There’s also a misconception that gaining weight automatically makes you stronger. This is not necessarily true if your bone structure and frame are not designed to be mesomorphic.
snap, I was thinking about your comment all night because it so interesting. My sensei said the opposite, “I bet the increased cardio improved your lifts”. I can’t say if that’s true because I changed my program too. Implementing lifting for 3-6 months supposedly increases all other sports, regardless if the lifting is sport-specific. I bet it all goes back to the change principle… changing anything revs up your body somehow.
on weight, I don’t know that I would mind putting on 10 pounds if I could pull 240 suddenly. But as snap says, it doesn’t look like that happens automatically! I’ll just keep trying to lift more and eat good food and see what happens.
It is a beautiful life and this is a beautiful sport, regardless. May you all hit your numbers this week.
I can only speak from my own experience. When I got serious about lifting heavy, my main focus was still racing 5Ks, 10Ks, and sprint triathlons. I got frustrated that I could not break through my strength plateaus, which were pretty low at the time. My “trainer” at the time kept telling me I needed to cut back on the cardio in order to blast through. Like I said, I fought him for a long time. But it was only a matter of weeks after I cut my cardio back to one session per week that I started PRing in squat and DL. That doesn’t mean that would be the case with everyone. Although I can’t think of one top-shelf powerlifter who trains for endurance at the same time as strength. Can anyone come up with a name?
Totally fascinating. I thought you were talking about marathon training, and you are saying even your 5k work interfered with your lifting progress.
In an effort to answer your question, I stumbled on this article by Cressey where he acknowledges that endurance training is detrimental to powerlifting, but that low intensity cardio is not.
He then goes on to mention the benefits of low intensity cardio, including psychological well-being. This could mean I will not hurt my lifting as long as I don’t train so intensely that I damage my ability to recover.
And from the same article, here’s a powerlifter who uses cardio… but he doesn’t train for endurance sports!
"You might note the remarkable similarity of these recommendations to the GPP advocated by many Westside-influenced powerlifters. It makes sense, as these individuals are strength and power athletes. If you peruse the training logs of Elite lifters, you’ll even find that several of them regularly incorporate traditional “cardio” at low intensities. Paul Childress, a man who’s already squatted over 1,100 pounds, immediately comes to mind. "
Such interesting conversation in here! Spider, I’ve never really gotten an endorphin high from lifting weights. I enjoy it for the challenge, for the mental focus required by handling heavy (for me) weight that takes my mind off of work/life/etc. things, and for the strength it brings and the physique it engenders.
I like running for the endorphins, the mental vacation it provides me and the feeling of powerfulness that running a long distance gives me. I feel I’ve really accomplished something worthwhile when I’ve run 3 miles, 6 miles, when I can enter a race and do well.
If I were a competitive powerlifter like Snap, then I’d probably have to cut down on the running. But that isn’t my focus. My focus is to have the maximum amount of fun possible, and look as good I can for as long as I can.
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
If I were a competitive powerlifter like Snap, [/quote]
Yeah, my talent is just blinding.
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
My focus is to have the maximum amount of fun possible, and look as good I can for as long as I can.[/quote]
Me too! Damn, you are awesome.
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
If I were a competitive powerlifter like Snap, [/quote]
Yeah, my talent is just blinding. [/quote]
Your commitment and passion are certainly blinding.
Turn it down, ladies. I can’t see!
Cardios:
There’ve been days of several hours of mountain biking and snowshoeing but my mood is only fair. 6/10. No euphoria lately. Sad face.
20+5 minutes on the treadmill this afternoon felt a little better. No sprinting.
Lifting otoh has been amazing.
Squat yesterday 8 sets of 3 at 95 felt very extremely awesome. Complemented with 10x120 light deadlift.
Military today 8 sets of 4,3,2 at 62.5 superset with 9x50 jump rope. I’m ready for a new 5rm on these, i can tell. Next week.
Also 1x10 light bench at 70, so I’m ready for a new 10rm next week.
Tomorrow is deadlifting and also running must occur.
My weight is 114. I need to watch that because the meet is only 15 days away.
Carry on.
WOw, sounds like all your lifting stuffs has been going perfectly! You’re looking forward to everything, ha-ha.
You know I think that all the time, how everyday of my life is so exciting because I am on 5/3/1. I always have stuff to anticipate.
