Pwnisher Q n A

Training Powerlifting
41

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
This is a workout schedual for Pwnisher. I stole this from his blog, hope he dosen’t mind, but it might help clear some stuff up, and also bring questions regarding his workout. There’s also more write up to go with this, regarding asistabce work and conditioning, but I could only bring so much here. If you want more you should be reading his blog. ‘‘Mythical strength’’ I’ve done my best to condense this, but better to read in full

Pwniher’s words, from here down ;
The training is divided into 4 different days: overhead press, squat, bench and deadlift (look familiar)? As a powerlifter primarily with some dabbling in strongman, I have found these 4 lifts to be very beneficial in reaching my goals, and focusing on improving them to be key to making progress. If one?s goals were a little more nebulous, I imagine you could use different movements than these, as long as they could follow ROM progression in their implementation.

Training follows 8 week waves. You will train heavy for 7 weeks and then deload on the 8th week before starting the cycle over.

Each training day starts with the primary lift of the day. At the start of the cycle, you will have the lift at a height such that it is 7 points higher than the bottom of the movement.

EXAMPLE: If you were using rubber patio pavers to elevate your deadlift, then at the start of the cycle you will have 6 patio pavers under the plates. On week 2, you will have 5, week 3 will have 4, week 4 will have 3, week 5 will have 2, week 6 will have 1, week 7 will have 0 (deadlift from the floor), and then at week 8 you will deload by only training the assistance work before starting the whole thing over. Ensure that you keep the weight on the bar the same each week.

(Note: When it comes to ROM progressing the other lifts, the most effective strategy I have found is suspending chains from the support beams of a power rack and then counting the amount of chain links I need to create the loop of chain needed to hold the bar at certain heights. It?s as easy as moving 7 links up the chain at the start of the cycle and moving down to the bottom range of the movement. For overhead pressing, I have to sit on a bench, but if you have a high power rack, you could most likely still do it standing.)

PRESS DAY

-(Chain Suspended) Strict Press
1xAs Many As Possible
-Bench press variation
5x10
-Curl variation
5x10
-Lateral/Rear delt work
3x15-20

Pull up variation performed in between each set. Consider setting a rep goal for the day and meeting it in the workout.

SQUAT DAY

-(Chain Suspended) Squat
1xAMAP
-Hamstring/lower back work
3-4x8-12
-Ab work
3-4x8-12
-Squat variation
3x10
1x20
I like to do a few sets of glute ham raises in between my warm-up sets for squats, but otherwise you can throw in some more hamstring/lower back work as needed.

BENCH DAY

-(Chain Suspended) Bench
1xAMAP
-Overhead press variation
5x10
-Band pushdowns
100 reps

There are a few options with back work on this day. You want to have some sort of row variation here. You can either train it 5 sets of 10 like the overhead press, or train it in between sets of other work like the pull up variations. Still keep the pull ups in here as well, and consider some band pull aparts too. You can?t go too wrong with volume.

DEADLIFT DAY

-Mat pull/deadlift (depending on time in cycle)
1xAMAP
-Hamstring/lower back work
3-4x8-12
-Ab work
3-4x8-12
-Row variation
1x30-50 reps (Kroc Row style)
-Squat variation
3x10
1x20

Just like squats, I like to get in a few sets of GHRs on this day as well for extra volume.

[/quote]
Jake - thanks for the point to this thread. It is a really interesting training concept, and I am looking forward to seeing where it all leads (and possibly trying it at some point). I wonder if it would be possible to combine ROM progression with a more standard linear/periodized progression so that the full ROM could be trained each week. Pwnisher?

42

[quote]Sutebun wrote:
I would like to hear P talk about:

What were some of the more difficult hurdles or milestones in your training history, and what did you have to shift in your training or mind to overcome them?[/quote]

Physically, I dislocated my right shoulder and tore my labrum in a wrestling match at 16. The rehab for that was partially what got me into lifting, but since that time (I’m 28 now) I have dislocated it 5 more times, to include once 2 weeks ago just rolling over in my sleep. I have long arms and a short torso anyway, so I was already built for pulling, not pushing, but this really doesn’t help. I’ve been benching mid to low 300s for a few years now. I’m trying to fix it with some ROM progression, but honestly, the shoulder is just hamburger at this point and probably needs surgery.

