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Powerlifting. Solitary and meditative if you want it to be; social and uplifting if you don't. It's healthy in a variety of ways (including bone density; phys

Powerlifting. Solitary and meditative if you want it to be; social and uplifting if you don't. It's healthy in a variety of ways (including bone density; physical activity; higher BMR and glucose metabolism; improved cardiovascular function). Also being strong is useful surprisingly often. Unlike many things in life, your progress is almost entirely dependent on your consistency and the effort invested, with the exception of (hopefully) temporary setbacks like injury. Hitting personal records and milestones feels particularly good because you know you've earned it. It's hard! But it's also not so hard that I'm liable to get discouraged. Lots of people prefer bodybuilding style training, but there's something magic about the barbell for me. Olympic lifts are also a lot of fun, but they're more technical and you need more gear and space. Also it's much easier to quantify your strength progress (I have a literal spreadsheet), and it feels less vain than focusing on looks (not that it isn't a significant bonus). Dunno. Feels good. I'm gonna keep at it. Two thumbs up.

probablynish 3y ago
> Unlike many things in life, your progress is almost entirely dependent on your consistency and the effort invested This really resonates with me. Not powerlifting myself, but I have a strength training routine at the gym with the goal of improving my right knee pain. I have to take things very slow (increase by 1 rep each session, up the weight every ~2 weeks by the smallest possible increment) but looking at my graph this year is very satisfying. This little corner of my life feels a lot more under my control than anything else right now
- nwiswell 3y ago
  > This little corner of my life feels a lot more under my control than anything else right now Yes that's exactly it! It's something of a refuge from whatever other chaos I'm dealing with. I get to feel good about trying and even better about succeeding. The body is incredibly resilient, and given enough stimulus and patient consistency, it's pretty amazing how strong average people are capable of becoming. I'm reminded of this quote from Socrates: "No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeking the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." I am not young anymore, but I'm not old, either, and I've come to the conclusion it's certainly better to start late than to never discover my limits at all.
- xctr94 3y ago
  I really empathize and am glad you pointed this out. I needed specific exercises to fix my abductor/flat left foot, which were wrecking my hip. Body progress is slow, but it feels wonderful to have something you can control, master, and is directly rewarding. Kudos for sticking with it :) Good luck and keep building protections around that knee.
bodhi_mind 3y ago
I just began the 5/3/1 strength training method. I’d like to use gymnastic rings for most of my accessory work to try and get a nice balance of strength and flexibility.
- itake 3y ago
  I tried 5/3/1 in college and I after week 4, I felt like you need to be juicing to keep up with it.
  - kinghtown 3y ago
    No.
  - brosco 3y ago
    What? If you start light like Wendler recommends, the program is completely manageable. In fact, most people I know think there is too little training volume at first. I used it for several months in a row a few years ago and it led to great strength gains in every lift.
  - gadders 3y ago
    What were you eating? Were you trying to stay lean at the same time?
    - itake 3y ago
      I didn't diet, which probably didn't help. I had an unlimited meal plan in college, but didn't take full advantage of it.
      - gadders 3y ago
        Yeah, eating and sleeping loads helps.
- gadders 3y ago
  5/3/1 is good, but it's not a novice programme. It's more intermediate. I started on 5/3/1 and did OK but would have got stronger faster at the start of my lifting if I had followed the Novice Linear Progression in Starting Strength. https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs One the "newbie (strength) gains" are tapped out though 5/3/1 is an excellent programme.
candiddevmike 3y ago
Powerlifting can be very dangerous. You can really, permanently, mess up your body, specifically your back and neck. What steps do you take to mitigate that risk?
- nwiswell 3y ago
  This is a complicated question. First of all, your statement is absolutely accurate. The weights involved can cause injury and can possibly be dangerous or even fatal when not handled correctly. On the other hand, exactly what is meant by "injury" can vary widely, so we have to be precise in our language. Acute, serious injuries typically come about due to poor form, carelessness, failure to use safety mechanisms, or irresponsible selection of load. They are the most easily preventable type of injury, and unsurprisingly they are most common among novice lifters. I address these risks by being deliberate about my form, consistent about my use of safety devices, and reasonable about loads and progression in my training. I also use a belt with proper abdominal bracing technique. Chronic injuries, on the other hand, are much less preventable and much more common among experienced lifters. I've worked through several, including a soft tissue injury in my hips and a nagging tendonitis in my left elbow. Managing these types of injuries comes down almost entirely to sensible training. Powerlifting in general is associated with a lower injury rate than other sports[1]. That's not to imply that injuries aren't a reality of powerlifting -- they are -- but more that I do not believe they constitute a good reason to forego the benefits of lifting. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0765159720302069 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S07651...
  - thrway63245 3y ago
    [dead]
  - bjorglo 3y ago
    I have been into powerlifting since the 90s. I think it is a convenient myth that form prevents injury. "Form" is just something that everyone thinks they do well and everyone else does poorly. It is ultimately a trade off. I don't know any long term powerlifter who doesn't have a ton of injury. Ultimately, it isn't a good idea to load your spine with 400lbs+ over long periods of time. There is no mystery what is going to happen here regardless of "form".
kfoley 3y ago
For anyone looking to get started I highly recommend the StrongLifts program and the associated app, both free [1]. I neglected strength training for a long time because every time I tried to get started I would feel overwhelmed. Then I tried StrongLifts and loved the fact that it's just 5 exercises, but provides pretty much a full body strength workout. The guy who developed the program has put a ton of effort into making sure it's detailed and accessible so that pretty much any question you could have is answered. [1]: https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ https://stronglifts.com/5x5/
- kccqzy 3y ago
  The StrongLifts program, while still pretty good, is not for absolute beginners. The app and the website has videos and detailed instructions, but that doesn't replace a human coach being able to point out in real time mistakes in your form that you do not even realize. And if you are a beginner, any attempt to do these exercises will invariably contain so many mistakes that they are not worth doing any more. Just find a human coach. An app is not a substitute.
  - gameoverhumans 3y ago
    Counterpoint: there's plenty of coaches out there that teach/reinforce bad form. > And if you are a beginner, any attempt to do these exercises will invariably contain so many mistakes that they are not worth doing any more. I totally disagree. StrongLifts (and the Starting Strength book it derives from) starts you with the empty bar. Unless you have a serious medical condition, putting 20kg on your back / chest is unlikely to result in serious bodily harm or damage to musculature. As you slowly and steadily increase the weight on the bar, you discover places where your form needs improvement. At least, that's how it worked for me (I only made it to ~100kg squats though). Of course it's great if you can find a good coach. But I think an app like StrongLifts is a viable+reasonable substitute for a coach.
    - kccqzy 3y ago
      It's not that a beginner cannot put 20kg on their back or chest. It's that a beginner does not know how to safely put that 20kg on their back or chest. Especially the chest. Also some exercises like the deadlift can't be done with an empty bar. Stronglifts would ask you to start with 95lbs which is too much. To me your comment is toxic and reeks of a sense of superiority and elitism from your own experience. You labelled everyone who can't put 20kg to be someone having a serious medical condition. That's both untrue and disrespectful. > As you slowly and steadily increase the weight on the bar, you discover places where your form needs improvement. Please no. The beginner does not discover places where the form needs improvement. The beginner simply fails to lift after increasing the weight. The beginner injures themselves when they thought they could lift but they did not. The StrongLifts program starting with an empty bar is not right. They should've started with a PVC pipe with the same dimensions as a bar to practice form. My advice: find a coach and ask him/her to supervise you if you can afford it. If you can't, still find a coach for your first month doing these exercises and then switch to the app.
BonoboIO 3y ago
ChatGPT makes very good training plans if you know what you want. Like a 4 day split with XYZ available machines. Not for beginners, but very good if you want to think a little bit less which exercises you take for the next 4-6 weeks.
- xctr94 3y ago
  There are plenty of better researched sources for training plans. This seems like an area where their inaccuracy can cause direct, physical problems.

