Specialization on a Lift

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
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Thibaudeau, Waterbury, Alessi -

I have had success when attempting to increase weight and or reps with several exercises at the same time however I am beginning to think that time would be better spent focusing on one lift at a time and putting your other lifts on maitenance mode.
I was wondering what parameters you suggest when you decide to focus on improving only one lift at a time and what would you do for maitenance for your other lifts.

  1. Would you do something like 3 sets of 3 or as many as 8 sets of 3 at 80-85% for maintenance or would you do 1 set of 10 reps.
  2. say your favorite lift at the present time are power cleans,olympic squats ,one arm row ,bench press. How would you go about cycling through these lifts.
    I usually do full body routines but would you be better off using a different approach.

PS. Thib, your article Keep Your Chin Up issue 260. What approach to maitenance would you use for your other lifts?

Keep up the great work. T-Nation your easily the best source of information on the web.

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I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on this subject.
And I have a follow up question; say you are tryng to increase your squat.
Is there a way to know if you need to focus on starting strength , accelerartion, endurance, max strength and so on.
How would you train so as to not lose any of the strength qualities you already have. And is it good idea to really increase a strength quality you are already good at. For example would you continue to push the envelope on max strength but your bot up (starting)squat poundages are remaining the same.