I think you are on the money with your competing tensions and too much sitting theory. Lifting has little correlation with any of my back pains, if anything more lifting actually improves it with a macro view. Long periods sitting / driving or a period of not focusing on posture, pelvic tilt etc or a long period without doing any glute work (not directly but back squats and deadlifts) and my back flares up and the drop of a skirt.
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Friday, November 29 - Deadlift day - easy session
Deadlift
485x5 singles - 60 sec. rest
Chin ups - wide overhand
bw x15, 10 - I haven’t done them like this in a while, just mixing things up for my light session but still doing some assistance since I was slacking on chin ups and rows for the last week.
Barbell curl
95x16, 13, 11
I skipped barbell rows, I figured it’s probably a good idea to let my back recover some more. I feel normal again, I just don’t want any more bullshit and I need to squat in a couple days. I think for my light DL sessions I will cut out rows, for the last while I haven’t really been doing any assistance work on light days but I’m turning this into a back/bicep assistance day so I still need to do something. Doing chin ups at the end of a hard bench workout kind of sucks, I prefer this way.
Monday, December 2 - Squat day
Squat in wraps (EliteFTS Kraits)
Work up to a comfortable single (RPE 8-ish)
445 - 495 - 545 - Was going to go for something between 525-545 depending on how 495 felt and it flew so I went for 545. That was pretty easy too, smooth and no technical breakdown or forward lean. Only issue is depth, this was about parallel or maybe an inch high but it’s my first time in these wraps and I’m close.
Down set: 490x3 - better depth, moved well but overall the set felt harder than the top single. Like I said I suck at squatting for reps. But right now I’m going to squat for reps because I don’t have a meet scheduled anytime soon and heavy singles are a good way to burn out, I was just trying to see where I am approximately without pushing it too hard. 545 is over 90% of 600, so by the spring I should be well over 600.
Lunges - SSB
65x10x2 - I used the SSB because loading dumbbell handles is a pain in the ass. This felt a bit different, maybe harder too, but alright still. The key to lunges is to do them when you aren’t totally exhausted or they will really suck.
Band leg curl
light band x12x2 - all sets on this and lunges were about RPE 8-9, in case anyone is wondering.
So as far as the wraps go, I think I like the Kraits. The SBDs are easy to hit depth in but they hurt like hell just to have them on (imagine getting stuck standing around at a meet when they misload the bar or whatever) and they also don’t really give that much of a pop out of the hole. They do something, just not as much as I would like. The Kraits are like a springier version of Titan Sig Golds. I also have EliteFTS super heavies but I think I would need at least 600 to even hit depth and I can only get 5 revolutions out of a 2.5m pair so I’m not even going to try them anytime soon.
I’m looking for a meet somewhere around here. There is a WRPF meet in April but it’s all the way in Quebec City which is about a 5 hour drive, and I will probably need to stay in a hotel for 3 nights (morning weigh it, meet next day, no way I’m driving 5 hours after a meet) which is kind of expensive so I’m going to wait and see if CPF of EPC come up with something here or in Kingston. Also CPF has a drug tested division so that’s my preference.
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Squatting in wraps is basically occlusion training for calves. Mine are so pumped it’s uncomfortable.
Yo long time no see. Has 405 fallen yet?
No, but only because I’m backing off on the singles. 405 isn’t really even a goal anymore, I should be aiming for like 415-425 at the next meet. I could go and bench 405 right now but that’s nothing special, my focus is on making progress rather than a small PR single right now.
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What programming are you following these days? Anything specific or is it custom? RPE 8 single with a backoff set is like my dream program.
I write my own programming. Lately I have cut back the volume a lot and it seems to be working well. I also cut benching to once a week, mostly because I was starting to feel a bit beat up in my upper body. I will probably bring back a 2nd bench day, unless I hit some big PRs in the next week or two.
Programming for powerlifting doesn’t need to be complicated at all. It’s just that there is no money to be made off simple methods because anybody with a brain can manage something like that, so many of the experts are pushing schemes that often defy logic and have no apparent reasoning to them.
I wouldn’t do singles all the time, it’s a good way to get burnt out. My next session in wraps I’m going to go for 3-4 reps with 525, I will focus on singles when I’m about 2 months out from the meet.
I also just found out that there will be another CPF meet in Ottawa in April, so I guess that’s the plan. I already have the submaster bench and deadlift records, the squat record is 280kg which sounds reasonable and I can also aim to beat the open bench record (190kg). The open squat and deadlift records are both over 700lbs so that’s not likely to happen right now.