Anticipation is my favourtie thing, ha!
A big cheer for the awesome lifting! What weight are you wanting for the meet weigh-in?
Spock, that IS one of the advantages of 5/3/1, but my own program has enough cycling that success is available all the time. I was so excited about deadlifts today, I dreamed about it all night!
Kimba, I’m competing in the 52 kg class, which means I need to weigh in at 114. Usually this is trivial since I’ve been at 110 for a year, but lately I’m packing on something. 
This site sure is weird lately. The dates were all the same on my log yesterday, and the article today is from several days ago, if not last week. I feel like I’m living in a George Orwell novel.
so, arachne has something to do with spiders, yet your new avi is a weasel.
if you’re trying to confuse me, it’s working!
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
Kimba, I’m competing in the 52 kg class, which means I need to weigh in at 114.
[/quote]
Actually, 114.4 or less. There’s no benefit to be much lower if you’re trying to break records in the weight class unless you’re competing head-to-head with someone and might tie and would need to win on bodyweight. Unlikely at a local meet! Rah, rah! The meet is almost here.
Edgy, you have no idea how contradictory I really am. 
Snap, of course you are right, but I want to be cautious because I don’t know the relationship between my scale and theirs. There are calibration errors, bias, repeatability errors… can you tell I do this for a living?
I’d rather weigh 112 the day before to be sure.
For your science-of-exercise reading pleasure:
Exercise affects your DNA.
“In the case of muscle, exercise appears to crank up the genes needed to burn fat and sugar and support the body.
…
Just 20 minutes of pedalling flat out on an exercise bike makes a difference, the journal Cell Metabolism reports.
…
The person needs to be out of breath and, while able to speak, to have difficulty in carrying on a conversation.”
Notes: 20 minutes, and the exercise is vigorous, not moderate.
just “popping” my head in to see what’s up…ooohhhh a meet…likey, likey…
bye…I’ll be back
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
Edgy, you have no idea how contradictory I really am.
Snap, of course you are right, but I want to be cautious because I don’t know the relationship between my scale and theirs. There are calibration errors, bias, repeatability errors… can you tell I do this for a living?
I’d rather weigh 112 the day before to be sure.[/quote]
This makes perfect sense. And you know I do the same thing.
Hi lil, thanks for stopping in. I’m working hard. (every day but today).
Today I was a slacker.
Mood: good. No doubt due to the 25 minutes of running yesterday and zero alcohol. 7/10 with moments of exhilaration.
Lifting
3x135
3x165
5x165 < new 5 RM I forgot to mention last week was a new 5 RM at 160, but this is the first time I’ve try to increase weight at 5 reps with sumo. It just wasn’t a priority before.
2x2x165
3x165
Interspersed the whole thing with 3x50 jumping rope. Got on the treadmill for 9 minutes then got back off again. Apparently I just don’t feel very driven today but that’s some ok deadlifting and that’s what matters.
Iron and chocolate to you all.
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
that’s some ok deadlifting and that’s what matters.
[/quote]
This! way to kill it Spiderwoman~
Thanks Edge!
Bench press today.
Begin 1:10
Got my wrists all wrapped up with my old purple kickboxing wraps. They felt good. Once again I focused ONLY on the big lift and I have no regrets. I felt like a fucking rockstar on form. I set up like a frenchie. Excellent arch, broad back, strong arms, leg drive. I could feel the whole of my shoulder and back region like a solid shelf. I think the wraps helped but it’s hard to tell with all the attention to technique contributing.
8x3 at 85 which is 85% of my 1RM.
One of the sets I was rolling a little to the left because of poor positioning on the bench. Fixed on next set.
One of the sets, I let my feet sit on the floor. My bench is built high so I can get the bar off the pins because my rack does not adjust. Although this gave me a big arch, I realized it was a bad habit because the bench won’t be that high in competition, so I set up the aerobic step as my blocks and still maintained a good arch for the rest of my sets.
3x5 DB rows 45s.
3x60 jumpropes in between. This was a good workout and it’s all coming together. Treadmill later.
End 2:10
Mood 7/10 again. Some exuberance and delusions of grandeur. Drank two Irish whiskeys last night while watching a gypsy swing band and I’ve got le period, but I still feel good.
I’m a honey badger, y’all, and I hope you are too.