(2009-12-15)

"For young Norwegian rising bodybuilding champion Daniel Stisen, fast and effective training results came through early years with powerlifting at his family's gym"

For young Norwegian competitor Daniel Stisen, training experience began at his father's own gym, where he learned the basics from his earliest teens until he was 20. It was during this initial period that he also learned the powerlifting techniques that won him a second place in the junior division of his country's national powerlifting championships when he was just 17. It was also a significant period in helping him gain impressive size and condition to his back, chest, arms and legs two years later when he won the junior class in the 2002 Oslo Grand Prix. Since then, he has continued training at Harald's Gym in the capital of Oslo.

Powerlifting for Both Size and Symmetry

Daniel's rapid progress from junior to open class competition came with the expert advice of his father. "In my first competitions my father helped me a lot, with workout and diet tips. Now I'm mostly self taught, and I know what to do when I'm competing. But I still wanted to get good advice and tips from people with good knowledge." For that reason, he still trains with partners at his own level or even more advanced competitively and also gained experience in the power training movements which he still uses for his own routine. At 171 centimeters tall, Daniel's best overall points in his physique were his symmetry, but his legs - well-developed from the heavy poundage of powerlifting movements like squats - became his best individual muscle group. At the same time, he worked hard to increase his lean muscle mass size, moving up from 89.5 kilos when he competed at the 2006 Norwegian Championships to his present contest weight of around 94-96 kilos. He also remains careful to not gain enormous amounts of off-season weight, only gaining around 10-12 kilos during these periods.

Daniel has adjusted some of his approach to training since his last show in 2006. "The biggest difference is that I have had to work out with less weights because of some injuries," he explains. "Now I have to work out smarter. For me, that means doing more warming up before regular sets, doing more stretching exercise, and getting massage regularly." Nowadays, he admits that in planning a typical in-season training schedule, "I really don't have a specific plan, I just follow my instincts".

Readjusting Regimens, Maintaining Good Form

For cardio exercise, he includes one session of about 30 to 45 minutes in the morning and occasionally a second evening session of another 30 minutes, using the treadmill or step machine. About his favorite exercises for arms, chest, or shoulders, he points to the bench press and curl. "My favorite mass-building exercises are the incline front press, curls, French press, rowing, deadlift, squat and leg press," he adds. "Now, however, I don't use so much weight and I focus more on performing with high intensity and really concentrating on the response I get from the muscle." Daniel's gradual reduction in heavy poundage while maintaining powerlifting movements within his training routine is typical of young bodybuilders initially relying on the heaviest amount of weight to rapidly build significant amounts of size. But they will usually moderate this as they achieve results in order to reduce stress on the ligaments and joints. "When i was younger, I loved to train with the Dorian Yates 'blood and guts' program, but I have to train smart now for at least the present. But maybe I will go back to that program again -- I love to train heavy!," Daniel points out. At still only 25 years old, he can always choose in the next few years to boost progress again with more periods of heavy training with maximum poundage

Finally, some training tips for other young bodybuilders who want to include an effective but safe powerlifting regimen within their bodybilding program? The major movements are the ones to be particularly aware of:



Squats - By strengthening the supporting muscles around the knee, you also increase knee stability and strength. Knee problems when squatting will only occur through improper form, namely relaxing in the bottom position. Keep the knee joints tight and flexed and this will avoid the problem.

Bench Press - Again, correct form is critical. The racked barbell should be straight above your eyes when you lie on the bench. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and then grasp the barbell. A resulting slight arch in the back is acceptable. Your feet should be firmly on the floor. Do not bounce the barbell off the chest as you come down after each extension.

The copyright of the article Powerlifting for Early Bodybuilding Progress in Fitness is owned by Hal W. Peat. Permission to republish Powerlifting for Early Bodybuilding Progress in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.