Deeko's powerlifting thread

[brikis98]

Nice work Deeko. Very solid 363 squat and 402 deadlift. BTW, is that baby powder on your legs when deadlifting?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Nice work Deeko. Very solid 363 squat and 402 deadlift. BTW, is that baby powder on your legs when deadlifting?

I assumed it was chalk

 

[Koing]

Congrats on the PB's!

The PR DL went up very fast!

Koing

 

[Deeko]

Thanks. Yes its baby powder brikis. I personally don't notice a difference - the smooth part of the bar comes up my legs, not knurling - but its par for the course in powerlifting competition.

 

[Pantlegz]

is it just me or do you have a pretty wide squat stance? Seems like your feet are a lot further apart than mine seem when I squat.

 

[brikis98]

I assumed it was chalk

I think that would be counterproductive as it would increase friction/grip, whereas baby powder would let the bar slide up smoother.

Thanks. Yes its baby powder brikis. I personally don't notice a difference - the smooth part of the bar comes up my legs, not knurling - but its par for the course in powerlifting competition.

Depending on the bar I use, I often make contact with the knurling. Probably depends on the size of the person and the width of their deadlift stance.

is it just me or do you have a pretty wide squat stance? Seems like your feet are a lot further apart than mine seem when I squat.

Most powerlifters use a wider stance as it reduces the ROM (shorter distance = more weight moved) and allows them to use the posterior chain more (hamstrings + glutes + adductors let you move more weight than quads).

 

[Deeko]

Depending on the bar I use, I often make contact with the knurling. Probably depends on the size of the person and the width of their deadlift stance.


Most powerlifters use a wider stance as it reduces the ROM (shorter distance = more weight moved) and allows them to use the posterior chain more (hamstrings + glutes + adductors let you move more weight than quads).

Yep, I'm a smaller guy with a narrow stance, so no knurling for me. And you're correct on the stance - I actually go narrower than the majority of the guys I lift with due to my lack of flexibility.

 

[Deeko]

Squats yesterday
45x6
135x5
185x5
225x5
255x5
275x5
295x5

Not too heavy a workout, but I was going 100% raw on these - no belt, no knee sleeves, no wrist wraps - so it was a bit of an adjustment from the way I normally squat.

 

[Deeko]

I might as well outline my plan for the near future.

I changed weight classes from 148-165, and in doing so, I gained a decent amount of weight in a short time (from 144-163). While I did put on a good deal of muscle, I put on fat too, and for me (and my diet) its a whole lot easier to add muscle/fat and then cut nearly all fat than to just add muscle. So over the next few months, I'm going to keep going up - likely to about 175 or so. Then, I'll cut back down to 165 - resulting in a more lean 165 than I'm at now.

As my immediate goal right now is to gain size, I will spend the next few months in a bit higher rep range - more 4-6 than my usual 1-3.

 

[Deeko]

Bench
45x6
95x5
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x3
235x5

standing OH press
45x5
95x5
115x5
125x5

pushdowns
120x6
160x5
180x5
200x5

First bench with no belt, wrist wraps, etc. Felt good. I'm also working on expanding my arch. I won't lie...it hurts like hell. But if I can get it to improve, it will have a huge impact.

 

[norsy]

How is your seated press so much higher than the standing one? Do you have your back supported while seated?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

How is your seated press so much higher than the standing one? Do you have your back supported while seated?

Most people can actually press more while seated. The disparity between exercises is a result of increased leg drive and decreased requirement for core stabilization in the seated movement.

 

[Deeko]

What he said - and yes, I do the seated OH press on an upright bench, so my back is supported - although I only touch it with my shoulders.

 

[Deeko]

(saturday's workout)

Dumbbell rows
90x6
120x5
130x5
140x5/3 (R/L hand)

Rack pulls
225x5
275x5
315x5 (long holds at top)
365x3
135x5 (hook grip)
225x5 (hook grip)

Pullups
BWx10
BWx10

Lateral/Front dumbbell raises
20x5
25x5
30x5

Shrugs
90x10
100x6
110x5

Bleh...it sucks having to remember chalk when I go to the normal gym, not the powerlifting gym. Not having chalk just destroys my grip - that's what killed me on every exercise today, especially the rack pulls. I toyed around with the hook grip at the end, but it didn't help - I understand that when you first start it, it hurts - but that wasn't even the problem. It just didn't feel secure, like my fingers weren't long enough to really wrap around the thumb. I dunno, maybe I just wasn't doing it right.

