The purposes of this dissertation were to 1) determine what tapering and peaking practices appear to be most effective via systematic review, 2) to identify the tapering and peaking practices used by North American powerlifters, 3) to experimentally compare muscular adaptations and performance changes following two different training cessation periods, and 4) to experimentally compare the two most common taper models following a training program aimed at peaking maximal strength. Based on the scientific literature, a step and exponential taper appeared to be the most effective tapering models used when volume-load is reduced by half over 2±1 week. Interestingly, North American powerlifters reported that the step taper was most often used while reducing volume-load by 41-50% over 7-10 days. Furthermore experimentally, there were no changes in lower body maximal strength following 3 or 5 days of training cessation. However, upper body maximal strength decreased following 5 days of training cessation. Thus, at the end of a taper, a training cessation period of 3 days appears to be effective for maintaining upper and lower body maximal strength. Furthermore, a work-matched step taper and exponential taper produced similar outcomes for 1RM back squat, bench press, and deadlift, powerlifting total and Wilks Score in strength athletes, yet deadlift 1RM changes favored the exponential taper. However, there were clear physiological differences observed at the whole muscle and muscle fiber levels that appeared to contribute to performance outcomes. This was one of the first investigations demonstrating whole muscle and muscle fiber hypertrophy following a peaking program in strength athletes. Immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analyses demonstrated an increase in myosin-heavy chain IIA content with concomitant decreases in myosin-heavy chain I and IIX content, particularly following the step-taper. These myosin isoform shifts towards a faster, higher quality phenotype were related to changes in underlying myocellular signaling (i.e. Sox6 upregulation, micro RNA-499a downregulation) responsible for fiber-type transitions. These findings indicate a shorter taper may produce favorable muscular adaptations followed by a period of short-term training cessation to prevent the loss of taper-induced performance adaptations. Overall, the findings from these investigations support the use of tapering to enhance maximal strength.

The purpose of the study was to determine anthropometric characteristics that may affect deadlift performance. Fourteen powerlifters performed isometric pulls on a force plate at 3 key positions of the deadlift (at the floor, just above the patella, and 5-6 cm short of lockout) and the mid-thigh pull (MTP). RM ANOVA revealed that forces generated at each bar height differed significantly (F(3,39) = 51.058, p<0.05). Discriminant analysis was able to classify lifters into "stronger" and "weaker" groups with 100% accuracy using measured anthropometric dimensions. Stepwise discriminant analysis revealed that height to body mass ratio was important in differentiating performance in all positions but lockout. Segment and various measures of height were also important in discriminating performance in the knee, lockout, and MTP positions. Results of this analysis should provide some insight to the anthropometric dimensions that are related to success in various phases of the deadlift.

In the powerlifting deadlift, you use a grip where one hand is pronated and the other supinated. Earlier studies have noted differences in muscle activation between grips in upperbody excersices, but how the grip effects the muscle activation in the deadlift has not been investigated and it is not known if using the same grip over time can cause muscular imbalance or injuries. The purpose of the study was too is to investigate if there is a difference in force distribution and development between the left and right leg with a double pronated, dominant and non-dominant under-/overhand grip in the deadlift exercise. Subjects were 10 competitive powerlifters consisting of 7 men and 3 women. Testing was performed on two force plates measuring ground reaction force with one leg on each plate. The lifters did 2 lifts with each grip with 80% of their 1RM in the conventional deadlift. Peak force, time to peak force, force impulse and values at the same time as the total peak force was analyzed for each side. Peak force for the total force curve was also analyzed. The result showed one significant value between grips: The mean difference between the two sides at the same point as the total peak force showed a significans of P=0,02. Significant values were also found in force impulse (P=0,03) and values at total peak force (P=0,04) when analyzing lift one and two for the dominant grip between each other. This study shows that using the same over-/underhand grip does not affect force production or bilateral differences and is only a matter of comfort. However, it is hard to draw a conclusion and future testing should involve complementary methods to be able to state if there are differences and how these present themselves.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the literature on successful aging, serious leisure, and sport. A qualitative methodology was used to understand the lived experiences of three master-aged athletes involved in serious powerlifting. The goal of using such an approach was to share participants’ stories within a given context, as well as uphold the emotion, merit, and authenticity of each narrative. The results address issues around participants’ initial and continued engagement with the sport of powerlifting, the ways in which powerlifting shapes the aging process, and the meaningful role that powerlifting plays in one’s life. The discussion offers further exploration of key points, including: reconnecting to one’s youth, modified training and pain management, identity formation, resistance toward older female powerlifters, powerlifting as a context for self-improvement, career stages over the life-course, social interactions and relationships, and aging successfully. A number of future research directions are offered in the hope of continuing to understand the experiences of older adults in the context of physical activity. / Graduate / 0680 / absilver@uvic.ca

No description available.

