A question for the big lifters

[Krakistophales]

I fluctuate between 260 and 270 lbs bodyweight and I've been powerlifting for about 2 years now, maybe 2 years and some months.

I see all these videos online of people pulling 495 and 585 that are way below my bodyweight, and I can't help but wonder if my progress has been very slow in comparison to others when I see my deadlift is at 405 x 2, my squat at 315 for an easy single, and my bench at 275 for a very hard single. So, my questions to the heavier lifters are:

When you started lifting, did you start with high poundages in your lifts?

How long did it take you to progress to respectable poundages?

Just how much food is enough without being too much, in order to not put on any more belly fat?

How often do you lift and for how long? Is it more beneficial for heavier guys to lift 5 days a week for 40 mins-1 hour to keep the fat off?

Also, are my numbers considered rapid progress, average progress, or slow progress for my weight? I started lifting at around 225 lbs bodyweight, but still...

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[joe d]

I fluctuate between 260 and 270 lbs bodyweight and I've been powerlifting for about 2 years now, maybe 2 years and some months.

I see all these videos online of people pulling 495 and 585 that are way below my bodyweight, and I can't help but wonder if my progress has been very slow in comparison to others when I see my deadlift is at 405 x 2, my squat at 315 for an easy single, and my bench at 275 for a very hard single. So, my questions to the heavier lifters are:

When you started lifting, did you start with high poundages in your lifts?

How long did it take you to progress to respectable poundages?

Just how much food is enough without being too much, in order to not put on any more belly fat?

How often do you lift and for how long? Is it more beneficial for heavier guys to lift 5 days a week for 40 mins-1 hour to keep the fat off?

Also, are my numbers considered rapid progress, average progress, or slow progress for my weight? I started lifting at around 225 lbs bodyweight, but still...

Thanks in advance for any info.

comparing yourself to others is a waste of time. compare yourself this month to yourself last month. try different methods of training and dieting and keep logs. learn what works best for you. im not a pler or strong man so im not going to get into training with you. there are a ew guys around here that can help you out.

 

[bblazer]

I have been training more years than I can count. It has taken me all that time to get where I am.

I eat everything that is not nailed down. As a matter of fact, I am on my 2nd turkey leg as I type this.

I lift 1.5 hours 4x/week then have a 4-5 hour event training session. I do almost no cardio other than walking from my car to the gym.

Progress is what progress is. You put into it exactly what you get out. Put heavy things on the bar, lift it, then make it heavier and lift it again. Pretty simple stuff. If you feel like passing out or puking you have almost put enough effort into it.

That said, how old are you, and how do you train? Give up the details, & we can help you out.

B-

 

[Krakistophales]

I lift 4 days a week and usually it takes about half an hour to 40 minutes to do 3 warmup sets and 3 main sets. Sometimes it takes an hour if I'm doing a program of 10 triples or 8 triples or whatever, but I haven't done that in a while.

I'm currently trying wendler's 5/3/1 on all lifts (squat, bench, dead and overhead press) after hitting some PRs in the deadlift and bench, and it's going well so far. My squats haven't really moved since I hit 315 for 1, and my overhead press has been pretty static lately as well. I tried going for a 10 lb pr of 215, but I just missed it. I didn't want to try, but I think I might've been able to hit 210. I do these with a power clean style, no squatting under the bar or any of that.

I work nights so I don't have time to eat between 4 and 12 or 4 and 2 most days, so I frontload in the morning with a big breakfast and 2 shakes, before and after lifting. I'm 22, and like I said before, I fluctuate between 260 and 270 lbs bodyweight, and I'd like to shave off about 30 lbs so I could be a solid 240 without the excess jiggling.

I was just curious to see if my progress would be considered rapid, or average, or slow because if it would be slow or average I wanted to see if I could do something about that to make some bigger gains.

 

[bblazer]

You seem to be doing well. One of the things about the 5/3/1 is that you may need to keep the parts that aren't moving up at the same leve and do a few cycles with them but continulally trying to hit the rep PRs. Then you should see some upward movement.

B-

 

[Krakistophales]

Wendler's promises to put 100 lbs on your deadlift and squat, and 50 lbs on your bench and overhead press in a year. Has anyone done the wendler's for a year to attest to these results?

