6 Tips for Beginner Powerlifters

As part of my ongoing series of posts on the topic of Powerlifting, here are 6 Tips for Beginner Powerlifters.

But first, if you're unfamiliar with Powerlifting please read:

• What is Powerlifting?
• Powerlifting: What is a Good Target Weight? How Many Reps?
  

Powerlifting Tip #1: Bench Press - Squeeze your Scapula/Shoulder Blades

By squeezing your scapula during bench pressing it will help will keep your shoulders on the bench (where they should be) and help to reduce the range of motion. You don't need to squeeze them super hard, just enough to help keep your shoulders on the bench. Keep your shoulders tight throughout the movement and then lock out the elbows at the top of the exercise. This will ensure better form and improved stability. Squeezing the scapula a bit will also engage more of your triceps and help with your overall lift.

Do not squeeze your scapula as hard as possible. That is completely unnecessary and counterproductive.

Powerlifting Tip #2: Squat - Keep Your Chest Up and Facing Forward

You want to keep your chest up and facing forward at the bottom of the movement and throughout the entire lift. By doing this you will prevent your torso from folding when you reach the concentric part of the squat (at the bottom) and reduce the potential for injury and improve your stability, which is especially vital during a heavy squat.

Powerlifting Tip #3: Deadlift - Do Not Bend Your Arms, Think Hooks

Never bend your arms while performing a deadlift. Instead keep your elbows locked and arms straight throughout the movement and think of your arms like fishhooks that don't bend or move. If you try and pull the bar up with your biceps you’ll likely tear a tendon, which will keep you out of the gym for a long time. Just think of your arms as hooks, you are simply using them to hold on to the weight and nothing more. The main muscles that will be used during a deadlift will be your quads, glutes, hamstrings and spinal erectors.

Powerlifting Tip #4: Split Up Your Training

You should practice split system training, which means you have to focus on a specific body area and training until you get fatigued. This allows for intensive training, when compared to a full body workout, with ample recovery time before training that section again.

Unlike some weightlifters who might alternate upper body and lower body, you want to be more specific than that. Thus a typical week for a powerlifter could end up looking like this:

• Monday: Back
• Tuesday: Chest
• Wednesday: Shoulders / Traps
• Thursday: Biceps / Triceps
• Friday: Legs
• Saturday and Sunday are rest days.

So for example I am currently doing a simple Weightlifting Routine wherein Mondays and Thursdays are Leg Days and Tuesdays and Fridays are Upper Body. Wednesday/Saturday/Sunday are my rest days. If I wanted to start doing Powerlifting then I would need to make significant changes to my exercise routine.

Powerlifting Tip #5: Don't Over Train

3 to 5 days a week is a good rule of thumb for the maximum number of days per week a Powerlifter should be training. You will have to discover the hard way whether you should be exercising 3, 4 or 5 days per week. But you will know you are Over Training if get any of the following side effects:

• Increased Muscle Soreness due to not enough rest/recovery time.
• Poor sleep.
• Recurring Sports Injuries.
  

Powerlifters generally do not train as much as bodybuilders (who are often exercise addicts) and because they're lifting a lot more they need to pace themselves more and allow for ample rest periods. Part of this is because powerlifting causes strain on their CNS (Central Nervous System) and that needs more time to recover.

Powerlifting Tip #6: Ample Rest Period

This is obviously connected to the previous point above. If you give your body a large enough rest period it will help you to recover more efficiently from an intense session. Allowing for ample muscle recovery time (and CNS recovery) means you will see better results the next time you train. This will result in increased muscle and strength gains.

This also means that you should be wary about certain activities. Eg. If you had an intense session on Friday you should avoid helping a friend to move a piano on Saturday. If you get a sports injury while moving that piano you could set back your training significantly.

Instead on your days of rest you should focus on lighter activities and avoid anything that could put strain on your recovery.

Archery Equipment Guide for Beginners

A bow and an arrow. That's all you need, right?