When I was 22, I was squatting to pins because I was stupidly way too concerned about depth, and when I made contact with the pins, the rapid re/deloading on my lower back caused some sort of terrible pain. I could barely walk for 2 weeks and my wife had to dress me every morning so I could get to work. This kept me from deadlifting for 3 years, and about once every 6-8 months, I’ll re-tweak my back. The first few times this happened, the pain was just about as debilitating as the first time, but these days I can finish the workout if I were so inclined.

When I was 26, I was squatting in my garage in North Dakota and it was -20. This was actually a pretty warm winter for us, and this was the first reasonably cold day we had. I didn’t warm-up properly, and when I hit my first heavy set of squats, my hamstring snapped like a frozen rubber band when you pull it too fast. I couldn’t squat to depth for about 8 months after that.

In both of the latter entries, ROM progression was really beneficial for me to start training heavy again and getting stronger. It took me 3 years to discover it the first time, but I implemented it right away the second time.

In terms of psychologically, the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was to stop listening to the loudest advice and just do what got me results. I heard all the time about how you have to “always squat to depth” and “always pull dead stop” and “practice how you play” and other such pointless dogma. Once I learned how to do whatever it takes to get results, my training took off.

43

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Awesome, so far. I’ve always done a similar ROM style training with my squat, I have several boxes made up from 2 inches above parelle, to 2 inches below paelle, so I’ll break new ground with the high box, and over the coarse of several weeks work my way down to the low box, then a week to hit that weight on free squats. Now I came to this way of training because knee replacement, and free squats ruin my knee, but I’ve found shorter ROM squats ( high box squats ) really knee friendly.

I was just woundering if you came to this style of training, because you were working around an injury, or at the very least do you find this kind of training joint friendly. I’m tempted to try this style of training for some other lifts, knowing what I know about box squats, and thinking this could be a good way to save my shoulder’s and lower back. Thanks[/quote]

Yeah, my ROM progression with chains was due to my aforementioned hamstring injury. I had originally tried like what you do, by setting up mats on my squat box and ROM progressing down to the box, but it just wasn’t taking. My technique was bad, and I was getting stapled to the box frequently. I found setting the bar on chains and squatting from the bottom was very beneficial because there was zero eccentric loading, and since I was experiencing pain whenever I made the shift from eccentric to concentric, this eliminated pain and allowed me to get stronger. These days, once I hit around competition depth, I do start the weight from the top and squat down to the chains, but otherwise I tend to start from the bottom of the squat.

I cannot honestly say if this method is good for the joints/ligaments, as training longevity has never really been a priority to me. I’m more big into workarounds. That said, my joints do not feel beat up from doing this, and I feel like I can move very heavy weight with minimal pain when I do this.

44

Pwnisher, you don’t mind if I copy and paste the odd thing from your blog as this thread continue’s along ?

45

pcdude wrote ;
Jake - thanks for the point to this thread. It is a really interesting training concept, and I am looking forward to seeing where it all leads (and possibly trying it at some point). I wonder if it would be possible to combine ROM progression with a more standard linear/periodized progression so that the full ROM could be trained each week. Pwnisher?

Pwnisher may have his own answer for this, but for me with the box squat, I have to keep in as much free squating as I can, or I loose the groove. With my bad knee, I’ve found that it’s only when I’m trying to break new ground, and grinding out reps with a new heavy weight, thats when my form braks down. This bother’s my knee, and I can hardly walk for a couple days. So if I was say free squatting 365x5 for my max, I might work up to 365x3 free squat ( ramping up ) then set-up my box with 385, or even 405, depending on the length of the cycle, and do my reps on the box squat with the new weight. After my sets on the box, I’ll go back to 365 and get a few more sets there, before calling it a day. Then over the coarse of 4-6 weeks do the same workout, but lower the box each week, to the point of it being gone on the finaly week.

