Powerlifting as a sport

Parsley

So I've been lifting fairly seriously for a few months now, really enjoying it (more than rowing) and I'm thinking about properly taking up powerlifting full-on. From my last few years of rowing, with the amount of dedication and time it took, I just can't be happy dicking about doing something half arsed.

So I've a couple questions for you more experienced lifters:

Is powerlifting a sport in which one can be reasonably successful without being in a club/having a coach? From what I've seen in some of the more notable logs here, people seem to decide on their own programmes and such without any coaching input. Beyond getting technique down, would joining a club/having a coach be of any major benefit? Enough to warrant joining a new gym? (I have free membership to a pretty good gym for the next few years). I can discipline myself to train, so motivation wouldn't be a factor.


How much dedication/time is required to get to the top level? Obviously you'd have to adapt lifestyle to it, cutting back drinking/partying etc. But how much training is too much? Training every day without rest/recovery's gonna run you into the ground quick and negate any strength gains...


I've a lot to learn about competing etc. but that can probably wait a while I'd say.

Thanks for any input!

itsallaboutheL

Parsley wrote: »

So I've been lifting fairly seriously for a few months now, really enjoying it (more than rowing) and I'm thinking about properly taking up powerlifting full-on. From my last few years of rowing, with the amount of dedication and time it took, I just can't be happy dicking about doing something half arsed.

So I've a couple questions for you more experienced lifters:

Is powerlifting a sport in which one can be reasonably successful without being in a club/having a coach? From what I've seen in some of the more notable logs here, people seem to decide on their own programmes and such without any coaching input. Beyond getting technique down, would joining a club/having a coach be of any major benefit? Enough to warrant joining a new gym? (I have free membership to a pretty good gym for the next few years). I can discipline myself to train, so motivation wouldn't be a factor.


How much dedication/time is required to get to the top level? Obviously you'd have to adapt lifestyle to it, cutting back drinking/partying etc. But how much training is too much? Training every day without rest/recovery's gonna run you into the ground quick and negate any strength gains...


I've a lot to learn about competing etc. but that can probably wait a while I'd say.

Thanks for any input!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS



You can do my new program with me in September we'll get massive!!!

Parsley

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS



You can do my new program with me in September we'll get massive!!!

For some reason i KNEW you'd reply first!

Where's Hanley?

cardio,shoot me

hanleys offline, im here tho!

itsallaboutheL

Have a look for him on T-nation... he's surely around the interwebs somewhere!!

Going doin a Russian Cycle and the Excel Sheet tells me i'll have a 150kg bench in 2 and a half months... now i doubt this but we'll see!!!

cardio,shoot me

well if we are putting down goals i want a 220kg deadlift before i turn 18

itsallaboutheL

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

well if we are putting down goals i want a 220kg deadlift before i turn 18

I'll be happy with a 150kg bench by february..... that and massive arms:rolleyes:

cardio,shoot me

that logs been up long enough L, face it, you aint getting massive arms.

itsallaboutheL

cardio,shoot me wrote: »

that logs been up long enough L, face it, you aint getting massive arms.

They're bigger than yours

Parsley

There goes my serious thread.

itsallaboutheL

Parsley wrote: »

There goes my serious thread.

No it doesn't... it's late and we're clearly bored!!!

THe Boss man will make it all nice in the morning...

What were your questions specifically?

Parsley

I knew i should've just PM'd Hanley instead of posting a thread.

podge57

I definately wouldnt call myself experienced, but i do compete, so ill lend my opinion:

Parsley wrote: »

I've a couple questions for you more experienced lifters:

Is powerlifting a sport in which one can be reasonably successful without being in a club/having a coach? From what I've seen in some of the more notable logs here, people seem to decide on their own programmes and such without any coaching input. Beyond getting technique down, would joining a club/having a coach be of any major benefit? Enough to warrant joining a new gym? (I have free membership to a pretty good gym for the next few years). I can discipline myself to train, so motivation wouldn't be a factor.

it definately helps to have a coach or training partners, but its not going to make or break you. As long as you have a good idea of what you need to do, you should be ok. There is also tonnes of info available out there

one of the top lifters in the world trains at home alone in his garage (mike tuscherer)

How much dedication/time is required to get to the top level? Obviously you'd have to adapt lifestyle to it, cutting back drinking/partying etc. But how much training is too much? Training every day without rest/recovery's gonna run you into the ground quick and negate any strength gains...

Well you need dedication and consistancy to be good at anything, but its not going to take up a huge amount of time - train 3-4 times per week, eat and rest. Although if youre like me, you will spend hours reading and watching everything you can . There are no full-time powerlifters, they all have jobs of some sort, so even at the top level, lifters still have work, family and other commitments and manage ok

How much training you do really depends on the person, but like Rippetoe says, you dont get stong by lifting weights, you get strong by recovering from lifting weights

kevpants

Parsley wrote: »

Is powerlifting a sport in which one can be reasonably successful without being in a club/having a coach?

Yes because reasonably successful is getting stronger. For me powerlifting is lifting weights with the added benefit of competition.

