My Powerlifting Journey

Hello my name is Cody and I am 23yrs old. I have been lurking the site for a while but decided to post a thread on my powerlifting journey I am taking. I have been a pretty active kid through out my life until after high school. I started getting really lazy and ate a lot of unhealthy food. I was running out of breath just walking up a few stairs and headaches all the time. Eventually I had enough. I found a kettlebell class in my area and joined. I have been doing that for over a year now and I feel and look a lot better than I use to. Now I want to take my strength to another level so now I am powerlifting. I am 5’6 or 5’8. I haven’t measured myself in a while. When I do I will edit that in. My weight fluxuates between 135 to 142. I got a body composition scan done so my bodyfat percentage is 15.1.

Starting Lifts
Bench: 155lbs 1RM
Squat: 200lbs 1RM
Deadlift: 250lbs 1RM

I am powerlifting 3 times a week. Hitting those lifts on there own days plus other supplement lifts. I am also still doing kettlebell exercises 3 times a week.

My goals is to bulk up more but I want to keep flexibility and speed because I am a martial artist as well. My diet still isn’t very good. I am going to try and find a good plan to follow. Problem as been not enough money to keep on a good diet. I am making more money now so I think I can stay on one longer. Anyways feel free to critic and what not.

Me at my worst shape. Sorry only a couple pics from that time left

Another before


Me now. Front flex pose

Back flex pose

Front legs


Back legs. Sorry a little blurry

you’ve done a good job getting rid of the excess fat brah, props.

bulking is all about consuming SLIGHTLY more calories than your body needs for maintenance. first you need to figure out your caloric requirements (can be done online by entering you height weight and activity level etc), then add about 300-400 calroies and thats the goal you need to be shooting for EVERY day. consistency is the key.

second you need to make sure that your caloric requirements are derived from good and beneficial sources (ie enough protein for muscle repair, enough carbs to fuel your workouts, and enough fats to fuel your metabolism effectively) If you are stuck try to go for 40% carbs 30% protein and 30% fats. try to stick to the foods which have been proven time and again for building muscle. eggs, chicken, tuna and other fish sources, milk and lean beef are good sources of protein. oatmeal is the best source of carbs IMO and makes for a great breakfast food. personally i have my oats in a smoothie which i drink first thing in the morning to get me going. Nuts are a great way of getting in your essential fats, and make a great snack food.

third make sure that your meals are spead evenly throughout the day, try to get at least 5 good meals in throughout the day and make the caloric and protein distribution as evenly as you can throughout each, although a good tip would be to have slightly more carbs pre workout, more protein post workout and a good combination of fats/ protein before bed.

fouth you might want to invest in a protein supplement: i recommend whey protein taken immediataly after working out as it is predigested and gets to the muscle really quickly to begin the recovery process. creatine could also be an option but whey is the only supplement i would say you absolutely NEED.

fifth you need to make sure you are getting enough sleep every day for your body to recover optimally from your workouts, and be sure not to train a certain body part until it is fully recovered from the last workout. About 8 hours sleep per night seems to be the way to go for most people, but you will know how much sleep works best for your body and just go with that.

sixth, you need to follow some form of weight training regimen. i put it here (in the last slot) because it is the aspect of bodybuilding which many people seem to talk about and focus on, and they tend to neglect the first 5 points i have just discussed. for me personally i know i fell into this trap. from the age of 18-20 i worked out on and off with no results, got frustrated, quit, fucked around etc. i got virtually nowhere in terms of progress because i had neglected to devote enough time and attention to the first 5 points.
i am by no means an expert on bodybuilding and others here will have far more knowledge of programs to follow and workouts to do, so i will not even presume to give you my suggestions about which workouts are best for you. the point i wish to make is whatever program you wish to follow, you will get nothing from it unless you also support it with the rest and nutrition.
by way of proof, i made no progess in 2 years, but i started working out with a clean slate in january 2011, its been 8 months and i have went from 180LBS to 212LBS in that time with the same waistline as i had at 180, simply because i was consistent with my rest and nutrition.

sorry for the lecture, welcome to T-Nation, and good luck!

Thanks IrishOak for all the info!! It’s going to help me a lot. I take Surge during my workout can I still take the whey protien immediately after? I am still very new to suppliments and whatnot. My next paycheck I am going to use most of it for starting my new diet. This will give me time to plan what I need and stuff. Wow that is impressive good job on that. Definately going to keep consistent with it. My powerlifting schedule is Mon-Squats, Wed-Bench Press, Fri-Deadlifts. After the main lifts we work on some suppliment lifts that work with the big lifts. I also do Kettlebell workouts those days too but in the mornings. Those workouts are usually different all the time to keep the muscles from plateauing. I am thinking about maybe doing some more lifting on my Tues and Thurs. Would that be a good idea. I was thinking of doing some bodybuilding lifts. Anyways thanks again

This is a bit outside the scope of this website, but well done for losing the stupid goatee thing and growing a real beard.

I now return you to your regular programming of health and fitness advice.