.png){kind=small}
Characterizing the Tapering Practices of United States and Canadian Raw Powerlifters [Article Review]
- GPS DataViz
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
This article presents a robust science-based investigation into the tapering practices of United States and Canadian raw powerlifters, offering key insights for the field of strength and conditioning.
Introduction and Objectives
The study’s central objective was to characterize how North American powerlifters adjust their training in the final stage before major competitions. Tapering—involving deliberate reduction of training load and an increase in lift specificity—has been shown to boost performance in endurance and team sports but is less understood in strength sports. To address this, 364 powerlifters (from USAPL and CPU federations) completed a detailed survey outlining their demographics, general training habits, and tapering strategies. The research aimed to determine if these practices varied by sex, competition level, and type of lift (squat, bench press, deadlift).
Key Results and Takeaways
Athletes overwhelmingly favored a step taper of 7–10 days, with training volume reduced by 41–50%. No clear consensus existed on intensity: some maintained, increased, or decreased their training intensity across this period.
The final heavy sessions for squat and deadlift occurred 7–10 days before competition, with bench press final heavy work done <7 days beforehand. At these sessions, intensity typically reached 90–92.5% of one-repetition maximum (1RM), which dropped to 75–80% (squat/bench) or 70–75% (deadlift) in the last workout for each lift.
Accessory lifts were frequently removed around two weeks before competition to refine specificity and recovery. Set and rep schemes during the taper most commonly included 3x2 for squat, 3x3 for bench, and 3x1 for deadlift. Session frequency tended to remain stable or decrease slightly.
Recovery strategies such as sleep, meditation, foam rolling, mobility work, and nutritional changes were widely used, and 37% of surveyed lifters initiated weight cuts in the week before competition.
Significant differences were found by sex and competition level: female lifters generally trained bench press less often and had shorter sessions, while international-level lifters performed more sets of squat and bench derivatives, trained fewer sessions per week, but each session lasted longer.
Conclusion and Practical Application
Performance coaches working with powerlifters should build individualized tapering plans based on this evidence. A step taper—cutting training volume by roughly half over 7–10 days, with accessory exercises removed and focus shifted fully to competition lifts—can set the stage for optimal performance. Manipulating intensity should be athlete-dependent, while training frequency may remain stable or decrease. Coaches should also schedule final heavy deadlift and squat sessions one week out and bench press closer (<7 days) to competition. Integrating effective recovery modalities and appropriate nutritional strategies, especially for weight-class athletes, is essential for success. Tailoring these evidence-based recommendations to the specific context, sex, and competitive level of each lifter can help guide training towards peak readiness on competition day.
Comments