 

[bblazer]

Wendler's promises to put 100 lbs on your deadlift and squat, and 50 lbs on your bench and overhead press in a year. Has anyone done the wendler's for a year to attest to these results?

I had the high school team I coach do it for 4 months, and the boys hit nearly those number while the girls got about half that.

B-

 

[the_alcatraz]

I had the high school team I coach do it for 4 months, and the boys hit nearly those number while the girls got about half that.

B-

That's pretty impressive man.

 

[Krakistophales]

Nice. What weights did they start with, though?

 

[bblazer]

Nice. What weights did they start with, though?

I guess I don't understand what information you want. Do you want me to list out the roster and their starting weights?

Remember that this is a co-ed team of High School athletes composed of many weight classes.

I will give you this rough example. My 242 sophomore (again roughly & from memory) started the season - his first - with a 445 squat, 230 bench, and a 440 deadlift.

When he placed 4th at nationals 4.5 month later he did a 575 squat, 309 bench, 525 dead.

At nationals he was allowed to wear a shirt, but only had lifted with it for 2 practices. Without it he could easily do 265 for a double and a pause.

Since then he has gotten a 600 squat, 315 bench (no shirt), and a 570 dead. We expect him to not only win state next year, but get at least 2nd at nationals (assuming the same competition). And remember he just turned 16 & weighs 238.

I hope this helps.

B-

 

[Krakistophales]

I guess I don't understand what information you want. Do you want me to list out the roster and their starting weights?

Remember that this is a co-ed team of High School athletes composed of many weight classes.

I will give you this rough example. My 242 sophomore (again roughly & from memory) started the season - his first - with a 445 squat, 230 bench, and a 440 deadlift.

When he placed 4th at nationals 4.5 month later he did a 575 squat, 309 bench, 525 dead.

At nationals he was allowed to wear a shirt, but only had lifted with it for 2 practices. Without it he could easily do 265 for a double and a pause.

Since then he has gotten a 600 squat, 315 bench (no shirt), and a 570 dead. We expect him to not only win state next year, but get at least 2nd at nationals (assuming the same competition). And remember he just turned 16 & weighs 238.

I hope this helps.

B-

Wow, that's damn impressive. He must've eaten like a horse on this program, though, to make a huge jump like that. Either that, or sometimes huge jumps just happen as a matter of course.

I remember when I tried my first deadlift single, I could only get 265 for a very hard pull. Afterwards, I trained with just singles and I jumped from 265 to 355 in 5 or 6 months, but since then I've had slower progression to building up my PR. Then again, when I first tried to pull 405 I could barely get it up, but now I can pull it for 2 or 3 easy the second time I tried for it.

Anyway, I want to try and stick by Wendler's for a year and carefully record my progress from the first cycle to the last to see if the 100/50 lbs promise holds true.

It seems odd, though, that the particular trainee in question could squat and bench in the mid 400s but could only bench 230. I squat only 315 and deadlift 405 but my bench is at 275 since my last PR attempt, albeit a hard single. Maybe some people are just wired differently, huh?

 

[bblazer]

Wow, that's damn impressive. He must've eaten like a horse on this program, though, to make a huge jump like that. Either that, or sometimes huge jumps just happen as a matter of course.

I remember when I tried my first deadlift single, I could only get 265 for a very hard pull. Afterwards, I trained with just singles and I jumped from 265 to 355 in 5 or 6 months, but since then I've had slower progression to building up my PR. Then again, when I first tried to pull 405 I could barely get it up, but now I can pull it for 2 or 3 easy the second time I tried for it.

Anyway, I want to try and stick by Wendler's for a year and carefully record my progress from the first cycle to the last to see if the 100/50 lbs promise holds true.

It seems odd, though, that the particular trainee in question could squat and bench in the mid 400s but could only bench 230. I squat only 315 and deadlift 405 but my bench is at 275 since my last PR attempt, albeit a hard single. Maybe some people are just wired differently, huh?

In my experience, there are benchers, and then people who are squatters and pullers. I generally don't see athletes who are great at all 3.

For me I would rather be a better squatter & puller than a bencher any day.

B-

 

[Krakistophales]

In my experience, there are benchers, and then people who are squatters and pullers. I generally don't see athletes who are great at all 3.

For me I would rather be a better squatter & puller than a bencher any day.

