Powerlifting Questions?

I powerlift, yes, I know what I'm doing by the way, if any of yo guys powerlift or want to and have any questions I can try to my fullest capability to help you. Since my avatar has too many "bytes" here's a sample until I find a way to record my workout:

250 deadlift 4 times

Started powerlifting June 3rd? Deadlifted for the first time and my max is 280...For now.

As far as my bench, I started out at 200 and now I'm at 225, I go up 5-7 pounds a week with the program I use (which is pretty quick and easy AND effective).

I barbell curl about 80? Dumbell curl about 60, Dumbell press about 75 although I do sets with 60.

Any questions, feel free to ask.

How do you explain the difference between Powerlift, Deadlift and Weightlift? Just curious. And does powerlifting have an age limit? Thanks

Nah it's been proven age doesn't affect your height/private area, Arnold started bodybuilding at 16 and turned out to be 6"1 I belive?

Weightlift? I don't believe that an exercise, powerlift isn't either, DEADLIFT is.

The deadlift is in the video link I attached above in my first post, that's me doing it.

Weightlifting & powerlifting is the same, it's BODYBUILDING and powerlifting that's different. Bodybuilding is less weight, more reps, to achieve that "cut" look (you think "big" guys are strong? Challenge them to the bench, most aren't). Powerlifting is more weight, less rep, which is why more powerlifters look "fat" and "out of shape" but can bench, squat and deadlift a lot.

Now, of course you can COMBINE powerlifting and bodybuilding but you would have to do it in cycles to maintain it.

Do I read that right that you've only been powerlifting for 6 weeks?

Yeah that doesn't seem like a lot of time. Have you competed? Do you only have those 6 weeks experience to draw upon? Do you think that is enough experience to be offering advice or answering questions about powerlifting?

Also, what difference do bicep curls make to powerlifitng? Surely bicep curls won't help with any of the 3 main lifts you do in powerlifting?

Well if I said I was studying science for two weeks, does that make me any less knowledgeable then someone studying more because of that fact? No. Even if I didn't know the answer, I have powerlifting sources, and no, not articles, PEOPLE, like my brother who benches 450 and deadlifts 500.

I don't lift to compete, I lift to get strong, maybe later I'll compete but for now I don't need to.

Bicep curls make your biceps strong, just because it doesn't play a major part in 3 main lifts doesn't mean anything. What sense does it make to bench 300 and only curl 25?


Not to mention I OBVIOUSLY know what I'm doing if my maxes have been going up EVERY week. I've been lifting since what, 16? Just not serious, I did enough research and testing to know what works and what doesn't. If the time I've been doing it is questionable, then just don't ask any questions, it's THAT simple. Either way my max's are going up *Shrug*

Common sense says yes.

A lot of people have powerlifting resources, like qualified coaches or this little thing called the Internet. I appreciate your offer and enthusiasm, but really, if a person wants to find out about powerlifitng are they going to ask someone who's been doing it 6 weeks or a coach with 20 years experience who also has an online presence? A simple google search for powerlifting yields millions of results.




I'm lost. If you are all about powerlifting, then why curl? You admit they don't help your 3 major lifts, so why worry about it or do it? The guy with one of the biggest and most defined arms I ever met was a competition Weightlifter (Olympic style) and Powerlifter. He only ever did COMPOUND movements involved in training with those sports. You seem to be of the mind curls aren't hurting your lifting. Are they helping though? Is there any point in doing them other than personal preference?

He curls because curlz are for gurlz. I'm all for hitting every mucle at least a little but for powerlifting it's not that necessary. Curlz build the biceps which are only used for moving your hand towards your shoulder and that movement is useless in powerlifting. I do think that they have use elswhere and should be hit anyway.
I gurantee you he does them because he wants sexy arms and he's only lokking for decent justification for that which is why his POV doesn't make sense.

Storm, I knew a kid who knew everything he was being taught in his computer classes because he knew them beforehand, so just because he went to SCHOOL for it doesn't mean he didn't know it, so now, common sense says you are a fool.

Prize, of course there's a lot of Google searches, but take the time reading each one, then go try all of the things the articles say and see which one works, it'll take you a lot of time so have that beforehand.

Saying a powerlifter shouldn't curl is like saying a bodybuilder shouldn't work with weights. Doesn't make sense. Every muscle supports a muscle. Did you know benchpress consists of deltoids, tri's AND back? So what, I shouldn't train my delts now since it plays 1/3 of a fraction of help in my bench?

Like I said, I know what I'm doing, whether you take the advice or not is on you, either way I'm getting stronger and going up every week. This is the kid that went from 185 to 225 on the bench in a month and half, but hey, whatever is clever.

Storm, if you're really that strong, post videos, hell, I have videos of my max's going up every week, so now where are you? Words meaning nothing.

Ok slick I'm pretty much done here. I'm not even going to start to get in to this with you and why what you just said doesn't even begin to stack up.

I think anyone who has even has somewhat of an idea about strength training will see your 6 week "expert" opinion for what it is. Suffice to say I won't be troubling you for advice any time soon.

Good Day to you sir.

Socrates -

I am not sure I am following your logic here. According your your logic I could seek out a martial art instructor that has only trained for the last week and I would get some good training?