Well, not exactly. There's a lot more things you need. See my Archery Equipment Checklist. But I don't go into a lot of details on that Checklist, but today I am going to do so. Here's what you really need... and Why!

Traditional Recurve Archery Equipment Guide

Recurve Bow

You want to start with a bow with a fairly low poundage so that you can focus on form first and build strength gradually over time. Generally someone new to archery should start with a 20 to 25 lb bow, depending upon their strength and size. Even people who are very strong should start with a maximum of 25 lbs and then as they progress they can purchase higher poundage limbs or more powerful bows.

This is similar to a person at the gym doing weightlifting: You don't start with the 50 lb dumbbells and start doing bicep curls. You start with the 15s or 20s and work your way up gradually. Someone who starts with a bow that is too powerful will get tired very quickly and their form will suffer as a result, causing a lot of inaccuracy.

Right: Samick Sage Recurve Bow.

There are many different brands and models of Traditional Recurve Bows to choose from. A very popular model is the Samick Sage (which my wife uses), but there are lots to choose from. When buying your first bow however try to get one that is the desired poundage. Don't worry so much about brand and model, poundage is much more important. You can always get a fancy bow later after your skill has improved significantly.

12 Arrows

So... Funny thing. Beginners have a tendency to lose arrows or break arrows quite often. So if you start with 6 arrows, you're probably going to lose/break half of them during the first month. This is why I recommend starting with 12, because if you break/lose 3 of them then you still have 9 left.

You also want to make certain that the arrows you purchase are spined correctly for the bow you are shooting. If they're too stiff then it reduces accuracy, but if they're too weak then it increases the chances of the arrows spontaneously breaking (and possibly hurting the archer).

See my old article: Three Frequently Asked Questions about Archery.

Bowstringer

A fairly simple device used for stringing your bow easily and without damaging the bow. If you string a recurve bow using the leg method (or the knee method) then you void the warranty. So you really want to string it properly using a bowstringer.

If you are getting archery lessons then your instructor can show you how to use a bowstringer properly, otherwise you can also ask someone in an archery store to demonstrate how to use it. Failing that there are also YouTube videos on how to use a bowstringer.

During a student's first archery lesson I often tell a story during the demonstration of how to use a bowstringer. The story is about Ulysses (Odysseus) and his return to Ithaca and how he strung his bow after being gone for 20 years and returning to Ithaca an old man. Or you can watch the 1954 version starring Kirk Douglas.

Archery Glove or Tab or Thumbring

Protects your fingers. Traditionally archers wore leather gloves of various styles to protect their fingers while shooting. If you shoot regularly without protection it will hurt your fingers and damage the nerve endings.

In the image on the right you can see the character Bran (from A Game of Thrones) wearing an archery glove. The glove in question is actually just a Neet Archery Glove that has had the label removed and the image has been tinted so it appears to be darker.

I saw someone about a decade ago shooting with zero protection. He was insisting on "doing it the traditional way", even though people traditionally used some kind of hand protection. His fingers during the summer turned black and blue because of all the damage he did to the nerve endings. We never saw him again after that summer. I am guessing his fingers had to be amputated. So yes, definitely wear protection. Wearing a glove, tab or thumbring is very traditional.

Below: An example of someone using a thumb draw with a thumbring. Thumbrings are usually used by people shooting horsebows (shortbows), but I have also experimented with using them to shoot longbows and flatbows.

Arrow Rest

Most bows (unless you buy a kit) don't come with an arrow rest. My biggest piece of advice on this topic is: DO NOT BUY THE CHEAP PLASTIC ARROW RESTS.

They break very easily.

Instead I recommend getting a steel or fur arrow rest. See my older post Five Styles of Arrow Rests for more on that topic.

For beginners what I generally ask is: Do you want something more traditional or more modern?

If the new archer says traditional I point them at the fur arrow rest (which isn't made of real fur), which you can see to the right.

