Current Powerlifters training 1x a week!?

[LatteYSquat]

Does anyone know if there are any modern elite powerlifters who are training each lift once a week?

I'm curious to know this since it seems in the past it was basically the norm and it produced lots of incredible powerlifters. Kirk Karkowski was the posterboy for this.

Here's two articles explaining how old school powerlifters would just gather on sunday and S\B\D all in one session

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-1

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-2

For me it's very fascinating, curious to hear your thoughts.

[Boa]

Not strictly 1x a week - as in everything in one day and no other training at all...

Andy Bolton, the first Powerlifter to pull 1000 on the Deadlift, only trains for Powerlifting 2x days a week. He does a Lower Day and an Upper Day and then on a third day he hits accessories. He's been doing that pretty much his entire life and often posts on the subject.

Tony Cliffe, World u120 IPF world champion was training only 2x days a week for a really long time. I think he trains more often now but he was still cleaning house in both EQ and Raw competitions when he had that constraint on two-day training weeks.

I can't think of any modern instances outside of that where people train exclusively 1x day a week for Powerlifting. However, I can posit perhaps that in the past where equipped lifting was the dominant form that Powerlifting took, that guys were probably training together 1x a week for Powerlifting only, due to the nature of the equipment (which at that time was denim and not often to an easier-use standard than it is today) and it being nigh impossible to have a productive session without training alongside others and helping each other in and out of equipment. Excluding this day, they most probably trained more generalist (eg Bodybuilding style) for the rest of the week.

[mgil]

Kirk was 5’7” and lifting in the 242 and 275 classes. He was eating some food.

I think he also had a somewhat physical job, like working as a printer. People often discount things like this, but when your job has you lifting and moving stuff around constantly, it’s a stimulus for muscle growth also.

[Wilhelm]

I'm not sure who answered this before, but i seem to recall a lifter needs to basically train those single lift a week days murderously to be effective.

*And that this approach might be more suited to an advanced lifter who is putting huge stress on their system with the absolute load they require for their lifts.

[Hardartery]

A three month block with a physical job is not the same as all of the time. Sure, you can make gains like that - especially lifting in a group setting with guys pushing each other to total destruction. The harder you pound things the more recovery time you need, but all of that is going to be effective only temporarily and not as effective as other training methods. Marty Gallagher is no joke, I'm not slagging on him, but I don't know a single PLer that trains that way and I don't think I ever have met one that does.

[mgil]

A three month block with a physical job is not the same as all of the time. Sure, you can make gains like that - especially lifting in a group setting with guys pushing each other to total destruction. The harder you pound things the more recovery time you need, but all of that is going to be effective only temporarily and not as effective as other training methods. Marty Gallagher is no joke, I'm not slagging on him, but I don't know a single PLer that trains that way and I don't think I ever have met one that does.

Marty Gallagher always seems a bit creative when telling his various PL tales. Marketing matters, and writing about the typical boring training shit isn’t going to bring more people into the fold.

[bobmen10000]

To echo (and add one small addendum) it may not have been common but the idea of "training" one day a week was a thing. Larry Pacifico, world record powerlifter in the 70s and 80s, mentioned a peer (can't recall the name) who was a top tier heavyweight and had a great physique who only lifted once a week. He also didn't do a ton of volume by today's standards, not much more than some of the session ranges used by BBM but I believe Pacifico mentioned the lifter nearly maxing out every (weekly) session. In that anecdote, the stress involved may have warranted taking a week off as he was basically doing a meet every week as a prep for an actual meet.

My one addition, I think this would onlly really work at an elite if you are taking some sort of not-so-secret sauce supplement and/or have genetics predisposed to be only Godly at lifting weights- and in both cases, more volume would probably help if not be strictly necessary.

[Hardartery]

To echo (and add one small addendum) it may not have been common but the idea of "training" one day a week was a thing. Larry Pacifico, world record powerlifter in the 70s and 80s, mentioned a peer (can't recall the name) who was a top tier heavyweight and had a great physique who only lifted once a week. He also didn't do a ton of volume by today's standards, not much more than some of the session ranges used by BBM but I believe Pacifico mentioned the lifter nearly maxing out every (weekly) session. In that anecdote, the stress involved may have warranted taking a week off as he was basically doing a meet every week as a prep for an actual meet.

My one addition, I think this would onlly really work at an elite if you are taking some sort of not-so-secret sauce supplement and/or have genetics predisposed to be only Godly at lifting weights- and in both cases, more volume would probably help if not be strictly necessary.

That's a big part of the HIT thing from Arthur Jones and company. It was directed at BBing and using the Nautilus equipment that he designed and sold. It was really quite stupid and purely a marketing scheme based on fake studies ala Casey Viator. The only positive of it was that it was the polar opposite of the ultra-high volume training in vogue at the time as popularized by Arnold and his contemporaries. Adequate recovery is a thing lacking in extreme volume and overblown in HIT.

[MarkKO]

Does anyone know if there are any modern elite powerlifters who are training each lift once a week?