J

Prize, I guess I shouldn't train abs since it's not a major muscle involved in powerlifting right? Or do cardio? You make no sense. Why would you only train certain muscles when you can be strong in every aspect in general? That doesn't even make sense.

Jason, the point is, me lifting for 6 weeks has nothing to do with my knowledge of it, like I said, I've been lifting for YEARS, I just started SERIOUSLY lifting a month ago.

Like I said, I know a guy who knew everything he was being taught about computers beforehand, so how can one assume he knows nothing because he is a starting freshmen?

actually, I would disagree on that statement. That abs aren't a major muscles worked when powerlifting. If done correctly the cores is a major muscles worked when powerlifting.

The years you were lifting was that taught by a coach or via your own research? I know some lifts you need a coach or you could seriously hurt yourself. I have been lifting for a while too but I won't even attempt a clean and jerk. I was talking to a PT at my gym and it took over 6 months for him to properly learn the movement.

Time in study is time in study. Whether in school or online. Someone who has studied for a year knows more than someone who studied for 6 weeks. How they studied may or may not matter (depends on the person) but more time spent studying means more knowledge about a particular subject. And on this subject bodybuilding mags don't count.,

It is not unusual for people focussing on compound lifts to experience fantastic improvement during the 1st 6 months of regular training, even if what they are doing is not optimal. Its a golden period of initial adaption.

Most sports performance coaches now agree that a good benchmark (pardon the pun) to indicate a posterior chain strong enough to facilitate maximum athletic performance is the ability to squat 1.5 x bodyweight and deadlift 2 x bodyweight. If you cant do that, then you are not even strong in relation to top level triple jumpers or sprinters, let alone dedicated strength athletes.

That being said, I am all for new blood on here, so if you want to put up your cycles, percentage RM phases, how you incorporate pure postives, pure negatives, band work, chain work, complimentary CNS work, active recovery phases etc, then I am sure many will be interested to see them, especially from a beginner's point of view.

My squat should be about 1.5 give or take 10 lbs or so. Now my deadlift is definitely not double bodyweight (which would be around 410). My best deadlift was 345. Squat was 310. When I work legs now it's generally leg presses and extensions/curls so I'm not sure but I imagine it's still around the same. Not great but not terrible. I have a tough time imagining sprinters deadlifting that uch but I don't know.

they dont/wouldn't incorporate 1rm as integral to training, but will work percentage of 1 rm as part of increasing drive power. The 1.5 and 2 x bodyweight is the minimum power to weight ratio that has been found to be where functional performance begins to peak. You will find many running backs/recievers in the NFL that far exceed that ratio.

Ross Enemait is a fine example of a functional athlete, who's focus is not power for power's sake, but who is a believer in conditioning the posterior chain for fight performance.

Here is footage of him applying that strength to the deadlift movement, as opposed to having used heavy deadlift to achieve it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95D7lj-A6tA

I see. Even when I deadlift hard and regularly it really doesn't go far. I don't know what it is but I can't increase by DL much at all. It's incredibly discouraging. Of course everything else seems to be gaining again after since hitting my 20's after plateuing for awhile so maybe that would too.

That is probably a technique issue Storm, as when DL technique is correct, it is probably the easiest exercise to progress on. If your coordination in the DL is wrong however, then you will hit limitations quickly.

I've tried to find the error in my technique and I think the only problem may be where I lift the bar past my knees. I tend to bend over into more of a Romanian deadlift for split second to keep from scraping my shins or knees and I think that does it. I got sick of scraping though. I'm already missing a small but somewhat notceable chunk from out of my right shin from doing deads awhile back. I also wonder if maybe my stance is too narrow.

Dang! That's really impressive. 500+ lbs at a body weight of 170! Far above my best (380lbs at a body weight of 160).

I'm doing something very wrong because my best is 345 at 190. Most recently I only anaged 330 at 200. How far apart are your feet and do you just lift straight up past your knees?

The key is to have 'open' hips. Some of this is down to stance, and some of it is down to flexibility.

Stand tsll, and do 5 jumping half squats. Allow your legs to relax in the air, and to find their preferred landing width for stability and to launch the next squat. At the end of the 5th squat, hold your position, look down and you will see your natural width and angle from the hips. Seek to replicate that when addressing the bar for DL's.

Also, work hard on soleus, glute, adductor and lower back stretches, and consider roller work on your ITB to free up your knee/hip alignment.

The technique itself, you may try from a slight elevation in a power rack to ensure that you can maintain proper alignment in the start position.
Remember that the focus is not so much to lift the bar upward, as it is to fire the hips forward- you need to lift from the glutes and hips right from word go, dont engage them after the bar has left the ground by back power alone.

Head up. Hips low. Back flat. Traps taught. Balance 'sat back' through the heels. Sensation like body is a coiled spring. Drive the hips and the bar will do what it must as the body unfolds.

Interesting, I'll give these tips a shot.

thats the best tip ive ever heard about firing the hips forward.
and storm, it took me over a year to get (sort of) decent technique on my deads. Ive seen blokes that have been seriously training for years that do them wrong.

at the moment I can do 350 at 163, which is after 3 months or so of training. you progress quite quickly at them when you get the technique right

Yeah my technique has to be off. I'm 205 and pretty muscular so my max should be around 400 at least.