I have just entered my first PL comp and I have 7 weeks to get ready for it. Can any one set me in the right direction for a good 6-7 week program on improving my max lifts for DL and bench? I will be competing in the 181lb weight class.

Or any places to go for preparing for first meet.

Sheiko 37

How do you currently train? Do you use powerlifting gear? What are your lifts like now?

Originally Posted by pmiller383

How do you currently train? Do you use powerlifting gear? What are your lifts like now?

Agreed. We need more info. Massive changes this close to a meet are rarely a good idea, so we need to know more about what you are doing now to give you the best advice.

ok, here goes:

No gear, competing raw, and the meet only offers bench and dead.

recently I have been been training Dead once a week with 5x5
- deads 5x5 followed by st leg dl 3*8 and pull ups. also heavy db swings

chest, hase been 2x a week at moderate with 4*8 30 seconds rest between sets
- weighted dips, db incline bench, flat bb bench,

legs also 2x a week moderate with 4*8 45 second rest (squat or front squats)

recent max is 420 dead and 260 bench

Now I know my numbers arent gonna blow anybody out of the water but this is my first meet and I gotta start somewhere and get my feet wet. I also realize its short notice but I just found out about the comp.

Thanks for the help.

oh yea, and if it matters there is a 24 hr weigh in, right now im 188 and i need to compete at 181.

if making weight is a choice, then i'd forgo it for my first meet, nothing wrong with competing at 198. i dont know if 7weeks is enough time to change into something you havent tried before, you could just keep what you are doing and deload the last 1 or 2 weeks to try to peak for the meet, then plan out something new and target another meet to test it out.

things you can look into are westside, sheiko, 5x5, 5/3/1, or even DC

I agree, since this is your first meet just go in as you are and learn what meets are like. I would deload the week before the meet and just make sure you keep yourself healthy up until the meet. 7 weeks is not enough time to gain a lot of strength, but it is more than enough time to hurt yourself or run yourself into the ground by overtaxing your system.

Originally Posted by hamr9

ok, here goes:

No gear, competing raw, and the meet only offers bench and dead.

recently I have been been training Dead once a week with 5x5
- deads 5x5 followed by st leg dl 3*8 and pull ups. also heavy db swings

chest, hase been 2x a week at moderate with 4*8 30 seconds rest between sets
- weighted dips, db incline bench, flat bb bench,

legs also 2x a week moderate with 4*8 45 second rest (squat or front squats)

recent max is 420 dead and 260 bench

Now I know my numbers arent gonna blow anybody out of the water but this is my first meet and I gotta start somewhere and get my feet wet. I also realize its short notice but I just found out about the comp.

Thanks for the help.

The main thing i see is short rest periods between sets. start taking 2-3mins, see if that doesnt add 10-20lbs to all your lifts immediately.

i've started to prioritize certains lifts in preperation for a strongman comp I'm hoping to enter. And changing rest time between sets from a bodybuilding (min or less) to powerlifting (1.5-2mn+) has greatly increased explosive power for my max efforts.

If you are benching and squatting twice per week with moderate weights, simply take one of those days each weeks and work up to a little heavier weight. The other day for each lift continue to do light to moderate work. For example for your heavy day:
week 1-2: work up to a heavy set of 5
week 3-4: work up to a heavy triple
week 5: work up to a heavy double
week 6: work up to openers
week 7: deload and rest

Also, start doing all your lifts with the appropriate commands (squat, rack, press, rack, down, etc...) and have someone make sure your SQ depth is good. Also, start pausing all your bench reps on your heavy day and holding the last rep of every set for a couple of seconds at the top. Also make your openers relatively light. A rule of thumb is to open with something you could triple on a bad day.

Originally Posted by SRS2000

Also, start doing all your lifts with the appropriate commands (squat, rack, press, rack, down, etc...) and have someone make sure your SQ depth is good. Also, start pausing all your bench reps on your heavy day and holding the last rep of every set for a couple of seconds at the top.

true that, practice with the appropiate commands, you dont want to miss a lift on a technicality....

Originally Posted by futurepilot

The main thing i see is short rest periods between sets. start taking 2-3mins, see if that doesnt add 10-20lbs to all your lifts immediately.

i've started to prioritize certains lifts in preperation for a strongman comp I'm hoping to enter. And changing rest time between sets from a bodybuilding (min or less) to powerlifting (1.5-2mn+) has greatly increased explosive power for my max efforts.

Yea i was going to start that too i used short rest to help with endurance but i will switch to 2:00 min and up the weights too. thanks

WOW guys thanks for all the help, could someone also help me out with the deloading phase?
does this mean lower weights 50% during the last 4-5 days or no lifting?

