Do any of you fellow powerlifters worry about your physique?

[b fold the truth]

You must be correct then...hmmmmm.

Fat in the diet and having a large stomach are two different things. I guess that Louie Simmons wast totally incorrect in saying that the large abdomen increases the squat..huh?

His analogy about building a pyrimid with the stomach to make your body strong...that must have been totally false too huh?

I mean...all of those west side guys who have squatted over 800 are ripped...huh?

It is plain and simple...having a very thick midsection will help you with your squat. It is your base, your core. It must be thick.

B True

 

[flex-mb]

You missed my point (please don't take this post personal). I was speaking of fat in terms as an energy source. What you are talking about is the fat around the mid-section of world class powerlifters in the heavyweight and super heavyweight classes. For those guys dieting makes no sense. They are eating whatever it takes to be have big, strong muscles without respect their waistlines ot their weight for the most part. As far as quoting/paraphrasing Louie Simmons, check out a recent Powerlifting Mag. article where Louie talks about speed strength and strength speed. Soviet olympic lifter Vasily Alexeev was told to lose weight by his coaches when his bar speed decreased on his cleans when his gut too big. This is due to the fact that Vasily liked to eat and his gut would get too big to the point where it would hurt his speed (and therefore his strength). So there is one example of having to much fat around the mid-section hurting a lifter's performance and that came straight from your man Louie (Louie also said that this applies to powerlifters too). I am quite sure that bodyweight (having a slim waistline) in the lighter weight classes does make a difference as those guys are trying lift as much as possible while still being as light as possible.

So now tell me how much structural support does fat give a person? Last time I checked fat had no rigid struture and is basically stored energy. I don't think that fat around a person's mid-section makes their mid-section strong. Prove it to me physiologically or show me some research where a person derives power in the mid-section from having fat there. Strength in the mid-section comes from the erectors, the rectus abdominus, the tranverse abdominus, the obliques, the iliopsoas etc...

 

[b fold the truth]

I do belive that we are saying the same things...and I did mis understand you.

I am not a powerlifter but I am a strength athlete. I have Louie's videos and he is my only knowledge of powerlifting...and they are old videos. He bases his on powerlifting and does not support a huge amount of fat in the midsection. Too many plers take that to an extreme and get rolley polley.

I have a thick waist...with abs I still have nearly a 39" waist...and having that thicker waist, I believe, helps me with my strength. Being fat will not increase your squat, but having a wider base will.

B True

 

[Bigsatan13]

Worry about it no. Care about it yes. I like to carry myself well. I am as strong as I look. I started training because I wanted to improve myself. I did. I continue this every day.

 

[Cubanito17]

Hey guys I dont feel there is anything wit trying too keep up figure and powerlift. One thing though i'm 17 and powerlift for my school I know i'm not all that strong but i'm trying. My stats are 5 8 162 lbs bench is 225 lbs, cleans 175, squat(full 90 degree) 295 lbs, deadlifts 335 lbs. Although I know with losing weight you lose strength b/c it happened too me, anyone know how I can get it back up without gaining weight again.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Man i cant believe this posts is still going. I will say this if my body fat is at 12 to 14 percent and i gain 15 to 20 lbs between meets, and it goes around 16 percent,I gain strength. I dont care what any of you say it helps period. I have benched in the 400's weighing 220 gained weight to 242 have done over 600 and even set the fl state bench record at 242 with 585lbs then went back to 220 and my last meet opend with 562 at 220lbs. My strenght was because the way i bulked up for power last year. period. It acts as a cusion and the added water helps also. My weight now goes from 220 to 255lbs depending on what time of year you find me now. I am also one of ther best in my opinion for dropping weight i lost 20 lbs in 3 daysa for the bench bash for cash and used no drugs. When you little guys decide to forget bodybuilding and lift some real weight you wont even think of how pretty you r little asses look in the mirror. I am 247 lbs now and my wasit is 35 inches. And you know what i dont care cause my chest is 52 relaxed, and my arms are 19 1/2inches. So again like i said in my first post on this subject who cares if your waist is 30inces if you cant lift shit or youer chest is a hair over 40". If you aint got 20 inces between your chest and gut then you are no means a bodybuilder, you are a weight trainer. Probably wear wife beaters! I am sorry guys just feel loud tonight. I dont really knock anyones physique at all! Please no one take it personal.

 

[Sebass67]

Is being a weigt trainer a good thing or a bad thing...Damn i really got a hit that chest a little harder....

 

[brianmincher]

Being a weight trainer is definately a good thing buddy. If you think about what j said, then with a 50 inch chest you should have about a 30 inch waist for a bodybuilder. Sounds a lot like Arnold at his peak. But look at what the strongest men in the world look like, and I throw j in that group, not many have a tiny waist. Most are thick thick thick. 19 1/2 arms and a 52 chest is large!

I am 5'7" 220ish 17 1/2 arms, 48 inch chest and 35 inch waist. And I wish every one of those (except height) was a bigger number, waist included.

"If a powerlifter can see his abs, he is not trying hard enough"

"I don't have a six pack, I have a keg"

 

[brianmincher]

Let me rephrase that first part. Being a non-bodybuilder is a good thing, buddy. Being a powerlifter is a great thing, buddy.

I have some young natural bodybuilder type guys at the gym where I lift. Great abs, lean, muscular, and SKINNY AS HELL.

The chicks dig the abs, but every one of these guys stop and stare when I am locking out 500+ in the power rack ro doing 400+ declines. These numbers are not much to speak of on this board, but there are not many guys in most local gyms benching in the upper 400's.

Chicks dig abs. Chicks with staying power dig monsters.
Be a monster.