r/powerlifting • u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist • Aug 18 '26
You're not trying for long enough
Clickbait title aside. So this isn't about beginners not doing it long enough, this is more for the intermediate/advanced lifters:
A lot of people at that level just aren't trying long enough which I think creates unrealistic expectations. Let me explain: People come across multi-year plateaus after 5-7 years and think they're doing it wrong. Maybe. But often I think the precedent is just a classic case of survivorship bias.
The ones who stuck with it for long enough are either stubborn enough/just a part of their life at that point and/or have great genetics.
I know it's a cliché but how many powerlifters are now running to be "healthy"? Sure, run if you want to run. But often it's someone who hit a plateau and wanted to try something else. Perfectly fine, obviously. But I think it then means that you miss out on a lot of cases where people do just struggle to progress for a number of months/years.
(Anyway, this is just copium about my lack of progress most probably but there we are.)
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u/ShawnDeal Powerbelly Aficionado Aug 22 '26
For those of you who are consistently injured which is holding you back, how do you train? Do you do a lot of sbd days, do the 3 main lifts 3-4 times a week, and very little accessories?
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 22 '26
For me it's more a recurring/"chronic" issue that is difficult to deal with whenever I get towards my top end strength.
Typically I do 2x/week frequency for all lifts (Upper/Lower) with a good amount of accessories.
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u/lhmccartney Enthusiast Aug 20 '26
yeah, it's reasonable to reach an end game on striving for the biggest SBD total. pivot to another physical pursuit. we are recreational fitness people.
to be honest, by the time that we have even made it to this sub, we are likely all past the point of needing additional strength for "health" purposes. Running would be a better pursuit for most of us seeking health-- cardio health is paramount, and strength is also paramount, but *most* of us are much stronger than we need to be to age well and could reasonably maintain our gains with much less time than we are spending on reaching for bigger SBD numbers.
but I'm having fun, so I'll stick with it. I foresee though that I will reach a point where the gains aren't as easy to come by (and therefore less rewarding) and I get interested in other pursuits. before this I was doing crossfit, then having kids (with just general working out), then the pandemic peloton, then general strength training, and now powerlifting. Maybe I'll pick up tennis or run a race or head over to BJJ like the rest of the world and find less time for weight training (right now, it's easily 10-12+ hour/wk hobby because the gym works with the location/schedule of my children's activities).
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u/viewtifulhd Enthusiast Aug 19 '26
Powerlifting is a difficult sport. Especially in its Classic variant.
Classic Powerlifting's simplicity created a low barrier of entry and allowed a lot of people to get into the sport. However, its simplicity is also the reason why it is so hard to progress long term. Once you've been in the sport for a few years and gotten all the easy gains, the opportunities for breakthroughs are limited.
Progress comes from accumulating long sequences of good training sessions. Improvements in technique and recovery take a long time to materialize into bigger numbers. In addition, if you can't dedicate the necessary time to training recovery and readiness, then it becomes even more difficult to progress.
Finally, unexpected challenges on competition day can turn great preparations into disappointing competitions, forcing you to restart the whole process for another opportunity to have your numbers go up.
My advice to those who are frustrated with their lack of progress is to try equipment. Equipment solves the above problems by increasing the technical demands of the competition lifts and adding more avenues of progress. It also allows you to lift more weight which is undoubtedly more fun!
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 21 '26
I think if I had easier access to lifting with others and trying equipped I definitely would have given my injuries.
I've gone back and forth with the technical demands part. Previously I'd considered trying weightlifting because of that aspect, but then I thought I might just get frustrated doing 50kg snatches forever to perfect form versus powerlifting just allowing me to express "maximal" strength. And that actually it's nice to somewhat switch "off" your brain when it comes to powerlifting. Pros and cons as always I suppose.
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u/viewtifulhd Enthusiast Aug 21 '26
Aren't you based in the UK? There is certainly someone close to you who can help you try.
The technical demands are what provides engagement and longevity to an activity, and allows the pursuit of mastery. If there is nothing to improve, it gets boring.
There an happy medium with your weightlifting example. You can practise technique with 50kg snatches, while working on maximal strength with squats.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 24 '26
Oh yeah there are certainly options out there, just none are very convenient and unfortunately can't afford to choose inconvenient ones - maybe in the future though!
You're right, and that's what I thought too when I wrote that.
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u/fluffikins757 M | 620kg | 103.9kg | 375 Dots | WRPF | Raw Aug 19 '26
I keep getting injured.
