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[MjFrancis]

Your First Powerlifting Meet

First, congratulations on thinking of entering a meet — you’ll love it. It takes a lot of guts to get out on a platform and be judged by your peers and I admire anyone who does it.

Second, just do it! You don’t have to be an all-star the first time you go to a meet. The important thing is to get in one and see if you like it. No one’s going to judge you as a person on how much weight you lift; and if they do, their opinions aren’t worth a watery shit.

Since you are new to this, let me offer a few points.

• Open light in the squat. No need to add fuel to the nervousness by attempting a weight you think you MIGHT get. The opening squat sets the whole tone of the meet for you: If you destroy it, your confidence is up, the butterflies will be gone, and you’ll be awesome. You’ll go back to your seat with a huge smile on your face. Of course, if you over-extend yourself too early and shit the bed, the opposite is true. In that case, prepare to have a long, miserable day.

• Bring someone you trust. This doesn’t have to be anyone experienced in meets but someone that will help you navigate the meet and help you through the day. It DOES help if this person has meet experience, but as long as you have someone that can handle you (wrap knees, get you water, check on flights, etc.), it takes a whole lot off your plate. You can just concentrate on lifting weight.

• Don’t cut weight — just weigh what you weigh. Worry about your training for the meet; no need to add cutting weight to your list of worries.

• Know the rules — every federation (about 458 in the United States) has different rules. Know the judging rules. Know the equipment rules. Don’t be caught off guard.

• Ask other lifters and handlers at the meet for advice. 99% of the time people are going to be more than helpful. Just don’t do it right before someone lifts.

So getting back to your original question, there’s never a perfect time for entering your first powerlifting meet. You’re never going to be strong enough; in this sport, the quest for a total shows that you can never be strong enough. Just go out there and do your best, and you’ll have the respect of everyone in that room, no matter how strong you are.

http://www.jimwendler.com/

He reposted this on his website in early October. Also worth noting is that the 5/3/1 for Powerlifting book is in print now, instead of just being an ebook. Like I said, though, most of it has been reprinted and if you've already got a 5/3/1 book it's probably not worth it.

 

[parrotbeak]

A bit OT, but I just got accepted to my internship at a local police department.

Congrats man!

Never noticed anything when doing hip flexor stretches or anything so I don't believe anything is just tight -- just weak. I need to foam roll on it or something but rolling on your hips is very awkward.

I'll have to give that a try. My back has been relatively good lately, but I had unexplained soreness in my hips last episode (last summer or whenever that was) and wonder if it was the psoas reacting to the lower back injury.

You probably saw these, but these links recommend massages through the belly. I saw them last night right after I ate so I didn't try yet.

http://stronglifts.com/the-psoas-is-it-killing-your-back/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1RARwli_Zs

 

[Dash27]

I would just like to state publicly that I suck at power cleans.

My squat and DL is strong but power cleans own me.

 

[reilo]

I would just like to state publicly that I suck at power cleans.

My squat and DL is strong but power cleans own me.

As they should. They are much more of a technically advanced lift than either squats or deadlifts. Keep at it.

 

[kylej]

Goddamnit. Doing stupid ass tricep pushdowns on a stupid ass machine at the end of my workout and tweaked my weaker elbow while pushing the weight down. Was twisting my arm at the end to really extend the weight and felt a gentle pop in my elbow. No pain. Snaps, crackles and pops make me nervous as shit though. Going to switch to one-arm tricep work in the future and take a week off from direct tricep work. Feels bad man.

A bit OT, but I just got accepted to my internship at a local police department.

Fuck yeah!

Nice.

 

[parrotbeak]

Goddamnit. Doing stupid ass tricep pushdowns on a stupid ass machine at the end of my workout and tweaked my weaker elbow while pushing the weight down. Was twisting my arm at the end to really extend the weight and felt a gentle pop in my elbow. No pain. Snaps, crackles and pops make me nervous as shit though. Going to switch to one-arm tricep work in the future and take a week off from direct tricep work. Feels bad man.

Did you see this Rippetoe vid Alien posted a few days ago?

http://vimeo.com/25983467

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

http://www.jimwendler.com/

He reposted this on his website in early October. Also worth noting is that the 5/3/1 for Powerlifting book is in print now, instead of just being an ebook. Like I said, though, most of it has been reprinted and if you've already got a 5/3/1 book it's probably not worth it.

Thanks for going through all the trouble.

I think I may have been thinking WAY too far ahead.

The only thing I think I could realistically compete in even amaturely is press and benchpress. I'm "close" to "Elite" in the standard scales in both of those. I wouldn't want to bother doing everything else.

Anyone know if you can just choose what you're going to take part in?

Congrats, man.

Congratulations, Alienshogun! Hope it works out for you.

Congrats man!

