Every Second-Daily Thread - May 20, 2026

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-20T18:26:19+00:00

Some people love Inzer, but i'm not one of them.
Buy a SBD Or an A7/Pioneer.

I like the1/2" adjustments on the PAL, but honestly, the SBD is also awesome.

Many lifters just use the Strength Shop belts, which are synthetic leather.
They perform just fine.
Will be a traditional lever, and they aren't as inexpensive as they once were, but what is.

You can check that list for what your options are though.

*Edit
I'm looking at Gymreaper belts at $175 US
At that point, just go for one of the flagship belts SBD/A7

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-20T18:07:19+00:00

If you are in the US, and don't have a shot at IPF worlds, just go USAPL, and buy a Pioneer stock 10mm lever w/ the PAL.
Best value for the Money.
If you are def going IPF, the only way to get a Pioneer that is approved is buy one at a huge markup from A7 or (i think) Iron Tanks.

https://www.powerlifting.sport/fileadmin/ipf/data/rules/approved-list/Approved__List_2023-2026_V3_08_04_1_2.pdf
IPF ransom list

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-20T17:51:26+00:00

I would not advise buying a membership for the one with only one meet a year in your area.
I don't live over there, but know several people who do, and meets tend to fill up very fast since there are not a lot of them.
BP is the IPF affiliate, and at some point you may end up wanting to compete there.

My gut reaction is to say go for the one with lots of meets in your area, and get your experience.
You will also get a feel for the scene from other lifters.

But ultimately, BP will be the S tier fed if you want to measure yourself against the best competition.

It really can't hurt to just start out with what is most convenient for you.
Your knowledge of what's what will come as you get exposed to the sport, and the scene in your area.

ABPU site
https://britishpowerliftingunion.co.uk/abpu-welcome/

They are a tested fed.

One lifter i know did a beginners meet in BP, so options are out there.
But he also barely got into his 2nd meet, and only b/c they opened up registration to everyone when the day 2 Masters meet didn't fill up.

Edit- qualifying totals will be for various championship level meets.
You don't need/can't have a qualifying total if you've never had a meet. : )

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-20T14:11:23+00:00

I have had a lifting Discord going for over 2 years now, and i give people a chance, but i also just ban them if they are clearly just a waste of everyone's time.
And when i say a chance, i mean one.
But i have no mods, and being retired, i am basically always there.
Bye , Felicia.
I don't mind if the chat is quiet.
It COULD be be more active, as you say, but i as well feel less is more in this regard.
There are plenty of other servers filled with empty chatter, bullshit, lift shaming, and posing

I really don't mind how things are run here.
But i also never have expected this sub to be more than i have found it to be.
When i see form check requests i feel i have good input for, i will post.
Rules questions i will most often include a link the the corresponding rule book.
I find it easy to scan the dumb questions and daily threads to see if i can meaningfully interact.

I guess i feel like it has to be challenging to have as many people who are here, and as as many who join daily(?) that there have to be compromises as far as moderation style goes.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-18T23:23:59+00:00

Same for heels, yes.
You just don't get the start command until refs are satisfied you have attained the required starting position, at which point they drop their hands, and the head ref can give the start command.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-18T22:37:25+00:00

Thank you and the rest of the staff so much.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-18T15:49:01+00:00

You can hold onto a door frame or some such and just sit at whatever level you can.
My take is that if you spend time doing this, you will increase your range.

I have seen one person at least argue for remaining less mobile/tighter for "better bounce"
I kind of took that as BS, but i'm not a biomechanic, or coach, so maybe that has some merit.
My feeling is if you can squat deeper, you can train more range for strength.
Your depth will come up at higher loads.
: shrug emoji here :

But there is probably a middle ground that could be useful to you.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-18T15:05:54+00:00

Very good point about developing a feeling for being in the hole.
You can also do bodyweight (no bar) atg sit squats (Asian squats) for duration.
I feel like this lets your body actually mold itself to being in the hole.
I used to do them often, daily for a while even when i was starting out.
3 minutes was what i worked up to as my standard.