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Seems to be a solid truth.
Thinking of following something much simpler once my next meet is over this weekend. Probably going to start with the GZCL general gains program, or the powerlifting adaptation. I like the concept of a simple template of guidelines, and doesn’t look like crazy volume.
To be honest, I don’t really know how this GZCL thing got so popular. Looked at Cody Lefever’s meet results:
He totaled about the same as me, although lower bodyweight, and a 470 wilks isn’t really amazing for an untested lifter. I think I need to write an e-book.
Wednesday, December 4 - Bench day
Bench press
370x3 - Got stuck on the 3rd rep and almost died grinding it out, 7 seconds to from chest to lockout. Red lights because my feet moved (this is a new one) but it still went up. Hard to say if this is really progress because last week I tripled 365 and it was grindy but not like this, at least I didn’t get weaker.
Slingshot
415x4 - Maybe could do a 5th rep but that first set took a lot out of me.
T&G bench
340x4
JM press
260x7,6
Floor pause DB flys
65’s x13, 10
Front Raise
55x11, 8
super set with:
Side Raise
20’s x11, 10
W external rotation
mini band x 3 sets - whatever reps
So I’m not quite sold on benching only once a week, but not benching the day before squatting or deadlifting seems to be a good thing for those lifts since I feel 100% recovered. Benching is relatively easy, but it still takes something out of you. I will see how it goes for the next couple weeks. The main positive is that all the aches and pains in my upper body are gone, which is why I did this in the first place.
Also for the last month or so I have been trying to sleep more, like 9+hours each night, seems like it makes a big difference in energy levels especially combined with less training volume. On weekdays I have to get up at 7am so it seems like I never get enough sleep, I said fuck it and started going to bed around 9.
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Here’s Monday’s 545 squat:
Just need a little more depth, but this is the most I have had on my back in a long time and it was pretty easy. And first time using these wraps too.
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You’re forgetting his personality though. He answers questions on reddit that most would give the most smart ass response to. He seems to be a genuinely nice guy, pretty strong and consistent in the field. I think all of that combined with being a vet I believe is why he rose to popularity within the community.
When you look at most programming and ebooks in the recent decade, they’re all the same. Most training knowledge is regurgitated information that’s been passed from year to year. It’s what’s behind the info that makes or breaks sales and a following.
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Well, I didn’t know any of what you just said about him so I guess that explains it. I just keep seeing people post stuff about “GZCL method” and I couldn’t understand why.
One of the reasons it’s popular is that it’s free. The other is that it’s not a ‘program’ which, while obviously not unique, breaks the mould somewhat.
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I guess it works… to a degree. I ran it a year ago and put 30lb on my deadlift
I’ve intuitively ran a form of GZCL the past 4 years without knowing what that was until today.
I figured pick a hinge, squat, vert press, horiz press, vert pull, horz pull and just get super strong at them. I knew start with some low reps, then do some more higher reps, and then do exercises that target the muscles that build that specific lift. Granted I did that in a full body format and took some tweaking but the principles remained the same.
I don’t think programming is really that necessary to get strong. You just have to progress in some way. There is an art and science once we are talking about peaking, tapering off, and how to reach the highest levels of the strength sports. But to get to around 600dl, 500 squat, 400 bench you just need to get strong as fuck in my opinion. Past those levels programming definitely makes a huge difference.
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And for what purpose should you reach dl 600, sq 500, bp 400 if you are not a professional athlete. Prove to yourself that you can achieve it or? I see no other reason.
That’s what I did lol (hit the squat, but def have the strength to do the dl and bp).
I’m not a pro athlete, but wanted a physical challenge that didn’t take a huge time commitment. But all I was saying is that to get to that level of strength you don’t need a specific program, you just need to work really hard and eat well. Progress each week/month for a few years.
I think MOST average gym goers would be happy if they had a 405 squat/dl and a 315 bench. Most people want to just look good and feel strong.
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Why did you stop then?
Wow, I’ve been doing GZCL for the last few years without even realizing it.
It depends, but you need some sort of logical training which is well beyond what most people seem to be able to figure out for themselves. A lot of people will never reach those numbers though.
No powerlifter is really a professional athlete, until recently there were no meets with significant cash prizes and most of the top lifters either have a real job or coach people.
I wouldn’t throw arbitrary numbers around and say everyone should be able to achieve them, but I see getting strong as a worthwhile pursuit even if you don’t plan to compete in anything. But it all depends on your own goals and interests, some people just aren’t into lifting.
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