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Yorgy,
Seems like you have a couple of goals here.... One to gain strength and two, not to gain size.
Lets take the strength goal first.
There is no doubt that thru regular workouts you are going to get stronger as time goes by. Strength routines are quite different and are used by Colleges and Universities to train their football teams.... In fact, most colleges now have a separate Strength Coach as one of the Coaching Staff.
A very good friend of mine, in fact we were roomates for about 2 years, use to be a strength coach for a well known college. This guy had incredible strength and is still in the game (saw an article by him in last months Muscle Mag International). Much of what I know about strength training I learned from him.
A power routine only requires 3-4 workouts per week. You want to workout with weights that require you to tax your muscles heavilly but with low reps. Keep your reps below 6 and pyramid up to a set where you can only push out 1-2 reps. For example, Set 1 choose a weight you can bench press or squat for 4-5 reps.... if you can do that 6th rep, the weight is too light. Take a good rest and on the next set, increase the weight to a point where you can only eek out 2-4 reps.... another good rest then load the bar to a weight you can only do for 2-3 reps... another long as you need rest and then the top of the pyramid... A set with a weight that you can only do for 1-2 reps.... Then rest again.... Back down the other side of the pyramid.... Lower the weight so you can do 2-3 reps, rest... Lower the weight again for 3-4 reps, rest and then a 4-5 rep set. This is called a PYRAMID ROUTINE. and as your strength grows you can add in NEGATIVE REPS and/or OVERLOAD TRAINING, using a workout partner... We can talk more about these later. Work bench 2X's per week and Squat (if your back can handle it) 2X's per week. DO NOT OVERWORK !!

My guess is that if your back can't handle deadlifts you are probably gonna have problems doing squats too and in this case you might wanna forgo the Power Training in favor of general fitness training.

Hope this gets you started Yorgy. If I haven't been clear about this, let me know.

