I completely understand that not everyone is interested in becoming a powerlifter, but any group of people so dedicated to getting stronger has a lot to teach to the general public. The important thing here is to understand the concepts that allow them to get so strong. These concepts can be applied to any fitness goal you have, whether it be lose weight, put on muscle, or just feel better in general.

1. Don’t Workout…Train

You will never walk into a powerlifting gym and hear someone say, “Hey, let’s go workout!” Training, the concept of training, speaks to a mindset. When you go to the gym, or the park, or where ever you train, don’t mess around. Get in there, get intense, and have a purpose. It really comes down to intent. You either intend to get the work done, and give it 100%, or you don’t.

If you don’t, you should probably just stay home.

2. Have A Plan

Think powerlifters are just big, strong meatheads? Think again. No one gets really strong by being stupid. Powerlifters plan their training sessions down to the percentage of weight they will use based on their 1 rep maximum on a given lift. They typically plan out their training up to 12 weeks or more in advance. Don’t just go into the gym and wander around, have a plan! If you need help with one, seek qualified advice.

3. Major In The Majors

You’ve heard the term, “Don’t major in the minors” before, right? Well, a powerlifting competition is based on three lifts: Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift. The entire goal of a powerlifter is to get stronger in those three lifts. For you, this means not going into the gym and getting on every new piece of gimmicky equipment. Get the most out of your training sessions focusing on the big stuff. For weight training, use lifts that will use a lot of muscle at one time. We call these compound movements. Want to get your cardio in but don’t have much time? Try an interval workout with sprints.

4. Master Technique

Powerlifters don’t move huge weights simply because they are incredibly strong. There is also a ton of focus on the technique of the lifts. Training partners will constantly bark at you what you are doing wrong so you can correct it. If you actually get good from a technical stand point in whatever physical endevour you like, you will find that you can do it longer with less risk of injury. Don’t just get in there mindlessly. Learn to do whatever physical activity you choose correctly, and you will be better at it, and enjoy it more.

5. Use Auto-Regulation

This is going to sound like a contradiction to the second point on this list, but it’s really not. Auto-regulation is really just a fancy way to saying, “Listen to your body.” Let’s say you don’t lift weights at all. Instead, you do Yoga, but, when you get up to train, your hamstring hurts and is starting to bruise. Well, even though you planned on training Yoga that day, it’s probably not a good idea, and could result in injury.

Likewise, let’s say you planned to go in the gym and lift weights. You had a plan of doing a certain weight for a certain number of reps, but when you got there, you felt great! Why would you stop and not go for a little more? Just because it’s not in the plan, doesn’t mean you can’t do it. The plan is just a framework, listen to your body.

6. Use Training Aids To Break Through Plateaus

Powerlifters use all sorts of training aids like bands, chains, boards, and a lot more. All of these things are designed to help you get past plateaus in your training. While you may not have access to those types of training aids, there are many more out there. Do you do Yoga? Try a Yoga block to help you learn a new posture. Do you run? Try stair sprints with a weighted vest. Do you swim? Try a drag suit.

There are lots of things out there to fit into whatever type of training you do.

7. Build Your Posterior Chain

This point is so important. The posterior chain includes the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Most people have very underdeveloped posterior chains and it can lead to lower back pain later in life, and injuries while you are training. DO NOT neglect these muscles as so many people do! Make sure to work leg curls, some form of deadlift, and hyperextensions into your training, no matter what kind of training you do.

You may never want to be as big and strong as a powerlifter, but follow these seven tips, and you will find that whatever kind of physical activity you choose will be far more effective.

This mistake is made by a good percentage of trainers out there, because many people make gains despite not tracking. When tracking you should be able to come back at the end of every month and specifically know every gram of food you have eaten, every weight lifted, how many reps, sets, when it got hard, where you failed, how many hours you slept, what supplements you were taking etc. But most importantly you need to track your one rep max on each lift, your weight and your bodyfat.

By doing this you are able to account for all failures and all successes and see where you went wrong/right. This information is invaluable if you are serious about getting big and lean. If for a given month you dont know how much muscle you lost/gained or how much fat you lost/gained you are cheating yourself out of knowledge beyond the scope of any article you may read online.

Dont just sit there and hope for the best, be accountable for your actions and take steps to improve.

