[Meet Report] USPA National Powerlifting Championships 2017 - July 7 2017 - 325kg/717lb @ 59kg/130lb | 367.09 Wilks | F26 | Raw

[towsend4234]

@ukjk Yeah breaking the floor with sumo is a bitch, I have just learned to be patient with it. I really want to hit a 350 deadlift at my next comp, probably ambitious since my 1rm is 320 from comp a few months ago.

Lol I tried to test deadlift max a week after my last comp and struggled to get 225 up with good form but good luck

 

[dierato]

@ukjk Amazing work!!!! Do you work with an online coach or a coach IRL?

 

[ukjk]

@dierato Thank you! I work with my coach online - I've been working with him 1:1 since January and it's been great. Aside from programming, I send him videos of my lifts for technique analysis and sometimes also to help me gauge how challenging the weight was, so that he can adjust the next week's programming if needed.

I might look into getting IRL coaching one day but my training schedule right now is kind of all over the place at least in terms of time of day (I usually lift after work but sometimes I go after 10pm so it's much easier to do that without worrying about someone else's schedule) so the online set up works really well for me.

 

[richies]

@ukjk Congratulations on the great performance and also on the phenomenal improvement in just a few months!

 

[ukjk]

@richies Thank you! I forgot to add that I actually took my accessory work more seriously this time around which I think maybe helped give my lifts a slight bump haha. Lat pulldowns and incline bench/OHP are great accessory exercises for bench if you're stalling!

 

[drycleaner]

@ukjk That squat was insanely smooth, I think you had at least another 10lbs in you. Awesome writeup, awesome lifts. Thank you so much for posting!

 

[ukjk]

@drycleaner Thank you! I try to be more conservative on my squats since they're my least confident lift and I want to not be 100% fried before I bench and deadlift, but I was surprised at how smoothly 242 came up especially considering 235 was a total grinder in the gym (almost dropped it on my boyfriend who was spotting me HAHA).

 

[carolyn1063]

@ukjk This is super informative and awesome! You're a total badass btw

 

[ukjk]

@carolyn1063 Aw thank you!

 

[palerider316]

@ukjk Very cool! My starting stats (tested yesterday) aren't too far from your starting stats, so nice to see the progress possible!

 

[ukjk]

@palerider316 That's awesome! Yes, newb gains are very real. I think most of my progress came from learning to do the lifts correctly and efficiently. For example since I had never benched before starting, my reps were very wobbly which meant I wasted a lot of energy bringing the bar up and down instead of pushing it up smoothly, if that makes sense. After refining my technique, my bench went up to 110lb for a 1RM after 4-5 months.

 

[bornfree7777]

@ukjk Wow you got strong really fast! Can I ask if you have any tips on how to bench without being wobbly? Do you just have to really focus? I have that issue and I haven't been able to get past 75lb in the last few months.

Also do you mind giving me a basic overview of your schedule split? I also lift 4x a week but I split it into push, pull and 2 leg days. My bench and deadlift are lagging behind and I'm sure it's because I only do those once a week.

 

[ukjk]

@bornfree7777 Honestly, lots and lots of practice to create that muscle memory, but also some cues that helped me were to engage my lats (think "break the bar" and keep those muscles engaged throughout the lift), brace my core, and to arch at least a little so that your shoulders are tucked and stable. Engaging your legs can give you extra stability too. Having a stable base to press off of is super helpful. Accessory movements to help build your lats will help with this too - think lat pull downs, pull-ups (assisted if needed), and rows.

Definitely increase frequency for bench so you can practice the movement more. You don't have to lift heavy on every one of those days, but getting more reps in will make a difference. My program changes depending on how far out I am from a meet, but on a high level it looks something like this:

Day 1:

Back Squats + accessories (bulgarian split squats, hip thrusts, leg extensions)

Day 2:

Bench + Deadlift + accessories (OHP, dips, lat pull downs)

Day 3:

rest

Day 4:

Back Squats + Bench + accessories (close grip bench, RDLs, planks)

Day 5:

rest

Day 6:

Back Squats + Bench + Deadlift

Deadlifts are pretty taxing so only one of those days is "heavy" and the other day is mostly technique work (higher reps, lower weight).

 

[bornfree7777]

@ukjk Do you only have one heavy squat day as well?

I've never thought to do all the compound lifts on one day - I figured I'd get fatigued easily but I'm assuming that's more of a technique day?

Thanks so much for your help! Maybe I'll see you at another LV meet some day - I'm not too far from there!

 

[ukjk]

@bornfree7777 Yeah day 6 is my heavy squat and heavy bench day. Deadlifts are super light that day. When I do heavy sets usually the reps are lower (1-3). My day 1 is generally pretty light so it allows me to recover.

And you're welcome! Happy to help