Now I’m not the expert on this type of training, I came to this method through trial and error, to save my knee. I also found it real effective for getting strong and breaking new ground, but I have to keep in lots of sub-max free squats, or my form will break down. It seems Pwnisher trains all his lifts in a similar fashion, breaking new ground with reduced ROM, then getting a shit ton more regualr reps later in the workout. When I’m done with this smolov cycle I started a couple weeks ago, i’m going to try this with more of my lifts as well.

This is brutal hard training though, as your constantly handling weights that are heavier than your body is used to. I can see how this works, but I aslo know from doing my squats in a similar fashion, that it’s brutal hard, and mentaly draining. For me it is liniar training, but I’m biting off bigger chunks of weight, less often than regual liniar training, so rather than 5lbs a week, I’m biting off 25lbs every 4-6 weeks, it’s still liniar. If I go from 385 for 5 free squat, then the next week I get 405x5 from and 18’’ box, than the next week, 405x5 from a 16’’ box, then the next week from a 14’’ box, then finaly 405 free squat on the 4th week. Thats liniar progression to me.

Like anything you won’t know until you try it. I know after reading pwnisher’s results, and knowing how it works with my squats, I’m planning onn trying this type of training with my other lifts. Goodluck !

46

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Pwnisher, you don’t mind if I copy and paste the odd thing from your blog as this thread continue’s along ?[/quote]

Go ahead man. I am trying to address everything in the order it came in, but anything you can find that can help is great.

47

It’s funny I mentioned that I was running smolov in an above post, then I was over in your log where you had a rant about smolov, and it made me laugh, just because of the timing. I have a habit of butchering programs so bad, that it’s probably an insult for me to even refer to them by name.

The reason I mention all this is because I get people on my log, giving me shit for changing name brand programs, burt I personaly don’t understand anyone thats been lifting for any length of time, that can follow a program to the letter. I take the basic template, and then change it to suit what I know about my body, and what it likes.

The main thing I get/see when I use smolov is multiple squat sessions a week, on a light, medium, heavy, where you start the next weeks light day, with the past weeks medium day. Constantly upping the weight and the volume. Thats what I take from it, and my bad knee benifits from both the squating frequency, and the fact that the majority of time is spent on sub-max lifting.

I guess this was more of a rant than a question, but I see alot of different program idea’s all smashed up into one when I look at what you do, and I get the feeling that you have the same habit of taking different idea’s from different programs to form one routine. I guess I was wondering what all programs you’ve tried, and then latter used to come to where you are now, and also just your thoughts on name brand programs in general. To me this is a new trend, we never had name brand programs when I started lifting, you just figured it out on your own, somtimes I think this was better.

48

Great thread really interesting :slight_smile:

49

What do you do the week before a meet? Do you just go light and still do the same exercises or not much at all?
and where in North Dakota were you? I was in Williston till a few months ago.

Thanks for answering our questions man!

50

Will definitely get back to some of these questions, but until then, here is a video and write-up for my comp.

Summary up front: Came in 4th of 9. Missed third place by 1 point. Really pleased with my performance, especially with the constant changes I had to deal with, both in the competition and prior to it. Loving strongman, want to keep doing it.

When I originally signed up for this competition, it was 2 hours away from me and had a last man standing deadlift and no yoke walk, which made me happy. By the time to competition rolled around, it was 5 hours away from me and became deadlift for reps with a yoke walk. Still, I wanted to get another competition in, and this one looked fun. Also, there were zero weight classes, which actually seemed pretty exciting to me, as it meant the competition field would be pretty big and diverse. At 5?9 and 200lbs, I was definitely one of the smaller folks there.

Morning of comp, my stomach was messed up. Loaded up at Sizzler the night before, and something wasn?t settling right. Took 2 children?s pepto to help settle things and showed up to the comp site feeling good otherwise.

Did my traditional zero warming up while the promoters continued to postpone the rules briefing to give us more time for warming up. Maybe one day I will embrace foam rolling and mobility work, but right now it meant I had a lot of downtime to eat poptarts.

