How I Approach Strength Training as an Elite Powerlifter

Since I started publishing articles here at StrengthLog, I’ve mostly focused on training methods and programs. This time, I want to zoom out and show how those ideas play out in my own training, as an elite lifter in powerlifting.

I’m currently part of the Swedish National Team in equipped powerlifting. I’ve been competing since 2013, and internationally since 2018. Rather than listing results or routines, I’ll try to give you some insight into the decisions, priorities, and trade-offs that have shaped my training and brought me to where I am today.

I’m not trying to show you a blueprint for how anyone should train, nor claim that this is the right way for everyone. Instead, I’m writing this to show that there are many possible paths forward, and shed light on what has helped me in my own training journey.

First Things First: What Do I Compete In?

Before going into my training, I thought it might be a good idea to introduce you to the sport of equipped powerlifting.

In powerlifting, you compete in three disciplines: squat, bench press and deadlift. You compete in weight classes and have three attempts in each discipline. The lifter who successfully lifts the heaviest total of all three disciplines wins.

In equipped powerlifting, lifters can use supportive gear during their lifts. In classic powerlifting, more commonly known as ‘powerlifting’ or ‘raw powerlifting,’ lifters can wear knee sleeves, wrist wraps, lifting shoes and a belt. But in equipped lifting, lifters are also allowed to use knee wraps, supportive suits for the squat and deadlift and a supportive shirt in the bench press.*

The supportive garments are made of a very stiff material and are designed to improve stability and provide rebound during the lift. The equipment adds a technical layer that changes how the lifts are performed. The gear can help the lifter handle significantly heavier weights, but it also requires practice, precision, and experience to use effectively.

* This description reflects the rules of the IPF (International Powerlifting Federation), which is the federation I compete in. Equipment rules may differ in other federations.

Training Context: Where I Am Right Now

Right now, I’m in a phase of gradually increasing my training after recovering from a disc herniation. Injuries are often part of elite sport, and when they occur they require periods of adaptation and patience.

My next goal is to compete at the European Championships in just five weeks. At this point, the main priority is getting back into equipped lifting and progressively increasing the loads on the bar.

Before this training block, I hadn’t trained equipped squats or deadlifts for the past nine months due to the disc hernia. Reintroducing and tolerating the equipment has therefore been the biggest challenge leading into the peaking phase before this competition.

For the last five weeks leading up to the competition, I will focus on getting my equipped sessions in, and gradually increase the load while decreasing the total volume. This is so my body will adapt to higher weights, but still be able to recover properly.

How I Structure My Training

I originally herniated a disc many years ago and recovered, but during the 2024 World Championships, the injury came back. I tried to push through it and increased the load too quickly. By the time I reached the peaking phase leading into the 2025 European Championships, it became clear that the injury hadn’t fully healed.

After the Euros, I realized that if I wanted to keep progressing toward my long-term goals, I had to make more drastic changes. In consultation with my coach, we decided to temporarily remove all external load and avoid any exercises that caused pain. Once I was pain-free in daily life, we gradually reintroduced my regular exercises and started building up again.

At the moment, I have three strength training sessions per week. I’ve also added running and currently do cardio twice per week.

When people hear that I compete at a high level, they often assume that training means multiple daily sessions. In equipped powerlifting, sessions are often long and taxing on both the muscles and the nervous system. Over the years, I’ve learned where my tolerance lies — and every time I’ve tried to increase the load too quickly, it has eventually led to injury or burnout.

Having a plan matters, but being able to adjust and adapt is what allows me to stay consistent over time.

Knowing When to Push — And When Not to

This has been one of the biggest challenges for me, especially since the training climate is often very polarized.

On one side, there are people who are afraid of pushing themselves and therefore interpret every signal as a warning sign. “Does this hurt? Maybe I’m injured? I didn’t get a perfect sleep score tonight so maybe I should skip the workout. I need to listen to my body!”

On the other side, there’s the opposite extreme — the no pain, no gain mindset, where discomfort is treated as proof that training is effective.

If I back off due to a small injury, I’ll hear people saying both “Oh, you shouldn’t take it too seriously, just push through!” and “You really shouldn’t train at all with that – your body needs rest!”

I feel secure enough to trust my own judgement today, but it’s taken a long time to reach this point. I know when it makes sense to push through — after a poor night’s sleep, low energy, or some general aches — and when it’s wiser to back off, such as when I feel sick, mentally unprepared, or genuinely injured.

When I’m unsure, I’ve learned to limit whose opinions I listen to. Rather than absorbing input from everyone around me, I rely on a small number of people I trust to help me make those decisions.

How a Training Week Might Look

As I mentioned, I have three strength sessions per week. In powerlifting, you compete in three disciplines: squat, bench press and deadlift. So, I don’t think anyone is surprised that my training is built around those three exercises.

Typically, I do some kind of squat twice a week, deadlift once a week and bench press three times a week. The workouts are based on that, and we add accessory work depending on how close I am to competition. I say we, since I’ve been working with a training coach for the last 6 years.

While progression is key, I don’t use a fixed progression scheme in my workouts. Instead, we base the workouts on RPE. Basically, that means that I don’t have set weights going into each workout (even if I often have target weights, they aren’t set in stone), but rather a number on the RPE scale, telling me how hard the working set should feel. This allows me to listen to my body, take advantage of the days when I feel great, and slow down when my energy is low.

Read more: What is RPE and RIR in Strength Training?

What Differs From Following a Regular Training Program?

I think that one thing that stands out is that I very seldom max out on training. My PRs are almost all from competitions, and not from training sessions. I know that many lifters start following a program, and after six weeks they want to know if they’ve gotten any results and test their max.

For me, a training block is often between 4 and 6 weeks, and then we just start over. No max attempts, just the usual grind. Training often feels like bread and butter, nothing extraordinary. (Except when I’m in my peaking phase, and the volume goes down but the weights increase. Then I often have to work with my mental state to get through the workouts.)

The focus is to constantly push my “lowest level” up a tiny bit, rather than focusing on the highest peaks. For many, training feels unnecessary if you don’t leave the gym in a pool of sweat and with wobbly legs. It doesn’t have to be like that, and not every workout has to be all-out to matter.

You just have to show up and do the work, day in and out.

Training Through Monotony

Another challenge that’s easy to underestimate is monotony. Large parts of my training look the same week after week. The sessions don’t feel dramatic, and progress is often subtle rather than obvious.

Over time, I’ve learned not to treat monotony as a problem to solve, but as a condition to accept. When training becomes repetitive, it usually means we’re doing the right things consistently. My focus shifts from chasing variation or motivation to simply executing the work as planned and trusting the process.

At this stage, consistency and monotony are signs that I’m able to train uninterrupted over time — without constantly having to regroup due to injuries, illness, or setbacks — and that we’ve succeeded in building a solid baseline.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

Over time, I’ve had to re-evaluate a lot of ideas I used to take for granted. I used to believe that increasing volume or intensity was always a sign of progress, and that more training was always better.

What I’ve learned instead is that consistency matters more than intensity, and that progress often comes from doing fewer things well, rather than constantly adding more. Simplifying my training — and trusting that process — has been one of the biggest shifts in how I approach my development.

Final Thoughts

At this stage, training isn’t about chasing extremes or constantly proving progress. It’s about making decisions that allow me to train consistently over time, with the limitations I have right now.

My training may not look impressive from the outside, but it’s deliberate, repeatable, and sustainable — and that’s what allows me to keep moving forward.

I know I won’t be able to compete at an elite level forever. That’s exactly why I want to approach it in a way that allows me to stay here for as long as possible.