The Peter Attia Drive
#250 ‒ Training principles for longevity | Andy Galpin, Ph.D. (PART II)
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Powerlifters prioritize heavy weights and low reps for the main lifts, while incorporating variation and accessory work.
- Strongman training requires a balance between specificity and generality, focusing on overall strength development and technique.
- Powerlifters intentionally limit range of motion to maximize force, while grip choice for deadlifts depends on various factors.
- CrossFit athletes need to maintain a high baseline aerobic capacity and balance volume with lower absolute loads.
- Managing allostatic load is crucial for training progress and injury prevention, with emphasis on individual stress levels and goals.
Deep dives
Frequency of Training for Powerlifters
For powerlifters, a realistic frequency of training is typically 2-4 days per week. Two days per week can be effective, focusing on the main lifts, while four days per week allows for more variation and accessory work.
Intensity and Volume for Powerlifters
Powerlifters primarily focus on heavy weights and low repetition ranges. Training within the 1-5 rep range is common for the main lifts. Specificity is key, so sets and repetitions are tailored to match the demands of the competition lifts. Accessories typically involve higher repetition ranges and assist in building supporting muscles.
Rest and Recovery for Powerlifters
Rest and recovery are important for powerlifters, especially considering the heavy loads used in training. Sufficient rest periods between sets and workouts are necessary to allow for muscle recovery and prevent overtraining. Sleep, nutrition, and mobility work also play a vital role in aiding recovery.
Specificity and Variation for Powerlifters
Powerlifters prioritize specificity in their training and focus on the competition lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. However, some variation can be introduced during the off-season to prevent overuse injuries and provide a break from high-intensity training. Assistance exercises can target weak points in the main lifts and support overall strength development.
Summary of Powerlifters' Training Approach
Powerlifters generally train the main lifts with heavy weights and low repetition ranges, focusing on intensity and specificity. Training frequency can range from 2-4 days per week, allowing for effective rest and recovery. Variation and accessory work can be incorporated to target weak points and prevent overuse injuries during the off-season. Overall, powerlifters prioritize maximizing strength in the competition lifts while considering the practicality and demands of training.
Building Strength for Strongman Competitions
In the world of strongman competitions, there is a wide range of feats of strength that require both power and stamina. From enormous sled pulls to tire flipping, there are endless challenges to conquer. The key to training for strongman is finding the right balance between specificity and generality. While each event may require a different set of skills and muscle groups, the focus should still be on developing overall strength. In training a newcomer to the world of strongman, it is important to gradually introduce heavy loads and focus on technique. By incorporating exercises like farmer's carries, rope pulls, and tire flipping, strength can be built while also improving grip strength and overall stamina. The frequency of training sessions can be relatively high, as long as the focus is placed on quality rather than quantity. This means ensuring that form and technique are prioritized, and that each rep is performed at an optimal level, rather than pushing through fatigue to complete more repetitions. By following these principles, a newcomer can build a solid foundation of strength and readiness for the challenges of strongman competitions.
Training strategies in powerlifting and strength sports
In powerlifting and strength sports, the technical demands of exercises vary. For example, the bench press has lower technical demands compared to exercises like the snatch or deadlift. Powerlifters intentionally limit range of motion to maximize force and minimize work done. Grip choice for deadlifts can depend on factors such as shank to femur ratio, femur to upper back ratio, arm length, hip versus back strength, and individual preference. Training frequency can be higher in strongman training, emphasizing varied workouts and training to technical failure, avoiding low-quality reps. Progression should be kept below a 10% increase in total volume per week.
Fitness demands and strategies in CrossFit
CrossFit combines strength, power, endurance, and gymnastic-based movements. CrossFit competitions include a variety of events, such as one-rep max lifts, endurance challenges, and circuit-type workouts. CrossFit athletes need to maintain a high baseline aerobic capacity, have peak power, strength, and anaerobic capacity. Balancing volume becomes challenging, as the absolute loads in CrossFit are lower compared to strongman, but the volume is higher. Coaches utilize different strategies, either maximizing strength or addressing weaknesses. Heart rate recovery is an important metric, with two-minute recovery below 80% of max heart rate considered good. CrossFit athletes exemplify being well-rounded, but strategies may vary depending on the athlete's goals and strengths.
Training with Allostatic Load in Mind
The podcast discusses the importance of managing allostatic load in training. The speaker highlights the need to balance working out with recovery and stress management. They emphasize that training should be based on individual stress levels and fitness goals, with specific recommendations for workout frequency and intensity. By understanding and managing allostatic load, individuals can maximize their training progress while reducing the risk of burnout or injury.
Training Strategies for Longevity and Injury Prevention
In this podcast episode, the focus is on training strategies for individuals who want to stay physically robust in their later years. The speaker suggests optimizing muscle health, nervous system function, and cardiovascular fitness. They emphasize the importance of proper movement patterns, progressive overload, and variability in training modalities. Strategies to prevent injuries, such as Achilles tendon tears, are also discussed, including gradual exposure and tissue tolerance development. This episode provides valuable insights for individuals looking to maintain fitness and longevity as they age.
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode
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Andy Galpin is a Professor of Kinesiology at California State University at Fullerton, where he studies muscle adaptation and applies his research to work with professional athletes. In this episode, Andy returns to the podcast and continues the conversation about training for longevity. He examines the training practices of powerlifters, Olympic weightlifters, Strongmen/women, CrossFit athletes, and sprinters in order to extract insights that can be applied to the individual wanting to optimize for longevity. Andy goes into detail about exercise load and repetition, training volume, the importance of learning proper movement patterns, the advantage of working to technical failure instead of the number of reps, and much more. Andy ties the discussion together by providing a hypothetical training plan for an individual wanting to optimize for longevity and offers advice for avoiding injury.
We discuss:
- Review of the function and organization of skeletal muscle [3:15];
- Review of muscle fiber types [9:30];
- Hypertrophy: changes in muscle fibers and the underlying mechanisms that make a muscle grow [19:30];
- Defining sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and how it relates to the number of reps in a set [30:15];
- Training for maximum strength: what we can learn from powerlifters and a hypothetical training plan [32:45];
- Ideal reps, volume, and load for the powerlifter [44:45];
- What should powerlifters do on their off days? [56:45];
- Are there consequences of powerlifting on long-term health? [1:02:00];
- Defining Olympic weightlifting: a test of power [1:04:30];
- Training principles of Olympic weightlifting [1:07:45];
- Tracking power output when training [1:17:15];
- Frequency of training for Olympic weightlifting [1:22:15];
- How post-activation potentiation (and the opposite) can improve power training and speed training [1:24:30];
- The Strongman competition: more breadth of movement, strength, and stamina [1:32:00];
- Training principles of Strongmen and advice for someone new to the Strongman competition [1:36:45];
- CrossFit: a combination of weightlifting movements, endurance, and circuit training [1:50:15];
- Learning from elite athletes, heart rate recovery, V02 max, and other metrics [1:58:45];
- Optimizing towards being a well-rounded athlete as opposed to a specialist [2:09:45];
- What we can learn from the sprinters about speed, acceleration, peak velocity, and technique [2:17:45];
- A training plan for the “centenarian athlete” [2:24:30];
- Debunking some training and exercise myths [2:33:00];
- The “do nots” of training and tips for avoiding injury [2:34:15]; and
- More.
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