B-

Myself as well. My deadlift has always been abnormally strong for only 2 years and change of training, my squat is ok, and my bench is surprisingly high, especially since it's the lift I've trained for the least amount of time. Then again, sometimes people are great pullers and pushers, but not so good with the squats.

 

[Tblock1]

I guess I don't understand what information you want. Do you want me to list out the roster and their starting weights?

Remember that this is a co-ed team of High School athletes composed of many weight classes.

I will give you this rough example. My 242 sophomore (again roughly & from memory) started the season - his first - with a 445 squat, 230 bench, and a 440 deadlift.

When he placed 4th at nationals 4.5 month later he did a 575 squat, 309 bench, 525 dead.

At nationals he was allowed to wear a shirt, but only had lifted with it for 2 practices. Without it he could easily do 265 for a double and a pause.

Since then he has gotten a 600 squat, 315 bench (no shirt), and a 570 dead. We expect him to not only win state next year, but get at least 2nd at nationals (assuming the same competition). And remember he just turned 16 & weighs 238.

I hope this helps.

B-

Holy shit! How much does he eat

 

[bblazer]

Holy shit! How much does he eat

Not a lot more than normal kids. When he started he weighed about 230.

He just eats right, trains hard as hell, and has an amazing mind-muscle connection.

B-

 

[smtimelevi]

In my experience, there are benchers, and then people who are squatters and pullers. I generally don't see athletes who are great at all 3.

For me I would rather be a better squatter & puller than a bencher any day.

B-

I never did deadlifts regurlarly until the last 2 years or so. I had to do them randommly in football but never really cared. I always did bench in hs and once i got out of hs i started hitting squats. Its took me years to get my bench over 300 but my deadlift flew up 100+ LBS in 2 years. in high school i was only deadlifting 245. after 3 years of squats and leg press i was able to pull 315 for reps one day without ever practicing the lift. once i actually strarted doing them weekly i went from pulling 315x5 to 435x5 now. I think squats is what made deads come to me so easy.

 

[bblazer]

I never did deadlifts regurlarly until the last 2 years or so. I had to do them randommly in football but never really cared. I always did bench in hs and once i got out of hs i started hitting squats. Its took me years to get my bench over 300 but my deadlift flew up 100+ LBS in 2 years. in high school i was only deadlifting 245. after 3 years of squats and leg press i was able to pull 315 for reps one day without ever practicing the lift. once i actually strarted doing them weekly i went from pulling 315x5 to 435x5 now. I think squats is what made deads come to me so easy.

As a general rule of thumb, your deadlift should be more than your squat.

I am speaking only of RAW lifts. When you go to a PL meet and some big dude is squatting a grand, but can only pull 755 you know it is the suit.

B-

 

[smtimelevi]

As a general rule of thumb, your deadlift should be more than your squat.

I am speaking only of RAW lifts. When you go to a PL meet and some big dude is squatting a grand, but can only pull 755 you know it is the suit.

B-

my best ever dead is 90 lbs higher than my best squat. I try not to pay much attention the the guys with the suits on. Raw lifts are a true test of strength. Im still considering a belt. Havent really used one but they use them in the strong man comps so ive ran the idea around in my head.

 

[bblazer]

my best ever dead is 90 lbs higher than my best squat. I try not to pay much attention the the guys with the suits on. Raw lifts are a true test of strength. Im still considering a belt. Havent really used one but they use them in the strong man comps so ive ran the idea around in my head.

If you want a belt, consider this one by Rehband.

They also have one without the semi-hard belt.

I use the one with the belt and really like it. I rarely use a hard belt unless I am squatting really heavy, and then I use the PR blet by Inzer.

B-

 

[smtimelevi]

If you want a belt, consider this one by Rehband.

They also have one without the semi-hard belt.

I use the one with the belt and really like it. I rarely use a hard belt unless I am squatting really heavy, and then I use the PR blet by Inzer.

B-

That inzer belt looks sweet. I like the concept. Holes and buckle suck if you change body comp or are wearin different clothes. Thanks for the link

 

[bblazer]

That inzer belt looks sweet. I like the concept. Holes and buckle suck if you change body comp or are wearin different clothes. Thanks for the link

The Rehband belt has the same (but done differently) adjustability. The added benefit is that you get a wide neoprene "belt" under the semi-hard belt. This goes a long way to keeping you warm and preventing back pumps.

I really can't speak highly enough of it.

B-