Understanding, Identifying, and Overcoming Weak Points in Powerlifting and Strongman Training
Josh Hezza- Dec 20, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Apr 28
Understanding, Identifying, and Overcoming Weak Points in Powerlifting and Strongman Training
In the realms of powerlifting and strongman competitions, the pursuit of strength is relentless. Athletes continually strive to lift heavier, move faster, and perform better. However, progress often encounters obstacles in the form of weak points-specific areas where performance falters. Recognising and addressing these weak points is crucial for breaking through plateaus and achieving new personal bests.
This comprehensive guide delves into the nature of weak points, methods to identify them, and strategies to overcome them, drawing insights from both Westside Barbell methodologies and my own writing and experience, as seen in my blogs.
This article also lays the groundwork for my ebook Fix Your Weaknesses: A Conjugate Guide to Building Unstoppable Strength, a comprehensive resource designed to help lifters pinpoint breakdowns in their squat, bench, and deadlift—and apply targeted, systemised solutions using the Conjugate Method. Whether you're failing off the floor in the deadlift, folding in the hole on your squat, or getting stapled halfway through a bench press, this framework is built to help you diagnose and destroy the root cause—not just mask the symptoms. If you find this guide useful, the ebook takes it even further, with full movement checklists, weak point diagnostic tools, and plug-and-play solutions you can implement straight into your program.
The Triad of Lifting Success: Strength, Technique, and Mental Fortitude
Success in lifting is underpinned by three fundamental pillars:
Muscular Strength: The raw power generated by muscle contractions.
Technical Proficiency: The efficiency and correctness of movement patterns.
Mental Approach: The psychological readiness and focus during lifts.
Weakness in any of these areas can hinder performance. Therefore, a holistic approach that addresses all three is essential for optimal progress.
Identifying Weak Points
I subsequently discussed this in part more detail here - Strength Without Weakness
1. Muscular Weaknesses
Muscular weaknesses manifest as difficulties during specific phases of a lift. For instance:
Bench Press: Struggles near lockout often indicate weak triceps, while challenges off the chest may point to underdeveloped pectoral muscles.
Squat: Difficulty ascending from the bottom position can suggest weak quadriceps or glutes.
Deadlift: Failure to initiate the lift from the floor may be due to weak hamstrings or lower back muscles.
2. Technical Flaws
Technical deficiencies can lead to inefficient lifts and increased risk of injury. Common technical issues include:
Improper bar path.
Inadequate bracing and core stability.
Incorrect foot placement or stance.
3. Mental Barriers
Psychological factors such as fear, lack of confidence, or inadequate focus can impede performance. Overcoming these mental hurdles is as vital as physical training.
Methods to Identify Weak Points
A. Video Analysis
Recording lifts allows for detailed examination of form and identification of sticking points. Slow-motion playback can reveal subtle technical flaws and phases where the lift slows down or fails.
B. Performance Tracking
Maintaining a training log to document successes and failures helps in recognising patterns and pinpointing consistent issues.
C. Consultation with Coaches
Engaging with experienced coaches provides external insights into performance. Coaches can offer objective assessments and tailored advice to address specific weaknesses.
Strategies to Overcome Weak Points
1. Addressing Muscular Weaknesses
Incorporating targeted accessory exercises can strengthen lagging muscle groups. Drawing from Westside Barbell's methodologies and insights I’ve discussed in my blogs, consider the following:
Bench Press:
Weak Triceps: Implement close-grip bench presses, board presses, and tricep extensions.
Weak Pectorals: Include dumbbell presses, flyes, and paused bench presses.
Squat:
Weak Quadriceps: Perform front squats, leg presses, and Bulgarian split squats.
Weak Glutes/Hamstrings: Incorporate good mornings, Romanian deadlifts, and glute-ham raises.
Deadlift
Weak Hamstrings/Lower Back: Utilise deficit deadlifts, stiff-legged deadlifts, and back extensions.
Supplemental vs Accessory Work: What Actually Drives Adaptation?
One of the biggest mistakes lifters make is lumping every non-competition lift into the same “accessory” bucket. But in Conjugate, we distinguish between supplemental and accessory work-because they do different jobs.
Supplemental Work
These are your secondary heavy lifts. They directly mirror the main lift but shift the emphasis toward the weak area.
Examples:
Close-grip or board press after max effort bench
SSB good mornings after max effort squat
Deficit deadlifts or block pulls
Think of supplemental lifts as heavy problem-solvers. They should challenge you close to failure (or a top set) and live in the 3–6 rep range most of the time. If your deadlift fails off the floor, a stiff-leg pull from a deficit is more valuable than a leg curl (probably).
