Any Powerlifters?

[jonnylieberman]

Just be careful. I did a lot of powerlifting as a youngster until I shredded my trap muscle on a deadlift. The nerve damage and scar tissue in there has been the bane of my existence for decades since. There's chronic stabbing and burning in my neck and shoulder. Some days, the pain is excruciating. I've seen numerous specialists, to no avail. I've learned to live with it, but it sucks. Now, I'm just fat...the 12 oz. curl is my max lift.

While I somehow never injured myself, losing my mobility is one of my biggest fears. When I was younger, I blew out/over taxed my hip flexors dead lifting and I couldn't walk for two days. Every time I stood up I'd collapse. Freaked me out. Luckily, no permanent damage.

I used to move a lot of weight. I forget my maxes, but I remember doing sets of dead lifts and squats with 405 pounds on the bar.

These days I do body weight work outs. Squats, Push Ups, Handstand Push Ups, Bridges, Leg Lifts, and Pull Ups. The chance of injury is very low, and I think I'm as strong now as I've ever been.

 

[swingerofbirches]

Anybody have any thoughts on how far apart to train heavy?

I don't have personal contact with any power lifters and most of what I see online (YouTube) is people going heavy twice a week or so, and sometimes even every other week.

Personally, I go heavy more than I probably should. I'm on a bit of a deload week ... still doing the compound lifts but just rly low weight, more for stretches.

How often do you guys go heavy?
How often do you attempt PRs?

 

[StogieJim]

Hey man,
I read a book once, called bigger, leaner, stronger. A dude out of Florida who is just ripped.
The concept is pretty cool. It's heavy, all of the time.
If you can do 7 reps, you're too light. If you can't do 4, you're too heavy.
I did it for 3 or 4 months last year and EVERYONE was commenting, asking how i got "so big". "are you on steroids?" etc... It was comical.
So my answer is, 5 days a week It's not max out heavy like those crazy power lifters, but lifting in the 4-6 rep range is where it's at. After 4 months it got a bit old working that hard ALL of the time (a week every couple months of deloading) so now I'm back in the 8-10 range and notice I've gotten weaker.
Not sure if that helps or confuses you more
I blew 3 discs in my lower back in 2006 doing squats and going HEAVY. I learned my lesson. I was basically crippled for 3 weeks and now if I go on a long hike, or crash while snowboarding, or play a long round of golf, I walk funny the next day. Gotta be really really really careful when going huge man. A single mis-step can affect you forever!
Go big but be careful!

 

[icehog3]

I did something similar a couple years back called "Doggcrapp Training". Tweaked it a little, and made some nice strength gains for a few months, but finally peaked and leveled off. I think the body can only take that type of training for so long.

http://www.simplyshredded.com/a-load-of-doggcrapp-is-dante-trudels-doggcrapp-training-system-the-next-big-thing-in-bodybuilding.html

 

[swingerofbirches]

DL'd with my cousin today. Did a little more volume than usual for a heavy day but worked up to 455 well. Pulled 475 halfway up but ultimately failed. Guess I should have gone for 465 instead of going from 455 to 475 lol

 

[swingerofbirches]

@StogieJim i hear ya. I did "squat every day" for a pretty long stretch but eventually stopped because of CNS overload.

 

[HIM*]

If your diet is right then honestly just listen to your body and be observant of your workouts. If your struggling to finish your sets or having issues hitting the same numbers workout to workout then tone it down a little or take an extra days rest. Its basically a sign your not fully recovered yet. I was lifting 5 days a week but it was just too much. I cut it down to 4 and my workouts have been much better. Now if I do lift 5 days I take the extra day to do some accessory work on stuff like forearms, calves, etc. What Ive been doing is a simple upper/lower split that alternate between 1 days rest and 2 days rest before repeating each workout. So Mon/Thurs - lower and Tues/Fri - upper. Wed is optional accessory work.
As for PRs I always test my 1RM after coming off a deload. So about every 4-6 weeks. For my deloads I do my normal routine at 50-60% of the weight and focus on mind-muscle connection and stretch/contraction through the range of motion.

