How do power lifters develop huge muscles?

[zee]

They perform very few reps and set and bodybuilding require high reps and more volume. I know they have lots of fat but they have lot of muscles as well.

[bombflower]

I don't think there is one specific form of training that allows a person to gain muscle mass. It all usually depends on the diet as to how much fat a person has.

[gymanimal]

I agree with bombflower. As far as the powerlifters with huge musles go... Even though they do very little reps per set, they lift huge weights, eat huge, and work at an insane intensity level. Their muscles have to adapt to the stress by growing.

[Vlad]

Am I the only one who thinks that powerlifters are fat /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif ?

[SteveO]

they are still big under all that fat, most of them are fat just because they don't care how they eat.. they arent there to impress anyone with their body, just about the weight they move.

[mr.selfdestruct]

Powerlifters also do a lot of volume remember - instead of 4 sets on Bench, they might do more like 10 sets with fewer reps, so their Time Under Tension is still comparable (though probably still not quite as much) as a Bodybuilders.

I think most also do some hypertrophic specific training with their assistance exercises as they also realise that strength = muscle size + neurological efficiency/capacity... or something like that. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Vlad]

[ QUOTE ]

they don't care how they eat


[/ QUOTE ]

Right...

Every elite athlete on earth does care for how she/he eat, because the food is the key. (maybe not to few sports though). But food in powerlifting is not a factor to neglect.

[Red XIII]

Yeah, but that don't care about the amount of fat on their bodies. I don't think they take cutting into consideration, so they let their fat just stay there.

But also, there auxilaries like tricep extentions or hypers or whatever, they usually do at high reps, so that may expalin some more of the muscle.

[Coz]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one who thinks that powerlifters are fat /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not all powerlifters or strongmen are fat: Mariusz Pudzianowski is a good example and he is one of the top strongmen in the world.

http://www.pudzian.pl/

http://www.realdutchpower.nl/nieuwsoverzicht2003/mariusz3.jpg
http://www.bk-sportsmag.se/tidningen/2003/10/bilder/mariusz_pudzianowski.jpg

[B.A.M.]

We only do low reps on core exercises. We do 8 to 10 reps on our assistant works.

Oh and we also eat a ton, the secret to big muscles, whether you are a powerlifter or bodybuilder.

[CoLDTuRKeY]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one who thinks that powerlifters are fat /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif ?

[/ QUOTE ]

Eat it :P

[Deep313]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I the only one who thinks that powerlifters are fat /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif ?

[/ QUOTE ]


Not all powerlifters are fat for example in weight lifting competitions there is weight classes so the ones in the lower class aren't. Also they would get huge muscles because they work hard and lift alot. plus they usually don't have to cut.

[B.A.M.]

Yea superheavy weights are usually fat, but start going down the weight classes and you'd be really surprised.

[goldmill]

I've seen many times where a powerlifter has cut down to do a bodybuilding show for the hell of it and has either placed high or even won it out right.

Remember too, Ronnie Coleman started as a Powerlifter.

[B.A.M.]

Johnnie Jackson too. And his chest is unfrickinbelievable!

[CoLDTuRKeY]

Franco started as a BBer and did powerlifting comps for the heck of it didn't he? He also dominated.

[Satch]

[ QUOTE ]
Franco started as a BBer and did powerlifting comps for the heck of it didn't he? He also dominated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah that lil sardinian could dead like 780 for a couple reps. When you gonna start doing that CT?

[CoLDTuRKeY]

Hey lay off me I'm working on it /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif
You must have forgotten I'm a big [*%#*%*#]!

[MC-JayCore]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Franco started as a BBer and did powerlifting comps for the heck of it didn't he? He also dominated.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah that lil sardinian could dead like 780 for a couple reps. When you gonna start doing that CT?

[/ QUOTE ]

Like the pic in my avatar /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I was watching E! True Hollywood Story the other day on Arnie, and they were showing parts of a recent interview with Franco. He was like this old man with white hair, and still had the exact same accent. How long have he and Arnie spent in America, like 40years? And they still haven't lost their accents at all /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif What legends

[UskerTheGrouch]

check out olympic weightlifting. those guys are pretty lean and well-defined. of course, i havent seen the super heavyweights compete yet, but the lower weight classes boast some pretty impressive lifters.

[President Wilson]

[ QUOTE ]
They perform very few reps and set and bodybuilding require high reps and more volume. I know they have lots of fat but they have lot of muscles as well.


