Deeko's powerlifting thread

[Deeko]

Bench
45x5
95x5
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
250x5 PR

dumbbell shoulder press
60x5
70x5

tricep pushdowns (rope)
100x5
120x5
140x4

 

[Deeko]

Deadlifted in a suit tonight for the first time. It was the same suit I had on last April for my first (and only) squat in a suit. It was slightly loose back then - I'm a good 20lbs heavier, needless to say, it was TIGHT. Fight though, barely.

Raw
135x5
225x5
315x2
Suited
365x1 (straps down)
395x1
425x1 PR
450x1 PR

I easily had more in me. Getting down to the bar in the suit was harder than pulling it up. I had 475 in me tonight, no problem, maybe more. Coach said this was plenty for the first time in a suit though.

 

[Deeko]

Squats

45x5
135x5
185x5
225x1
255x1
285x1
(walkouts) 365x3
315x1x8

Tried some different stuff today. I generally don't do sub-maximal work sets of singles like that. Also, I've talked for a long time about doing walkouts before work sets, I feel it helps with the mental aspect (the 315 feels a lot lighter on your back after walking out 365).

 

[Deeko]

355x3 Squat

It was a little ugly, feet weren't set quite right, but it was a 25lb PR triple. Also did 300x3 box squat.

 

[gramboh]

Dang you got some flexible shoulders dude. Looking strong.

 

[TallBill]

355x3 Squat

It was a little ugly, feet weren't set quite right, but it was a 25lb PR triple. Also did 300x3 box squat.

Why does it say 355x5 ? Love me some farmer's walks as well. I usually just do a lap or two around the gym with 4x45's. I thought about doing it with our trap bar last week, but it's just too wide for my gym.

 

[Deeko]

I don't know where you see that, it says 355x3 to me Thanks for the heads up.

Thanks gramboh

 

[Deeko]

515 Deadlift

This was ugly, I still don't really have the hang of the gear, but each time its a little better. Video sucks...my phone apparently has a bad habit of skipping and not syncing the audio. Oh well.

Did I mention how fucking painful this suit is?

 

[brikis98]

515 Deadlift

This was ugly, I still don't really have the hang of the gear, but each time its a little better. Video sucks...my phone apparently has a bad habit of skipping and not syncing the audio. Oh well.

Did I mention how fucking painful this suit is?

Damn, that's huge, congrats. How much did that suit add to your DL?

 

[Deeko]

Thanks. I'm not really sure how much the suit adds, but its a decent amount. The most I've done raw was 402 at the meet 12/5, but I'm pretty sure I had a little more in me than that, and all of my lifts have gone up (for reps anyway) since then. I'd put my raw max between 415-435 right now, so I get a good amount out of the suit. The video doesn't really do a good job of showing just how hard it is to get down into position in the suit, it REALLY doesn't want to be there.

I've said for a long time now that I'd most likely get more out of the deadlift suit than most powerlifters. It helps a lot more at the bottom than the top, for obvious reasons, and while most powerlifters I see struggle with their lockout on max effort, I struggle getting the bar past my knees, and then it snaps up the rest of the way. Most people I know that lift in gear only get 30-50lbs out of a suit, and some (such as my coach) actually deadlift more raw than in gear.

 

[brikis98]

It helps a lot more at the bottom than the top, for obvious reasons, and while most powerlifters I see struggle with their lockout on max effort, I struggle getting the bar past my knees, and then it snaps up the rest of the way.

I'm the exact same way. Once the bar clears my knees, it is pretty much guaranteed that I'll lock it out. However, that initial movement from the ground is where I'm weak. Not sure if it is a technique issue, lack of back strength/flexibility to maintain proper position, or weak quads, but I'll need to find a way to improve on that.

