Powerlifting training is weird. I’m pretty new to powerlifting so bare with me on this. Keep in mind that powerlifting training is completely different than bodybuidling training. When you do bodybuilding training, you train for like 3 or 4 sets for 8 – 12 reps each set but powerlifting training is completely different. In powerlifting training, you start the sets off pretty light at first and then you put on more weight each sets doing fewer reps.

In the past, I was killing it on bench, squats and deadlift in the personal records… but my personal records seem to be going down instead of going up lately. I’ve been trying to figure out why that is. Is it because I’ve been doing too many sets before testing out my 1 rep max at the very end? Yes, I think that’s definitely it and I blame it on that.

I’ve been doing research on powerlifting training and usually powerlifters train for 5 sets before maxing out on the last set. Maxing out means testing your 1 rep max, I think. Usually, I’ve been doing 6 or 7 sets before testing my 1 rep max and I’m noticing that’s too much. I think I wear myself out which is why my pr’s hasn’t been going up.

So starting this week, I think I’m going to train for 5 sets on squats, bench and deadlift before testing my 1 rep max. I’m going to do this method from now on. Less is more and I gotta remember that from now on. I’ve also been resting too short in between sets so I need to rest in between sets slightly longer too.

So 5 sets before testing my 1 rep max and little longer resting in between sets, maybe my pr’s will start rapidly going up. I’ll be doing another powerlifting meet at Albany Strength again at the end of March and I want to be at my absolute best. I need to bring my pr’s up rapidly and to do that doing fewer sets before the 1 rep max should do the trick. Lessons learned.

Kev