Originally Posted by hamr9

WOW guys thanks for all the help, could someone also help me out with the deloading phase?
does this mean lower weights 50% during the last 4-5 days or no lifting?

Since you're only deloading for a week or so, don't do any lifting. You can do some stretching and mobility work if you want, but I typically do very little. You won't get any weaker taking a week off. In fact you'll probably be stronger for the meet.

Originally Posted by SRS2000

Since you're only deloading for a week or so, don't do any lifting. You can do some stretching and mobility work if you want, but I typically do very little. You won't get any weaker taking a week off. In fact you'll probably be stronger for the meet.

For my first meet I not only stopped lifting but I stayed away from the gym four days prior to the meet and just took it easy, ate healthy and slept a lot. The meet was on Saturday, my last workout was the previous Monday. I was REALLY nervous that I'd lose all my strength but that wasn't the case at all. My working set for deadlifts had been 165x5...my 4th attempt at the meet was 209.44lbs for a State AND an American record. Booyah.

thanks all for the help, i saw alot of ppl there missing thier bench because they didnt listen to the commands im glad i practiced that...i also did stop lifting 5 days out from the meet and i was very scared taking that much time off but it worked out well for me.

anyway I did end up competing at 181lb weight class, I benched 315lb and DL 475lb both PRs for me so im pretty happy with how things went and look forward to doing some more meets. I just have to find them, any help?

p.s. i also saw a guy make a 600lb raw bench press at 242 weight class so that was cool, and he attempted 620 later and missed by 2-3 inches on lockout i've never seen anything like it

Originally Posted by hamr9

thanks all for the help, i saw alot of ppl there missing thier bench because they didnt listen to the commands im glad i practiced that...i also did stop lifting 5 days out from the meet and i was very scared taking that much time off but it worked out well for me.

anyway I did end up competing at 181lb weight class, I benched 315lb and DL 475lb both PRs for me so im pretty happy with how things went and look forward to doing some more meets. I just have to find them, any help?

p.s. i also saw a guy make a 600lb raw bench press at 242 weight class so that was cool, and he attempted 620 later and missed by 2-3 inches on lockout i've never seen anything like it

I saw that 600 bench on powerliftingwatch.com. That is a good site to read if you are looking for info. They also have links to other forums. Now you need to find some quality guys to train with.

yea i just looked it up at powerliftingwatch and that is the meet that I was at, yes i do need to find a better gym, currently at anytime fitness (stop laughing) but the power rack is always open there so i never have to wait to squat or DL, i just have to deal with the soccer moms and the pop music playing over head.

Originally Posted by hamr9

yea i just looked it up at powerliftingwatch and that is the meet that I was at, yes i do need to find a better gym, currently at anytime fitness (stop laughing) but the power rack is always open there so i never have to wait to squat or DL, i just have to deal with the soccer moms and the pop music playing over head.

It takes a while to find somewhere to train sometimes. Hey the best gym i ever worked out at besides the places that are powerlifting friendly was a NY sports club. They let me use chalk and the had good equipment.

Originally Posted by hamr9

anyway I did end up competing at 181lb weight class, I benched 315lb and DL 475lb both PRs for me so im pretty happy with how things went and look forward to doing some more meets.

Congrats man, best of luck in the future.

Originally Posted by hamr9

anyway I did end up competing at 181lb weight class, I benched 315lb and DL 475lb both PRs for me so im pretty happy with how things went and look forward to doing some more meets. I just have to find them, any help?

So you ended up LOSING 7 lbs and ADDING 55 lbs to your bench and dead in 7 weeks?!?!? Holy hell man!

Originally Posted by cynic

So you ended up LOSING 7 lbs and ADDING 55 lbs to your bench and dead in 7 weeks?!?!? Holy hell man!

well the weight was all water weight that i cut, I put it right back on after the weigh in, and I vastly underestimated my bench and dead I also had some help from h-drol as well.

Originally Posted by hamr9

well the weight was all water weight that i cut, I put it right back on after the weigh in, and I vastly underestimated my bench and dead I also had some help from h-drol as well.

Nonetheless...great jump man. Well done.

lol luckily u didnt get tested

i was gona enter a comp a while back but i read something about testing certain competitors and if u get caught they like kick u out of any event sanctioned by them for life.... scared me as this was when i first tried a cycle, but entering ended up being too much at the time, me being a broke college student

Good job deff. on dropping the weight, even water weight, 24 hrs out that still could have hindered you, but you did pr's, thats awesome. I really gooa get back to competing. Its so fun for me. As far as getting ready for meets, I always warmed up to heavy, then went for poundage, once a week, then dropped and did sets. I always took a entire week off as well, before competing. Good luck.

yea i did alot of research on cutting water weight and felt that i could make it happen, pedialyte is your best friend after the weigh in!