A Girlfriend's Guide To Powerlifting
A handy booklet for beginner's in Powerlifting
A handy booklet for beginner's in Powerlifting
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25 25<br />
A Girlfriend’s<br />
guide to<br />
powerlifting<br />
A beginner's <strong>Guide</strong><br />
10 10<br />
Designed and collated by<br />
Talya Garnett<br />
&<br />
Kirsty Cleland-Orgle
A <strong>Girlfriend's</strong> guide to powerlifting<br />
A beginner's guide<br />
This guide is a collection of useful articles so<br />
that you don’t have to sift through the<br />
mounds of contradicting nonesense the<br />
internet has to offer.<br />
Note: While this guide is aimed at<br />
women, it can be used by everyone<br />
regardless of their gender.<br />
Articles written by:<br />
Ben Streatfield<br />
Shona Hughes<br />
Girls Who Powerlift Contributors
Contents<br />
About Our Writers ................................ 3<br />
About <strong>Powerlifting</strong> ............................... 4<br />
Making Sense of Nutrition .................... 6<br />
Misconceptions .................................. 10<br />
Training Programmes ........................... 12<br />
3 Tips on how to find a Coach ........... 16
About our Writers<br />
Ben Streatfield<br />
streatfieldtraining.wordpress.com<br />
U74 GBPF Powerlifter<br />
<strong>Powerlifting</strong> Coach<br />
BSc Sports Science<br />
MSc Physiology<br />
Shona Hughes<br />
U72 GBPF Powerlifter<br />
BSc Sports Science and<br />
Nutrition<br />
Girls Who Powerlift<br />
girlswhopowerlift.com<br />
Girls Who Powerlift is a community of<br />
women who aren't afraid to be<br />
strong. And don't let our<br />
feminine ways fool you, we<br />
can still grind out a<br />
deadlift and eat all<br />
the doughnuts.<br />
3
About <strong>Powerlifting</strong><br />
A Quick history<br />
<strong>Powerlifting</strong> stems from Weightlifting which as a sport, appeared in the<br />
Olympics in 1896. <strong>Powerlifting</strong> was then recognised as a sport in 1950’s and<br />
developed simultaneously in Britain and USA in the 1960’s. The standard lifts<br />
are deadlifts, bench press and squat which started in USA and then Britain<br />
followed by cultivating that idea by changing one of their standard lift<br />
which was curl to deadlift.<br />
Weightlifting, bodybuilding, powerlifting: difference?<br />
Bodybuilding<br />
Think biceps, tans and bikinis. Bodybuilding is<br />
perhaps the most well-known strength-training<br />
sport. You might think of the likes of Arnold<br />
Schwarzenegger or Phil Heath when it comes to<br />
bodybuilding, however there is natural/drug<br />
free and assisted bodybuilding. Assisted<br />
bodybuilders in the female category tends to<br />
be women’s perception of what they will look<br />
like if they start lifting heavy, but it takes years of<br />
lifting, dieting, and sport specific drug-use.<br />
Weightlifting<br />
This is what we see on TV during the<br />
Olympics. Olympic Weightlifting (or<br />
“Weightlifting”) isn’t what we all do when<br />
we go to the gym (commonly mistaken for<br />
“lifting weights”). Weightlifting is a sport of its<br />
own. It consists of two competitive lifts, the<br />
snatch and the clean and jerk. It is probably<br />
the most technical sport which demands<br />
skill, strength, power, agility and control.<br />
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A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
<strong>Powerlifting</strong><br />
This is strength sport that focuses around three main lifts: squat, bench and<br />
deadlift. In competition, athletes get three attempts at each lift and are<br />
assessed on how much they can do. The best attempts from each lift are<br />
added together to make the athletes “total”, which will determine where<br />
they place or whether or not they have qualified for a bigger competition.<br />
During training, the athlete’s programme will be centred around getting<br />
these three lifts stronger, and working on their weaknesses in them by<br />
doing additional exercises (“accessory work”) to better said weaknesses.<br />
5
Making sense of<br />
Nutrition<br />
DISCLAIMER: Before the article commences, it is important to be aware<br />
that I am not a qualified nutritionist. The advice and explanations<br />
provided are predominantly experience based but, with a little research,<br />
the information can be sourced by all.<br />
PEANUT<br />
BUTTER<br />
For many people who are new to strength training and<br />
competitive powerlifting, nutrition can seem like a daunting<br />
concept due to preconceived ideas about nutritional<br />
requirements and misleading information perpetuated by<br />
the media. Often, articles and social media influencers will<br />
present conflicting ideas: peanut butter will “build your<br />
booty” vs. peanut butter is the devil, butter in your coffee<br />
will help you lose weight vs. butter and dairy will make you<br />
gain weight, etc. It can feel overwhelming and it is not<br />
