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Importance of a Coach

When I was a younger powerlifter I had always assumed that I knew it all.  When I re-entered the powerlifting sport this year (yes, prior to New Year which is in a few hours), I put my ego to one side as recovery times and weights are not as easy to accomplish as they were in my 20s.

For my first competition I self-trained and did OK.  However, I knew that it would require some significant improvements if I were to be able to accomplish the squat, as it used to be my worst lift and I had not practiced it with only a month between competitions.  I talked to a few trainers/coaches and got along best with Erv Domanski of Progressive Sports Performance (http://www.progressivesportsperformance.com) who, along with his wife Lea-Ann, were extremely helpful and supportive.  When compared to the general costs of the sport, the fees of a personal trainer/coach tend to be extremely reasonable.

Howard "MotorDoc" Penrose on left, Erv Domanski on right

With squats I learned a few stretches that allowed me to accomplish a respectable weight with only a few weeks of training.  Today, I was hanging up on deadlift and Erv was able to point out a few issues that made a lift that I was capable of, but struggled with, seem relatively easy.  While many have less trouble starting the lift (getting the weight off the ground) and struggle getting it into position, my problem is the exact opposite.  Erv made several excellent recommendations on how I could work through the issue.

Over time I may work with others, but the input from Erv as well as several other powerlifting trainers have been invaluable as they have identified challenges that I have been unable to see even with video assistance.

Dec 31, 2011 8:05 PM

Powerlifting Defined

As I had mentioned in the article, there is a misunderstanding as to what powerlifting really is.  Many people think it is just a test of strength while others think it is a competition of ego.

In reality, powerlifting relates more to sports such as football and basketball, and similar power-sports, than most think.  While strength is the ability to exert a force, the ability to move 400lbs, for instance, that has little impact on the performance of an athlete.  What really has an impact is 'power.'

In the sports world, the concept of power is the ability to exert force rapidly.  A powerlifter must be able to exert a force on a weight explosively.  Basically, move the 400lbs through the motion quickly and in proper form.  Just like a football lineman must be able to impact explosively off the line of scrimmage.

The concept of powerlifting, then, is to apply three basic lifts explosively which include: squat; bench; and, deadlift, in that order.  There are a total of three attempts for each giving the lifter a total of nine attempts for a full powerlifting meet.  That means, in a very large meet (about 8 hours or more) the lifter will actually be competing for a total of about 4-5 minutes raw, or upwards of 9 minutes if they are equipped.  The rest of the time is watching and warming up.

Short meets are great as you can become and stay 'warmed up' for a reasonable length of time.  Longer meets are very difficult as you get warm, then cold, then warm.  In my last meet, it was very long with the result that many of the lifters missed attempts that they knew they should have completed.  The result is that not only must you have the strength and explosive power, but you must know yourself enough to be able to prepare and set the right weights for each lift and be flexible.

One lifter in the last competition was concerned enough (missing all three attempts in any one lift disqualifies you) that he benched the bar only so that if he missed the attempts his attempt at a state record in deadlift or squat would still qualify.  He still made his other lifts in bench, but it was a very interesting strategy.


Dec 30, 2011 12:43 PM

Deadlift Day!

Just not feeling it today, but most likely because it is the third 'heavy' day in a row.  Made it to 445lb on deadlift and then literally could not move the weight on the second attempt.  Finished with shrugs even with my sacrifice to the deadlift gods!

Now for a day off - I do have a business life after all.  Then a light day before getting in my training session with Erv Domanski at Progressive Sports Performance (http://www.progressivesportsperformance.com/) on Saturday.  Expecting it to be fun!  

I did sleep very well last night with the Superpump Max pre-workout drink.  Pretty sure that I was correct about the side effects of the Hemo Rage Black.  Had the same problem before.  The difference is that I can feel the 'kick' from Hemo Rage more than Superpump.  I may have to jump between the two, as necessary.  Going to try a double dose (which is OK per the instructions) of Superpump on the next weekday workout.

That's it for today!  More on the 30th!

Dec 28, 2011 8:13 PM

Another Bench Day

Today I decided to try a different pre-workout drink: Superpump Max which is a Gasperi product.  While not perfect, it does not seem to have had the same side effect of waking me up at 2:30am when I use Hemo Rage Black (actually, a phone call, but my mind remained active and I was unable to sleep).  I will see if the effect is the same.

