GPP, or General Physical Preparation, is the training phase in which athletes lay the groundwork for their Specific Physical Preparation (SPP) phase. The GPP phase occurs at the beginning of a training program (also known as the off-season) and consists of higher training volumes, lower intensities, and a larger variety of exercises that help develop the necessary skills and abilities of the athlete. The goal of this phase is to prepare the body for the more intense on-season part of the training cycle. 

The SPP phase involves a shift in focus and intensity. The athlete will do more sport-specific training at high intensities that will prepare them for the competition floor. 

For almost every elite athlete, it is essential to have both GPP and SPP cycles. If an athlete were to consistently work out at the high intensities associated with on-season training, they are more likely to injure themselves or burn out. 

Powerlifting may not be the first sport to come to mind when talking about seasonal sports, however, powerlifters do indeed adhere to this type of training periodisation to optimise their potential as well. 

In this blog, elite powerlifter Bobbie Butters takes us through her GPP exercises. 

High-Bar Pause Back Squats

The first exercise on Bobbie’s list is the high-bar pause back squat. In competition, powerlifters typically use the low-bar variation of the back squat, as it allows them to lift more weight.

Bobbie uses this variation of the back squat in her off-season as the higher position of the barbell allows her to practice the movement pattern for the squat whilst avoiding any strain on her shoulders, biceps, or forearms. The high-bar squat also helps her get into the correct bottom position with her heels flat on the floor.

The pause at the bottom serves to increase even more body awareness in this position. The set up for high-bar back squats using a squat rack is similar to regular back squats, although some athletes may prefer to set up their bar slightly higher to make it easier to achieve the correct starting position.

Front Squats

By incorporating front squats in her training, Bobbie again practices the squatting movement pattern, but the difference between front and back squats is that the front squats target the quads more efficiently.

Front squats also require less weight to get to maximum effort. This means that Bobbie can get a quad pump going without loading a huge weight onto her body. The front squat too helps Bobbie to keep the weight in the heel of the foot and targets the upper body muscles by keeping the bar stable in a front rack position. 

Bulgarian Split Squats

This exercise is a great way for Bobbie to develop hip strength and mobility at the same time. Whilst loading the front leg, the split stance should also stretch the hip flexor of the back leg.

If you’re trying this exercise yourself, play around with short and long stances to target different muscle groups. A long stance will mainly focus on the glutes while a shorter stance will lead to a more quad-dominant exercise. You can use dumbbells or a barbell for this exercise.

Hanging Leg Raises

Bobbie includes this exercise not just to train her core, but also her hip flexors. The hip flexors are an often-neglected muscle – yet so important! By hanging her full bodyweight from a pull up bar, Bobbie also trains her shoulders, core, and grip.

Conditioning Sessions

For her conditioning session, Bobbie uses Kettlebell swings and burpees. The goal of this session is simply to get the heart rate up. It’s important for powerlifters to have been exposed to higher heart rates in their training before they move into their SPP phase. Burpees work the entire body and get your heart rate up very quickly; kettlebell swings involve an explosive, hip-thrusting motion, making them ideally suited to Bobbie’s goals. 

And that wraps up Bobbie’s GPP exercises. Why not give them a go yourself? If these exercises are new to you, we suggest starting with one or two sets of eight reps at 50-75% of your one-rep max. If you’re familiar with these exercises, feel free to up the set and rep range. 

Written by guest author Lisanne Van Ingen.

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Ambassadors