By Mark Robb
squats. That is because a good power rack with
In the previous article, we discussed equipment
used in raw (classic) competition, namely a belt
and shoes. Next, we will discuss the how and why
of using some of the other most common pieces
of equipment that a raw lifter will likely find to be
useful tools in his or her toolbox. I will again limit
discussion to those tools used in the RTS method,
as this would otherwise turn into a novel that only
addresses bar variations.
Other than the obvious straight barbell, power
rack, and regulation sized bench, equipment we
use will fall into one of three general categories:
1. Address range of motion weaknesses
2. Superload a movement
3. Special bars and racks
The purpose of additional equipment is to illicit a
specific training effect with the ultimate goal of
increasing absolute strength in the competition
lifts. These assistance movements should be
implemented at the appropriate time in a lifters
training plan, as well as in the right proportion. In
this article well focus on the tools used to address
range of motion weaknesses.
Range of motion (RoM)
RoM equipment includes boards of thickness
from to 4 board (approximately 3/4 to 6) and
8cm towel press for bench press. Deadlift RoM
weaknesses can be addressed by performing stiff
legged deadlifts while standing on a 2 (or other
height) box. You will notice that I did not mention
any equipment for addressing weak RoM work for
When in doubt, it will 99% of the time be better to choose equipment or exercises
that are more specific to your goals.
Train like an animal. Think like a human.
Copyright 2014 Reactive Training Systems, LLC. All Rights Reserved
January 2015
adjustable safety pins will serve this function. This
rack will also serve to address some RoM
weaknesses for bench (ie: pin presses) and
deadlift as well (i.e. rack pulls).
Since this discussion is about equipment, and not
just about the various ways to approach
strengthening a weak RoM, pause squats, pause
bench, pause deadlift, and the like will be
excluded.
Board work, with boards of varying thickness, is
used to strengthen weak areas within the bench
press range of motion. A weak area is NOT the
sticking point, but rather, the area within the range
of motion where the bar begins to bleed off speed.
This is the area where force production is lowest
and is normally just below the sticking point. The
idea is to train the weak area for increased force
production.
The objective of board use, whatever thickness
you have chosen to use, is to stop the bar and
reverse its direction at a certain distance off the
chest. When in doubt, use fewer boards and you
will rarely go wrong. Boards can be used in
different ways, by using either a soft touch, or a
hard bounce with the bar, or somewhere in
between those extremes. In the case of
bouncing the bar off the boards, you are using
the boards and your chest to absorb part of the
bars downward momentum, reverse its direction,
and get it moving upward again. By doing this, you
may be able to use more weight, but you will also
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forfeit some of the benefit of having to increase
force production at that point in the movement.
Using a soft-touch on the board requires higher
force production at that point not only to stop the
bars downward momentum, but to reverse its
direction and get it moving upward towards
lockout. This increased demand for force
production, at that specific height off your chest,
will produce the desired training effect. In
choosing whether to soft touch or bounce the bar
off the boards, be mindful of what you are trying
to achieve.
Will the increased weight benefit you more, or will
the increased demand for force production at that
point be of more benefit? If increased time under
tension at a certain height is the goal, this can be
achieved by pausing the bar, using the boards as
a spacer to gauge height, and not as a place to
rest the bar.
If you wish to practice technique, and practice
staying tight, it will be more beneficial to soft
touch the boards as well, since bouncing a
Train like an animal. Think like a human.
Copyright 2014 Reactive Training Systems, LLC. All Rights Reserved
heavier weight will likely cause you to lose
tightness and is further from the competition lift as
far as proper technique goes. However, if more of
a superloading effect is what you are after, then
you will need to use more of a bounce off the
boards.
We also use boards as an additional assistance
exercise by employing varying grip widths. A good
example of this is close grip 3 or 4 board presses.
Using a rolled-up towel instead of boards is a way
of ensuring that the lift is soft touch. In this case,
the towel is used solely as a spacer to let you
know where to stop the bar. Typically with RTS,
we try to make the towel 8cm (3-1/8) thickness,
or roughly equivalent to a 2 board height. As
mentioned earlier, this will facilitate an increase in
force production at about the 8cm height in order
to bring the descending bar to a stop, turn it
around and get it moving in the other direction.
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 In choosing whether to soft touch or bounce the bar off the boards, be mindful of
what you are trying to achieve.
We typically use a 2 or similar height block for
deficit pulling movements. The lifter stands on a
2 elevated block, platform, or even Olympic
bumper plates may be used. If you arent using a
lot of weight, and dont have a block, you can also
load the bar with smaller diameter plates, like 35s
or 25s in order to achieve the 2 deficit. These
movements may include deadlifts, stiff legged
deadlifts (SLDL), and snatch grip SLDL. The 2
height is a good default height to use in order to
achieve the desired training effect, without
significantly compromising technique. Using a 4
deficit, for example, will likely lead to technique
compromises. The 2 deficit provides important
variety in the training arsenal, as well as a larger
RoM and a greater time under tension.
So what about pulling with the bar and plates
resting on blocks? This would be shorter RoM,
Train like an animal. Think like a human.
Copyright 2014 Reactive Training Systems, LLC. All Rights Reserved
and less time under tension. This is better for
overload, but will not develop bottom-end strength
as effectively. If the blocks are of much height,
technique will change as well, and may be
significantly different from the competition form.
When in doubt, it will 99% of the time be better to
choose equipment or exercises that are more
specific to your goals. For powerlifters, this means
there will be a limited number of exceptions that
are going to be more beneficial than practicing the
competition lifts themselves. However, if you are
looking to add some variety to your training, using
some inexpensive additional equipment like
boards or towels for bench press or practicing
deficits for deadlifts may help you break through
a plateau.
About the Author
Competing as USAPL and IPF 105kg, M2 lifter,
Mark Robb is the current World Champion and
record holder in the squat, deadlift, and total. He
recently returned from the 2014 IPF Classic World
Championships, being awarded best lifter award
for all weight divisions of M2 men. He has more
than 36 years of experience as a lifter and has
competed in raw powerlifting for the past 7 years.
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