Becoming Unapologetically Powerful: 3 Lifts for a Stronger Upper Body and a Bigger Bench Press

When I tell people that I'm a powerlifter, I sometimes get the question, "So, like, you get on stage in a bikini?"

Oh, goodness no. And that " goodness no" isn't meant to imply that powerlifters are in any way superior to figure competitors — it's just not my thing, and the visual of the mix-up makes me laugh.

It might seem like there is a clear line dividing powerlifters and figure competitors: powerlifters lift heavy weights for lower reps and figure competitors mostly lift lighter weights for many reps. Powerlifters train for strength and figure competitors train for aesthetics. Right? Ehhh, not exactly.

I get it: It's easy to get caught up in the superhero mentality of lifting super-heavy weights. A great powerlifting program, however, will also include high-volume lighter work, in both the main lifts and accessory lifts that support the main lifts.

I talk about why this is important, particularly for the bench, in the newest video in the "Becoming Unapologetically Powerful" series, "3 Lifts for a Stronger Upper Body and a Bigger Bench Press." Yes, technique is important when you're moving heavy weights, but simply stated, having more lean mass helps, too.

I drew inspiration for this video from this article written by trainer Alexander Juan Antonio Cortes for EliteFTS. In it, he pins down one of the missing links for women's bench press success, so I want you to head over there to read it after watching the video. (Spoiler alert: women powerlifters share more common ground with figure competitors than you might think.)

The post Becoming Unapologetically Powerful: 3 Lifts for a Stronger Upper Body and a Bigger Bench Press appeared first on Thrive with Jen Sinkler.

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