markos

He was 82kg when he walked in, 89kg now ALL our powerlifters do PTC Method, a program written by Max Our powerlifters are on a different membership, they get individual programs, coaching, nutrition advice. Some join the other section first then migrate over when they see what our guys do. Alex knew all about Max and Martin, the 2 in the same weight class as him, so he joined the PL team straight off. With the weight thing Since Nats in mid June Alex 82kg - 89kg Martin 82kg - 93kg Stelian 89kg - 103kg Daniel 120kg-126kg Lots of our lifters are moving up a weight class (or 2) for 2014

Bozo, the newsletters youre reading are 5-6 years old, I never stop learning. Your lifts are dreadful, youre overweight. I clearly stated, if you walked into PTC.............. I would work you really hard, every session, based on your appearance and strength levels You doing this session at your own gym wont be effective, I can pretty much guarantee that. Then you'll say "I tried such and such and it was crap". Then some other clown will read that and on it goes. Meanwhile, I could show you a client training like you thats killing it. Whats the difference. You say you deadlift 100kg or so. Tonight, an overweight client, around 100kg, on his 2nd deadlift session (4th session overall) pulled 150kg x 5 x 5. This is where internet advice fails. I cant explain effort from a keyboard. Seriously, why do you think my clients lift so much? You guys look at numbers, exercises, sets, reps, the main thing, the one thing most lack, is effort. Funny how you thought tricep pressdowns were funny but not.................... Why do you want extra cardio, if you trained at a rapid rate the program above would have you breathless for the duration. I remember a guy on a forum saying it took him hours to a program I gave him, I make my clients finish it under 45 minutes On a serious note, we used to get accused of having underweight plates lol Most people are in denial Now instead of questioning what I wrote, try it. How hard you train will determine your progress.

If you walked into PTC and said you wanted to get stronger while cutting fat, I'd have you on a 2000 calorie a day and training 5 x week Day 1. Squats 5 x 10 Leg Press 5 x 10 Leg extension 5 x 10 BB Lunges 5 x 10 each leg Thrusters 3 x 15 Day 2. Bench press 5 x 5 DB Incline press 5 x 10 DB flat bench 5 x 10 Military press 3 x 5 Plate raises 3 x 10 Skull crushers 3 x 8 Day 3 KB circuits Day 4 Deadlifts 3 x 3 Prone row 3 x 10 Lat pulldown 3 x 10 SLDL 2 x 15 Cannonballs 3 x 15 BB curl 3 x 8 Day 5 Bench press 3 x 8 Bent rows 3 x 8 Military press 3 x 8 Upright rows 3 x 8 Squats 1 x 20 BB Curl 3 x 8 Tricep pressdown 3 x 8 Saturday and Sunday off

Your biggest issue is focus, you forgot to add a Gold Toilet to that list I suggest you join a church and pray, coz you need a miracle If you want to build strength, train very heavy often on a few exercises, but eat heaps to recover If you want to lose fat, cut your calories down and train often If you want muscular endurance use light weights with lots of variety If you want muscle size train very hard with moderate weights and eat plenty of calories Do all that for the next 12 months and you'll be exactly where you are now

Till it stops working 45kg is a very low target, I was thinking 55kg

Leesh. Do everything but pressing 2 x week, squats, reads etc Twice a week I want you to do this Bench press 5 x 5 DB incline press 3 x 10 (45 degrees) DB Flat bench 3 x 10 BB close grip bench 3 x 5 Dips or bench dips 3 x max Now with the 5 x 5, I want you to start with 30kg and each session add 2.5kg total, so week 1 is 30kg x 5 x 5, next session if your successful go to 32.5kg x 5 x 5 and so on. I'm starting you out low so you dont fail by your second session. When you fail, lets say 40kg x 5,4,4,3 3, thats 19 reps. Next session you MUST do at least 20 reps, even if you add another set With the assistance work, the reps is the ceiling. If you only get 8, thats fine, I just dont want you going over 10, when you make 3 x 10, add weight. In regards to warm ups, just do 20kg x 5 then straight to 30kg. As you get stronger we'll add another warm up On your other day, add lots of rowing or pulldowns, the stronger your upper back the better your bench press

I'm not comfortable giving advice over the internet to someone with so many ailments. First off, fix your diet, I'm not going to cover diet in any detail here, but you'll never progress eating like that. Protein and complex carbs each meal, get some EFA's in you, eat breakfast. If you fix that, add weight every week to your exercises, do it consistently for year, you'll be much closer to your goals. The exercises youre doing are fine, nothing else is.

