First time I've browsed this section as I'm usually out browsing other exercise-orientated forums.

 

I compete in powerlifting as a hobby. With several more months of training I could become an "elite" level lifter in my weight class (198). Unfortunately, or fortunately, I will be heading off to parris island to join the USMC so my strength goals will be put off for awhile but my knowledge and experience is still retained.

 

I've totaled officially @ 1323 lbs in squat/bench/deadlift and unofficially @ 1354 at the current age of 19. God willing I might possibly become elite level status at my next meet the end of this month with a total of at least 1396. The only thing guaranteed at this next meet is breaking 2(possibly 3) american records in my age/weight division which should have already been changed but due to bs with the judges is not.

 

routines/splits/exercises/sets/reps/supps etc feel free to ask away and I'll give advice to the best of my knowledge that suits your goals.

Halberd or scimitar?

 

Wow that all sounds very impressive but I doubt many people could decipher it. How much can you bench in kgs? A photo would be nice too.

 

Anyway I work out fairly regularly but I have never really had specific goals and have been happy enough with my progress. I started going to bodypump type classes and wondered how this will affect my development. Bodypump is 10 tracks of about 150 reps, targeting specific muscles (warm-up, quads, chest, back, bi, tris, shoulders, lunges, abs, warm-down) with 10-30kg weights.

 

Would you recommend this and should I expect to keep overloading even though I am doing this once a week?

Halberd or scimitar?

 

Wow that all sounds very impressive but I doubt many people could decipher it. How much can you bench in kgs? A photo would be nice too.

 

Anyway I work out fairly regularly but I have never really had specific goals and have been happy enough with my progress. I started going to bodypump type classes and wondered how this will affect my development. Bodypump is 10 tracks of about 150 reps, targeting specific muscles (warm-up, quads, chest, back, bi, tris, shoulders, lunges, abs, warm-down) with 10-30kg weights.

 

Would you recommend this and should I expect to keep overloading even though I am doing this once a week?

It all depends on the situation but scimitar all around. :)

 

Here's an avi photo from another forum. Can't find original size so it'll have to do. Deadlifting around 565lbs(256.8kg) at around 88kg bodyweight(193lbs).

 

 

 

As for benching, my last personal record was 305lbs (138.6kg). I'm currently peaking back into flats and should hit around 315lbs (413.3kg) the end of this month. Bench is my weakpoint unfortunately.

 

It sounds to me like you're doing something similar to crossfit. I don't think you'll see much development only going at it once a week but again you didn't really specify your goals. I emphasize goals because it's not as simple as some believe it is. Powerlifters, bodybuilders, crossfitters, football players, track runners etc have different training protocols.

NICE deadlift, what's your current squat? I'd be curious to know what your routine looks like if you don't mind too. I guess at your level you're way beyond linear progression and it involves some kind of cyclic progressions? I followed a fairly standard 5x5 linear progression system (Bill Starr) last year, it worked great and I got a lot stronger but when I got to uni in October I got into rowing and hours of UT2's every week don't exactly go hand in hand with mass gain. Hopefully I'll get back into it again a bit this summer, I've definitely missed that feeling you get after a good heavy deadlift.

NICE deadlift, what's your current squat? I'd be curious to know what your routine looks like if you don't mind too. I guess at your level you're way beyond linear progression and it involves some kind of cyclic progressions? I followed a fairly standard 5x5 linear progression system (Bill Starr) last year, it worked great and I got a lot stronger but when I got to uni in October I got into rowing and hours of UT2's every week don't exactly go hand in hand with mass gain. Hopefully I'll get back into it again a bit this summer, I've definitely missed that feeling you get after a good heavy deadlift.

 

Current squat is 465lbs (210.9kg) for a single full squat. I've done 5x5 for bench in the past and it's decent for those who enjoy linear progression. My current routine is similar (but not exact or followed to a T) to westside's with max effort days / dynamic effort days but includes enough volume to take me out of the powerlifting realm, and not so far into the bodybuilding realm. My training is mostly instinctive similar to DoggCrapp training, just without the rest pause sets and high reps.

 

I could post you a link to westside's training style or are you interested in my hybrid style?

Yeah I'd be quite interested to learn a bit about your hybrid style if that's cool.

Do you have any experience with olympic lifts? I have been interested in them lately and can clean+jerk 115 now, but I still cant even get 65 on the snatch...was just wondering if this was normal when starting out.

Yeah I'd be quite interested to learn a bit about your hybrid style if that's cool.

here's an article on the basics of westside training:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_periodization_bible_part_ii;jsessionid=5BA9204D51D0377CCEB933625E2F2054-hf.hydra

 

Similarly I follow methods such as max effort and dynamic effort (explained in the article) while also throwing in volume. The best way to find what works for yourself is to try several programs and see what works for you.

 

I don't really want to throw my routine out there since it's tailored from experience from arnold's push/pull split, ronnie coleman's split and other splits in the past. I currently modified it mainly for hypertrophy since running long distances+strength training isn't working out too well for me since I'm leaving for the Marines soon.