 

[Deeko]

Yea, I'm not really sure what the problem is. I tried specifically training the bottom of the lift - a lot of deadlifts off a box, using 35's instead of 45's, etc, didn't seem to help. I had a theory that it was because I'm not very flexible, so that just isn't a very strong position for me. My latest is that I lack in power - as evidenced by my (in my opinion) abysmal performance in power cleans. Therefore, I'm getting the bar off the floor too slowly, so I don't have enough momentum going into the knee area. I've been working more cleans into my schedule to try to help. Time will well.

Of course, with all the crossfit you do, I doubt that's so much a problem for you as me.

 

[brikis98]

Hm, that sucks. I do a good amount of o-lifting and I'm decent at cleans (PR is 280), so I don't think speed is the issue for me. However, flexibility definitely could be; I've never been particularly flexible and perhaps this is preventing me from setting up in a way that gets the best leverage at the bottom of the lift. With questions like these, I really wish I had a coach available. Did yours have any good input on it?

 

[Deeko]

haha yea...he told me it was a sign I should be lifting in gear.

He also is the one who had me doing all the work on the bottom of the lift, with the blocks & 35s. It works for other people with that problem, apparently. Maybe its something you should try out for a few cycles, see how it goes.

 

[brikis98]

He also is the one who had me doing all the work on the bottom of the lift, with the blocks & 35s. It works for other people with that problem, apparently. Maybe its something you should try out for a few cycles, see how it goes.

Next time I stall on the DL (feels like any day now...), I think I'll give that a try. Do you do it with significantly lighter weights? Does it require tweaking your technique? Do you need to round your back to get that low?

 

[Deeko]

At first, yes, a lot lighter...its a different feel to start out so it takes an adjustment. After I'd been doing them for a month or so, I was only about 15-20lbs below where I was for standard deadlifts. I tried not to round my back to do them - just squatted into the beginning more. The starting position is definitely a bit awkward at first, but you get the hang of it pretty quickly.

 

[Koing]

Yea, I'm not really sure what the problem is. I tried specifically training the bottom of the lift - a lot of deadlifts off a box, using 35's instead of 45's, etc, didn't seem to help. I had a theory that it was because I'm not very flexible, so that just isn't a very strong position for me. My latest is that I lack in power - as evidenced by my (in my opinion) abysmal performance in power cleans. Therefore, I'm getting the bar off the floor too slowly, so I don't have enough momentum going into the knee area. I've been working more cleans into my schedule to try to help. Time will well.

Of course, with all the crossfit you do, I doubt that's so much a problem for you as me.

Whats your PC? Any videos? Power Cleans are very technique bound. From your 415 DL you should be able to PC at least 80-90kg even with ugly ass technique. The difference is the angles you need to hold in the 1st and 2nd pulls in the PC that you don't do in your DL as well.

For me the DL is just brutal off the bottom. Once it's moving it's much easier past the knees and I have never missed past the knees. A factor is a relatively weak back and lack of DL like you for your PC. Once you get to say 500reps of PC your technique will be THAT much better. I'm sure my DL will be that much better if I clocked in 500reps this year. So far I've done 2reps this year. I've done about 12reps of pulls with 160kg but that load for me is about okay to get off the floor with moderately good speed. But 180kg is much heavier and I suppose I was battered by then. Back was beasted!

The 515lbs looked good mate. A bit ugly but not anymore so then most suited DL squeezing out a new 1RM!

I'll get on the DL trail and hope to break 230kg by the end of the year.

Koing

 

[Deeko]

I don't have any videos of my power clean but I've been meaning to take some. Maybe tomorrow. The best I've done is 175, and I'm sure my technique is bad...I just don't do them often, and no one ever really taught me how to do them.

 

[norsy]

515 Deadlift

This was ugly, I still don't really have the hang of the gear, but each time its a little better. Video sucks...my phone apparently has a bad habit of skipping and not syncing the audio. Oh well.

Did I mention how fucking painful this suit is?

Isn't your back rounding on the way up? Or it just looks that way?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Isn't your back rounding on the way up? Or it just looks that way?

