How to Powerbuild (Episode 136)

In this episode, Pak and Milo break down some of the research surrounding how to powerbuild. Can you grow muscle and get stronger simultaneously? How can you best do both? What are the differences between hypertrophy training and strength training?
TIME STAMPS
00:06:00 - Intro to powerbuilding: personal experience and existing studies
00:29:11 - Criticisms and benefits of powerbuilding - muscular imbalances and progressive overload
00:49:54 - How much potential gains are missed?
00:56:59 - Implementation
01:06:37 - Common mistakes
01:15:02 - Audience Q&A
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"How to Powerbuild (Episode 136)"

[@codyhanson7375]

This was by far and away my favorite episode. I really liked the part about powerbuilding over the age of 50. Also, when you mentioned the exercises someone needs to do for powerbuilding.

[@DevilsRejection]

Watching the video version of the podcast is hilarious. It's just Pak flexing in front of his webcam for 90 minutes straight.

[@hayesdelezene4590]

Let’s be real here, if you’ve got pecs you’ve gotta flex on em. It’s basically an obligation once you pass a certain point.

[@gerym341]

Fantastic episode. Thank you Doctors

[@AlphaLionTrillionaire]

I think the problem with power building is that people who actually care about powerlifting are just gonna do what's optimal for powerlifting and people who care the most about bodybuilding are gonna do that. So really the niche that power building occupies is mostly people who wanna get Hella jacked but also generally strong. And those people probably don't care too much about squatting specifically to parallel but do care about how strong they are at ohp or pull ups. So instead of this abomination, it makes sense to talk about "general strength building", which would include vertical pull, horizontal pull, probably ohp and likely things like spinal flexion, extension and rotation. In that regard I have two questions. Would it make sense to include all 6 of the main movements for 1-3 reps each week or does it make more sense to Pak it up and focus on only 2 or 3 for a couple of mesos in a row while having others on maintenance ? Secondly - actually I forgot the second question nvm

[@382u3uuej]

Yeah, the method doctor pacman mentioned at around minute 50 of 3 to 6 sets a week of 1 to 5 reps applies to any movement, you can do it for barbell rows, pull ups, EZ curls anf anything else you want, and this got me thinking if it's a good idea to use dumbbells when possible to save time since you won't have to put weight on a bar and then take it off.

[@wesrobinson7506]

This is one of those instant likes cause I know I’m gonna love before listening ! Love the Powerbuilding method and mentality! Hey Dr. Pak, could you expand on your warm ups for your heavy singles? What would you recommend?

[@Elwind_of_Arathor]

Would also love to get Pak's recommendation here! I know for myself warmups on compounds have been an area I've really cut down on time cost in my own training. For me it's come down to three things. 1.) take bigger jumps, and shorter rests. This took a little while to acclimate too but now it just feels normal, I used to do anywhere from 3-8 sets of empty bar and then add 20kg, and go up in 20kg increments. Now I often begin with the bar already loaded to 60kg for the first warmup, and then increase to 100kg, 140, then 160, and do working sets at 170-180 I imagine a stronger person could make even bigger jumps than me. Videos of Jesus Oliveras show him making 50kg increases each set. 2.) being less sedentary when I'm not at the gym. Just like trying to break up my sedentary time more, getting up every hour or two to do a set of bodyweight squats or run in place, and get my body temp and heart rate up. I feel much more agile and ready all the time, like always warmed up. 3.) trying to get more/better sleep to the extent I can. Really cuts back on the feelings of being slow, sluggish, and stiff when I walk in the gym.

[@Elwind_of_Arathor]

Speaking just from personal experience after having been mostly powerlifting focused for a decade and now rotating back and forth between powerlidting and bodybuilding focused blocks. I do find that doing only 3 sets per week for each of the three powerlifts does allow me to maintain or regain my 1-rep-min. So I'm atleast in the ballpark of being at the starting gate if i want to focus on peaking my strength. However thats probably the 80% mark, if i want to train to hit a new PR I find I require the dedication of significantly more of my time, focus, and intensity to strength at the cost of basically putting my bodybuilding work on the backburner. There's an opportunity cost for me in terms of the emotional/mental attitude I need to be able to not half ass my big lifts, and really dial in my technique or approach very heavy weights. Conversely, focusing on going close to failure and not rushing my tempo on the eccentric for bodybuilding also requires a level of mental focus and intensity for me personally, and I tend to be able to apply myself more fervently when I'm only needing to be in one mindset or the other within a given workout. Very easy for me to half-ass one or the other when I try to do both. Maybe not a problem other people have? And okay, I did not do a bicep curl for 7 years while benching 4 days a week for half of that time period. On top of that i have a naturally chest dominant physique from before I ever lifted weights, so in terms of aesthetics you might say I very much have a lot of catch-up to do on the arms. But it's all about fun for me, and its about the jounrey, so I pick my training focus based on what I enjoy at the time. Sometimes that's bench focus, sometimes arms, sometimes glutes, or deadlift, or quads. Main thing is just to enjoy training and enjoy life. Not really bothered if my physique meets any particular criteria of aesthetics. Haha

[@rolandfisher]

13:07 Pak, PHAT is cool, but you're right, strength is the better word. And, dare I say it makes a far better acronym. The SHAT program would have sold twice as well as the PHAT program.