The abstract is available in the Medicine & Sports & Exercise.

Daily undulating periodization is a growing trend in the exercise science literature. Flexible daily undulating periodization allows for athletes to have some autonomy within a periodized training cycle and is a relatively new and unstudied concept. The comparison of a flexible and traditional daily undulating periodization program using trained males has not been examined in the literature. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Flexible and Traditional Daily Undulating Periodization models on powerlifting performance in trained males. 25 resistance-trained males (23±6 years; 79±22 kg) completed a 9-week resistance-training program and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Flexible Daily Undulating Periodization (FDUP; N=14) or Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP; N=11). All subjects possessed a minimum of 6 months of resistance training experience & were required to squat 125% their bodyweight, bench press their bodyweight, and deadlift 150% their bodyweight. Dependent variables (DV) included bench press 1RM, squat 1RM, deadlift 1RM, Powerlifting total, and Wilk's Coefficient. Each DV was assessed at baseline and after the 9-week training program. The DUP group performed a hypertrophy workout on Monday, a power workout on Wednesday, and a strength workout on Friday. The FDUP group completed the exact same workouts in a given week, but were allowed to choose the order of the workouts. Data for each DV were analyzed via a 2x2 between-within factorial repeated measures ANOVA. The alpha criterion for significance was set at 0.05. There were no significant differences in total volume or intensity between groups. There was a main effect for time (p < 0.001) for 1RM Squat (FDUP pre = 132 ± 34 kg, FDUP Post = 148 ± 33 kg; DUP pre = 147 ± 31 kg, DUP post = 165 ± 25 kg), 1RM Bench Press (FDUP pre = 96 ± 20 kg, FDUP post = 102 ± 19 kg; DUP pre = 147 ± 31 kg, DUP post = 165 ± 25 kg), 1RM Deadlift (FDUP pre = 166 ± 41 kg, FDUP post: 181 ± 37 kg; DUP pre = 174 ± 25 kg, DUP post = 188 ± 29 kg), Powerlifting Total (FDUP pre = 394 ± 90 kg, FDUP post = 431 ± 84; DUP pre = 439 ± 71 kg, DUP post = 480 ± 69 kg), and Wilk's Coefficient (FDUP pre = 147 ± 25 kg, FDUP post = 304 ± 51; DUP pre = 299 ± 41, DUP post = 325 ± 38). There were no interaction effects between the FDUP and DUP for any of the variables assessed. 9 weeks of Flexible DUP leads to comparable gains in powerlifting performance when compared to a Traditional DUP program in trained males. This may be attributed to the fact that both groups performed similar volumes of work throughout the study. Specifically, FDUP improved squat 1RM by 12%, bench press 1RM by 7%, deadlift 1RM by 9%, powerlifting total by 9%, & Wilk's coefficient by 9%. Similarly, DUP improved squat 1RM by 12%, bench press 1RM by 8%, deadlift 1RM by 8%, powerlifting total by 9%, & Wilk's coefficient by 9%.

Previous attentional focus literature suggests that adopting an external focus (EF) results in greater force production through a variety of mechanisms. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of attentional focus and dual-tasking when performing heavily loaded barbell movements that are specific to strength-based sports. Fifteen resistance-trained males (age = 23.3 ± 3.4 years) reported to the laboratory for three visits. The first visit consisted of a five-repetition maximum (5RM) test on the conventional deadlift. During the subsequent sessions, the participants performed a total of twelve single conventional deadlift repetitions while adopting an internal focus (IF), an external focus (EF), or while performing the cognitive task (COG). The IF and EF consisted of focusing on activating the quadriceps and maintain a straight bar path, respectively. The COG consisted of counting the total occurrence of two single-digits in a sequence of three-digit numbers, separately. Three-dimensional motion capture and force platforms were used to collect kinematic and kinetic data. No significant differences were found between the IF, the EF and the COG for lift duration, peak barbell velocity, peak vertical ground reaction force, area of 95% confidence ellipse, peak hip moments and peak hip powers. Adopting an EF significantly reduced variability of the barbell trajectory and centre of pressure (COP) in the anterior-posterior direction. Mean velocity of COP was also significantly lower for the EF. Our findings suggest that adopting an EF may lead to greater postural stability when performing heavily loaded barbell movements.