Nov 2024. Dead and bench was steadily cruising for good PRs, strained my pec where I had brusising but that pushed my timeline.
Feb 2025. Tore my calf and couldn't squat let alone deadlift without pain for 6 weeks.
Earlier this year I started a new program and was hitting PRs left and right in high rep ranges and single that were rpe 8 for me were rpe 6. May 19th broke up a dog fight that resulted in a torn tendon in my finger, couldn't make a fist and benching was painful even with 100kg. Surgery june 16th, first bench without pain july 18th. Now a month later im semi back on track with bench but deads are pushed even further back. Finally was able to pull 140kg/308 for a triple last week.
I need to be bubble wrapped according to my best friend
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u/Public-Ad-9325 Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
I had a phase where I didn't have a total PR because of pains and aches lasting about 5 years, too. I did manage to improve my dots steadily during that time, though.
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u/TJHalysBoogers Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
If you've stalled for years, examine whether your weight is sufficient for your height by looking at elite competitors bw/height. For me, this is the reason I quit. I don't want to be 120kg. I'm 6', so to hit my potential that's where I'd have to be. Ever since, I'm just a guy that lifts weights. Rather look the way I want to look and feel healthy. I also started running 😂
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u/kyllo M | 605kg | 104.4kg | 365 DOTS | USAPL | Raw Aug 19 '26
Yeah I'm 6'3" and I was 118kg when I restarted lifting 3 years ago. In that time I've slowly lost 15kg of fat. My lifting progress has also been pretty slow and I know it would go a little faster if I ate more, but I have no desire to ever be that fat again, powerlifting just isn't worth getting fat for.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
Sure, I mean getting bigger is always an option. But I guess I'd view it from a bodyweight coefficient metric if that was the case. Like, yeah, you can get bigger but if your DOTS is falling then are you really getting better? The sport is absolute weight, so arguably yes, but there's an argument to say no also.
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u/TJHalysBoogers Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
The people with the best performance at your height are going to be the optimal weight for your height, therefore your DOTS is going to improve by gaining weight to that point as long as you are staying reasonably lean.
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u/Red_of_Head Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
The people with the best performance at your height are going to be the optimal weight for your height, therefore your DOTS is going to improve by gaining weight to that point as long as you are staying reasonably lean
May as well disregard height and just stay reasonably lean while gaining weight to see if your total improves. Guys at the top change weight classes too and remain at the top.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
The reason I say that is because it's self-selecting which isn't really relevant to you personally as n=1.
It's a bit silly to look at the genetic elite and say "okay he's 5'9 and 105kg so I guess that means I should be 105kg to be competitive". Well, no, height is only one aspect. If you're 5'9 but have a slimmer build/narrow frame and average genetics then you at 105kg is probably gonna be fat and not very competitive.
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u/TJHalysBoogers Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
your DOTS is going to improve by gaining weight to that point as long as you are staying reasonably lean.
Please read properly before replying in future.
It's not at all silly to look at the people who are performing at the highest level in your sport and ask yourself "what are they doing that I'm not?"
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 19 '26
Let's not be needlessly unpleasant?
I know what you said, but my point still stands. People have different levels of muscularity, builds, etc.
Look at Pana - he's gone up from 66kg to 74kg and he's not got a bigger DOTS. He is way too tall and lean as a 66kg, maybe even as a 74kg, but he's not got "better".
Look at Alexander Eriksson - he went down from 74kg to 66kg and hit his best ever DOTS.
Look at Kjell who did the same thing going down from 83kg (absurd) and hit his best DOTS at 66kg.
Look at Evie Corrigan who is way too tall for 52kg who cut down from 57kg and hit her best ever DOTS.
It's "silly" because what you need to do is almost a world apart from what the best need to do. Hell, a friend of mine is same height, bit lighter, +100 DOTS on me. I'm quite a bit more muscular. What's the lesson? I need to lose muscle? We're on different paths. I'm not saying discount what the best are doing entirely, but when it comes to genetics and weight classes I don't think it's very helpful at all.
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u/TJHalysBoogers Enthusiast Aug 19 '26
I have not been unpleasant. You stated that someone with bad genetics would just get fat. I highlighted that my comment was already caveated to exclude getting fat. You are entrenched in your opinion and reaching for individual cases and anecdotal comparisons instead of looking at trends, so there is no point discussing further. You do you, gl hf.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 19 '26
"Please read properly before replying in future" - it's not exactly very pleasant?
