5 vs 3 Reps for Powerlifting?

[Guest guest]

I am looking for opinions on 5 reps vs 3 reps on the big three lifts

for powerlifting. I have used the Westside system for the past three

years with less than stellar results on the squat. I've returned to a

more traditional periodization routine using 5's at the beginning of

the cycle. Here is what is making me wonder if 5 reps are too many

for me to promote gains. Yesterday was a set of 5 with 475, I squat

low 600's. The first 3 reps were very, very easy, 4th was hard, 5th

very nearly 'killed' me. Since powerlifting is a one rep max this makes

me think that the weight was too light to have the desired effect on

a one rep max since the first 3 were easy.

To pre-counter any suggestions, I'm 37 years old, been lifting hard and heavy

since I

was 14 and competing for 10 years. The difference in effort between

reps 3 and 5 was beyond what just tiring over the course of a set. Is

it possible that my muscle make-up is such that I need to concentrate

more towards lower reps to get the desired effect

Dennis Schar,

.....Gobi Desert