I am a drug-free powerlifter. After a 14 year layoff, I have once again started competing. I won the 2016 Rocky Mountain Regionals, 2017 Utah State, and took 3rd at the Drug-tested Nationals.
The goal of this blog is to relay some information that I have found helpful so that other busy dads can get back into the game, whether they are powerlifting, or getting back into shape.
I know I have been lax about updating the blog. Things have been a bit hectic at work. However, I have not been lazy at the gym. Minus a weekend vacation this past week, I have been hitting the gym hard with some heavy training sessions. I pulled back on minor muscle groups and was just training the big three (Bench, Squats, and Deadlifts) plus the Strict Curl. I discovered that I am close to a world record for the RAW Strict Curl... so I am trying to decide whether to compete in September. The only problem is that I am not super competitive in the big three lifts... so I might get buried by others in the arena and only win the Strict Curl... plus, when I train heavy I get monstrously hungry. (I'm talking I will eat a car kind of hungry- just throw some peanut butter on it and give me a glass of milk...) So I have gained a bit of weight in the last couple of weeks that I would rather not own up to.
On the plus side, I have been working sets over 315-350 for bench press, 380-420 for squat, and 400-440 for deadlift, which has all been very beneficial for my ego. Today I played around with reps and rest periods. It's a good feeling to be able to Bench 330 pounds for reps while resting at the bottom for a count of one-and-a-half. No touch-and-go here!
Anyway, here are a couple of pics from our vacation in Italy... :)
I see many people in the gym boasting about their legendary bench press max, their epic curls, or even a few that talk about how many pull-ups they can do. Unfortunately, I see very few who regularly deadlift, and fewer still who do it with proper form.
Since the deadlift is one of the best exercises for developing overall strength, power, and size, it is an essential part of any serious training program. Whether you are just starting out as a young teenager, or you are already a septagenarian, the deadlift should become one of the basic building blocks of your routine.
What's that? It's a dangerous lift you say? No- it isn't. If anything, it is one of the most beneficial lifts for people of all ages. It trains your back, legs, arms, shoulders, and glutes, and will keep you healthy throughout your life. (Check out this video of a 70 year old deadlifting 328 pounds!) However, it is true that the deadlift can be dangerous.... if you use incorrect form that is. I have yet to see anyone I workout with get injured doing deadlifts so long as they use strict form throughout the motion.
So, with that in mind, please review these examples. This is not a max lift for me, but even sub-maximal lifts can be hazardous if your technique is flawed. Check it out:
At the beginning of the lift, keep your butt low, back straight, and look up. The angle between your ankles, knees, and hips should be the same as the angle between your shoulders, hips, and knees. You should open both angles simultaneously, hinging with your hips. (I am using a "standard" or "Romanian" stance with my feet shoulder width apart and my hands on the outside of my legs. One hand over, one under the bar.)
When you end, you should lock your shoulders back, and be able to stand completely erect for 1-3 counts before descending with the bar. However, don't bend over from the waist to set the bar down, you should maintain strict form, closing the two angles described above in a controlled motion.
And here is the video of how one rep should look. If you are doing a set of multiple reps, this form should be maintained throughout the set, with a pause at the bottom of the lift as well as the top.
I also wanted to share a few of my favorite deadlift routines with you- so here you go:
Traditional 5x5:
Use a moderate weight (after warm ups) and perform 5 sets of 5 reps. If you complete all 5 sets, increase the weight by 10-20 pounds for each set next time. Maybe you will only get 5,5,3,2,2 or something else, but stick with the new weight until you hit 5 reps on all sets. (Do not perform more than 5 reps on any set)
Pyramid 5x5
The goal is the same as the traditional 5x5- get 5 reps on all 5 sets. But you are using a pyramid style weight regimen like this example:
5x225
5x275
5x350
5x275
5x225
Inclining 5x5
Same goal, but with increasing weight on each set like this:
5x225
5x275
5x350
5x375
5x400
Mega pyramid:
The goal here is to pyramid both weight load and reps. It is a program I used before one of my High School powerlifting meets in 2002, and it did well.
You can also do 3 straight sets, or any other combination, so long as your form is good ;) The above examples are just routines I have used in the past and had great success with. Happy lifting!