Thanks! I'm pretty pumped. Gonna celebrate tonight with some jamesons, then more jamesons tomorrow for veterans day celebrations.

Did you see this Rippetoe vid Alien posted a few days ago?

http://vimeo.com/25983467

Love that exercise. I've actually posted it like 4 times now for people.

It's guaranteed to give you monster triceps.

 

[Veidt]

hi gaf.
been restricted in my protein in take today.

(breakfast)Some slices of chicken breast.
(before workout) Cheese sandwich
(after workout) Tuna sandwich -Forgot my protein shake powder
(dinner) pasta + slices of chicken
(before sleep) Protein shake ( 25g)


Am I fucked here,or have I had approx enough protein to make it so that my body won't eat my muscles?

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Do you really have to eat a chicken breast and cheese sandwhich when starting your day?

And you need to find other sources for protein. Do you even eat fruits and vegetables, or is that all you eat every day?

 

[reilo]

Do you really have to eat a chicken breast and cheese sandwhich when starting your day?

And you need to find other sources for protein. Do you even eat fruits and vegetables, or is that all you eat every day?

If he's trying to bulk, he's fine.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

If he's trying to bulk, then maybe try eating sweet potatoe and some brown rice instead of a cheese sandwhich (not to mention the cheese and bread he may be eating could be poor quality) .

Eating protein alone won't get you bulked.

 

[parrotbeak]

I think his question is whether it's ok that he missed a protein shake today? I don't think it's a huge deal. In my experience my recovery might be slightly longer if I don't get enough protein, but you're not going to notice strength loss over 1 day of lower protein intake.

 

[ezrarh]

So I'm still recovering from my cold I picked up since Sunday. I've missed two workouts so far. Feels bad man. On the bright side, I needed to lay off my lower back since I was starting to get pain so this rest isn't a complete waste.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

So I'm still recovering from my cold I picked up since Sunday. I've missed two workouts so far. Feels bad man. On the bright side, I needed to lay off my lower back since I was starting to get pain so this rest isn't a complete waste.

Not working out because a cold? What the fuck

 

[ezrarh]

Not working out because a cold? What the fuck

Fuck that. I'm not lifting heavy when I'm heavily fatigued.

and it's not very considerate to others

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Actually, I want a grilled cheese sanwhich. I haven't had one since I was a kid.

 

[JB1981]

Fuck that. I'm not lifting heavy when I'm heavily fatigued.

and it's not very considerate to others

Sometimes lifting will make you feel better if you have a cold.

 

[JB1981]

So I did the lying ez bar triceps extension like in the video Shogun posted. While I was doing it, it seemed pretty easy honestly. But now my triceps are SO sore. mainly when I bend my elbows and try to raise my arms, they feel so damn tight. I don't even think I'll be able to work out today. And I did this exercise on monday...so what can I do to relieve the soreness...? Even day to day activity hurts.

Btw I do work out my triceps a good amount and can do a lot of dips and that never makes them that sore.

You can relieve the soreness by doing an extended warm up and lifting again. The soreness goes away much faster this way, in my experience.

 

[Veidt]

good point jason.

I don't usually eat cheese sandwiches. Hell not even tuna sandwiches. I usually eat meals consisting of cooked meat and or eggs.
Which is why I was so scared for my protein in take.

I think his question is whether it's ok that he missed a protein shake today? I don't think it's a huge deal. In my experience my recovery might be slightly longer if I don't get enough protein, but you're not going to notice strength loss over 1 day of lower protein intake.

Thanks!

 

[ezrarh]

Sometimes lifting will make you feel better if you have a cold.

I don't dispute that. I've done a few runs before with colds and it does clear up a little. It's just the combination of runny nose/fatigue/headache makes me too lazy to go.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Sometimes lifting will make you feel better if you have a cold.

That's fake, it's just the endorphins masking the symptoms.

So I did the lying ez bar triceps extension like in the video Shogun posted. While I was doing it, it seemed pretty easy honestly. But now my triceps are SO sore. mainly when I bend my elbows and try to raise my arms, they feel so damn tight. I don't even think I'll be able to work out today. And I did this exercise on monday...so what can I do to relieve the soreness...? Even day to day activity hurts.

Btw I do work out my triceps a good amount and can do a lot of dips and that never makes them that sore.

That's because the lying triceps extension is a man's exercise.

Glad you tried it bud, now keep at it! Your arms are on the express route to hugeville.


P.S I'm dipping with 2 45lb plates now.

Fuuuuuk yeaaaaaaah

 

[Barnaby_Jones]

Anyone got any hints as to get eggs into my diet considering I don't like them? I've been thinking of throwing them into a blender with some ice cream and a drizzling of honey for a mean shake but I'm not sure of how they'll mix and if the 'egg taste' will come through.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

Anyone got any hints as to get eggs into my diet considering I don't like them? I've been thinking of throwing them into a blender with some ice cream and a drizzling of honey for a mean shake but I'm not sure of how they'll mix and if the 'egg taste' will come through.

