hey everyone, i’m a 62kg lifter that is currently prepping for 2 meets, one on 10th may(3 weeks out) and another sometime in August(12-13weeks out).
previously i was on 531 for only 3 cycles, and starting about 8 weeks out from 10th may, i switched to 351 focusing more on singles and doubles work.
my current lifts are as follows
squat 150kg belted (depth might be abit iffy)
bench 90kg paused
deadlift 170kg belted x 2 reps
all of this was done in the last week’s cycle (7th april onwards)
heres a video for each lift.
Deadlift 170kg x 2 reps (skip to 0.55 fr the start of the lift)
Squat 150kg (skip to 0.20 for the start)
Bench 90kg (skip to 0.20 for start)
i’ve got a few questions that i hope can be answered, cause im very new to powerlifting, and this is my first meet so im hoping that ppl could help me out.
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what should my openers be for the meet in may? (judging from the form/speed of each lift shown above)
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at the current stage im at (3weeks out from 10th may), should i keep grinding more reps of the same weight, or should i lower the weights and work on confidence/form more?
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in prepping for the meet on august, should i stick to 5/3/1, or should i try something else? my main concern is that if i were to do 5/3/1, i could only squeeze in 2 cycles of low weight/high volume work, and then i 'll have to change to 3/5/1 to get used to the heavier weights around 2 months out. and i dont think 2 cycles of 531 would be enough to help me in my lifts. should i consider 13-week programmes like sheiko?
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what are some assistance exercises you guys would recommend that would assist in my squat and bench? for my deadlifts i realised that im pretty weak off the floor compared to my lockouts, so i already have alot of deficits as my assistance. but i’m not really sure where i am weakest at in my squats or bench.
would really appreciate all the help i can get from any of you guys!
As far as openers go I would suggest, 135kg squat opener, 80kg bench opener, and 150kg deadlift. (about 90%) It should be a weight you can do a relatively easy triple with. You can push your second and third attempts more but you just want to make sure you don’t bomb out and don’t total. You probably already knew this but if you bomb out of your first lift you don’t get to do the rest of the meet.
I’d definitely go lighter for more confidence and get your form really solid. I didn’t go anywhere close to maxing (or even my openers) and I felt very confident and fresh going into my meet.
For programming, has 5/3/1 been working for you? If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right? (Not sure if that’s a saying in Singapore?) but if you’re running it into this meet and like it then stick to it, if you don’t try a 12-13 week program.
Your squats looked pretty solid so id just suggest front squats and close-grip bench press and floor press for bench to help getting stuck just off the chest.
5/3/1 worked well for me, but i realised the progress is abit slow considering the amount of time i have till the meet in aug. And im kinda scared that i wont get enough time under heavy weights to prep for the meet. Will incorporate fs and floor presses tho, thanks for the tip!
I’ve never followed it but 5/3/1 has been known as slow, consistent program. I’ve gotten my best gains by doing a max squat and bench followed by a 5x5 (@85% daily max) every day with an additional deadlift followed by 5x3 (@90% daily max) three days a week. Very time consuming and brutal on the CNS but got great gains on all my lifts. When I got too run down I just took a week off and basically did a deload. Plan to get into it again when I can.
I also hear smolov is a great program for peaking.
[quote]tylerkeen42 wrote:
I’ve never followed it but 5/3/1 has been known as slow, consistent program. I’ve gotten my best gains by doing a max squat and bench followed by a 5x5 (@85% daily max) every day with an additional deadlift followed by 5x3 (@90% daily max) three days a week. Very time consuming and brutal on the CNS but got great gains on all my lifts. When I got too run down I just took a week off and basically did a deload. Plan to get into it again when I can.
I also hear smolov is a great program for peaking.[/quote]
With my current work schedule now, i could only afford at most one and a half hrs per gym session 4 times a week. Not sure if a full body routine could fit in.
But then again smolov sounds pretty neat, any one has any other ideas? Willing to take in any input!
All your lifts looked good to me, as you’ve done well with Wendlers program I would suggest sticking with the 3/5/1 powerlifting version that your already doing.
[quote]tredaway wrote:
All your lifts looked good to me, as you’ve done well with Wendlers program I would suggest sticking with the 3/5/1 powerlifting version that your already doing.[/quote]
The reason why im looking for another prog is cause i think i kinda maxed out too early with this prog. I jumped about 30kg in my squats, 10kg in my bench and 20kg again for my deads. Just tried to bump up more reps with the same weight but got stuck at my prs, so currently im just doing technique work with 85-90perc intensity.
And the fact that i could only practice each lift once a week kinda bothers me. Smolov looks appealing tho, but not rly sure whether i should try it at this stage of my lifting life.
