PillarofBalance
Strength Pimp
- Feb 27, 2011
- 17,066
- 4,640
Introduction
If I’m going to have 10,000 posts at the Iron Den Forum, then I figured at least one of them should be substantive and helpful! So I’m putting to paper what I’ve done for quite a few guys that I know personally who have either wanted to get back in shape quick, or transition from bodybuilding to powerlifting. Your average man in the gym who wants to get jacked will likely pick up flex magazine and attempt some 6 day per week body part split with all sorts of pyramids and train to failure all while eating inadequate calories leaving them weaker and more frail. One other use for this program – which I continue to use it for, is recovery after a meet. I’ll run this program for about two months after a meet and I find that it allows my joints, muscles and mind to fully recuperate.
Some of the things you will see in this guide; the concepts, will look familiar to many of you who are experienced in powerlifting. That is because of course I am not at all the smartest nor am I the most experienced powerlifter around. I’m simply the most handsome.
However, I have competed in powerlifting twice so far and have many more meets in my future. I would say I’m slightly above average in my total, but only because my squat is an anchor lift. I was gifted with slightly deformed hips which make cardio nightmarishly painful, but backsquatting much more efficient. And over the past year, I have gained experience training not only myself, but several others. They have smashed PR’s and continue to make progress as they approach their first meets. It will be a proud day for me to see them on the platform.
Things to bear in mind…
As a bodybuilder, it is drilled into your head that if you’re not training to failure, then you’re not growing. So the first hurdle to clear with a new trainee making the transition to powerlifting will be getting them to understand that the program will not bore them. They will be sore, they will be exhausted. They won’t want to get out of bed the next day. BUT! They will no longer be training a compound lift to failure under any circumstance, short of a meet or simulated meet. The number of times I have said ok today is 75% for 5's and after doing the math I hear "that's it?" The temptation is always there for a bodybuilder to up the weights to a higher percentage because the idea of doing 6 or 8 sets of something is not typical for them. You must keep them focused and remind them to stick to the program. They'll be glad they did. Attempting to up the weights only results in missed lifts and inadequate volume.
The next hurdle will be getting them to understand that being a powerlifter; that is training like one will not inherently make you fat. I will never for the life of me understand this. But I have one particular training partner who is so incredibly hard headed and entrenched that he sacrificed weeks on end during the summer so he could look good at the beach rather than look strong on the platform. This is not at all my way of insulting him. He’s a good friend and has saved me from eating a bench bar on occasion. It’s just something you need to expect to come your way. It is about volume. Bodybuilders think they have the market cornered on volume. But they have no idea until they run a program like what is to follow.
Your final struggle with them will be over accessories. They will try and turn this 3 day per week program into a 5 day per week program by insisting that they need a day to come in and do curls, shrugs, shoulders (laterals, not presses mind you) and my favorite of all time – calf raises. Rest assured, deadlifting will build mountains for traps, heavy squats will make your calves grow and yes, bench press will even make your biceps bigger.
One final note for this section is in regards to scheduling the training days. So many powerlifters train Monday – Squat, Wednesday – Bench, Friday – Deadlift. If MWF doesn’t work for them, negotiate. They can only do what their schedule allows. Face it. You’re not talking to Donnie Thompson. They have a job, kids and occasionally may even have some sort of awkward rendezvous with a woman.
The Meat and Potatoes
Author’s note – Where Max Effort appears, that does not imply a 1RM. It means your maximum effort on that day. It may be a ME for a double. It may even be less than a previous PR. It is a perceived max exertion. The trainee should judge on a scale of 1-10 the level of difficulty. If you are observing a training attempting a max effort, bar speed and/or breakdowns in form should be used to determine if weight is to be added.
Week 1
Monday (pull day)
Deadlift 75% x 3 x 7
BB Row x 7 x 5
Lat Pulldown x 7 x 5
Curlz x get a good pump going, don’t go overboard
Wednesday (push day)
Bench 85% x 2 x 4
Dumbbell Press Incline x 5 x 4
Floor Press or Close Grip Bench x 5 x 4
Skull Crushers x 7 to 10 x 4
Friday (Skwats)
Squat
Ramp up
Acclimation set
Max Effort x 2 for a PR
Go eat!
Week 2
Monday
Deads
85% x 3 x 5
BB Row x 5 x 4
Lat Pulldown x 5 x 4
Curlz x pump
Wednesday
Max Effort
Benchpress
Ramp Up
Acclimation Set
Max Effort x 3
Go eat!
