Hey guys the names Jawad, this is my first post. I started lifting in August '16 so I’m still new to the game but that doesn’t mean that I don’t like to lift some heavy weight haha…
Btw the gym owner said I have a bad bench and a good deadlift because I have really long arms, does that really make any difference?
70-85% of your max for triples and fives most of the time. Heavy singles(not max) sometimes.
It’s really that simple.
My normal routine is based on fives and singles. Looks like this:
Week 1 squat single / bench 5 / pull 5
Week 2 squat 5 / bench single / pull 5
Week 3 squat 5 / bench 5 / pull single
Week 4 all 5’s
Just work up to something heavy.
For example: Most weeks I work the squat raw at 400x5 because I can do the last rep paused at the bottom pretty much any week. If 400 feels really light on the first rep, I’ll rack it for a single and go 420x5. Some weeks it might go 430 or 440x5. Just depends on the session. But my base is always 400x5 at the minimum. If 400x5 felt good, I might go ahead and go 420x5. I don’t deviate reps though. If it’s fives that week, I do fives. The only time I’ll change if its a week of singles and I’m feeling beat up, I’ll stick with a light five and try for the single the following week.
So having said all that, these numbers are based on a 510 squat. My current max is 530 with a definite 550+ in me but I never really max out in the gym. All my numbers need to be readjusted to the 530. I generally try and shoot for 75-80%ish as a base for my 5’s.
This is a little more of an advanced routine from the standpoint of knowing my body, how the weight moves each session, technique, etc. If you need an actual program, you cannot beat 531. Its a great routine. One of the guys I train with uses it and he goes 540-365-585 at 220lbs raw.
Appreciate the reply, i’ve noted all of that down. I’ve done some research and came across smolov jr, what’s your opinion on that? and are there any other good ones that i can try in the future? thanks.
You could do worse than 5/3/1, Cube or Juggernaut. They eliminate the need to know yourself particularly well, which can be an advantage. Honestly, what you do in the two months leading up to the meet are where you need to really get specific for powerlifting. Outside of that, bodybuilding training will be fine especially if you focus on the big three.
Cheers mate, so I can just follow 5/3/1 and mix bodybuilding in there too? But only need to get specific coming up to a meet. I don’t plan to get too big anyways, I prefer the power
Sure. My best results have been going with PR sets followed by First Set Last and then treat two assistance exercises and two smaller exercises as bodybuilding. Check my log if you want to see in practice what I do.
Exactly. So you’d drop PR sets and work up in joker sets getting progressively heavier closer to meet day, then back off in the last two weeks. Assistance would stay the same volume but maybe less intensity. Last week minimal work of any kind.
A bigger muscle is a stronger muscle. Train and eat to get more muscular. You’ll never, ever get big by accident.
Smolov Jr is not gonna be optimal for you. 531 is a really good choice. It does combine PL and BB.
Some people says it does, because it changes how far you have to move the bar, but unless you are going into competition the only thing that matters is that you are stronger tomorrow than you were yesterday.