I’ve tried powerlifting out for a few months and what got quite a lot stronger in a very sort time, reaching my max lifts to
Deadlift 160kg
Bench press 92.5kg
Squat 100kg
But I have reached the point where without proper programming I’m just going to burn out.
This is my first proper attempt at programming:
Day 1 Deadlift
Sumo Deadlift
5 sets of 5 with 75% of my max
Anderson Squat
6 sets of 3 with 80% max squat weight
Rack pulls
4 sets of 8 at 100kg
Pull ups
3 sets to failure
Day 2 Bench press
Flat bench
5 sets of 5 with 75% of my max
Dumbbell floor press
6 sets of 5 with 30kg dumbbells
Bent over rows
4 sets of 8 at 70kg
Push ups
3 sets to failure
Day 3 Squat
Tuck jumps
3 sets of 12
Back squat
5 sets of 5 reps with 75% of my max
Leg press
4 sets of 8 at 174kg
Conditioning 2 times a week
Sprints
10 rounds of 30 seconds for max distance
At the end of each month I would test my max every 6-8 weeks and auto-regulate the program to alter for any increases in my lifts.
Any issues / comments / tips / exercise alternatives would be appreciated.
[quote]ASlingsby1 wrote:
That’s true but I tend to prefer making my own programs as it makes it easier to train without my old injuries flaring up[/quote]
What are your old injuries? And out of curiosity, why did you include Anderson squats, rack pulls, and dumbbell floor presses? Since you’ve only been on a powerlifting program for a few months it seems like you would make better progress using that volume to perform more of the main lifts.
One other thing that’s noticeable is you keep the intensity the same for every week. There needs to be some sort of weight progression over those 6-8 weeks to make decent gains. Why don’t you just go with a 5x5 program? I would personally go with 5x5 and once you’re hitting bigger numbers and have hit a plateau, evaluate what your weaknesses are and slightly modify the 5x5 or go on 5/3/1 while addressing weaknesses.
I have damaged shoulder joints from rugby, causing my shoulder blades to rub against the back of my rib cage limiting my shoulder mobility on horizontal presses, which is why I chose floor presses and the smaller range of motion allows me to train my pressing without my shoulders getting so painful I cant move them properly for 2 days.
I also have genetically weak hips and intra-abdominal muscles making squatting very painful if I go heavy for high volume
I guess that would be a good workaround for your shoulder injury. Where exactly is it painful when you squat? You can focus on bringing up your core strength by learning how to properly brace your abs and lower back. If you haven’t already done so you could do a bunch of rehab exercises like planks and hollow holds to engage those core muscles and then eventually learn to brace while squatting. There are a lot of articles out there for this issue so once you work on it, squatting might feel better.
If you can’t go heavy then start with a low training max and build up with lighter intensity. The volume should help you build muscle and you can always back the weight down as necessary. Whatever causes pain should always be your first priority to address.
I get most of the pain in my lower abdominals and at the tie-ins between my hip and hamstring muscles, resulting in a very obvious anterior pelvic tilt
My guess is that bracing the core and using the glutes and hams effectively will help rotate the hip back into a more favorable and less painful position. I would focus on that and hit those muscles every workout until I got to the point that I automatically engaged them in every lift. I would do planks and hollow holds to fire those muscles everyday. If it didn’t get better working the problem on my own then I would get help from specialists.
Edit: I google searched the problem and it looks like tight quads and hip flexors contribute to the problem so it could be a good idea to stretch them throughout the day and remember to fire the muscles that keep the hip in a good position.
I’ve tried powerlifting out for a few months and what got quite a lot stronger in a very sort time, reaching my max lifts to
Deadlift 160kg
Bench press 92.5kg
Squat 100kg
But I have reached the point where without proper programming I’m just going to burn out.
This is my first proper attempt at programming:
Day 1 Deadlift
Sumo Deadlift
5 sets of 5 with 75% of my max
Anderson Squat
6 sets of 3 with 80% max squat weight
Rack pulls
4 sets of 8 at 100kg
Pull ups
3 sets to failure
Day 2 Bench press
Flat bench
5 sets of 5 with 75% of my max
Dumbbell floor press
6 sets of 5 with 30kg dumbbells
Bent over rows
4 sets of 8 at 70kg
Push ups
3 sets to failure
Day 3 Squat
Tuck jumps
3 sets of 12
Back squat
5 sets of 5 reps with 75% of my max
Leg press
4 sets of 8 at 174kg
Conditioning 2 times a week
Sprints
10 rounds of 30 seconds for max distance
At the end of each month I would test my max every 6-8 weeks and auto-regulate the program to alter for any increases in my lifts.
Any issues / comments / tips / exercise alternatives would be appreciated.
Otherwise lets get to it and crush some PR’s[/quote]
You’ll burn out because you’re doing too much. You have a lot of heavy weight and volume listed there to recover from. Doesn’t matter how much you do if you can’t recover from it in time before the next session. Focus more on your recovery and you shouldn’t burn out. You have plenty of work listed there.