Powerlifting / Strength Thread

[NorthStrong]

I'm friends with SCWolf aka deltsbrah and I am a beginner powerlifter. ITT, we can have good discussions about powerlifting and strength training, both for competing in the sport itself, or using the sport / strength training as a general means to alternative goals.

I'll do my best to help and I'm sure some of you will also have some solid things to contribute too. (maybe).

[SCWolf]

Calling all Arch0wl's

Also as kind of a background to my friend here, he's been studying weight lifting and pretty much everything associated with it for roughly 4 years now. He's currently a university student studying Kinesiology, and he's the person who has been doing my programming basically since day one.

If you have any questions about programming, he'd be my #1 recommendation.

I studied more to do with dieting than programming, if you were wondering.

[Arch0wl]

You may be a beginner in terms of your time training for it I suppose, but your knowledge is anything but.

What's the rationale behind your current program?

[Reach]

#whitelightsforeveryone

http://37.media.tumblr.com/552123455...soio1_1280.jpg


In serious news:

Current tested 1 RMs:

Bench: 275 @ 185 lbs (Touch and go, but absolutely 0 bounce).
Deadlift: 445 @ 202 lbs

Working on both currently. Will update as I make progress. Bench should definitely go up. Deadlift has been stuck for awhile =/ (I since then cut and it has gone down). Goal is 405 for reps before I attempt a higher DL max.

Not maxing on squats any time soon though. SORRY BRA hip flexor injuries. Right now I'm doing 4 plates on hack squat machine and I can do 8 reps ATG.

Ultimate goals:

Bench: 315
Deadlift: 500

And uh, hack squat 5 plates I guess, since I'm not sure when or if I'll be able to BB squat heavy again.

[NorthStrong]

That depth privelige page is hilarious. Look up Kelly Starrett's hip flexor mobility stuff, it might help you out if you're having bad pain. Working on sitting into a BW squat every day would probably be a good idea too.

Good luck with your goals, we're around the same for bench and deadlift both!

And Arch - rationale is that it's all about doing what you can do on a given day. Plan your stress for each session / week (mostly volume and fatigue = stress) and pick a rep range at a given RPE to determine the training effect that you want to get.

More or less training is like this

Intensity determines the training effect (adaptation, strength vs hypertrophy (although they are never seperate)) and volume will determine the degree of that effect. Hope that makes sense.

Overall training is set up to make me stronger.

[Arch0wl]

So I was only somewhat familiar with deadlift stances and looked them up:

https://www.bulkpowders.com.au/blog/...ft-like-a-pro/

I was able to add about 50lb to my deadlift by switching to semi-sumo stance. Sumo stance seems even more advantageous.

What are the disadvantages to using sumo or semi-sumo stance, if any?

[Reach]

None.

It's individual preference which stance you use and neither have been shown to be superior at the top level of powerlifting.

The only difference is that sumo deadlifts recruit more hamstring and glute than a conventional stance which will use more back.

Otherwise, you're supposed to use whichever stance you pull better with IMO.

I always deadlift sumo. I just don't have good leverage for pulling conventional. I have very poor leverage off the floor without rounding my back a lot; I need to get lower and this is much easier with sumo.

[NorthStrong]

Look up Ed Coan if you don't know him. Pulled 901 @ 220 in a contest (2 hr weigh in).

He pulled sumo in meets, but trained almost entirely conventional in the off season. He felt it was a better strength builder than the sumo itsself. Dan Green sets up his training in a very similar fashion.

If you can pull more sumo, then pull sumo. If anyone says that it's cheating they are stupid as fk. I'd recommend that you learn the sumo, get not shiitty technique, then train a lot of conventional work (conv pulls, deficits, stiff legs, etc) and get strong with those and there will be a very good carryover to your sumo pull.

[NorthStrong]

Since I'm trying to be back here posting more...bump.

[Reach]

Speaking of Ed, I was around briefly while he was here.

Funny guy. Extremely honest. Absolutely no respect or tolerance for uneducated beginners though, lol.

[NorthStrong]

Originally Posted by Reach

Speaking of Ed, I was around briefly while he was here.

