Importance of Variability in Powerlifting

The Pitfall of Excessive Specificity

Many coaches insist athletes train exclusively with competition movements—low-bar squat, competition bench press, and deadlift—using singles or high-intensity sets (around RPE 6+). They claim any deviation is “random” work with uncertain benefits.

What Does Specificity Really Mean?

Ask yourself: what defines specificity?

Is a paused safety squat with bands as “unspecific” as going for a run? Is it about effort level—must you stay above RPE 6? Or is it purely load? You can perform a competition-style squat at 60% 1RM with near-failure reps. It all depends on your rep schemes, session density, and intensity techniques.

Benefits of Variability

• Injury Prevention: Repeating the same movement without variation leads to fatigue buildup and injuries. Introducing variants redistributes joint stress, improves comfort, and supports long-term progress.
  
• Adaptability: True athletes adapt to many movement patterns, not just one. Variants build strength across related lifts, giving you more options when you face competition challenges.
• Technical & Motor Learning: Variations—like front squats or hex-bar deadlifts—enhance motor control and technique by forcing you to solve different movement puzzles. Tailor variants to “pusher” or “puller” goals based on individual needs.

Practical Examples

An athlete with a low-bar, posterior-chain-dominant squat might cycle in wider-stance squats post-competition to target hips/quads and relieve trunk fatigue. Personally, I’m using narrow, high-bar paused squats to exploit an aggressive rebound, even though my competition squat is wide low-bar.

For a sumo puller, program conventional deadlifts during off-season blocks or as a variant to manage hip discomfort over time.

Lack of Confidence?

Some fear variability will hurt performance—they worry about losing explosiveness and missing competition PRs. But what good is a gym PR if you underperform by 50 kg on meet day?

Variability not only boosts performance, it ensures you’re prepared for any contest-day scenario.

Tips for Combat Sport Athletes

Combat athletes should focus on physical qualities—strength, speed, mobility—rather than mimicking every sport-specific gesture with weights. If powerlifting has three core lifts, imagine the countless movement demands in martial arts. Specificity in combat sports looks very different.

Final Reflection

If you finish reading and think specificity is useless or that you must constantly vary, read again. You don’t need endless change, nor should you train only with competition lifts or only with non-specific movements—nor always lift heavy or light.

Embrace the vast array of methods, exercises, and approaches. Use variability to your advantage: as an athlete, it drives continuous improvement; as a coach, it creates a more complete and effective program.

References

To deepen your understanding of training variability, I recommend the following books:If you finish this article thinking specificity isn’t necessary and you should always vary your exercises, I encourage you to read it again.

• The Westside Barbell Book of Methods - Louie Simmons
  
• The Strength Training Manual: The Agile Periodization Approach – Jovanović
• How We Learn to Move - Rob Gray