I’m new to the whole forum posting and TMuscle in general, but i’ve been lifting for 4 years now. my training revolves around bodybuilding but aesthetics and symmetry to be more accurate.
my gains have been stagnant so i need some help on making a routine for powerlifting. and don’t give me the bull shit answer" you gotta lift heavy". i know that part. any help would be sweet.
What’e your current lifts on the big three?
If your not wanting to compete (or even if you do eventually) look into Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1, should be everything you need (2,3, or 4 days per week; basic lift heavy, tells you exactly what matters and what weight to use for the big lifts) all for $20, http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=370&m=PD&pid=2976
[quote]omfgapolarbear wrote:
What’e your current lifts on the big three?[/quote]
squat is 300 lbs.
bench is 275 lbs.
and deadlift is 315 lbs.
I’m curious about your comment regarding 5/3/1, Old Dax. I do compete and have never tried the program but was considering it. I have my theories about why it’s not the best when training with a meet on the horizon but would like to hear your thoughts.
If you like some training variety, I recommend playing around with a westside style approach. It works. It doesn’t get old. You can easily modify it to fit your needs and resources. There’s also alot of great info on the web about it. Louie Simmons has been cranking out articles about this training philosphy for forever and most of them are on the web. Plus, there are a lto fo lifter at various level doing this with various tweaks soit’s really easy to get some good ideas of how to customize the basic plan to your needs.
[quote]Old Dax wrote:
If your not wanting to compete (or even if you do eventually) look into Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1, should be everything you need (2,3, or 4 days per week; basic lift heavy, tells you exactly what matters and what weight to use for the big lifts) all for $20, http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?cid=370&m=PD&pid=2976
[/quote]
This
Jason
[quote]Pinto wrote:
If you like some training variety, I recommend playing around with a westside style approach. It works. It doesn’t get old. You can easily modify it to fit your needs and resources. There’s also alot of great info on the web about it. Louie Simmons has been cranking out articles about this training philosphy for forever and most of them are on the web.
Plus, there are a lto fo lifter at various level doing this with various tweaks soit’s really easy to get some good ideas of how to customize the basic plan to your needs.[/quote]
yea i love variety. it keeps the muscles confused as well as your workouts interesting. i’m used to doing anywhere from 10 to 25 reps, 2 to 3 sets- rarely 4, depending on a lagging bodyparts. but for powerlifting, do i need to do more sets and less reps?
[quote]beltman1 wrote:
[quote]Pinto wrote:
If you like some training variety, I recommend playing around with a westside style approach. It works. It doesn’t get old. You can easily modify it to fit your needs and resources. There’s also alot of great info on the web about it. Louie Simmons has been cranking out articles about this training philosphy for forever and most of them are on the web.
Plus, there are a lto fo lifter at various level doing this with various tweaks soit’s really easy to get some good ideas of how to customize the basic plan to your needs.[/quote]
yea i love variety. it keeps the muscles confused as well as your workouts interesting. i’m used to doing anywhere from 10 to 25 reps, 2 to 3 sets- rarely 4, depending on a lagging bodyparts. but for powerlifting, do i need to do more sets and less reps?[/quote]
In my opinion, PL training revolves around a goal for a competition. I have seen higher reps and sets at first and then taper towards the end to peak for competition. Furthermore, to keep a “more set and less rep” scheme creates a lot of volume. This will tax the hell out of you.
I believe, to start, a good program is 5/3/1. This will give you a good base and I would suggest keeping the program longer than 12 weeks, maybe 24 weeks to build a good foundation and training your body to work at the heavier percentage of weights.
After you feel you have a good base, you can either keep it or I suggest researching Westside articles or other big name powerlifters who have posted their training plans.
PL is a tricky business. The best method is to experiment and tweak as you see progress. The training you did from one training cycle that got your from A to B may not work from B to C. As you know, everyone responds differently to various training methods. Always try to keep in mind that PL is not a race but a marathon if you want to build longetivity in the sport.
Good luck, train smart and listen to your body as the big weights will destroy your body in a good way.