Personal training for strength sports, such as powerlifting, weightlifting, and Strongman, require a unique approach as opposed to training just to build strength. There are at least three features of any useful training program.

Nutrition

Nutrition for strength sports can be complex. Some people think they can eat what they want as long as they exercise, whereas others might not eat enough to build strength. Working with a personal trainer will help you find the right nutritional balance for your goals and body. You will have different nutritional goals depending on whether you are in a cutting or bulking phase, and your personal trainer may also recommend different supplements to help your athletic performance. Your nutrition will be primarily focused around protein intake since this is the most important part of your diet to help build muscle during bulking phases or retain muscle while cutting.

Accessory Movements

Accessory movements are part of a good strength-building program, and these exercises may directly or indirectly affect the movements you do in your specific sport. For example, variations of squats may seem less important to a weightlifter versus a powerlifter, but when you dissect the snatch or clean and jerk, you can see where squatting will improve these sport-specific movements. Accessory movements often involve muscle isolation, such as training the back muscles to aid in the deadlift for a powerlifter, although both the back and legs must work together to move the weight appropriately. Doing squats with a resistance band above the knees can strengthen weak hip flexors that would otherwise contribute to knee valgus during the squat.

Sport-Specific Training

Sport-specific training involves not only focusing on the movements that are used in strength sports, but also specific dimensions of training, such as volume, intensity, deloading, and peaking. All of these aspects not only affect your ability to reach your maximum weight in a specific lift, but how you train will be important for competitions. There are several variables that will affect your training regimen, such as your size, age, sex, and the specific movement. For example, athletes who are younger, smaller, and/or female and doing movements that are less taxing can be trained more frequently and require less recovery time than larger, older, male athletes who are doing more complex movements. A good sport-specific program will include a recovery period, which is often described as deloading. During this phase you are lowering volume and intensity to prevent injury and fatigue.

To become successful at any strength sport, you need a personal trainer who can provide you with a structured program. Nutrition, accessory movements, and sport-specific training all play a role in your ability to compete in strength sports.