[/ QUOTE ]

One of the major adaptations to increasing strength is increased cross sectional area. According to recent research from Dr. Fry, it was found that powerlifters preferentially hypertrophy fast twitch muscle fibers. However, bodybuilders produce an equal amount of hypertrophy in slow twitch fibers. Therefore, bodybuilders overall optimize the process. Here is a quote:

[ QUOTE ]
When competitive lifters were compared, those typically utilising the heaviest loads (> or =90% 1RM), that is weightlifters and powerlifters, exhibited a preferential hypertrophy of type II fibres when compared with body builders who appear to equally hypertrophy both type I and type II fibres.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sports Med. 2004;34(10):663-79.

[gavigan]

alot of power lifters dont have huge muscles....alot of the time thye look very average but are hella strong..

[B.A.M.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

they don't care how they eat


[/ QUOTE ]

Right...

Every elite athlete on earth does care for how she/he eat, because the food is the key. (maybe not to few sports though). But food in powerlifting is not a factor to neglect.

[/ QUOTE ]

Diet is a pretty big factor in powerlifting, especially for those trying to make a weight class. As for the super heavyweights, judging by some of their diets, haha they really don't care what or how they eat.

[CoL]

yup i agree. some of the lower weight class powerlifters are totally jacked, sub-10% fat and slabs of meat on them. that's mostly down to dieting into weight classes.

[sta63bmx]

We have a lot of of guys up to the 181's and 198's who are most definitely not fat on the team. How do they build muscle? By lifting heavy weights! /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Kitosho]

Let's see...

• Lifting heavy things
• Eating a lot


This is really new stuff to me. I thought watching TV was gonna make me huge. ;_;

[BrothaMan325]

power lifters, although big/ " have more fat". they do have training diets. as we all know to build muscle you need to eat the right things. just b/c they are power lifters, rather than bodybuilders, doesnt mean they dont watch what they eat. it means that their focus is on heavy lifting not muscle tone and shape.

in general heavy compound movements will build muscle better than iso work. also power lifters do alot of one lift workouts. e.i workouts for targeting bench, DL, cleans, ect. all the energy is focused on one muscle group not the whole body. and even though the developement of the whole body is important. its all about how much weight you move.

power lifters work off of explosive movements and leverage. moveing the weight smart. ex. in cleans a lifter lifts the full amount of the weight with his upper body only half the distance of the lift. the " clean" part of the lift gets the weight to the chest. it requires more legs than upper body. thats why one of the most important training lifts for cleans isnt bench, its frontal squats.

[sta63bmx]

Garry Frank is a beast beyond the accounting of men.

http://www.ironlife.com/mag/issue19/garryfrank.shtml

Technically this qualifies as a diet, I suppose.

[ QUOTE ]
The Garry Frank Diet according to PLUSA, Feb/2005.

Breakfast
20 egg white omelet
4 egg yolks
4 cups of rolled oats
2 bananas
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
multivitamin packet
1 g of vitamin C

Snack
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
1 cup of cottage cheese
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Lunch
1 pound of skinless chicken breast
4 cups of brown rice
4 cups of salad
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Snack
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Dinner
2 pounds of sirloin steak
4 baked potatoes
4 cups of green salad
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes

Pre workout
1 pound of chicken breasts
4 cups of sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons of flaxseed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

During training
Some kind of secret training formula mixed with 64 oz of water.

Post workout
Some kind of secret post workout formula mixed with 24 oz of water.
1 g of vitamin C

Bedtime meal
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
2 cups of cottage cheese
1 g of vitamin C
10 g of glutamine peptides
digestive enzymes

[/ QUOTE ]

To excel in all three powerlifts is unbelievable. Usually some guys will be really good in one or maybe two and not as good in another one, but...

[MaineStag]

[ QUOTE ]
Garry Frank is a beast beyond the accounting of men.

http://www.ironlife.com/mag/issue19/garryfrank.shtml

Technically this qualifies as a diet, I suppose.

[ QUOTE ]
The Garry Frank Diet according to PLUSA, Feb/2005.

Breakfast
20 egg white omelet
4 egg yolks
4 cups of rolled oats
2 bananas
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
multivitamin packet
1 g of vitamin C

Snack
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
1 cup of cottage cheese
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Lunch
1 pound of skinless chicken breast
4 cups of brown rice
4 cups of salad
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Snack
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Dinner
2 pounds of sirloin steak
4 baked potatoes
4 cups of green salad
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes

Pre workout
1 pound of chicken breasts
4 cups of sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons of flaxseed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

During training
Some kind of secret training formula mixed with 64 oz of water.

Post workout
Some kind of secret post workout formula mixed with 24 oz of water.
1 g of vitamin C

Bedtime meal
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
2 cups of cottage cheese
1 g of vitamin C
10 g of glutamine peptides
digestive enzymes

[/ QUOTE ]

To excel in all three powerlifts is unbelievable. Usually some guys will be really good in one or maybe two and not as good in another one, but...

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome diet! Definately someone you don't want using a water saver toilet! /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[sta63bmx]

EWWWWWWWWWWWWW. I am dying laughing.