I need goals. That would be bad advice if you want to do synchronised swimming

Post up what youre currently doing I need reps,sets,exercises,frequency, weight

I'm happy to go over programs, give out new ones, discuss plateaus, generally help as best I can over the internet

A few of the threads are getting cluttered with talk about programming, and information can be hard to find if you dont recall which thread it was posted in. With this being a car forum, there is no typical member (in regards to training). Obviously on my ProRawForum, all the talk centres around powerlifting. I have hundreds of clients in my gym, around 30 compete in powerlifting, the rest have different goals. Over the past 34 years, I have written many programs for many lifters, from 12yo to 75yo, footballers, fighters, mums, powerlifters, body builders, guys wanting to get fitter, or bigger, or leaner, or stronger. My gym PTC started in 2008, and for the first 2 1/2 years simply concentrated on making everyone stronger and leaner. For the past 3 1/2 years the focus has been on powerlifting as we have a powerlifting team. The biggest difference is programming, with powerlifters needing to peak for a meet, something that a regular gym goer doesnt need, its also one of the reasons I feel powerlifters progress quicker. I'll go into that a little later. Anyway, I'll start this thread with a stoty about Alex, he started with us around 9 weeks, start of June. He has been lifting for a few years, best lifts of 180kg squat, 140kg bench and 200kg dead. Last night he squatted 190kg x 10 He has been on PTC Method from the day he started, he does 6 sessions a week at PTC.

Alex Deken started with us 9 weeks ago, his PB's were 180kg squat, 140kg bench and a 200kg deadlift, pretty good numbers. He was the strongest guy at his gym but he wanted to get stronger. He did a Novice comp in July where he went 210/160/230 Tonight he squatted 190kg x 10. That is outstanding progress for a guy who was already strong By Nats next year he will be very competitive in the 90kg class. He was 82kg when he started, those days are gone. It may even be a struggle keeping him under 90kg. He is very lean with a very impressive physique. His next comp is the Melbourne Cup - Sunday the 8th of September at PTC

Very few injuries, oddly enough most done outside the gym, like slicing through a calf tendon, knee playing football Lifting related, lower back muscle pulls, sore elbows, thats the main ones. Had a new guy join last night, wants to compete in powerlifting, did a bodybuilding show a few years ago, but lately been concentrating on powerlifting only He weighs 82kg, squats 160kg, benches 122.5kg and deadlifts 175kg. Decided to bite the bullet and join us. He saw the numbers my guys put up at Nats, swallowed his pride and joined up. He will do our October Novice Comp, will be interesting to see what we can do in a short time frame

Bozo, no matter what program you do, the aim is to ALWAYS add weight, Each rehab is individual, guys with crook backs or knees bench, guys with crook shoulders/elbows squat and pull. No one trains light, ever. If you cant train go home and rest Emad doesnt have the go ahead to lift yet

