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newbie powerlifter

Blogs > EsX_Raptor
Post a Reply
EsX_Raptor
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States2802 Posts
September 28 2009 17:55 GMT
#1
so as some of you may know, i started going to the gym religiously (3 days a week; m/w/f) about three months ago. i have to admit that it has paid off as i have increased my strength and some physique in this amount of time.

however, coach saw me training a couple weeks ago and encouraged me to join the university's powerlifting team. i haven't joined the team yet as i feel i'm extremely noob, so i switched my bodybuilding routine to that of a powerlifter's.

it is hell.

i've been doing it for around three weeks now and have to say that it's the most intense shit i've ever done in a gym. this is what my routine looks like:

monday
bench press - 5x5 pyramiding up weights
close grip bench press - 3x7
tricep pushdowns - 3x7
dips - 3x8xbodyweight

wednesday
squats - 5x5 pyramiding up weights
leg curls - 3x10
leg extensions - 3x10
calves - 3xfailure

friday
deadlifts - 5x5 pyramiding up weights
bent over rows - 3x10
lat pulldowns - 3x10
reverse grip pulldowns - 3x10

i need some advice on this as i made this routine by myself and have my doubts that it's the best one for me to follow. feel free to recommend me anything and/or fix, add, any exercises i'm following on this routine that aren't that good for powerlifting.

i know that powerlifters use low reps to increase strength and that you need to take around 3-5 minutes of rest for each set.

my pr atm are as follows:

bench press - 140lb
squat - 245lb
deadlift - 250lb

thank you very much!

*
statix
Profile Blog Joined October 2004
United States1760 Posts
September 28 2009 18:05 GMT
#2
how old are you out of curiosity?

I'd pm incontrol since he seems to have a deep interest in power lifting and has for a while now.

good luck.
SCC-Caliban
kidd
Profile Blog Joined November 2002
United States2848 Posts
September 28 2009 18:13 GMT
#3
You don't have really enough shoulder exercises. Try to do some military presses and add some shrugs in there and it doesn't look too bad of a workout.
Hi
statix
Profile Blog Joined October 2004
United States1760 Posts
September 28 2009 18:21 GMT
#4
on a side note, I'm not sure how much kettlebells would help a powerlifter but I've been incorporating them into my workouts and I've noticed a substantial increase in strength.

It's like all the muscles surrounding my joints are a lot more explosive and way stornger. I feel like I'm developing gymnast type muscles or something...its cool.
SCC-Caliban
gumbum8
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United States721 Posts
September 28 2009 19:03 GMT
#5
Good god those workouts seem brutal. GL powerlifting!
My Bench PR is like 110, never maxed on much else, but I have a beastly vertical to make up for my lack of upper body...
but really, has anyone REALLY been far even as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
DeathByMonkeys
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States742 Posts
September 28 2009 19:25 GMT
#6
Powerlifting with a bench max at 140 lbs?

I'm assuming this is high school?

If I were you I'd throw in a lot more auxiliary lifts that complement the core lift you did that day (i.e. bench = more chest auxiliaries, ect ect)

I'm 6'5" around 180 and my records are:

Bench: 275lbs (1 year ago)
Squat [I assume you mean parallel]: 325 lbs (2 years ago)
Deadlift: 375 lbs (4 years ago, my school got rid of that lift)
AoN.DimSum
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States2983 Posts
September 28 2009 19:26 GMT
#7
mmmm I would look at strength building programs, like stronglifts. There are a bunch of useless exercises like calves raises, tricep pushdowns, leg curls. Isn't that more bodybuilding exercises?

You need to do those powerlifting exercises more than once a week too if you want to build it up.