probablynish 3y ago

> Unlike many things in life, your progress is almost entirely dependent on your consistency and the effort invested This really resonates with me. Not powerlifting myself, but I have a strength training routine at the gym with the goal of improving my right knee pain. I have to take things very slow (increase by 1 rep each session, up the weight every ~2 weeks by the smallest possible increment) but looking at my graph this year is very satisfying. This little corner of my life feels a lot more under my control than anything else right now

nwiswell 3y ago
> This little corner of my life feels a lot more under my control than anything else right now Yes that's exactly it! It's something of a refuge from whatever other chaos I'm dealing with. I get to feel good about trying and even better about succeeding. The body is incredibly resilient, and given enough stimulus and patient consistency, it's pretty amazing how strong average people are capable of becoming. I'm reminded of this quote from Socrates: "No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeking the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." I am not young anymore, but I'm not old, either, and I've come to the conclusion it's certainly better to start late than to never discover my limits at all.
xctr94 3y ago
I really empathize and am glad you pointed this out. I needed specific exercises to fix my abductor/flat left foot, which were wrecking my hip. Body progress is slow, but it feels wonderful to have something you can control, master, and is directly rewarding. Kudos for sticking with it :) Good luck and keep building protections around that knee.

bodhi_mind 3y ago

I just began the 5/3/1 strength training method. I’d like to use gymnastic rings for most of my accessory work to try and get a nice balance of strength and flexibility.

itake 3y ago
I tried 5/3/1 in college and I after week 4, I felt like you need to be juicing to keep up with it.
- kinghtown 3y ago
  No.
- brosco 3y ago
  What? If you start light like Wendler recommends, the program is completely manageable. In fact, most people I know think there is too little training volume at first. I used it for several months in a row a few years ago and it led to great strength gains in every lift.
- gadders 3y ago
  What were you eating? Were you trying to stay lean at the same time?
  - itake 3y ago
    I didn't diet, which probably didn't help. I had an unlimited meal plan in college, but didn't take full advantage of it.
    - gadders 3y ago
      Yeah, eating and sleeping loads helps.
gadders 3y ago
5/3/1 is good, but it's not a novice programme. It's more intermediate. I started on 5/3/1 and did OK but would have got stronger faster at the start of my lifting if I had followed the Novice Linear Progression in Starting Strength. https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs One the "newbie (strength) gains" are tapped out though 5/3/1 is an excellent programme.

