by Gage Reid of Nova Strength Training Systems

Find a Coach or Experienced Lifter

This one seems obvious to some, but many lifters start out their Powerlifting careers without any guidance or idea of where they should start. I’m a huge proponent of starting to build that solid foundation of technical proficiency from Day 1. A Lot of lifters develop poor movement patterns, injuries and lack of motivation early on in their lifting careers due to sheer inexperience, as well as lack of guidance- it doesn’t have to be this way though. The internet is full of excellent training knowledge, put out by great lifters and coaches. Utilize the tools that you have at your disposal- whether that’s an online coach, in-person Coach or simply finding an experienced lifter to help guide you through the process of training, and eventually competing.

Follow a Structured Plan/Program

Although some people believe that programming is useless and the main goal should be to “just train”, I wholeheartedly believe this to be a very misinformed, detrimental mindset to have if you want to be successful in the long term (especially as a newer lifter). Simply put, a program is an overarching plan that is designed to take you from one point to the next. If you’re a brand new lifter then your program should be centered around improving technical proficiency in the main lifts, as well as slowly and consistently increasing the amount of volume you can do in a given session, week, and month.

PRO TIP: If you’re a brand new lifter (or any lifter for that matter), it’s almost never a good idea to “test your max to see where you’re at” in the middle of a training cycle. Patience is a virtue that will benefit all dedicated Strength Athletes, and it’s certainly a huge factor in both the short term, as well as the long-term progress of a brand new lifter. In my opinion, if you have less than a year of training experience, you should almost never test your 1-Rep-Max (1RM) unless it’s laid out specifically after the end of a training cycle where the coach is confident that you have developed the prerequisite technique, mobility, and strength to safely execute a maximum attempt on the Squat, Bench or Deadlift. It takes a long time to develop the motor patterns, mobility, as well as strength to safely, and properly execute a true maximum lift. Focus on improving technique, building volume, and good things will come in due time.

Understand That Powerlifting is a Marathon, NOT a Sprint

As I mentioned in the previous point, the development of a brand new lifter is vastly more important than testing 1-Rep-Maxes to simply “see where you are at”. Progress can be tracked in many different ways including rep PRs, improvements in technical proficiency and total volume accumulated in a given training block. It’s important to understand that progress isn’t only measured in how much weight you can throw on the bar for a maximum single attempt, but how you progress week-to-week, month-to-month, etc. If you start a training block doing 135 for sets of 8 on the Squat, and finish the block 4 weeks later doing 155 for 5 sets of 8, then you have notedly improved, so there is no reason to throw an extra 40 pounds on the bar to test your 1RM and risk injuring yourself. This also ties into the first two points of finding an experienced lifter or coach to help guide you through the process. If you’re serious about your development as a Strength Athlete then you must seek out an experienced professional who is able to develop you properly so that you can progress and stay healthy throughout your lifting career. The lessons learned early on are the ones that will stick with you forever- which is why I’m writing this article in the first place. Being able to learn, pass on and improve the development of newer lifters is a passion of mine, so I take these first 3 points VERY seriously- as should you.

Competition

If your goal is to train to get as strong as possible, eventually you’re going to want to compete. In my opinion, an athlete should not consider competing until they’ve built up the prerequisite technique required to safely execute a maximum attempt on the Squat, Bench, and Deadlift- as I mentioned in the previous points. But, I believe it’s very important for an athlete to set short term and long term goals for themselves so that they are able to stay motivated. If you’ve reached the point in your development where you’re able to compete, I’d recommend reading up on the rules of the specific federation which you are looking to compete in and then pick a meet that is 16-20 weeks out so that you are able to properly prepare. There’s no specific timeline for when an athlete should compete, other than the aforementioned point of being able to safely execute the three lifts. Some athletes are able to compete within 1-2 years after they first start lifting, while others take longer to develop to that point. I’m a firm believer that there are no arbitrary numbers needed to compete (ie: You don’t need to be able to Squat at least 300 pounds in order to compete in your first meet), and that everyone who wants to compete should do so when they are ready to. This also ties into the previous points about finding a coach or an experienced lifter to develop you to this point. Having guidance during this stage of your lifting career is crucial and I’m a firm believer that every athlete regardless of experience level should have some type of coach there to monitor their training, as well as their development. I’ve had the privilege of coaching many great athletes to stellar performances on the platform and I can honestly say that their personal development and safety is my main concern. Finding a coach with a similar mentality will be key to the success of your lifting career, as well as your overall development as a Strength Athlete.