[@ginger-s1v]

i agree, i would've bought that

[@koffski93]

Milo largely agrees

[@nonoffensiveperson9877]

With some caveats

[@samuele.marcora]

Thumbs up for the guy who asked about us 50+ blokes

[@ophirmayer1]

When speaking about strength, why confine yourself to the big three?! Who cares about that, besides powerlifters of course, who will do mostly SBD's anyway. If I want to be strong in the bicep curl for some reason, what's the game plan?

[@chilldude97183]

Dr. Wolf ahuuuuuuuuuuu

[@alexanderchernoshtan9898]

A woolf pAck baby 😂 Aaaaauuuuuoooooooooooo 🐺

[@josephherrera111]

I refuse to "Powerbuild" as it's an abomination. I Strengtrophy.

[@dakhoa]

I started with the Jeff Nippard‘s Powerbuilding programs and I wish I started out with hypertrophy focused training right away. Feels like I wasted my time but obviously depends on your goals.

[@RMBLRX]

Hey, Sonic Boom. I went there when I visited Seattle years back and still have a tote bag from there.

[@SaulFemm]

Uh oh. The last time Greg stopped showing up to the podcast... 😬 I kid. Looking forward to listening!

[@warrenhenning8064]

Is powerbuilding just a form of conjugate periodization with dynamic effort replaced with hypertrophy and less emphasis on max effort exercise variation/accommodating resistance? like, you're trying to progress on both strength and hypertrophy in conjugate. and you periodize your training. so.

[@hayesdelezene4590]

How does it feel to have a certified spider physique by the French National Natural Bodybuilding Association? I aspire to achieve the certification myself. It is second in prestigiousness behind the Eric Bugenhagen Pencil Neck Award.

[@rolandfisher]

This isn't as complex as it is made out to be. If you find your personal strength training volume that works best for you and you simply add the hypertrophy training in over time you find what you can handle. Done. Train for strength, and add what hypertrophy you can handle.

[@Yupppi]

The amount of beard was decreased by 30%, and so was the length of the episode. Curious correlation. The content still none the worse. Milo speaks to my heart with the old free Stronger by Science powerlifting program. The AMRAP in the beginner program really kept me honest about training, even though doing a set of 12-14 on squat was grueling when you realized you were progressing faster than you expected. That was also when I learned to push the squat to actual 1 RIR (quads struggling but still getting up in good form) when I had the goal to meet and a squat rack with safety bars. I loved it. Biceps to me are a curious case. How much are they visual and how much are they effective in lifts and athletic endeavors? Like many sports to me seem like too big of biceps are an issue (reaching positions necessary for the sport), and I almost never find my biceps getting sore from sports, rarely from lifting (at least not the first to give up). Much more often it's the forearms, shoulders, lats etc, not the biceps. And even then I suppose something like judo is an outlier where you might actually want to pull with lats and lift with shoulders, grip with forearms. But so many people focus on bicep training and want big biceps. You still see occasionally people think about lat's importance in bench as stabilizing the shoulders for more push, but I don't know if anybody tested it out or if it's just casual reasoning. Can you make the next episode about how to build power? Alongside strength (and apparently or probably hypertrophy as side effect).

[@alexanderchernoshtan9898]

emm and yes, maybe Dr. Pak want to do a follow up study and compare 2 groups under the "minimal effective dose" paradigm? lets say 1st group will perform 1 single (high %) and some back offs and 2nd some back off (regular) sets with some 70-80% of 1rm, it can be even volume equated. lets say 1 single and couple back offs (4 reps) VS 3 by 3 or smth like that. its like high % for STR hypothesis VS some volume at highish % for STR aa aaa aa? 🤣😅

[@fazzolarijames]

I’ve not watched the pod in a few years. Very different to what I’m familiar with but nevertheless excellent content.

[@omegaman_]

I’ve heard that power-building is a hybrid training between ‘power” lifting & ‘bodybuilding.”

[@hayesdelezene4590]

Woah there that’s a hot take

[@dvdgnz1]

At 43, I no longer chase strength. Seems to coincide with injury, especially as I get leaner.

[@hayesdelezene4590]

Solution: embrace bear mode and reject the quest for leanness. It’s called power build-ing ya feel me

[@dvdgnz1]

@@kapoioBCS I do full body everyday and start with legs.

[@dvdgnz1]

@@hayesdelezene4590 nah, I did that since '99. Leanness is where it's at.

[@hayesdelezene4590]

@@dvdgnz1 This sounds like an affront to m’lord grizzly. Heretical indeed