The Strength Thread Part II

[JacobimMugatu]

Welcome to the HFBoards Strength Thread
This is a thread for all you guys who are dedicated towards getting as strong as they possibly can, rather than aiming for aesthetics (although who says they can't go hand in hand).


This thread is to discuss strength training in general, as well as the different strength sports (powerlifting/strongman/olympic weightlifting). If you have any questions feel free to ask them here, and I'll do my best to answer them (and I'm sure that I'm not the only PLer on this forum that'll be able to contribute). I'll also regularly be posting motivational as well as informational videos.

Table of Contents
1.So You Want To Get Strong?
2.Supplements
3.Powerlifting
4.Equipment
5.Recommended Reading
6.Mobility and Prehabilitation​

So you want to get strong?​

1. Introduction to Strength Training
To me, in the gym there's nothing like the feeling of crushing a personal record. There's no comparable feeling in the world. In strength training, instead of training to look a certain way or to do kipping pullups for time (sorry crossfitters), you're working to increase your strength in a measurable way. Being able to go to the gym and consistently see measurable progress, consistently being able to add more weight to the bar, and consistently be working towards being the strongest version of me that I can, drives me. It gives me a reason to keep coming back, and to keep working towards my goals. It's as mental as it is physical, and it's a tremendous challenge. If it's something that sounds even remotely appealing to you, it's something that you should explore.
2. I've decided that I want to get strong, now what?
The first thing you'll want to do is ensure that you're healthy. I could go more in depth with this, but for the majority of you, you'll know if you're healthy enough for intense training. If there's something that you're concerned about (a knee, an elbow, back pain), I can't stress enough that you should see a doctor before stepping into something that might worsen your preexisting conditions.
Once you know you're good to go, it's time join a gym. Ensure that the gym you're joining allows for deadlifting, and ideally but not 100% necessary, chalk (I'm looking at you, Planet Fitness).

Now that you're a member of a gym, you'll need to find a workout plan that works for you and your schedule. As a beginner, you'll be able to gain strength very quickly on almost any routine, but below are a few routines that will allow you to progress better than others, and make the most of your "noob gains".

After a while on these, progress may slow down substantially and you might think you're ready for something more advanced, but I wouldn't move past the novice routines until in the very least a 225 bench, and 315 squat and a 405 deadlift (you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll reach these numbers, regardless of how weak you start)
3. Novice Strength Training Routines
There are several good novice strength training routines, but for the sake of simplicity and not overcomplicating I'll stick to a few for now.

Starting Strength
Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, in my opinion is what every person who is starting strength training for the first time should do. It's incredibly simple, and allows you to progress from workout to workout rather than week to week, or month to month. On starting strength, provided you are eating enough, you'll be able to gain a lot of strength in a short period of time.
To learn more about Starting Strength, this is a great resource, but I would recommend Rippetoe's book Starting Strength, 3rd Edition

ABA, BAB week to week. 3 non consecutive days a week. EX, Mon, Weds, Fri
A
Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Rows/cleans 3x5
2x8 chins*

B
Squat 3x5
MP Press 3x5
Deads 1x5
2x8 dips*

*Optional

Babylover's Starting Strength
This is a variation of the original Starting Strength program that I've seen a lot of people do with great results. It allows for a few more exercises than the traditional Starting Strength program, and targets a few things that may be neglected in the original program, which is designed purely to build a solid base.

ABA, BAB week to week. 3 non consecutive days a week. EX, Mon, Weds, Fri
The two days:
A
Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Chins 15-20 total reps, add weight or use assisted.
Rows 3x5 SUPER STRICT.
Optional: Cable rows, 3x8 bicep work, 3x8 rear delt flyes, do this at your own discretion. If you don't feel like it, don't worry

B
Front squat 3x5
Military Press 3x5
Deadlifts 1x5
Optional: 15-20 reps of dips, 3x8 tricep work

StrongLifts 5x5
Like Starting Strength, StrongLifts 5x5 is incredibly simple with only 3 exercises per workout. The primary difference is that this program has a bit more volume (more sets). This extra volume benefits some, but not everybody. You can learn more about StrongLifts 5x5 here

ABA, BAB week to week. 3 non consecutive days a week. EX, Mon, Weds, Fri
The two days:
A
Squat 5x5
Bench 5x5
Rows 5x5


