Do you have a question and are:
- A novice and basically clueless by default?
- Completely incapable of using google?
- Just feeling plain stupid today and need shit explained like you're 5?
Then this is the thread FOR YOU! Don't take up valuable space on the front page and annoy the mods, ASK IT HERE and one of our resident "experts" will try and answer it. As long as it's somehow related to powerlifting then nothing is too generic, too stupid, too awful, too obvious or too repetitive. And don't be shy, we don't bite (unless we're hungry), and no one will judge you because everyone had to start somewhere and we're more than happy to help newbie lifters out.
Programming RPE
I previously misunderstood what exactly RPE was but anyways.
I currently bench twice a week, one heavy, one moderate. Correct me if this is the wrong way to go about this. So instead of having a a set number to do for heavy bench day for example, should I just use a weight that would feel like RPE8/9? (Or whatever the target goal is).
Honestly any advice on programming RPE would be appreciated 🙏
Tl;Dr best tips or video/visual guide on using a belt for deadlifts?
I asked for and got a belt for Christmas. I want to use it for deadlifts. I tried it on at home and felt really good just having it on and lowering into deadlift starting position. Down the gym today I put it on and felt weird and couldn’t hit the lifts for my workout which surprised me. I’m not expecting it to increase my max magically, but maybe make me feel more supported. I didn’t realize how different the lift would feel. Does the whole mechanic change (pressure out vs pressure held in?) or do I need time to get used to it?
I saw this brick shit house of a man warming up for deadlifts one time and he was standing on some bands wrapped around the barbell for all of his warm up sets (guy pulled 495lbs like it was the just a empty bar) leading up to his top set. What’s the purpose of using the bands in this case? Is it beneficial at all (obviously has to be lol)?
The band adds more resistance at the top of the lift than the bottom. Some people will use that if they want to train certain aspects of the deadlift, for example making the lockout tougher to improve that part.
How do I start training for powerlifting?
I've been lifting for 3 years following 531 BBB but am still a beginner/novice. I'm male and in my mid 20s. I want to train for powerlifting but I guess I should first hit the goal of hitting 315/225/405 on S/B/D.
My current 1RM lifts (that I've actually completed) are:
Timeline: July 2022->Jan 2023->May 2024->Dec 2025
Height: 5'6->5'6->5'6->5'6
Bodyweight: 145->155->155->175 lbs
Squat 1RM: 130->165->180->235 lbs
Bench 1RM: 110->135->150->190 lbs
Deadlift 1RM: 175->215->225->295 lbs
Press 1RM: 85->95->100->125 lbs
I want to specifically know:
It might take a few programs to get you there. It's kind of fun to get through one program, test, see where you land, take a deload/pivot, then run the next one. And there's never a bad time to try take something seriously.
Here's one you can try from RTS (I'm biased) it's 14 weeks long.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1S6w0vOSY_75mpNOkT0HktnEYYOT8JdR527_shAWlY1E/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Go to file - make a copy, and stick with it.
Another one could be Calgary Barbell
https://www.calgarybarbell.com/16-week-program
You can do a powerlifting program at any strength level. Lots of people have gotten plenty strong doing 531 BBB and what I'm noticing is that you simply didn't make enough progress in 2023 so I would question what went wrong there. If you want an example of something more powerlifting focused, check out the stronger by science 28 free programs. It gives you programs specifically for bench, squat, and deadlift and you mix and match. So you might choose bench 2x/week beginner + squat 2x/week beginner + deadlift 1x/week beginner for example. An example of peaking would be like the Russian squat routine. Your last week there it has you do 2 sets of 2 for a workout. That is simply not enough volume to grow so you will actually get weaker in the long run it just helps you shed fatigue so you're ready to go on one specific day. Avoid peaking outside of meet times.
Thanks!
I think what went wrong in 2023 was not eating enough (bw didn't go up) and maybe not pushing myself hard enough.
My takeaway about peaking is that since I'm not training for a meet right now, I should be skipping the "peaking week" of whichever powerlifting program that I do.
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This is basically Starting Strength. Can it work? Sure. It has for lots of lifters. Is it ideal, especially in your situation? Probably not. There are a lot better ways to structure a 5x5 program than this. But I’m sure you’ll make some progress for at least a little while before it stops working.