I’m new to weights, having bought my first set ever for Christmas 2011. To make the most of my time and my gains, I’ve been learning the canonical powerlifts. Here’s my progress on the Barbell Squat:
I began the StrongLifts 5×5 program, but quickly found myself becoming bored with the low weight it started me with. The first entry on this chart is a working weight of only 60 pounds: less than a third of my body weight. So, after developing comfort with the mechanics of the move, I began working on my endurance, then increased the weight as my confidence dictated.
My first major challenge, a Widowmaker (a 20 rep set) with the bar loaded to 185 lbs. (the equivalent of my own body weight), took a couple of weeks of preparation: first to reach the target lift weight, then to transition from 4 sets of 5 to 1×20.
The last entry on the chart is a limit-testing session, comprised of 20 sets. I began with 5 reps of 185, then added weight in increments of 5 lbs. The final lift is a Widowmaker at 280 lbs, or 1.5+ times my body weight.
My next major challenge is a 2.3x bodyweight lift, or 425.5 lbs.
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