Power Lifting routine

[Black Knight]

I want some help putting together my next routine.
Aims are to improve my lifts in Squat, Bench, Dead. I lift raw and want to compete BWLA-would have been this October but for nasty groin injury which Im having treatment for and is preventing me from squatting at the moment :mad: This new routine is for when Im healthy again...
Ive been training Westside for a few months. Some bits I like, others I dont or they dont work for me;
I like the basic template of ME and DE days.
My bench has improved and I am much more confident about competition style benching. ie. paused.
However, my attempt at wide stance squatting and box squatting haven't been successful-I cant seem to make wide stance work for me particularly well and box squatting has just made me better at ......box squatting-no carryover to regular squatting and my confidence has been shot to bits :mad:
Summary of relevant factors:

I prefer Oly style squats
I need to squat regularly and often for form and confidence
I deadlift conventionally but repping out is an injury risk
Hypertrophy isnt a real issue, I put on mass ok (6' 109kg)
Im 40 (but act like Im still 25) so I cant recover like you young 'uns do!
I will be training at home with basic stuff (Powerrack, bench (with incline) Oly bar, 240kg weights, lightish dumbells)
My lower back seems to get overworked easily
I like the Westside structure, though not essential.
I can workout as frequently as I want for the first time

Any suggestions, Scourge and others?

[666]

What are your sticking points? What's your bar speed like?

[Black Knight]

What are your sticking points? What's your bar speed like?
Squat out of the hole
Deadlift off the floor
Bench about 2 board

[Robert]

Get a suit.
Get some briefs.
Get a shirt.


-SORTED.

[Scourge]

I want some help putting together my next routine.
Aims are to improve my lifts in Squat, Bench, Dead. I lift raw and want to compete BWLA-would have been this October but for nasty groin injury which Im having treatment for and is preventing me from squatting at the moment :mad: This new routine is for when Im healthy again...
Ive been training Westside for a few months. Some bits I like, others I dont or they dont work for me;
I like the basic template of ME and DE days.
My bench has improved and I am much more confident about competition style benching. ie. paused.
However, my attempt at wide stance squatting and box squatting haven't been successful-I cant seem to make wide stance work for me particularly well and box squatting has just made me better at ......box squatting-no carryover to regular squatting and my confidence has been shot to bits :mad:
Summary of relevant factors:

I prefer Oly style squats
I need to squat regularly and often for form and confidence
I deadlift conventionally but repping out is an injury risk
Hypertrophy isnt a real issue, I put on mass ok (6' 109kg)
Im 40 (but act like Im still 25) so I cant recover like you young 'uns do!
I will be training at home with basic stuff (Powerrack, bench (with incline) Oly bar, 240kg weights, lightish dumbells)
My lower back seems to get overworked easily
I like the Westside structure, though not essential.
I can workout as frequently as I want for the first time

Any suggestions, Scourge and others?
My initial thoughts:

1) The most important focus for you when training in the short to mid-term is injury prevention - You can't get stronger if you can't train.
2) You won't want to be working with high tonnages, especially in the squat and deadlift, as soon as you recover because of your age and your recent time off.
3) I don't think I'd want you doing DE work coming straight back from a layoff, especially given your history of training injury.
4) Might be worth learning how to use some of the equipment, even if for occasional use in training, as you might find it helps keep you healthy.

Objections to any of that?

Also, can we have a run-down of your recent injuries and current at-risk areas.

[Black Knight]

My initial thoughts:

1) The most important focus for you when training in the short to mid-term is injury prevention - You can't get stronger if you can't train.
2) You won't want to be working with high tonnages, especially in the squat and deadlift, as soon as you recover because of your age and your recent time off.
3) I don't think I'd want you doing DE work coming straight back from a layoff, especially given your history of training injury.
4) Might be worth learning how to use some of the equipment, even if for occasional use in training, as you might find it helps keep you healthy.

Objections to any of that?

Also, can we have a run-down of your recent injuries and current at-risk areas.
1. Agreed-being able to train at home will allow me to focus on whats good for me, not what fits in with training partner or ego!
2. Sensible-Im looking at the long-term
3. As above
4. Dont have any equipment and cant afford any at present-in all honesty I'd prefer not to.