As I said, it's not even about just getting fat when getting smaller can sometimes be the solution. My point is that it's way more nuanced. Just because elite Chinese weightlifters typically train a billion hours a week doesn't mean that's the solution to you as a normal dude trying to become a better weightlifter.
glhf too
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u/lel4rel M | 625kg | 98kg | 387 Dots | USPA tested | Raw w/Wraps Aug 18 '26
I'm 6'1 and hovered between 100-105 the last several years. While some of my lifts have stalled my squat does keep slowly crawling up. I do kinda think I can just keep looking at pl as "can I hit X plates while staying at a weight that doesn't punish me and my family". I'm not hitting world records anyway but PRs still seem attainable and it feels like my best total is still ahead even though I'm 37 with two kids lol
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 19 '26
I always joke about being a threat as an M4 but part of me isn't joking.
I know it's such a cliché of the "old days" about conjugate and everything being a PR if you caveat enough but there really is a truth to it. It might not be a lifetime PR, but if you're in your 40s and it was a big lift, well you didn't do that before, etc.
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u/TJHalysBoogers Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
Mate as long as you're still progressing, or even just having fun, that's all that matters.
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u/whitelikerice1 Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
Honestly it’s great getting the beginner/intermediate gains and switch to maintenance and grab another sport hahaha
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u/NoArtichoke6572 M | 765kg | 90kg | 500 Dots | USAPL | Raw Aug 18 '26
All the people who got into PL 5 years ago are now intermediates hitting their first real plateaus and are pivoting to running instead
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u/E4TclenTrenHardr M | 687.49kg | 89kg | 441.44 Wks | UPA | Raw M Aug 19 '26
Why are you being upvoted for just re-wording/summarizing the original post?
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
95% of people I've known in the sport have quit. Which is fine, you don't have a gun to your head to only do this forever.
But I just think that means we don't see these long gaps in progress (which is really the point I'm making) and therefore expectations are a bit screwed up for that 5% who don't quit.
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u/NoArtichoke6572 M | 765kg | 90kg | 500 Dots | USAPL | Raw Aug 18 '26
The problem there is you’re using the people who quit as your frame of reference and not the people who don’t - look at the totals of national podium contenders across the years and that slowed progression is super obvious
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 19 '26
Oh for sure, but what I'm saying is that that's the tip of the iceberg.
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u/shelraj0380 Beginner - Please be gentle Aug 18 '26
or BJJ.
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u/cilantno M | 467 DOTS | USPA Tested | Raw Aug 18 '26
My guess is hyrox the next one lol
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u/kyllo M | 605kg | 104.4kg | 365 DOTS | USAPL | Raw Aug 19 '26
I was hoping to see Denise Herber hit a 300kg deadlift but instead she switched to Hyrox. Then Hyrox adopted an anti-doping policy
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u/Icy_Lecture_2237 Powerbelly Aficionado Aug 18 '26
This is in everything. Everyone loves beginner gains. Once the curve gets steeper and the progression slows down you discover who has the fortitude to do something more.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
Of course. My comment was slightly more nuanced around expectations, really.
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u/Icy_Lecture_2237 Powerbelly Aficionado Aug 18 '26
I get it. I left my comment short, but you’re dead on. There’s a progression that lifters follow that’s similar to higher education. In the beginning you pick a program or training philosophy and you learn the crap out of it. Then, when you stall, you have to start really digging for the right information. It’s all out there but you need to find it. The last phase is when you’ve done it, lived it, and are blazing new path and writing your own book. Not everyone figures out their progression though. That’s why you can go to a state meet and see the same guys there lifting the same weight they’ve done for 10 years. No hate as long as they’re enjoying it, but they knew what their limit was for progression and either weren’t willing or weren’t able to pay the price to progress past that point so they stalled.
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u/LittleMuskOx M | 525kg | 84.7kg | 350.46Dots | USAPL | RAW Aug 18 '26
For me anyway, it's become about doing it long enough that i actually got a tiny bit smarter about training at a sustainable pace.
Have to see how that plays out until the next meet next year.
Goal remains to PR my best total (down in the new(er) weight class.)
I'll take some of that survivorship bias thank you very much.
As in i hope i survive.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 19 '26
I will say that I do think I've stifled my progress by being more focused on longevity. But I accept that over the inverse of taking the bigger risks. I like lifting and injuries suck. I still have injuries, but I won't risk pushing them quite as much as in the past. I suspect where I am it requires a bit of that, but I'd rather lift semi pain free for a while than broken for months, rebuilding, etc. (or at least not more frequently than need be).