Funny guy. Extremely honest. Absolutely no respect or tolerance for uneducated beginners though, lol.

Around where? In Amherst at the seminar/meet? I met him there and got to talk with him for like an hour and a half over the course of the weekend. Was blown away by how cool of a guy he is. SO many stories.

I am a big fan of powerlifting and I think he liked the fact that I knew a lot of the older school lifters and just kinda random powerlifting trivia stuff.

[Reach]

Originally Posted by NorthStrong

Around where? In Amherst at the seminar/meet? I met him there and got to talk with him for like an hour and a half over the course of the weekend. Was blown away by how cool of a guy he is. SO many stories.

I am a big fan of powerlifting and I think he liked the fact that I knew a lot of the older school lifters and just kinda random powerlifting trivia stuff.

Yeah.

Albeit I wasn't there for very long (I didn't see you there). There weren't many people there. Most of them were from my gym. I asked him about drugs and watched him critique some form.

He was definitely cool and had a lot of stories.

I'm not really a powerlifter though so I'm sure he could have torn my form apart, but I have mad respect for anyone that strong.

[NorthStrong]

Originally Posted by Reach

Yeah.

Albeit I wasn't there for very long (I didn't see you there). There weren't many people there. Most of them were from my gym. I asked him about drugs and watched him critique some form.

He was definitely cool and had a lot of stories.

I'm not really a powerlifter though so I'm sure he could have torn my form apart, but I have mad respect for anyone that strong.

Hmm..were you with the guys from Halifax? Like Leland and them?

[Reach]

Leland was there. All of those guys lift at my gym (SMU). I know Conner fairly well and uh, Chris C's girlfriend is friends with my girlfriend so I chat with them sometimes.

Wasnt' there for long though, I was on my way to NB.

[NorthStrong]

Originally Posted by Reach

Leland was there. All of those guys lift at my gym (SMU). I know Conner fairly well and uh, Chris C's girlfriend is friends with my girlfriend so I chat with them sometimes.

Wasnt' there for long though, I was on my way to NB.

Ah kk yeah I ended up chatting with Leland quite a bit at this past meet (june), but don't really know any of the other guys. Strong fellas though. I think Leland totaled 1718.

[Wayward Vagabond]

I want to be stronger but not necessarily bigger aka not looking to have a v shaped body. What do

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Wayward Vagabond

I want to be stronger but not necessarily bigger aka not looking to have a v shaped body. What do

High frequency high volume training focused on the big 3 compounds almost exclusively. Benching and squatting 2-3 times a week I think is a good place to start, deadlifting 1-2 times.

Accessories mostly to address weak points.

Rep ranges aren't that important IMO. 5x5 for your bench and squat, and 1-2x5 for deadlift are fine for beginners. 8-12 rep sets though are also good styles of training.

In the end it's mostly about getting lots of volume in terms of sets and reps in on your compounds. That will train your body to get stronger, especially if you're not interested in getting much bigger (which is possible. A lot of top olympic lifters barely look like they lift).

You train basically the same if you want to get bigger, just more accessory work, and a lot more food.


In terms of things to avoid, do not fall into the trap of maxing all of the time. i.e. do not regularly attempt to 1 rep max. It's a waste of time, leaves you more open to injury and does not make you stronger. You get stronger by doing high volume work submaximally.

Additionally, never deadlift before you squat. Always the other way around if it's the same day.

[Wayward Vagabond]

The personal trainer I had had me doing 3 sets of 15 reps for pretty much everything but squat. So should I just continue to do this or lower the reps a bit and raise the weight be more beneficial for what I want?

[Reach]

Originally Posted by Wayward Vagabond

The personal trainer I had had me doing 3 sets of 15 reps for pretty much everything but squat. So should I just continue to do this or lower the reps a bit and raise the weight be more beneficial for what I want?

If you want to get stronger, sets of 15 on a regular basis is excessive reps (though sets of 15 on occasion are good, too).

Try switching to 5x5 or 4x8 (my personal favorite) and increase the weight a bit.

[Wayward Vagabond]

Alright will do