B
Squat 5x5
Military Press 5x5
Deadlifts 1x5

Iron Addicts Simple Power Based Routine
Iron Addicts is the program that I gained the majority of my strength on, and I believe a great program for the average lifter who is looking to get bigger and stronger. I would recommend doing one of the above programs for a while before moving to Iron Addicts, because it is a program with a weekly progression rather than a daily progression. You can learn more about this program here

Monday
Squat or box squat 2-3 x 5
Glute/Ham Raises or pullthroughs 3 x 10
Bent Row or Chest Supported row 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Wednesday
Bench Press or low board press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Skull Crushers 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10

Friday
Deadlift or rack deadlift 2-3 x 5
Leg press 2 x 10
Chin or lat pull-down 4 x 6
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 15

Monday
Incline bench press or Incline Dumbbell Press 3 x 5, or 3 x 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8
Military or Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 x 8
Tricep pushdowns 3 x 10
Ab work 3 x 10

4.Intermediate/Advanced Training Methods
Will update in the future with:
5/3/1
Cube
Sheiko
Smolov
+more

5. Form. Form. Form. It's all about the form.
In strength training the form that you use on your lifts is of the utmost importance. Having good form means that you're putting yourself at the lowest possible risk for injury and allows you to lift in the most efficient way possible, which other than keeping you safe, allows you to lift more weight.

Below are some great videos to learn proper form in the big 3 lifts (Squat, Bench, Deadlift). If you want to know the proper form for another exercise, just post in here and I'll send you in the right direction.
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Squat




Bench


Deadlift


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Click to read more...

 

[JacobimMugatu]

Supplements

Supplements​

The supplement industry is a giant. A greedy giant that wants your money, while disregarding what you actually need. If you're thinking of adding some supplements, you should ensure that 1. you have your diet in check, and 2. you know that what you're taking is going to provide you with an actual benefit.
The video below should be watched before purchasing any supplements.

*Disregard him plugging his own products at a couple points*​

There are a few supplements that are known to be effective though, and those are what I'll discuss.

1. Whey Protein
Protein powder is the cheapest form of protein that you'll be able to find. Sure, we'd all like to be eating steak every day, but for the majority of us, that isn't exactly an option. If you feel like your diet could use a bit of an increase in your protein intake, or you need an additional convenient protein source, then whey protein is a good option. I don't personally use whey protein, but it's something that can be quite beneficial if your diet is in check, and you feel like you could still benefit from additional protein intake.

2. Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine is the most tried and tested, proven to be effective supplement out there. While on creatine you'll be able to do more reps, and you'll build more muscle. I could go into the scientific reasoning for why creatine works if anybody likes, but just know that it does work. The one downside of creatine is that it breaks down into creatinine in the body, which is a metabolic waste that gets filtered through your kidneys and eventually pissed out. As to not stress your kidneys too much, you'll want to consume lots of water while supplementing with creatine.
There are lots of different variations of creatine, but monohydrate would be the one I'd recommend. Creatine Kre-Alkalyn is the only other one that in my opinion is worth taking.

3. Preworkout
I'm not the biggest fan of preworkout products because they're expensive for what they contain, but a lot of people feel that they find they have better training sessions on them. These are products that I'll generally only buy if they're on sale for a great deal, otherwise I'll just take some caffeine prior to working out.

4. Branched-Chain Amino Acids
BCAAs I was hesitant to list because of the lack of scientific literature concretely proving that they are something that are beneficial to supplement with. I decided to list them though, because I, along with many others believe that they are useful for fasted workouts. If you do train on an empty stomach, some BCAAs before you train may help with your workout. A lot of people feel they see benefit from this use, others don't.

There are other supplements may be beneficial and I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple things, but those are the basics and you really don't need anything else.

 

[JacobimMugatu]

Powerlifting

Powerlifting​

1. What is powerlifting?
Powerlifting is a strength sport with 3 lifts: the squat, the bench, and the deadlift.
At a competition you get three attempts in each lift, and your best squat+your best bench+ your best deadlift is your total, which is essentially your score for the meet.
In powerlifting there are weight classes, as well as age categories to make it so that you're lifting on a level playing field.
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2. Am I strong enough to compete?
If you're strong enough to lift the bar, you're strong enough to compete. Powerlifting is a sport where almost everybody is incredibly encouraging, and will instantly show you respect for having the balls to come out and lift on the platform.
This, is a great account of a guys first meet where some of the strongest guys in the world were lifting. Although he wasn't very strong at all, especially in comparison to those guys, he received a tremendous amount of support and had a great experience.

