Chris T's journey to powerlifting

[christ83189]

how in the heck does this type of person get hollow points- wait, lets just move along because before you know that trump for prez and gun people will be in here Talibaning your thread - lol

unreal

Lol for real... He was military though... Cant remember but i think marines. Anyways yeah hes behind bars now so yeah. And hes got pastors at our church praying for him to come to know jesus. They dont want punishment they want his soul to be saved.

 

[joemercy2010]

Came here cuz I saw this was a thread about powerlifting. I too am on my power lifting journey. I have a meet coming up in August, and the next in November. Good thread. I am 26 as well, but I have 2 daughters lol

 

[smith_69]

Came here cuz I saw this was a thread about powerlifting. I too am on my power lifting journey. I have a meet coming up in August, and the next in November. Good thread. I am 26 as well, but I have 2 daughters lol

i have 2 daughters also, were buds- welcome bro

 

[joemercy2010]

Yo! So what's everyone's experience in here? I've been lifting seriously for about a year now, but I've been in and out of the gym for about 4. I am really focused on my bench right now, probably the lift I love the most lol (typical)

 

[christ83189]

Hit legs yesterday and forgot to log it.

Squat
135x10
225x8
275 8x3

Oly squat
295 2x5

Paused squat
250 3x8

It was nice starting cube over the weights were light. But i know that doesnt last long.

Front rack BB reverse lunge
135x10
155x10
155x10

Leg press
4ppsx15
5ppsx15
6ppsx15

Decided to call it good there. Felt good to be back in the gym after only lifting once in a week to 2 days in a row. Gotta keep it going.

 

[christ83189]

Yo! So what's everyone's experience in here? I've been lifting seriously for about a year now, but I've been in and out of the gym for about 4. I am really focused on my bench right now, probably the lift I love the most lol (typical)

Ive been lifting since i was about 14. It was always misguided and undirected though and i didnt know what i was doing until i started doing crossfit a few years back. I did that for a couple years but wasnt gaining much strength cause i couldnt really afford to eat enough to gain while doing crossfit full time. I started lifting on my own again and went from 183 to almost 230 fairly quickly. Bench went from 255 to 365. Squat from sub-300 to over 4. Dead from 405 to 515.
Now im having a hard time keeping strength again because of my new job. I work very hard and expend alot of energy and cant really take in enough calories lol. I went from 230 a month and a half ago to 205-ish right now. My lifts are holding steady for the most part except for bench. My bench is suffering. But supporting my family comes first. Being as strong as possible comes next. So its a work in progress

 

[Joe12]

Your log is great, its awesome to see your jump in strength/weight. When I did a lot of cardio I couldn't keep the weight on either.
Just wondering, now that you have shifted training, do you think you are a better all around athlete now, or when doing crossfit?

Personally, I am doing 4-days BB, 1-day Xfit per week (I was, on a mild break right now)... and some biking.

 

[christ83189]

I was more athletic doing crossfit. Stronger now though.

 

[Joe12]

I was more athletic doing crossfit. Stronger now though.

I was just about to cut over to xfit FT, but got mildly injured. Now I just want to build up what I dropped. I debate between being stronger/looking better, vs. being in better over all condition. I am a tad paranoid of loosing some strength if I jump into xfit FT. I def. know my bies, and chest will take a hit.

 

[joemercy2010]

Ive been lifting since i was about 14. It was always misguided and undirected though and i didnt know what i was doing until i started doing crossfit a few years back. I did that for a couple years but wasnt gaining much strength cause i couldnt really afford to eat enough to gain while doing crossfit full time. I started lifting on my own again and went from 183 to almost 230 fairly quickly. Bench went from 255 to 365. Squat from sub-300 to over 4. Dead from 405 to 515.
Now im having a hard time keeping strength again because of my new job. I work very hard and expend alot of energy and cant really take in enough calories lol. I went from 230 a month and a half ago to 205-ish right now. My lifts are holding steady for the most part except for bench. My bench is suffering. But supporting my family comes first. Being as strong as possible comes next. So its a work in progress

Sounds very similar to how my weight lifting started. I used to go to the gym with my pops, he was a big lifter back I'm the day, had an all time bench PR of 485. He's a big reason why I started lifting. I started hitting for the gym to help me through my addiction issues and instead picked up a new addiction: powerlifting. I started following mark bell, Stan efferding, etc. My strongest lift is bench by far, I've hit 425 before and 445 for a 3/4 rep (didn't count but I like to think it did) good luck on your journey! Looking to compete at all?