uncommon to think, “crikey, if food is so complicated for<br />
every day living, where on earth do I start if I want to be a<br />
successful athlete?”.<br />
However, the reality is much simpler. The most important considerations to make are:<br />
1. How much energy you are expending in the day?<br />
2. What are your goals?<br />
These two go hand in hand; if you want to lose weight then you will need to use<br />
more energy than you eat, if you want to maintain your weight then you need to eat<br />
roughly the same as the energy you use and if you want to gain strength and muscle<br />
you will need to eat slightly more than you are using in your daily activities. There are<br />
some wonderful calculators on the internet which can help you find out how much<br />
energy you burn during the day (my personal favourite is the following, because it is<br />
comprehensive, but easy to use:<br />
(https://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced) but, if you have<br />
a Fitbit (or an equally valid brand of heart rate monitor) these can calculate it for<br />
you.<br />
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A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
For example, if you burn an average of 2,100kcal per day:<br />
1. <strong>To</strong> shed approximately 1lb per week, a moderate yet<br />
maintainable amount, you would need to be in a caloric<br />
deficit of 500kcal and consume between 1,500kcal and<br />
1,700kcal per day.<br />
2. If you wish to maintain your weight, then between 1,900kcal<br />
and 2,300kcal per day is a good range.<br />
3. <strong>To</strong> gain approximately 1lb per week you would need to be in a<br />
caloric surplus of 500kcal per day (approximately), which gives<br />
you a range of 2,500kcal to 2,700kcal per day.<br />
It’s really that simple! Ranges are also very useful, because it is impossible<br />
to be completely accurate and your appetite and needs will vary from<br />
day to day. The key is to be consistently within range, rather than to be<br />
obsessing over accuracy to the finest point.<br />
Powerlifters, like other sportsmen, have slightly more specific nutritional<br />
needs in addition to attaining their daily calorie goal. Calories are units of<br />
energy, which are made up of three main sources from the diet: proteins,<br />
carbohydrates and fats (the three macronutrients, or “macros” as they<br />
are commonly referred to as). Typically, athletes have a higher protein<br />
requirement to facilitate muscle growth and recovery and the distribution<br />
of carbohydrates (referred to as carbs) and fats vary per individual. This<br />
can be dependent on gender, health requirements, energy required for<br />
exercise or just preference.<br />
The optimal protein intake for a strength athlete is something which is<br />
heavily debated. Some sources recommend 0.8g to 1g per pound of<br />
bodyweight, whereas some will claim that 0.5g to 0.8g per pound of<br />
bodyweight is sufficient. For most people it isn’t that deep; anywhere<br />
within that range which is realistically obtainable is more than adequate.<br />
So, for a 160lb athlete, 80g to 160g is a reasonable (if large!) range. <strong>To</strong> be<br />
safe, most prefer to adhere to the upper end, but it is unlikely to make a<br />
significant difference.<br />
7
Making Sense of Nutrition: Shona Hughes<br />
Since protein contains 4kcal per gram, to find out how much of your daily<br />
calorie requirement this uses up, you need to multiply your intake by 4. <strong>To</strong><br />
continue with the numbers in the previous examples, if our 160lb athlete<br />
(who burns an average of 2,100kcal per day), wishes to gain mass, they<br />
might use the following calculations to determine their needs:<br />
1. Daily requirement of 2,500kcal to 2,700kcal for moderate<br />
weight gain.<br />
2. Daily protein requirement of approximately 128g of protein<br />
(160lbsx0.8).<br />
3. Protein uses up 512kcal (128gx4) which leaves 1,988kcal to<br />
2,188kcal for carbs and fats.<br />
Carbs contain 4kcal per gram whereas fats<br />
contain 9kcal per gram so, many powerlifters<br />
tend to utilise and higher carb intake because<br />
not only is it your body’s most easily accessible<br />
energy source, but you can eat more of them.<br />
However, fats are used for growth and<br />
development, nutrient absorption and hormone<br />
regulation so shouldn’t be neglected. Particularly<br />
for women, dietary fats are incredibly important,<br />
so the misconception that fat-free products are<br />
“better for you” isn’t necessarily true… Even if<br />
you are dieting.<br />
0<br />
7 8 9<br />
4 5 6 x<br />
1 2 3 -<br />
0 . + =<br />
With all that said, tracking macros and calorie intake can require a lot<br />
of maths which is not suitable for athletes with busy lives as it is not<br />
necessarily compatible with lifestyle factors such as studying, working<br />
and socialising. <strong>To</strong> accommodate for this, some strength athletes use<br />
