At what bodyweight did you....

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

start powerlifting?

I'm curious to know which of you have a small frame and didn't weigh much and bulked up a good amount of weight. I'm trying to decide my future and which way I want to go. I'm not the type who walked into a gym my first day and benched 225 or squatted 315. I was only 130 lbs when I started lifting and was benching under 100 lbs. Didn't start to deadlift or squat for a while. I trained with garbage routines from the pro bodybuilers and didn't eat right. When I started to learn a little more I gained some weight. I even did a consisent bulk for like 6 weeks or so once and got up to a whopping 163 lbs. After that I lost like 5 lbs or so when I joined a men's baseball league for a season. That was last summer. I have been training for strength since then, but have actually dieted down. I did my first competition recently at 146 lbs and I am training at about 148-150 now.

Now, I plan on competing 3 more times this year either in the 148's or 165's. My long term goal is to get as strong as possible, which will mean adding a lot more mass. I'm curious if you guys suggest going on a big bulk or moving up a weight class per year or so? Any bulking/weight suggestions would help. Thanks

 

[TheFng]

I started at 120 lbs. or so. I weigh 220 now. But I was 12 when I started and am 37 now. I'm 3 inches taller too.

 

[endpoint]

200.....at 220 now have been powerlifting over 6 months i am 22....started training with weights at 19...with many complications.

i didnt start with a small frame....but a very inactive life lead to very low strength levels (how about the first day bench pressing with 40lbs? for 8 reps)

milk is your best friend when gaining weight

 

[Deciever]

stared off when i was 13 year old, following body building routines from magazines. i weigh 95 lbs, bench about 95, squatted (a fwe inches abov parallel) 135 and deadliftedd 135
After a lot of reading up, and getting a new bodybuilding routine, i was up to 135 in a year and a half or so, and have been powerlifting since january.

 

[brianmincher]

I have been powerlifting for about 8 months now, I weigh 225 today, and was about 210 when I started. 5 foot 7 or 8. Started weight training, though about 10 years ago, but never used any powerlifting routines until 8 months ago.

When I graduated from high school almost 10 years ago, I was 155 lbs, same height as now. At that time I could bench about 255. Training over the next nine and a half years, I put on a lot of weight, but very little increase in my lifts. I wish I had taken up proper conjugate training when I graduated and had not wasted all those years pounding away without a plan.

My 2 cents.

B

 

[Arioch]

I started lifting at twelve, at the incredible weight of 148. However, I started as an OL'er. My first PL comp was a deadlift only meet 7 years later.

 

[powerlifterjay]

I did my first meet Nov 99, i weighed in at 214lbs. I am currently 250plus. My chest now is almost the same size as the diameter of my shoulders at 214lbs! Tight huh? My size has come on in aweird way. My neck is freakin huge. 21 plus inches. My arms then were 18 now there 19 1/2. But since powerlifting my forearms have realy grown, along with my traps and upper back. Its a different kind of size then BB's get. I am pretty thick from front to back. My legs have gotten bigger. And oh my claves have gotten pretty good size, and the only thing we can say to that is walkouts in squat. Because i have never doen a set of calves in my life. And my ego has gotten a little bigger! Shut up guys!

 

[bigokie]

Weight

I started lifting in high school for football. Not really serious, just enough to keep the coach off my back. Then I weighed 225. Since I have been doing Westside I am up to 270+. Plan is to get up to 300 by next year.

 

[Cubanito17]

the first time i ever touched a weight was in 8th grade 13 years old my max honestly was the bar. then at 15 i lifted in 10th grade and got up to 225lbs with a 185lb bodyweight i quit then and in november i started again at age 17 weighed 160 and started benching 185 as of today i am 17 177lbs and bench(5 weeks ago touch n go) 270lbs and pause at the meet saturday 250lbs.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

I am enjoying all your guy stories, I truly am, but everyone avoided my question.