Friday
Skwat
75% x 5 x 5
Good Mornings x 7 x 4
Stiff Deads with dumbbells x 7 x 4
Front Squat x 7 x 2
Week 3
Monday
Deads - Max Effort
Ramp Up
Acclimation Set
Max Effort x 2 for a PR
Wednesday
Bench
75% x 5 x 3
Close Grip Bench x 5 x 3
Skull Crushers x 10 x 3
JM Press x 10 x 3
Pushdowns x 10 x until you can't do anymore
Friday
Skwats
75% x 5 x 5
Good Mornings x 7 x 4
Front Squat x 7 x 4
Stiff Leg Deads x 10 x 2
Week 4 (deload)
Monday
Deads
65% x 5 x 5
BB Rows 135 x 15 x 3
Back Extensions 15 x 5
Wendesday
Bench
65% x 5 x 5
Tricep Pushdowns x 15 x 3
Side Raises x 15 x 3
Skwats
65% x 5 x 5
Leg Curl x 15 x 3
After running this method twice, the trainee should be adapted to the stress of powerlifting but with the rep ranges of accessories still feel healthy and relatively flexible. But most importantly – confident. At this point, a simulated meet should be done. And a new lifetime PR set for each lift.
If PR’s are set for each lift, I would suggest either returning to this program if that is the trainee’s wish, or consider alternating with a bout of something more intense. An off the shelf Sheiko program such as Sheiko #29 would adequately test the trainee’s mental toughness, discipline and drive. Follow that with a week deload and a return here.
I think this program is simple enough to follow for just about anyone, but if a question arises, post it.
Teaching the Squat
I am a firm believer that before attempting to delve into the deadlift or the benchpress, the squat must be worked. The proper form for the particular lifter must be uncovered. In my experience, any advance in my benchpress or deadlift is preceded by a breakthrough in my squat. I’m not sure what to attribute this to, but in pure broscience terms I have set it in my head that after unracking 600lbs on my back, having 300lbs in my hands doesn’t feel so threatening. An adaptation of the central nervous system perhaps?
Begin by placing a cloth mat or thick bath towel on the floor and have the trainee assume his squat stance on it. Ask the trainee to push the mat apart with their feet as if they were attempting to tear it in half. Be aware of the toe angle. Failure to accomplish this first task is most likely due to the toes being angled out too far. In order to create the torque in the hips necessary to comply with this task, the toes may need to be angled closer to straight forward. Make sure their weight is on the heel and outside of the foot. If you push a finger into the trainee’s upper/side quad or upper glute area it should be very tight and the mat should look as though its being ripped in half. Once this is accomplished to satisfaction, you can now tell the lifter that when you ask them to “spread the floor” this is exactly what you’re asking them to do.
The next queue to work on is “opening the hips.” I prefer to use “knees out” as the verbal queue. This is a little simpler to teach. Have the lifter again assume their squat stance and spread the floor. Now tell them to squat slowly and as they squat to spread their knees apart and ask for a pause at the bottom. You’ll give the up command. Have them repeat this until they satisfactorily squat to depth with their knees shoved out. Unless the lifter’s stance is well beyond shoulder width, the knee should travel sideways over the sidewall of the foot. If there is difficulty in understanding this concept, you can give a physical queue by placing the hand on the side of their knee while they are at the ready, and ask them to descend into a squat while pushing their knee against your hand. Any difficulty accomplishing this should be carefully reviewed. I don’t have the time to get in depth as to the causes of this, short of explaining that it is a mobility issue in either the hip or the ankle. See mobilitywod.com for more information on getting these joints mobilized.
The final step before actually getting under that bar is making sure they understand how to take in air. In today’s stressful society shallow chest breathing is the norm. Teaching this is almost like teaching a meditation; in through the nose and into the belly. Hold the air tight and push the abdominals out hard. Give them a whack in the stomach to test it!
Getting Under the Bar (Walk Out)
You may now put the lifter under an empty bar. I train the set up in very concise steps. As the trainee sets up, if mistakes are made it is often best to have them begin again rather than try to make corrections while under the bar.
1. Set the grip: The lifter should grab the bar just beyond shoulder width and choke the life out of it. I generally recommend thumb-less grips as a way of relieving pressure in the shoulder. If the lifter is complaining about elbow pain this is likely your culprit. A narrow squat grip with the hands wrapped around the bar.
