Two weeks ago I competed at USA Powerlifting Southeast Regionals in Orlando, Florida. This was the 7th powerlifting meet I’ve competed in, and my first since early 2015.
In the two and a half years since I last competed, I sold a gym, started and closed a smoothie bar, started and sold a barbell club, and partially tore the ACL in my left knee but opted not to have surgery. Life got cray.
But by early this year I was itching to train for a meet again. So I spent the last six months preparing for competition and was feeling stronger than ever going into the meet.
In case you’re not familiar with powerlifting, we compete at three lifts: Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift.
Competitors get three attempts at each of the three lifts, and your total is the score achieved by adding your best squat plus best bench plus best deadlift attempts.
I competed in the 72 kilogram women’s open category. On the morning of competition, I weighed in at a little over 69 kilograms or 152 pounds.
When the meet started, there was no music playing at all, so the early lifters had to squat in silence.
By the time I took the platform for Squat 1, I was glad to hear All of the Lights (by Kanye & Rihanna) playing and it hyped me up for my first lift.
My opening squat was 319 pounds, for a big opening lift of more than twice my bodyweight. I was very nervous since it was my first competition lift, but I made it with ease.
With my second squat attempt, I set a new personal record and Georgia state record by lifting 342 pounds, or 155 kilograms. I broke my own state record of 336 pounds/152.5 kilograms.
For my third squat, I jumped to 160 kilograms, although my gut was telling me to attempt just 157.5 (in the USAPL you have to make increases by 2.5 kilogram or 5.5 pound increments). I missed the lift, but it was close and I am confident I can make it the next time I attempt it.
My opening bench press attempt was 70 kilograms or about 154 pounds. This was a new personal record for me and I made it easily. So then I got over-confident and once again made too big of a jump for my next attempt.
On Bench 2, I attempted 170#/77.5 kilograms. On the press up, my back began cramping intensely and I missed the lift. I rolled it out in the back room and attempted the same weight again for Bench #3. I missed it again.
In hindsight, the better call would have been to attempt 75 kg on Bench #2.
Also, the good hip hop music was no longer playing and now it was just the same boring classic rock we hear at every meet.
Luckily, my man bought me some sweet new Sony headphones so I was able to relax between lifts and listen to my own tunes.
My energy was good throughout the day but my digestion was not. Every time I compete I get a nervous stomach and repeatedly tightening a lifting belt over my belly doesn’t help. I had acid reflux and I was bloated. No. Fun.
I was also fighting to strap a too-small belt over a too-large singlet, which got super annoying as the day went on.
Since I wasn’t feeling great, I lowered my opening deadlift attempt from 325# to 319#. In the warm up room, the bar was moving really slow. But when I took the stage for Deadlift #1, 319# moved really easily.
With that lift, I was officially qualified for 2017 USAPL Raw Nationals!
For Deadlift 2, I lifted 336# for a new personal record in sumo deadlift.
Then on Deadlift 3, I attempted to tie my old conventional deadlift record with a 352# pull. I missed. I am still new at sumo deadlifts and the bar drifted away from me a little as I began the pull.
Once again, I overshot my final attempt. I think 347#/157.5 kg was the better choice.
At the end of the day. I learned a lot and set new personal records in squat, bench press, sumo deadlift, total and Wilks coefficient.
Like I shared in my Meet Week post, my goals for the meet were:
1. Qualify for Raw Nationals
2. Break my old Georgia state squat record and set a new one
3. Score >400 on Wilks coefficient
4. Conserve energy throughout the meet so that I’m not crawling like this to the platform for deadlifts:
I qualified for Nationals and set a new Georgia squat record. I weighed in a few pounds heavier than planned and left a few kilos on the platform, so I missed my Wilks goal of 400.
I felt good when deadlifts came around, but I will continue to tweak my meet-day nutrition to eliminate the bloat and heartburn that tormented me mid-meet.
I am still deciding on my next meet. I might compete at USAPL Raw Nationals in Orlando in 8 weeks. Or I may step back and train instead for the USAPL Georgia state meet coming up in February.
My next goals are to hit that 400 Wilks, squat 363#/165kg, bench 171#/77.5kg, sumo deadlift 380#/172.5kg and buy a singlet that fits.
I am really grateful to everyone who supported me throughout my training and preparation process, including RP Strength, NOW Foods, Made4Movement physical therapy, Midtown Life Studio, CrossFit Downtown Atlanta, Citadel Nutrition, my former coaches Josh Rohr and Rob Jacobs and most of all to my handlers Chris Elmore & Jeff Lovett. Also thanks to all my training buddies, clients and friends who encouraged me along the way.
Here is a video compilation of all my attempts at the meet.
Check it out, and pretty please subscribe to Team Lis Smash on YouTube:
