increase volume. This is one of my favorites cause we have all been there. You keep going for that 135 milestone bench, and even though you hit 125 and 130 for reps, you can’t hit a clean 135! Well, once you nail 135, it might be just as difficult to hit 140, so instead of jumping right into a new bench PR, try reducing the load and going for a new 2, 3, or 4 rep max!

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Let's talk unilateral (single arm or single leg) movements.

What are some examples?

• Dumbbell chest/shoulder press.
• DB rows / extensions
• Lunges / Split Squats

When are they beneficial?
In new lifters, rehabbing lifters, or experienced lifters dealing with muscle asymmetries or strength imbalances. Also can serve to train stabilizers.

When are they not particularly helpful?
To increase bilateral strength in experienced lifters without muscular deficits or imbalances.

Why?
Experienced lifters are usually too strong to benefit from exclusively unilateral training. Including it within a mesocycle is fine, but there should be bilateral stimulus present as well.

Example: an experienced lifter squats 200lb, but uses 65lb for lunges in order to get each leg individually stronger in order to get a bigger squat.

It isn't wrong to use the lunge as an accessory movement, but the lunge would not directly correlate with an increased squat. There isn't enough stimulus (keeping in mind that in order get strong you need stimulus + overload).

What you can use lunges for as an experienced lifter, is as a hypertrophy movement to build the musculature that assists the squat.

An inexperienced lifter can get much more use out of unilateral work. It is not uncommon to be stronger in unilateral movements as a novice, and it can directly correlate with getting stronger with bilateral movements (lunges can increase squat strength in new lifters, cool ain't it!).

So here is your reminder to pick your accessories wisely!!