 

[MrKleen73]

I was just about to cut over to xfit FT, but got mildly injured. Now I just want to build up what I dropped. I debate between being stronger/looking better, vs. being in better over all condition. I am a tad paranoid of loosing some strength if I jump into xfit FT. I def. know my bies, and chest will take a hit.

Do 2 X Fit workouts a week, and one Strength, and one Hypertrophy day. Get the best of all worlds. Do them weekly rotation like Mon- PL & Tuesday XFit, & Thurs Hypertrophy, XFit on Fri, or do an every other day rotation like below.

Full Body PL, Off, XFit, off, Full Body Hypertophy, off, XFit and so on and so on. You won't get elite level results in either but you will get the well rounded results you are looking for. You can truly specialize when you are getting closer to a meet or something.

PL Day - Squat, Bench, Dead Lifts - heavy weight and long rest periods

Hypertrophy Day - legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms, calves - 2-3 sets per exercise - 15-25 reps each, short rest periods 30-45 seconds.

 

[jimbuick]

Chris, I work in warehousing and have always been a bit of a hard gainer so I understand the struggle.


What I would suggest is carbs, and a lot of them. Typically, carbs are a little less filling than other macros so you can eat more calories if you really push the carbs.


Plus, they are protein sparing so having more carbs means you don't need to eat as much protein because your body won't be breaking it down as much for energy.

 

[MrKleen73]

Chris, I work in warehousing and have always been a bit of a hard gainer so I understand the struggle.


What I would suggest is carbs, and a lot of them. Typically, carbs are a little less filling than other macros so you can eat more calories if you really push the carbs.


Plus, they are protein sparing so having more carbs means you don't need to eat as much protein because your body won't be breaking it down as much for energy.

Fats too!!! Take a ziploc full of almonds and keep them in your pocket. Grab a handful ever once in a while throughout your day. Will help keep your insulin sensitivity from getting whacked with all the carbs.

 

[christ83189]

Hard work+ Burn Xtreme+ this weather= sweaty mess all day. Feels good to be off now though

 

[joemercy2010]

It's 102 here in Hermiston. Summer is going to be hell....

CD'A is gorgeous.

 

[christ83189]

It's 102 here in Hermiston. Summer is going to be hell....

CD'A is gorgeous.

Yeah it is. I love it here. The weather is stupid though. Never know what the weather is gonna be like next week lol

 

[joemercy2010]

Yeah it is. I love it here. The weather is stupid though. Never know what the weather is gonna be like next week lol

I know the struggle. Here tho, it's hot. All day. Every day. At least right now....

 

[Joe12]

MrKleen73 man, this is a really good layout to mix in xfit! The hardest part of hitting the gym & xfit was I never know what the heck xfit would throw at me, so I ended up training areas back-to-back. The entire body approach def. would resolve that issue.

Sad to say, that mild injury I mentioned above is not healed all the way (3 weeks now), frustrating to no end. Ill be training legs only this week, but I might implement this training plan when I am fully healed.

Sorry christ83189, not trying to hijack your thread!

 

[christ83189]

MrKleen73 man, this is a really good layout to mix in xfit! The hardest part of hitting the gym & xfit was I never know what the heck xfit would throw at me, so I ended up training areas back-to-back. The entire body approach def. would resolve that issue.

Sad to say, that mild injury I mentioned above is not healed all the way (3 weeks now), frustrating to no end. Ill be training legs only this week, but I might implement this training plan when I am fully healed.

Sorry christ83189, not trying to hijack your thread!

