How I Prepare for Powerlifting Competitions
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As one of the strongest vegans in the world...
and a member of VeganStrong PlantBuilt - one of the largest vegan athletic teams in the world - if anyone asked me what has been the most significant experience that has changed my life, I'd have to say, hands down it’s competing in strength sports.
Bodybuilding
Throughout my entire life, I've thought “If I had a body like Jane Fonda, I’d be happy!” Then I trained for and competed in bodybuilding, the sport where competitors are required to put on bedazzled swimsuits, heels, fake tan and makeup. Then they are judged in real-time on which one looks the most attractive. It’s a muscular beauty pageant of sorts. After having won 7 awards in bodybuilding, I’d never felt more insecure about my body.
I had it all: a sculpted figure, muscle definition, long brown hair, but I wasn’t happy. When bodybuilders diet down for stage they get weaker. So did I. In order to win a competitive show, most women get so lean they don’t menstruate anymore. Neither did I.
Powerlifting
Bodybuilding is not a sustainable sport for most people. So, I decided to go back to lifting heavy and began working with Alexei Bakhirev, who is my coach to this day.
Since college, being in the gym brought me joy due to the performance aspect of the sport. I knew I was getting stronger (it’s easy to tell when the weight on the barbell goes up). Unlike bodybuilding, powerlifting is an objective sport. I found it upsetting when women would say they wanted to look like the photos from my bodybuilding days. When I explained that’s not a sustainable goal, most did not want to hear that until they tried to get that lean themselves.
Amazingly, powerlifting is inching its way out of the niche sports into the mainstream. Women are taking space in the weight room. Women are starting to care about their STRENGTH. And this is only the beginning.
My lifting regimen preparing for the competition:
The key
I lift year-round (with the exception of a 1-2 week vacation once a year), so it’s pretty easy for me to pick a competition date 8-12 weeks out and step on the platform.
The key for me is working on weak spots during my off-season, which is usually winter, adding more volume for accessory lifts and eating a lot of calories and protein to make sure the vegan gains continue. Since I’ve been lifting for years now, unfortunately my progress can be excruciatingly slow. If I can gain 1-2 lbs of muscle a year, it’s a success. Last year I added 22.5 kg /50 lbs to my total which is awesome, but still half from the previous year’s 100 lb. Every year gains diminish to about half of the previous year till the lifter reaches their genetic potential.
Coach Alexei and I typically select a couple of competitions in the spring for me to sign up for and then we plan backward from that date. Recently the PlantBuilt Vegan Strong team got added to the Mr. America competition, so I’ll describe my prep for that meet in reverse order.
Powerlifting is an intense sport
You win by lifting the most weight in one of the three attempts for barbell back squat, bench press and deadlift (the big three). I typically train 3 days a week: bench 3 times, squat 1-2 times and deadlift once. Sometimes I deadlift even less than that. Each exercise is programmed separately and overlaid onto the calendar in a fashion that allows me to rest each body part and muscle group before I use it again to let my CNS recover well.
Before duplicating another athlete’s training regimen, just know that success comes from a routine that considers your unique physiology, training experience, lifestyle and other factors. If you have never trained with the barbell, it’d be wise to hire a coach to learn how to be productive with the variables you have at the moment. My best advice: find a few coaches you think you can trust and vibe with, then send them your videos of the squat bench and deadlift and ask for feedback. Filtering out the ones you trust should be easy based on their responses.
Bench Presses
The reason you see bench presses almost every workout in my program is because I’m a relatively well-trained woman. Women are born with smaller upper bodies, so we typically need more of a stimulus for upper body exercises in order to progress and keep the momentum going. Beginner women also need more time to recover from lifts involving big upper body muscle groups, so I’m thrilled that now I can handle benching-and recovering from 3-4 bench press sessions a week.
Squats
Squats are taxing on the CNS, so I would not squat more than 1-2 times a week. The deadlift can be as rare as once in 10 days unless I’m doing a variation, such as block pulls, paused deadlift (when the barbell is elevated vs. being on the floor), or conventional deadlift (since I pull sumo, that’s an accessory lift for me).
Does the lack of variety in my workouts shock you? I could share more of my program, but honestly, it’s not much different. Just the weights vary and the repetitions, but the exercises are always the main few. And it never gets boring! I get stronger, weights keep going up, what could be more exciting than that?
An Approximate Plan Before Competitions
Deload
One week out, lifters normally try to relax their nervous system an extra bit. It’s called a “deload” or “taper” I’ll bench press 55-68% of my 1 RM then, deadlift and squat 50-60% 1RM just to keep blood flowing.
Eight to nine days to platform I normally test bench, 1.5 weeks-squat, 2 weeks-deadlift. Since the test is run after weeks of intensive training, I understand that the results are preliminary. These numbers help the coach and me determine how much to put on the barbell on the platform.
My coach and I have used many programming methodologies in the past. I liked undulating periodization and the conjugate method. In 2023, my program was linearly periodized for squats and deadlifts, a bunch of paused deadlifts and squats as well as cluster sets for bench press. Try those if your bench press has stalled.
Off Season Training Routine
Off-season training typically includes more exercise variation, accessories and conditioning. This block is 6 days a week, which is not typical for me. This routine has lower and upper body split though, so when one muscle group works another can recover.
Where do I get my protein?
Muscles are built out of amino acids, which come from protein. According to recent scientific literature, optimal protein intake is 0.73 to 1.10 g/lb of bodyweight. We don’t need as much protein as we think, but try to meet the minimum daily recommended standards based on your lifestyle and goals. Aim on the higher side if you work out more, or are dieting and want to lose body fat.
For example, I weigh 165 lbs so my range is 120-183 g protein daily.
Hail Seitan
If you ask me, a clear winner in the protein category is seitan (and other meat substitutes). Other plant-based options such as peanut butter and jelly is more of a carbohydrate than a protein source. Beans are 72% carbs and a great fibre source. Rice is basically all carbs.
Always check nutrition facts and calculate protein per calorie to see if a meal satisfies your needs.
Same deal with eggs or quinoa debate. Why choose between two poor options when you can make a tofu scramble and enjoy zero cholesterol, more protein and room for any carbs you prefer as a side? So what do I eat?
Bodybuilders are used to meticulously selecting foods they are lower in fats and carbs while strength sports competitors have the luxury to enjoy more fun options like these. As long as food is tasty and offers a good variety of micro nutrients and a decent amount of protein, that works for me!
References
An Approximate Plan Before Competitions
1. Deload
a. Peixoto, Douglas L et al. “Muscle Daily Undulating Periodization for Strength and Body Composition: The Proposal of a New Model.” International journal of exercise science vol. 15,4 206-220. 1 Jan. 2022 Source
b. Cronkleton, Emily. "How Does the Conjugate Method Work?" Healthline, 3 Dec. 2020 Source
2. Where do I get my protein?
"Optimal Protein Intake Guide." Examine Source