Introduction

I decided to start this blog to record training methods and observations about my powerlifting training. This seemed important because writing forces deeper thinking about the topic at hand, and is therefore a form of learning in and of itself. I hope it will provide good reference for other powerlifters and give me the opportunity to get feedback from other powerlifters who have struggled with similar problems.

Just the facts:
Sex: Male
Age: 38
Occupation: translator (most sedentary job imaginable)
Training age: About twenty, although for ten years in the middle I was more focused on the martial arts.
Meet experience: three IPF meets
Best meet lifts: 240kg squat, 150kg bench, 270kg deadlift
Bodyweight: 108kg

I have been training Westside-style for the last two years, my bodyweight has gone up around 17 kg (37lbs) in that time, which was mostly muscle. You hear a lot in the news about the dangers of obesity, but I have never heard anything about unnatural amounts of muscle being a strain on your body. That being said, despite my impressive strength (compared to the first time I walked into the gym, not Magnus Samuelsson), I have extremely poor endurance and can only walk up around three or four flights of stairs before I have to catch my breath. For this reason, I suspect that even though I am fairly lean, the muscle itself is probably a strain on my body overall and my heart in particular, which has to pump blood to support all of my muscle tissue.

I had my last kickboxing match when I was 34, and I wanted the next sport I did to (1) not require a teacher, coach, or training partner (2) not require more than an hour of training a day given my work schedule, and (3) be something that I could compete in regardless of my age. Powerlifting seemed to fit the bill perfectly because, although the training method is complicated, the most necessary information can be gleaned from books, the net, and videos. In addition, most of the world class powerlifters are in their thirties, and there are many strong guys in their forties and fifties as well. However, had I never lifted a weight in my life, but kept fit through a more well-rounded exercise system of training, such as tennis or basketball, my bodyweight would probably be around 155-165, instead of around 237, where its at now. Now I am starting to wonder whether the extra 78lbs of weight my body is maintaining is not putting undue strain on my body, that if I continue to be so heavy over a period of decades, will not shave years off of my life or increase the chances of me being bed-ridden in my golden years.

To be continued later....