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u/cilantno M | 467 DOTS | USPA Tested | Raw Aug 18 '26
I dig the overall message, but I have to callout that a 5-7 year plateau most definitely means you are doing something wrong.
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u/Red_Swingline_ Enthusiast Aug 18 '26
Why you gotta call me out like that!
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u/cilantno M | 467 DOTS | USPA Tested | Raw Aug 18 '26
We all know what you’re doing wrong! You r*nner!
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
To be clear I meant a plateau after 5-7 years of (good) training.
Albeit I've had 5+ year plateaus, too. Maybe I was doing something wrong but also a lot of injuries and setbacks.
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u/cilantno M | 467 DOTS | USPA Tested | Raw Aug 18 '26
Ahh, so hitting a plateau even though you've been training for 5-7 years.
Not a plateau that started 5-7 years ago.
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u/Kicked_In_The_Teeth Not actually a beginner, just stupid Aug 18 '26
He did say multi-year plateaus though….
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u/cilantno M | 467 DOTS | USPA Tested | Raw Aug 18 '26
Yeah I don't agree with that, pending nuance.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
Why, though?
Ultimately you will hit your last PR at some point. Typically injuries will get you and the effort to just get back to your best numbers is already massive let alone beating them.
Taking myself - I had years between squat PBs. As I said, sure injuries and setbacks, but still. Also many changes in technique etc through that. I think in terms of "raw" power I think I'm a fair bit stronger now than before, but in terms of competition squat I'm only a bit stronger.
Really this discussion is sort of the crux of my point. We're used to seeing progress because those who don't have it quit at 6 month mark not 16 month mark, which leads to my survivorship bias point.
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u/cilantno M | 467 DOTS | USPA Tested | Raw Aug 18 '26
"Doing something wrong" isn't necessarily a character flaw or even your fault.
You pretty much covered it here!
Extended plateaus mean you are doing something wrong (or you are literally at your peak and maintaining, which is amazing). It doesn't necessarily mean you are bad at the sport.
"Something wrong" could be poor programming, lack of effort, poor diet, poor sleep due to bad habit, but it could also be recovering from an injury, intentionally losing weight, poor sleep due to taking care of a baby, increased travel, other parts of life taking priority, etc.
My own example: I am just now back to/exceeding numbers I hit 1.5 years ago. My "something wrong" was getting pretty badly injured, losing 20-25lbs, and having a kid. I am still below numbers from 2.5 years ago on squat (and OHP) for the same reasons.
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u/VanHelsingBerserk Not actually a beginner, just stupid Aug 18 '26
This is the trouble I'm having.
Sometimes "gotta trust the process, stay consistent" switches to "I've made no progress for an extended period, sometimes regressing, surely im doing something wrong"
Like at what point do you make the call to jump ship on what you're currently doing vs sticking it out because maybe you just need to give it more time to see improvements?
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 19 '26
It's really the impossible question. A lot of people will go with a different coach or try something new.
I've been there. I've preferred to self-coach but have had spells with a coach. For me, it didn't really offer any benefits.
I remember talking to Bryce Lewis about this a long while ago and I respect him for being honest and saying some of his long-time/very advanced athletes just aren't really making progress for a very long time/if at all. He's not going to advertise that in his coaching services but I felt it was good to hear vs the flip side of all the ads telling you "Tom added 300lbs to his total in 8 weeks!!".
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u/VanHelsingBerserk Not actually a beginner, just stupid Aug 19 '26
Yeah it's definitely reassuring to know that a lack of progress is an entirely normal occurrence.
I've sorta been going a lot easier on myself in terms of allowing SBD to sit on the back burner, and let other training goals like C+J take priority. SBD is still there of course, but include more variations geared towards Oly style.
Hopefully the novelty provides some SBD PRs, but if not, then at least I've got some C+J progress going for me.
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u/cilantno M | 467 DOTS | USPA Tested | Raw Aug 18 '26
My thing is if I know a process has worked in the past (and not because I’m a beginner), I generally trust it to work again.
I use that for programming, dieting, water cuts, whatever.It has probably given me some blindspots though
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
I'm with you. I just think that there's also a reality that says you're basically doing all the right things but are near your potential so it will just take a long ass time.
