What are GPP and SPP?

Also Taken from Elitefts.com answered by Dave Tate

"Dave, what is the difference between SPP and GPP?

Thanks for the question. I do feel almost everyone is a bit lost with these. I will try to explain this as a power lifter as most who read this Q and A know the sport rather well.

GPP is short for General Physical Preparedness. This is the general physical abilities that are needed to perform in the sport of power lifting. Some of these include:

Movement – Your body has to be able to move through the range of motion of the movements needed to train the three main lifts plus all other supplemental lifts that will be needed in the training process. This is also known as mobility training.

Aerobic – This is not full blown aerobic conditioning but being able to move blood efficiently throughout the body to ensure proper recovery.

Flexibility – This is having the ability to move the body through full range of motion without being tight. This is different then mobility as mobility is the basic process of movement while flexibility is being loose enough to move in the first place.

Anaerobic – This is having the anaerobic conditioning needed to make it through a training session or competition.

SPP is short for specific physical preparedness. This is the specific physical skills needed to advance in the sport. Some of these include:

Dynamic Strength – having the ability to move weight with maximum force.

Absolute Strength – having the ability to move large amounts of weight.

Special Strength – this would be the training of special exercises needed to advance one of the three main power lifts.

Technique – this is the actual technique skill you have with the barbell in the three main lifts.

Now here is the trick. How do you know what to focus on? The key is to have the optimal amount of GPP (This is the minimal needed to get the job done for the sport.), while having the maximal amount of SPP. The thing to remember is for many lifters the optimal amount of GPP can be developed with the basic power lifting training movements. They can develop and keep flexibility with full range of motion with the movements they are training, they can maintain flexibility with the same full range of motion movements and they can develop the anaerobic and aerobic conditioning with the use of different rest periods. This will all work for some time but will NOT work all the time. The longer you are in the sport, the older you are, the more injuries you have had will all diminish your once high level of GPP. Think of it this way. If you need level 6 mobility for power lifting and when you started the sport 10 years ago (after you finished high school and participated in sports) your level of mobility was at 10. Over the past 8 years your level of mobility has dropped from 10 to 6. This was really no big deal and did not make a difference in your training because 6 is all that is needed for the sport of power lifting. Now over the past year it fell to level 5. Now you can’t figure out why you can’t keep you knees out when you squat, or why you back and shoulders hurt all the time. The first thing you do is begin looking at SPP and doing more work for those muscles as you think they are now your weak points. In time it gets worse and worse and you have no idea why. This is when most lifters quit the sport.

The key is to know when you need to look where. This is not a science, it is an ART! This is why we have the Q and A. We are here to help you with this process as we have all be around a very long time and have made many mistakes. You can never stop learning. Take it from me. Until 4 weeks ago I ALWAYS looked at SPP to fix my problems and had to seek advice to find what the real issues are.

Now keep in mind we also see the exact opposite. This is when those who are just weak are looking at GPP to make them strong. SPP makes you strong. GPP prepares you to have the ability to train SPP to get strong. You do not have to be a master of GPP. You need to find the minimal level of GPP needed to maximize you SPP.

Sorry for the long post. It really should be an article."