Back in the game. (Free 9 week peak)

It’s been a long old road for me to get back on the platform. I stopped competing in Powerlifting in 2017 to chase and achieve goals in my first sport of Boxing.

After making the decision to get back to Boxing, I knew I needed a goal, a date, something set in stone to motivate me. So there and then I signed up for a White Collar Heavyweight area title fight and within 3 months I managed to get down from 19 stone to 15 1/2 stone with reasonable fitness levels. I was excited, there is no thrill quite like fighting and never will be, it took me back to being a kid fighting in the amateurs, I put most of my personality development down to being under that kind of pressure at such a young age. I was hooked again.

I pushed Boxing hard and I loved it. Since then I have sparred many Champions and won all 5 of my unlicensed fights against some tough opposition, walking away with some unlicensed titles.

The boxing route took me down a road I didn’t think I would go, I got addicted to being fitter, faster, so I pushed my fitness really hard and started to really enjoy the thrill of endurance training. This led me to losing alot of weight eventually getting down to 13 1/2 stone which I hadn’t been since I was a kid. This then opened up the idea in my mind to join the Military, so I did just that.

I joined the Royal Marines which many consider is the hardest most arduous training in the world. Going from civilian to a high level commando in 32 weeks. I grabbed the bull by the horns and gave it all I had. I was so shocked to see the caliber of some of these humans there, I was middle pack if that but gave it all I had. I managed to complete the full basic training earning the right to be a soldier, This was until I tore my hamstring and calf (grade 2) on bottom field one day after being on exercise. This brought my life crashing down on me, I had not seen my daughter in 6 months and wouldn’t be able to for another 6 due to being in hunter (rehab).

I asked myself what is more important? Being a good soldier or being a dad? not even a good dad, just some sort of a dad because at the minute I am not being any sort.

So I left, which was a very tough decision and hurt me to the core. I lost an identity I felt like a failure and thought that people would think I quit because it was hard, which it is was but definitely doable and i knew i had what it took.

Fast forward to now, I am a serving Infantry Reserve Soldier and now a Competitive Powerlifter again.

Getting back to the lifting game has been tough on my ego and body, I suffered 2 tears last year on weights that I used to be able to rep. I could see people thought I was done and couldn’t do it again. I used this to motivate myself I knew I wasn’t done.

So on the 8/4/2023 I did my first competition back.

I managed-

240kg squat

185kg bench

270kg deadlift

695kg total

I was happy with this, it was only 5kg behind my best total in sleeves and I qualified for the British.

Below I will attach my full 9 weeks peak I wrote for myself. I will put all the numbers and percentages I used but these can be took out and you can run this yourself and base it off your own numbers and rpe's.

So you have a full 9 weeks peak for free not too shabby.

Thanks for reading, please let me know if you use the program and how you do on it.

And if your stuck in a rut or feel like people are doubting you

Stay the course.

Much love.

Fight prep

Here at Alliance we have just wrapped up the strength and conditioning sessions for our sponsored boxers.

We are proud to work alongside Paul Charlton who is their boxing coach and does an amazing job with them.

At Alliance I have focused on building GPP, (general physical preparedness) Strength and explosive power. We have done this through the conjugate method made popular in mma by the late great Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell.

The lads come down to the gym for their strength and conditioning once a week. I have them do a max effort variation teaching them to strain which builds absolute strength. This is rotated on a weekly basis, one week being an upper body variation the following week being a lower body variation. We then move on to a dynamic exercise this builds explosive power which is definitely needed in the sport of Boxing. This is short repeated bouts of explosive reps in a timed period. This is also rotated on a weekly basis (upper/lower). Then we finish with some accessories which will aid their Boxing and keep them injury free.

A sample workout would look like-

max effort lower-

Ssb box squat

Work up to a 3 rep max

Dynamic upper

Banded close grip benchpress -

9sets of 3 reps

60 sec rest

Towel grip pullups 3x Amrap

Neck exercises

As you can see the sessions are built to the needs of the sport. The following video is our last session before they fight so I want to keep the same principles of training but I want to lower the intensity and increase the sport specificity.