And if they want something more modern then I point them at either a Flipper style arrow rest or a spring loaded arrow rest. I particularly like the QuikTune by NAP and I use it when teaching beginners because the arrow doesn't fall off easily when they cant the bow to the left. Beginner archers have a habit of canting the bow left and right and then the arrow slides off the arrow rest.

Nock Bead

The nock bead is a tiny brass bead that goes on the bowstring and acts as a guide for wear to nock the arrow on the bowstring, and prevents the arrow from sliding around on the bowstring.

Some archers will even put two nock beads on there, one above the arrow and below it, so it is even less likely to slide around.

Arrowheads

So yeah... Arrows don't usually come with arrowheads. Some do, but not all.

Also there are many different kinds of arrowheads, and they're measured in grains. (There are 7000 grains in 1 lb.)

I generally recommend that beginners start with 125 grain field point arrowheads, and if they want to shoot longer distances they can get 100 grain field points for shooting medium distances (30 to 50 yards) and 75 grain field points for shooting long distances (60 yards or further). You swap out the arrowheads for shooting longer distances so you can save on weight/increase arrow speed, but at medium or close distances you want a heavier arrowhead because it increases accuracy.

If the arrow itself is heavier than normal then you might even want a heavier arrowhead in order to change the FOC balancing point of the arrow. See my old article on the subject: What the eff is FOC Weight?

So yes...

That is everything that you "NEED".

You may have noticed that having an arm guard (arm bracer) or a quiver isn't actually a necessity. Those are really more optional. Below is a list of Optional Archery Equipment or you can browse Optional Archery Equipment for more details.

• Arm guard or Bracer - arguably a necessity for some people, but not everyone needs one.
• A spare bowstring. (In case the first one breaks.)
• Spare Parts for Arrows - spare nocks, spare fletching, fletching glue, spare arrowheads, spare inserts. This is in case you ever need to repair arrows.
• A quiver of some kind - possibly a back quiver, side quiver, hip quiver, ground quiver - or you can just make your own.
• Dampeners - puffy balls that make your bowstring quieter.
• Archery Backpack - to carry your gear in.
• Bow Sock - for storing a longbow or one-piece recurve in.
• 3D Targets - for shooting at fake rabbits and such.
• Portable Archery Targets - for when you don't have anything else to shoot at.
• Stabilizer - a gadget to help prevent people from canting the bow.
• Decorative Limbs Skins - purely for decoration.
• Wrist Strap - so you don't accidentally drop your bow.
• Bow Racks / Bow Stands - for storing your bow when you are not shooting it.
• Strange Arrowheads - Whistling arrowheads, Tibetan howling arrowheads, blunt arrowheads, glass arrowheads, flint, obsidian - there are quite a variety available.
  

 

Below are two examples of some whistling arrowheads.

Becoming an Experienced Archer in 10 Weeks

Is it possible to become an Experienced Archer in just 10 Weeks?

Well, yes, but it depends upon how you define "Experienced".

Experienced doesn't necessarily mean that are good at something. You can be experienced at rowing a canoe, but that doesn't mean you are very good at it.

Using that definition a toddler could be "experienced at archery", but that doesn't mean they're good at it. [Photo on the right is my son Arthur, who is 11 months old in this picture. It is going to be many years before he is an "experienced archer". My older son Richard (currently 5) meanwhile can shoot moving bubbles in the backyard while barely trying.]

But for the purpose of exploring hypotheticals, how do you go from just starting archery as a complete beginner to becoming an experienced archer in just 10 weeks?

Well, it is certainly possible to do it with a lot of practice, but I believe it is easiest when you have an archery instructor. Becoming "good" at archery is many times slower if a person is trying to do it by being self-taught, but you speed the process up significantly by having an instructor who can help you avoid common mistakes that many beginners get stuck on and they don't know what they're doing wrong.

A good book on the subject can also help, but a book cannot spot your errors when you make them and if you don't know what errors you are making then it cannot teach you how to avoid those bad habits while reinforcing good habits.