candiddevmike 3y ago

Powerlifting can be very dangerous. You can really, permanently, mess up your body, specifically your back and neck. What steps do you take to mitigate that risk?

nwiswell 3y ago
This is a complicated question. First of all, your statement is absolutely accurate. The weights involved can cause injury and can possibly be dangerous or even fatal when not handled correctly. On the other hand, exactly what is meant by "injury" can vary widely, so we have to be precise in our language. Acute, serious injuries typically come about due to poor form, carelessness, failure to use safety mechanisms, or irresponsible selection of load. They are the most easily preventable type of injury, and unsurprisingly they are most common among novice lifters. I address these risks by being deliberate about my form, consistent about my use of safety devices, and reasonable about loads and progression in my training. I also use a belt with proper abdominal bracing technique. Chronic injuries, on the other hand, are much less preventable and much more common among experienced lifters. I've worked through several, including a soft tissue injury in my hips and a nagging tendonitis in my left elbow. Managing these types of injuries comes down almost entirely to sensible training. Powerlifting in general is associated with a lower injury rate than other sports[1]. That's not to imply that injuries aren't a reality of powerlifting -- they are -- but more that I do not believe they constitute a good reason to forego the benefits of lifting. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0765159720302069 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S07651...
- thrway63245 3y ago
  [dead]
- bjorglo 3y ago
  I have been into powerlifting since the 90s. I think it is a convenient myth that form prevents injury. "Form" is just something that everyone thinks they do well and everyone else does poorly. It is ultimately a trade off. I don't know any long term powerlifter who doesn't have a ton of injury. Ultimately, it isn't a good idea to load your spine with 400lbs+ over long periods of time. There is no mystery what is going to happen here regardless of "form".

kfoley 3y ago

For anyone looking to get started I highly recommend the StrongLifts program and the associated app, both free [1]. I neglected strength training for a long time because every time I tried to get started I would feel overwhelmed. Then I tried StrongLifts and loved the fact that it's just 5 exercises, but provides pretty much a full body strength workout. The guy who developed the program has put a ton of effort into making sure it's detailed and accessible so that pretty much any question you could have is answered. [1]: https://stronglifts.com/5x5/ https://stronglifts.com/5x5/

kccqzy 3y ago
The StrongLifts program, while still pretty good, is not for absolute beginners. The app and the website has videos and detailed instructions, but that doesn't replace a human coach being able to point out in real time mistakes in your form that you do not even realize. And if you are a beginner, any attempt to do these exercises will invariably contain so many mistakes that they are not worth doing any more. Just find a human coach. An app is not a substitute.
- gameoverhumans 3y ago
  Counterpoint: there's plenty of coaches out there that teach/reinforce bad form. > And if you are a beginner, any attempt to do these exercises will invariably contain so many mistakes that they are not worth doing any more. I totally disagree. StrongLifts (and the Starting Strength book it derives from) starts you with the empty bar. Unless you have a serious medical condition, putting 20kg on your back / chest is unlikely to result in serious bodily harm or damage to musculature. As you slowly and steadily increase the weight on the bar, you discover places where your form needs improvement. At least, that's how it worked for me (I only made it to ~100kg squats though). Of course it's great if you can find a good coach. But I think an app like StrongLifts is a viable+reasonable substitute for a coach.
  - kccqzy 3y ago
    It's not that a beginner cannot put 20kg on their back or chest. It's that a beginner does not know how to safely put that 20kg on their back or chest. Especially the chest. Also some exercises like the deadlift can't be done with an empty bar. Stronglifts would ask you to start with 95lbs which is too much. To me your comment is toxic and reeks of a sense of superiority and elitism from your own experience. You labelled everyone who can't put 20kg to be someone having a serious medical condition. That's both untrue and disrespectful. > As you slowly and steadily increase the weight on the bar, you discover places where your form needs improvement. Please no. The beginner does not discover places where the form needs improvement. The beginner simply fails to lift after increasing the weight. The beginner injures themselves when they thought they could lift but they did not. The StrongLifts program starting with an empty bar is not right. They should've started with a PVC pipe with the same dimensions as a bar to practice form. My advice: find a coach and ask him/her to supervise you if you can afford it. If you can't, still find a coach for your first month doing these exercises and then switch to the app.

BonoboIO 3y ago

ChatGPT makes very good training plans if you know what you want. Like a 4 day split with XYZ available machines. Not for beginners, but very good if you want to think a little bit less which exercises you take for the next 4-6 weeks.

xctr94 3y ago
There are plenty of better researched sources for training plans. This seems like an area where their inaccuracy can cause direct, physical problems.