Tapering In Powerlifting: A Review of Current Literature

Tapering is the final stage of a training plan aimed at peaking performance by reducing training load and increasing competition-task specificity. It’s a critical phase that allows athletes to recover fully while maintaining and even enhancing their strength adaptations. The primary goal of a taper is to achieve peak performance on competition day.

Tapering can be implemented using various models:

• Step Taper: A sudden, constant reduction in training load (e.g., a 50% reduction).
• Linear Taper: A systematic, linear reduction in training load over time (e.g., a 15% reduction each week for four weeks).
• Exponential Taper (slow or fast decay): A gradual or rapid exponential reduction in training load

While endurance athletes often prefer progressive (linear or exponential) tapers, evidence suggests that step and exponential tapers may be more effective for improving maximal strength.

Current Practices of North American Powerlifters

A recent study surveyed 364 powerlifters from the United States and Canada to characterize their tapering practices, providing novel insights into how these athletes prepare for major competitions. The survey encompassed demographics, general training, general tapering, and specific tapering practices.

General Training Habits:

• North American powerlifters most frequently reported completing training sessions that last 1-2 hours, approximately 4 days per week.
• Back squat is trained about two times per week, bench press 2.5 times per week, and deadlift 1.5 times per week across approximately four days.
• The highest training volume most frequently took place 5-8 weeks before competition.
• The highest training intensity was most frequently completed two weeks before competition.

Tapering Modalities:

• Taper Type: The step taper was primarily used, reported by 45% of powerlifters surveyed. This aligns with previous research suggesting its effectiveness for maximal strength, potentially due to the significant initial drop in training volume allowing for substantial rest and recovery.
• Taper Duration: The most frequent duration for a taper was 7-10 days, reported by 48% of powerlifters.
• Volume Manipulation: A substantial reduction in training volume is a hallmark of effective tapering. 94% of powerlifters reported decreasing their training volume during the taper. Of those, 49% reported a 41-50% reduction. This is consistent with recommendations for strongman, CrossFit, and powerlifting athletes, suggesting that a reduction of around 50% is effective for peaking maximal strength.
• Intensity Manipulation: While volume reduction is crucial, intensity changes during the taper varied widely among powerlifters. 35% reported increasing intensity, 44% reported decreasing it, and 22% reported it staying the same. Research indicates that maintaining or even slightly decreasing intensity may be necessary to peak maximal strength, and small changes in training intensity during the taper do not seem to appreciably alter maximal strength.
• Frequency and Duration: Training frequency during the taper most often stayed the same (60%) or decreased (38%) by 1.8 ± 0.9 days. Training session duration primarily decreased (55%) by 16-60 minutes or stayed the same (43%).

Lift Specific Tapering Strategies

Powerlifters often implement lift-specific tapering strategies, recognising that each lift might require different recovery periods.

• Final Heavy Sessions (>85% 1RM):
• Back Squat and Deadlift: The final heavy back squat and deadlift sessions were completed 7-10 days before competition.
• Bench Press: The final heavy bench press session was completed less than 7 days before competition.
• Final Sessions (Any Load):
• Deadlift: The final deadlift session with any load was performed approximately 5.8 ± 2.5 days out from competition.
• Back Squat: The final back squat session was performed about 4.1 ± 1.9 days out.
• Bench Press: The final bench press session was performed about 3.9 ± 1.8 days out. These findings align with anecdotal claims and previous studies indicating that the deadlift may require a longer recovery period compared to the squat and bench press.
• Intensity During Final Sessions:
• Final heavy lifts were completed at 90.0-92.5% 1RM.
• During the final training session of each lift, intensity was reduced to 75-80% 1RM for back squat and bench press, and 70-75% 1RM for deadlift.

Training Cessation

Complete training cessation, or planned days of complete rest from all training and sport-related activities, is a common practice before competition.

• North American powerlifters typically implement complete training cessation approximately 2.8 ± 1.1 days before competition.
• Research suggests that a short-term training cessation of 2-7 days is effective for maintaining or improving performance by promoting recovery. However, cessation periods longer than 14 days can lead to detraining and performance decrements.
• One experimental study showed that maximal lower body strength could be preserved during 3 and 5 days of training cessation, but maximal upper body strength was only preserved for 3 days following 4 weeks of strength training in athletes. This highlights the importance of individualized cessation periods to avoid detraining effects.

