Push ups and pull ups are my two favorites. Do it!!!
Says the bodybuilder
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So I finally got to the gym tonight. I have been feeling really tired all week and my appetite has been down. I’ve still eaten all my meals but I didn’t enjoy a few of them.
Sled (prowler)
Did about 25 mins of sled work.
Pushed it one way with high handles and the three way with low handles. Did this twice on every second minute.
Added weight each time until it got ugly,
and then took one off each time. Got a great leg pump and worked up a good sweat.
Then did some lat pull downs superset with some push ups. 3 sets of this and then called it a day.
Looking forward to starting a new block next week. Time to start building again.
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I try to help.
I can’t speak for other pursuits, but powerlifting is very much about doing as little as possible for the maximum reward.
That doesn’t mean not doing stuff. It just means only doing what is necessary, and keeping a very close eye on things to make sure something new and necessary doesn’t sneak up on you.
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Mate you are a great help. I listened to you and it was good advice. Funny thing is even though I feel a little cooked after that small session I feel better than I have all week. Getting the blood moving deff helped.
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It’ll help even more next week
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Woke up feeling pretty good this morning. Still a little tired but body feels less creaky.
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I’m late to the party, but big congrats on your meet!! The red-lit bench is a bugger, but your lift weights were all excellent!
I agree with the others who’ve recommended light weight, low-stress exercises til your next block starts. Letting you body fully recover will prime you for your end-of-year gains.
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Thanks TnT I was a bit bummed out about missing the bench but I know I can get it. Next comp that will be my opener 
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That’s the spirit! Do you have your eye on any specific, future meet?
I forget, do you guys like rugby over there? I can’t remember if it’s a big thing or not.
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I’m a pome so yes am interested in rugby. Aussies like all sport but rugby union is not that big here. Rugby league and Aussie rules are the most popular and then probably soccer (football) and basketball before rugby union.
Nothing specific, I need to decide what federation I want to compete in first and then pick a comp to train for. I don’t a real lot about the feds in Aus so I’ll talk to coach and people on the know like @MarkKO first
I forget you’re secretly from Gods country. In that case, good win yesterday.
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Well, you’ve got two options really. Maybe three or four, but two realistic ones in terms of number of meets.
Option one is Powerlifting Australia. It isn’t IPF affiliated, but will limit what meets you compete in to their sanctioned ones, won’t let you handle or assist at non-PA meets and has a restricted set of brands and models of equipment you can wear (including what shirts and socks you wear under your soft suit). They will also require you to submit to drug tests. I make no secret of the fact that I hold PA in utter contempt. There will be fairly regular meets in Melbourne as far as I know.
Option two is the Australian Powerlifting Union, APU. It’s new and came about when PA lost its IPF affiliation. As such, as far as I’m aware it has to abide by IPF dogma BUT it is run by the Rucci brothers who by all accounts are stand up guys and who also, I am almost certain, still run GPC meets. They definitely coached at GPC nationals so if being affiliated with the IPF floats your boat they are an option. Not sure how accessible meets in Victoria will be, but I would assume there would be some at gyms that were PA before the IPF booted it that are now APU.
Option three is my personal favourite, GPC. You’re in Melbourne so have access to very regular meets at PTC HQ which will be just about the best run and most competitive outside ProRaw and Big Dogs. GPC is untested and as long as you don’t act like a tool at meets really doesn’t care what you do. It’s also the largest fed in Australia to the best of my knowledge. They will allow you to squat in wraps up to 2.5 metres long, sleeves or bare knees but don’t separate them within the raw category. What you wear or use is limited to anything that fits the relevant technical specifications, not brand. They use a monolift, squat bar and deadlift bar. I think they are the only federation that does not allow squats to be walked out. They have a 24 hour weigh in option, and you’d most likely be at the 90 kg class which is one of the three most competitive in the federation. You would be hard pressed to find a federation that is more focused on the lifter and growth of the sport.
Option four is CAPO, which is affiliated with the IPO, GPA and WPC. They are also untested, with the same approach to equipment. Because they are affiliated with three federations, they offer multiple divisions for raw and equipped. I understand that they have a bare knee category which allows sleeves, and a separate wrapped category (although they may have two wrapped categories, with one allowing three metre wraps, but I’m not sure). All use a monolift, squat bar and deadlift bar. I think one of their divisions has no start call for bench, but that isn’t going to make life harder for you. They have some meets in Victoria, I would guess at least occasionally in Melbourne. They aren’t small but aren’t as big as GPC that I know of.
Option five is WRPF, which is also untested and uses a monolift as well as squat and deadlift bars. I think they have just one category, allowing wraps and sleeves. I don’t think they have any restrictions on what you wear or use beyond what CAPO and GPC mandate. They don’t seem to have a ton of meets, but some of them are at Slaughterhouse Gym which I think is in or near Melbourne.
Option six is Australian Powerlifting League, the APL. They are the IPL affiliate. They offer tested and untested divisions as far as I know, but don’t separate between wraps and sleeves. However, all squats must be walked out. They also, as far as I remember, allow meet directors to use either a standard bar for all lifts OR squat and deadlift bars, provided adequate notice is given to lifters. What that is I am unaware. They also restrict what you can wear and use, but the list is much broader than the IPF or PA. They seem to be mostly concentrated in Queensland but I think they may have the odd meet in Victoria.
They may be one or two other small federations, but I don’t know what they are.
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Mark thanks for that very comprehensive write. To say that all this is confusing is a massive understatement. I assume which ever fed you go with you need to be a paid member to compete.
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Can I ask why ??
Their exclusionist and holier than thou attitude. All comes from Robert Wilks, the founder, and the dude who caused the split with the IPF.
Best way to explain is give an example. Once upon a time there was a nice young Canberra man who was a powerlfiter. He was pretty good, getting invitations to and competing at ProRaw. He competed in GPC, and it turned out he worked for WADA. Wilks got wind of this, and kicked up a huge fuss. He threatened the head of WADA that he would go to the press about this young man if he was allowed to continue competing in an untested federation. The young man was given a choice, to resign or stop competing untested.
There are also numerous accounts of Wilks at PA meets forcibly ejecting audience members wearing shirts from gyms that were not affiliated with PA.
PA members are routinely reminded that they cannot in any way assist anyone at any non PA meet.
So yeah, fuck PA. Their attitude is, as far as I know, that anyone who competes in an untested federation is a steroid user and cheat.
Yer that sounds pretty fked. I had read some other accounts that suggested there were issues. Are PA the only drug tested fed ? Is that what drives the issues ?
Second, is that their standards are low. I mean, stupid low. To get to their nationals, you have to have a B grade total and to compete at Commonwealth level an A grade total. For world level it’s an Elite II total.
Without numbers that means nothing, but those totals put me in contention for Commonwealth level. That’s WITH adjustment for not using wraps, walking out and stiff bar deadlift. That is LOW.
To me that’s pathetic combined with their elitist attitude. You can’t claim that high status and talk about competition when some chubby schmuck could walk up and hit your standards for the second highest tier of representation.
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No, APU is tested but they’re only about a year old. APL offer tested, they’re maybe three or four years old.
The issues arise from Wilks being a piece of shit and owning the federation. He wants no powerlifting other than on his terms. It’s funny, because when ProRaw kicked off a bunch of very good lifters ditched PA because they could see where the competition standard was being set.
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