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Progressive Loading - Barely finishing a set

this thread is getting really heated. Somebody please open a window!!

i must admit sometimes i do fall prey to science & the technical side of things. The three more's make the most sense tho to grow.

Reading all this makes me want to head into the gym for some heavy over head squats. Don't forget to check out my training log tonite
 
I read everybodys logs.

If I notice they dont do or have never done 20 rep squats, I ignore them for the most part.

They are not serious about improving, they are just serious about talking about improving.

Young Ronnie (nievs) is the best example. He came on here and was well behind everyone. Was way behind Powerbuilder in total and experience.

He is now light years ahead. He ended up doing 20 rep squats with PB's 1RM.

His total is now 600kg already and he has deadlifted 205kg.

If anyone is serious about getting bigger and stronger, and doesnt suffer from a legitimate condition prohibiting them, then 20 rep squats are a must.

Less threads about technique and more about achievements under the bar.

I'm betting little Ben will pass all these theorists soon as well.

I have a 17yo boy who started less than 6 weeks ago

Squat 130kg
Deadlift 150kg
Overhead 80kg
Clean 80kg
Bench 85kg

Total 525kg

He turned 17 on his second visit, novice lifter, never lifted before.

I hope you theorists can keep up
 
My nizzle you are correct, there are many ways to build strength and to stay healthy.
Progressive overload is key- having said that I don't understand the mentality of lifting your body weight for 20 if half of that is fat.
At the end of the day the only test a lifter must pass is the test of time-think about that statement for a while all of you.
 
C'mon let's not get personal, and yes there are many ways to skin a cat but the best way is with a very sharp blade.
 
I did my first set of 20 rep squats on Friday :)

[quote="PowerBuilder"listen here *****, last time i checked, there was more than 1 way to skin a cat.[/quote]

Of course Markos thinks his way is the best. If he thought there were a better way - he'd use it!

Cheers,

Aaron.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There is no need for hate.
If one person is passionate about their methods then that is great, if that upsets you then you have the issue.
 
PTC NEWSLETTER
# 112
CULTURE AND TRIBALISM
As a gym operator, there is no greater compliment than watching others not merely accept your chosen methods, but to embrace them and form a culture that is undeniable in its belief, a type of tribalism.

I said chosen methods because they didn’t originate from me, they were started long before I was born, but they are methods that have built more muscle and strength as well as reduced body fat on lifters than every other method combined.

As I’ve stated previously, it was Nina’s idea I start PTC two years ago. I honestly didn’t believe that anybody would pay me to train this way. I’d witnessed society get soft and look for easy ways to get a simple job done. I’d been on forums and read as others made excuses why they didn’t squat or deadlift. I’d seen young kids, and parents, at school while I dropped my kids off, obese.

I was still working in the industry when gym managers told me to stop putting squats and deadlifts in members programs. One gym even had me hide the squat racks in a storage area and only bring them out if a client asked for them, and only then were they to be used, with me supervising. Unbelievably, this gym is still around.

On the weekend I found what I had hoped would never exist, a gym without a barbell. I couldn’t believe it. That is a very sad day. There were 6-8 members inside, 4 on treadmills, one doing DB curls and one doing tricep extensions, a couple standing around.

With places like this around I figured I either had to change my values and ideals, or go broke. In the first year I had plenty of clients that I knew wouldn’t last, ones I didn’t enjoy training, but I had bills to pay and kids to feed. Slowly my client base changed. It kept evolving, to the point where now I can’t think of a single client I don’t enjoy training.

Every client now trains hard, every client squats, every client deadlifts and every client comes more than once a week. Every client is friendly, every client helps another in the gym, every client loads bars.

Listening to them speak about their training, how they defend the methods they use, how they are absolutely proud of their results, how they plan to lift X amount at the next comp, how they defend me and PTC on forums to ignorant piss ants, it’s gone tribal.

There is a culture that has taken two short years to form. I would not have been surprised to see some get on forums and have a crack at me after finishing, but not one person that has ever met me or trained at PTC has had a negative word to say. That should be a very good indication to any outsider that any negative image you may have of me or PTC is not entirely accurate.

When I held my first comp I had 7 guys lift. At the second comp I had 6. For AD10 I already have 41 lifters paid up and entered, with over 15 interstaters coming down. I would not be surprised to see this number swell to 50. The PTC comps are growing in reputation, people in gyms around the country have heard of them.

Max was at a party last week and a guy approached him and told him he’d seen his lifts on YouTube. He wants to come and train at PTC. I had a recent client buy a program and diet, he came down for his complimentary session, liked the place and atmosphere so much he decided to lift at PTC 3 times a week. Big deal you say, lots of lifters do that. He lives over an hour away, is married with a young daughter. He is making a big sacrifice now so that he can be around much longer later.

A new guy came down from Ballarat for a session last week, one from Shepparton is coming down tomorrow. Bluey came down for his 3rd visit from Canberra last week.

Is Bluey stupid, is he really getting bang for his buck? He lifted at BATB3 for the first time, he totalled 582.5kg, that was in September. He had a lofty goal of 700kg in January at AD10, a mere 4 months of training and looking for 120kg.

He totalled 690kg last week. He may have to set his goals higher. He loves the culture at PTC, obviously. No one bats an eyelid when they see the Canberra boy in the gym. That’s tribal. He wants to belong, and he does. The fact he lives 800km away means nothing.

