[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]If you want to get stronger, bigger, leaner, more explosive, and more intelligent you should be doing the big 3 lifts (the last one was a bit of a stretch but they’re pretty important).

 

For those of you who aren’t familiar, the big lifts are the squat, bench press, and deadlift.

 

Simply adding weight to the bar only works for so long before you reach a plateau which is where paused variations come into play.

 

You see, the best way to get stronger at the big 3 is to practice them, so it’s great that paused variations ARE the big 3 but with a pause in your weak point. This pause trains you to keep full body tension, maintain form, and then finish the lift explosively. Paused lifts have a large carryover to the big 3 because they are specific and can be loaded heavily.

 

They are also a great addition to your training if you are a lifter that uses a lot of stretch reflex. This means if you usually bounce out of the bottom of the squat or off the chest in the bench press, paused variations in these points will compliment your strengths nicely.

 

So how do you program these?

 

Paused lifts are most often used as the second exercise of the day, after your main lift. So after your heavy squat, bench, or deadlift you can take some weight off the bar and work on your pauses.

 

How long do I pause?

 

Pauses can range from 1 to as high as 10 seconds! How long will depend on your training and what you’re trying to achieve. It will also depend on how heavy the weight is (the closer the weight being used is to your max, the shorter the pause will be). For simplicity’s sake, using a 2 or 3 second pause is a great start.

 

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8fddpX4W84

Where do I pause?

 

The most common weak points are the bottom of the squat, just off the floor in the deadlift, and on the chest in the bench press so these are the best places to start. However, not everyone’s weak point is the same.

 

Pauses can be used halfway up in the bench press, just below the knee in the deadlift, and even halfway up in the squat. You can literally pause anywhere in the lift on the way up.

 

Where you pause is relative to you, so find out what your sticking point is in the big 3 and then pause there.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0HwxfglZEU

 

Sets and Reps?

 

Reps usually stay between 1-5 and sets can range from 2-5. With these rep/set ranges and varying the amount of time spent in the pause you have many different possibilities. Play around and see what works for you!

 

Spend More Time Doing What You Suck At

 

The best way to work on your weaknesses are to spend more time working on them. Paused variations allow you to do just that; spend more time in the weakest point of the lift. Incorporate them in your program and get seriously strong.

 

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