That is what total effort look like! Happy to say I did get that lift!

May 14th was a big day. I stepped back onto the platform to compete in powerlifting. It has been years since I walked away from competing. This go round was a totally different experience, and it was fabulous.

I was confident, happy and reasonably relaxed. Andrew (Aspire Health and Performance) had done a great job of preparing me for the day and helping me keep my expectations in check as to what our goal was. The goal was to get back on the platform and remember what it was like to have my head in the game, obviously it was also to be competitive but in Vernon that was only part of the process.

I have some frustrations with the sport and I needed to make sure my head was in a good place to deal with them (a post of another day) but needless to say I was worried that those old frustrations would show up and throw me completely off.

They didn’t.

Having Andrew there to coach me through the day (I am horrible at warm ups) and a crew of people ready to cheer me on (thank you Roberta, Valeh, Kim, Lance, and Sheila) made a big difference, along with what I had done to get there.

I went 7 for 9. I missed my 3rd Squat and my 3rd Deadlift. The great thing is I walked away from both lifts knowing they are just about ready and next go round will be mine.

SHW

Squat 152.5kg / 335.5lbs  – National Record for weight class and both age group and open class

Bench – 72.5kg / 159.5lbs – National record age/weight class (which is ridiculous but I will take it)

Deadlift – 157.5 / 346.5lbs – National record age/weight

Total – 382.5 / 841.5 – National record age/weight

Unconfirmed World Record in the back squat, deadlift and total for my age group and weight class.

So if you are keeping track that is: 5 National Records and 3 World Records.

So I won gold in my age group/weight class at the Vernon classic, but I was the only one in it.  The good news is that on the world stage my numbers hold. Oddly enough in powerlifting they give individual awards for bench and dead but not squat.. if they had I would of had the squat gold as well.

The big winner is always the overall winner, that is the person who lifts the most vs their body weight. They use a formula called wilks. In my weight class it is rarely won because there is usually a beast in a lighter weight class that tips the scales dramatically! I have only won it once, and I came close this time as well, sitting in 2nd or 3rd. If I had gotten my 3rd Squat or Dead it would of been mine.

I am at a good place to start both physically and mentally. Overall I am happy with these numbers, not thrilled, but happy. Next up is The Grind in August and following that Worlds in Pennsylvania!

*To be completely transparent my bench has been MUCH better in the past and should be closer to 200lbs to be competitive on the world stage.  The federation I lift in is called 100% RAW and while competitive, the most competivtite federation (and oldest) is IPF or CPU. My weights are close to records in IPF and I’m looking forward to blowing those up as well down the road.