I'm curious to know this since it seems in the past it was basically the norm and it produced lots of incredible powerlifters. Kirk Karkowski was the posterboy for this.

Here's two articles explaining how old school powerlifters would just gather on sunday and S\B\D all in one session

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-1

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-2

For me it's very fascinating, curious to hear your thoughts.

Each *lift* once a week, or training once a week?

I'm fairly sure there are quite a few elite PLers who train each lift once a week. It doesn't help that I can't come up with a few names, of course. I suspect JP Carroll did when he was being coached by Swede Burns, and he's no slouch.

Can't imagine anyone is training one day a week only with all the lifts in one day though.

[houzi]

If the question is in regards to training each lift 1x a week (and not all on the same day), there are quite a few top guys doing this. Ray Williams, Kevin Oak and Dan Bell I believe all only train squat bench and deadlift with 1x frequency.

[LatteYSquat]

If the question is in regards to training each lift 1x a week (and not all on the same day), there are quite a few top guys doing this. Ray Williams, Kevin Oak and Dan Bell I believe all only train squat bench and deadlift with 1x frequency.

Does anyone know if there are any modern elite powerlifters who are training each lift once a week?

I'm curious to know this since it seems in the past it was basically the norm and it produced lots of incredible powerlifters. Kirk Karkowski was the posterboy for this.

Here's two articles explaining how old school powerlifters would just gather on sunday and S\B\D all in one session

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-1

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-2

For me it's very fascinating, curious to hear your thoughts.

Each *lift* once a week, or training once a week?

I'm fairly sure there are quite a few elite PLers who train each lift once a week. It doesn't help that I can't come up with a few names, of course. I suspect JP Carroll did when he was being coached by Swede Burns, and he's no slouch.

Can't imagine anyone is training one day a week only with all the lifts in one day though.

Yes, 1x week frequency on the lifts. Have you guys got link to some of these splits? Thanks

[Hardartery]

If the question is in regards to training each lift 1x a week (and not all on the same day), there are quite a few top guys doing this. Ray Williams, Kevin Oak and Dan Bell I believe all only train squat bench and deadlift with 1x frequency.

Does anyone know if there are any modern elite powerlifters who are training each lift once a week?

I'm curious to know this since it seems in the past it was basically the norm and it produced lots of incredible powerlifters. Kirk Karkowski was the posterboy for this.

Here's two articles explaining how old school powerlifters would just gather on sunday and S\B\D all in one session

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-1

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-2

For me it's very fascinating, curious to hear your thoughts.

Each *lift* once a week, or training once a week?

I'm fairly sure there are quite a few elite PLers who train each lift once a week. It doesn't help that I can't come up with a few names, of course. I suspect JP Carroll did when he was being coached by Swede Burns, and he's no slouch.

Can't imagine anyone is training one day a week only with all the lifts in one day though.

Yes, 1x week frequency on the lifts. Have you guys got link to some of these splits? Thanks

It's a split. Usually Upper/Lower. Session 1 - Squat + accessories, Session 2 - Bench + accessories, Session 3 DL +/or accessories. Many guys do not DL every week, depending on where they are in the training cycle. Throw in a fourth day for OHP or oter "Accessory" work and you have roughly 90% of the splits in use for PL. It is a very minor adaptation to the common Strongman split - virtually the same.

[SnakePlissken]

Wanna say Maddox only benches 1x a week. I think I heard that from his interview with Candito or one of Josh Bryant's videos (since he's his trainer); maybe both.

[Hardartery]

Wanna say Maddox only benches 1x a week. I think I heard that from his interview with Candito or one of Josh Bryant's videos (since he's his trainer); maybe both.

He claimed less frequency than that on one the vids on his channel I think. That or the one with Louie. I think every 9 days. He needs that much to recover.

[MarkKO]

If the question is in regards to training each lift 1x a week (and not all on the same day), there are quite a few top guys doing this. Ray Williams, Kevin Oak and Dan Bell I believe all only train squat bench and deadlift with 1x frequency.

Does anyone know if there are any modern elite powerlifters who are training each lift once a week?

I'm curious to know this since it seems in the past it was basically the norm and it produced lots of incredible powerlifters. Kirk Karkowski was the posterboy for this.

Here's two articles explaining how old school powerlifters would just gather on sunday and S\B\D all in one session

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-1

https://www.ironcompany.com/blog/once-a ... ing-part-2

For me it's very fascinating, curious to hear your thoughts.

Each *lift* once a week, or training once a week?

I'm fairly sure there are quite a few elite PLers who train each lift once a week. It doesn't help that I can't come up with a few names, of course. I suspect JP Carroll did when he was being coached by Swede Burns, and he's no slouch.

Can't imagine anyone is training one day a week only with all the lifts in one day though.

