Not many people know that power lifting exercises are different from bodybuilding exercises. At a glance, they may both look basically the same, but upon further inspection, you will find that power lifting exercises and bodybuilding exercises are two different forms of exercise. In fact, power lifting exercises can be considered to be a mix between weight lifting and body building exercises.
Power lifting exercises consist mainly of three types; squats, the dead lift and the bench press. These power lifting exercises are judged by the number of times the exercise is done, and not by the physique or size of your body, the result being that the one with the highest number of power lifting repetitions is considered the superior athlete, however because power lifting exercises are fun, everyone is a winner. Once you set a goal for your power lifting exercises, you aim for reaching that number of repetitions, and then it doesn’t matter who can do the most repetitions as long as you reach your personal goal.
Power lifting exercises usually go in depth more in your mind, than bodybuilding exercises do. This is why you may have an "off" day during a power lifting meet where your body may not have had enough rest and thus feel distracted and will not be able to do power lifting exercises as usual. This means that you have to have 110% concentration if you wish to perform power lifting exercises at your best.
When doing power lifting exercises, it is better to use protective equipment to protect yourself from any injuries. There are have bench shirts for protection of the shoulders, knee wraps for the protection of knees, wrist straps for the protection of the wrists, weight belts for the protection of the lower back and singlets and suits that maintain your form for the competition.
The bench shirt that is used in power lifting exercises not only provides protection for your shoulders, it also helps you get off the bottom position in the bench. It fits tightly around the arms and chest, so it is important to give your arm and chest measurement for the right fit of the bench shirt. This bench shirt is difficult to wear, and should be used only when performing your power lifting exercises. And since it was made for you, it should not be worn by anyone else.
The belt provides protection from the lower back from strain and pulls while performing power lifting exercises like the dead lift and the squat. The wrist and knee wraps, of course, provide protection for the wrist and knees when doing power lifting exercises like squats and dead lifts.
When performing the squat, large amounts of weight have to be lifted using the glutes and quadriceps. This power lifting exercise has to be done with care as squats using the wrong technique can lead to bad back injuries. The squat is started in an upright position with the bar at the deltoids. Then, while squatting until the hips are below knee level, you return to an upright position, without bouncing to return the bar to the rack. The second power lifting exercise is the bench press that focuses on the triceps and deltoids. With feet flat on the floor at all times, the head, buttocks and shoulders lie flat on the bench. Then the bar is placed for you to lift, and this itself is the bench press. The third power lifting exercise is the dead lift where various muscles are worked including the glutes, hamstrings, the quadriceps and the back. During this power lifting exercise, a bar with a weight is placed on the ground. You then squat to get a firm grip on the bar and lift your body till it is straight. This position has to be held for a few seconds, wherein you return the weight to the floor.
So you can see that power lifting exercises are not that varied or difficult to do. It is basically the higher the number of exercise that you do, that the better the effects of the power lifting exercise on your body.
