Topic: Short intro and questions

[Dan Gidlow]

Hello everybody!

I am a lifter from Sweden. I am 48 years old and have been lifting for some 30+ years now. I guess I have learned some during this time. Own experiences, reading a lot and surfing the "net".
I have also been corresponding with different more or less knowledgeable people mostly via the Internet.
I know this is foremost a site and forum for OL lifters (which I´ve been earlier but injuries have forced me to be "content" with the three powerlifts nowadays  :( ).
Still I hope I will get some suggestions and tips from this community.
I would also like to express my thanks to the moderators and all the contributors of this site for all the very interesting "stuff" you put up here! :D

OK then...here are my questions - what do you think of using a "Bulgarian" type of training for the three powerlifts? Considering my age and experience do you think it is realistic to use such an approach?
Would you perhaps suggest some modifications to it or...?

I have been doing a lot of singles training so I am quite used to that.
Still, it would be very interesting to hear what you think of issues like frequency of the lifts/sessions per week and what kind of eventual assistance exercises you would suggest. If any...

I would appreciate any replies but I do also hope that mr. Steve Gough and coaches Burgener and LeRoux also would read this and find time enough to answer.

I do also apologize for this letter being a bit longish but since English isn´t my native language and it isn´t all that easy to clearly express what I want I hope you all will have the patience to read and, hopefully, reply, giving me some tips, thoughts and advice.

Thank you very much in advance!

Best wishes to all,

Dan

[Mike Wittmer]

Dan, I don't know that the "Bulgarian" style of training would work for the powerlifts, especially for an older lifter.  The powerlifters I know tell me that they actually do better with less work as they aged.  Now these are guys with several years in the sport and they have health issues, back, knee, shoulder, etc., problems that they train around.  

I think that a limit squat or dead lift would take a lot more out of you than a limit snatch or C&J.  That's why many powerlifters start low and take big jumps.  They use their opener to get them in for a total, pick a second attempt that they are sure of making, and use that second attempt to determine what they are good for that day.  If the second attempt is too close to the limit, they often won't have enough left for the third.  

I would look more to what the top powerlifters are doing.

[ButchCurry]

I agree with Mike, I don't think that multiple times a day or even daily max would work in powerlifting.  But, Wow, wouldn't that blow Louie out of the water if someone was able to use the Bulgarian for powerlifting? He system seems very anti Bulgarian.
 

[Dan Gidlow]

Mike and Jerry,

thanks for your comments! They are very much welcomed!
I want to say that I have read and been in contact with many fellow powerlifters during my years in training. Even some top lifters and coaches of the USA. All of them have during differerent time periods helped me with my training and for that I am indeed very grateful.
"Blaming" my open mindedness, I still want to learn more and keep increase my strength and lifting ability for as long as I can.
That is why I write to you guys on this forum which I have found very beneficial and full of knowledge.

I will share some of my own experiences when trying to follow a "Bulgarian" type of powerlifting training program.
I feel my old injuries get less aggravated when doing low (1-3) reps, fewer sets per workout but more workouts per week than when following a higher volume per workout but only one to two sessions per lift/week. Even though the intensity isn´t all that high.
I do also seem to recover quite well when following a low volume/higher intensity schedule (no Cmaxes but more of a kind of Tmaxes or).
The main thing, I believe, is to keep good lifting form and not overdo the heavy lifts. Not too much of the "grinding" type of lifts. Keep it rather quick and explosive instead. Of course, some slow, "grinding" lifts will be needed as well but not too many of those.
I do also find my body with its old injuries (muscles, jonts, etc) coping better with this lifting method and makes me recover better than with other methods I have tried.
It do also believe PL  training could follow the maxim of "Bulgarian" WL training mainly doing the competition lifts and for low reps as well (competitions held for 1 rep maxes).
It shouldn´t be any need to do real Cmaxes in training just because it is about powerlifting. At least not during ordinary building up training.
Neuralmuscular or "pure" muscle training...? I think a powerlifter, precisely as a OL lifter can benefit from neuromuscular training, keeping the bodyweight as it is and that by doing low rep, frequent training of the lifts themselves.
Since I haven´t followed this training style for too long a time I want to hear the opinion of other OL lifters regarding all this. This way I will learn more and perhaps even find something of which I haven´t thought of before.

Now, these are my thoughts and I may be totally wrong. I may have misunderstood some of the concepts in both training metodology and phsysiology which may make me doing all this wrong.
Therefore, I urge you guys and anyone who wants to, to make their contributions. Please, write down your thoughts and share them with me and many more.

Again, please forgive my writing and spelling. I am very thankful for every reply to this post!

Thanks a lot and take care!

Dan