2. Duck under: Lean the head under the bar and drive forward until there is tension on the shoulder joint. The purpose of this is to set up evenly on the bar. A tight shoulder will cause an uneven set up with an unbalanced load on the back. Then slide back out under with the bar scraping the back. When the appropriate shelf is found often times the lifter will instinctually sense it. I have never recommended a high bar setting. On top of the rear delts and across the traps there is a groove to be had.
3. Set the hips under the bar: I direct them to get the hips under the bar and not worry so much about foot placement. With the hips under the bar, the unrack becomes effortless with a squeeze of the glutes. So the lifter will naturally place their feet where their balance is best found.
4. Pack the neck: Nothing makes me crazier than a bobble headed squatter. You’ve seen it. They come up to the top of their squat and suddenly the head darts forward. Don’t do that. You don’t have to look up as is often told. You simply have to compress your neck.
5. Squeeze the lats: I queue this as “elbows.” The lifter needs to work on driving the elbows forward and keeping the upper back contracted. During rep work, this will fail so queue the lifter at the top of each rep if needed.
6. Arch the back: A tight slope in the lower back continuing upwards to the bar. Stress the importance of this from an injury perspective. A properly arched back will help load the hips and take compression forces off the spinal column.
Now they are ready to unrack. The walk out should be as short as possible. Every movement down to the slightest shuffle of the feet is energy consumed. The walk out must be as simple as stepping back with the lead foot, then the next, then step to the side with the lead foot and finally step to the side with the alternate foot. That’s it. For myself, I had a partner put a chalk outline on the floor in the rack so I could train my walk out the same way every single time.
Once they have satisfactorily performed all of the above, they are ready for weight. As you move up in weight, more verbal queues will be called for. Weaknesses will reveal themselves.
If major weaknesses abound, adjust the accessories in the program. Accessories in a program should never be so concrete that you would insist on doing the same glute work you always do in the face of a weak upper back. That’s just stupidity.
For me to compose an article to address the various breakdowns in technique would be exhaustive. Any time you have a technical issue, feel free to shoot me a PM of a video of your squat. Or do your best to describe what is happening and we’ll see what we can do to fix it.
You'll note I did not include a primer on the deadlift of benchpress. There is a good reason for that. There is nothing special about my bench or pull. I am still learning to master those lifts. The squat just clicks with me. I'm always glad to help if I can or refer you off to someone who can take you further though. So just ask.
PoB
If I’m going to have 10,000 posts at the Iron Den Forum, then I figured at least one of them should be substantive and helpful! So I’m putting to paper what I’ve done for quite a few guys that I know personally who have either wanted to get back in shape quick, or transition from bodybuilding to powerlifting. Your average man in the gym who wants to get jacked will likely pick up flex magazine and attempt some 6 day per week body part split with all sorts of pyramids and train to failure all while eating inadequate calories leaving them weaker and more frail. One other use for this program – which I continue to use it for, is recovery after a meet. I’ll run this program for about two months after a meet and I find that it allows my joints, muscles and mind to fully recuperate.
Some of the things you will see in this guide; the concepts, will look familiar to many of you who are experienced in powerlifting. That is because of course I am not at all the smartest nor am I the most experienced powerlifter around. I’m simply the most handsome.
However, I have competed in powerlifting twice so far and have many more meets in my future. I would say I’m slightly above average in my total, but only because my squat is an anchor lift. I was gifted with slightly deformed hips which make cardio nightmarishly painful, but backsquatting much more efficient. And over the past year, I have gained experience training not only myself, but several others. They have smashed PR’s and continue to make progress as they approach their first meets. It will be a proud day for me to see them on the platform.
Things to bear in mind…
As a bodybuilder, it is drilled into your head that if you’re not training to failure, then you’re not growing. So the first hurdle to clear with a new trainee making the transition to powerlifting will be getting them to understand that the program will not bore them. They will be sore, they will be exhausted. They won’t want to get out of bed the next day. BUT! They will no longer be training a compound lift to failure under any circumstance, short of a meet or simulated meet. The number of times I have said ok today is 75% for 5's and after doing the math I hear "that's it?" The temptation is always there for a bodybuilder to up the weights to a higher percentage because the idea of doing 6 or 8 sets of something is not typical for them. You must keep them focused and remind them to stick to the program. They'll be glad they did. Attempting to up the weights only results in missed lifts and inadequate volume.