First event was the overhead press medley. 120lbs dumbbell, 225lb barbell, 200lb axle and 200lb log. I didn?t really train for this (or honestly much of the competition), just letting my overhead press training take care of the strength portion and figured I?d just wing the cleans. I did get some work with my log at home to learn the technique, but for the barbell, this was literally my first time ever doing a clean.

Murphy reared its head here when the guy before me dropped the dumbbell from the overhead position and severely bent it. I was the last guy in the medley, so there wasn?t much discussion for finding a replacement, I just had to deal. The ?cambered dumbbell? proved pretty unwieldy to me, and after a few attempts with it, I moved on to the barbell. The clean wasn?t terrible, but I had expended so much energy on the dumbbell that something I had strict pressed in training before was taking a lot out of me. After a second attempt, I got it overhead. I moved on to the axle with a much easier clean and press, then onto the log where I again had issue getting the weight overhead, but managed on a second attempt. I finally came back to the dumbbell and gave it an honest try with some leg drive. Despite being a little gunshy with my recently re-dislocated shoulder (managed that 2-3 weeks ago by rolling over in my sleep), I managed to get the weight overhead. I didn?t have a fast time, but I was one of the 4 or 5 people that even managed to complete the medley, so I wasn?t in a terrible standing.

Next up was farmer?s walks, 200lb per hand, max distances, turns every 50?. I did 180lb per hand in my last competition, but dropped at the turn around, and this time, we weren?t allowed any. I didn?t train the walks themselves for this, but instead was holding 405lb double overhand for max time in my gym (I managed 65 seconds before the comp). Since time wasn?t the factor, I took this way slow and controlled, and attempted to gut it out for as long as I could. I managed to clean a little over 150? before I kicked the implement with my back foot on the turn and ended up dropping the implement, but this was a good enough showing for 3rd place in the event.

Next event was the ?Death Medley?. 500lb yoke for 100?, 500lb tire for 10 flips, and 400lb sled for 50?. Anyone who watched my last video knows that the yoke walk was not kind to me the last time I did it (and coincidentally the only time I had done it prior to this competition), but I did take some lessons from the experience. With a powerlifting background, the 500lbs on my back wasn?t a concern at all, so I set the yoke height very low so that, when I picked it up on my back, I had a lot of clearance from the floor. My coordination is terrible, and any chance I had to not let the skids kick the floor I was going to take. This, combined with remembering to take short steps and set the bar high on my neck made this much easier for me, as I managed to need only 1 set down total.

I had never done a tire flip before, but managed to figure it out pretty well. I think my heavy deadlifting background helped, as the first flip I barely needed to use my knee to move the tire, and subsequent flips went pretty smooth. After the first 5 flips, I took off my elitefts SHD knee sleeves because it felt like my quads were about to explode from the pump. After the 10th flip, my conditioning wasn?t feeling too hot, but I was currently setting the mark to beat and knew the sled drag wouldn?t be terrible. I fell down as soon as I broke the inertia, which is exactly what I did at my last contest, but otherwise, had no issues and completed the medley in 2 minutes, which was good enough for third. After spending 15 minutes trying not to puke, I was ready for the next event.

Next up was the arm over arm F150 truck pull. Did zero training for this (are you seeing a trend), and figured I?d just pull a truck. That?s pretty much what happened too. I noticed a guy that started standing and fell backwards to start the pull, and I gave that a try. I noticed I spent too much time pulling with only one hand, and when I was done, my left shoulder felt like it exploded, but otherwise, pretty uneventful. Finished in 33 seconds, good enough for a 5th place finish.

