BACK TO BASICS!
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
3M ago
The longer I lift the more I am convinced strength training should be 85-90% big compound lifts with assitance exercises being only 10-15%. Before I get my fair share of hate mail I do want to say I am not against assitance exercises, they have their place: muscular hypertrophy, weight gain, local targeted muscular hypertrophy, imbalances, stability issues, firing patterns, etc. Still, several big compound exercises will get you covered for decades. If you look at lifting careers of for example Konstantin Pozdeev or Andrey Malanichev it is usually squat, bench, deadlift and their variations ..read more
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I was wrong!
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
3M ago
Hmmmm ... a man should be able to admit he was wrong. At least I think I was wrong. I am 47 now and have been lifting for 31 years; past 5 years I have been doing a hybrid training: lifting combined with triathlon training (swim - bike - run). I still lift heavy 3 times a week (and the training is still built around the powerlifts and their variations) but I have noticed that the older I am I tolerate intensity very well and total volume less so. 6 sets of 3 with 80% of my max squat was a standard session for me about 8 years ago; today it would be too taxing, IMO and would tap into my recover ..read more
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Powerlifting and olympic lifts??? Oh, yeah!
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
4M ago
 As a powerlifter you have to practice the powerlifts because that is how you compete. The law of specificity. Your entire program is built around them (squat, bench press, deadlift). But it is wise to borrow sometimes from other sports and see if it can improve your skills. As I am getting older (I am 47 now) I can feel that I can get stiffer in shoulders, upper back and hips more easily than when I was 25. Recently, I have decided to include some variations of olympic lifts into my programming, especially in offseason when you can allow yourself to experiment with other lifts/exercises ..read more
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Strength training for older dudes ...
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
1y ago
If you are 25 or 46 (as I am now) the same training principles apply and produce results. Yes, you still get jacked and very strong even when you are over 40, 50, 60. But, IMO, you have to implement certain modifications. Still, even at 46 years old, strength training is going to produce all the great benefits: - great neuro-muscular coordination - great muscle activation - increased bone density - stronger muscle fibers - more hypertrophy As said above, there are several modifications you should consider if you are over 40 compared to when you were 25 and could get away with just about any ..read more
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Powerbuilding for young dudes
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
1y ago
Let's face it. Oldtimers like me (I am 46 when writing this post) usually want to be strong, fit and lean. Or they want a sport-specific strength training. But young dudes? Hey, they want to be strong and jacked. Well, it is actually quite simple. You combine a time-tested strength training of multiple sets and low reps with bodybuilding hypertrophy training typically with higher reps and medium weights. It gives the lifter a variety of both worlds, big compund lifts and isolation movements for the bodybuilding exercises.  The variations are endless and you should never get bored. The big ..read more
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Example of a 5-week powerlifting cycle
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
3y ago
Alright, I do not like to do this but I do it anyway because many people ask. There are some things you should remeber though before you read further. Cookie-cutter programs are useless because everybody is different (different CNS adaptation, different leverages, different strength and weaknesses, different history or injuries, etc.) I strongly believe everybody should be coached individually. Nothing, I repeat NOTHING, beats a personal coach who can watch your videos, correct your form, analyze your CNS adaptation, select exercises for YOUR weak points, etc. Below is an EXAMPLE of a 5-we ..read more
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Conventional Deadlift A-Z
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
3y ago
Like it or not, deadlift is one of the best exercises you can do in your life. It is a full body lift, one of the most natural movement patterns mother nature has designed for us. Human beings pick heavy stuff off the ground for thousands of years. Powerlifter? No brainer here, you must deadlift, it is your 3rd powerlift. Strongman? You can bet your ass one of the contest movements is going to be a heavy conventional deadlift for reps. Bodybuilder? No other exercise can pack so much meat on your back. Crossfitter? You need functional and strong posterior chain for most of your exercises re ..read more
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CEO powerlifting ....
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
3y ago
You are a CEO. You work like hell. 50+ working hours a week easily. Tons of stress, phone calls, meetings. Ups and downs of business. Frequent biz trips. AND you have a family. You can possibly squeeze in a max 50-min powerlifting session 3 times a week tops. But you decide not to because how the hell would it be even remotely possible? Powerlifts, assistance, conditioning, mobility? So you decide to bag it. .... and you are run down, stressed, irritated, overworked and your strength took a dive. I've been there, trust me, but I can help you out. Anything is possible if you put your mind i ..read more
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There are great sumo pullers ... and then there is Yuri Belkin
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
3y ago
From time to time we have the unique opportunity to watch a great lifter perfom. One out of millions. Ed Coan of powerlifting, Michael Jordan of basketball, Usain Bolt of sprinting. I believe, today, Yuri Belkin is THE icon when it comes to sumo pulls. He mastered the most efficient starting position AND execution. 400kg (880lbs) is now a working training weight for him and recently he pulled over 420kg (920+lbs) several times. Why is he so damn strong? What does he have what the others do not? I believe it is mainly two things: excellent setup and impecable execution. (of course, he is su ..read more
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When older .... do more!
Eastern Bloc Lifting
by
3y ago
I recently read somewhere that when you get older you should do less because you cannot tolerate it same as when you were young. I disagree. There is more info to that which needs to be explained. When you are young (let's say 15-30) you have fresh joints, great mobility, you recover faster and you can tolerate higher intensities (you can spend more time in the 80-100% zone and more often). What you do not have is training experience and motor learning skills. When you are older (say 40+) your joints are worse, mobility is not what it used to be, you recover slower and you cannot max out v ..read more
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