THE SIMPLICITY OF POWERLIFTING
By Scott "The Monster" Munroe
In recent years there has been a surge towards a scientific approach to mastering powerlifting. I do not condemn those who have chosen to explore this theory, as there is evidence to show it can work for some lifters. However I have chosen to adopt a much simpler ethos. My views stem from the community of lifters whom I gravitated towards as a rookie, a no bullshit approach to training and nutrition has been the foundation I needed to achieve ongoing personal bests on the platform. Although the methods are simple, the physical and mental deterioration are still as prominent. By no means does stripping back your training make the efforts you put in any less impressive; no one can argue with the numbers on the platform.
Training
I start by splitting my training over four days.
- bench and triceps
- back
- shoulders and bench assistance ( floor press, rack press or band benching )
- legs
On my bench day I stick to competition style, I don't include any other variation as I don't feel its necessary. I believe too many people amend their programs to suit, this includes missing and adding reps. With my assistance work I try to replicate the movement of the main lifts as frequency as possible. It is easy to get side tracked with lots of different exercises, but remember you're training for a purpose: strength. If you're sole aim is to add lbs to your total there is no need to overcomplicate your training and waste time on non efficient exercises. In regards to my secondary bench day I alternate between three main bench assistance exercises.
Week 1 - floor press, I find this helps me work on my lockout.
Week 2 - pin press, this will enhance your power and speed up off your chest.
Week 3 - band benching, the unstable load from the band tension will aid your core stability and lockout.
Nutrition
My nutrition takes after my training, EASY!! I don't count calories, macros or anything of that nature. When I am hungry I put food in, listening to my body and its wants has so far worked wonders.
I, like many others see food as 3 things: carbs, proteins and fats. The meals I consume are usually pretty average even for my 140kg stature, consisting of a food from each of the groups. Never will I replace a meal with a supplement, not only do I think it is a huge waste of money but to remove real food for a man made substitute is ridiculous, occasionally I will have a protein shake with full fat milk after training to tide me over as the journey home can take up to a hour but that will be the only time you see me with it.
Once again you need to remember that you are eating for a purpose so no need in my opinion to count, measure or weigh anything, you need to just fuel the machine for the job ahead of it. This means that if I want to have a sweet treat I don't wait for a certain day, I just indulge.
As you can see from the brief description of what I do that its not overly complicated it really is just lifting weights for reps & sets and eating when my body wants feeding.
Powerlifting to me was a savior in my time of self-destruction so I think it is very important to approach things with great humbleness as well as simplicity. It’s very easy to turn into one of the people in the sport who others see as an egotistical arsehole, you should be doing this for nothing more than self gratification and self worth, if you are looking for fame, fortune and exposure then you'll be on the right path to alienate yourself from the pack and will also be in for a shock when you check your bank balance after your prep is over.
Something I would like to touch on quickly in this issue leading onto a further article in an upcoming issue of the magazine is steroids. Many hide the fact they use P.E.D's (performing enhancing drugs) but I am happy to admit and speak freely of it as I believe this secrecy is one of the main reasons behind the stigma and uneducated views attached to taking them. They are not a quick fix and shouldn't be taken lightly when considering whether or not you should be using them, they DO come with side effects as do any drug and it is hard to get an unbiased opinion as steroid users will usually glorify them while mainstream media along with natural athletes will try to demonise them.
So if there are any questions or queries on the subject of steroids that you would like answering please send them to the magazine on info@britishstrengthmagazine.com with the subject Monster Munroe and I will do my best to answer truthfully with my personal experiences in the next issue.
Scott 'Monster' Munroe
British Strength Magazine does not condone or endorse the use of non-prescribed medications to enhance sporting performance. Any person attempting to enhance their performance is advised to seek professional medical advice before doing so. British Strength Magazine cannot be held responsible for the opinions of this publication’s contributors.