One highlight of the night, even though I missed it, was the 500 deadlift attempt. Here I am, a 308lb lifter, attempting a 500 pull after everyone else opened with 600+, and as I’m pulling my ass off on the lift, I hear the other lifters behind me and to my side screaming “DON’T QUIT DON’T QUIT” and “LOCK IT”, and the crowd in front of me screaming the same. I didn’t get the lift, but I pulled with everything and it took 9 ½ seconds to get the bar from the floor to 2 inches above my knee before I ran out of gas. The awesome thing was I got a round of applause for the attempt. When I set the weight back down after missing the lift, I heard the entire crowd sigh because I had missed it. That was pretty cool in a weird way. It wasn’t any big weight compared to others, but it was MY max and the fact that other lifters, guys I didn’t know, patted me on the back after the lift, meant a lot. Everyone there wants you to succeed and do your best. How many other sports can you say that for?

3. I want to compete, where can I do it?
Google "(your state/province) powerlifting" and you'll likely see one or more powerlifting federations that you could lift in. If you have options, take a look at them and see what looks best to you. Some federations are more strict than others about certain things, i.e, some are drug tested, some require a bit of a longer pause on the bench or a little deeper of a squat, so look at what other people have to say about the federation that you're considering joining.
4. Great Powerlifting Videos
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5. Powerlifters are all fat, right?
There is a common misconception that powerlifters are all huge fat guys. While there are super heavyweight lifters that are well over 300 lbs, the majority of lifters in lower weight classes are pretty cut and have good physiques. Below are just a few examples.
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Dan Green - 220/242

Jesse Norris - 198

Pete Rubish - 242

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[JacobimMugatu]

Equipment

Equipment​

There's a lot of different equipment that you can use to benefit your training in significant ways. In this section I'll give a quick break down of some of these pieces of equipment, tell you what you should and shouldn't use and give you a few recommendations for specific pieces of equipment.
In my opinion the only things that everybody should have are a good pair of shoes, and a solid belt, with everything beyond that being optional.

1. Belt
In my opinion a weightlifting belt is something that every strength athlete should own. Here somebody describes the benefits of the belt far better than I could.

The purpose of a belt is to increase intra-abdominal pressure. By pushing your stomach against the belt, you create internal forces that act on the anterior side of your spine. This works to stabilize your spine, and thus entire body.

This means that more energy can be directed do moving the load, and less to maintaining bodily position. When used effectively, it will help you move bigger weights, and may provide an element of protection. The belt also helps by providing proprioceptive feedback... that is, it provides your body with tactile information, and this helps your brain know where you are in space.

A belt used properly means on a minimal, as needed basis. Generally speaking, this will mean on heavy sets (1-5 reps) of the major compound lifts. The use of the belt is subject to the trainee's discretion... it can be worn whenever they reasonably need the extra support on a lift. This could be a tough 8 rep set of front squats, or perhaps even a less heavy day when their back may already be fried from previous training.

Some trainees, particularly older or injured lifters, may not be able to lift at all without a belt.

Now, there is a common concern that wearing a belt hinders core strength. This is only true if the belt is used inappropriately. Wearing a belt does not cause certain muscle groups to drop out of function. In fact, they are still recieving a stress stimulus. If one wore a belt every single set of their lift, and added 200 lbs to their squat... all the assosciated musculature would still be strengthened. Likely not to its max potential, but the point of this extreme example is to illustrate how the principle of overload does not cease to exist when wearing a belt.

Sub-maximal sets are done beltless, and these should be rising right along with your belted sets. Therefore, your core is still recieving all the stimulation it needs. As well, many people forget that you can do such a thing as direct core work if you are worried about it.

A note on the design of belts.... the contoured ones that are thin in the front were not designed by someone familiar with their functioning. The support given actually comes from the front of the belt, where you push your stomach against it. It should be the same thickness all the way around.

As for how tight to wear it... tight, but not so tight that it restricts your ability to push your stomach out against it. It should be worn well above your pants belt... up on your 'natural waist'.