Mistake #2- Failing to Lift Progressively Heavier weights/Allowing yourself to repeatedly lift the same weights

This is the sole reason 95% of people who go to the gym lack any discernable muscle mass, dont be one of them. This comes about because the health and fitness industry has this hard on for Form and “not letting your ego get into the movement” etc. Form is important, but only to the degree to which muscle is still being stimulated and gains are still being made. Bad form is when your form inhibits your ability to stimulate growth. I dont care how good your form on deadlifts is, if you lift the same weight today as you did a year ago, you havnt gotten noticably bigger sorry. That said i dont care how bad your form is if your lifting noticably more weight with the same form today as last year, congratulations you have gotten noticably bigger. Controversial yes but you cant deny its truth, look at guys like branch warren, nothing about his form is “pretty” but he lifts heavier and heavier weights and gets bigger and bigger. Its called “weight” training instead of “set and rep” training for a reason.

Mistake #3 -Reading to much and experiencing to little

This mistake goes hand in hand with mistake number one. Reading a bunch of articles is the equivalent of going to university, sure its helpful, but the real world is much different to what you think “should” be right. For example, all articles on fat loss preach low carb high protein/fat almost all at least. however through tracking progress i have found that this causes me to lose muscle much faster than fat, so through trial and error i now know that high carb low fat med protein for me works best. That is something i can only learn for myself.

1: Load a barbell that is sitting on the floor.
2: Place your feet approximately 12 inches apart and half-way under the barbell
3: Grip the bar slightly wider than your feet so that your knees can easily pass between your arms
4: Take a VERY large breathe into your belly
5: Bend your knees until your shins touch the barbell
6: Arch your back and puff your chest up
7: Pull BACK on the barbell, not up
8: As soon as the barbell raises past your knees, thrust your hips forward
9: Straighten your back and your legs until they are locked and the shoulders are back
Proper Starting Position

First things first.

BODYFAT

If your bodyfat percentage is too high you will not be able to see your abs. The key to revealing your abs is all about getting rid of your bodyfat you want to get this as low as possible, this can be achived by proper diet and cardio, A good cutting diet is what you need, which is a diet with a calorie deficit eating less calories than you burn, use the search function to find a good cutting diet that would suit you. A good fat burner supplement will help out and make it much easier, although it is not needed.

STRENGTHENING THE CORE AND ADDING SIZE TO THE ABS

There are 100′s of ab excercises all have there own benifits. Some people like to add weight for extra resistance which helps strengthen and add size to the abs, and some people just like to use bodyweight but relly focusing on the Squeeze and ContractionPersonally i find that abs respond best to just bodyweight excercises with a good squeeze and contraction, many pro bodybuilders agree. But you should include both for maximum results.

HOW MUCH SETS AND REPS

When training abs you should do at least 3 different excercises, i find that about 10-15 secounds rest inbetween each set is best and about 1 minute inbetween excercises. You dont want to rest much it should be done as quick as you can. 10 minutes roughly spent on training abs all together presuming you dont waste time resting. Abs respond best to high repititions, This does not mean go and do 1000 sit ups, High repititions are between 15-30 i wouldent go any higher than 50. personally i usually burn out at 20 reps if i am squeezing and contracting them hard enough. When i do weighted ab excercises i tend to keep the reps at about 15, As i find this works best.

HOW OFTEN TO TRAIN ABS

Abs being such a small muscle can recover fairly quickly unlike most other muscles which need more time. Many pro bodybuilders tend to train there abs everyday, But i think this would be too much for everyone else like you and me. 2-3 times per week would be perfect. I only train my abs 2 times a week but when i do i try to hit them as hard as possible, each time out doing my last ab workout.

FOOD FOR THE ABS

Abs just like every other muscle need food to grow, Like i said before though concerntrate on lowering your bodyfat to reveal the abs first, this done through diet and cardio, But how to make them grow? Your diet is more important than the training it self. You need a good amount of protein which is the building blocks of your body. 1g-1.5g protein per pound of bodyweight is a good amount to aim for. You also need to include carbohydrates and healthy fats. A good diet to follow would be something like this, Presuming you know your calorie intake for your goals. 40% protein, 40% Carbohydrates and 20% healthy fats.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR ABS LOOK MORE RIPPED AND CUT

Even if your bodyfat is low there is still excess water which is held under the skin, Getting rid of this water retention will give you an extra edge and help make your abs stand out and become more visable. Sodium is what causes you to hold excess water under the skin, if your diet is high in sodium you will look bloated and it gives you a puffy smooth look due to all the water retention. Lowering your sodium intake will deffently help make those abs more visable. Potassium on the other hand has an opposing effect, potassium holds fluid in the muscle cell, hence creating a hard full look. So if you are relly serious about getting your abs in top condition i suggest lower your sodium intake and increase your potassium intake. There is also Diuretic supplements which help remove excess water retention from your skin, producing a ripped/cut look.

