Powerlifting For Beginners?

Training Bodybuilding
21

[quote]cap’nsalty wrote:

I’ve never seen any powerlifter do that much lat work. Maybe it works for you, however I would say to recommend that to just anyone is a bit odd. I would do one lat exercise on your wednesdays and fridays. Lats do help in the bench press, but they are far less important than shoulders and triceps.

[/quote]

I am surprised you see that as a lot of lat work. It is a general principle of muscle balance, the lats should be about as strong as the pecs so if you are doing 4 exercises for chest and 1 for lats that is pretty off balance, or at least it will be that way after a while. Another general guideline is you should be able to barbell row (45 degree) what you can bench, meaning if you can do 225x10 on bench then you ought to be able to row that much. This will help with shoulder and scapular stability as well as overall strength.

Don’t underestimate the importance of strong lats in a bench, if you can get the bar moving quickly off the chest that makes all of the other phases easier to pass through.

22

[quote]nptitim wrote:

I am surprised you see that as a lot of lat work. It is a general principle of muscle balance, the lats should be about as strong as the pecs so if you are doing 4 exercises for chest and 1 for lats that is pretty off balance, or at least it will be that way after a while. Another general guideline is you should be able to barbell row (45 degree) what you can bench, meaning if you can do 225x10 on bench then you ought to be able to row that much. This will help with shoulder and scapular stability as well as overall strength.

Don’t underestimate the importance of strong lats in a bench, if you can get the bar moving quickly off the chest that makes all of the other phases easier to pass through.[/quote]

Having strong lats is important, and I have seen westside prescribe as much as 4 days of lat work a week if it is a weak point, but I’ve rarely read anything on westside or powerlifting saying that you have to row the same amount of weight you can bench.

I haven’t been lifting for long, but the row just does not put you in the same kind of advantage the bench press does. What I take away from westside is that you should be able to row heavy weight. If you can’t, It’s a weakpoint that needs focus, but it’s still just an accesory exercise.

23

Taran, I’d like to add my own experience/questions to this thread if you don’t mind since I’m new to powerlifting as well. Perhaps the holes in my lifting program that others find might serve as a warning to you!

Monday – Max Effort Squat

  1. Work up to 1RM squat (probably 12 sets including a couple light warmups)
  2. Romanian Deadlift 4x6
  3. Spread Eagle situps 6x10

Wednesday – Max Effort Bench

  1. Work up to 1RM DB floor press (probably 12 sets including a couple light warmups)
  2. Standing DB tricep extensions 4x6
  3. Bent over BB row 6x10
    4a. Russian twist 3x10*
    4b. DB external rotations 3x10*

Friday – Dynamic Effort Squat

  1. Work up to squat 50-60% 1RM for speed 8x2
  2. Squat progressively heavier weights, 2-3 reps up to about 90% 1RM (maybe 4-5 sets)
  3. Romanian Deadlift 4x15
  4. Spread Eagle situps 6x10

Sunday – Dynamic Effort Bench

  1. Work up to DB Bench 50-60% 1RM for speed 8x3
  2. Bench progressively heavier weights 2-3 reps up to about 90% 1RM (maybe 4-5 sets)
  3. Standing DB tricep extensions 4x15
  4. Bent over BB row 6x10
    5a. Russian twist 3x10*
    5b. DB external rotations 3x10*
  • Supersets

This is my basic routine. I’m not married to the rep/set schemes, but I try to stick to the general guidelines of going heavy on my second lift during ME days and lighter on DE days. I’m a little unsure of how best to use the remaining repetition exercises to supplement. Overall, I really enjoy this method of lifting, even if I have an incomplete understanding of how to fully use it. I can’t really explain it, but it’s just a lot of fun to push myself like this.

I’m about to wrap up my third week of this and have seen some really amazing gains. I started bulking when I began this lifting program (I’d previously been calorie deficient), so it’s not really surprising that I’m setting a new PR every week. I know that won’t continue indefinitely, and I’d like to have a plan for when I hit that wall.

Does anyone see some glaring holes or have suggestions?

24

Ok so I will be adopting this program as advised by NPTITIM. I am still trying to figure out a rep/set scheme but this is what I am thinking right now.

Monday - Legs and Lower Back
Squat 5x5
Deadlifts 5x5
Front Squats 3x8
GHR or GM or RDL 3x10
Calves 3xfailure

Wed - Push
BP 5x5
DB Incline Press 3x8
Military Press 3x8
Board Press or Closegrip 3x5
Skull Crushers 3x8
Tricep Pushdowns 2x8

Fri - Pull
Pull-ups 3x8
Bent Over Row 3x5
DB Row 3x8
Rear Delts 3x8
EZ Curl 5x5
DB Hammer Curl 3x5
Reverse EZ Curl 3x5

If your wondering what this is based on the answer is not a lot. For lifts that were in the old work out I just kept the rep/set scheme. I kept them low because it is my understanding that low is best for strength. Advice is appreciated.

25

[quote]Taran wrote:
Ok so I will be adopting this program as advised by NPTITIM. I am still trying to figure out a rep/set scheme but this is what I am thinking right now.

Monday - Legs and Lower Back
Squat 5x5
Deadlifts 5x5
Front Squats 3x8
GHR or GM or RDL 3x10
Calves 3xfailure

Wed - Push
BP 5x5
DB Incline Press 3x8
Military Press 3x8
Board Press or Closegrip 3x5
Skull Crushers 3x8
Tricep Pushdowns 2x8

Fri - Pull
Pull-ups 3x8
Bent Over Row 3x5
DB Row 3x8
Rear Delts 3x8
EZ Curl 5x5
DB Hammer Curl 3x5
Reverse EZ Curl 3x5

If your wondering what this is based on the answer is not a lot. For lifts that were in the old work out I just kept the rep/set scheme. I kept them low because it is my understanding that low is best for strength. Advice is appreciated.
[/quote]

who knows maybe this’ll work great for you (to a certain extent, everything works for a while)…

IMO though, this is too much work for someone starting out…

maybe try this instead?:

some ab work as warmup before lifting on all sessions…

as a rule of thumb (this isn’t set in stone), main exersize five reps or less, assistance exersize five to twelve reps…

Monday - Lower
-Squat 5x5
-Front Squats 3x8
-GHR or GM or RDL 3x10
-Calves 3xfailure

Wed - Upper
-BP 5x5
-Board Press or Closegrip or Incline bench
-some sort of lat work here

Fri - Lower
-deadlift 5x5
then pick two lat exersizes…
-Pull-ups or Seated Rows
-Bent Over Row 3x5 or DB Rows or CSR’s

Sat - Upper
-Military Press 5x5
-(light)Board Press or Closegrip or Incline bench or Skull Crushers
-this is where you can throw in your curls if you’re absolutely dying to do them

when starting out, it’s best to keep things fairly simple (even for advanced lifters, keeping things simple is usually the best way to go)…one main exersize, then two assistance/accessory exersizes…

…

you can mix and match in a zillion different ways, but keep things simple for the first couple of years…

anyways, good luck and have fun…

P.S. board-presses are reduced range of motion benching designed to take the pecks out and work the triceps more…

26

Overall I’d say it looks solid but I would start working up to 3 rep maxes or even singles if you think you’re ready. To get really strong you have to push your max and lift above 90%. While 5x5 is good, I don’t think you’ll ever know how strong you are until you push the envelope a bit.

I know for me, once I started doing 3rm and 1rm that my strength took off. Try doing 3rm for a cycle and see how it works for you, and make sure you have a good spotting system. Also, don’t forget to deload for a week every 4 weeks or so. Gook luck and stay strong!