As you can see in the following video we worked up to a max effort box jump, then did dynamic med ball throws using the same kinetic chain that you would throwing a punch. This keeps weight off their back and this is easier to recover from.

I have had a great time working with the lads and would like to say a big thank you to them and Paul Charlton for letting us work together. I look forward to the future.

Go out and do the business boys.

Good luck

Tom Thorpe

Kingsley Ashton

Oscar Cosgrove

Paul Charlton

Ewan Cunliffe

Owner/coach

Alliance S&C/ barbell clube

Girl power!!!

Next up we have Sophie Lynch competing the following day on the same A/BPU North West competition.

I turn up at 9am at the same gym as yesterday (SILA/Strength Therapy) and find Soph has already weighed in. We go over to the monolift and give our rack heights in. Soph comes from a Thai boxing background and i can see the natural born competitor in her eyes. She is laser focused to get the job done.

We warm up on squats in the same rack as the lads did yesterday along with other lifters in her flight. We take our last warm up of 80kg which looks like speed rep we are ready for business today i can tell.

We wait for the announcer to tell us its our turn to take our opener. Soph steps to the platform chilled ready to smoke her 90kg opener, which she does just that sinks the depth and fires straight up no problem. She gets 2 white lights, i head over to speak to the ref that gave her the red light she explains to me that after the start comand she double dipped her knees. I relayed this information to Soph.

Second attempt we chose 100kg a PB for Soph in knee sleeves (she has squatted this in the gym with knee wraps). Alot more of the same, easy squat fires up like a piston. I also got a thumbs up from the ref telling me that she had aknowledged the double dip was no longer there. Third attempt time I chose 107.5kg i had a goal of mapping out a 300kg total and was trying to peice that together. Soph steps to the platform and hits 107.5kg just like the other 2 lifts, light work and 3/3 squats a good start to the day.

After squats we have abit of a break, She has some food and chats to her friends and family who have came to support her. I laugh and joke to her ‘this is abit better than getting punched and kicked in the head’ we laugh and look around as there is people smoking and eating cake, you couldnt imagine this inbetween rounds in a fight!

Bench next Soph is a good benchpresser. I have spoken to Soph about this she is a subtotal lifter this meaning that she will do her best work in the squat and bench giving her a good lead and will just have to maintain that with the deadlift. The downside to this being a subtotal lifter is you rarely get to deadlift a PB in comp as you are going for a number to secure a win not a PB.

Bench gets started she takes 60kg for an opener which looks just as an opener should. We move on to 65kg for a second attempt which looked hard compared to how she has been looking in the gym, i played it safe and opted for a small PB of 67.5kg for a third attempt. I told her she needed to get super tight for this as she looked a little loose and was just pressing straight up as opposed to throwing the bar towards her face. She was ready and back with the focus which I think dipped slightly with the break, she walks over to the bench sets up looks strong i hand her the bar, the bar lowers she gets a good press command and drives the bar up and over like i asked, a good solid lift- 3 white lights and a PB.

Deadlifts next, here I am trying to peice together 300kg, we have got every lift so far so we are looking great. We need 125kg to get 300kg, we have an opener of 105kg i am in 2 minds where to go after that, i know she can do 120kg but that will tax her for her third attempt but if she fails her third attempt that leaves her with a bigger total, but we want 300kg so i thought 117.5kg for a second attempt leaving more room for a balls to the wall third.

Soph walks to the platform for her opener of 105kg which she pulls with ease. 117.5KG next for her second she executes this perfectly a great combination of strength power and technique, here we go 125kg in for the third.

I remind Soph to not get too giddy as 1 small mistake with a sumo deadlift and you will be out of position, she aknowledges that and heads to the platform with the perfect combination of adrenaline and focus. She sets her feet and hips perfect the bar breaks the floor gets to just above the knee and couldnt lock out. So close to the 300kg total but just not quite there on this day.

A brilliant performance 8/9 good lifts with PBs on squat bench and total. First competition completed.

