Training Update: Getting Stronger

It has been a while since I've posted an update about my own training. Well, where do I begin?

Since the American Cup I've done the following:

- Brought my conventional deadlift up to 505 lb.

Easy peasy.

- Nearly doubled 500 lb. in my weightlifting shoes.

- Brought my five rep max total to 1,115 lb., two pounds greater than my first powerlifting total.

- Squatted 435 lb. in wraps.  I very rarely train in wraps and so throwing them on and getting a 30 lb. PR was expected. Haven't trained in them since that day I think.

- Got a 295 lb. touch and go bench. 

- 290 lb. paused bench.

- Made pause squats my bitch. 

- As of today took my squat 8RM from earlier this year and turned it into my 13RM. Then followed that up with a lifetime PR for beltless sumo deadlifts- 500 lb. easy. 

But what is more important are the people who, as a result of my method and their hard work, have gotten stronger. In one more week it will have been one year since I published my method online. In that time, greatness has happened. 

- User Flowersandrink added not only reps to his bar, but more weight too. Much much more. Took his bench from 240x4 to 250x6, squat from 340x3 to 350x5, deadlift from 365x5 to 405x3, and OHP from 145x6 to 155x6. In three months. 

- User Jevanses had a 35 kg increase on her total, not solely because of my method. But she was following a "lower volume version" for her squatting. 

- User Frak8757 using my method for 4-5 months put 65 lb. on her meet total. 

- User Mrthedon put 108 lb. on his meet total using my method in conjunction with a run of Coan/Phillipi for his deadlift. 

John let me know on Facebook, "So I borrowed your general training methodology for my own personal training and its working great so far."

An anonymous lifter messaged me to say, "Went from 310x2 TNG bench the first month and managed a 305x3 paused bench this time around. Hit a 415x2x2 squat and hit a 15 lb. PR 460 squat today."

From a lifter on Fitocracy, "After seven months, I broken through the 300 lb squat, and now I'm on the verge of 400s. I've started deadlifting, and I've gradually made my way to 435lb. I just joined the 1K club. I did my first meet today placing 2nd in the raw open 148 lb weight class."

There are many more. Not enough to please me, but the numbers are growing. I love helping others get stronger, their PR's feel like mine. Their drive. Their determination. Their results. Although the effort was theirs- it still motivates the hell out of me. But most important of all, is user
Always_Positive_Guy saying, "GZCL Method might have changed my life."

And that, is nothing short of amazing. 

When I first put out my method nearly a year ago I never expected that it would take off in the way it has. Not like it is anything huge like Cube Method, Juggernaut, or 5/3/1. But as of today, it is much larger than I ever imagined it being- and it is growing. Why is it growing? Because it works, and people like getting stronger. 

As of right now, The GZCL Method for Powerlifting blog post has 24,929 page views. 

Not too shabby for a little guy.


I want to thank everyone who helped me write out my thoughts and convince me to put my training method onto paper, to share with other lifters. Especially you Matt.