[JoeGT]

When I was watching last year's Worlds Strongman... A stat came up that said one of the competitors burns on average about 8500 cals a day... I wonder how many cals a day the guy eats! haha.

And one pound of chicken? I eat that in about a day, not a meal! haha. Awesome.

[Coz]

LOL @ "secret training formula".

Man, this guy must have a meat locker in his house. That's a insane amount food there! I wish I had the patience to add up the macros and cals!

[zee]

I posted this question a while back, when some people were saying that heavy weights arn`t necessary for developing big muscles.I guess controlled heavy lifting is essential for muscle growth.

[SteveO]

does anyone know what these digestive enzymes are?

and wow, that guy knows how to eat

[bsimpson]

^^ ya i was asking the same thing to my self. He would need them in shure wow.

[psaturn]

I wonder what is his grocery bill like ??? My goodness !!! 2 pounds of steak for a meal ? And two dozens of eggs a day ?

20 TBSPs of Flax Seed Oil a day ??? Yikes ! That is almost an entire bottle of flax seed oil !!!

50 gms of glutamine a day! That is 10 times of what I am taking !

Digestive Enzymes would be Papain and Bromelain and maybe lactose enzyme ?

[Cronus]

[ QUOTE ]
Garry Frank is a beast beyond the accounting of men.

http://www.ironlife.com/mag/issue19/garryfrank.shtml

Technically this qualifies as a diet, I suppose.

[ QUOTE ]
The Garry Frank Diet according to PLUSA, Feb/2005.

Breakfast
20 egg white omelet
4 egg yolks
4 cups of rolled oats
2 bananas
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
multivitamin packet
1 g of vitamin C

Snack
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
1 cup of cottage cheese
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Lunch
1 pound of skinless chicken breast
4 cups of brown rice
4 cups of salad
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Snack
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

Dinner
2 pounds of sirloin steak
4 baked potatoes
4 cups of green salad
6 tablespoons of olive oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes

Pre workout
1 pound of chicken breasts
4 cups of sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons of flaxseed oil
1 g of vitamin C
digestive enzymes
10 g of glutamine peptides

During training
Some kind of secret training formula mixed with 64 oz of water.

Post workout
Some kind of secret post workout formula mixed with 24 oz of water.
1 g of vitamin C

Bedtime meal
4 scoops of whey
32 oz of skim milk
4 tablespoons of flax seed oil
2 cups of cottage cheese
1 g of vitamin C
10 g of glutamine peptides
digestive enzymes

[/ QUOTE ]

To excel in all three powerlifts is unbelievable. Usually some guys will be really good in one or maybe two and not as good in another one, but...

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats nothing!
The calories/food he has in a day, I have in a mid morning snack!


/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Andrew G.]

[ QUOTE ]
does anyone know what these digestive enzymes are?

and wow, that guy knows how to eat

[/ QUOTE ]

Reminds me of you bro!

That guy is nuts! Wow!

[Sundog316]

that diet is.......wow.

[SteveO]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
does anyone know what these digestive enzymes are?

and wow, that guy knows how to eat

[/ QUOTE ]

Reminds me of you bro!

That guy is nuts! Wow!

[/ QUOTE ]

that calorie intake easily doubles me, I'm actually thinking of following something quite similar and see how well it works

but I'm still not understanding what these digestive enzymes are/good for

[bsimpson]

to help digest all of that food

[SteveO]

[ QUOTE ]
to help digest all of that food

[/ QUOTE ]

but how well do they actually work? I guess I'm going to give them a shot and see what happens. I'm starting a new diet very similar to this one now, how would a PCF of 30/30/40 look @ 8000 calories? I figure this will be the cheapest, easiest way to get that many calories. Any bad side effects of consuming nearly 3200 caloires in fats? (mainly good ones)

[raven13]

Wouldnt it make sense to do a power lifting type program for certain extend period of time to build up huge amounts of mass. Then go back to bodybuilding style and shape and cut that new gain muscle.

[B.A.M.]

[ QUOTE ]
Wouldnt it make sense to do a power lifting type program for certain extend period of time to build up huge amounts of mass. Then go back to bodybuilding style and shape and cut that new gain muscle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prez on Powerlifting (http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/powertraining.php)

Check out the workouts -> shocks links.

[raven13]

yeea but i mean do that style for like 2 mounths or something

[Awesome]

I just don't get the insane number of views this has got already...

[NebularChameleon]

I just wish that I had enough money and time to prepare all that food. I have no doubt that I would love to eat all the time. I love Food and it's anabolic properties.

[Tical]

[ QUOTE ]
starting a new diet very similar to this one now, how would a PCF of 30/30/40 look @ 8000 calories? I figure this will be the cheapest, easiest way to get that many calories.