Oh you're good man. I would like to do crossfit a few days a week but my job doesnt allow me to catch any of the classes at the box i used to go to. Cant afford it right now either. But if i could mix some crossfit in i would. But yeah MrKleen73 knows what hes talking about. I would use the layout he just threw out there if i could.

 

[Joe12]

Oh you're good man. I would like to do crossfit a few days a week but my job doesnt allow me to catch any of the classes at the box i used to go to. Cant afford it right now either. But if i could mix some crossfit in i would. But yeah MrKleen73 knows what hes talking about. I would use the layout he just threw out there if i could.

Yup, he just hooked me up. best of both worlds. My problem is I never wanted to leave 4 sets of 10... it makes me swell fast!

I cant afford xfit either, so I snagged a groupon with 10-drop ins for $20. It provides flexibility, only negative is once the 10 are used ill need to jump to another box. They don't allow you to buy more then one groupon, unless you haven't attended in 3 months.

 

[MrKleen73]

Yup, he just hooked me up. best of both worlds. My problem is I never wanted to leave 4 sets of 10... it makes me swell fast!

I cant afford xfit either, so I snagged a groupon with 10-drop ins for $20. It provides flexibility, only negative is once the 10 are used ill need to jump to another box. They don't allow you to buy more then one groupon, unless you haven't attended in 3 months.

Working the system eh.

PS LOVE THE AVI!!!!

 

[MrKleen73]

Oh you're good man. I would like to do crossfit a few days a week but my job doesnt allow me to catch any of the classes at the box i used to go to. Cant afford it right now either. But if i could mix some crossfit in i would. But yeah MrKleen73 knows what hes talking about. I would use the layout he just threw out there if i could.

Thanks Chris!

 

[christ83189]

Checking in here... Nothing to update at the moment. Will have more tomorrow. Diet has been slipping being overly busy with work and kids and just working my butt off really. I did order a TD laxogenin supp from bps on a presale discount that should be here tomorrowish so im excited to add that in for just the joint health aspect alone considering my knees and wrists and hands have been killing me since starting my new job. Hopefully it helps

 

[christ83189]

Alright guys im back... sorry for my absence. My phone broke and thats my main source of internet. Just got a new phone. Will be hitting the gym in a bit with a buddy of mine and will update then

 

[smith_69]

Alright guys im back... sorry for my absence. My phone broke and thats my main source of internet. Just got a new phone. Will be hitting the gym in a bit with a buddy of mine and will update then

your back, all that matters bro-

 

[christ83189]

Hit the gym right after church today with a friend from church.
Bench
135x10
185x10
225 3x5

Incline bench
135x10
155 3x8

Then hit the back.
Back extention SS/ pull ups
5x15 with 25# plate on back
5x failure (10-15)

Lat pulldown dropsets
180x10
140x10
120x10
100x10

Hammer strength iso-lateral row
3ppsx10
3pps+25psx10
4ppsx10
4ppsx10
3ppsx10
2ppsx10 alternating arms x10 both arms same time

Cable high row
120 3x15

 

[MrKleen73]

Nice work!

 

[christ83189]

Alright guys i took a break for a while. Back in the gym as of yesterday. Need some help picking a training method. MrKleen73 could you help me out with some programming for my workout tonight? Doing legs butt want to work in some bodyweight amd atbleticism work and just get totally shredded and huge. I need some help with motivation and encouragement too. Im in a slump but just had a baby and want to become the best me possible. HELP ME! LOL

 

[christ83189]

Hit some squats and deads and satyed fairly light to assess how much strength loss i had. Worked up to 315 on squats and 405 on deads. Feels good to be back. After working so much and being worn down extra stressed out. Just had tge new baby with some terrifying complications but baby and wife are ok and life is good

 

[Socalmk6gti]

Hit some squats and deads and satyed fairly light to assess how much strength loss i had. Worked up to 315 on squats and 405 on deads. Feels good to be back. After working so much and being worn down extra stressed out. Just had tge new baby with some terrifying complications but baby and wife are ok and life is good

Glad to hear the family is alright! That's more important than anything else. Take time to focus on the family, the weights will still be there; as will we.

