What were your starting numbers?

[J-Madd]

The first time I walked into a gym I benched 120. I was twelve years old, and that was 31 years ago! Think in terms of decades friend. You are just getting started, and you will get there.

[Tyr0331]

x2 what was stated in that first reply. Personally, I have many friends that are a lot stronger than I am in a variety of areas, if I focused on why I don't have their ability in X area, and let it dominate thoughts, I don't think I would work how I do, worrying about that can either put one off of training or lead to a lot of ego lift sessions that can really take a person down a not so good path (burnout, injury etc). Practice patience,and with time, consistency/effort, results will eventually follow.

I just want to add my 2c by saying that I had to start from almost ground zero quite a few times through my life. Life itself can bring you something you don't expect. It can break you in many ways. You can make wrong decisions. You can face difficult life events. You can just get lost, injured, sick, stupid. All of it can interfere with your training. I have made a life choice to be in the training. I stick to it even if it is not what I have expected and my numbers are equal to zero at giving moment. After all these years I am coming to understanding that free will and ability to be in safe injury free continuous training is the ultimate goal. That's the way of living. Progress comes as a nice benefit. And it is your progress.

This needs to be a sticky..

[Tyr0331]

Thanks for the pep talk guys I'd still like to see some numbers though, maybe it would help give me perspective and make my expectations more realistic?

A general guideline for goals in powerlifting that I've always kept in mind are:

Back Squat: 2x BW
Bench Press: 1.5x BW
Deadlift: 2.5x BW

If that helps at all. Like I said just goals to work towards if you need something to reference. But everyone is going to have different opinion on this

[DocOctagon]

Think in terms of decades friend.

This doesn't get said nearly enough. Years, decades, not blocks.

[WallBilly]

Think in terms of decades friend.

This doesn't get said nearly enough. Years, decades, not blocks.

Yes.

I did pretty hard-core barbell training for about 3 years, 30 years ago. Over the next 3 decades, I stayed active, played a lot of sports, and did a hodge-podge of gym work; sometimes barbells, usually machines, sometimes taking 6 months or a year off of lifting. I've been back to hardcore barbells through SS and TB for almost 3 years now.

If I had stuck with a simple barbell program like TB over those last 3 decades, I'd be a lot stronger. Having said that, I'm stronger at 54 than I have ever been in life, and I hope to say the same thing at 64.

When you look at it that way, who gives a rip if the 1RM went up 10 pounds or 15 (or whatever) since last test day?

It's the long game . . .

[lennarn]

What do you think the reason is your DL and SQ are weak?

Squat: I think my long limbs are giving me poor leverage compared to many lifters. Tight hamstrings make it difficult to anterior pelvic tilt in the hole, so maybe this is why I get so winded from squatting. It's a massive anaerobic event for me. Maybe it's just an efficiency thing.

Deadlift: Tight hamstrings again. I learned to hip hinge this past year. Not sure why my back keeps rounding every time I pull. This lift might be better now that I've done tons of RDLs but I havent tested it for nine months.

[DocOctagon]

When you look at it that way, who gives a rip if the 1RM went up 10 pounds or 15 (or whatever) since last test day?

It's the long game . . .

Well said WallBilly.

[DocOctagon]

What do you think the reason is your DL and SQ are weak?

Squat: I think my long limbs are giving me poor leverage compared to many lifters. Tight hamstrings make it difficult to anterior pelvic tilt in the hole, so maybe this is why I get so winded from squatting. It's a massive anaerobic event for me. Maybe it's just an efficiency thing.

Deadlift: Tight hamstrings again. I learned to hip hinge this past year. Not sure why my back keeps rounding every time I pull. This lift might be better now that I've done tons of RDLs but I havent tested it for nine months.

How long have you been lifting? How long have you been lifting with a progressive structured program? What were your #s when you started? What are your #s now?

The deadlift problem might be legitimate. A simple solution is to get a coach (in real life) to correct your form. The rest; long limbs, short limbs, doesn't really matter. You'll find very strong people with long, short and medium limbs.