Used properly, the belt will help push your top end numbers up, resulting in greater overload to the body and long term, greater potential strength. The belt is a tool that can help you train safer and stronger, but like any tool it can also be mis-used.

What you need in a belt is one that has the same thickness all the way around as well as not being tapered at the front.
A belt like this is useless

What you want is a belt like this

The standard in belts is the Inzer Forever Belt which although expensive will last a lifetime and is an amazing product.
A good alternative is this great quality belt from http://www.bestbelts.net/

2. Shoes
The shoes you wear have a bigger effect on your performance in the gym than you'd believe. The majority of people would benefit from wearing weightlifting shoes during the majority of their workouts (not while deadlifting).

Shoes are the only piece of personal equipment that you really need to own. It only takes one set of five in a pair of squat shoes to demonstrate convincingely to anybody who has done more than one squat workout. A good pair of squat shoes adds enough to the efficiency of the movement that the cost is easily justified. For anywhere from $50 to $200 for the newest Adidas weightlifting shoes, a pair of proper shoes makes a big difference in the way a squat feels. Powerlifting squat shoes have relatively flat soles, and Olympic weightlifing shoes have a little lift in the heal that makes it easier to get the knees forward just in front of the toes. Your choice will depend on your squatting style and your flexibility. Most squat shoes have metatarsal straps to increase lateral stability and suck the foot back into the shoe to reduce intra-shoe movement.

But the main feature of a squat shoe is heel compressibility. The drive out of the bottom starts at the floor, where the feet start the kinetic chain. If the contact between the feet and the floor is the squishy gel or air cell of a running shoe, a percentage of the force of the drive will be absorbed by the compression of the cell. This compression is fine for running, but when squatting it reduces power transmisison efficiency and prevents foot stability. Unstable footing interferes with the reproducibility of the movement pattern, rendering virtually every squat a whole new experience and preventing the development of good technique. Squatting in running shoes is like squatting on a bed. Many people get away with it for years, but serious lifters invest in squat shoes. They aren't that expensive, especially compared to brand new name brand athletic shoes, and they make a huge difference in the way a squat feels.

For weightlifting shoes the majority of people like wearing Adidas or Nike. I have the Adidas Power Perfect II and I love them to the point that I don't see myself buying a non adidas pair in the future.
The other shoes that I've heard enough good things to recommend are
Adidas Adipower
Nike Romaleos 2
Adidas Powerlift 2.0
3. Knee Sleeves
Knee sleeves keep your knees warm during your training which is good for your knee health and can help slightly with knee stabilization. The two most popular knee sleeves are the Rehband 7051 and SBD knee sleeves
4. Wrist Wraps
Some people experience wrist pain while benching heavy weights or while squatting. Wrist wraps help stabilize the wrist and help alleviate that pain. I've never trained with wrist wraps but I'm in the market for a pair and I'm leaning towards buying these Inzer Iron Z Wrist Wraps
5. Knee Wraps
Knee wraps give the knee a ton of support and allow you to squat more weight because of it. I wouldn't recommend worrying about wraps though until you're squatting at least 400+ or competing in a powerlifting meet where you're allowed to use them. The wraps that I have are the Inzer Iron Z Knee Wraps but with my powerlifting federation I'm not allowed to use them in competition in a raw meet, so they've been collecting dust at home.
6. Chalk
For me as well as many others, chalk is a must have. If you're deadlifting heavy weights there's a chance that your grip may fail before your back/legs, and if that's the case your grip would be holding back your overall strength development. Chalk is the best option to solve this problem. Chalk will prevent the bar from slipping from your hands, but still requires you to be gripping the bar as hard as you can thus developing your grip strength.
7. Straps
Using straps too early is one of the biggest mistakes that a new lifter can make. I was somebody who became dependant on straps, and at one point I was able to deadlift 315x8 with them while struggling to pull 315 for 1 without. If you can, avoid using straps altogether, but if there are a few situations where they may be of benefit to you, i.e, heavy rackpulls beyond what you'd otherwise be able to hold, or high rep deadlifts.
8. Gloves
Don't use gloves, please.

