# Question for Powerlifters



## KASHLDN (Mar 7, 2010)

Why did you get into PL, what was the reason behind it and at what point of your lifting journey did you decide to do it?


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## Guest (Nov 18, 2010)

i prefer to chase numbers rather than abs.


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## 8103 (May 5, 2008)

I enjoy strength training, and enjoy going to powerlifting meets


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## littlesimon (May 24, 2010)

I wouldn't call myself a full blown Powerlifter as yet, but I was encouraged to have a go by Stronglifts forum members because of my quick progress.

If your thinking about having a go I'd recommend it mate!


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## hsmann87 (Jun 22, 2010)

Here is Dave Tate's reason:

*"I always liked the idea of bodybuilding when I was younger. It's actually been debated that I could've done just as well at bodybuilding as I did in powerlifting because of the muscularity I had at a younger age. When I went to college [university of Toledo], I couldn't find any powerlifting guys to train with. So I started to train with the bodybuilders. *

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A couple of my training partners were guys who went on to win some NPC contests and compete in the Junior USA. I fell into a crowd of people who really knew what they were doing and helped guide me. I loved the training aspect of the sport, the dieting, and the discipline, but I came into it a bit messed up. I had a blocky waist and my lats weren't wide at all, which put me at a disadvantage.*

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We'd use either a three-day split or a four-day split. Back then we trained every body part twice per week and barely did any cardio. I also never even went through the final prep to get ready for the contest. We never did sodium loading and depletion or any of that ****. We didn't know about it. *

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My first competition I didn't do real well and wanted to quit. I didn't place for ****. I cheated on my diet all the time because I didn't know what to expect. I was still a teenager and placed like fifth or something. I weighed in at 242 pounds at 5-foot-10, and was around 8 percent body fat, but I just got ****ing smoked by some shredded dude that was like 140 pounds. The only reason I stuck with bodybuilding after that was because my roommate called me a pussy. He said I didn't like competing because I sucked, which was mostly true.*

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My final show I actually won, but it just didn't feel right. I remember being up on stage when they gave me the trophy and looking out into the audience. I felt nothing. I didn't know who any of those ****ing people were. Just a bunch of guys in boat-neck sweatshirts, you know?*

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I was standing up there in my underwear with oil on and felt stupid. I never wanted to do it again. I was actually supposed to compete in the Mr. Ohio three weeks later, and I remember my training partner came to pick me up the next day after the show to go to the gym. He found me lying near-comatose in my dorm room with ****ing Haagen-Dazs and Oreos and **** everywhere. I think he realized then that I wasn't going to compete anymore.*

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That next week I started training for my next powerlifting meet. The bitch of it was that my 1,820 powerlifting total had dropped down to 1,620. *

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Under the Bar, It's All About You*

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It took me two years to get back to the 1,820 total. Back when I was bodybuilding I had no max-effort type of training, and my technique had totally changed. It's like I completely forgot how to bench, squat, and deadlift. But even with that it didn't matter because I was home again. I remember sitting there getting wrapped up for my first competition squat and thinking, man, this is what it's all about. *

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I got to test myself again. I got to ask myself some tough questions. Did my training work? Am I mentally ready? You get under the bar, it's all about you. With bodybuilding you still had to rely on the judges and how they felt that day. But with powerlifting, it's just you and the bar. There's nothing like lifting heavy ****."*

Full interview here:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_interviews/an_interview_with_dave_tate

Whenever I need motivation in any field of life I read this interview. Sorts me right out.


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## Dig (Aug 28, 2007)

My goal was always to be strong, did not care how i looked as long as could lift big weight, im also v competitive and wanted to beat people so competing in PL seemed natural progression.


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## KASHLDN (Mar 7, 2010)

hsmann87 said:


> Here is Dave Tate's reason:
> 
> Full interview here:
> 
> ...


Nice one dude :thumbup1:


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## Syko (May 18, 2010)

I guess some people want to look good (be lean)

And others want to be strong (1 rep max)

I want to do both :laugh:


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## KASHLDN (Mar 7, 2010)

littlesimon said:


> I wouldn't call myself a full blown Powerlifter as yet, but I was encouraged to have a go by Stronglifts forum members because of my quick progress.
> 
> If your thinking about having a go I'd recommend it mate!