I squat 3 times a week but im a oly lifter. It should be similar though.
by my idol krokkis : "U better hope Finland wont have WCG next year and that I wont gain shitloads of skill, cause then I will wash ur mouth with soap, little man."
Damage[Ger]
Profile Joined August 2009
Germany5 Posts
September 28 2009 19:38 GMT
#8
goddamn ...when i read this..fucking noob going to Gym and does Splitttraining everyone does that today it pisses me of so much :/ (sry my eng sux)
You can do splitttraining after 1-2 years of bodybuilding...first i would get some Basic Muscles i mean Train all muscles in one Workout you not even know what is good for u .Just go to gym Monday,Wednesday,Friday,Sunday (in your first year of training u will recieve alot muscles and strength with 4training days)And train all muscles with each workout and your body will look perfect (if you do some mistakes with splittraining you will have for example arms like arnold and legs like a chicken...it just looks fucking idiotic,trust me)so better u train everything..and i would do a two minutes break after each set ...5minutes is way too much it doesnt stimulate your muscles so much.U have to make your workout harder after each training day or your muscles wont grow .
Btw using too much weight will fuck up your bones and articulations...u will have injuries trust me.
And Btw you know why u think its the hardest workout for u?you dont have condition. every other training with high weights would fuck u up...make some cardio training for warmup 10minutes should be enough.

GL in gym
Mass play for the win!
daz
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Canada643 Posts
September 28 2009 19:43 GMT
#9
looking at your numbers there is telling me you either have disproportionately strong legs or you need to go lower on your squats
Some eat to remember, some smash to forget. 2009msl.com
AoN.DimSum
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States2983 Posts
September 28 2009 20:11 GMT
#10
On September 29 2009 04:43 daz wrote:
looking at your numbers there is telling me you either have disproportionately strong legs or you need to go lower on your squats



??? what are you talking about
by my idol krokkis : "U better hope Finland wont have WCG next year and that I wont gain shitloads of skill, cause then I will wash ur mouth with soap, little man."
Damage[Ger]
Profile Joined August 2009
Germany5 Posts
September 28 2009 20:26 GMT
#11
that he is overtraining his legs ..
Mass play for the win!
EsX_Raptor
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States2802 Posts
September 28 2009 20:49 GMT
#12
well, it's not that i have disproportionately strong legs but more like i have disproportionately weak upper body; i used to be a competitive soccer player for years, so i guess that helped out a bit. also, my legs go a little below parallel to the ground on my squats.

sorry i didn't know split training sucked for powerlifting. i'm gonna have to take a look at some other routines i guess =/. and about auxiliary exercises, i have no clue either x.x i thought doing triceps pushdown, military press, and dips would help strenghen my triceps, shoulders and chest respectively which are the muscles used for bench pressing. similar thing for the squats and deadlifts.

i'm 20 years old and just started lifting weights for the first time in my life this june. sorry if my numbers are not that big, i'm doing everything my body can to get better because it's embarrassing having to do my bench and have the ladies and other big guys watch me struggle -.-

but i wont quit
AoN.DimSum
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States2983 Posts
September 28 2009 20:50 GMT
#13
On September 29 2009 05:26 Damage[Ger] wrote:
that he is overtraining his legs ..



Are you replying to me? Why would his squat numbers be bad, he is a beginner.
by my idol krokkis : "U better hope Finland wont have WCG next year and that I wont gain shitloads of skill, cause then I will wash ur mouth with soap, little man."
AoN.DimSum
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States2983 Posts
September 28 2009 21:20 GMT
#14
On September 29 2009 05:49 EsX_Raptor wrote:
well, it's not that i have disproportionately strong legs but more like i have disproportionately weak upper body; i used to be a competitive soccer player for years, so i guess that helped out a bit. also, my legs go a little below parallel to the ground on my squats.

sorry i didn't know split training sucked for powerlifting. i'm gonna have to take a look at some other routines i guess =/. and about auxiliary exercises, i have no clue either x.x i thought doing triceps pushdown, military press, and dips would help strenghen my triceps, shoulders and chest respectively which are the muscles used for bench pressing. similar thing for the squats and deadlifts.

i'm 20 years old and just started lifting weights for the first time in my life this june. sorry if my numbers are not that big, i'm doing everything my body can to get better because it's embarrassing having to do my bench and have the ladies and other big guys watch me struggle -.-

but i wont quit



I had the same problem with my upperbody when I started lifting. Dips and military press are good exercises. I was saying more compounds lifts are better for getting stronger. Isolation muscle exercises shouldnt be used that often since you dont really need it.




