I need advice from strength athletes/ powerlifters. Are you one?

[DoinMyOwnThing40Participant 1000]

I lifted weights when I was 17 through 21 years old. So that is about 5 years. All I did back then was bench pressing, incline bench press, biceps, and back work. I would bench 3x per week. I did it all wrong. My diet was horrible. I did gain some good size though. I looked pretty diesel back then. But my bench press was only 295 for 3 reps. No matter what, I could never go above 295. So at 21 I gave it up out of frustration.

Only recently, one year and nine months ago to be exact, I decided to get into shape again. I have not lifted any weights but I did MMA and now I do kickboxing and some conditioning. I am happy with the shape I have gotten into. I came a long way in a year and nine months. I look much better now and my #’s at the Dr.’s office are better than they EVER were. So I am doing something right.

Now here’s the thing. I am really thinking that I want to get back into weightlifting/ powerlifting. I don’t have any interest in bodybuilding, I just want to get strong and build nice dense muscle. Here are my questions for you…….

1. At my age, 41 years old, is it possible for me to get to a point where I will be able to bench press 295 x 3 for several sets? I mean, I really wish I could put up 405 pounds, but I don’t see that being possible. Given that I have such long arms. And if I got stuck at 295 when I was 18 to 21, what makes me think that I would be able to surpass 295 now?

2. I can not do ONE pullup. Not one. Today I did some hangs on a pullup bar just to see what it would be like. It was f~~~ing painful. What can I do to get up to, say 10 pullups? Even one pullup right now seems like an impossibility. I never did them before and I fully believe that this is an important exercise to be able to do. What is the point of bench pressing 405 pounds if you can’t do at least 10 pullups or do 20 dips? Functional exercises are very important, something I never even thought about back when I was a youngster.

3. I plan on doing a lot of squatting and deadlifting, things I never did back then either. I want to get nice muscular big legs. Do you think that by doing a weightlifting program that I will be able to shave off any excess fat? I look good but there is a little bit of fat right under where there arm pits meet the pecs. I also have a little bit of a stomach fat and a little bit of a love handles. Nothing much, but to me it is noticeable and it has to go. Will I be able to get rid of it WITHOUT having to get liposuction? I hear that weight lifting, especially squats and deadlifts will help build muscle and get rid of excess fat. I hope that is the case.

I don’t want to waste my time if I can’t get strong. And I know that 295 is not that strong of a bench, but if I can get up to 10 sets of 3 with 295, I will feel okay about it. I just hope I can get there.

4. Isolation work is for the birds. I just want to concentrate on the big exercises like bench press, incline bench press, close grip bench press, military press, squat, deadlift, leg press, dips, pullups, farmer’s walks, and bent over rows. The only exception will be rotator cuff work. Gotta do some rotator cuff work to make sure your shoulders are nice and balanced (not just front delts being all strong and the rest of the shoulder being weak). Are there any “must do” exercises that I should include besides the big ones that I just mentioned?

I know how to eat now. So that should be in my favor. Not like when I was a youngster and had no idea how to eat.

Women are parasites. Each and every last one of them.

[Tiga KParticipant 1693]

5 x 5 programs like strong lifts and starting strength seem to help many men get in good shape (lean and muscular) but is focused on strength. Check out Brooks Kubik. He is in his sixties and still lifts heavy. I am only 23 with mediocre results (180 lbs bench, 300 squat, 360 deadlift @ 180 bodyweight) so thats about all the help I can give.

[Dr PhibesParticipant 155]

Hi, DoingMyOwnThing:

I am not a strength athlete/power lifter, and at my age/state of health, I’m unlikely to become one, but I was a bit of a jock when I was younger, so I have some thoughts for you. I hope they help.

1.) I think that 1 X 3 @ 295 on the bench is excellent. That’s about a 317 max. Only a tiny fraction of guys can handle that weight.

2.) I would focus on dips/pull-ups for upper-body work because one must be able to handle one’s own body weight. The late former Mr. Universe Mike Mentzer once called the dip “the upper-body squat.” These exercises are difficult, but with diligence, you may one day crank out multiple pull-ups, and dips with extra weight attached to a belt. Then you’ll really be cooking with gas.

3.) Losing excess fat: I’m sure you know that the more your carbs come from fruits/veggies, the better off you are. Many swear by Paleo, but it can be expensive, difficult to maintain, and its effect on long-term health is still unknown. So, I guess you need to find your own sweet spot.

Also, unless you’re an exercise newbie, it can be difficult to simultaneously add muscle/lose fat. You may need to focus on one or the other. Bulk up first, cut later, for instance.

Good luck.