Final event was my event. 405lb deadlift for reps. I had pulled 600lbs for 7 reps total in a recent training session (4 before the first put down, 2 before the second, and a final one after that), and the only concern I had here was if my cardio would hold up. I hit the nose tork, strapped up, and went to town. We were told that we could do touch and go, but whereas the two other guys I was competing against had bumper plates, my bar had iron, and the judged got on me for bouncing the weight, and my back was too fried to control the eccentric, so I pulled deadstop for the most part. I managed 19 solid reps before trying for a sketchy 20th. The ref wasn?t having it, and after fighting for a few seconds, I set it down to regroup and make sure I got that 20th. I tied for first on this event, which just makes it all the more painful that I didn?t get that first 20th, as I would have taken this event which would have gotten me a podium finish. Got 4th place by 1 point, but I also made a lot of fans with my last performance. I?m not so much a strongman as a deadlifter that competes in strongman competitions, haha.

I?ve got no real injuries, bumps or bruises to speak of. Feeling good and got nice and fat after it was all said and done. Going to keep my eyes peeled for future events, and until then will keep doing the things I suck at and trying to become a more well rounded strongman.

51

Very good reading here. I’m seriously considering doing Touch-n-Go DL’s now, whats the worse that could happen, huh? Been doing dead stops for as long as I can remember.

52

Oh… And LOL at “cambered Dumbbell”

53

Jumping on the pwnisher bandwagon. I love your outlook; so pratical and pragmatic. Your rants on youtube are awesome-my personal favorite was your beginners one and I literally lol’d at several moments.

54

Nice work at the meet P !

55

Hmm… gotta add on YouTube. …!

56

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
here is a video and write-up for my comp.
[/quote]

BADDASS P… That reeks of awesomeness! I mean, displaying ultimate man skill like that while your woman cheers you on, Does it get any better than that? NOPE, I don’t think so. Congrats and wish you the best in your future endeavors man!

57

Very impressed with the 20 rep deadlifts at the end. Well done man.

As far as the reduced ROM training, especially with the bench, and less so with the overhead press, do you find that getting strong at working from certain “positions” can get you out of the groove when you use the full ROM? Or does it teach you, muscle-memory-wise, exactly where you need to be when you’re at certain points in your lift, so your body just adjusts as you move through the range?

That was kind of a longwinded question. Hopefully it made sense.

58

nice job on the comp man! way to gut it out

59

Just want to say thinks for all of the wisdom, insight and info on your blog. I just discovered it a couple weeks ago, and have since read back through last April. I will eventually get it all read.

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[quote]csulli wrote:
What is your bench press and overhead training like? What else do you do for your chest/shoulders/triceps?[/quote]

As Jake has already posted the routine I had written out in my blog, I’ll talk a little bit more to the specifics here. Due to the height of my rack, I do seated overhead presses with ROM progression, but I imagine that standing could function just as well if you could set the chains high enough. Paul Kelso wrote about a similar approach in “Powerlifting Basics: Texas Style” with chain suspended overhead lockouts. The benching is a little more straight forward, and with chains, it’s very easy to eventually set-up until the bar is right at chest level from the start of the lift.

The majority of my assistance work I stole from Jim Wendler’s various 5/3/1 templates. Right now it’s similar to the Mass Building one.

I start each upper body day off with some type of pull-up. On press days, I’m doing weighted chins and on bench days unweighted pull ups. In both cases, I use 2 rest pauses for this first movement. On the weighted chins, I used a weight heavy enough that I can only manage 15-20 reps the first time I try it, and with the unweighted pull ups, I shoot for about 100 reps total (keeping in mind I’m using the technique I described a while back, with about a 3-4" ROM, whereas for the weighted ones I use a full ROM). My rep goal for the day for weighted chins is 50, and 200 for the unweighted work, so through out the workout I’ll hit more sets until I get my goal, and then I shut it down.

After that, I hit the main lift. From there, I hit a supplemental lift that is opposite of the main lift (ie: if it was bench day, I hit a pressing variation, and press day I hit a bench variation). 5x10 straight sets on those, and I tend to use a circuit approach from there with the remainder of my assistance work, so I’ll follow a set of pressing with a row or chin and then some arm work. I’ve been throwing in some more rear delt work recently due to my buggy shoulder as well.

The meat and potatoes of the pressing work is heavy/high volume back work and pressing assistance. That said, I’m not really known for my ability to press, but it works for me.