Nah man, it's very very early days for me, but who knows in couple of years time, I'll give it maybe a year of strenght training first and see how I progress from there


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## 8103 (May 5, 2008)

Another reason why I like powerlifting, it's a sport to me where I don't need to win to feel good. If I get a PB, I'm a happy guy.

Here's a nice snippet from an article:



Matt Gary said:


> "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing." - Henry Russell Sanders, UCLA head football coach, 1956
> 
> This famous quote epitomizes the competitive spirit that permeates sports in our society. While this attitude is entirely appropriate in many sports arenas, it doesn't make much sense in powerlifting. Powerlifting measures physical strength and while competitors typically compete in weight classes against others, their primary goal should be to exceed their previous efforts. Unless you're competing at the highest levels, winning should be of secondary importance. Accordingly, Grantland Rice's famous quote, " . . . it's not that you won or lost, but how you played the game," would be more germane to a powerlifter's quest.
> 
> Some might argue that this is a losing mentality. If it's a loser's mentality, then I'd like to hear from all the lifters who often win but rarely hit personal records (PRs). I doubt they're very content with their performance. Success in powerlifting is measured by PRs. The key to hitting PRs is making attempts. Awards, championships, and titles are all nice but they're rather meaningless if you're not improving. I have always maintained that I would rather place last, while hitting PRs, than win a competition on a bad day.


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## martin brown (Dec 31, 2008)

KASHLDN said:


> Why did you get into PL, what was the reason behind it and at what point of your lifting journey did you decide to do it?


I decided that shaving my ass, putting fake tan on, wearing knickers smaller than my birds, and then getting on a stage in front of all my mates wasn't for me!


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

Just seems more fun, bodybuilding doesnt really do anythign for me

The dieting, been on stage, fake tan, shaving/waxing, man thongs etc


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

I was training away one day with my FLEX magazine hybrids when i was 18 deadlifting 6 plates for sets of 5 or so when a powerlifter came up to me and asked if i competed. I had no idea what pling was but i decided to give one a go the next week. I trained for it by maxing out on every lift every day until 2 days before the contest. I then dehydrated and saunaed my self down to 88kg form 92kg when the cut of was 90kg lol.

I arrived and saw some guys had acne, i thought "ah **** steroid users i am fvcked".

Ended up winning best teenage lifter with an epic 120kg bench 205kg squat (it was so low they still have the pic at my old pling club to show people what depth can be lol literally ass 1 inch off the floor) 280kg deadlift all raw obviously. Got asked to join the local pling club and it went from there.

Great sport, but i don't like the suits especially bench shirt as i am epically crap with them.

I still like to deadlift heavy but i don't squat or bench much these days.

I also like to parade around in my knickers while covered in marmite blowing kisses to all the guys in the audience.


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## Seyyed-Merat (Sep 1, 2007)

Use to train legs with DB from the forums, originally I wanted to do bodybuilding, but when he saw me squat, me a 64kg teenager repping 100kg for 12 reps very deep, he said id do well in powerlifting if I trained for it and convicned me to change my training,

Decided to go to genesis gym where it was powerlifitng orientated, just under a yr has gone by, met so many amazing people, won the british and worlds, being coached by Dave Beattie an amazing guy...and im well an truley hooked


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

Merat said:


> Use to train legs with DB from the forums, originally I wanted to do bodybuilding, but when he saw me squat, me a 64kg teenager repping 100kg for 12 reps very deep, he said id do well in powerlifting if I trained for it and convicned me to change my training,
> 
> Decided to go to genesis gym where it was powerlifitng orientated, just under a yr has gone by, met so many amazing people, won the british and worlds, being coached by Dave Beattie an amazing guy...and im well an truley hooked


 Dave is the man. My brother lives out that way now and goes down to his gym now and again on the weekends:thumbup1:


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## Seyyed-Merat (Sep 1, 2007)

Lois_Lane said:


> Dave is the man. My brother lives out that way now and goes down to his gym now and again on the weekends:thumbup1:


ha yeh deff is! awesome mate, I bet hes a monster jus like you then!


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

Merat said:


> ha yeh deff is! awesome mate, I bet hes a monster jus like you then!