 

[JacobimMugatu]

Recommended Reading

Recommended Reading​

1. Starting Strength, 3rd Edition - Mark Rippetoe

Starting Strength has been called the best and most useful of fitness books. The second edition, Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, sold over 80,000 copies in a competitive global market for fitness education. Along with Practical Programming for Strength Training 2nd Edition, they form a simple, logical, and practical approach to strength training. Now, after six more years of testing and adjustment with thousands of athletes in seminars all over the country, the updated third edition expands and improves on the previous teaching methods and biomechanical analysis.

2.Becoming a Supple Leopard - Kelly Starett

Improve your athletic performance, extend your athletic career, treat body stiffness and achy joints, and rehabilitate injuries—all without having to seek out a coach, doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or masseur. In Becoming a Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett—founder of MobilityWod.com—shares his revolutionary approach to mobility and maintenance of the human body and teaches you how to hack your own human movement, allowing you to live a healthy, happier, more fulfilling life.

3. 5/3/1, 2nd Edition - Jim Wendler

The success of the 5/3/1 Method has been nothing short of extraordinary. For the 3 years, the response towards this simple but brutally effective training system has been overwhelming. This is because it works. And works for just about anyone willing to put in the discipline and work that getting stronger requires

4. The Cube Method - Brandon Lilly

Are you ready for the next level in powerlifting training? Are you tired of programs that leave you coming up short on meet day? How about getting the leg up on your competition with the tried and true “Old School” methods of powerlifting, with a modern application?

You need a program that covers every aspect of strength training and leaves no doubt that your progress will be 100% real strength, and can be applied to both a raw or geared powerlifter. Sadly, many programs focus on one or the other, and others leave raw lifters broken down, and for that matter some geared lifters as well. Too many programs emphasize the “PR” in the gym. While PR’s are extremely important, there is nowhere more important than on the platform.

The Most Fun You Will Have Training For Powerlifting

The Cube Method is the powerlifting training program that has taken athlete after athlete to the next level of strength. Powerlifters have been hitting PR after PR taking their strength to levels previously not thought possible. The Cube Method is not just another powerlifting program. It combines and rotates Heavy Days, Rep Days, and Explosive Days in a way that has never been done before.

5. 365 Strong - Brandon Lilly

The follow up to the wildly popular Cube Method and includes the exact program that Brandon Lilly used to total 2237 pounds at the CAPO Powerlifting Championships, the 12th highest total of all-time!

365STRONG goes far beyond sets and reps though, it is an insight into Brandon’s philosophy to make what you want of your life.

6. The Juggernaut Method 2.0 - Chad Wesley Smith

Are you ready to improve your performance in the gym and on the field? How would you feel with a more explosive, stronger, better conditioned body? Do you want to be the most dominant athlete possible?
If you don’t use a program that properly combines speed and strength development with mobility and conditioning, you are failing to achieve peak performance and unnecessarily exposing yourself to injury.
A Training Program Unparalleled In Its Ability To Enhance Your Performance
The Juggernaut Method 2.0 is the follow-up to the best selling Juggernaut Method ebook and includes all the programming and details that helped send 8 players to the NFL and 22 more to Division 1 universities in 2012 alone. The Juggernaut Method 2.0 is not just a sets and reps program to help your squat, bench and deadlift skyrocket, it is also a guide to sprint/jump training, medicine ball throws and sport specific energy system training to turn you into an athletic powerhouse.

The Juggernaut Method 2.0 is over 100 pages worth of physical preparation material geared at making you the fastest, strongest, most powerful and well conditioned athlete possible.

 

[JacobimMugatu]

Mobility and Prehabilitation

Mobility and Prehabilitation​

Whenever dealing with heavy weights, there is always the possibility for injury. What your goal should be, is minimizing that risk while setting yourself to train as effectively as possible. You'll want to be warming up effectively, stretching, as well as doing some prehabilitation work.
As per wiki

Prehabilitation, or pre hab, a form of strength training, aims to prevent injuries before the actual occurrence. Since rotator cuff and elbow injuries, among other things, are common among athletes in a wide range of sports, training the muscles surrounding these vulnerable joints can prevent injuries sustained from repeated wear and exertion.

Every time you go to the gym, you'll want to begin with a warmup routine. There are a few good options for warmup routines but the ones that I'd recommend the most are those put out by Joe DeFranco, including the Agile 8, the Limber 11, and his upper body warmup.
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On a day where I'm deadlifting or squatting I'll do the Agile 8 or Limber 11, and on upper body days I'll do his upper body warmup.

