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Training
for Power & Definition
by Power Lifter Rich
Daniels CPT
http://danielsrich.com/
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Diet
It seems a lot of
people want the ripped abs and the power to go with it. In this article I
will show you how I compete as a powerlifter and look like a bodybuilder.
I have been lifting now for 14 years. It started like some, with the old
school style of "bulking" to put on size and strength. I added some
strength, but a lot of fat to go with it. Over the years I played with
different diets and training programs trying to lose fat, increase muscle,
and get stronger. Well I have come up with a simple plan that worked for
me and helped me break the Florida state record in the deadlift.
DIET
I eat pretty much
like a bodybuilder and train with methods used by the famous "Westside
Barbell". I have used their methods along with old school training and
even some bodybuilding exercises added in. The diet I have put together is
tailored to meet my body type and training needs. I don't believe there is
a "one size fit's all " diet out there that is for everyone. You must
learn to “dial in” with your body and adapt the diet to fit it’s needs.
Here is the diet I use 8 weeks out from a
powerlifting contest to maximize fat loss and minimize muscle loss:
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Meal 1: 8-10 egg whites, 1/2
cup oatmeal, 1 piece of fruit
·
Meal 2: protein shake or 2
can tuna
·
Meal 3: 8 oz. skinless
boneless chicken, 1 cup green beans
·
Meal 4: protein shake or
tuna
·
Meal 5: 6 oz. ground turkey,
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
·
Meal 6: protein shake or
tuna
·
Meal 7: 8 oz whiting, 1 cup
green beans or broccoli
The basic foods I stick with for the meals
are tuna, egg whites, turkey, chicken, protein shakes, and whiting (fish
low in fat). I keep fruits in the morning and vegetables at night. I avoid
high GI carbs and late night carbs. At 8 weeks out I cut out all junk
foods and make diet number one. Supplementing flax seed oil and other
sources of polyunsaturated fats, helps to make sure I receive the
necessary amounts of good fats in my diet.
UNIQUE METHODS FOR MASS
There are many ways to attack adding some
serious size and keeping your strength levels up. Some simple, some
unique. Never become closed minded to new training ideas and methods. Now
more than ever, you see power lifters having physiques that are leaner and
more muscular. Why? A lot of you may have already heard of things like
bands and boards in training. They over load the top of an exercise and
also produce a large amount of eccentric resistance. Bands are a very
inexpensive items to buy. A pair of mini's, which is a good starting
point, costs around $20. You can buy a couple 2x4 boards, cut them in 18"
pieces and you’re ready. I don't recommend training with bands for longer
than 3-4 weeks at a time. It's best to cycle them into your training.
BOARD PRESSES
I'm going to go over just a few examples
you can try. Let’s pick triceps as an example. Do 4 and 5 board presses.
Loop the band under a power rack and up over the bar. Lay down and have a
helper place the boards on your chest. Un-rack and lower the weight. You
will feel the force pulling down to the boards. Use and index on smooth
close grip. Remember to keep your elbows in and pause on the boards, then
press back up. You can use what reps you like but I suggest you aim for
around 6-8 reps. This exercise really helps build the triceps without over
stressing the elbows. It also is a great way to isolate the triceps in a
bench specific motion. You can also try reverse grip to further take the
shoulders out of the mix.
FLOOR PRESSES
Next exercise is floor press. Lay in a
rack with pins set so you can take the weight out yourself. You can do
these with or without a band, but if you use one, make a figure"8", then
pass it behind your back (at chest level) while you lay back on it, your
hands passed into either ends of the band. Make sure you get a good
resistance when your arms are extended. When you’re set, un-rack the bar.
As you lower the weight, your elbows will touch the ground. Pause for a
second then blast the weight back up. Again use a close grip here. These
work great for taking the lat's out of the exercise and are valuable to me
when in prep for a bench contest. Again, I suggest aiming for 6-8 reps.
This type of training is a must try for a
natural lifter looking to get stronger and add size. Remember, you need to
get stronger to get bigger. They go hand in hand. (The reverse is not
always true!) It doesn't surprise me when you see a physique that stands
out and you find out they're a former powerlifter. I have trained this way
while dieting for a photo shoot or to go a lighter weight class. I have
never believed in high reps to get cut. It’s the diet that gets you ripped
folks. Our bodies also get bored very quick from repetitive training, so
with these exercises above you can keep it fun and unique. These examples
are just a way of stimulating the muscle in a different way. Sometimes
that's all you need for new growth or to get you over a plateau.
To sum it up, bands increase the time of
maximal or near maximal force and increase the eccentric load which leads
to increased size and strength. The use of bands also show a major benefit
for muscle hypertrophy and that's a great thing for bodybuilders! Anyone
with any questions on this type of training can email me at :
at_i_tude@hotmail.com
Rich Daniels , CPT
http://danielsrich.com/
Natural
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