My chest workout went fairly well.  Bench starting with 135lb warm-ups and concluding with 2-rep bench at 325lbs.  Without a spotter, I made it about 1-board-inch from my chest.  Once I hit 315lbs I found that I was bringing the weight too high on my chest.  This was followed by incline from 135lb for 6 reps to 275lb for three reps and then decline bench up to 3 reps at 345lb.  Hammer incline to 315lb for 6-reps and Hammer decline to 405lb for 5-reps.

There is a definite difference between a health club bench and a competition bench.  The competition bench is broad and soft allowing more 'push' from the shoulders and better arch of the back to position your torso to more simulate a decline press.

Tomorrow will be a deadlift day to set my progress, then a few days off (light workouts) before a Saturday (New Years Eve) session with my coach.  More on that later!

Dec 27, 2011 8:51 PM

Squat Day Comments

Well, today sure was interesting!  It was a squat day.  I have a goal to exceed 500 lbs by the April, 2012 AAPF Nationals in Burr Ridge, Illinois.

One of the challenges that I have in training is that my day to day lifting is performed at a health club (HealthTrack in Glen Ellyn, Illinois - http://www.htsw.net).  Unfortunately, at this time of year a serious athlete has to contend with the 'guilty feeling' members who will attend from 2 weeks to 2 months.  This amounts to people who have absolutely no clue as to any level of gym etiquette versus the handful of others who are regulars whose mothers didn't teach them anything, either.

Dudes, I am so not your mother!

To get the negatives out of the way - One of the tools that I use for training solo is my iPhone.  This is a fantastic tool for viewing your lifts to see if you are working in proper form!  On occassion I will use a video camera, but setting up a tripod and risking a $1k camera during heavy training is not always a great idea.  What blew my mind today was that I had a bench set up next to the squat rack (I had to use a different one today, there was literally a line out the door to the gym of people signing up for two weeks!) and had someone toss off my iPhone and equipment to walk away with it!  I mean… holy crap!  That is beyond rude.  Why did he think I was not going to walk up and walk away with the equipment I was using?  Not sure.  But his little tantrum gave me an idea on how he was raised (older guy).  Serious folks, if I'm in the gym training, I do not have time for this kind of crap and fully subsribe to the following concepts:


As I had mentioned, the iPhone has been a powerful tool in the art of solo training.  For instance, in the following video when I was looking at my 435lb attempt in the mirror it looked OK but felt weird (not low enough) - in the video my concern was founded.  Following is the attempt:

Compared, the following is my training leading up to the December 11, 2011 APF RAW Illinois Power Challenge meet in Willowbrook, Illinois:

This obviously means that I can compare my workout today to the workouts prior to December 11, 2011 (and the following workouts).

Dec 26, 2011 4:44 PM

From the MotorDoc!

I have returned to powerlifting after a fifteen year layoff due to a fall from a roof that resulted in a shattered forearm.  While I have been sharing adventures and accomplishments on Facebook and YouTube, as well as through newsletters, I thought a journal of the adventures that I have enjoyed would be useful to others as well as a way that I can look back to see where I have come from in the future.

I'm the first to admit that I am not especially spectacular at the sport, even with my past experience there is a tremendous amount to learn considering I am passing through middle age - physically!  I have been accused of acting far younger - which is a good thing, isn't it?

Besides, this gives me a way to play with my new Mac Air toy instead of the Windows-based web development tools that I use for my other websites.

I am going to open this blog with an article I wrote for my writer's group on the topic.  I suppose it is also important to note that through this adventure I have re-aquainted myself with members of the powerlifting community.  Just as before, and just as with most other sports, to be an athlete, even an amateur athlete, especially in a sport that is not held on a pedestal in the same manner as baseball, football, or even body building, requires an extreme level of dedication and purposefullness.  Most powerlifters I meet are open, friendly, willing to discuss their successes and help each other in the constant push to further oneself.  

In fact, the very nature of the sport is not competing against your fellow powerlifters, but to compete with oneself.  The goal is to constantly outperform your PR (personal record) and, if in the bargain, you win a competition in your division or as 'best lifter,' then all the better.  I have won two meets in my division, and it is a great feeling, as it is a great feeling cheering on the other lifters as they accomplish feats that are now considered common that would have been considered superhuman in the 1990s.

My most recent 'favorite memory' is of the 74 year old who, on December 11, 2011, during his first ever competition, ended the evening with American and Illinois State records for his efforts and age group!

Enjoy and please feel free to download the article on powerlifting that I wrote following my first return meet on October 29, 2011: http://www.motordoc.com/2011/AFewThoughtsonPowerlifting.pdf 

If you have articles, links, or youtube video (or other links) that you wish to include on this site, please feel free to email me at howard@motordoc.net 

Dec 25, 2011 7:54 PM
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