Yes, it's rounding. However, you try pulling 515 at 170lbs of bodyweight and see if your back rounds Powerlifters frequently smudge on their form a little bit for PRs. Heck, everybody does.

 

[Deeko]

Isn't your back rounding on the way up? Or it just looks that way?

Yes, my back is rounded. Its a combination of the fact that its a triple bodyweight PR, and the suit. I haven't really gotten the hang of the approach in the suit, so I'm not getting set up right, leading to improper form for most of the lift.

 

[Deeko]

Power Cleans
95x5
135x3
155x3
165x3
175x2
185x2 (PR)

Bench
45x7
135x5
165x3
205x3
235x3
265x3 (PR)

Chin ups
BWx12
BWx10
BWx8
BWx5

Decline situps
BW+25x12
BW+45x10
BW+65x8
BW+75x6x3

Per request, here is a video of my Power Cleans. Watching these videos (first I've ever taken), here are my thoughts:
-I forgot my lifting shoes, eww doing cleans in cross trainers
-Sloppy. My jumps, and therefore my catch, are just loose and ugly.
-I'm really working on the whole elbows-out thing on the catch...need more flexibility there. Should do some front squats to help with that.

 

[norsy]

Yes, my back is rounded. Its a combination of the fact that its a triple bodyweight PR, and the suit. I haven't really gotten the hang of the approach in the suit, so I'm not getting set up right, leading to improper form for most of the lift.

Is it not all that dangerous then to have a rounded back at times? I literally lose sleep thinking all the rounded backs will add up and give me a broken one very soon :/

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Is it not all that dangerous then to have a rounded back at times? I literally lose sleep thinking all the rounded backs will add up and give me a broken one very soon :/

It depends on who you are. Most people who have form problems deadlift with a rounded back each and every time. That leads to constant degeneration of the intervertebral disks. Your goal should be to never have a rounded back. But there are several conditions where Deeko's situation is different: 1) he's using a lifting suit, which takes some getting used to - it also helps shield against injury partly, 2) Deeko lifts with fair form regularly, 3) Deeko has been doing this for a while. Noobs shouldn't try to round their back. They have no idea what's acceptable and what's not. More experienced athletes may have a better idea of what kind of proprioception and tightness is acceptable. Essentially, experience is the difference. Don't round your back. Start light, hone your form, and check your ego at the door. Don't lose sleep over it though. It just takes practice and flexibility exercises.

 

[brikis98]

It depends on who you are. Most people who have form problems deadlift with a rounded back each and every time. That leads to constant degeneration of the intervertebral disks. Your goal should be to never have a rounded back. But there are several conditions where Deeko's situation is different: 1) he's using a lifting suit, which takes some getting used to - it also helps shield against injury partly, 2) Deeko lifts with fair form regularly, 3) Deeko has been doing this for a while. Noobs shouldn't try to round their back. They have no idea what's acceptable and what's not. More experienced athletes may have a better idea of what kind of proprioception and tightness is acceptable. Essentially, experience is the difference. Don't round your back. Start light, hone your form, and check your ego at the door. Don't lose sleep over it though. It just takes practice and flexibility exercises.

For more info, check out this article on Deadlift Mechanics. The key thing to understand is that with your back in proper extension, your muscles absorb most of the shear forces from a deadlift and keep your spine safe. This is very hard work for the back muscles, which is why a properly performed deadlift is one of the best exercises to strengthen your back. However, as your back becomes more rounded, due to the angles & bio-mechanics involved, the muscles are less and less able to absorb the shear. Instead, more and more of the shear force falls upon the ligaments and spine itself. How dangerous this is depends on the individual lifter: newbies to lifting won't be able to tolerate much back rounding at all before the shear force on their spine results in an injury (typically to the muscles or ligaments, but sometimes to discs as well). This is why proper form for newbies is to NEVER accept any back rounding in the deadlift. More experienced lifters, who's muscles and ligaments are significantly stronger from adapting to deadlifting, will be able to tolerate more back rounding without injury.