 

Do you have any experience with olympic lifts? I have been interested in them lately and can clean+jerk 115 now, but I still cant even get 65 on the snatch...was just wondering if this was normal when starting out.

I honestly have little to none experience with oly lifts. My gym doesn't carry bumper plates and oly lifting with metal plates is a big no-no. I'm sure it is normal especially at your strength level. For oly lifting, technique > strength, although they go hand in hand. Best advice I can give you on this is to train with someone who is more experienced with oly lifting.

Just a heads up for everyone: Whey proteins should see a rather big jump in price this year, so it would be a good idea to start stocking up

Are you trying to say that your strength level is 99? >.<

Figured I might leave this here rather than creating a new thread.

 

I have this peculiar habit of doing forearm exercises at random as I'm at my desks.

 

I don't work out at all (well barely) and am quite skinny but as a result of this random exercise my forearms are fairly muscular.

 

I have a homemade one of these:

 

 

What I do is I roll it up with my arms spread as far apart as possible, then let it down slowly with my arms spread apart, then pull my arms to the very center and wind it up slowly.

 

Just wondering if this is the best way to do it, obviously I'm only doing this one exercise but I figure if I'm doing this at least I might as well do it properly :P

Figured I might leave this here rather than creating a new thread.

 

I have this peculiar habit of doing forearm exercises at random as I'm at my desks.

 

I don't work out at all (well barely) and am quite skinny but as a result of this random exercise my forearms are fairly muscular.

 

I have a homemade one of these:

 

 

What I do is I roll it up with my arms spread as far apart as possible, then let it down slowly with my arms spread apart, then pull my arms to the very center and wind it up slowly.

 

Just wondering if this is the best way to do it, obviously I'm only doing this one exercise but I figure if I'm doing this at least I might as well do it properly :P

Just make sure you're winding it up both ways. Slowly rolling it back down isn't necessary but isn't useless. They have a crude one at my gym that I use occasionally. Even with 10lbs on the end it's hella killer on the forearms.

 

Also CoC grips (captain of crush) are also great to use whenever you're bored at your desk. Here's a link if you're interested.

http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Main/captainsofcrush.html

Ok, I'll try that. I'm doing 10 lbs at the moment, and it's brutal.

 

Thanks for the help :)

Yeah I'd be quite interested to learn a bit about your hybrid style if that's cool.

here's an article on the basics of westside training:

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_periodization_bible_part_ii;jsessionid=5BA9204D51D0377CCEB933625E2F2054-hf.hydra

 

Similarly I follow methods such as max effort and dynamic effort (explained in the article) while also throwing in volume. The best way to find what works for yourself is to try several programs and see what works for you.

 

I don't really want to throw my routine out there since it's tailored from experience from arnold's push/pull split, ronnie coleman's split and other splits in the past. I currently modified it mainly for hypertrophy since running long distances+strength training isn't working out too well for me since I'm leaving for the Marines soon.

 

Thanks, it's an interesting article, not sure if I'd have the consistency to make it work but I'm pretty tempted to give it a go.

Hey i wanted to ask a question actually :D

Well im a muay thai boxer and ive started to incorprate the 5x5 routine

as what im looking for is strength rather than muscle mass...So would i be more suited to the 5x5

or the WSB as i heard that is more customizable to every single person and it could be more handy to

someone in my area of training?

Thanks

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Figured I might leave this here rather than creating a new thread.

 

I have this peculiar habit of doing forearm exercises at random as I'm at my desks.

 

I don't work out at all (well barely) and am quite skinny but as a result of this random exercise my forearms are fairly muscular.

 

I have a homemade one of these:

 

 

What I do is I roll it up with my arms spread as far apart as possible, then let it down slowly with my arms spread apart, then pull my arms to the very center and wind it up slowly.

 

Just wondering if this is the best way to do it, obviously I'm only doing this one exercise but I figure if I'm doing this at least I might as well do it properly :P

Just make sure you're winding it up both ways. Slowly rolling it back down isn't necessary but isn't useless. They have a crude one at my gym that I use occasionally. Even with 10lbs on the end it's hella killer on the forearms.

 

Also CoC grips (captain of crush) are also great to use whenever you're bored at your desk. Here's a link if you're interested.

http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Main/captainsofcrush.html

[/hide]

 

Hah! I was using a CoC grip the other day while working out and the damn metal snapped in half. :thumbdown:

Hey man, Im looking for a good bicep workout, I just do traditional curls, and preacher curls, etc. I bench 200, curl 35's (reps)

Just wondering if you could help me build a good bicep workout around that.

Thanks

Also CoC grips (captain of crush) are also great to use whenever you're bored at your desk. Here's a link if you're interested.

http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Main/captainsofcrush.html

 

You shouldn't be using them when at a desk, they should be isolated from other activities, like any other exercise. You don't play games while doing deadlifts, and the same applies to grippers.

 

Doing endless reps with a sports shop gripper is not going to do anything for you, much like sitting at a desk with a gripper will not do anything for you (unless you happen to use a desk for training, in some bizarre manner).

 

EDIT: This post sounds quite hostile, but it's not meant to be.