"The wisest follow their own direction." -- Euripides

[RoyDalParticipant]

DoinMyOwnThing40 wrote:

My diet was horrible.

I am on a nutrition rant right just now. Everyone needs a top-quality diet. As it turns out, we need nutrients that are available only in supplements these days.

Society asks MGTOWs: Why are you not making more tax-slaves?

[ILiveAgainParticipant]

I’m 55 so on the downward slope. Used to train 5 days.

Now only 3 when I can. Heavy – cardio – heavy. It’s what my body now wants.

Better guys here can give specifics but just be careful and listen to the pain. Some is the good dull heavy pain of growth but watch out for the sharp twisting pains.

They are trouble. Wrists, forearms, elbows & shoulders are big repair problems.

Just listen to what’s going on and rather back off than push.

Old man out ☺

[2ravensParticipant 83]

I’m 45, 185 lbs and lift 5x week. However, about 3 years back I switched over to all dumbbells. They are just easier on my joints.

1. When I do (not very often) 110 lb db’s for sets of 5 on db bench press that’s as strong as I will ever need to be. With the added benefit of I can do it at home with my Powerblocks and don’t need a spotter.

2. I was in the same boat a few years back. Pullups are awesome to me because its not just strength but you have to worry about your bodyweight too unlike bench press for example. I could do 1-2 pullups 3 years ago and like you they were painful and I hated them. I’ve spent years now working my way up to 12-15 super strict ones. Now i’m slowly working to a 1-arm pullup. I imagine it will take another 3-5 years at my age to get that if ever. If not, it’s fun to have that goal at least.

3. For me at least squatting/deadlifting days are done. Working on pistol squats (1 leg squats) now plus my brazilian jiu-jitsu has actually increased my leg size which I didnt expect. Plus my hamstrings and hip flexors are strong as hell now from that.

4. I guess I covered this above mostly. 1-leg pistol squats, 1 arm pullups and db bench press are what I work hard now. I think each is functional and very low risk of injury which is way more important to me now than when I was younger. One strained tendon and it takes weeks to get over. I’d rather be “less strong” and consistent.

I’m much more concerned with consistency and being injury free now. My “cardio” is jiu-jitsu and that’s pretty much it. However when I surf, kayak or do any activity I have no issues keeping up with anyone. That tells me I’m plenty strong and fit. I’m sure MMA training would produce the same result plus the fun factor that will keep us doing it for a long time.

Ok, that was a little long but you asked lol.

2ravens

[Anonymous 2]

Hey brother,English is my third lingo,so sorry for the grammar and the spelling mistakes. I am a black belt martial artist, back in time I use to train special forces for full contact combat fighting behind the former Iron Curtain. Now, I am 56years young 174cm tall and 104kg heavy. (just like 25 years ago) And I am still able do a split,and I am so strong that I put most of the young people into shame when I am going to my gym for conditioning. My profile picture is a few months old ,doing a practice kick to keep my flexibility. And a last two decades I learned a lot about healthy diet ( maybe not mainstream but it is really works) how to keep myself healthy,strong,fit,flexible,and youthful. First I like to tell you some basic things, you might find it useful,or perhaps not but it is certainly up to you. When you work out hard you are sweating. The sweat is taste salty because you are sweating out the essential minerals from your body. And it is must be replaced, or in long term you will face some serious health problems. So taking one -but no more!!- decent multivitamin a day with food is a very good investment for your long term health. I eat raw(!) fresh vegetables everyday including lots of green stuff. Need the enzymes, and also the heavy metals will bind to the chlorophyll and leave your body . Also help to keep the ph level of your blood around 7.35. Extremely important! I eat some raw cucumber everyday because it is one of the most alkaline food on the planet. Also I eat quality meat everyday and some soft boiled eggs. It is very important for muscle growth. Cholesterol ..hmmm you might don’t like this,certainly it is up to you brother. I seen a whole generation growing up with cholesterol phobia.Cholesterol is a nutrition. 75 percent of the weight of the brain is cholesterol. If you check the weight of the steroid hormone moleculas ,human growth hormone moleculas ,all sex hormones moleculas , 95% of the weight of those moleculas made from cholesterol. High level of cholesterol (over 280) might telling you that something is wrong,but a cholesterol level is a symptom ,not the illness. A few medical professors saying this for ages but the mainstream medical science don’t want to know about it. Our body is manufacturing most of the cholesterol we need ,and if you eat more, it will manufacturing less,if you eat a lot, your body will get rid the excess. It is too much carbohydrate that make people fat, not steak and eggs and butter. So to eat those as part (!) of the healthy diet for muscle growth, proper hormone,and brain function is highly recommended. I drink good clean water everyday. If you are not sweating for every 10kg of body weight you have to drink 450ml water a day,since I am around 100kg I drink around 4.5 L spread out of the day. But if for any reason I sweat ( live in Queensland Australia ….can happen lol) I drink more. I told you some basic but very important stuff ,you might find it useful,but if you don’t like it is really up to you. I am a man who believe only in results, and this is really works for me and for all of my friends. All the best with your training brother

[BDParticipant 1146]

Great post,

Sounds like you have a problem with plateauing.