The next hurdle will be getting them to understand that being a powerlifter; that is training like one will not inherently make you fat. I will never for the life of me understand this. But I have one particular training partner who is so incredibly hard headed and entrenched that he sacrificed weeks on end during the summer so he could look good at the beach rather than look strong on the platform. This is not at all my way of insulting him. He’s a good friend and has saved me from eating a bench bar on occasion. It’s just something you need to expect to come your way. It is about volume. Bodybuilders think they have the market cornered on volume. But they have no idea until they run a program like what is to follow.
Your final struggle with them will be over accessories. They will try and turn this 3 day per week program into a 5 day per week program by insisting that they need a day to come in and do curls, shrugs, shoulders (laterals, not presses mind you) and my favorite of all time – calf raises. Rest assured, deadlifting will build mountains for traps, heavy squats will make your calves grow and yes, bench press will even make your biceps bigger.
One final note for this section is in regards to scheduling the training days. So many powerlifters train Monday – Squat, Wednesday – Bench, Friday – Deadlift. If MWF doesn’t work for them, negotiate. They can only do what their schedule allows. Face it. You’re not talking to Donnie Thompson. They have a job, kids and occasionally may even have some sort of awkward rendezvous with a woman.
The Meat and Potatoes
Author’s note – Where Max Effort appears, that does not imply a 1RM. It means your maximum effort on that day. It may be a ME for a double. It may even be less than a previous PR. It is a perceived max exertion. The trainee should judge on a scale of 1-10 the level of difficulty. If you are observing a training attempting a max effort, bar speed and/or breakdowns in form should be used to determine if weight is to be added.
Week 1
Monday (pull day)
Deadlift 75% x 3 x 7
BB Row x 7 x 5
Lat Pulldown x 7 x 5
Curlz x get a good pump going, don’t go overboard
Wednesday (push day)
Bench 85% x 2 x 4
Dumbbell Press Incline x 5 x 4
Floor Press or Close Grip Bench x 5 x 4
Skull Crushers x 7 to 10 x 4
Friday (Skwats)
Squat
Ramp up
Acclimation set
Max Effort x 2 for a PR
Go eat!
Week 2
Monday
Deads
85% x 3 x 5
BB Row x 5 x 4
Lat Pulldown x 5 x 4
Curlz x pump
Wednesday
Max Effort
Benchpress
Ramp Up
Acclimation Set
Max Effort x 3
Go eat!
Friday
Skwat
75% x 5 x 5
Good Mornings x 7 x 4
Stiff Deads with dumbbells x 7 x 4
Front Squat x 7 x 2
Week 3
Monday
Deads - Max Effort
Ramp Up
Acclimation Set
Max Effort x 2 for a PR
Wednesday
Bench
75% x 5 x 3
Close Grip Bench x 5 x 3
Skull Crushers x 10 x 3
JM Press x 10 x 3
Pushdowns x 10 x until you can't do anymore
Friday
Skwats
75% x 5 x 5
Good Mornings x 7 x 4
Front Squat x 7 x 4
Stiff Leg Deads x 10 x 2
Week 4 (deload)
Monday
Deads
65% x 5 x 5
BB Rows 135 x 15 x 3
Back Extensions 15 x 5
Wendesday
Bench
65% x 5 x 5
Tricep Pushdowns x 15 x 3
Side Raises x 15 x 3
Skwats
65% x 5 x 5
Leg Curl x 15 x 3
After running this method twice, the trainee should be adapted to the stress of powerlifting but with the rep ranges of accessories still feel healthy and relatively flexible. But most importantly – confident. At this point, a simulated meet should be done. And a new lifetime PR set for each lift.
If PR’s are set for each lift, I would suggest either returning to this program if that is the trainee’s wish, or consider alternating with a bout of something more intense. An off the shelf Sheiko program such as Sheiko #29 would adequately test the trainee’s mental toughness, discipline and drive. Follow that with a week deload and a return here.
I think this program is simple enough to follow for just about anyone, but if a question arises, post it.
Teaching the Squat
I am a firm believer that before attempting to delve into the deadlift or the benchpress, the squat must be worked. The proper form for the particular lifter must be uncovered. In my experience, any advance in my benchpress or deadlift is preceded by a breakthrough in my squat. I’m not sure what to attribute this to, but in pure broscience terms I have set it in my head that after unracking 600lbs on my back, having 300lbs in my hands doesn’t feel so threatening. An adaptation of the central nervous system perhaps?
