Another example of me being mightily stupid in the pursuit of my fitness goals:
In October 2011 or thereabouts, I decided to enter a powerlifting competition the following January.
Up ‘til that point, my training was mostly centred around building muscle and what I now call “everyday strength” (training the big compound lifts like squats and overhead presses in the 6-10 rep range).
This is very different to training for what is technically known as “limit strength” – i.e. a true one-rep max.
Twenty one year old me was ignorant of this fact.
I believed what I’d hitherto been up to was great preparation for a powerlifting meet, so I decided not to alter my training in any way until about a month out from the competition.
Not the best idea I’ve ever had.
With a slight caveat: Getting stronger in the 6-10 rep range is never a disadvantage – irrespective of your specific goals – if only because it’s the most sustainable way to train, in my opinion.
Moreover, my fixation on training for “everyday strength” and packing on muscle built an incredible foundation.
A foundation I proceeded to squander by trying to cram my meet prep into a “hardcore” five-week programme that I wrote which caused the single most devastating injury I’ve ever suffered.
Needless to say, I did not attend the meet.
I also struggled to sit on the lavatory without wincing for at least six months and am still burdened with the echoes of this injury over a decade later.
This is why you need to give yourself plenty of time to reach your goals.
Like, for example, getting into good nick for the summer.
I think it’s much better to start training for summer now instead of scrambling to get into shape (and potentially injuring yourself) a month before the weather is due to get good.
To aid you in this, April’s issue of The Phil Tyreman Letter features a system called “Operation: Beach Body” that you can use to build a physique that looks every bit as good as it performs in preparation for the summer.
It’s a 12-week programme revolving around the most efficient and effective lifts for building strength and power, supplemented by plenty of arm, trap, and ab work because nobody argues with a man who has a thick neck, huge arms, and a strong midsection.
The deadline to subscribe in time to receive April’s issue is midnight GMT on Friday the 29th. (That’s tonight, so don’t dither).
A subscription works out at £3.29 per day, which includes the newsletter, and direct access to me for any assistance I’m qualified to give, amongst other things.
None of this is to say you should subscribe, necessarily.
Read the below page (and subsequent Terms and Conditions page) very carefully to make sure your decision is a properly informed one:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/information/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman
P.S. Subscribers will also enjoy a bonus in April.
Specifically, a paper-and-ink copy of my report, “14 Lessons from 14 Years of Training”.
Concise to a fault, this little gem contains fourteen of my finest nuggets of wisdom you can apply to your own training to accelerate your results (and, most importantly, retain them for years to come).