Past injury has been left SI joint which becomes inflammed and then causes referred pain/stiffness in hip/glute/lumbar area. Not had a bad episode for some time now. Having analysed my training log over the last 2-3 years every episode of pain/problem in this area has come within days of repping heavy deadlifts from the floor-rdl's dont seem to be a problem though.

Currently have left aductor tendinitis (groin strain to the uninitiated) which prohibits squatting and will do for a couple more weeks (physio appt. wednesday).
Thanks Scourge-was hoping for your input, though all are very welcome :040:

[Scourge]

What have you done by way of prehab for your SI problem?

[Black Knight]

What have you done by way of prehab for your SI problem?
Usual stuff:
Roller
pelvic tilt stuff for core (physio recommended)
Hip crossovers
scorpions
mckenzie pressups
various other stretches

[Black Knight]

Any suggestions to add, Scourge (anyone)?

[Scourge]

Any suggestions to add, Scourge (anyone)?
Sorry mate... Been v. v. busy recently. Will get back to you ASAP.

[Black Knight]

Sorry mate... Been v. v. busy recently. Will get back to you ASAP.
cool-no rush :023:

[Tricky]

Ive been training Westside for a few months. Some bits I like, others I dont or they dont work for me;
I like the basic template of ME and DE days.
My bench has improved and I am much more confident about competition style benching. ie. paused.
However, my attempt at wide stance squatting and box squatting haven't been successful-I cant seem to make wide stance work for me particularly well and box squatting has just made me better at ......box squatting-no carryover to regular squatting and my confidence has been shot to bits :mad:
Summary of relevant factors:

I prefer Oly style squats
I need to squat regularly and often for form and confidence
I deadlift conventionally but repping out is an injury risk
Hypertrophy isnt a real issue, I put on mass ok (6' 109kg)
Im 40 (but act like Im still 25) so I cant recover like you young 'uns do!
I will be training at home with basic stuff (Powerrack, bench (with incline) Oly bar, 240kg weights, lightish dumbells)
My lower back seems to get overworked easily
I like the Westside structure, though not essential.
I can workout as frequently as I want for the first time

Any suggestions, Scourge and others?

Ok BK, so from what i can see, you like WSB and think its effective but dont like wide squatting or box squatting. Sorry to have to be the one to state the obvious but why not just do WSB with narrower stance squats and pause squats instead of box squats?

Also worth noting is that, IME, its impossible to go from being a narrow sq'er to a super wide WSB style just by deciding you're going to...The hip/groin flexibilty that it requires takes some serious building up. Also dont forget that ALL WSB lifters sq in a suit which makes wide sq'ing not only easier but more beneficial. I have sucessfully widened my raw stance somewhat in recent months (v.gradually) but its still a good bit narrower than my suited stance.

Repping out on DL shouldnt be a problem seeing as most WSB schemes only call for ME DL one week in 3 (which is singles anyway) and occasional DE DL which will be triples but which you could reduce to doubles. R.E your hatred of Box Sq's, dont forget that they are considered to have a v.good carryover to DL as well as Sq...

Your gym sounds fine. Add some bands (cheap).

Any WSB program is gonna be taxing on the lower back due to its reliance on Sq's/Box Sq's/GM's so id suggest trying to build up some muscular endurance in your mid/lower erectors using full,weighted old-school hypers (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/WtHyperextension.html).
First time i did these a few months ago BWx12 killed me. Now 30kgx3x10 is in the bag, my back feels great and other lifts have increased accordingly. Obvioulsy you'd have to bodge something up in your home gym but im sure it can be done. Ive even done it on a board over the end of a bed wit bird sat on me ankles.

R.E. your sticking points...the good news is that they're all very sensible as they are in the points where you are biomech'ly weaker (possible exception of DL).
Sq in the hole - you need hams, Band GM's and Pause Sq's (if you cant get on with Box)
Bench 2 board - you need lats and chest, weighted chins and deep paused DB press
DL off the deck - hams and lower back, see above and add hypers.


Get well soon man.

[Black Knight]

^^^^^
Thanks for that fella.
Youve raised some very valid points and analysed my situation very effectively.
I'll think these things through together with any other inputs over the next week or two.
On the injurt front things are improving well-Ive started squatting again allbeit lightly 5x5x100 and physio is pleased with my progress. The combination of not squatting for some time and changing my stance back to a more modest width is a liitle strange so Im going to take it easy on the weights and try to maintain some decent volume in the meantime.