But, why do you care about the big 3?
Those are the 3 I would avoid if I wanted to minimize the chance of injuries. Why not focus on aesthetics and let the strength come? You are not going to put on muscle without getting stronger.
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I do. Is there a reason you want to avoid ones from Jim?
Because these are the most foundational movements for the body and that target almost all the muscles. I only try to minimize the injuries through technique. I’m not trying to minimize the chance of injuries altogether.
Everyone here decided that i’m trying to avoid injuries at all cost, even if i have to leave the gym because i’m afraid of injuries.
No, i know about Jim Wendler’s books, i just wanna hear about more books. Not avoiding.
But, biomechanics and the load distribution matter. The muscle you are trying to hit is often not doing the work especially as the weight gets heavier. The stimulus to fatigue is often not worth it.
Deadlifts do not grow the back like rows. Squats tend to shift to the hips/ adductors/glutes and the bench just sucks for chest development compared to machines, cables and dumbbells.
IMO, the powerlifts make a great foundation to build a good physique. And I would suggest competing in Powerlifting for the full experience. Goals make progress easier.
I’m not trying to build a physique. I know that with strength comes muscle development. I’m targeting mainly strength because of it.
Agreed. I target mostly them, do also some accessories such as curls or back rows, and i look fine in my opinion.
Competing in powerlifting doesn’t really interest me. I do this as an hobby; for health; and strength. Competing in powerlifting also requires being full of Test and HGH and DBOL or whatever.
There are federations that are tested, or there were.
Tested but all on gear.
There are Raw divisions
In fact when I competed in Powerlifting there was only Raw, though it was not called such.
I mean you can compete as a hobby
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Are you talking about for example the IPF?
For whom i have to prove? Anyway I’m not into powerlifting competitions. All are using inzer sleeves, squatting only to parallel, bench with a 90 degree arch, so on.
I am not up to date on the federations that have Raw and tested divisions. Surely, there are some. There were.
For one of the greatest overviews of natural training over the course of the 60s and 70s, every trainee owes it to themselves to read “The Complete Keys to Progress” by John McCallum. That book will give you all the tools you need to succeed, both in terms of training and nutrition. Your objections to blended food will make John’s “get big drink” distasteful (pun intended), but the history of that is worth it.
For another great historical overview of the training of the greats, check out Marty Gallagher’s “Purposeful Primitive”. This book is another “all in one” manual, that will give you the tools you need to train, eat, perform cardio, and get your head space right for training, and clue you in on how many of the greats through many different decades did it.
@Dan_John / Dan John’s “Mass Made Simple” would be an incredible shock to your system for getting your mass gains going with a simple program that uses most of your favorite lifts, while imparting classic and practical Dan John Wisdom along the way. His “Easy Strength Omniobook” remains his GREATEST book, and it absolutely worth reading, but is most likely not what you’re looking for at this exact moment.
Paul Kelso’s “Powerlifting Basics Texas Style” will strike a particular chord with your powerlifting bent and help, once again, reinforce the message that this training stuff isn’t as complicated as everyone makes it out to be, by giving you a wonderful overview of the history of the sport while Paul gazes prophetically into the future from his seat in the early 90s. Once again, not just a book on powerlifting, but all manner of training, and some helpful information on nutrition.
The entire Tactical Barbell series (Book 1, 2 and the Mass Protocol) by K. Black is going to provide you with a full on system that will give you all the tools you need to train for the rest of your life, including strength, mass, conditioning, and how to structure them into appropriate training blocks, all with the adequate nutrition to fuel you for your endeavors.
“Super Squats” by Randall Strossen will give you a wonderful historical overview of basic physical culture and how the flat footed squat even came to be, along with equip you with the necessary degree of psychosis to really transform yourself physically through incredibly hard work and big eating, and also equips you with the tools needed to sustain this sort of training indefinitely.
“Brawn” by Stuart McRobert is a very eye-opening read on the potential for a non-enhanced athlete and the methodologies they may need to employ in contrast to those that are blessed, genetically or otherwise. A fantastic bit of counter-culture, with “hardgainer wisdom” still prevailing in the modern era with his approach of abbreviated training.
I’ll also throw in a plug for Jamie Lewis’ “Feast, Famine and Ferocity” book, once again providing a fantastic outlook at nutrition supporting training in a cyclical fashion while also providing a great overview of the life and training of Bruce Randall.
There are several more out there, but off the top of my head, that’s a good start.
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Did you know you can compete without that?
I have no interest in powerlifting but @RT_Nomad has a great point about competing to drive progress
No one but then why even lift? You can be healthy doing other things like swimming, running, biking, or calisthenics. Why do you feel like you have something to prove?
There are, but i don’t think it means they’re not on gear. They’re all on all kinds of drugs.
Competing in powerlifting also requires being full of Test and HGH and DBOL or whatever.
I never needed this to compete or set national records in powerlifting, nor have I needed it while competing in strongman since 2013. You are speaking on something you have no knowledge or experience about: don’t do that.
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