There are many things you need to do to prevent or breakthrough a plateau,

You must always be changing your exercises and grips, wide bench, narrow bench, incline, decline, flat, dips, straight bar, dumbells, machines, pushups, change your hand placements, change the order that you do these exercises in your workout, change the angles, throw in supersets and giant sets, Keep your body guessing without overtraining. Do this with all body parts, Never do the same workout twice.

If you limit the time between your sets, say always less than 90 seconds between sets, and especially if you do supersets or giant sets, you will burn off fat.

Diet is crucial , but keep your body guessing a bit with your diet as well. throw in a cheat meal every once in awhile.

Your body is designed to find the easiest and most efficient way to do everything, if you keep it guessing it will be forced to adapt which will result in growth.

Always take protein after your workout, and listen to your body, recovery is just as important as the workout itself.

Because in order to be able to think, you have to risk being offensive.

[Anonymous 6]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/criticalbench19.htm

http://stronglifts.com/bench-press/increase/

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/three-ways-to-a-bigger-bench-press

[нσтησσвParticipant 830]

295 is fine; from what i learned from my work out partners is that you don’t really get past 300lbs till you hit 30; for some odd reason at around 30 you just gain insane amounts of strength.

back when i was able to workout, i never could do much for the bench press like 225lbs tops, but with my back i could easily do 325 and some days 400lbs.

i had one workout partner, 37 years old i think; he did 350 on the bench.
and a co-worker for mine is reaching 40ish; he has 6-pack abs and the whole 9 yards.

i started working out at 16, went from 100lbs to 180lbs 170 by 18, 180 by 19, did 5-6 ( 5 day split + 1 day cardio – 2 hour workouts ) days a week.
i think a lot of it came from the nutrition side; did two protein shakes a day; about 100 grams.
had to stop working out at 21, due to getting rear ended bad by a c~~~.

But my advice would be to completely redo your workout routine, and make sure that you are getting the proper nutrients.
Do EVERY muscle and not just focus on a few. Once your working out every muscle, then add in a little extra for the muscles you want to grow faster.

So.
my routine way back would of been, 15-30 minutes cardio warm up, 15 minutes abs, and 15 minutes cardio cool down, plus:
day 1, back & biceps – most back exercises have the biceps as a secondary muscle, so you get a pretty intense workout. so, biceaps and then back.
day 2. Quads & Calvs – gives your upper body a chance to heal, but keeps you in check with your routine
day 3, chest & triceps – most chest exercises have the triceps as the secondary muscles, so triceps first, chest second for the best workout.
day 4. shoulders & traps & abs – chance to rest upper body a bit
day 5. squats & biceps / which ever muscle you want to increase the most.
day 6. cardio – this is a resting period, but keeps you active and optimizes your first real resting period – ~24 hours to heal up
day 7. rest – gives you a day off and completes the resting period. muscles – ~24 hours for your body to grow muscle

with this split, your ensuring that each of your muscles receive a good 6 days of rest, thus providing you with near optimal amount of gains for the amount of effort put in.

Oh, and another tip; since you are starting up again; just focus on your technique for the first 2-3 weeks.
it’ll give your muscles a chance to ramp up again, and bad technique will lead to injuries.
So, find a weight that you can 100 reps, and add on 5lbs or whatever the next increment is every workout until you find yourself at the 8-10 rep range.

My Goal: To Leave Society.

[experiencedParticipant]

Great topic:

“Consistent intense training.”

"It seems like there's times a body gets struck down so low, there ain't a power on earth that can ever bring him up again. Seems like something inside dies so he don't even want to get up again. But he does."

[John DoeParticipant 743]

When it comes to fitness a lot of people focus on building muscle and strength. That is good and all, but I think a lot of people either forget and or are ignorant of training the nervous system to act quickly.

The ability to activate your muscles quickly not only has a lot of benefits for sports but I believe to be more natural. If you look at a diagram of the human body, most of the muscles in the upper body are built for speed and less with heavy lifting. Even if you look at primitive peoples, most of the upper body movement is speed oriented (swinging/throwing/stabbing/etc.)

Just throwing in a few rounds of light weight sledge training, should help compound your upper body strength.

[Author]

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