 

[MrKleen73]

Sounds like you still have some nice strength Chris.

A simple way to program a more athletic workout would be to add some supersets of explosive movements to your main lifts. Squat day for instance do 2-3 reps of squat jumps as high as possible then do your squat set.

Then say you follow that up with Leg Press and Jump Lunges

Then maybe superset sled pushes and sled pulls to really hit the hammies and quads in a different way.


That or keep to something similar but in a more full body workout style.

6 sets > Broad Jumps x2 / Dead lifts x6
4 sets > DB Rows x6-8/ Clapping Push Ups x3-5
3 sets > Reverse Lunges x 20 per leg / DB Snatch x 5
4 rounds > Overhead Carries 75y, 50y, 50y / Knees to Elbows from hang x 15, 15, 15
5 rounds 100y dash.

Then the next workout you would go heavier on pushing movements, and hit the other areas with varying intensity and rep schemes, and alternative exercises. Just make sure throughout the week you hit each area with strength, explosiveness and strength endurance training by rotating the focus each of the workouts.

 

[christ83189]

I felt weak but not as weak as i expected. My goals have changed a bit in the last month. With my job and how much physical exertion i get at work its not practical for me to train for optimum strength. So im thinking about doing a couple days strength training like a dead/squat/bench centered day. One day for each lift then doing a couple days for metabolic conditioning and hypertrophy and focusing on getting lean and working on my cardiovascular health. I wish i could go back to crossfit a few days a week but thats not really practical right now either. Im also wanting to work on Olympic lifting some too.

 

[christ83189]

Sounds like you still have some nice strength Chris.

A simple way to program a more athletic workout would be to add some supersets of explosive movements to your main lifts. Squat day for instance do 2-3 reps of squat jumps as high as possible then do your squat set.

Then say you follow that up with Leg Press and Jump Lunges

Then maybe superset sled pushes and sled pulls to really hit the hammies and quads in a different way.


That or keep to something similar but in a more full body workout style.

6 sets > Broad Jumps x2 / Dead lifts x6
4 sets > DB Rows x6-8/ Clapping Push Ups x3-5
3 sets > Reverse Lunges x 20 per leg / DB Snatch x 5
4 rounds > Overhead Carries 75y, 50y, 50y / Knees to Elbows from hang x 15, 15, 15
5 rounds 100y dash.

Then the next workout you would go heavier on pushing movements, and hit the other areas with varying intensity and rep schemes, and alternative exercises. Just make sure throughout the week you hit each area with strength, explosiveness and strength endurance training by rotating the focus each of the workouts.

Those are definitely some good pointers there Chris thank you! Gotta start saving up for my home gym now!

 

[christ83189]

The new addition to the family

 

[MrKleen73]

What a cutie!!!!!

 

[christ83189]

What a cutie!!!!!

Thanks chris!

 

[christ83189]

Will log my workout in the morning probably. Had a great one today. Did shoulders and abs. Thinking of maybe a metcon tomorrow with some olympic lifting in there.

 

[hansisworld]

Subbed! I'm a new dad myself, have a 14-week-old girl. Congrats man!

 

[christ83189]

Sorry for lack updates. Wife and baby and kids keeping me busy lol. Dropped into my old crossfit box for a wod the day before yesterday and killled it and loved it. Forgot how much i love crossfit

 

[christ83189]

Well guys im back. Havent been lifting on account of working as a framer and doing an engine swap on my truck and overall just not having enough energy but im starting to work out again cause ive gotten chubby eating fast food and ice cream lol. But im starting to pack lunches for work and eat healthier. Starting a cycle as well. Want to get back to being big and lean as opposed to just big and strong

 

[christ83189]

Heres progress pictures

I think im gonna bring this thread back to life maybe. Ive got another log going right now so not sure. Just stumbled acrossed this old one and came across these pictures... This is where i hope to be in a couple months physique-wise

 

[christ83189]

jackedviking check this out. This is my old log. Page 24 on the mobile app is pics of me from june 2016. Thats my goal right there