One of the biggest factors, in my opinion, is how serious the student is about learning archery. A child who is more interested in staring at their phone isn't going to get as much out of 10 archery lessons than a similar child who pays attention and is excited/enthusiastic about learning archery. Same goes with an adult who is similarly addicted to their phone versus an adult who really wants to learn archery. This isn't so much an age issue as it is a maturity issue.

Speaking on behalf of myself and my archery lessons you can learn quite a bit in 10 lessons, however just because I offer 10 lessons doesn't necesssarily mean that you cannot learn more. I have had some students who keep coming back for more lessons. 20? 50? More than that?

It happens. One of my students (Adam) just keeps coming back for more lessons every year. He was a teenager when he started, now he's in his 20s.

Some archers just want to be challenged constantly and they yearn to learn more things as they progress, possibly learning other styles of archery, other techniques, and more obscure topics that aren't covered in my normal block of 10 lessons.

See my Archery Lesson Plan + How many lessons should you do? post on the subject to learn more about the types of things you can learn during 10 weeks of archery lessons.

Powerlifting: What is a Good Target Weight? How Many Reps is Good?

See my previous post titled "What is Powerlifting?" if you're not familiar with this competitive weightlifting sport.

Powerlifting: What is a Good Target Weight?

Let's pretend you're just getting into Powerlifting and you want to do it for fun (and maybe compete if you get really good at it). What should your target weight be when you're first starting out?

How much you are going to be lifting depends on your goals. If you're just start off trying it to see what it is like then you should be conservative and take your time, so you can more easily avoid injuries. If you are planning to be lifting in a competition then you’re going to want to push the boundaries and aim for as much as you can physically (and mentally) achieve.

The Rule of Thumb

You want to work up to a goal. Getting there will vary on the individual depending upon your weight and gender (and to some extent height), so don't immediate assume that you can start at that number. You want to work up to it gradually.

For people not lifting in a competitive capacity you should start by aiming to eventually lift about 1 to 1.5 times your bodyweight, assuming that you are a normal size and not overly skinny or overweight. That doesn't mean you are starting off by lifting those weights. No, that means you should work up to trying to lift those weights.

During a competition a beginner female competitor could be expected to lift 101% of their bodyweight, and a male beginner could be expected to lift 133% of their bodyweight*. This is considered to be a realistic goal for beginners because they're expecting to lift that weight in 3 different exercises: The Squat, the Bench Press and the Deadlift.

* According to one of the authors of "Practical Programming for Strength Training".

How realistic theses goals are can also vary on the exercise being conducted.

For Beginner Men:

• 1.5 times your bodyweight is considered to be a realistic goal for both squatting and deadlifting.
• 1.25 times your bodyweight is considered realistic for bench pressing.

For Beginner Women:

• 1.15 times your bodyweight for squatting and deadlifting.
• 0.9 times your bodyweight for bench pressing.

Obviously more experienced powerlifters will be lifting a lot more than that, but for beginners this is a good target weight to work up to.

Powerlifting: How Many Reps is Good?

You also need to consider how many repetitions of each lift you are doing while training. Higher reps means you will have to reduce the total weight you are lifting, so for powerlifting you generally want to be doing only 1 to 12 reps, but lifting a larger amount.

When preparing for a competition, or trying to build more strength, 1 to 5 repetitions is considered normal.

If the athlete is focusing on technique or is worried about hypertrophy (increasing the size of muscle fibers) then they will do 6 to 12 reps and use a more moderate weight.

Thus if you're a beginner and you need to focus on technique more then you should focus on doing 6 to 12 reps in the beginning so that you can build good form and technique, thereby avoiding sports injuries.

If you enter a competition that is when you can change your reps to a lower number and add a lot more weight.

The Baby Hercules Hypothesis

Within the topic of Family Fitness, I have approached the topic of my sons' health a bit aggressively.

My wife and I have two boys, the firstborn is currently 5 years and the second is 11 months.

