The Importance of Accessory Training

The Importance of Accessory Training
Written by Hunter Britt

Are you giving the same amount of energy to your accessory lift training as you are to your squats?

For most athletes, the honest answer would be no. If you are on the fence after you read that question, then the answer for you as well is no. Do you get pumped and attack a set of glute-ham raises or tempo pull-ups the same as you would a snatch or any other classic lift? I understand it is not as exciting for most of us, but it holds an entirely new set of benefits and rewards to be gained that most athletes are missing out on.

Benefits of Accessory Training

Break down what it means to train for life and use functional movements, then compare it to what your training looks like. In my life, not everything is a perfectly symmetrical, balanced barbell. Let’s pretend I need to help move my Grandfather’s near obsolete, bubble television that weighs as much as his refrigerator. The problem with the television – besides it poor quality – is that it is wedged between the bookshelf and wall. When I go to pick this up, it is most likely that I am not going to be able to have a perfectly flat back or even have my legs set up evenly next to each other. In an ideal world I would be able to set up the same way I would deadlift, but this is obviously not the case.

Now, we could say I could just always train picking up odd objects to improve my ability to lift them, but there are infinite shapes that are put into the category of “odd objects”. If I have been training with accessories lifts, which is going to allow me to be more prepared for a lift that is oddly shaped, I will be stronger in this “not strong position” when compared to someone who has been strictly training the balanced barbell movement.

Here is why: by training and implementing accessories lifts, an athlete is able to substantially improve strength by stressing their body in many different angles and cause different stimulus to a certain area that a classic barbell lift may not be able to challenge as well.

Accessory Training Limits Wear and Tear on the Body

To be clear, I am not saying that there are not huge benefits from the classical lifts because there are and they should continue to be performed frequently. Even with great benefits everything can have negative effects. Some of the problems that training these classic lifts all of the time as the majority with no implementation of accessory lifts is the wear and tear on the body. The constant loading of a heavy barbell on an athlete’s joints can and will start to break a body down.

What accessories allow an athlete to do is to increase the volume of training while at the same time taking the stress off a specific joint. Along with allowing an increased workload they have a good range of play in them. Do not limit the accessory work to just 3×6 glute-ham raises with a rest as needed between sets all the time; instead, use them to control volume, training density, and intensity.

Training Classic Lifts Only vs Adding in Accessories

We can break strength training into two simple categories. We will use the squat as our example and the main options are implementing training with accessory lifts or performing the classic lifts only.

By training the classic lift only, an athlete is going to obviously make gains with the work they are putting in, but at the same time they are going to be constantly training certain muscles and are going to be limited by their weakest muscles.

If an athlete continually dumps forward on their back squats, it is a good chance that the athlete had a weak back relative to the weight they are attempting. Now take this athlete that continually dumps forward on their squat and train their posterior chain specifically with the goal of getting it strong enough to keep their chest up and avoid dumping in the future.

By implementing accessory lifts into an athlete’s training, we are able to target those muscles needed to maintain the optimal squat position.

An athlete that keeps failing over and over once they get above parallel but isn’t dumping their chest might have quads that are the limiting factor. I can throw the athlete on the hack squat machine, a leg press, and start getting some reps in of hip-quad extensions. Instead of having the athlete just keep squat and slowly progressing, attack the weakness and make it bulletproof.

Invictus 8-Week Strength Program

Next Cycle Begins September 12, 2022!

If you’re looking to build strength – even if you don’t have ALL the “traditional” equipment – this program is for you! Spend 8 weeks focused on building your base lifts – the squat, bench press, overhead press and deadlift. Secondary focus on Olympics Lifts and accessory lifts.

• 8 weeks of a 5-day/week strength program.
• Weekly video reviews and feedback from Coach Hunter
• Access to programming and ability to post results, receive feedback, track results and much more through the new Fitr app!