 Smaller version of me is what i always hear, he has a much better chest than mine though more mesomorph like:thumbup1:

That said he did tell me he had to cut his hair as long hair doesn't go down well in South London:laugh:


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## hsmann87 (Jun 22, 2010)

Lois_Lane said:


> I was training away one day with my FLEX magazine hybrids when i was 18 deadlifting 6 plates for sets of 5 or so when a powerlifter came up to me and asked if i competed. I had no idea what pling was but i decided to give one a go the next week. I trained for it by maxing out on every lift every day until 2 days before the contest. I then dehydrated and saunaed my self down to 88kg form 92kg when the cut of was 90kg lol.
> 
> I arrived and saw some guys had acne, i thought "ah **** steroid users i am fvcked".
> 
> ...


why?


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## Seyyed-Merat (Sep 1, 2007)

Lois_Lane said:


> Smaller version of me is what i always hear, he has a much better chest than mine though more mesomorph like:thumbup1:
> 
> That said he did tell me he had to cut his hair as long hair doesn't go down well in South London:laugh:


nice man, he will do very well then :thumb: haha yeh south london is mainly shaved heads and hoodies :lol:


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## KASHLDN (Mar 7, 2010)

martin brown said:


> I decided that shaving my ass, putting fake tan on, wearing knickers smaller than my birds, and then getting on a stage in front of all my mates wasn't for me!


 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: classic!

On a more serious note, from all replies it looks like it's either a natural process in terms of preferred method of training and motivation or by somebody else's influence, in a "have you ever thought about getting into PL?" kind of thing.

I admire the sport and it makes perfect sense to me in an physical and mental capacity. Due to a nasty injury I've only just started training really (I'm only on 8th week of SS! lol) and I am loving the progression, especially fighting with an injury for the last 6 months, lifting heavier has now a different taste

If all goes well, maybe in a couple of years I can have a go, I say couple years at random, I have no idea of how long it takes before one is able to compete for the first time lol . I would like someone to really show me the form of the big 3 properly but I train in a comercial gym and no sign of PLers or even BBers! lol Anyway, I'll just keep lifting, eating, and resting ...and see how it goes


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## solidcecil (Mar 8, 2012)

martin brown said:


> I decided that shaving my ass, putting fake tan on, wearing knickers smaller than my birds, and then getting on a stage in front of all my mates wasn't for me!


 so you just decided to don a leotard instead then 

:lol:


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

hsmann87 said:


> why?


 Too much like hard work, i haven't deadlifted in a long time either.

Funny thing is doing high rep sets as in over 12 reps per set, tons of sets with little rest have given me greater muscular gains than lifting heavy.

Bodybuilding really is that easy that you don't even have to work hard in fact the less effort you put in the bigger you get.....


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## 8103 (May 5, 2008)

KASHLDN said:


> :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: classic!
> 
> On a more serious note, from all replies it looks like it's either a natural process in terms of preferred method of training and motivation or by somebody else's influence, in a "have you ever thought about getting into PL?" kind of thing.
> 
> ...


You won't need to wait a few years, if your thinking about entering powerlifting just go ahead and enter! You won't be out of place (unlike in bodybuilder where if you have a sh1t physique its not going to do you any favours) - therell be plenty of people there to give you advice and youll have a great tiem, and catch "the iron bug" lol


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## 8103 (May 5, 2008)

solidcecil said:


> so you just decided to don a leotard instead then
> 
> :lol:


I don't think leotards are that bad considering the majority of people where a t-shirt underneath - if you don't wear a t-shirt then yes, very gay lol


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## KASHLDN (Mar 7, 2010)

crouchmagic said:


> You won't need to wait a few years, if your thinking about entering powerlifting just go ahead and enter! You won't be out of place (unlike in bodybuilder where if you have a sh1t physique its not going to do you any favours) - therell be plenty of people there to give you advice and youll have a great tiem, and catch "the iron bug" lol


I'll milk linear progression first and see where it takes me, focus on short/medium term achievements first, every day is a victory if more weight goes in the bar imo. First have to lift decent weights tho...but will keep PL as the ultimate goal and slowly work towards it


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## Hard Trainer (Apr 29, 2009)

mikex101 said:


> i prefer to chase numbers rather than abs.


Same matey, 6 packs are for beach boys :bounce:


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## Bambi (Jul 1, 2009)

Since I've started training powerlifting style, my main lifts have all got stronger. Gives me results I find more volume orientated training does not.


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

Hard Trainer said:


> Same matey, 6 packs are for beach boys :bounce:


Am i a beach boy then?


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## Robbo90 (Mar 6, 2008)

I want to be as strong as I possibly can be.


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