Big Daddy Jim

Author	Comment
Yorgy Unregistered User (7/12/02 11:47 pm) Reply	Start over Let's forget we started off on the wrong foot. I certainly don't want to pass as a person without sensitivity leaving your hand stretched out, not shaking it. Yes I'd like to gain strength and push more iron. Ever since I started hitting the gym regularly it doesn't seem I have made much progress. I remember the first time I benchpressed I lifted 40 kg (89 lbs) [please don't laugh], now it's a little more than twice that ... not even what I weigh (220-230) though I do pushups every morning. Same goes for the squat, 130 at first, 180 lbs now. Let's not mention deadlifting, it's pathetic due to pains in the back. I go to the gym 4 to 5 days a week, never more than 1 hour and a half. Basically it's lower part of the body one day, the upper part thenext, except on wednesdays when I do RPM (cardiovascular cycling workout. team cycling), it's quite fun. I used to attend bodypump classes (weight training workout program using barbells and adjustable weights, squatting, pressing, lifting and curling) but I knew I wasn't gaining much strength with all these reps, only a better definition and resistance. My routines: 4 sets of 12 reps, then 10, 8 and 6 (increasing weight each time) if thise makes sense to you. What's the difference between routines for powerlifting and bodybuilding? Is is just a matter of reps, weight, both? Is mine adapted for what I want? Mind you I'm not totally against adding some size, but I wouldn't be comfortable being just big and merely lifting a couple of plates at the cable crossover machine if you see my point. My purpose is to reach a point when I would lift or squat once but with maximum poundage. I agree with your approach Jim in that powerlifting is competing against yourself. But why not following someone else's workout? Could be a solid basis from which I could buid up my own experience. So, what do think you can make out of all this? Yorgy
beefyboyz ezOP Posts: 19 (7/16/02 10:58 pm) Reply	Power Routine Yorgy, Seems like you have a couple of goals here.... One to gain strength and two, not to gain size. Lets take the strength goal first. There is no doubt that thru regular workouts you are going to get stronger as time goes by. Strength routines are quite different and are used by Colleges and Universities to train their football teams.... In fact, most colleges now have a separate Strength Coach as one of the Coaching Staff. A very good friend of mine, in fact we were roomates for about 2 years, use to be a strength coach for a well known college. This guy had incredible strength and is still in the game (saw an article by him in last months Muscle Mag International). Much of what I know about strength training I learned from him. A power routine only requires 3-4 workouts per week. You want to workout with weights that require you to tax your muscles heavilly but with low reps. Keep your reps below 6 and pyramid up to a set where you can only push out 1-2 reps. For example, Set 1 choose a weight you can bench press or squat for 4-5 reps.... if you can do that 6th rep, the weight is too light. Take a good rest and on the next set, increase the weight to a point where you can only eek out 2-4 reps.... another good rest then load the bar to a weight you can only do for 2-3 reps... another long as you need rest and then the top of the pyramid... A set with a weight that you can only do for 1-2 reps.... Then rest again.... Back down the other side of the pyramid.... Lower the weight so you can do 2-3 reps, rest... Lower the weight again for 3-4 reps, rest and then a 4-5 rep set. This is called a PYRAMID ROUTINE. and as your strength grows you can add in NEGATIVE REPS and/or OVERLOAD TRAINING, using a workout partner... We can talk more about these later. Work bench 2X's per week and Squat (if your back can handle it) 2X's per week. DO NOT OVERWORK !! My guess is that if your back can't handle deadlifts you are probably gonna have problems doing squats too and in this case you might wanna forgo the Power Training in favor of general fitness training. Hope this gets you started Yorgy. If I haven't been clear about this, let me know. Big Daddy Jim
Yorgy Unregistered User (7/27/02 5:40 am) Reply	Use a belt silly! A shirt, a short and a pair of shoes, that's all I wear. Or used to until some guy at the gym saw me about to start squatting and asked why I wasn't using a belt. I don't want to show off and parade around with all the gadgets [gloves, belts, ...], those are for serious lifters. That's what I said. - Never had a problem with you back? - Well, now that you mention it ... - Use a belt silly! you'll see the difference. Right he was. Granted my last squats were not really stable, I probably didn't pause long enough and admittedly didn't go as low as what powerlifting conventions require but I could, at least, walk out without those nasty nagging bloody pains in my lower back. It's a relief, it really is. This means I can now seriously consider progressing. My goal: squatting my weight, I can't imagine one and half that but who knows? Hell, I routinely push 400 lbs and more on the angle leg sled machine! About your pyramid routine, your explanations were very clear thank you. But very hard to implement. Changing number of reps down from 40 and more when bodypumping to 12 to 8 was difficult enough, now less than 6 down to 1-2 reps with weight around my max? I confess I failed quite often adjusting weight and reps. Still do. My pyramids aren't symmetrical if that illustrates my point. I have trouble increasing reps while decreasing weight on the other site of the pyramid... But hey, don't take this as an offense, I really appreciate your advice. I do have questions though. Are you ready? There they go: Does the number of reps and sets change from when you're a beginner to a more advanced stage? What about the weight increase/decrease? I merely add/remove 5 kg (that's about the minimum weight available in the gym), what do you think? Can you tell me more about 'negative reps' and 'overload training'? I don't have any workout partner [I'm older than most of the guys at the gym and none of them seem interested in wasting time with an old fool] so do you think I could make it with machines? is so, which ones? Is there some kind of cycle during which I can safely consider increasing my max, if at all, and then sort of recover afterwards? My point is that nobody can remain at the top of his shape for ever still there must be some 'biorythm' telling you when to increase weight and when to relax and recover. Last question and maybe you will find it strange but I would appreciate if you gave it some thought: are you, have you ever been afraid of lifting? I do. Especially the days I train the lower parts of the body. I sometimes feel miserable after a workout. Because of the pain of course but especially after I failed. It really is competition against yourself. Yorgy
beefyboyz ezOP Posts: 24 (8/19/02 4:52 pm) Reply	Re: Use a belt silly! Hey Yorgy, Glad to hear you are using a belt.... Never worry about what other people think, do what is right for you. Let me tell you about pyramid sets. It is first important to establish your max so that you know what you are working with. Your max, of course, is the maximum amount of weight you can bench, squat or deadlift for 1 rep only. Lets say for easy numbers your max for one rep on the bench press is 100 lbs. Your first set after a very good warmup would be 60% of your max weight or 60 pounds. Your next set would be 70% or 70 pounds.... Your 3rd set would be 80%, your 5th, 90% of your max for as many reps as you can do. Now on the backside, you drop to 80% for your 6th set, 70% for your 7th set and 60% for your 8th set. Be sure and take plenty of rest between sets (at least 3 minutes). Once a month or so on a day when you are feeling great and strong, retest your max. If you increse your max, move all your numbers up using the same %'s. Now lets answer your specific questions.... Does the number of reps and sets change from when you're a beginner to a more advanced stage? Not really Yorgy, they will stay pretty constant as you are working a percentage of your maximum weight. What about the weight increase/decrease? I merely add/remove 5 kg (that's about the minimum weight available in the gym), what do you think? Now you have a starting point having established what your current max is and you know what you are working from. Can you tell me more about 'negative reps' and 'overload training'? I don't have any workout partner [I'm older than most of the guys at the gym and none of them seem interested in wasting time with an old fool. NEGATIVE REPS AND OVERLOAD TRAINING both require a training partner. No machine can take the place of that.... sorry! Is there some kind of cycle during which I can safely consider increasing my max, if at all, and then sort of recover afterwards? My point is that nobody can remain at the top of his shape for ever still there must be some 'biorythm' telling you when to increase weight and when to relax and recover. ABSOLUTELY, YORGY.... ON THOSE DAYS YOU FEEL REALLY STRONG AND YOUR BIORYTHMS ARE AT THEIR PEAK, TEST YOUR MAX !! OTHERWISE EVERY 4-6 WEEKS IS GOOD. "Have you ever been afraid of lifting? I do. Especially the days I train the lower parts of the body. I sometimes feel miserable after a workout. Because of the pain of course but especially after I failed. It really is competition against yourself." SOMETIMES I HAVE HAD TO OVERCOME MY OWN LITTLE VOICES TELLING ME THIS WAS MORE WEIGHT THAN I HAD EVER DONE BEFORE AND IN THAT CASE I WAS ALREADY DEFEATED.... AND I DID IT TO MYSELF. TRY AND ALWAYS BE POSITIVE. IF YOU ARE FEELING PAIN OTHER THAN MUSCLE SORENESS THEN STOP AND GET TO A DOCTOR. OUR JOINTS ARE SENSETIVE AND WE CAN HURT THEM EASILLY. IF YOU WALK THRU THE DOOR OF THE GYM YORGY, YOU HAVE WON.... CAUSE YOU ARE THERE TO GET IT ON. THE ONLY FAILURE IS NOT TO SHOW UP AND NOT TO TRY. My best wishes Yorgy and I hope this is helpful -Jim Visit our website: www.BeefyBoyz!.com

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