During the first year of a child's life it is generally recommended that parents do something called "Tummy Time" with their children.

Tummy Time encourages the baby to learn how to roll over, and also increases their arm and leg muscles. It is part of a baby's normal development.

As a personal trainer/sports trainer I approached this topic by aggressively doing Tummy Time with my first son (Richard), every day, often multiple times per day. And this worked fantastically in my opinion, speeding up his ability to crawl, cruise and eventually walk with confidence.

With my second son (Arthur), I repeated this process, with the difference being that Arthur was about 3 lbs heavier at birth than Richard was and seems to be developing at a faster rate.

At 11 months old he is walking (with aid), taking a few steps by himself, cruising with ease, and can stand independently for minutes at a time. He is also walking up and down stairs (with aid, for safety reasons).

As I write this Arthur is standing in his playpen, unaided, and playing with an old remote control with both hands. We let him have the old remote so that he stops grabbing the other remote controls. He likes pressing the buttons, even though they don't do anything.

Every day, several times per day, I am currently taking Arthur for walks around the house to visit various family members, and I will help him up and down the stairs too during these daily walks. Sometimes I will bundle him up in a snowsuit and take him for a walk outside in the backyard. (I am looking forward to summer time when I can take him for walks more frequently and don't have to worry about snowsuits.)

Arthur is surprisingly strong. I joke to my wife that changing his diaper is akin to trying to change a diaper on Baby Hercules, because if he is not cooperating then he makes it very difficult to change his diaper. Sometimes it takes two people to do it, one to distract him and keep him happy (and possibly grab him if he tries to squirm away), while the other changes the diaper.

Now it is my belief (and I defy anyone to prove me wrong) that a stronger baby is effectively a healthier one, and that if in a dangerous situation a baby who knows how to roll over can roll themselves over on purpose.

But what about a baby who cannot roll over? Well, I think that is inherently dangerous. What if the baby ends up in a situation where they are being smothered and they will suffocate unless they can roll over?

The Potato Baby Conundrum

Meanwhile a relative of mine has a little girl who was born only a few days before Arthur. So they're roughly the same age, but the mother has taken a very different approach to her baby's welfare.

She refers to her daughter as "a potato". She doesn't do Tummy Time. If you put her daughter on her tummy she starts to scream and struggle because she doesn't know how to roll over. The mother does this because she wants her daughter to "remain a potato" for as long as possible, because it is less work to manage her movements and behaviour.

I consider that to be inherently more dangerous, because what if her baby ever ends up in a situation where she is being smothered, is in water, or in some other kind of danger and all she needs to do to save herself is to roll over, sit up, stand up, etc. If the baby cannot do such actions independently then it could die.

Worse, as her baby gets bigger and bigger, the baby is facing an ever increasing uphill battle. As she weighs more her muscles will have to work that much harder just to roll over and accomplish other tasks like sitting up and walking. Her little muscles will, eventually, catch up and grow so that she can do such things, but she will be effectively be physically delayed when compared to other children who got the recommended daily Tummy Time. (And far beyond children like Arthur who got above and beyond that.)

Arthur is bigger and stronger than the baby in question, but his strength and size are partially due to the fact that he gets exercise every day (with his own private certified personal trainer, aka Daddy). As such I have greater confidence that if ever placed in a situation where his life is in danger he is physically strong enough and confident in his ability to stand and walk to escape from danger.

So my recommendation to other parents?

Do Tummy Time every day with your baby. Encourage your baby to roll, crawl, stand and walk. Don't turn your baby into a potato who just sits there all the time. Let your baby be a mini Hercules or Atalanta (Greek girl who was raised by bears).

Will it be harder to change your baby's diaper? Yes. But that is a price worth paying to keep your baby alive and healthy, in my opinion.

Baby Arthur with Kettle Bell

Note - The Kettle Bell in the photo is just plastic and when you rotate the grey section then it makes a clicking sound. It isn't actually heavy.

And for fun, here's another photo of Arthur giving daddy a big smile.