Powerlifting and Bodybuilding By: Doug Lewis Date: Monday, 12 February 2001, at 7:09 p.m. Hello Powerlifters, I have a question for all you guys. I have been a bodybuilder for many, many years but am growing bored with it all. I no longer compete but have continued with the bodybuilding lifestyle. This is great but it tends to get a little boring as I am a competitive person and need something to keep me motivated. I have been contemplating getting serious into Powerlifting but I can not help but ask this question: Can a Powerlifter be successful with a bodybuilders mentality? My problem is that I don't want to lose muscular size. Don't get me wrong, I know Powerlifters can be big and muscular but not to the degree of a bodybuilder. I don't want to sacrifice size for power. I want both! Is this possible or am I just dreaming? Re: Powerlifting and Bodybuilding Ray Brunk Date: Monday, 12 February 2001, at 9:02 p.m. Doug, I was a bodybuilder for 10 years.I qualified for the NPC nationals back in 93.(just to let you know at what level I was....I never went to nationals as I know I would have been whipped...drug free)The one problem that I had with the sport of bodybuilding was that it was opinionative, or objective. Everthing thing you did all year was what mattered. On competition day it was all over.There was nothing I could do to be better after I was on stage. Then I had a problem with being placed by whatever a panel of judges decided they liked that day.I am so much happier with powerlifting. All your off season training is still important, and you still train to peak for a meet. But the big difference is that you are credited for what you do! You can be behind...get to that last deadlift.....psych yourself up...grab the bar and pull like you've never pulled before, hit a personal record and win!!!! I can't describe what that feels like. The most important thing is to hook up with a few powerlifters to help you get started. More than likely, you will need to relearn how to bench and squat. You will also need to learn to tone down the volume. More than likely your bodyfat will rise slightly. Muscle size will not go down(probably grow)but you will find that your overall shape will change. This is all very hard mentally at first. God knows I fought it at first, but to me has been very rewarding. Initially my lifts went down. They came up after technique correction and hit a plateau for a while. I kept with the new form and my lifts have been oing crazy. Typically, bodybuilders tend to be good benchers...learn the squat fairly quick and struggle on the deadlift. Give it a shot, you won't be sorry. The powerlifting community is a much friendlier bunch of guys. Remember all those days in the pump up room..all the guys glaring at each other ..not talking or saying nasty shit? Check this out!!!! Powerlifters help each other...even if their in the same class. My second meet.. a guy in my class blew out his bench shirt and a 3rd lifter(also in our class) gave him his spare shirt to use. That was when I knew this was a great bunch of competitors. Since then I have lent out whatever is needed, even handed off to my competition.In return I have recieved immeasurable amounts of help and advice. Sorry about the long ranting post....but this was my best decision ever! I hope this is the kind of response you were looking for. GOOD LUCK! Ray