apps or programs to monitor their nutrition and others choose to eat<br />
intuitively while making a conscious effort to include a source of protein,<br />
carbs and fats with every meal.<br />
It is helpful to be armed with this information though because, once<br />
training is also optimised, you really can eat your way to success!<br />
Written By Shona Hughes<br />
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A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
CARBOHYDRATES<br />
carbohydrates<br />
FATS fats<br />
PROTEINS proteins<br />
9
x<br />
Misconception:<br />
Heavy squats bad for knees?<br />
Deep Squats are Perfectly Safe:<br />
Squats are a big part of powerlifting and there are specific rules that<br />
govern how they must be performed. The lifter “must bend the knees and<br />
lower the body, until the top surface of the legs at the hip-joint is lower<br />
than the top of the knees”, meaning that a competitive powerlifter has<br />
little choice but to train using deep-squats.<br />
It’s a common concern amongst gym-goers that deep-squats are bad for<br />
the knees, with people often suggesting that they place excessive force<br />
through the joint which increases risk of injury and long-term wear and<br />
tear. Whilst it’s true that the knee experiences the highest forces during<br />
the deepest part of the squat, research suggests that as long as they are<br />
performed with care, good-technique and the lifter has no previous<br />
injuries, deep-squats are perfectly fine (Escamilla et al, 1998. Hartmann et<br />
al, 2013).<br />
So, where’s the evidence?<br />
One of the main ways researchers measure the forces going through the<br />
knee is to look at ‘Patellofemoral Compressive Forces’, which is essentially<br />
the force that the knee-cap is pulled into the knee-joint by the muscles<br />
during the squat (Insert Picture). Nisell & Ekholm (1986) calculated these<br />
forces at the knee in a study looking at male powerlifters during several<br />
250kg squats and did observe that forces increase as squats became<br />
deeper, reaching ~6750N in the full-squat compared to ~5000N in the<br />
quarter squat.<br />
But does this not mean deep-squats are bad? Not really…<br />
“not NOT really” REALLY<br />
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A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
A lot of the studies that look at knee-forces during squats don’t take into<br />
account the fact that people can often lift ~2-3 times more weight when<br />
performing shallow squats compared to deep-squats, given that the<br />
muscles involved are in a better position to produce force (Hoff &<br />
Helgerud, 2004. Hartmann et al, 2012). As lifters are stronger performing<br />
shallow squats, they’ll need to lift heavier weights to work the muscles to<br />
the same level, which has been shown to increase the knee-forces to a<br />
similar level as lighter, deep-squats (Wallace et al, 2002. Hartmann et al,<br />
2013). In this case, you might as well just use lighter weights and squat to<br />
at-least parallel, which has also been shown to benefit muscle-growth<br />
(Bryanton et al, 2012).<br />
Another point in favour of deep-squats is that several other sports that<br />
most people would associate with being relatively safe often cause similar<br />
(if not higher) forces at the knee compared to heavy, deep-squats. For<br />
example, jogging can lead to forces of ~3100N and ballet dancers can<br />
often reach forces of over 9000N when landing from jumps (Simpson et al,<br />
1996. Roos et al, 2012). If the human body is capable of withstanding<br />
forces of those levels during everyday running and jumping tasks, it is<br />
capable of withstanding the much more controlled forces experienced<br />
during deep-squats.<br />
Also, you only have to look at the injury-rate among competitive<br />
powerlifters to see that it really isn’t dangerous, with a recent study<br />
suggesting lifters experience around 4 injuries per 1000hrs of training (Aasa<br />
et al, 2017).<br />
Written By Ben Streatfield<br />
11
training<br />
programmes<br />
General & Useful Information:<br />
Getting started in powerlifting can be daunting. Coaches can be<br />
expensive, and as an independent woman, it’s nice to know where to go<br />
to learn how to program your workouts for yourself rather than having to<br />
rely on someone else. This article will teach the very basics of<br />
programming, and how that changes as you advance in expertise.<br />
The differences between the novice and advanced lifter in programming<br />
is not as big as they may seem. The biggest difference is the ability to<br />
auto-regulate, or change your training based on how you feel each day.<br />
Both the novice and advance lifter needs to make sure that they continue<br />
to practice and hone in on technique for the main lifts and increase<br />
volume over time in order to get stronger.<br />
The Novice Lifter: 0-6 Months<br />
Beginner Gains<br />
A novice lifter should be squatting, benching, and deadlifting as much as<br />