A great source for information on mobility work is http://www.mobilitywod.com/ which is by Kelly Starrett, author of Becoming a Supple Leopard: The Ultimate Guide to Resolving Pain, Preventing Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance (which I recommend every one of you to read)

Some of his videos that you may find very beneficial
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Other Misc. Prehab stuff

Cracking The Rotator Cuff Conundrum
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[IslesRock4]

Continue!

The first 1000 pounds: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1642597

 

[StronGeer]

Continue!

The first 1000 pounds: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1642597

Not sure if Freudian slip or very clever...

 

[KapG]

Not sure if Freudian slip or very clever...

Lol

brilliant eh?

Well done Islesrock!

 

[canucksfan]

I wonder if we should put some of the videos, articles etc. from the first page of the strength thread in this new thread?

 

[Caeldan]

I wonder if we should put some of the videos, articles etc. from the first page of the strength thread in this new thread?

Like that?
Also added collapse tags so that the page doesn't overwhelm old phones like mine

 

[IslesRock4]

Not sure if Freudian slip or very clever...

I'll leave that up to you to decide.

 

[Caeldan]

Got myself back to the gym again today.
Mostly helped a friend out to start learning how to do some strength work - but gave me an excuse to be there too.

Staying away from back squats, just doing front squats at the moment since doing physio for my hip and trying to retrain some muscles (basically been having nagging hip pain off and on for a long time, physio deciding that it's preprioception issues and a muscle imbalance... finding that I'm using my hamstring way more than my glute on the one side).

Might actually get back to trying the Oly lifts a bit more again too.

 

[canucksfan]

Well I tried this new program so I thought I would do a review of it after I did all of my one rep maxes. Here it is

8 week program

Day 1
Squat (power) Bench(hypertrophy), Deadlift (strength) no accessories

Day 2 OHP ( Power) Deadlift (Power) 2 shoulder accessories. I did biceps because they suck and my shoulders are strong.

Day 3 Squat (strength) Bench (power) 1 chest accessory and 2 triceps

Day 4 Squat (hypertrophy) and then work on your weaknesses. I did rows.

Power =6 x3 @ 75% = 1 rep max of your target goal
Strength = 5x5 @ 80% = 1 rep max of your target goal
Hypertrophy = 4 x 8 @ 65% = 1 rep max of your target goal

You do this for 8 weeks. After every 2 weeks you increase all lifts by 5 pounds except for DL which you increase by 10 pounds.

My squat went up 30 pounds. My deadlift went up 35 pounds. I did 440 today. My bench only went up 5 pounds. There were two occurrences during this program where I took off about 5 days in a row due to other stuff in my life, work and camping. I did not do enough chest accessories which likely impacted my bench. Furthermore, my bench is quite good to begin with so my increase on my bench will be small to begin with.

You really have to stretch quite a bit because your muscles will be tired most of the time. The first week sucked for me because I wasn't doing legs that often. After about the 2nd week I got slightly used to it.

Definitely like this program and will do it soon again.

 

[Caeldan]

Well I tried this new program so I thought I would do a review of it after I did all of my one rep maxes. Here it is

8 week program

Day 1
Squat (power) Bench(hypertrophy), Deadlift (strength) no accessories

Day 2 OHP ( Power) Deadlift (Power) 2 shoulder accessories. I did biceps because they suck and my shoulders are strong.

Day 3 Squat (strength) Bench (power) 1 chest accessory and 2 triceps

Day 4 Squat (hypertrophy) and then work on your weaknesses. I did rows.

Power =6 x3 @ 75% = 1 rep max of your target goal
Strength = 5x5 @ 80% = 1 rep max of your target goal
Hypertrophy = 4 x 8 @ 65% = 1 rep max of your target goal

You do this for 8 weeks. After every 2 weeks you increase all lifts by 5 pounds except for DL which you increase by 10 pounds.

My squat went up 30 pounds. My deadlift went up 35 pounds. I did 440 today. My bench only went up 5 pounds. There were two occurrences during this program where I took off about 5 days in a row due to other stuff in my life, work and camping. I did not do enough chest accessories which likely impacted my bench. Furthermore, my bench is quite good to begin with so my increase on my bench will be small to begin with.