 

[crperkins]

I have been training for 8 years, in the beginning strength training helped me with Judo as that is what I competed in.
As the years progressed and life and work took more time not to mention the nagging pains from Judo injuries I dropped it and just kept with the strength training.
I don't compete in power lifting, although I do enjoy the heavy compound lifts and do tend to train more towards the power lifting side of things.
I have suffered my share of injuries, mainly due from Judo competitions. Partial torn achilles tendon, dislocated toes and fingers, partial turn right bicep tendon and rotator cuff, partial torn left bicep tendon. Everything was Judo related aside from the left bicep, I popped that one doing strong man atlas stone lifts.
Currently my squats have suffered due to knee pain, I am working on repairing and it is getting better again...I just spent to long squatting high weights and not stretching/foam rolling like I should have....I think it is my patellar tendon acting up as neglecting the quads and they are overly tight.

I am 6'3" 240lbs
PR's
Bench - 385lbs
Squat - 455lbs
Conventional Dead - 515lbs
Over Head Press - 225lbs

 

[HIM*]

Thought others might get a kick out of this too. I spent the last 5+ mins laughing in tears.....

 

[HIM*]

No Kai Greene at the Olympia wtf?!?!

 

[swingerofbirches]

lol @ that video

My lower back was rly stiff soooooo I deadlifted and its feeling more stretched out now

Yeah @HIM* the Kai news was a surprise this week. Seems like there's a new version of the story every day about why. Crux being that there was a booth dispute between Kai's business partners (for his supp line) and the Olympia folks and so he ended up not signing his Olympia contract. Whole things seems stupid and avoidable.
I'm not a fan of mass-monster body building but it's a shame for the show that Phil and Kai don't get a rematch of last year.

 

[swingerofbirches]

Pulled 405 sumo yesterday and 455 conventional today for singles w/o knee sleeves or chalk (forgetful I am lol) (sets of 3 @ 90lb increments, progressing up to the singles)

First time in a few weeks I've done my old back-to-back DLs and it felt really good. 455 came off the floor more easily than I expected. Had some lockout hitching though so I think it's time for some rack pulls.

How's everyone else doing?

 

[swingerofbirches]

Raising this thread from the dead lol

I'm 3 weeks into meet prep for my first PL meet. Which means i'm 3 weeks into squatting for the first time in a very long time. My back isn't happy about it but the meet is on 11/12 so I just need to make it till then lol

What's everybody else got going on?

 

[BMAC]

Check out https://renaissanceperiodization.com/

Current Maxes from these programs and diet:

PR's at 203lbs and 5'10 (Weigh more now after getting off the fatloss templates and have taken a brief hiatus from lifting heavy)
SQ - 450
DL - 520
Bench - 300

 

[StogieJim]

I've actually given up the heavy shit over here. Too many back issues to keep going as heavy as I was. I've not got it down to where I lift and am outta there in 30 min.

M - Chest
Tu- Back
W - Shoulders
Th - Legs
F - Biceps/Triceps

3 exercises. 4-5 sets of 12-15 reps.

Keeps me in shape, I'm losing size but making up for it in better overall definition, and damn does my back feel better already!

 

[swingerofbirches]

Nice #s @BMAC ... you have any meets coming up?

Glad your back is feeling better @StogieJim , it's all about longevity right? What good does it do to squat 1000lbs if it means you can't walk right for the rest of your life.

 

[BMAC]

No meets. I've only done one meet and it was weightlifting, not powerlifting. Was lifting heavy and fast to compete in the Highland Games. Now just lift for me.

 

[HIM*]

No meets but making solid progress. Scale has me at 160 on the nose and maxes for bench/front squat/back squat are 260/275/350. Can't really go heavy on deads where I'm lifting so not sure where that's at. I'm getting close to the 1000lb club though.

 

[swingerofbirches]

Hey Cole! @HIM*
Glad to hear you're still with it and doing good, although it's not surprising at all. Last time you posted on HF you were looking lean!

 

[HIM*]

Hey Cole! @HIM*
Glad to hear you're still with it and doing good, although it's not surprising at all. Last time you posted on HF you were looking lean!

Thanks Charlie! Thats awesome your gonna step up and compete much respect for man. What are your lifts looking like these days? I see this time last year you were killing it!