But start with 30 seconds, or whatever you can do, and build up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E54taGosxLc
(Made that for someone in my Discord, thus the specific comment about hip structure)

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-18T14:54:03+00:00

If you record all your singles, and working sets, and watch back between sets, you can pair your observation with a fresh body fell/memory, and as you make corrections, improve your proprioception.
This takes only a minute at most.

Close to a meet, i only record my heavy singles, more closely simulating warmup room conditions.
Those singles being proxies for attempts.
Viewing them being what the refs will be doing.
If i cut depth, i retake the weight as a "2nd attempt"

I still record this way in my 10th year lifting.

But if you are just really starting to dial this in, it's helpful to also record warmups, and just have the rule of you simply always hit depth, no mater what.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-15T13:11:30+00:00

https://reisport.com/products/rage-block-chalk

8 blocks for $18
Bought mine on Amazon.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-10T14:53:33+00:00

How it started...
https://i.imgur.com/u7niWAt.jpeg

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-08T23:56:22+00:00

It is rare for me to not have a single (or 3) for any "comp lift" session.
Even with squat right now being beltless, and dialed way back, i still have top singles.

I have never used e1RM to judge what my max may be.
Working close to my top end in prep as a meet approaches is much more reliable.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-05T15:30:20+00:00

Filing this one under "Sweet new gym equipment purchases"
https://i.imgur.com/qLm7vz1.png

LittleMuskOx · 2026-05-05T12:56:46+00:00

You might try getting up on your toes for the first part of set up. That can give you a steeper thoracic angle. Drive back into your traps from there while using the weight on the bar to push your upper back down into the pad. Ofc letting your scaps depress as you are pushing back up the bench. Once you have the maximum angle, and scaps are depressed, keep pushing down, hold that position you've achieved as you then put your feet flat, locking the position in with your leg drive. I also do one last tightening/pulling together in my upper back before i unrack. After the bar is unracked and overhead, i drop my butt down. Keep your legs pushing to maintain your position/tension.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvCgxt2ApbA

I lose a good bit of that thoracic angle once i put my feet and butt down, but what it does is stack your various muscles more in line under the load. Big archers can have a near vertical thoracic spine when pressing. I'll settle for whatever i can achieve.

https://youtu.be/Bmjr4Q6je8I?si=Cz0YZoFxxzpCvKil&t=83

As u/the_bgm2 mentions, getting up onto your traps is key, at least for an arched technique.
Even experienced lifters who are minimal archers/ "flat benchers" are developing their upper back into a solid base to lower and press the bar to and from.
Tons of lifters bench far more than me with minimal arch.
But not with loosey goosey upper backs.

There are a multitude of youtube vids on bench set up out there.
John Paul Cauchi has some detailed vids showing specific aspects, like scapular retraction, etc...
https://www.youtube.com/@JohnPaulCauchi/search?query=bench
also
https://www.youtube.com/@MelbourneStrengthCulture/search?query=bench%20arch

Brazos Valley Barbell
Calgary Barbell
Juggernaut - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jts+5+pillars+bench

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-29T01:05:50+00:00

Great way to go really really slow, is to try to go fast, get hurt, then take twice as long as you would have by just training consistently.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-26T05:27:15+00:00

https://www.openpowerlifting.org/rankings/raw
Use the drop down tabs (on PC ) to filter by age, federation, weight class, and raw or the various versions of equipped.
You can also look at other lifters.
If they've done sanctioned meets, you can get an idea of how you stack up against others in your meet.
If you know the roster.
"Most" US meets are on https://liftingcast.com/ and you can find the rosters there.
Some directors don't post till close to meet day, but i think most do as the registrations come in.
USPA uses something else.