Nick rolled up last Wednesday. I wasn’t expecting him as the group he trains with lifted in the morning. He trained for 2 hours alone, squatted 200kg, benched 147.5kg for a PB. I was inside eating. When he was done, he came inside, paid me and left. He forgot to lock up though. He drives an hour each way for this. In January he will total 850kg. He will score a 500 Wilks. Is this good?

Let’s have a look as to whether these boys are actually doing any good. Remember they all lift raw, no belts or wraps, which actually are allowed in official raw lifting. I think that’s farcical so I don’t allow it.

A young lifter, Simon, came down for a visit recently. He has decided to enter AD10. He has been competing in Powerlifting for a few years and is an exceptional lifter. How exceptional is he? He has qualified for the Junior World Powerlifting Championships for the last 2 years. He is exceptional. He had a go at some of the raw lifts he hadn’t practiced in his gym, the powerclean and overhead press, and he did extremely well at them. He generally just squats, deadlifts and bench presses, he hadn’t done the other 2 lifts for awhile. He calculated he should total 500 Wilks at AD10. Remember, this boy has qualified for the World Championships two years running, and will again. A 500 Wilks, he will go a little over.

Wilks is based on total and bodyweight. So how many lifters have and will total 500 Wilks at AD10? Well, Chris, Kelly and Michael did at BATB3. A heap more will do it January.

Simon, Matt, Shorty and Tony have scored 490+ before. At the next comp I expect close to 10 lifters to total 500 Wilks.
Max is currently over 520, Nick is just on 500, as is Big Simon.

Kelly, Big Simon, Nick, Max, Simon Chan, Shorty, Eddie, Chris, Matt are close to certainties. Unfortunately Michael, Simon and Tony can’t make it this time.

This should give outsiders an indication just how well these guys are going. I am using Simon Chan as a barometer because he competes at a regular basis outside PTC comps, and the fact that he qualifies to lift at World Championships, so a 500 Wilks from him is a key indicator as to what level an exceptional lifter should be at. The fact I hope to have 10 lifters with this score at my next comp has me thinking that PTC is headed in the right direction. The gym is only 2 years old, with most guys starting as novices, the progress has been amazing, far exceeding anything I thought possible.

I was quite chuffed at having a 200kg deadlift club. With 48 lifters gaining entry, it’s time to start a 250kg club. This will exceed 12 lifters after AD10. No belts. I still have a lot of fun with sissy boys who feel they need belts for their 150kg deadlifts.

At the first comp I joked with lifters that I would enter if anybody managed a shitty 160kg squat. I reasoned I was squatting 190-200kg at the time and didn’t feel I should enter. The biggest squat made at that first comp was 145kg. I have 10 guys who squat 180kg+ right now, and possibly 40 who squat higher than 145kg.

The best bench was 120kg. To make the top 15 now you need to bench 140kg, with 180kg the high mark.

Nina was right. Build it and they will come. They are now my tribe. The PTC culture is firmly embedded in all of them. I have a stack of 17yo lifters who I hope will carry the mantle for years to come.

Max, Daryl, Arthur, Jamie, Jesse, Hayden, Michael, Kaspar, Nathan, Mick, Blake and others will carry the torch. Two of those listed already deadlift 200kg, three of them bench over 100kg, four of them squat 140kg.

I argue with adults who have years of lifting experience and bodyweight advantages over these kids who can’t get close to their level of performance. These guys always know better.

KNOWLEDGE IS KNOWING A TOMATO IS A FRUIT.

WISDOM IS NOT PUTTING IT IN FRUIT SALAD.

The culture and the tribal mind set is something that I will never forget. To have it develop in 2 short years is astounding. To have lifters performing so well so quickly confirms my ideals as to what constitutes effective training.

To everyone that’s ever lifted at PTC, to everyone that’s ever contacted me and thanked me for their progress, to everyone that has ever defended PTC’s training ideals, thank you.

To the others who still seem to ignore, sorry for interrupting your set of lat pull downs. To those that bench every session but miss out on squats because the gym is closing, this newsletter is not intended for you, those with the gloves on, finish your set of curls, others are waiting for the squat rack, for those wearing a belt........I got nothing.

Stay strong, stay raw.

Markos, Nina and Max
 
That's part of the charm of Markos, you're never quite sure if it's you he's taking the piss out of or not. ;)
 
That's part of the charm of Markos, you're never quite sure if it's you he's taking the piss out of or not. ;)

Haha.

I'm not.

If Markos was referring to me I am humbled.

And suddenly feel like I have very big shoes to fill.

Having had a light session at PTC, my only wish was I lived a little closer.
 
Yes Ben, I meant you, dont let me down. Its easy for me to pick the biggest and strongest guys as examples of getting strong on simple basics.

What about James, 60 years old. Tonight the old f u c k squatted 150kg, to go with his 190kg deadlift.

Sean ( aussieballer) is training 9 times a week and severly calorie restricting. Tonight he squats a 145kg PB and benches a 95kg PB. He finally benched over bodyweight. Its been a struggle for him losing weight, but he laid down the gauntlet and we hatched a plan. He still has some more weight to lose but he didnt fail in the squat or BP, so he has more gains coming. He hates cardio but he's doing every session I have. His total is approaching 600kg now.

These are the real success stories, the guys who arent "naturals", who have to watch everything they eat and never miss a session.

Brittany benches 57.5kg PB, shes the girl who deadlifts 140kg.

Seventeen year old Kaspar squatted 150kg tonight, powercleaned 90kg and push pressed 80kg. He has already benched 120kg and deadlifted 200kg.

Strong kid, I got a few of them.

I hope you theorists are keeping up with the kids.
 
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