Accessory Work
These come after the heavy work and build tissue. You train them for volume, pump, or stability-not peak output.
Examples:
Hamstring curls, triceps pushdowns, lateral raises, dumbbell rows
Higher reps (8–15), multiple sets, short rest periods
Accessories fill the gaps, but they don’t replace the heavy stuff. You won’t fix a weak lockout with skull crushers alone, but you will get more from your board presses if your triceps are growing and recovering well.
Understanding this distinction is the secret to effective weak point training. Supplemental work fixes the movement; accessory work builds the machine.
2. Enhancing Technical Proficiency
Improving technique involves deliberate practice and, often, professional guidance:
Drills and Variations: Practise pause squats, tempo lifts, and partial range movements to reinforce proper form.
Specialist Equipment: Utilise tools like the safety squat bar or resistance bands to correct form and enhance strength in specific ranges of motion.
Coaching: Seek feedback from qualified coaches to refine technique and ensure efficient movement patterns.
3. Strengthening Mental Approach
Building mental resilience is crucial for peak performance:
Visualisation: Mentally rehearse successful lifts to build confidence.
Goal Setting: Establish clear, achievable objectives to maintain motivation.
Mindfulness and Focus: Practise techniques such as meditation to enhance concentration during lifts.
When Weak Point Training Doesn’t Work
Let’s be honest-just identifying a weak link isn’t enough. Sometimes, weak point training fails, and it’s usually for one of these reasons:
1. You’re chasing the wrong fix
You fail off the chest and assume it’s your pecs, so you start hammering dumbbell flyes. But the problem was actually poor leg drive and inconsistent bar path. Diagnosis error is the most common issue.
2. You’re over-targeting the weak link
It’s tempting to attack a weakness with volume, but that often creates a recovery bottleneck. If your triceps are already fried from pressing, adding five more triceps exercises won’t help-you’ll just dig a deeper hole.
3. You’re not rotating movements
The Conjugate Method is built around variation to avoid accommodation. You might pick the right lift (e.g., close-grip bench) but run it for 8 weeks straight, allowing it to stagnate. Rotate more often to keep progress moving.
4. You’re using too much isolation
Your lockout sucks, so you do kickbacks and rope pressdowns. That’s like trying to win a drag race by waxing the paint. Real weak point training requires heavy, compound supplemental lifts-board presses, reverse bands, pin pulls, etc.If your current weak point strategy isn’t working, step back and reassess. The fix might be simpler-and heavier-than you think.
Integrating Weak Point Training into Your Programme
A. Maximal Effort Method
As I have previously discussed on my website, the Maximal Effort (ME) method involves lifting maximal loads to develop absolute strength. Selecting variations of lifts that target weak points ensures focused improvement. For example, if lockout strength in the bench press is lacking, incorporating pin presses or board presses can be beneficial.
B. Dynamic Effort Method
The Dynamic Effort (DE) method focuses on lifting submaximal weights with maximal speed, enhancing explosive strength. Adjusting rep schemes and exercise selection, as I have outlined in my previous writing, can address specific weaknesses. For instance, using accommodating resistance like bands or chains during DE sessions can improve acceleration through sticking points.
C. Repeated Effort Method
The Repeated Effort method involves performing multiple sets of an exercise to failure or near failure, promoting hypertrophy and muscular endurance. This method is effective for building the muscle mass necessary to support strength gains and overcome weaknesses.
Monitoring Progress and Adjusting Training
Regular assessment is vital to ensure the effectiveness of your training programme:
Performance Metrics: Track improvements in lift numbers, speed, and endurance.
Technical Analysis: Continuously evaluate form through video analysis and coach feedback.
Psychological Readiness: Reflect on mental state and confidence levels during training and competition.
Adjust your training programme based on these assessments to ensure continuous progress and address any emerging weak points.
The Role of the Conjugate Method
Weak point training doesn’t happen in isolation - it happens inside a system. And no system has done more to systematise the identification and destruction of weak points than the Conjugate Method.
Popularised by Westside Barbell and Louie Simmons, and evolved further in my own coaching and writing, the Conjugate Method is designed to address the full spectrum of strength: maximal effort, explosive output, technical consistency, muscular hypertrophy, and psychological resilience.
But what makes Conjugate uniquely effective for weak point training is its rotational structure. Rather than repeating the same lifts endlessly - which leads to stagnation, injury, and accommodation - Conjugate rotates Max Effort, Dynamic Effort, and Repeated Effort variations to stress different tissues, angles, and energy systems every week. This continuous variation prevents overuse while exposing weak points and forcing adaptation.
