In a World of Specificity, Be a Generalist

Quick History Lesson: Back in the 1980’s, Bulgaria had the most dominant (Olympic) Weightlifting team on the planet. They crushed the unstoppable Soviet Union and any other country that got in their way. They developed what has become known as “The Bulgarian Method.” Essentially, this meant maxing out 3-9 times per day in either the Snatch, Clean & Jerk, Back Squat, or Front Squat.

Now, depending on who you talk to, the “max” was either true maximal attempts (101%+) or a “max for the session.” But either way, they ONLY did movements that were performed in competition. Their training was as specific as it gets.

While over time this style of training showed impossible to do for clean athletes, aka not juiced to the gills, it still is an extremely popular concept. While the idea of maxing out each day or session has faded, the idea that only doing the sport movements for Weightlifting or Powerlifting is the best way to improve is going strong. While there are some good arguments for this and a lot that I agree with, sometimes being a generalist is a good idea. Let me explain.

When saying that “being a generalist is a good idea” I don’t mean that a Novice-Intermediate Weightlifter or Powerlifter should all of a sudden start running 5k’s twice a week, doing gymnastics 1x a week, and only lifting 2x a week. But, one thing we have learned from the “specialists” is that overuse injuries are a thing. A thing that not only halts progress but can eventually lead to burnout.

What I mean, is that especially when you’re far out from a competition, doing things that are NOT sport specific, can pay dividends when you get back to doing the Weightlifting or Powerlifting movements every day. By learning how to move laterally, rotate, jump, and throw you not only open up a new world of movement variability aka how and where you can move without getting hurt. This allows the tissues that will soon attempt to support maximal load or volume in the specific movements to be ready for them and withstand the beating they are going to take.

So next time you finish up a competition cycle, take some time to find your athletic roots and come back refreshed, resilient, and ready to work towards that next PR.