You are new to powerlifting. You’re doing all you can to educate yourself with the sport and do research and all that stuff. So you start joining online powerlifting forums on the internet like in facebook groups, powerlifting instagram pages and other forums online like those. You want to join the powerlifting community online hoping to join in on positive discussions with other lifters who have competed in meets and even ask for lifting advice from other experienced powerlifters.

I have joined a few powerlifting forums and groups online but so far, I’ve gotten nothing but negative experiences from them. There was nothing wrong with my posts either. I wasn’t trolling. I wasn’t saying anything negative and wasn’t attacking anyone either. Just being positive and friendly as best I can. Joined in powerlifting discussions to critique people’s lifting form, give advice or I ask others for advice in a positive way but you know what? I’ve got nothing but negative shit from other lifters.

That’s the thing in powerlifting, I guess you are going to meet some arrogant assholes and weird people in the sport ’cause I guess there are a lot of them out there. Not everyone in the sport are arrogant assholes and egomaniacs, though… some are gonna be kind, humble and friendly.

I joined the Tnation forum and posted a thread in their powerlifting forum… asking for advice on how to not miss a 300 lb. pr at a powerlifting meet when I know I got that number at the gym in the past. I’ve got some great responses from some lifters and some gave me some great advice but most responses was just them bashing me and making fun of me. I told them my best lifts in the big three at my latest meet: Squat 150, Bench: 155 and Deadlift: 290. Some of them criticized me that those numbers aren’t good and said I need to make a lot of improvements.

Seriously? I’ve worked my ass off in the gym on a consistent basis and my numbers have been going up. Some of them criticized my off season powerlifting training too. I told them I start the sets off pretty light and put on more weight every set. Start off light/high reps and then toward the end of my workout session, I do mostly heavy sets/low reps. They claimed that is what’s holding me back and said I needed to focus on doing 5 sets of 5 reps or 5 sets of 3’s.

In that thread I made on Tnation, some wrote me some good ideas that I need to start “setting pr’s on meet day and not at the gym”. I actually liked that idea and might take that into consideration.

These sounds like good ideas but don’t these so-called “powerlifting” experts know that lifting light weights and high reps aka “hypertrophy” training will also give you more strength gains? In my powerlifting training routine, I like to mix it up with “hypertrophy” and “strength”. Mix ’em both at the same time. Doing it that way will also give you muscle and strength gains. Some idiots in that forum knocked my training style. They were asking me what training method I was using for powerlifting ’cause there are different ones out there. I don’t do any of them. I just train my way. I just train what works for me ya know? I don’t do all that “periodization” bullcrap that is out there like linear periodization, undulating periodization, etc. blah blah blah…

I’ll admit that I’m pretty new to powerlifting training and got a lot to learn but it would be nice if these “expert” powerlifters or so called “pros” would stop acting more superior than newbie powerlifters who are just getting into the sport. All powerlifters need to be treated with respect even for people who are just getting into it.

I’ve done three powerlifting meets and I did real good at all of them, yet people online in forums want to knock my success in powerlifting? Totally unreal and bullshit.

In powerlifting, I don’t care how much you lift. As long as your technique and form is good and as long as you get three white lights by the judges then you’re doing good. Doesn’t matter how much you lift. That’s how you want to do powerlifting. Just go in the meet and do all the lifts you can handle so you won’t bomb and won’t get red lights, ya know? That’s how I want to do it. Make sure I get white lights on everything. So far, out of the three powerlifting meets I’ve done, I’ve only missed 3 lifts which is pretty damn good.

I don’t care what people say, I’m doing “great” at powerlifting and I’m already off to a good start. Yet, haters online wanna knock me?

Even IF I start doing real good in the future, lifting the big ones like 400 – 500 lbs., winning first places and stuff like that… people will stick knock me and make fun of me no matter how good I do. I don’t know what… maybe it’s out of jealousy is why? I can’t think of no other reason. The more experienced powerlifters will want to feel more superior than you and that’s what it is. Just ego and nothing more.

When you get into powerlifting, you have to ignore all the haters and critics ’cause they’ll be out there and they’ll be coming after you. The more you do well in powerlifting, the more pissed off they get so keep it going and keep up the good work. I’m doing well, I don’t give a shit what people say. I’m proud of all the numbers and “pr’s” I smashed at the meets so far.

I’ll admit that my “pr’s” on the big three: squat, bench and deadlift could go way up more but “strength gains” is a slow process and it’ll take some time. These “know it alls” on Tnation claim that doing 5 X 5’s and 5 X 3’s will give you quick gains but don’t listen to them. I repeat, strength gain is a slow process. If you want your “pr’s” to keep going up, all it really takes is “consistency”… meaning never giving up and never stopping. I have been doing exactly that and I am feeling stronger on the big three.

I guess it’s a bad idea to join powerlifting communities online ’cause it’s nothing but negativity and ego from what I’ve seen. Such a shame. Powerlifting should be positive and helpful. A lot of powerlifters are positive and helpful but unfortunately you’re definitely going to meet some arrogant assholes in the community.

Just gotta ignore the negativity in powerlifting and just focus on you only. Just keep up the good work… keep bringing up your pr’s and keep getting strong for you. Ignore all bullshit. Keep winning awards at the meets and keep pissing people off. That’s what I’m going to do. Focus on me only and nobody else.

Honestly, I do want to lift the bigger weights someday but gonna take my slow time. Someday I would love to lift a 500 lb. squat, lift a 500 lb. bench and a 500 lb. deadlift but it’ll take some time for me to get there. “Strength” gain is a slow process but those jerks in TNation just won’t admit it.

I know this post is kind of long but had to go on a rant. Hope you enjoy.

Kev