99% of the time below-average progress is a lack of consistency, poor nutrition, or unrealistic expectations. Strength is earned over years and decades as J-Madd pointed out.

People that are consistent will progress faster than people that are not consistent.

Sometimes we might honestly think we're being consistent, but if we take a close look there are little (or big) gaps in between training days that creep up and add up. It starts out innocently, a day here a day there. "I'll make up for it tomorrow" which becomes "I'll start over again next week". Pretty soon months have gone by and you've completed maybe one or two weeks without interruption if you're honest with yourself (not saying this is you, speaking in general).
Gaps can be legitimate as well, caused by illness or real life. Like others in this thread have mentioned, most of us get sidelined once in a while, sometimes for short periods of time, sometimes longer if injury's involved.

If you follow professional mixed martial arts at all, you'll notice fighters can go into a fight camp looking downright tubby, and come out 12-16 weeks later looking like machines. There's a few things at work, but one of the major contributing factors is consistency. These guys are training twice a day or more like clockwork. They're consistent with their nutrition, they're consistent with their skills training, they're consistent with their strength training, they're consistent with their rest and sleep habits. An extreme example, but that's the power of consistency.

Unrealistic expectations; don't expect to put in 3 or 4 months of work and wake up with a 500lb squat. It takes years of hard work, and is no easy accomplishment. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. It's not easy, but it's very possible for you and pretty much everyone else, but you need to take all the steps to get there....and there are many many steps up leading up to the top of that mountain

[lennarn]

How long have you been lifting?

I've been lifting since I was 16, but not structured. (I'm 30 now)

How long have you been lifting with a progressive structured program?

TB is my first structured training program, which I started February 2016.

What were your #s when you started? What are your #s now?

Code: Select all

Max tests:
January 24:        October 5th:

BW 73 kg / 161 lb  BW 80 kg / 176 lb

FSQ 90 / 200	    BSQ 92.5 / 204
WPU +25 / +55      Row 92.5 / 204
BP 72.5 / 160      BP 82.5 / 182
DL 120 / 265       RDL 102.5 / 226
OHP 47.5 / 105     OHP 57.5 / 127

1.5mi 19:06        not tested
5k 37:45           not tested

Pull-ups 15
Push-ups 30        Dips 22/Ring dips 8

[DocOctagon]

How long have you been lifting?

I've been lifting since I was 16, but not structured. (I'm 30 now)

How long have you been lifting with a progressive structured program?

TB is my first structured training program, which I started February 2016.

What were your #s when you started? What are your #s now?

Code: Select all

Max tests:
January 24:        October 5th:

BW 73 kg / 161 lb  BW 80 kg / 176 lb

FSQ 90 / 200	    BSQ 92.5 / 204
WPU +25 / +55      Row 92.5 / 204
BP 72.5 / 160      BP 82.5 / 182
DL 120 / 265       RDL 102.5 / 226
OHP 47.5 / 105     OHP 57.5 / 127

1.5mi 19:06        not tested
5k 37:45           not tested

Pull-ups 15
Push-ups 30        Dips 22/Ring dips 8

I'm not seeing your before and after squat or DL#s here. The BP and OHP increases are good, but below average in my experience. Looks like you also put on about 15lbs of bodyweight, what's your WPU at right now? What template were you using?

Your diet doesn't seem to be the issue because it appears you've put on 15lbs. Is it good weight?

Without knowing your current squat or DL numbers, my educated guess is a lack of consistency. Ten months isn't a long time by any stretch, but judging solely by your bench press your progress is slower than the average athlete I introduce to TB.

Have you had a lot of life or work circumstances come up interrupting your training? Injuries? I was going to suggest doing a linear program for a while given that you've only started using a structured program, but your #s are good enough to do TB. If I were in your shoes, I'd pick squat, bench press, WPU + DL, buckle down and hit Operator for the next 12 months. If these #s are reflective of a consistent 10 month run, force progression instead of retest, use small increments.

Can you test and post up your SQ/DL #s?