Soph is brilliant to work with I love coaching individuals like her who are natural born competitors, who will do whatever it takes to win. She attacks everything i ask of her with the best of her ability and if she has a bad day at the gym she moves on and pushes hard next time. She is a great role model for the gym showing that females can be super strong too, so girls get yourself to a barbell it will be the best thing you can do for yourselves!

Ewan Cunliffe

owner and coach

Alliance Barbell Club/S+C

First up…the boys

This past weekend was a historic moment for Alliance Barbell Club. We had our powerlifters compete in there first sanctioned competition.

The competition was held in Manchester at the fantastic SILA/Strength Therapy gym under the A/BPU banner. We had Connor Wood (110kg) and Bobby Green (125kg) compete on saturday 11th march 2023.

The boys both weighed in and got to warming up on squats. The gym was packed with like minded people all trying to secure somewhere to warm up. We set up shop with a few other lifters in the same flight. Connor did his last warm up of 145kg and Bobby did his on 160kg, now we are ready to go.

First up squats probably the most daunting moment of a powerlifting competition, you want to secure this first lift knowing you are in the game and ready to push it on the next 2 attempts. Connor steps to the platform sinks a lovely deep and powerful 155kg opening attempt- 3 white lights. Next up Bobby with his opener of 170kg he gets his start command, hits depth comes to stand up with it and he is a little slow and shakey but 3 white lights and a good lift.

We now move onto second attempts.Connor once again up first with a 165kg squat he steps up to the platform looking confident and hits a new PB with relative ease. Bobby steps up we played it safe with a small 5kg increase as the nerves had set in, he steps to the platform hits 175kg a smooth lift but knowing how hard he had trained i was hoping for it to be abit faster. After a small discusion with both lifters we had decided what we wanted for 3rd attempts.

3rd attempt time, Connor hits depth with 175kg a weight he has never had on his back, starts to come up with it hits a sticking point and fights through it for what looked like an eternity and stands up. 3 white lights thats Connor 3/3 for squats with a huge PB great start! Bobby is ready to take on 182.5kg a small PB he steps to the platform looking confident gets his start command hits depth and stands up with it super explosive like he could of done a set of 3 with it. 2 to 1 a good lift. Both lads with a great start securing all 3 of there squat attempts.

Now onto the Benchpress after both lads had took the last warm ups we step to the platform. Once again Connor is first gets his press command with 100kg and throws it up easy as an opener should be. Next up Bobby with 125kg easy. We are now building confidence for second attempts. Connor takes on 110kg, his 3rd attempt he took in his last mock competition. He gets his press command and locks it out well. Bobby takes 135kg and drives it up a smooth lift. 3rd attempts now Connor takes on 120kg a big PB and has handled in the gym on different variations but yet to press to comp standard, he lowers the bar gets his press command exploded a couple of inch off his chest but just not enough to get passed his sticking point just a touch to much on this day. Next up Bobby takes on 140kg a milestone lift that im sure everyone who steps in a gym wants to do one day, he gets his press command drives off his chest gets to 3/4 of the way and gave a good fight but just couldnt quite lock it out- no lift.

Deadlifts next this is where competitions can be shook up big time someone who is in last can pull a big deadlift from no where and take the lead. Both lads are looking good warming up we are set to finish the day on a high aiming for PB totals. Connor and Bobby both take 200kg to open a routine weight- both 3 white lights. Connor takes 215kg for his second attempt which will secure him a 500kg total, he steps to the platform kicks his feet in and pulls the weight fast and strong- good lift. Bobby next a good deadlifter takes on 220kg and takes it easy. last lifts of the day for the boys Connor does battle with 225kg and secures it with room to spare! a 510kg total 47.5kg on his previous best in a mock competition. Bobby takes on 232.5kg it flies off the ground with speed but didnt sit his hips low enough and he was too far over the bar, he knew he couldnt lock it out from that position without hitching so put it down. Unfortunatley just missing out on a PB total.

The day is done Alliance Barbell Club now has 2 official competitive powerlifters. Both lifters did great and learnt alot, the sport of powerlifting is a sport of consistency. keep showing up keep chipping away and eventually you find yourself at the top.

Well done Boys

Ewan Cunliffe

owner and coach- Alliance Barbell Club/S+C