You really have to stretch quite a bit because your muscles will be tired most of the time. The first week sucked for me because I wasn't doing legs that often. After about the 2nd week I got slightly used to it.

Definitely like this program and will do it soon again.

I'm assuming you mean after you're done lifting though right?

Nice job on the increases though. Those are some pretty big gains for deadlift at that weight!

 

[canucksfan]

I'm assuming you mean after you're done lifting though right?

Nice job on the increases though. Those are some pretty big gains for deadlift at that weight!

I stretch before and after my workout.

Thanks.

 

[Caeldan]

I stretch before and after my workout.

Thanks.

Stretching turns off the muscles, you can do mobility work (which is different from stretching) to help warm you up but generally don't stretch before you lift. Because the other way to think of it is, you *want* everything to be shortened going into a heavy lift because then you get greater reflex force to assist.

 

[StronGeer]

Stretching turns off the muscles, you can do mobility work (which is different from stretching) to help warm you up but generally don't stretch before you lift. Because the other way to think of it is, you *want* everything to be shortened going into a heavy lift because then you get greater reflex force to assist.

Not sure if I buy that. I mean, don't do a hamstring stretch, jump up and then go for a PR deadlift, but I think stretching before your lifts is advantageous.

 

[Caeldan]

Not sure if I buy that. I mean, don't do a hamstring stretch, jump up and then go for a PR deadlift, but I think stretching before your lifts is advantageous.

This is coming from powerlifters and strongmen. So I mean, maybe at the extremes is where it makes the difference. But none of them stretch before lifting especially at competition.

They'll do stuff like rollouts, band work, light weights basically to prime the muscles and 'lubricate' the joints... but stretching is actually a cooldown activity.

Here's a link:
http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/static-stretching-before-during-and-after-lifting
They link to a journal article, but it's behind a paywall and I don't have access.
But this is the summary in the linked post:

Much like the acute weakening effect, the researchers in this study found that static stretching also chronically weakened the muscles when performed both before and during exercise. That is to say, each group got stronger after 10 weeks. But the group that didn’t stretch at all got significantly stronger than the groups that did, and also had greater expression of IGF-1.

However, the researchers in this study acknowledged one major difference in the way that some people stretch. This is called “order of effect.†This study showed that stretching before or during exercise has a chronically weakening effect. Another study, which included a more substantial stretching element, suggested an increase in long-term strength resulting from stretching after exercise.

And it was from 2013, so there may be followup studies since. But like I said the anecdotal side of it is that if you look at the biggest lifters in the sports -- they say not to stretch before lifting.

 

[StronGeer]

Oh I see, making the distinction between static stretching and dynamic stretching. I could agree with that.

 

[Jeti]

Oh I see, making the distinction between static stretching and dynamic stretching. I could agree with that.

That's what I've been told by serious athletes (not lifters actually - it applies to cardio based sports as well). Dynamic stretching for warmup, static for cooldown.

I figured out the bit about static stretching before lifts myself through trial and error. When I started lifting I would stretch my quads between sets of squats and I found it got easier when I didn't do that at all. IMO it's actually a pretty huge difference if we're talking about stretching immediately prior to lifting. I'm not sure how long the effect lasts though (i.e. maybe it's fine to do static stretches an hour before exercising).

 

[What the Faulk]

This is probably common sense, but what about for runs? I find that if I don't stretch before a run, even a 5k, I'm extremely sore afterwards.

 

[Caeldan]

This is probably common sense, but what about for runs? I find that if I don't stretch before a run, even a 5k, I'm extremely sore afterwards.

I've seen it both ways for running.
But this suggests that static stretching before running has a similar negative effect: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0099238

Generally I think the principle applies for warmup for any activity: be dynamic, focus on mobility and sport specific activation of the muscles at low intensity

 

[What the Faulk]

Typically I do a few light stretches then a quarter mile walk before I start but hm, maybe next time I'll experiment a bit with more dynamic stretching since it's my muscles that are my limiting factor when it comes to running right now.

 

[Jeti]

Does anyone have a problem with their hands getting really sweaty during deadlifts? I find my hands get insanely sweaty by the time I'm done my warm-up sets and wiping my hands on my clothes only makes them worse. Grip strength itself isn't a problem at the weights I'm dealing with, but gripping a bar when my hands are sweaty fountains is a problem.

Do you use chalk?