Now, I plan on competing 3 more times this year either in the 148's or 165's. My long term goal is to get as strong as possible, which will mean adding a lot more mass. I'm curious if you guys suggest going on a big bulk or moving up a weight class per year or so? Any bulking/weight suggestions would help. Thanks

 

[endpoint]

the bigger you get, the stronger you will get

try to keep the weight gain to a slower pace....other wise you will be a fat blob who just added 10lbs to their total

 

[bigokie]

Weight classes

If it were me I would look and see which class I could do the best in and enter the competitions in that class. Then once you have competed and done well gradually gain weight to compete in the next weight class. You say you weigh about 148-150. Then I would compete in the next meet in the 148's. Then if you have a couple months put on 10-15 pounds and go up to the next weight class. In my opinion, if your gonna compete in a weight class you might as well weigh close to the max allowable, or slightly over and then trim back for the weigh in. Good luck

 

[Cubanito17]

This is just my personal suggestion if you are doing good in the 148 weight class then you can compete in that class. But if you know exactly when your meets are and how far apart then gain weight while training and when you get close to your meet like a week ahead that you quit your training to rest then just carb deplete and make weight. Jay can lose 20lbs in 3 days of carb depleting I know myself I tried it just for one day and lost 6lbs. What you do is once you cut the weight you need too by carb depleting then weigh in then you gain all that weight back so say you weigh in wednesday morning then thur fri and sat you put that weight back on before your meet saturday and you shouldn't affect any of your strength b/c the weight is back on. The best way honestly is like JAY does I tried this it helped me put my weight back on, kinda, but either way it felt good. Every 2 hours snickers and a gatorade but remember to eat your normal meals+more.

hope this helped answer your ????

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Any others out there?

 

[Hannibal]

First started lifting in High School at 175....couldnt bench 110lb at the time. Lifted off and on for several years. Finally started powerlifting about 3 years ago at 220.

Now I am 275 and a little bit stronger....its all about progress.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Hannibal- what are our thoughts about my question on gainng weight?


Long term goal- Be as strong as fuckin possible!!!

 

[Hannibal]

Hannibal- what are our thoughts about my question on gainng weight?


Long term goal- Be as strong as fuckin possible!!!

Yes....gain weight. Once you reach a certain level it will be easier to drop a weight class and keep your strength. But it is easier in the beginning to gain weight to get stronger.

George Halbert used to be a 275.....now he is a freak in the 220, 242. Get strong first...then worry about weight classes

Several articles that could help you ensure that the weight you gain is SOLID...

http://testosterone.net/html/141post.html
http://testosterone.net/html/142post.html
http://testosterone.net/html/146mass.html
http://testosterone.net/html/147mass.html
http://www.t-mag.com/html/149ins.html
http://t-mag.com/articles/150app.html
http://t-mag.com/articles/155app.html
http://t-mag.com/articles/153recipe.html
http://t-mag.com/articles/164rec.html

 

[b fold the truth]

I began lifting @ 16 years old and 152 lbs. I now reside at 24 and 285...have been as heavy (out of shape) as 305.

B True

 

[FREAK19]

JM Blakely from westside barbell said and i qoute that .......
"weight moves weight" meaning you got to eat. you dont have to let yourself get fat. ive notice a big difference in a gains when i ate better. dont go out and eat mcdonalds to gain weight or choc bars. eat good things, like when your just sittin around eat an apple, before you go to bed have a bowl of cereal. stuff like that nothing big cause you dont wanna get faT.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

That's kinda what I was thinking because the times I try and stuff my face with everything I feel like crap and my workouts suffer.
I think I'm going to bulk, mostly with good stuff like tons of red meat, oats, whole wheat bread, peanuts, protein powder, stuff like that. Thanks fellas. I'll be in the 165's for the rest of the year.

 

[Arioch]

Eat big, lift big. IIRC, you are still young. Even much of the early Soviet literature states that the worst thing a young strength athlete can do is restrict his weight.

Pizza and Hagen Daz are anabolic.

And in answer to your other question, I do not have a small frame, sorry. So even though I started at 148, I am currently at 260.

 

[b fold the truth]

Arioch: glad to see another brethren of the pizza and ice cream diet.

B True

 

[CytoMel]

I started westside about 10 or 11 months ago as a 242, my max bench was about 285 raw. Now I am still a 242 but my bench is. about 400 raw now. Much of the increase is from guidance and info from B.Y. and my other training buddies herein South Fla