possible based on recovery to cement their muscle memory. As your<br />
body learns the movements, you’ll find that you’ll hit PR’s or PB’s (Personal<br />
records or bests) often, and your PR’s will be much greater. It is common<br />
for a novice to gain anywhere from 10-50 lbs. of progress on each lift<br />
depending on how their previous training background. Once a novice<br />
lifter has established what their one rep max is, training should remain<br />
mostly within 60-80% of that amount throughout this training period. These<br />
programs tend to focus on linear progression, or adding more weight to a<br />
fixed amount of sets and reps each session or week.<br />
Great Beginner Programs:<br />
- Starting Strength<br />
- GraySkull Linear Progression<br />
- Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 (This is a great program to bridge from novice<br />
to advanced beginner/intermediate)<br />
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A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
Intermediate Lifter: 6 months – most of your career<br />
Breaking Through Plateaus<br />
During the intermediate stage, consistency is important. This is when the<br />
daily and weekly PR’s become less frequent. The typical intermediate<br />
program is run for anywhere from 6-12 weeks. There are also peaking<br />
programs that you can run now that you are likely preparing for your first<br />
meet. It is important to focus on your primary lifts (Squat, Bench, Deadlift)<br />
as well as secondary lifts (close variations of those ex: Front Squats,<br />
Close-grip Bench, Romanian Deadlifts) and accessory work (Dumbbell or<br />
cable work – basically movements that isolate certain muscle groups that<br />
need to be trained more.) Intermediate programs may focus on different<br />
aspects of lifting such as speed, volume, or maximal effort days (Programs<br />
derived from the Conjugate Method), or maybe Daily Undulating<br />
Periodization or DUP programs (Heavy Day/ Light Day,<br />
Hypertrophy/Power/Strength) are good examples of ways to break past<br />
those training barriers. While prepping for a meet, you may feel like you<br />
want to do a peaking program help assure you are ready for a big PR.<br />
DUP Programs:<br />
- TSA Intermediate Program<br />
- Layne Norton’s PH3<br />
Conjugate Method:<br />
- Brandon Lilly’s Cube<br />
- West Side Method<br />
Peaking Programs:<br />
- Paul Carter’s Strong 15<br />
- Smolov Jr. For Squat or bench<br />
- Garrett Blevins has a lot of great content on his YouTube for<br />
peaking<br />
13
Training Programmes: Deanna Gerdesmeier<br />
Advanced Lifters: 3+ Years<br />
Fighting For Every Pound on Your <strong>To</strong>tal<br />
Once lifters begin to auto-regulate or listen to their body to control fatigue<br />
and help promote recovery in their training, they are considered<br />
advanced. At this level, a lifter has probably run a few programs and<br />
know what works and doesn’t work for their own bodies as they fight hard<br />
for every PR that they get. It is not common for advanced lifters to<br />
experience 10-20 lb. PR’s. The advanced lifter usually takes a template<br />
they like, and through experience, they will make it their own as they focus<br />
on increasing volume (Sets x reps x weight) while still training between the<br />
60-80% range of their one-rep max. Advanced lifters typically use tools to<br />
modify load and range of motion in order to break past barriers. Fractional<br />
Plates, bands, blocks, chains, or other tools that are popular.<br />
- Fractional Plates<br />
- Mark Bell’s Slingshot For Bench<br />
- Deadlift Blocks (These can be expensive to buy. Most people make<br />
their own) or you can buy there here from Rogue<br />
Now that you know what each stage of maturity as a lifter looks like, it’s<br />
important to understand that, no two athletes are the same. Everyone<br />
moves at their own pace, and it’s important to strive to understand what<br />
programs and training blocks work for you as a lifter. I hope that the tools<br />
and templates above were helpful to you. Don’t see the program you use<br />
above? Comment below with your thoughts!<br />
Written By Deanna Gerdesmeier (GWPL)<br />
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A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
Training Programme<br />
Day 1 : Squats + Bench Whole body Accessories<br />
Exercise Sets Reps Weight (kg) /<br />
Competition Squats 4 6 85<br />
Pause Bench 3 7 35<br />
Leg Press 3 8 110<br />
Chest Supported Rows 3 8 40<br />
Hip thrusts 3 10 100<br />
15
3 Tips on How <strong>To</strong> Find<br />
a Coach<br />
The other day, I began to think back to how I have gotten to this point in<br />
powerlifting and thought about what I did to get my start. I started going<br />
to the gym in 2013 at 24 years old but didn't really start powerlifting until<br />
2014, when I learned all of the main movements from my brother. I<br />
accompanied his teachings by reviewing other powerlifters that I followed<br />