I think the absolute biggest issue is people have forgotten what gyms are intended for, or that "weight training" is actually called progressive resistance training. Most gym users are what we call mouth breathers. We feel most waste their time in the gym. The only difference with us is we follow progressive resistance training and we teach proper technique. Not what PT's call proper technique, but proper lifting technique. So some of our clients want to compete in powerlifting, the most accessible strength sport. Whether your in the PL section or not, progressive resistance is the aim. Injury. I've had many come for injury rehab, namely backs. Wayne has fallen off ladders and broken his back twice. He was a mess, at 40 years old he couldnt pick anything up. His wife was training at PTC and she suggested he try it and see if I could help him. That was late 2010. At 43yo Wayne now deadlifts 240kg, squats 200kg and benches 135kg. Back is good. Ryan had been seeing a chiro/physio twice a week for years. He is a builder, in his early 30's. His whole family trains at PTC, sister, brother, brother in law, sister in law etc. They talked him into coming in. He deadlifts 250kg now. Obviously over the past 5 1/2 years there are many more, but you get the idea. I can see why most think its a PL gym, I dont talk about the regular gym clients as I dont find what they do exciting, not exciting enough to talk about on a forum. By years end I'll have 3 clients deadlift 300kg, I have 2 so far. Thats exciting. As far as physiques go, even though its not our thing, Martin, Alex, Max, Conor, Dave, Luke, Alen, Jesse, Wayne, Emad, Dan and a few others are very impressive, but whats more impressive is they would outlift 99% of gym goers in commercial gyms. I should also add, that the "novice tag" was not started by me, but it was something I was subjected to before most of you were born. In 1979, I read that youre a novice until 300/200/400 lbs, I simplified it, 3 plates, 2 plates, 4 plates

PTC is 550sqm The powerlifting section is around 170sqm That means there is 380sqm for general use, primarily strength training The reason I talk more about PL is because no one gives a f**k about some guy squatting 150kg or benching 125kg. Once upon a time we counted how many guys had pulled 200kg at PTC, before we ever competed at powerlifting, we stopped at 200 lifters. So how am I going to get excited about a 180kg deadlift? Anyway, here are a few numbers from guys who will never, ever, train for powerlifting, let alone compete. Ryan, a builder, 180kg squat, 130kg bench, 250kg deadlift. Dave, a fireman, 180kg squat, 140kg bench, 220kg deadlift Luke, a chippy, 140kg squat, 140kg bench, 220kg deadlift Donny, pest controller, 160kg squat, 120kg bench, 200kg deadlift Steve (Family Man Newsletter), 140kg squat, 120kg bench, 200kg deadlift These guys have been training at PTC for quite some time, zero interest in powerlifting, just like 80% of my clients So since the move I've had lots of new clients, only a handful in the PL section. This is the norm for FIRST SESSION. Between 60-80kg squat, around 60kg bench and a 120kg deadlift. This is for reps, not singles. I should explain first session is incorrect, because we do technique checks on the first one only, its first training session if technique is okay.

Free to watch, $30 to lift

Okay, lets go through this. Liam Pannel, in 2 years of barbell training (did 6 months of light kettlebells as he was 12 years old) managed to squat 170kg, bench 110kg and deadlift 200kg, at 81kg bodyweight. Liam still plays football and its the reason he lifts. So can I class a 14yo with 2 years training anything but a beginner? Conor Zyskowski, 17yo, 86kg, 240kg squat, 120kg bench and 245kg deadlift, less than 3 years lifting, first 2 years while he was still playing soccer, not powerlifting. Jesse Markopoulos, 19yo, 66kg, 180kg squat, 115kg bench, 200kg deadlift, quit basketball in December 2012 to take up powerlifting. Max, at 17, only lifting for soccer, decides a week out to compete in a PL meet, at 72kg goes 160kg squat, 97.5kg bench and 212.5kg deadlift. Had done ZERO powerlifting training, the bench press gives the best indication. Not one of these kids had started out to power lift, just general gym training for other sports, all teenagers. How could I possibly set the standard any lower. Our absolute weakest powerlifter, at 70kg, goes 155kg squat, 110kg bench and 200kg deadlift. So I've shown you the numbers of our youngest, lightest, inexperienced and weakest lifters. What do you guys think I should use as a bench mark? Is it harsh that maybe youve been wasting your time? Try this. Our Elite lifters do an 11 week program that adds 10kg per lift, you can do this 4 x year. Remember adding 10kg to a 170kg bench is not easy, adding 10kg to a 80kg happens in your sleep. So if you join the gym, and squat 60kg on your first session, which 99% of my first timers do, going by my 40kg per year example for Elite lifters, you'll squat 100kg in 12 months (usually 2 months here). In 2 years, adding another 40kg, theres your 140kg. Now can anyone argue that you shouldnt be classed a Novice lifter if you cant replicate that? The fact is most do it here in 6-12 months. If I was to make it 120kg, quite a few would be intermediate lifters within a month of training. Max started at 51kg, squatted 110kg at 55kg, double bodyweight within weeks, he managed 140kg within around 3-6 months, at around 60kg and 15yo. I havent bothered with the bench and dead because EVERYONE will hit 100kg within 12 months and I've had more than 1 guy pull 180kg on his first session.