 

[Deeko]

Squats
45x5
135x5
185x3
225x3
255x3
275x5
295x5

I really wanted to push 315x5 today, but I had just given blood 6 hours before, and felt a bit lightheaded after the 295, so I figured it was probably best to call it quits for the day.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Squats
45x5
135x5
185x3
225x3
255x3
275x5
295x5

I really wanted to push 315x5 today, but I had just given blood 6 hours before, and felt a bit lightheaded after the 295, so I figured it was probably best to call it quits for the day.

Lol, does lifting 295x5 not qualify as "strenuous exercise?" In my experience, it's just best to give blood, take that day and the next day off, and get back into it after that. Good job at paying attention to your body though - I know a ton of guys who would've wrecked themselves no matter what.

 

[Deeko]

Yea....my intention was to give blood way earlier in the day (8am instead of 2pm), but I got tied up at work, which didn't help. Probably still not the best idea, but I figured it was better to do a half-assed workout than no workout at all.

 

[Deeko]

standing oh press
45x5
95x5
115x3
135x1
155x1 PR
165xF

Bench
135x5
175x5
205x5
225x5
245x5 PR

bent rope pushdowns
80x6
100x6
120x5
130x5

ugh. I almost got the 165 press, would have given me the bodyweight press...no go. I really need to work these into my rotation, they just aren't improving. On the plus side, it was a good day benching. I don't know if my chest is just getting stronger, if my efforts to increase my arch are improving, or both...but still, that's 10lbs better than I've done with a belt/wraps, and it was 100% raw.

 

[Deeko]

Deadlift
135x5
225x5
295x5
345x3
345x5

Power cleans
95x5
135x5
155x4

Pullups
BWx10
BWx10

Farmers Walks (roughly 40 yards)
135
225
225

First pull at the regular gym with no chalk/belt. My grip was torched during those pulls..and the farmers too. I was happy with the 2nd attempt at 345 - gave it a good rest and got the 5. Also, lifting with no belt is really showing how much I'm relying on it - my abs were beat up after the pulls/cleans. Felt like I'd done 1,000 crunches.

Also, its been a long time since i've done any sort of clean...I'm thinking over a year. It showed. I think my form was decent, but the strength was lacking. I think doing more explosive exercises will really help my deadlift though.

 

[yelo333]

Farmers Walks (roughly 40 yards)
135
225
225

Are you doing these with a BB? How did you get the room to do that? I've always done 'em with DBs...

 

[Deeko]

My gym has something similar to this, except the handles are a bit more raised:

Its a pretty big gym and is fairly empty on Saturday mornings, so the space was easy to find.

 

[Deeko]

Yesterday...

Bench
45x5
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
245x3

Clean & Press
95x5
115x5
125x4
135x5 (power clean only)

I'm back in philly for Christmas so my gym situation/time is different this week. Squeezed in a makeshift workout.

 

[Deeko]

Squat
45x5
135x5
185x5
225x8
245x8
265x8

Lat pulldown
110x5
140x8
160x8
170x7

Holy crap...first time I've done work sets more than 5 reps in quite a long time. I was beat up.

 

[Deeko]

Deadlifts
135x5
225x5
295x5
345x5
355x5

Shrugs
100x8
110x6
110x6

Hammer curls
30x8
30x8
32.5x7

Pullup bar hangs
3 sets (I didn't really time them, just hung till I fell)

Not a bad workout. Not only was it 10lbs more than last time I pulled, it wasn't nearly as much of a struggle as 345x5 last time. My grip was still really beat up afterwards though, so I did some exercises to really work that more afterwards. The pullup bar I used was very thick, I could barely touch my thumb to my fingers, so that should help.

Note, I forgot to post my bench workout from Wednesday. It was a deload day anyway. Nothing to crazy.

 

[Deeko]

Squat
45x6
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x5
255x5

Pause squats
225x5
245x5

Deload day. Due to the way my schedule is working out, I'm deadlifting again this Saturday - max deadlifts - so I didn't really want to push the squats too hard.