A question for the big lifters

[Krakistophales]

I fluctuate between 260 and 270 lbs bodyweight and I've been powerlifting for about 2 years now, maybe 2 years and some months.

I see all these videos online of people pulling 495 and 585 that are way below my bodyweight, and I can't help but wonder if my progress has been very slow in comparison to others when I see my deadlift is at 405 x 2, my squat at 315 for an easy single, and my bench at 275 for a very hard single. So, my questions to the heavier lifters are:

When you started lifting, did you start with high poundages in your lifts?

How long did it take you to progress to respectable poundages?

Just how much food is enough without being too much, in order to not put on any more belly fat?

How often do you lift and for how long? Is it more beneficial for heavier guys to lift 5 days a week for 40 mins-1 hour to keep the fat off?

Also, are my numbers considered rapid progress, average progress, or slow progress for my weight? I started lifting at around 225 lbs bodyweight, but still...

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

[joe d]

I fluctuate between 260 and 270 lbs bodyweight and I've been powerlifting for about 2 years now, maybe 2 years and some months.

I see all these videos online of people pulling 495 and 585 that are way below my bodyweight, and I can't help but wonder if my progress has been very slow in comparison to others when I see my deadlift is at 405 x 2, my squat at 315 for an easy single, and my bench at 275 for a very hard single. So, my questions to the heavier lifters are:

When you started lifting, did you start with high poundages in your lifts?

How long did it take you to progress to respectable poundages?

Just how much food is enough without being too much, in order to not put on any more belly fat?

How often do you lift and for how long? Is it more beneficial for heavier guys to lift 5 days a week for 40 mins-1 hour to keep the fat off?

Also, are my numbers considered rapid progress, average progress, or slow progress for my weight? I started lifting at around 225 lbs bodyweight, but still...

Thanks in advance for any info.

comparing yourself to others is a waste of time. compare yourself this month to yourself last month. try different methods of training and dieting and keep logs. learn what works best for you. im not a pler or strong man so im not going to get into training with you. there are a ew guys around here that can help you out.

 

[bblazer]

I have been training more years than I can count. It has taken me all that time to get where I am.

I eat everything that is not nailed down. As a matter of fact, I am on my 2nd turkey leg as I type this.

I lift 1.5 hours 4x/week then have a 4-5 hour event training session. I do almost no cardio other than walking from my car to the gym.

Progress is what progress is. You put into it exactly what you get out. Put heavy things on the bar, lift it, then make it heavier and lift it again. Pretty simple stuff. If you feel like passing out or puking you have almost put enough effort into it.

That said, how old are you, and how do you train? Give up the details, & we can help you out.

B-

 

[Krakistophales]

I lift 4 days a week and usually it takes about half an hour to 40 minutes to do 3 warmup sets and 3 main sets. Sometimes it takes an hour if I'm doing a program of 10 triples or 8 triples or whatever, but I haven't done that in a while.

I'm currently trying wendler's 5/3/1 on all lifts (squat, bench, dead and overhead press) after hitting some PRs in the deadlift and bench, and it's going well so far. My squats haven't really moved since I hit 315 for 1, and my overhead press has been pretty static lately as well. I tried going for a 10 lb pr of 215, but I just missed it. I didn't want to try, but I think I might've been able to hit 210. I do these with a power clean style, no squatting under the bar or any of that.

I work nights so I don't have time to eat between 4 and 12 or 4 and 2 most days, so I frontload in the morning with a big breakfast and 2 shakes, before and after lifting. I'm 22, and like I said before, I fluctuate between 260 and 270 lbs bodyweight, and I'd like to shave off about 30 lbs so I could be a solid 240 without the excess jiggling.

I was just curious to see if my progress would be considered rapid, or average, or slow because if it would be slow or average I wanted to see if I could do something about that to make some bigger gains.

 

[bblazer]

You seem to be doing well. One of the things about the 5/3/1 is that you may need to keep the parts that aren't moving up at the same leve and do a few cycles with them but continulally trying to hit the rep PRs. Then you should see some upward movement.

B-

 

[Krakistophales]

Wendler's promises to put 100 lbs on your deadlift and squat, and 50 lbs on your bench and overhead press in a year. Has anyone done the wendler's for a year to attest to these results?

 

[bblazer]

Wendler's promises to put 100 lbs on your deadlift and squat, and 50 lbs on your bench and overhead press in a year. Has anyone done the wendler's for a year to attest to these results?

I had the high school team I coach do it for 4 months, and the boys hit nearly those number while the girls got about half that.

B-

 

[the_alcatraz]

I had the high school team I coach do it for 4 months, and the boys hit nearly those number while the girls got about half that.

B-

That's pretty impressive man.

 

[Krakistophales]

Nice. What weights did they start with, though?

 

[bblazer]

Nice. What weights did they start with, though?

I guess I don't understand what information you want. Do you want me to list out the roster and their starting weights?

Remember that this is a co-ed team of High School athletes composed of many weight classes.

I will give you this rough example. My 242 sophomore (again roughly & from memory) started the season - his first - with a 445 squat, 230 bench, and a 440 deadlift.

When he placed 4th at nationals 4.5 month later he did a 575 squat, 309 bench, 525 dead.

At nationals he was allowed to wear a shirt, but only had lifted with it for 2 practices. Without it he could easily do 265 for a double and a pause.

Since then he has gotten a 600 squat, 315 bench (no shirt), and a 570 dead. We expect him to not only win state next year, but get at least 2nd at nationals (assuming the same competition). And remember he just turned 16 & weighs 238.

I hope this helps.

B-