Begin by placing a cloth mat or thick bath towel on the floor and have the trainee assume his squat stance on it. Ask the trainee to push the mat apart with their feet as if they were attempting to tear it in half. Be aware of the toe angle. Failure to accomplish this first task is most likely due to the toes being angled out too far. In order to create the torque in the hips necessary to comply with this task, the toes may need to be angled closer to straight forward. Make sure their weight is on the heel and outside of the foot. If you push a finger into the trainee’s upper/side quad or upper glute area it should be very tight and the mat should look as though its being ripped in half. Once this is accomplished to satisfaction, you can now tell the lifter that when you ask them to “spread the floor” this is exactly what you’re asking them to do.
The next queue to work on is “opening the hips.” I prefer to use “knees out” as the verbal queue. This is a little simpler to teach. Have the lifter again assume their squat stance and spread the floor. Now tell them to squat slowly and as they squat to spread their knees apart and ask for a pause at the bottom. You’ll give the up command. Have them repeat this until they satisfactorily squat to depth with their knees shoved out. Unless the lifter’s stance is well beyond shoulder width, the knee should travel sideways over the sidewall of the foot. If there is difficulty in understanding this concept, you can give a physical queue by placing the hand on the side of their knee while they are at the ready, and ask them to descend into a squat while pushing their knee against your hand. Any difficulty accomplishing this should be carefully reviewed. I don’t have the time to get in depth as to the causes of this, short of explaining that it is a mobility issue in either the hip or the ankle. See mobilitywod.com for more information on getting these joints mobilized.
The final step before actually getting under that bar is making sure they understand how to take in air. In today’s stressful society shallow chest breathing is the norm. Teaching this is almost like teaching a meditation; in through the nose and into the belly. Hold the air tight and push the abdominals out hard. Give them a whack in the stomach to test it!
Getting Under the Bar (Walk Out)
You may now put the lifter under an empty bar. I train the set up in very concise steps. As the trainee sets up, if mistakes are made it is often best to have them begin again rather than try to make corrections while under the bar.
1. Set the grip: The lifter should grab the bar just beyond shoulder width and choke the life out of it. I generally recommend thumb-less grips as a way of relieving pressure in the shoulder. If the lifter is complaining about elbow pain this is likely your culprit. A narrow squat grip with the hands wrapped around the bar.
2. Duck under: Lean the head under the bar and drive forward until there is tension on the shoulder joint. The purpose of this is to set up evenly on the bar. A tight shoulder will cause an uneven set up with an unbalanced load on the back. Then slide back out under with the bar scraping the back. When the appropriate shelf is found often times the lifter will instinctually sense it. I have never recommended a high bar setting. On top of the rear delts and across the traps there is a groove to be had.
3. Set the hips under the bar: I direct them to get the hips under the bar and not worry so much about foot placement. With the hips under the bar, the unrack becomes effortless with a squeeze of the glutes. So the lifter will naturally place their feet where their balance is best found.
4. Pack the neck: Nothing makes me crazier than a bobble headed squatter. You’ve seen it. They come up to the top of their squat and suddenly the head darts forward. Don’t do that. You don’t have to look up as is often told. You simply have to compress your neck.
5. Squeeze the lats: I queue this as “elbows.” The lifter needs to work on driving the elbows forward and keeping the upper back contracted. During rep work, this will fail so queue the lifter at the top of each rep if needed.
6. Arch the back: A tight slope in the lower back continuing upwards to the bar. Stress the importance of this from an injury perspective. A properly arched back will help load the hips and take compression forces off the spinal column.
Now they are ready to unrack. The walk out should be as short as possible. Every movement down to the slightest shuffle of the feet is energy consumed. The walk out must be as simple as stepping back with the lead foot, then the next, then step to the side with the lead foot and finally step to the side with the alternate foot. That’s it. For myself, I had a partner put a chalk outline on the floor in the rack so I could train my walk out the same way every single time.
Once they have satisfactorily performed all of the above, they are ready for weight. As you move up in weight, more verbal queues will be called for. Weaknesses will reveal themselves.
If major weaknesses abound, adjust the accessories in the program. Accessories in a program should never be so concrete that you would insist on doing the same glute work you always do in the face of a weak upper back. That’s just stupidity.
For me to compose an article to address the various breakdowns in technique would be exhaustive. Any time you have a technical issue, feel free to shoot me a PM of a video of your squat. Or do your best to describe what is happening and we’ll see what we can do to fix it.
You'll note I did not include a primer on the deadlift of benchpress. There is a good reason for that. There is nothing special about my bench or pull. I am still learning to master those lifts. The squat just clicks with me. I'm always glad to help if I can or refer you off to someone who can take you further though. So just ask.
PoB
