{"id":25237,"date":"2018-01-03T16:59:18","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T16:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/01\/03\/pursuit-of-power-9-training-tips-from-elite-lifters-in-uniform\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:20:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T02:20:55","slug":"pursuit-of-power-9-training-tips-from-elite-lifters-in-uniform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/off-duty\/military-fitness\/2018\/01\/03\/pursuit-of-power-9-training-tips-from-elite-lifters-in-uniform\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit of power: 9 training tips from elite lifters in uniform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many service members looking to add strength are going about it from the wrong direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Literally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we see in the mirror is what we work on,\u201d said Army Maj. Donald Bigham, an elite-level powerlifter and chief of human performance at the Human Performance Integrative Office at Fort Benning, Georgia. \u201cWe\u2019re doing our chests, we\u2019re doing our biceps, we\u2019re doing our quads, we\u2019re putting ourselves in a position that [ignores] our posterior chain, which is what allows for physical dominance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military Times spoke with Bigham and other competitive powerlifters in uniform to get some tips on getting stronger \u2014 whether it\u2019s part of a New Year\u2019s fitness resolution or a plan of attack to take on an upcoming fitness test. Some of their best advice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Posterior plan.<\/b> So, how would Bigham \u2014 the Army\u2019s 2016 male athlete of the year after winning four gold medals at that year\u2019s International Powerlifting Federation Raw Powerlifting Championship \u2014 recommend shaking up your workout?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I could change one thing in the gym, it would be to cut out so much anterior work,\u201d he said. \u201cCut out the bench press on Mondays, the \u2018bis and tris\u2019 on Tuesdays and the 100,000 abdominals on Wednesdays.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Bigham suggested a 180-degree rotation. Functional strength will come from exercises targeting the glutes, hamstrings and the rest of the posterior chain, he said. Biceps curls will help with what troops see in the mirror, but won\u2019t help during ruck marches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bigham weighs in around 180 pounds. His in-competition squat tops 600 pounds. The 45-year-old has been a competitive lifter since 1991, when he was introduced to the sport as an enlisted Marine serving in Okinawa, Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\t