The program Max has devised for our PL team has a 1RM in Week 10 of the program (PTC Method) So our crew only hit singles once every 10 weeks, then again 2 weeks later at the meet. In the past though, when our guys were not as strong, we did test 1RM more frequently, as it took less out of the guys. To give you some idea, Max had never ever loaded a 270 squat, 170 bench or 260 deadlift in the gym before making those lifts at Nats. Because he had successfully completed PTC Method for 10 weeks, plus last week off completely, he was uber confident of making lifts he's never attempted. Thats good programming. Because at PTC, no one cares what you hit in the gym

140/100/180 x 1 rep, performed correctly. Below parallel squat, bum stays on bench, no hitching. No gloves, bitch pads or wrist straps, belts or knee wraps. Some of you may know or remember, I never allowed belts or knee wraps in my gym till 2011, a full 3 years after I opened. The logic behind this was I felt we had to get strong before we added support gear. Looking by the numbers the guys are doing now, I feel justified in my approach.

Boz, if youre pulling 110kg I doubt your doing a legal 140kg squat. Now I may be wrong, but I've never seen that and I'm 51, you may be the first. Birds, absolutely 5 years ago you would have been one of the strongest at PTC. Back then Kelly Chan was the man, 130 squat, 140 bench,200 dead. A year later he went 175 squat, 160 bench and 245 deadlift. He lifted in the 82.5kg class. Now my best 82.5kg lifter goes 255/160/290. So thats why my information is now a little different.

One thing I've noticed is that the lifters on this forum are generally of about the same stage of lifting as when my earlier newsletters came out, so the information is quite relevant. Now that was 5 years ago, where the strongest lifter that ever joined my gym was squatting 130kg. The majority of my clients were novices, but I remember 3 strongish guys joining who could squat 130kg, back in 2008/2009, Nick, Kelly and Alen. Now that you need to squat double that to simply make our Top 5, information has changed a little. Simply to make our Top 10 Bench list you need over 155kg, thats a paused in competition bench, I dont rank gym lifts. In another 5 years things for my current clients could well be different again. From what I gather the majority of you guys havent cleared 140/100/180 kg yet, thats pretty much what I have always determined a novice to be. When I started lifting in the 1980's, it was in pounds, 300/200/400 (137/91/181) Anything beneath that means in lifting terms you are still a novice, thats how I've always ranked my lifters. If anyone thinks thats harsh, our youngest to best that is 14yo Liam Pannel, at 81kg he has performed 170/110/200 and our lightest is Jesse at 66kg and 19. So regardless how long you've trained, when you join PTC, if you cant hit those weights, youre a Novice. Interestingly enough a new guy, Gavin has just joined. He has competed in BB shows, now wants to PL, will be interesting to see how he goes. So back to the info on the early newsletters, its very relevant to lots on here. From what I can tell, besides the guys from my gym that post on here, only Rev beats all those lifts. I'm sorry if I missed anyone.

Depends on your goals Boz, I currently have no clients looking to get weaker, although I have in the early days lol

If your looking at what to avoid eating, look no further than Kens diet No preperation or effort, very typical diet for the average guy who thinks hes eating well. You have no idea how many people join the gym and tell me they eat well and describe the same diet. I think bacon and eggs for breakfast, with porridge if you really want to get big, washed down with milk Lean protein with rice and veg for next few meals, have some fruit with your last meal before training, a protein drink and a banana 5 minutes before you finish, steak and loads of veg, including potato for dinner, cottage cheese before bed. A bit of effort, but awesome results. I have the proof in my gym. If you want supplements, add BCAA's and Glutamine in your post workout drink

The internet has its place, but it cant replace hands on coaching Leesh can give us a non bias view next week