Get to know Gage and learn more about Nova Strength Training Systems

Introduce yourself to the GWPL community

My name is Ellen Stein-I am a 65-year-old retired (since 10/2010) Verizon employee and self-proclaimed crazy cat lady! born and still living in Brooklyn, NY

Best meet total to date?
983 lbs RAW (sleeves), 1025 lbs RAW (wraps), 1050 lbs (single ply) all in the 132 lb (60kg) class

Which of the big 3 is your favorite and why?

The deadlift because squats scare the crap out of me since more things can go wrong during them and benching is not my best lift given my long arms and narrow grip-it is, however, my MOST IMPROVED lift

You have a nickname, "949 Ellen Stein", how did that come about?I historically always make smart attempt selections thanks to awesome coaching by Matt Gary (2009-2015) and Swede Burns (2015-present) however the name was fondly given to me by Matt when it became a regular occurrence-the fact that it rhymed certainly helped!

What is your greatest accomplishment in powerlifting?
Totaling over 1000lbs twice at 64 years old and now again at 65!

What gets you through the tough training sessions?
Lots of coffee, 12 hours of sleep daily, great training partners and the positive gym atmosphere where I currently train (Harbor Fitness). I also drink VITARGO which is a high carb fuel mixed in with a half dose of SSP pre-workout

What advice do you have for women getting into powerlifting?
Get a coach (not an online one either), stay away from PED's until you at least reach menopause and even then under a doctor's supervision! -follow a program for a LONG time-get a group of people to support you in the gym and even at meets -limit your time on social media

As all women know, as we get older our bodies change. How has your training changed to combat those changes? (i.e. frequency, mobility, rest, etc.) 
I get more sleep now that I am retired so I recover really well. I train smarter now and don't push the envelope by maxing out constantly. I train in the 70-80% range until it comes time to peak. I only train 3 days a week with my volume being mostly in my assistance work

You've been around powerlifting for some time, how have you seen it change over the years. 

Well, the most obvious change is that social media has had a tremendous influence on and presence in the sport. When I began all the info we were able to get was through the magazine Powerlifting USA. Also, the first meet I ever did there was 2 women competing (I came in 2nd place :( ) Now there are meets (think USAPL Raw Nationals ) that have sometimes 500 women competing in them. I think part of that has to do with the influence Crossfit has had on bringing back barbell training. Women are stronger than ever I think partly due to the availability of coaching and support from their peers and even the men in the sport. It is not unusual to see men supporting their women at meets and the men have accepted our strength and encourage us-we are not outliers anymore.

(Team Iron Knight at the Europa Games)

This past weekend, at the 2018 IPL Inzer Europa Powerlifting Championships in Orlando, Florida was my first official time as a USPA State Referee. I had so many nerves leading up to it. By nature, I am more reserved and cautious but I’ve been really working on becoming more confident in not only my abilities but also my faults- meaning owning them, working on them but not apologizing for them because we don’t need to apologize for who we are but we should always be growing and getting better.

Not only was I judging my peers, I was asked to MC a few flights this weekend, on a dual platform meet. Nervous does not even cover how I felt about all of it. As I stood and fanned myself on Saturday morning waiting to find out when and where I would be stationed that day, the meet director and USPA Florida chairman, Richard Ficca (who I will be talking about a lot in the post because he’s become my powerlifting Yoda and Mr. Miyagi) looked at me and asked if I was ok. I told him I was fanning myself because I get hot when I’m nervous and he looked up from his computer and asked me two questions. He asked, “Do you believe, I trust you?” To which, I replied, “YES” in my loud, child-like high pitched voice, like a little league tee ball player responding to their coach/dad. Then he asked, “Do you believe that you worked hard to be here and you belong here?” I also replied yes to that question but I got a little teary-eyed because I realized how much I meant it. I have worked really hard to get to where I am. All too often in my life, I’ve felt like I was lost and just going where the wind took me, not really sure where I belonged but when it comes to powerlifting and GWPL I have learned to make sure moves, be adamant in my decisions and become confident in my place. That 3-minute pep talk was exactly what I needed to start my day. I sat in the refs' chair for 3 flights, helped with expediting and computers and MC 2-4 flights this weekend and even when I made a bad call in the head chair, I stood by my decision. I was rattled a bit and choked back some tears because of how the matter was initially handled (let’s just say not every referee is diplomatic) but again, Rich in his Yoda like way explained my error but also that it happens and all we can do it learn from our mistakes.