If you don't like them, don't eat them?

 

[balddemon]

eggs and ice cream?? is such a thing even possible

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

eggs and ice cream?? is such a thing even possible

Frozen Custard.

I just blew your mind.

 

[parrotbeak]

I think egg yolk is a common ingredient in ice cream.

 

[TheKaeptain]

Anyone got any hints as to get eggs into my diet considering I don't like them? I've been thinking of throwing them into a blender with some ice cream and a drizzling of honey for a mean shake but I'm not sure of how they'll mix and if the 'egg taste' will come through.

Wait, you don't like EGGS?

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Anyone got any hints as to get eggs into my diet considering I don't like them? I've been thinking of throwing them into a blender with some ice cream and a drizzling of honey for a mean shake but I'm not sure of how they'll mix and if the 'egg taste' will come through.

There's other cheap ways to get protein like tuna.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

P.S I'm dipping with 2 45lb plates now.

Fuuuuuk yeaaaaaaah

I used to dip with THREE 45lb plates.

In your face, Charlie Murphy.

 

[parrotbeak]

There's other cheap ways to get protein like tuna.

Mmm, tuna ice cream...

 

[Complex Shadow]

Hey fit gaf. I have a problem (again) I was wondering if there is something (anything) I can do in the morning (don't care how long) every day to get rid of this bulge like blog. It's so depressing, I can't even go to the gym because I keep thinking "what's the point".

Fake edit.

Is 2 eggs a day ok?

 

[kylej]

Hey fit gaf. I have a problem (again) I was wondering if there is something (anything) I can do in the morning (don't care how long) every day to get rid of this bulge like blog. It's so depressing, I can't even go to the gym because I keep thinking "what's the point".

What?

 

[Complex Shadow]

What?

I need exercises targeted towards my stomach

 

[kylej]

I need exercises targeted towards my stomach

No, you need to lose body fat. I assume you're a dude, which means your stomach area is the last place you'll lose fat. You can't spot reduce. Start Starting Strength, clean up your diet. You'll get big and lose the soft belly.

 

[balddemon]

Frozen Custard.

I just blew your mind.

wat.

edit: just to add something useful, this HIIT/Plyo stuff is totally kicking my ass. my legs are sore for the first time since my first time doing squats in hs...

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

I need exercises targeted towards my stomach

Fix what you are putting into your mouth. You don't need to do a single sit up to get ripped.

 

[deadbeef]

Anyone got any hints as to get eggs into my diet considering I don't like them? I've been thinking of throwing them into a blender with some ice cream and a drizzling of honey for a mean shake but I'm not sure of how they'll mix and if the 'egg taste' will come through.

You can get a carton of egg whites and dump them in your shakes with no taste impact. Just thickens it a bit

 

[MickeyKnox]

I gotta say, checking my ego at the door a couple months back, de-loading, then attacking my lower body with a new emphasis on a complete range of motion, very strict form and continuous mobilization drills, is finally paying off.

Hooray for being able to bang out ass to grass front squats, something I always felt was impossible with my frame (6'4" with long ass levers and chronic knee pain) turns out it was just a matter of beating the shit out of my hip flexors, calves and achilles tendon.

I am fully on board the myofascial release hype train.

 

[sebajuNujabes]

I need exercises targeted towards my stomach

Do you have one of these numbers?

 

[Complex Shadow]

Do you have one of these numbers?
http://i.imgur.com/KtJei.png[/G][/QUOTE]

umm. tight erector spinae and weak abdominal.

also if my diet is the problem then what should i be eating on a day to day,

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

5/3/1 and leangains.

Continuing to experiment with this methodology of fasted workouts, it seems to be going well. I managed a new deadlift PR 425lb for 2 reps, although I can't help but wonder what I would have been able to pull if I actually consumed carbs prior to working out.

 

[sebajuNujabes]

umm. tight erector spinae and weak abdominal.

also if my diet is the problem then what should i be eating on a day to day,

As far as I can tell, you've probably got some really weak TVA muscles. (Stop me if you've heard this all before but) they basically act like a girdle for your organs. When they're weak your stomach sticks out more than usual, and it gives you a gut even if you're not too fat. Even if you don't have it, I'd suggest stomach vacuums and hanging knee/leg raises. Although it has not completely resolved mine, I am seeing some improvement.

As for your diet, say goodbye to fizzy drinks, beer, juice, pastries, fried food, etc. Basically stay away from junk food and eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and meat. Avoid pasta, white, rice, and white bread except for the occasional meal. Even then try whole wheat bread and brown rice. Have a cheat meal or day once in a while. Refer to post #3 for a bit more detail on calories and things like that.