try this website
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
by my idol krokkis : "U better hope Finland wont have WCG next year and that I wont gain shitloads of skill, cause then I will wash ur mouth with soap, little man."
daz
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Canada643 Posts
September 29 2009 03:52 GMT
#15
On September 29 2009 05:49 EsX_Raptor wrote:
well, it's not that i have disproportionately strong legs but more like i have disproportionately weak upper body; i used to be a competitive soccer player for years, so i guess that helped out a bit. also, my legs go a little below parallel to the ground on my squats.

sorry i didn't know split training sucked for powerlifting. i'm gonna have to take a look at some other routines i guess =/. and about auxiliary exercises, i have no clue either x.x i thought doing triceps pushdown, military press, and dips would help strenghen my triceps, shoulders and chest respectively which are the muscles used for bench pressing. similar thing for the squats and deadlifts.

i'm 20 years old and just started lifting weights for the first time in my life this june. sorry if my numbers are not that big, i'm doing everything my body can to get better because it's embarrassing having to do my bench and have the ladies and other big guys watch me struggle -.-

but i wont quit


Ok going slightly below parallel is correct, seems like you really do just have strong legs but it's a little strange that your deadlift is only 5lb higher then your squat but then again this could just be because your still new to lifting. If you want a recommendation of a great program for gaining strength then i would recommend Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, it's probably the perfect strength program for a beginner lifter but i'm not sure if its the best suited for power lifting. That being said I've been doing the program for almost 4 months now and my strength gains since i've started have been incredible. Here's a link to get you started if you're interested.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=998224
Some eat to remember, some smash to forget. 2009msl.com
eMbrace
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States1300 Posts
September 29 2009 06:13 GMT
#16
On September 29 2009 04:38 Damage[Ger] wrote:
goddamn ...when i read this..fucking noob going to Gym and does Splitttraining everyone does that today it pisses me of so much :/ (sry my eng sux)
You can do splitttraining after 1-2 years of bodybuilding...first i would get some Basic Muscles i mean Train all muscles in one Workout you not even know what is good for u .Just go to gym Monday,Wednesday,Friday,Sunday (in your first year of training u will recieve alot muscles and strength with 4training days)And train all muscles with each workout and your body will look perfect (if you do some mistakes with splittraining you will have for example arms like arnold and legs like a chicken...it just looks fucking idiotic,trust me)so better u train everything..and i would do a two minutes break after each set ...5minutes is way too much it doesnt stimulate your muscles so much.U have to make your workout harder after each training day or your muscles wont grow .
Btw using too much weight will fuck up your bones and articulations...u will have injuries trust me.
And Btw you know why u think its the hardest workout for u?you dont have condition. every other training with high weights would fuck u up...make some cardio training for warmup 10minutes should be enough.

GL in gym


i've done split training ever since I started working out and it's worked wonders

i'm sure the other plans are better, but at this point i really don't care.

by the way OP: how much do you weigh?
Damage[Ger]
Profile Joined August 2009
Germany5 Posts
September 29 2009 11:40 GMT
#17
then u did it realy well,Split training is not for beginners and even if ...u should get a trainer to help u with that training.You should know its not for beginners...whatever
Mass play for the win!
EsX_Raptor
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States2802 Posts
September 29 2009 14:02 GMT
#18
hey thanks for the links @ AoN.DimSum and daz, i'll go check them out right away!

eMbrace, I'm 160lb @ 6'1" (I'm somewhat skinny).

i was reading on proper deadlift technique yesterday and found i've been doing them somewhat incorrectly... i'll start over again with lighter weights and get the technique down.
CharlieMurphy
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
United States22895 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-09-30 00:42:28
September 30 2009 00:40 GMT
#19
Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't pushups/pullups (and/or the variations of them) be great in any workout?
..and then I would, ya know, check em'. (Aka SpoR)
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