Being a head judge is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I felt as though I was literally had these lifter’s lives in my hands. I needed to make sure that I was calling the start and rack commands efficiently so as to not make them hold the amount of weight on their back for too long but also not too early so the other judges had enough time to fairly judge the lift. I was literally sweating from my palms. On top of all that trying not to get distracted by everything else, including some of my team members competing on the opposite platform and worrying whether or not my husband and my little brother were getting warmed up. It’s sooooo much to take in. Needless to say, when that flight was over, I was mentally exhausted and ready to be done with my referee responsibilities for the weekend, even though they weren’t and I still MC’d another flight.  I’m not gonna lie, I cried a bit due to high anxiety that needed to be released but I sucked it up in time to cheer on my crew! And they did so well!!!

The moral of this emotional roller coaster of a story is that we have to give back to this sport that we love. It’s a small world and a tight community but if we don’t continue to volunteer as referees and support staff at meets one day this sport that we all love will be not be able to survive. Get to know your local meet directors and offer your help. Sometimes, we as lifters can get so caught up in prepping for meet after meet that we forget that without those people we would have nothing to prep for or we’d have to travel long distances to be able to compete. Being behind the scenes of a powerlifting meet is a crazy, chaotic world and requires an army but I urge you to become a part of it because it will make you a better athlete.

( Photo Credit: 9for9 Media)

Written by Renee Garcia

The other day, I began to think back to how I have gotten to this point in powerlifting and thought about what I did to get my start. I started going to the gym in 2013 at 24 years old but didn't really start powerlifting until 2014, when I learned all of the main movements from my brother.  I accompanied his teachings by reviewing other powerlifters that I followed via social media, but also by reading endless articles and viewing Youtube videos in order to reinforce what I was seeing on social media.

Alongside my brother and my new found powerlifting internet knowledge, I coached myself into my first meet in January 2015 where I had an 880 total (SQ: 335 / B: 165 / DL: 380) - all completed beltless!  With more in the tank, I was proud to get myself to that point but knew that if I wanted to reach the next level, it would be best for me to start shopping around for a coach.

As a n00b, I had no idea how to shop for a coach, nor did I feel comfortable enough to ask anyone how to go about it. Granted, there are many things you find out after you sign on the dotted line and pay your coach, I did go by certain guidelines I set up for myself which I have found are applicable and can be helpful to those on the hunt for a coach. 

1)    Do you want someone who can physically be there or are you okay with virtual coaching?

Prior to my first powerlifting meet, I attended several meets in and around New York and New Jersey to get myself familiarized with the flow and overall meet day vibes. During that time, I noticed that my, now coach, was consistently at these meets with his lifters.

Takeaway: I knew that I really wanted someone to learn from in person and his visibility in within my area reinforced that.

2)  Are you looking for someone who is more conservative or willing to be advantageous when calling numbers?

Around the same time when I was shopping for a coach, one of my best friends had begun training with her powerlifting coach. Per her coaching preference, she opted to go with an online coach who we over time found out took on a more conservative on the platform. Her coach’s style included playing it smart when calling her numbers going with extremely conservative numbers in order to achieve a higher total vs. being a little more advantageous and really pushing their lifter to see what they are truly capable of.  Don't get me wrong - I think that's a great approach especially in cases where all you need is a qualifying total for a larger meet but when it comes to meets in general, I would want to see and try my full potential. I know that being more advantageous [or even conservative] won't guarantee me a higher total and aside from having open lines of communication with my coach, I would want a coach who already initially aligns with my approach on the platform in order for us to both succeed.

Takeaway: When shopping around, browse and ask this potential coach how they like to approach meets and calling attempts. Simply ask “Do you find yourself to be more conservative or advantageous?” Take a browse through social media & their clients to confirm that and may if you're comfortable enough, reach out to a few of his/her lifters to get their input as well. 

3) How accessible do you want your coach to be?

Now you’re saying, “Duh, Renee… why would I look for a coach who isn’t accessible?” Ha! There’s plenty of coaches who hand you the program and say good bye, have fun & let me know if you have any questions – but to some, more accessibility matters. In a perfect world to some, a coach being accessible 24/7 is key, but let’s be real…That’s not going to be the case, as each of us, have lives outside of coaching and being a “coachee.”  With having a live, in person coach, you do have that luxury to ask a multitude of questions and have them answered almost immediately.  On the other hand, most people go with having an online coach where communication adds another layer of difficulty. Again, that goes into are you okay with having an online or physical coach?

Takeaway: While communication is a two-way street, it is important to know that your coach will be there when needed for questions regarding programming, lifting form, and the other million questions you’ll find that you’ll want to ask your coach.  When reaching out to your potential coach, ask them for their means of communication whether it be through a coaching platform, social media, e-mail, via phone or even through text.

Shopping for a powerlifting coach is different for all, but hope these few points will help find someone that can lead you to the next level of powerlifting and help to make you a strong person in and out of the gym!

Get to know Renee and the other GWPL Ambassadors a little better.