The dip is formally categorized as an upper body compound pushing exercise which involves the chest, shoulders, and triceps. The dip is a staple of many bodybuilding and strength training programs for its simplicity and the results it produces.

The dip has even been likened to the “upper body squat,” by the great Mike Mentzer. The equally great Vince Gironda even had his own theories on the creating of a wider chest through the use of what has become known as the “Gironda Dip” and a V shaped Dip bar.

2) ALWAYS re-rack your weights. Even if the barbell had weights on it when you “got there”, when you’re finished using it put the weights back

3) Grunting is OK, consistent screaming is not. I’m happy you’re pumped up, but it breaks my concentration if I can hear you over my music.

4) If it’s crowded let others “work in” with you. This can be hard if someone of dramatically different size, and presumably stregnth, is waiting… but for the most part try to share.

5) Avoid walking in-between the mirror and someone who is in the middle of a set. It breaks their concentration.

6) If people are waiting for you to finish an exercise, try to keep the chitchat to a minimum.

7) If they can’t work in, take the time you need to finish the exercise properly, but no more than that.

Clean up after yourself. Goes back to #2, but make sure to put towels away, don’t trash the locker room, etc…

Recently I have been using their chocolate flavored casein with the idea of gaining mass.

Before I go on, I want to explain that my goals for weightlifting go beyond “looking good”. I don’t lift weights to impress anybody. I choose to lift weights to impress myself.

With that idea in mind, I started taking casein in order to gain muscle mass.

The first thing I thought when looking at the product was: Damn, its really that expensive?

For a 2.5 lb tub, you can buy 5 lb’s of whey protein from the same company. I really had to find out what all the fuss was about.

The scooping size was about the same as their whey, but the recommended serving was less.

After doing some research, I found that this product is best to take before bed as it is a “slow acting” protein that digests in your sleep.

Pro’s
Does what its supposed to do
Tastes good

Con’s
Expensive
Thick Consistency

This isn’t your normal workout program.

“Rage” from Universal Nutrition put together what he calls a “Hellcentric” program which will test you to your absolute limits. You will have to dig deep within these twelve weeks, and Rage swears you will hate him by the end of it.

Each exercise set revolves around one concept: “Hellcentric”

Each set has 8 reps, plus 4 hellcentric repetitions.

These Hellcentric reps are designed to tear the micro-fibers in your muscle to the fullest to gain massive growth.

Have the guts to be a Hellraiser?

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hrt-animal-hellraiser-trainer-series-overview.html

“A Hellcentric begins when the muscle is fully contracted and your partner begins to apply pressure. He or she applies the same amount of pressure through the partial rep and then all the way down through the full negative. At the bottom of the negative rep, your partner helps bring the weight back up. That ends one Hellcentric rep.”

The value of the 80/20 rule is that it reminds you to focus on the 20% that matters. You should identify and focus on these things. So in bodybuilding, what are they? I would say that the 20% that matters includes:

• Researching & following a good, fundamental, bodybuilding program. (Not a perfect one, it doesn’t exist).
• Putting in hard work in the gym, consistently, over a long period of time.
• Following the rule of progression, and ensure that over time you are lifting more weight, more reps, or more sets.
• Having good nutrition. Eating enough good stuff, and not too much bad stuff over the course of a day.
• Getting adequate recovery.
• Adjusting your plan periodically, based on your results and your experiences.

Which basically means: Train. Eat. Rest. Repeat. Week in and week out. Focusing on the basics will give you 80% of your results.

So if that’s the important 20%, what’s the 80% that’s trivial? Well in my opinion it’s details like these:

• Should I do 3 sets of 8 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps?
• What’s better, 1.25g protein per pound or 1.37g/lb, or 1.5 g/lb.?
• I’m doing BB curls, should I be doing DB curls or EZ bar curls instead?
• What’s the best angle for incline barbell presses?
• If I don’t get 30g of protein within half an hour after training, is my session wasted?
• How much should I be lifting for my height / weight?
• Are DB flyes better than using the Pec Dec?

Etc. Etc. Etc. Honestly, that stuff doesn’t make a difference. Or rather, if it does it makes a relatively small difference (20%); or only makes a difference for a relatively small few who are at the limits of their physical development. For most of us average Joes, it just doesn’t matter! Sure, if you have a wrist issue, EZ curls may bump into that 20% of things that matter, but in general it doesn’t make that much of a difference.

“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Roosevelt

“The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.”
Rollins

“The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.”
Arnold