OcUK Powerlifting Totals

Cheers guys - really happy :) I've got a long way to go for 200kg squats, but I reckon by the end of the year I should be close. :) It's nice doing a mixture of bui8lding and powerlifting - you get the best of both worlds IMO. And heck you've all seen my progress, it can't be doing me any harm! Though my wrists are killing me at the moment! :(

My hands are dead now though - calluses all over them! Though I'm impressed with my grip strength nonetheless. I will not use gloves though dammit or straps - NEVER! lol! :D
 
Nothing wrong with straps if used with a bit of wisdom imho. They're the only equipment I use apart from chalk, no wraps, gloves, belts, etc.

The amounts I use for BOR's and RDL's for example simply aren't possible without straps. With them I'm able to focus 100% on the working muscle instead of just hanging onto the damn bar for dear life.

Also with the combined volume and amount of weight I shift in a week it's simply too much for my tendons to keep up.... I've learned this the hard way over the years!! I was also minded like you thinking straps were for pussies... all it got me was tendonitis.

Straps allow me to train like a loon and keep it up for long periods of time without crying off with injuries :D

Though people take it to the extreme and use straps for everything! I only use for BOR's and RDL's once I go over 120kg, lighter than that and I just use raw grip... all other exercises raw grip only and that includes heavy shrugs.. the grip still needs working ;)
 
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agree with chong, i work to my failure point with DL, BOR's etc (grip failure i mean) then i whack the straps on and keep goin, its been reiterated many times in this forum, why let your grip stop you training other muscles properly?

It's an admirable trait to want to be completley RAW in your lifting but simple physics and biology dictates that any chain is only as strong as its weakest link. And f you truly want to wait until you have monster forearms to lift monster weights then you have a long road ahead.
 
Dammit why are you chaps so sensible!!! :mad: :p

I admit I have had issues in the past with tendons when I over do it and maybe should start using straps for the heavier weights - but I just used to focus on the exercise and not worry about the pain. I'm stupid I know, but I have a ridiculously non-human pain tolerance and just focus it out :o

Bloody biology, physiology and physics - who bloody well invented them?! :( :p Though I suppose even with straps you're still getting some grip strength work even if it's only mildly?

Now you see deadlifts at 150 I can hold the bar there all day (well i exaggerate) but I can hold onto that bar comfortably. With BORs at 110kg it's more of a struggle as I don't use the alternate grip when doing BORs and can feel the bar rolling out of my hands slightly but I just clench those fingers a bit tighter and concentrate on getting that bar up looking a bit like :mad: <- that! lol!

I will heed your advice though and will give straps a go on the heavier weights and see if I get benefits from it. Though I do like the feelings I get in my forearms afterwards - I like pain it seems :confused:
 
You gotta remember FF that all the top pro's advice says that 90% of effort applied is mental. Thereby if doing a bor 90% of the lift is being able to focus your efforts on your upper back and biceps. If your focusing increasingly on your forearms and grip this will inevitably detract from your ability to activate your back.

Imagine this analogy: Each muscle must be powered by a creature, lets call it a muscle worm (bear with me), now at your specific level of training you have a finite number of these muscle worms. Currently lets say you have 10.

1 goes to each forearm (2)
2 to each side of your upper back (4)
2 go to your lower back (2)
1 goes to each bicep (2)

Thats all your muscle worms used up. Now if you increase the load to put more stress on your upper back (the target muscle) which is within its capability you also put more stress on the forearms which may not be within their capability. For you to keep your grip your forearm requires more muscle worms to do the work. As there are none spare, being that you are closing in on your current physical limits, they must be borrowed from elsewhere. See where i am going? If some of these 'muscle worms' need to move away from operating the back and help out with the forearms then the back will be less powerful and the lift will be affected.

Now for those of you more biologically minded just substitute "Muscle worms" for neural CNS linkages and there you have an adult description instead.

To practise this theory try nodding your head and rolling your eyes while doing a heavy lift, you will find that your lifting power is greatly reduced because your CNS is less focused. Its true what the old gaurd say, if youve lifted it in your head, doing it on the bench is just a matter of course.
 
Love the analogy! :D SEriously I've just got pictures of worms all over the place! :D

You make a good point and if I'm honest I had never thought about it as I was getting stronger every time without really thinking about the impact of it all.

I shall purchase some straps today - and as a result be able to dedicate my worms to lifting heavy weights ;) Watch out they will be anaconda sized worms by the end of the year! :D

I've used straps before I just stopped using them as I wanted to work on my grip strength... I guess I can just use some grip exercises or worry about that later.
 
:D thanks wasnt sure if it seemed patronising but for some folk it helps to visualise things when they seem counter-intuitive

Did you ever get those captains of crunch? I really need to get some more sets myself, dominated the number 1's now
 
I may aswell post mine, i'm just starting to get back into it after a long lull so they are near enough back to the start :o

Bench - 67.5 (not even one plate :'( )
Squat - 100
DL - 110

BW = ~ 105
 
Ultra_Extreme said:
:D thanks wasnt sure if it seemed patronising but for some folk it helps to visualise things when they seem counter-intuitive

Did you ever get those captains of crunch? I really need to get some more sets myself, dominated the number 1's now
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I know you weren't being condescending you were trying to explain and help - and that's cool. Besides I know you know my achievements and I know you're not full of rubbish either ;) I probably knew that anyway, but the machismo in me took over - we've all done it ;)

Yeah I did, the #1s weren't much of a challenge for me I have to admit - but I haven't decided to buy .5 more or to go for #2 straight away probably will go for the 1.5... IT's about 160-170lbs whereas #2 is 195lbs which seems a lot!
 
Morba said:
if you are pulling 200kg DLs (good work fella :D) raw then you should be able to squeeze a no2 (of the CoC kind of course :p ) i would have thought :D
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I was pulling just over 200 when i closed the #2 (after about a month of proper COC training;)), but then i know people who pull a lot less who can close it.
 
lets not forget deadlift is not ALWAYS limited by grip. I know a few climbers who cant deadlift anything much but they could probably close a far higher gripper than i could, ive seen some literally hanging by one hand with a fingertip grip as if they were standing at a bus stop.
 
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