[/ QUOTE ]

Please post this diet when you get it all figured out. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Raptorman]

Has anyone noticed that at the highest echelons of bodybuilding, the lines between bodybuilding and powerlifting become blurred?

One example is Ronnie Coleman. Powerlifter turned bodybuilder turned monstrous mesh of human and chemical. Another is Mariusz Pudzianowski (thank God for copy & paste), who is a world class strongman who incorporates bodybuilding style training.

As far as I can tell, here's what bodybuilders can learn from powerlifters:

1. Eating big means getting big - you can cut after though
2. Training heavy today means lifting bigger weight for high volume type training later, leading to greater hypertrophy gains
3. Big compound exercises will build just about everything except your arms (debatable). But direct arm training is what most of us do best anyway, right?

[B.A.M.]

[ QUOTE ]

3. Big compound exercises will build just about everything except your arms (debatable). But direct arm training is what most of us do best anyway, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've gone weeks at a time without doing a single curl.

[raven13]

[ QUOTE ]
Has anyone noticed that at the highest echelons of bodybuilding, the lines between bodybuilding and powerlifting become blurred?

One example is Ronnie Coleman. Powerlifter turned bodybuilder turned monstrous mesh of human and chemical. Another is Mariusz Pudzianowski (thank God for copy & paste), who is a world class strongman who incorporates bodybuilding style training.

As far as I can tell, here's what bodybuilders can learn from powerlifters:

1. Eating big means getting big - you can cut after though
2. Training heavy today means lifting bigger weight for high volume type training later, leading to greater hypertrophy gains
3. Big compound exercises will build just about everything except your arms (debatable). But direct arm training is what most of us do best anyway, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree...I just wonder if Bodybuilders should include more power lifting in there routines such as the 10 8 6 4 reps.

[taibo]

Yes, its all about variety, I think fear of losing gains from when trying something new is one of the hardest things to overcome.
Arnold suggested in his book maxing out in the 4 rep range for a different bodypart per week was very beneficial. Franco I believe also maintained allot of his powerlifting training as does Ronnie, man hes massive, GO RONNIE!!
Given that these guys are/were the best of their time, I think a powerlifting appraoch wouldn't hurt.

[Raptorman]

http://www.ironlife.com/mag/issue19/pinnacle.shtml

This is Brad Cardoza. He trains as a strongman/powerlifter, yet looks like a bodybuilder from his relatively lean diet. Although I have to question if someone 240 pounds with 8-10% BF @ 5'10 is drug-free.

[raven13]

I am going to deffently include loweer reps alot more now.

[rev]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.ironlife.com/mag/issue19/pinnacle.shtml

This is Brad Cardoza. He trains as a strongman/powerlifter, yet looks like a bodybuilder from his relatively lean diet. Although I have to question if someone 240 pounds with 8-10% BF @ 5'10 is drug-free.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know, I mean, that's 13 years of training he has under his belt. Sure, not all of it was quality training, but how many of us have wasted some time when we starte before we really figure things out. I've been lifting for over a year now and I figure new things out every day! Don't forget, also, that many bodybuilders exaggerate their weight, I wouldn't doubt that bodyfat could be fudged a bit as well considering different people hold mass different ways. Look at SteveO, the guy is/was/will be soon at 13% bf, 225 with a 6-pack.

[SteveO]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
http://www.ironlife.com/mag/issue19/pinnacle.shtml

This is Brad Cardoza. He trains as a strongman/powerlifter, yet looks like a bodybuilder from his relatively lean diet. Although I have to question if someone 240 pounds with 8-10% BF @ 5'10 is drug-free.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know, I mean, that's 13 years of training he has under his belt. Sure, not all of it was quality training, but how many of us have wasted some time when we starte before we really figure things out. I've been lifting for over a year now and I figure new things out every day! Don't forget, also, that many bodybuilders exaggerate their weight, I wouldn't doubt that bodyfat could be fudged a bit as well considering different people hold mass different ways. Look at SteveO, the guy is/was/will be soon at 13% bf, 225 with a 6-pack.

[/ QUOTE ]

now 212 and fat /forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif

240 at 8-10% is definately possible naturally. Now 280 on the otherhand...

[Raptorman]

But the point I'm making is, the guy trained like a powerlifter and looked like a bodybuilder. Big compounds, heavy, low volume, etc.

Is he fat now? I didn't know about that. Doesn't really matter though, because we can see what a powerlifter can look like when they watch what they eat.

[CoL]

cardoza is a beast. his thread at t-nation pretty much proves that.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=466F2A34F8BA8724A607CC0D06 3E3DE8.titan?id=409575

thing to remember is, that a lot of powerlifters do a lot of events training along with weight training. the events training in itself is a heavy, endurance workout.