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / Weightlifting first appeared on Paralympics in 1964 in Tokyo, in which the athletes deficiency was exclusively spinal injury. In weightlifting athletes remain lying on a bench, and perform a movement known as bench press. The test begins when the support bar is removed - with or without the help of auxiliary center - leaving the fully extended elbows. The athlete flexing arms, elbows down the bar to the chest. Then the bar is raised to the starting position, ending the movement. The athlete can perform the movement three times, the most validated weight, as referees are aware of the continuous execution of the movement and to clear the bar stop on the chest. The aim of this stud y was to examine kinematic and electromyographic aspects in different periods of the concentric phase of the movement of paralympic bench in high-performance athletes. Participated in three female subjects aged 23 to 48 years (mean 39.8 ± 11.2) and 7 male subjects aged between 18 and 41 years (mean 26.5 ± 8.0) were conducted Attempts to perform 3 to 95% of 1RM load, obeying the rules of the game. They were plotted the velocity curves and offset for later split the concentric phase in phases of pre-sticking, sticking and post-sticking. Electromyography revealed that the deltoid and pectoral muscles had higher recruiting the triceps muscle during much of the concentric phase of the movement. These results suggest that there may have been greater activation of these muscles to compensate for the muscle wasting caused by the eccentric phase / O halterofilismo apareceu pela primeira vez em uma Paralimpíada, em 1964, em Tóquio, no qual a deficiência dos atletas era exclusivamente lesão da coluna vertebral. No halterofilismo os atletas perma necem deitados em um banco, e executam um movimento conhecido como supino. A prova começa no momento em que a barra de apoio é retirada com ou sem a ajuda do auxiliar central deixando os cotovelos totalmente estendidos. O atleta flexiona os braços, com os cotovelos descendo a barra até a altura do peito. Em seguida, a barra é elevada até a posição inicial, finalizando o movimento. O atleta pode realizar o movimento três vezes, sendo o maior peso validado, já que os árbitros ficam atentos à execução cont ínua do movimento e a parada nítida da barra no peito. O objetivo do presente estudo foi examinar aspectos cinemáticos e eletromiográficos em diferentes períodos da fase concêntrica do movimento de supino paralímpico em atletas de alto rendimento. Participaram 3 indivíduos do gênero feminino com idade entre 23 e 48 anos (média de 39,8 ± 11,2) e 7 indivíduos do gênero masculino com idade entre 18 e 41 anos (média 26,5 ± 8,0) que foram conduzidos a realizar 3 tentativas a 95% da carga de 1RM, obedecendo as regras da modalidade. Foram plotadas as curvas de velocidade e deslocamento para posteriormente dividir a fase concêntrica em fases de pré-sticking, sticking e póssticking. A eletromiografia revelou que os músculos Deltoide e Peitoral tiveram recrutamento superior ao músculo Tríceps Braquial durante grande parte da fase concêntrica do movimento. Esses resultados sugerem que pode ter havido uma maior ativação desses músculos no sentido de compensar o desgaste muscular causado pela fase excêntrica. / Mestre em Ciências

Paralympic athletes (PA) appear to be more prone to chronic overuse injuries from daily wheelchair or crutch use. Over half of these injuries are shoulder related which can deleteriously impact quality of life. Adaptive powerlifters (AP) are a subdivision of Paralympic athletes and are at a higher risk for catastrophic injuries as compared to their counterparts, due to the compound of fatigue and lifting of maximal weights. For this reason, it is vital to have well-designed training plans for these athletes in order to preserve quality of life and maximize performance in competition. Unfortunately, there is a lack of literature on training adaptive athletes for performance. The purpose of this dissertation is to collect and analyze monitoring data of a para-powerlifter preparing for competition over the course of a six-month macrocycle. Specifically, the intention is to 1) explore options in adaptive monitoring measures for the adaptive athlete community via para-powerlifting 2) analyze trends in the training process with such monitoring methods in fatigue and performance and 3) examine efficient and safe training methods and practices for para-powerlifting. The major findings of this dissertation are 1.) Hand grip dynamometry may be a valid monitoring tool used to gain clarity on neuromuscular fatigue within para-powerlifters. 2.) Barbell velocities may reveal trends in fatigue and recovery over the course of a training cycle for para-powerlifters. 3.) Para-powerlifters and para-athletes training for upper-body power development should likely perform bench press using a strap to secure them to the bench for enhanced stability. The significant and consistently increased force outputs the added stability enables the athlete to utilize may bring more pronounced training adaptations towards their goals. This dissertation is exploratory in nature and much more research needs to be done to give the adaptive athlete population adequate information and tools for their long-term success and safety.