Accessory Lifts and Recovery Modalities

• Accessory Lifts: 71% of powerlifters reported removing accessory lifts from their training 1.9 ± 1.2 weeks out from competition. This practice helps reduce overall training volume, allowing athletes to focus on the competition lifts and promote recovery.
• Recovery Modalities: Beyond structured tapering and training cessation, powerlifters employ various recovery strategies. The most popular modalities reported include:
• Sleep and meditation  
• Foam rolling  
• Mobility work  
• Nutritional changes 
• Massage  
• Visualisation techniques   

Nutritional changes before competition appear to be a common theme among strength and power athletes in weight class sports. Approximately 37% of powerlifters reported losing body mass (between 2-3%) before competition, with the most frequent start time being 7 days out from competition. It is not recommended for powerlifters to attempt to lose more than 3% of their body mass close to competition, as it could lead to a poor taper outcome.

Sex Differences

• While both sexes most frequently reported using a step taper, a greater proportion of men selected exponential tapers. This may partly explain why men reported performing their final heavy deadlift session and final training session further from competition compared with women.
• 88% of females reported to have a coach compared to only 60% of males.

Practical Applications for Powerlifters

Based on the observed practices of North American powerlifters, the following recommendations can guide tapering decisions:

1. Taper Type and Duration: Powerlifters may benefit from a step taper where training volume is reduced by ~50% over a 7-10 day period.
2. Volume Reduction: A training volume reduction of 41-50% is commonly used and appears effective. Reducing training volume by removing accessory lifts can help focus on competition lift specificity.
3. Intensity Management: Intensity may be manipulated (increased, decreased, or maintained) but should be adjusted on an individual basis.
4. Session Frequency and Duration: Session frequency may be programmed to stay the same or decrease. Training session duration can be decreased through performing fewer working sets on competition lifts.
5. Lift-Specific Timing:
• Perform the final heavy deadlift and back squat sessions (90-92.5% 1RM) 7-10 days before competition.
• Perform the final heavy bench press session (90-92.5% 1RM) less than 7 days before competition.
• The final session intensity could be reduced to 75-80% 1RM for back squat and bench press and 70-75% 1RM for deadlift.
6. Training Cessation: A period of ~3 days of complete training cessation could be implemented before major competitions.
7. Recovery Strategies: Incorporate common recovery modalities such as sleep and meditation, foam rolling, mobility work, nutritional changes, and massage. Nutritional changes should complement the taper, especially if a weight cut is involved, avoiding excessive body mass loss close to competition.

It's important to remember that these recommendations are based on the practices of powerlifters and should be tailored to an individual athlete's response to specific tapering protocols from competition to competition.

Future Research

While the research in this area provides valuable data, future studies should test these self-reported tapering characteristics to confirm their efficacy. Comparing different taper types and durations, investigating the exact timing of accessory and competition lift cessation, and examining the physiological mechanisms behind these practices through controlled trials will further refine optimal tapering strategies for powerlifters. 

Conclusion

Tapering is a multifaceted process crucial for maximizing performance in powerlifting. North American powerlifters predominantly utilize a short (7-10 day) step taper with significant volume reductions and varied intensity adjustments, culminating in a few days of complete training cessation. By strategically managing training load, incorporating lift-specific considerations, and prioritizing recovery, powerlifters can optimize their preparation and achieve peak strength on the platform. The insights gleaned from these practices offer a strong evidence-based foundation for coaches and athletes alike, enabling more informed decisions to unlock maximal strength potential.

References 

Travis, S. K., Pritchard, H. J., Mujika, I., Gentles, J. A., Stone, M. H., & Bazyler, C. D. (2021). Characterizing the tapering practices of United States and Canadian raw powerlifters. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(12S), S26–S35.

Travis, S. K. (2021). Peaking for maximal strength: Muscular adaptations and performance outcomes (Doctoral dissertation, East Tennessee State University).

Travis, S. K., Mujika, I., Gentles, J. A., Stone, M. H., & Bazyler, C. D. (2020). Tapering and peaking maximal strength for powerlifting performance: A review. Sports, 8(9), 125. 

Grgic, J., & Mikulic, P. (2017). Tapering practices of Croatian open-class powerlifting champions. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 31(9), 2371–2378. 

Pritchard, Hayden J.1,2; Tod, David A.3; Barnes, Matthew J.4; Keogh, Justin W.2,5,6; McGuigan, Michael R.2. Tapering Practices of New Zealand's Elite Raw Powerlifters. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 30(7):p 1796-1804, July 2016.