I am serious about wanting to qualify and compete at powerlifting. When I started out on this series there were several key problems, such as poor hip mobility. Having had some reasonable successes at the end of 2009, fixing the remaining problems while also driving up the strength numbers are now the priorities of the program.
I’m recording my progress in this series: powerlifting progress. It is serving as a journal and makes me a bit more accountable to my goals.
This week
Not a bad week, especially given the long hours I was doing at work and the strange times I ended up doing my workouts, ranging from 11am on the day I was working from home (I worked from 8am to 10pm and took a 2 hour break at 11am for my workout and lunch) through to a 9.15pm start on Thursday night, approximately 15 minutes before I would usually put the light out to go to sleep.
Despite this I only had one failure which was my bench press on Thursday. I couldn’t get the groove to settle and the bar was swinging all over the place. In the end, given the time and my exhaustion from a stormingly good squat workout I’d done just before this, I decided to skip my bench press for that workout.
Strongman events
I thought I’d be starting to struggle with my sandbag carries. However, after the first lift (which is always hellish while the combination of sandbags and plates in the main bag settle to a manageable shape) they went surprisingly well. The lifts were clean and I could really feel my posterior chain working hard.
Bench
Action plan
- Maintain – technique
- Develop – lat and shoulder strength
Progress this week
As I mentioned in the introduction, I missed my second bench workout of the week because my groove was completely missing. I did do an amazing session earlier in the week though. My arch was steep and tight, my abs were tight, my lats were really driving the movement, and I managed to add some more weight from the week before, dropping the same two reps (the last two reps of the last set) as I dropped on the previous weight.
In my book that’s acceptable enough to put the weight up again.
My pull ups also went well, gaining 4 more reps this week, though whether that is because I’m getting stronger or if it’s because I’ve lost some significant holiday weight during my week of cutting. I’m only 1 rep behind my last pre-holiday workout now which makes me feel better.
I’m also doing bent over rows twice a week. Those are much better than they were when I last did them (about 4 or 5 months ago) so I really think my lat strength is improving noticeably.
Squat
Action plan
- Maintain – leg strength and ab strength
- Develop – hip mobility and lower back strength
Progress this week
An amazing week. I was apprehensive about putting it up 2kg at the start of the week, but I completed the weight (even if the DOMs in my abs did cripple me for 2 days afterwards) and was convinced enough to put them up another 2kg for my second squat workout of the week. I completed this too! I’m squatting about 120% bodyweight now and I’m only 4kg off my BDFPA qualifying weight (assuming I haven’t put on so much weight that I’ve moved up a category).
I really believe that the Good Mornings are helping my lower back strength in a way that is positively impacting on my squats so I’ll keep these going. Perhaps I’ve finally found something to effectively strengthen my back in a way that improves my squats.
Deadlift
Action plan
- Maintain – leg strength and ab strength
- Develop – hip mobility and lower back strength
Progress this week
My deadlift was surprisingly good. I wasn’t expecting to complete all the reps on my complexes (I feel sick with fear all day before my deadlift workout these days) yet it happened.
Reading back through this I feel like something has really changed in my lifting recently. There’s been a step change in the quality of the moves and the strength in what I’m doing. I don’t get quite so depressed when it doesn’t work (well I certainly didn’t on Thursday) and I can feel (the right) individual muscles working on each exercise.
We’ll see if things carry on improving.
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