 

[kylej]

what should i be eating on a day to day,

Less than you burn.

 

[ezrarh]

umm. tight erector spinae and weak abdominal.

also if my diet is the problem then what should i be eating on a day to day,

There's a lot of things you can eat. Just avoid food heavy in sugar and carbs. Also stuff like white bread and pasta.

 

[reilo]

There's a lot of things you can eat. Just avoid food heavy in sugar and carbs. Also stuff like white bread and pasta.

I'm gonna have to cut out my white bread and pasta soon as I hit my weight goal

If I were to eat something with carbs in them, white rice is the better alternative to bread and brown rice, correct? Both bread and brown rice seem to have exponentially more carbs loaded in them.

 

[ezrarh]

I'm gonna have to cut out my white bread and pasta soon as I hit my weight goal

If I were to eat something with carbs in them, white rice is the better alternative to bread and brown rice, correct? Both bread and brown rice seem to have exponentially more carbs loaded in them.

I would rather eat the brown rice in smaller quantities. At least with brown rice you get the fiber and vitamins. Rice to me has always been just a stomach stuffer, doesn't seem to get me fat since I grew up in an asian household so all we did was eat rice and I was skinny forever. Carbs are carbs though so the less the better if you're cutting. The other problem with white rice is that it'll make you feel full which leaves less room for meat and other protein sources. Most people will recommend you stay away from it. I use to eat a lot of rice but recently I cut out most of it while bulking. It's allowed me to keep my body fat relatively low since I stuff myself with mostly meat/veggies/dairy

 

[IrishNinja]

goddammit, made a rookie mistake - i hadnt been able to work out upper body for a long time, and i went back kinda hard & didnt really stretch (i know...), so since yesterday, i can't fully extend my arms without them hurting...primarily bicep & where it meets the elbow, of course some of that radiates to the forearms too.

i know i overdid it, not sure if sprains or mild tendonitis or something, im mostly taking ibuprofen every 8 hours and started putting ice on them every hour recently - anything else i should be doing? one friend says stretch, the other says don't, just in case i pulled them but i don't think that's likely. this happen to anybody else here, where your arms wanna stay locked around 90 degrees or so? how many days of rest on average till this shit goes away? i feel so stupid, thanks in advance for any help offered here.

ps just started taking protein again too, drinking milk as we speak.

 

[Draft]

I'm gonna have to cut out my white bread and pasta soon as I hit my weight goal

If I were to eat something with carbs in them, white rice is the better alternative to bread and brown rice, correct? Both bread and brown rice seem to have exponentially more carbs loaded in them.

It's opposite. Brown rice good, white rice bad.

At least, I think that's the case.

 

[reilo]

I would rather eat the brown rice in smaller quantities. At least with brown rice you get the fiber and vitamins. Rice to me has always been just a stomach stuffer, doesn't seem to get me fat since I grew up in an asian household so all we did was eat rice and I was skinny forever. Carbs are carbs though so the less the better if you're cutting. The other problem with white rice is that it'll make you feel full which leaves less room for meat and other protein sources. Most people will recommend you stay away from it. I use to eat a lot of rice but recently I cut out most of it while bulking. It's allowed me to keep my body fat relatively low since I stuff myself with mostly meat/veggies/dairy

It's opposite. Brown rice good, white rice bad.

At least, I think that's the case.

Wiki lists brown rice at 77g of carbs and 370cal per 100g, and lists white rice at 29g of carbs and 130cal per 100g.

Essentially you're saying is to just eat 1/3 less of brown rice since that'll net you the same amount of carbs/cal but with more benefits (higher protein content, more fiber, etc)?

 

[sebajuNujabes]

goddammit, made a rookie mistake - i hadnt been able to work out upper body for a long time, and i went back kinda hard & didnt really stretch (i know...), so since yesterday, i can't fully extend my arms without them hurting...primarily bicep & where it meets the elbow, of course some of that radiates to the forearms too.

i know i overdid it, not sure if sprains or mild tendonitis or something, im mostly taking ibuprofen every 8 hours and started putting ice on them every hour recently - anything else i should be doing? one friend says stretch, the other says don't, just in case i pulled them but i don't think that's likely. this happen to anybody else here, where your arms wanna stay locked around 90 degrees or so? how many days of rest on average till this shit goes away? i feel so stupid, thanks in advance for any help offered here.

ps just started taking protein again too, drinking milk as we speak.

I know that feel, bro. It happened to me last May when I was trying to get into working out again. What arm workouts did you do?

Did too many heavy curl reps and different curl exercises, myself. Had to take around a week off for it to go away. My right are was worse because there was some inflammation. The pain was so uncomfortable that I often slept with icepacks on my arms to keep from waking in the middle of the night. Just try not to use your arms too much and rest up. Should be right as rain whenever your body is ready.