Programming for your Powerlifting goals

[PillarofBalance]

Yeah, I tried to make the distinction that anyone who does one set of 10 reps regularly is doing something that will make him or her stronger, but it's not going to help his or her competition lift more than just doing more sets with fewer reps.

And non-competing gym rat who does 10 sets of singles as working sets is doing something that may get him or her stront, but as compared to doing sets with multiple reps, but it would have an advantage to a competitor for potentially several purposes (technique work, emphasis on particular part of the pull, etc.).

Yeah, that's one of the differences I mentioned. I'm trying to convince a PL gym rat that I know to compete, but I get the feeling he won't enjoy the taper part at all. Sometimes it takes experiencing a meet as a competitor first, before you learn to prepare for a meet as a competitor.

Ask @Seeker how his taper went. I snuck it in on him. Lifelong bodybuilder and friend of mine. I talked him into letting me run his training. I put him thru a sneaky peak. At 50 he was smashing weight that would be a record in most feds. He didn't even see it coming until the last few weeks.

By then he was hooked.

Now he is on the hook to do his first meet in October.

 

[UncleAl]

I agree with you, Chris, with this caveat: High reps can be viable when programmed for the powerlifts or their variations in longer cycles. For example, the first third of the well-known twenty-week Finnish deadlift program ( https://www.myosynthesis.com/finnish-deadlift-routine ) is built upon 10-rep SLDLs. Additionally, many of us old-school geezers start the season off with a six to eight-week strength/hypertrophy routine, such as the 20-rep squat routine ( http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/irontamer5.htm ), that sets a solid strength base for any standard powerlifting routine that follows with very high reps.

 

[ChrisLindsay9]

I agree that any strength-training/hypertrophy program will be of benefit to anyone with goals of becoming bigger/stronger. But the two examples you mention seem to be more of benefit to those who are indeed just building raw strength/muscle and that as his or her only goals. So I would put it in the powerlifting program and strength training program diagram.



It doesn't seem like a person doing a 10-rep SLDL program or 20+rep squat program with regularity or within 2-3 months of a powerlifting competition would find them beneficial - if his or her goals are to set/break federation records and climb up the rankings. Perhaps elements of those programs in their assistance work programming, but not as a main emphasis.

 

[PillarofBalance]

I agree that any strength-training/hypertrophy program will be of benefit to anyone with goals of becoming bigger/stronger. But the two examples you mention seem to be more of benefit to those who are indeed just building raw strength/muscle and that as his or her only goals. So I would put it in the powerlifting program and strength training program diagram.

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It doesn't seem like a person doing a 10-rep SLDL program or 20+rep squat program with regularity or within 2-3 months of a powerlifting competition would find them beneficial - if his or her goals are to set/break federation records and climb up the rankings. Perhaps elements of those programs in their assistance work programming, but not as a main emphasis.

Why wouldn't building muscle near a meet be in line with a goal of lifting more at the meet?

 

[_3M_]

10+ and I'm out.

I did a crossfit wod once, it was terrible...never again

 

[_3M_]

Why wouldn't building muscle near a meet be in line with a goal of lifting more at the meet?

What do you mean by this POB? As you get closer to meet prep, volume decreases, and intensity increases as you focus more on competition lifts. What purpose or benefit would doing hypertrophy work close to meet have?

 

[BrotherIron]

What do you mean by this POB? As you get closer to meet prep, volume decreases, and intensity increases as you focus more on competition lifts. What purpose or benefit would doing hypertrophy work close to meet have?

I agree with 3M on this.

 

[PillarofBalance]

What do you mean by this POB? As you get closer to meet prep, volume decreases, and intensity increases as you focus more on competition lifts. What purpose or benefit would doing hypertrophy work close to meet have?

Some guys seem to require this sort of stimulation. For example, you know how some in the deadlift will pick the bar up immediately lock the knees and then it's all back to lock? Like there are two distinct parts of the lift?

Doing rep work helps build or maintain some sort of propreoception and keeps them using their ass to fuck the bar all the way from start to finish.

It can also be used to relieve sore joints and muscles by flushing them out.

So while I wouldn't go nuts with reps on the main assistance lifts, it can still be good supplemental work.

So say right in the taper you are doing Bully Yoga Apex. You have a week where you are setting openers.

Monday might look like:
Comp squat 1 x 3 @10
GHR 3 x 10

In general I am not a huge fan at this point. It's at a time where you shouldn't want gpp. You want spp. Which would be your comp lifts and direct assistance.

Just saying for some it's needed. Particularly females.

 

[UncleAl]

I agree that any strength-training/hypertrophy program will be of benefit to anyone with goals of becoming bigger/stronger. But the two examples you mention seem to be more of benefit to those who are indeed just building raw strength/muscle and that as his or her only goals. So I would put it in the powerlifting program and strength training program diagram.

It doesn't seem like a person doing a 10-rep SLDL program or 20+rep squat program with regularity or within 2-3 months of a powerlifting competition would find them beneficial - if his or her goals are to set/break federation records and climb up the rankings. Perhaps elements of those programs in their assistance work programming, but not as a main emphasis.

I am certainly not talking about using high reps for the primary lifts as part of an eight week peaking cycle, Chris. Again, I am talking about a longer-term plan, at the very least four, but more effectively closer six months. The Finnish routine is a great example of how this leads to a PR by starting with a meso cycle of 10-rep SLDLs, followed by a meso cycle of deficit deadlifts, and finishing with a peaking meso cycle with competition deadlifts. If you can't relate, think in terms of simple block periodization. Here, the lifter could set up meso cycles of something like eight weeks of hypertrophy/strength (high reps at 60-70% intensity), followed eight of base building (five reps at 75% to 80%), and peaking (triples/doubles/singles at 85% to 95%).

 

[UncleAl]

Some guys seem to require this sort of stimulation. For example, you know how some in the deadlift will pick the bar up immediately lock the knees and then it's all back to lock? Like there are two distinct parts of the lift?

Doing rep work helps build or maintain some sort of propreoception and keeps them using their ass to fuck the bar all the way from start to finish.

It can also be used to relieve sore joints and muscles by flushing them out.

So while I wouldn't go nuts with reps on the main assistance lifts, it can still be good supplemental work.

So say right in the taper you are doing Bully Yoga Apex. You have a week where you are setting openers.

Monday might look like:
Comp squat 1 x 3 @10
GHR 3 x 10

In general I am not a huge fan at this point. It's at a time where you shouldn't want gpp. You want spp. Which would be your comp lifts and direct assistance.

Just saying for some it's needed. Particularly females.

Exactly. This is an individual thing. Some guys can cut all assistance work four or more weeks out from a meet and maintain muscle mass and the strength they've built in their weak areas while getting a great supercompensation bounce from the reduced volume. Others, like me, need to keep at least some weak point training and/or bodybuilding going until ten days to two weeks out or lose ground. GPP is another story, of course. Strength endurance lifting, as well as sled, prowler, farmer walk, etc., while valuable early on, can f**k up your recovery big time if kept up while you trying to reach a peak.

 

[BrotherIron]

I did a crossfit wod once, it was terrible...never again

Those kind of things you want to keep to yourself, lol.

 

[_3M_]

Ok I understand what you guys are saying. Makes a lot of sense now, I guess I was just confused as what you guys meant.