Here’s how it works in action:
If your squat fails out of the hole, a standard program might just throw more volume at your back squat.
A Conjugate-based approach instead rotates in low box squats, pause squats, SSB squats, or good mornings, allowing you to train the weak zone from different angles and with different tools - all while tracking strength across movement patterns, not just competition lifts.
Over time, this approach doesn’t just cover up your weaknesses - it systematically replaces them with strengths.
I break this system down fully in The Conjugate Method for Dummies – A (Somewhat) Comprehensive Guide, where I outline:
How the method balances stress and recovery
The role of variation without chaos
How to sequence ME, DE, and RE work for maximum carryover
And how this all applies to both powerlifters and strongman athletes
If you want to fix weak points for good, your programming needs to reflect that goal. The Conjugate Method gives you a system for doing just that - without guesswork, random accessory swaps, or burnout from repeating the same lifts until something snaps (physically or mentally).
Strength isn’t built in a vacuum. It’s built with smart rotation, accurate diagnosis, and the courage to train outside your comfort zone - exactly what Conjugate delivers when used properly.
The Key to Breaking Plateaus & Unlocking Strength Potential
Progress in powerlifting, strongman, and strength training isn’t just about adding more weight to the bar-it’s about systematically identifying and eliminating weak points to ensure continued improvement. Strength isn’t built in isolation; it requires a balance of muscular development, technical proficiency, and mental resilience. Ignoring any one of these components leads to stagnation, injury risk, and underperformance when it matters most.
This article outlined the three primary pillars that underpin strength success:
✅ Muscular Strength – Developing the specific muscle groups responsible for driving the lift, ensuring no weak links hold you back.
✅ Technical Proficiency – Refining movement patterns to enhance efficiency, improve leverage, and reinforce strong positions under maximal loads.
✅ Mental Fortitude – Cultivating the mindset, confidence, and focus needed to push through sticking points and execute lifts at peak performance.
Identifying which of these areas is your weakest link is the first step toward overcoming plateaus. Methods like video analysis, training logs, and coach feedback allow lifters to pinpoint specific breakdowns-whether it’s failing at lockout due to weak triceps, struggling off the floor in the deadlift due to poor hamstring strength, or battling technical inconsistencies that sap power.
Once weaknesses are identified, targeted intervention is key. This can be accomplished through:
🔥 Muscle-Specific Accessory Work – Strengthening lagging areas with exercises like close-grip bench presses for triceps, front squats for quads, or Romanian deadlifts for hamstrings.
🔥 Technical Refinement – Using tempo work, paused reps, box squats, or accommodating resistance to reinforce efficient movement patterns and eliminate wasted energy.
🔥 Mental & Psychological Training – Employing visualisation, goal setting, and structured exposure to heavy loads to build confidence and mental toughness under the bar.
These principles seamlessly integrate into Conjugate-style programming, which thrives on variation, constant adaptation, and well-structured effort allocation across Max Effort, Dynamic Effort, and Repeated Effort methods. A rotating exercise selection, combined with carefully managed intensity, volume, and periodisation, ensures that weaknesses are systematically addressed while preventing training stagnation.
Ultimately, the process of identifying and attacking weak points should be a constant in any serious strength athlete’s program. It’s not about blindly adding more weight, but about building a resilient, well-rounded foundation of strength that leaves no gaps in performance.
🚀 Take the Guesswork Out of Strength – Work With Me!
Everything covered here has been systematised in my ebook Fix Your Weaknesses, which is designed to act as your personal diagnostic toolkit for strength training. It expands on the ideas in this article with detailed weak point breakdowns for each lift, movement prescriptions, decision-making trees, and guidance on when to rotate, swap, or double down on a lift variation. If you’re serious about fixing your sticking points and making Conjugate work for you, it’s the resource you’ll want in your gym bag.
If you’re struggling with weak points, hitting frustrating plateaus, or simply unsure how to structure your training for maximum strength gains, I can help. My coaching services are designed to assess your individual weaknesses and build a customised plan that ensures steady progress, using battle-tested Conjugate principles and targeted programming strategies.
💪 What You’ll Get with Coaching:
✅ Full Weak Point Analysis & Customised Training Plan
✅ Personalised Exercise Selection for YOUR Strength Gaps
✅ Ongoing Support, Adjustments & Performance Tracking
✅ Proven Methods Used by Top Strength Athletes
Stop wasting time on generic programs and start training smarter. If you're ready to break through plateaus, push past sticking points, and build real strength, apply for coaching today.
📩 DM me or apply now at TEAMJOSHHEZZA.com and let’s get to work. 💪🔥 #StrengthTraining #WeakPointFixing #ConjugateMethod
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