Yes, 1x week frequency on the lifts. Have you guys got link to some of these splits? Thanks

It's a split. Usually Upper/Lower. Session 1 - Squat + accessories, Session 2 - Bench + accessories, Session 3 DL +/or accessories. Many guys do not DL every week, depending on where they are in the training cycle. Throw in a fourth day for OHP or oter "Accessory" work and you have roughly 90% of the splits in use for PL. It is a very minor adaptation to the common Strongman split - virtually the same.

Bit of a tangent here, but whe you say virtually the same as common strongman splits does that mean that would go session 1 yoke+accessories, session 2 log+accessories, session 3 stones+accessories and session 4 axle clean and press and accessories? I've always been quite interested in how strongman training would work in a four day split like for PL. I picked the main lifts out of my limited understanding of staple lifts in strongman

[Hardartery]

Bit of a tangent here, but whe you say virtually the same as common strongman splits does that mean that would go session 1 yoke+accessories, session 2 log+accessories, session 3 stones+accessories and session 4 axle clean and press and accessories? I've always been quite interested in how strongman training would work in a four day split like for PL. I picked the main lifts out of my limited understanding of staple lifts in strongman

It is pretty straight forward. Some guys do events separate, we used to mostly do an events day as the 4th day, or sometimes the third day depending on the week. If you watch any of the videos, and read between the lines a little, it looks like very little has change. There is always a Squat day. Always. It's usually the first thing you do in the session. After the squats, you do accessories - jut like most PLers. The difference is in overall volume allotment. The events are frequently the accessory. So, for example:

Day 1
Squats
work up to work sets weight and do three sets of that weight
RDL/Glute Ham/GM variation/Reverse Hyper (Pick one) for 10 x 3 sets
Farmers/Yoke/Tire Flip as a finisher

Day 2
Overhead
Clean and Press variety/Press from the rack variety (whatever implement is coming up in a contest or needs the most work basically)
Bench/Strict Press/Triceps variation
Shoulder work (Face pulls/Raises/maybe Rotator Cuff stuff)
Additional implement for light work - maybe

Day 3
DL variation (Depends on upcoming contest and weak area)
Row variation
Stones - maybe

Day 4
Whatever the likely upcoming events are, hopefully at expected contest weights.
Cardio/Conditioning should also be happening a few times in here, Interval stuff carries over well to Medley's and Tire Flip will beat you down.

So, basically the same thing, but accessory work is going to be event based frequently. This is because technique matters a lot so you want reps with the event stuff.
This is fairly vague - I know - but it gives you the geeral idea. We would work in with the PLers sometimes on Box Squats and stuff like that when the schedules permitted - the extra analysis and round robin lifting are always bonuses.

[houzi]

Yes, 1x week frequency on the lifts. Have you guys got link to some of these splits? Thanks

From the Candito interview, Ray Williams said he has a Squat day, a Bench day and a Deadlift day. Again with Candito, Dan Bell said that he follows a Lilliebridge method-esque alternating routine:
Day 1: Heavy Squats/Light deadlifts
Day 2: Heavy Bench
Day 3: Lower body Acc
Day 4: Upper body Acc
On the alternate weeks he does heavy deadlifts and light squats on day 1, and Close Grip Bench on Day 2.
Kevin Oaks Youtube and instagram you can see what he does in his training.

[MarkKO]

Bit of a tangent here, but whe you say virtually the same as common strongman splits does that mean that would go session 1 yoke+accessories, session 2 log+accessories, session 3 stones+accessories and session 4 axle clean and press and accessories? I've always been quite interested in how strongman training would work in a four day split like for PL. I picked the main lifts out of my limited understanding of staple lifts in strongman

It is pretty straight forward. Some guys do events separate, we used to mostly do an events day as the 4th day, or sometimes the third day depending on the week. If you watch any of the videos, and read between the lines a little, it looks like very little has change. There is always a Squat day. Always. It's usually the first thing you do in the session. After the squats, you do accessories - jut like most PLers. The difference is in overall volume allotment. The events are frequently the accessory. So, for example:

Day 1
Squats
work up to work sets weight and do three sets of that weight
RDL/Glute Ham/GM variation/Reverse Hyper (Pick one) for 10 x 3 sets
Farmers/Yoke/Tire Flip as a finisher

Day 2
Overhead
Clean and Press variety/Press from the rack variety (whatever implement is coming up in a contest or needs the most work basically)
Bench/Strict Press/Triceps variation
Shoulder work (Face pulls/Raises/maybe Rotator Cuff stuff)
Additional implement for light work - maybe

Day 3
DL variation (Depends on upcoming contest and weak area)
Row variation
Stones - maybe

Day 4
Whatever the likely upcoming events are, hopefully at expected contest weights.
Cardio/Conditioning should also be happening a few times in here, Interval stuff carries over well to Medley's and Tire Flip will beat you down.

So, basically the same thing, but accessory work is going to be event based frequently. This is because technique matters a lot so you want reps with the event stuff.
This is fairly vague - I know - but it gives you the geeral idea. We would work in with the PLers sometimes on Box Squats and stuff like that when the schedules permitted - the extra analysis and round robin lifting are always bonuses.

That's gold, thanks heaps. I screenshotted it.