via social media, but also by reading endless articles and viewing<br />
Youtube videos in order to reinforce what I was seeing on social media.<br />
Alongside my brother and my new found powerlifting internet knowledge,<br />
I coached myself into my first meet in January 2015 where I had an 880<br />
total (SQ: 335 / B: 165 / DL: 380) - all completed beltless! With more in the<br />
tank, I was proud to get myself to that point but knew that if I wanted to<br />
reach the next level, it would be best for me to start shopping around for<br />
a coach.<br />
As a n00b, I had no idea how to shop for a coach, nor did I feel<br />
comfortable enough to ask anyone how to go about it. Granted, there<br />
are many things you find out after you sign on the dotted line and pay<br />
your coach, I did go by certain guidelines I set up for myself which I have<br />
found are applicable and can be helpful to those on the hunt for a<br />
coach.<br />
1) Do you want someone who can physically be there or are you<br />
okay with virtual coaching?<br />
Prior to my first powerlifting meet, I attended several meets in and around<br />
New York and New Jersey to get myself familiarized with the flow and<br />
overall meet day vibes. During that time, I noticed that my, now coach,<br />
was consistently at these meets with his lifters.<br />
Takeaway: I knew that I really wanted someone to learn from in person<br />
and his visibility in within my area reinforced that.<br />
16
A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
2) Are you looking for someone who is more conservative or willing<br />
to be advantageous when calling numbers?<br />
Around the same time when I was shopping for a coach, one of my best<br />
friends had begun training with her powerlifting coach. Per her coaching<br />
preference, she opted to go with an online coach who we over time<br />
found out took on a more conservative on the platform. Her coach’s style<br />
included playing it smart when calling her<br />
numbers going with extremely<br />
conservative numbers in order to achieve<br />
a higher total vs. being a little more<br />
advantageous and really pushing their<br />
lifter to see what they are truly capable of.<br />
Don't get me wrong - I think that's a great<br />
approach especially in cases where all you<br />
need is a qualifying total for a larger meet<br />
but when it comes to meets in general, I<br />
would want to see and try my full potential.<br />
I know that being more advantageous [or<br />
even conservative] won't guarantee me a<br />
higher total and aside from having open<br />
lines of communication with my coach, I<br />
would want a coach who already initially<br />
aligns with my approach on the platform in<br />
order for us to both succeed.<br />
TO to do DO list LIST<br />
Takeaway: When shopping around, browse and ask this potential coach<br />
how they like to approach meets and calling attempts. Simply ask “Do<br />
you find yourself to be more conservative or advantageous?” Take a<br />
browse through social media & their clients to confirm that and may if<br />
you're comfortable enough, reach out to a few of his/her lifters to get their<br />
input as well.<br />
17
How to find a coach: Renee Garcia<br />
3) How accessible do you want your coach to be?<br />
Now you’re saying, “Duh, Renee… why would I look for a coach who isn’t<br />
accessible?” Ha! There’s plenty of coaches who hand you the program<br />
and say good bye, have fun & let me know if you have any questions –<br />
but to some, more accessibility matters. In a perfect world to some, a<br />
coach being accessible 24/7 is key, but let’s be real…That’s not going to<br />
be the case, as each of us, have lives outside of coaching and being a<br />
“coachee.” With having a live, in person coach, you do have that luxury<br />
to ask a multitude of questions and have them answered almost<br />
immediately. On the other hand, most people go with having an online<br />
coach where communication adds another layer of difficulty. Again, that<br />
goes into are you okay with having an online or physical coach?<br />
Takeaway: While communication is a two-way street, it is important to<br />
know that your coach will be there when needed for questions regarding<br />
programming, lifting form, and the other million questions you’ll find that<br />
you’ll want to ask your coach. When reaching out to your potential<br />
coach, ask them for their means of communication whether it be through<br />
a coaching platform, social media, e-mail, via phone or even through<br />
text.<br />
Shopping for a powerlifting coach is different for all, but hope these few<br />
points will help find someone that can lead you to the next level of<br />
powerlifting and help to make you a strong person in and out of the gym!<br />
Written By Renee Garcia (GWPL)<br />
18
A Girlfriend’s <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>To</strong> <strong>Powerlifting</strong>: Beginners <strong>Guide</strong><br />
Mr. Instructor Guy<br />
19