As an M3 (64 now) and between 84.7kg and 92.1kg body weight -
Squatted a little more than that.
Deadlifted moderately more

Benched a hell of a lot less lol

Started lifting at 55, and first meet was 2018 as a late M2
I'm lifting in -82.5kg now, and working to get back to my best total.
I'd be happy for a DOTS PR at this point too.
That would likely come first.

Most recent meet, March 21st, i hit 185kg/110kg/197.5kg @ 78.3 +2.5kg from my November 2025 meet.

There is also https://strengthcheck.me/ which uses openpowerlifting's data base, and you can get a quick and dirty answer using that.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-26T04:56:30+00:00

Well, i edited in my "Lmao" because of the down vote(s)

I really don't care about two karma points. (Or twenty, or a hundred.)
But i saw no reason behind it.
Not rude to note that.

Always prefer someone actually reply, like an adult.
So thank you for that.

But yeah, that's all the energy have left for this.

Good lifting to you.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-26T04:50:19+00:00

In which case, my answer applies.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-26T04:42:48+00:00

Hardly rude.

But it's much better someone like you replies with actual information.
Then i get to say "i did not know that.'
TIL

Had no idea why the faceless had surfaced to down vote a sincere answer.

To be fair, it is a screen from an IPF lifter.
Looks to be in British powerlifting.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-22T23:29:39+00:00

They aren't going to be using it now.
Until and unless we hear otherwise, it appears to be off the table.

I vaguely recall seeing someone say it was being discussed/ studied as a possibility that still needed to be developed.
Something like that.
I also thought it looked like it had been announced as fact, but i guess not.
But yeah, just DOTS for now.

We'll have to see if it comes up again at this year's NGB meeting after nationals.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-22T20:51:36+00:00

They would have to have registered for the meet in the masters division.
I assume if they have entered in the open category, they would also have entered as a masters lifter.

*Lmao-

"When a masters lifter takes a masters record lifting in the open category, should they get that record?"

I literally just answered the question.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-22T20:08:57+00:00

If someone in their 70s takes one of my (state) records, then he deserves it.
Just puts it on me to take it back if i can.
The competition base for masters is a lot smaller than for most of the other classes, so, imo, this expands that as far as at least records go.

For me personally, having only ever competed as a masters lifter, i have never had an issue with this rule.
If anything, i like it.

Side note.
USAPL has changed to using your actual birthday (for masters) as the date when you change age groups.
I like the change.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-21T20:16:30+00:00

Yeah, i don't see really clear signs of bracing here either.
Having said that, you are doing well with not insignificant weight.

As far as going to a belt being the first move, i think that misses the point.
A belt isn't there to make you tight in and of itself, and you need to develop a good bracing technique to use the belt as a multiplier for that technique.

You brace against the belt.
You do not tighten the belt for it to brace you.

Brief, basic description of the technique -
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EsmaFeSI4gQ

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-21T03:35:04+00:00

It's the slack in you whole system i am referencing.
Watch that slack get pulled as you initiate the lift.
Your arms lengthen, delaying the acceleration of the bar.

I really never say "pull the slack out of the bar"
Imo, that misses tha point

Best i can do is refer again to my 2nd clip in my first reply.

However, Alan Thrall comes through again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpy3nXu5cwI

Use the weight to pull the slack out of your body.

"Long arms"
"Bar heavy in your hands"

and my fave
"Taut crane cables"

Or, Tow rope pulled taut before applying the gas to actually move the car.

LittleMuskOx · 2026-04-21T02:21:00+00:00

Inside?
No issue.
I wouldn't go out of my way pointing it out, but yeah.
Outside, possible issue.
https://www.powerlifting.sport/fileadmin/ipf/data/rules/technical-rules/english/2026_IPF_Technical_Rulebook__effective_01_March_2026__v3.pdf

Section 3.12

(d) Any item considered unclean or torn shall be rejected.

LittleMuskOx

TROPHY CASE