For more power, keep strength but lose weight

Monday, March 3, 2014

There’s a certain primitivism to body-weight training that invigorates and energizes.

Strength-to-weight ratio is rarely discussed in weight-loss articles in fitness magazines, simply because it’s not a common goal for many exercisers. This week, I’ll discuss the real value of prioritizing strength-to-weight as a primary fitness outcome. And I’ll present a fun variation of an old bodyweight standby.

Strength-to-weight ratio is well known to people who train for weightlifting competitions. Basically, it is calculated by establishing your one-repetition maximum on a given lift and then dividing that number by your body weight. For example, if a 150-pound athlete can do one and only one squat while bearing a 200-pound load, the athlete’s strength-to-weight ratio for the squat is 15:20, which is simplified as 1.33.

If the athlete gained 5 pounds without improving his strength, his ratio would drop to 1.29. If he could lift the same amount at slightly less body mass, this ratio would increase.

I recognize that 99 percent of us will never participate in a weightlifting competition. So let’s figure out how to apply strength-to-weight ratio in a common exercise prescription.

One way you can evaluate this factor in your training is to select a body-weight exercise and perform a maximum number of repetitions - to failure. A kneeling or regular pushup is a great one. Simply get into either kneeling or standard pushup position and perform strict pushups (lower your torso until there’s no more than a fist-size space between your chest and the floor) to failure.

Let’s say you can do 10 pushups. To improve your strength-to-weight ratio, set a goal to complete 11 in the next two weeks.

The cool thing about using body-weight exercises as a measuring stick for progress is that you can improve in two ways. You can lose weight and get stronger.

For those on a weight-loss program, that both occur is ideal. Confidence will build and you’ll see a marked increase in performance, which should also result in the improvement of a variety of fitness parameters. These might include body fat reduction and improved muscular endurance, among others.

(If on the other hand you weaken while losing weight, you’re not on a wise course.)

This week’s exercise is a body-weight movement designed as a twist on the standard pullup. The Sideways Pullup is done at a different angle, which changes the focus of the exercise ever so slightly.

  1. Stand facing a pullup bar. Turn 90 degrees to your left so your right shoulder faces the pullup bar.

  2. Grasp the bar with both hands overlapping.

  3. Pull yourself up while crossing your lower legs over one another and bending your knees slightly.

  4. Pull all the way up until your head is about to touch the bar.

  5. Move your head to the left of the bar and pull up another six inches. This will require you to pull toward your right shoulder slightly.

  6. Slowly lower yourself without touching the floor and repeat.

  7. Perform two sets of 12.

This is a tough exercise for most people, but most bodyweight exercises are.

Performing a pullup may never be a possibility for some,but there are other exercises that will help you improve your ratio. For instance, I’ve written about TRX straps in the past, which provide exercisers of any fitness level the ability to perform bodyweight training at an intensity that’s completely adjustable. If you’re interested in bodyweight training or strength-to-weight ratio, these straps are worth looking into.

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

[email protected]

ActiveStyle, Pages 34 on 03/03/2014