i want to get into powerlifting - can you help me

[decem]

hey guys.. this my first time in this forum.. i usually just hit up the chat forum.. but i'm here for a reason..

i want to get into powerlifting.. i think.. here's why (btw.. i may be very misinformed and wrong about all this.. if so.. please set me straight.. )

i'm getting married.. i'm tired of worrying about how i look and how much fat i'm carrying.. for some reason i have this preconceived perception that powerlifters don't hit the weights more than 3-4x/wk.. and between work, school, a farm, and a wife i really don't have time to work out more than 4 hours a week either.. i'm looking for a change in everything.. from routine, to physique, to eating habits.. etc etc.. i'm looking for functional strength moreso than muscle size.. i'm tired of watching what i eat i just want to be able to eat what i want yet still be fairly in shape and strong.. and the list goes on..

now like i said.. i might be misinformed.. and maybe y'all do workout more than 3-4x/week.. maybe you do watch what you eat.. and maybe you do do cardio.. etc etc etc.. if so.. then maybe i'm barking up the wrong tree.. lol

if y'all need some stats.. here ya go:

i'm 5'10"... 210lbs.. 14-15% bf..

i'm really not very strong.. never have been to terribly strong.. never benched over 275x3 rolleyes: i know i know.. but i'd like to be press 315 for 5.. that's my goal for now anyway).. and i'm sure i pale in comparison to y'all.. as far as strength goes.. but that's why i'm here.. ta learn...

last time i benched it was something like 135x15, 185x10, 225x6, 225x5, 245x3 with no spot.. (again.. i know i know)..

last time i curled it was something like 95x8, 95x8, 115x5, 135x4

i just started working legs again... my legs are naturally big and strong.. and i was training for symmetry before.. i actually tried shrinking them.. lol... but i can be back to squatting 275x8 in a month or so.. and 315x10 in a few months..

so.. that's all my info i think.. any insight, information, guidance you guys can give on anything from a starter training regimen to resources i can check out to what to eat to what type of cardio to do to anything.. anything at all... it would be greatly appreciated..

 

[b fold the truth]

Do you have an email addy that I can send you some articles to?

What kind of routines have you tried before?

Which ones did you like?

Which ones did NOT work?

Give me a bit...I'll see if I can help you out as much as possible.

I lift 3x a week because of time and recovery restraints. When I was not focusing so much on my events...I was lifting 4x a week.

Pretty much everyone on here will suggest to you to try the wsb methods from www.elitefitnesssystems.com I'll do the same.

I have made a few alterations to it for my purposes as well as for a few friends too (wanted to cross bbing with pling).

Let me know if I can help.

B True

 

[Prometheus]

welcome decem -

ok, first rule: never mention %bf again

if you're serious about it, this board is a good place to learn - I mean that there's no flame war bullshit, lots of methods/training discussions, so if you start going back through the threads you won't be wasting your time. good posts listing links to introductory artcles and sources have been posted many times - I'll take a look later and see if I can find a few.

btw, I say "if you're serious" because to be successful at this requires a real change in training methods and mindset from what you're used to -- not saying one's better than the other, but if you go 50% you'll be disappointed imo.

in any case, do some reading and if you find you want to get into it, come ask questions here - there's some superstrong guys here who are willing to share their knowledge...

JMHO - good luck

 

[Prometheus]

some links:

http://www.elitefts.com (read everything there)

http://www.deepsquatter.com/strength/archives/index.htm

http://www.testosterone.net/html/body_129per.html

http://www.testosterone.net/html/body_133per.html

 

[aka-tapout]

bro i still get ragged by pljay and jimmie dean at the gym for doing some body builder stuff
i dropped my training from 4-5 days a week and i was stuck at 225 for years
now i train the basics bench on mon,deads on wed,squats on fri and thats it and im 244 at 5-10 and probably could be leaner but you can see my top 4 abs and if i want to get lean all i have to do is change my diet(way of eating)I DONT DIET DONT BELIEVE IN IT i just drop out carbs and increase protein to get lean dont want to get weak.

good luck bro we will help as much as can

 

[decem]

hey guys.. thx for all the responses.. i have to make this reply quick cuz i gotta leave for school in 5 minutes... but i'll be back on later..

btrue.. i've been doing the usual for years.. chest/tris, back/bis, legs (sometimes ), shoulders or chest/front+mid delts, back/traps, legs (sometimes), arms.. stuff like that.. i've found in the past that higher volume training works best for me.. 5 or 6 sets of 3 or 4 exercises for large bodyparts and only 3 or 4 sets of 2 or 3 exer. for small.. and i usually get best results when hitting each bodypart every 5th or 6th day.. it seems as though if i wait 7 days i either just stick or lose strength... i'll check out that site.. i'm actually interested in your friends bbing/pwrlfting routine.. since i can honestly say that i'm not in it to compete.. moreso for something to do.. to be strong.. to still work out while not being anal about it like bbing.. etc etc...

prometheus.. thx for the links.. i'll check them out when i get back.. lol @bf%.. ppheewww.. i'm sure i can take on a totally different mindset as far as my lifting strategies go.. as i've been doing the same crap for years and some change is sure to motivate me again..

tapout.. sounds cool man.. i'd love to be able to lift only 3 times a week and see my top four.. i don't like dieting either.. but i'm still kinda stuck in that mindset.. for now anyhow.. i'm gettin married in 5 weeks and i just can't let myself be this big.. (shoot.. i don't know if i'll be able to break that habit.. the sacrificing muscle/strength to lose bodyfat habit.. hopefully i can get myself to follow your lead.. and still drop without losing.. and without getting anal about it)


btw guys.. i'll be drug free from here on out.. i've takenn aas in the past.. in the recent past.. but never again...

thx again guys.

 

[Cubanito17]

First of all welcome to the boards

Most guys on here train either 100% westside or partial westside. Myself I'm a partial westside trainer. If you've never heard of westside you can try out a 9-week program that is all layed out for you after that if you like it then you start makin ur own works with the excercises then the fun begins.

9-week program

http://www.elitefts.com/documents/9week-training-program.htm

then just a lil on what westside is

http://www.t-mag.com/articles/187west.html

Hope these help some I'm sure your not gonna know what some of these things are, but you can either come back and ask. Or I'M SURE most of the things are already on here so do a search for them.

 

[decem]

thx cubanito.. a few more questions..

1. on that program.. it has days 1-4.. so then days 5-7 off right? or should days 1-4 be spread throughout the week?


actually. that's the only question for now... i'll do a search on some of the shit in the program that i don't recognize...

 

[Cubanito17]

Hi Decem,this aint cubanito himself this is his bro but I'll answer anyways since I train with him. Day 1 is bench of course, then day 2 is squat/dl then it repeats. And yes you spread the days.We do Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday off then Thursday/Friday. Weekend off of course. Good luck, its a good thing you dont do bodybuilding padgeants anymore =-).

 

[decem]

thx man..

i got some more questions for y'all...


do you take any supplements?

do you guys do any cardio?

what's a board press?

what's a reverse hyper?

one arm press - is this one arm db military press for the delts?

what's the floor press?