Parsley wrote: »

From what I've seen in some of the more notable logs here, people seem to decide on their own programmes and such without any coaching input. Beyond getting technique down, would joining a club/having a coach be of any major benefit? Enough to warrant joining a new gym? (I have free membership to a pretty good gym for the next few years). I can discipline myself to train, so motivation wouldn't be a factor.

I'd personally take the freebie gym membership over the coaching but then I'm a cocky know-it-all... and I'm tight.

Parsley wrote: »

How much dedication/time is required to get to the top level? Obviously you'd have to adapt lifestyle to it, cutting back drinking/partying etc. But how much training is too much? Training every day without rest/recovery's gonna run you into the ground quick and negate any strength gains...

About 10 years solid they say. It's more important to enjoy the 10 years than to be world class at the end. Primarily because you can't have one without the other. You don't need to adapt your lifestyle that much unless you're drinking 5 nights a week or something. In that case you were going to have to adjust it at some stage if you wanted to be successful at anything.

Parsley wrote: »

I've a lot to learn about competing etc. but that can probably wait a while I'd say.

You seem hell bent on being top class when you compete. You won't be. Just get up and compete. It doesn't matter what you lift. Really.

It's a simple sport, if you suck but you love it there's no coach to kick you off the team. You can continue to enjoy it and break your own PR's even if everyone else is stronger.

ronbyrne2005

Can ya afford all the pharmaceuticals needed to make it to the top?

Hanley

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Can ya afford all the pharmaceuticals needed to make it to the top?

Can ya shut the **** up and have some cop on?

Parsley

podge57 wrote: »

it definately helps to have a coach or training partners, but its not going to make or break you. As long as you have a good idea of what you need to do, you should be ok. There is also tonnes of info available out there

one of the top lifters in the world trains at home alone in his garage (mike tuscherer)

I'll have a few lads to be hitting the gym with so that's something, and I've a fair idea of what I need to be doing gym wise so I suppose i'm on track for now.

Well you need dedication and consistancy to be good at anything, but its not going to take up a huge amount of time - train 3-4 times per week, eat and rest. Although if youre like me, you will spend hours reading and watching everything you can . There are no full-time powerlifters, they all have jobs of some sort, so even at the top level, lifters still have work, family and other commitments and manage ok

How much training you do really depends on the person, but like Rippetoe says, you dont get stong by lifting weights, you get strong by recovering from lifting weights

I'll try keep that in mind, cheers

kevpants wrote: »

About 10 years solid they say. It's more important to enjoy the 10 years than to be world class at the end. Primarily because you can't have one without the other. You don't need to adapt your lifestyle that much unless you're drinking 5 nights a week or something. In that case you were going to have to adjust it at some stage if you wanted to be successful at anything.

You seem hell bent on being top class when you compete. You won't be. Just get up and compete. It doesn't matter what you lift. Really.

Ah I'm not though! I really want to compete sometime next year no matter what level I'm at, I just want to have a good bit of training behind me. I just want to be good at something I enjoy doing, and I'm one of those people that just isn't happy with mediocrity in myself. Cheers for the tips!

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

Yes because reasonably successful is getting stronger. For me powerlifting is lifting weights with the added benefit of competition.



I'd personally take the freebie gym membership over the coaching but then I'm a cocky know-it-all... and I'm tight.



About 10 years solid they say. It's more important to enjoy the 10 years than to be world class at the end. Primarily because you can't have one without the other. You don't need to adapt your lifestyle that much unless you're drinking 5 nights a week or something. In that case you were going to have to adjust it at some stage if you wanted to be successful at anything.



You seem hell bent on being top class when you compete. You won't be. Just get up and compete. It doesn't matter what you lift. Really.

It's a simple sport, if you suck but you love it there's no coach to kick you off the team. You can continue to enjoy it and break your own PR's even if everyone else is stronger.

+1 to all of this really.

You don't need a coach, I don't have one and I've done ok!!

You don't even need a great gym, tho it helps. I've made good progress training in TF the majority of the time and Hercs while I can.

You won't be anywhere near the best when you first start out, so don't bother waiting to compete.

You will make a lot of mistakes in your initial training cycles and competitions, so it's best to get them out of the way before you become competitive and have an actual shot at placing.

Khannie

Hanley wrote: »

Can ya shut the **** up and have some cop on?

You should know better than that tbh. Infracted.

Khannie

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Can ya afford all the pharmaceuticals needed to make it to the top?

Less of the sh*t stirring please.

ronbyrne2005

Sorry, didnt mean to stir. Only thing i know about powerlifting is what i saw in "bigger stronger faster" as recomended on here . I thought all the top guys in world took the stuff.

Hanley

ronbyrne2005 wrote: »

Sorry, didnt mean to stir. Only thing i know about powerlifting is what i saw in "bigger stronger faster" as recomended on here . I thought all the top guys in world took the stuff.

And once again the American's have warped the sport to make it look like they're the best and biggest.

Tbh the heart of the sport, legitimate powerlifting, is the IPF. It's dominated by eastern europeans who quite literally spank the US lifters. It's not exactly drug free, but it's MORE drug free than the feds featured in BSF.