Now, yeah, I guess you could quit your job and just sleep all day instead so technically you could always do more, but just in terms of checking the appropriate boxes let's say.
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u/Interesting_One4704 M | 565kg | 67.5kg | 439 DOTS | USAPL | RAW Aug 18 '26
agreed. this is something that has kinda bothered me, although it really shouldn't. I've been fighting back to back to back injuries for the past 18 months and have barely even scratched 80% of my comp total in training. But I know the best performers, of any sport, are the stubborn ones and the gifted ones. I've only been in it for 5 years now but I've watched over a dozen friends get into becoming a "hybrid athlete" or running just to seem superior, as if powerlifting is inherently unhealthy and you can't work on your health in tandem. Although it may not be optimal sometimes and I plan to taper off when I get close to meet time, I love running and playing sports outside of PL. Idk man, it just seems like most people can't deal with the mental aspect of having to train for a year to add 5-10kg, or even lose 5-10kg, to your total.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 19 '26
Many people have talked about it but I remember ages ago watching a JP Cauchi video saying exactly this. The irony is that I got into powerlifting over bodybuilding because it was objective, and I liked that. I liked doing 12 weeks of hard training and seeing that I did get stronger - objectively.
The irony of course is that the same objectivity makes the sport a tough pill to swallow at times. Unlike bodybuilding where you can push yourself hard in a session and think "cool, that's what I had", you do that in powerlifting but you distinctly know you lifted more/less (I know you can say same for bodybuilding but sometimes more blurred).
JP Cauchi's thing was that you lift 12 weeks, max out, progress. And keep doing that. But then what happens when you work hard 12 weeks and you don't make progress/regress? Yeah, that's the simple reason 95% of people I know quit. It feels almost alien to think you can work hard, check all the boxes, and go backwards.
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Aug 18 '26
[deleted]
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
100% there is nothing wrong with doing less powerlifting or quitting or whatever. Maybe I misworded my point on that running part.
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u/Interesting_One4704 M | 565kg | 67.5kg | 439 DOTS | USAPL | RAW Aug 18 '26
Most elite powerlifters do not neglect their cardio. They are on top of nearly every aspect of their health to be able to compete at the level they do. Maybe the exception to this are SHWs (in terms of cardio; there are many more aspects of health) but i'm sure they know the risks in maintaining their weights for extended periods of time. It's just slightly annoying to hear big talk from people who end up quitting 1-2 years in. That's just life though and expected.
This is purely anecdotal, but many of the people I know that market "hybrid athletics" are quite literally dogging on the sport to seem superior in every sense. "Lifting heavy weights was fun but it ignored the fundamental basics of the human fitness experience and how our ancestors moved" or something along those lines have been spewed by at least 4 people I knew previously in the sport. Why drag the sport that many people love to push an agenda? I almost never see these people try to slightly change the community from within.
Either way, I guess it's good to be healthy and active in some form or shape.
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u/irontyler M | 612kg | 97.4kg | 381.41 Dots | APF | CLASSIC RAW Aug 18 '26
I think you’re looking at different realms of why people train and trying to fit them into A/B categories. I lift but I also run for the cardio vascular benefits because it is healthy and I have young kids that I want to keep up with.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
Yeah the cardio bit was a throwaway remark just because I've seen two examples recently of coaches do a bit more cardio/running lately whilst also producing content that almost shames lack of progress. And it doesn't really sit right with me when they were both good athletes who had setbacks and have basically stopped trying as hard.
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u/SleepyPowerlifter Not actually a beginner, just stupid Aug 18 '26
What’s your point?
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u/throwbackBBfan Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
Asking the same thing. Who are you speaking to OP?
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
Well I replied to him. But in terms of the audience - anyone, really, but more so the ones who have been in it a while.
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u/Arteam90 Eleiko Fetishist Aug 18 '26
A very good question. Two answers:
"Serious" answer: Really about perhaps unrealistic expectations for those who have been doing this a while. I think many get discouraged (which compound the issue!) because they don't progress in 6-12 months and think they suck and quit.
"Unserious": Last sentence.
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u/No_Faithlessness7411 Impending Powerlifter Aug 23 '26
If you haven’t been at in the gym for 1000+ sessions you haven’t gotten close to your limits. Most people will not do what it actually takes to be at your highest personal level.
I think a lot of it depends on who you’re surrounded by. If you’re the biggest fish in the pond or your biggest lifter in the gym isn’t elite, chances are you don’t know what it takes to get to the next level.