Aidan's Training Log (just weak strongman)
04-12-2015
, 04:36 AM
04-12-2015
, 10:27 AM
04-12-2015
, 02:33 PM
Jesus. 
04-12-2015
, 04:33 PM
Videos or it didn't happen 
Spoiler:
04-12-2015
, 06:38 PM
Auckland 3-Lift Powerlifting Championships 2015
Long post, tl;dr at bottom.
Deloading always feels seemingly interminable. This one was made slightly terrifying as I was waking up and weighing the wrong side of 83kg. I got things in order later in the week, and was waking up at 82.5 or so on friday and saturday, so I started to relax a bit.
Saturday afternoon I went along and handled three athletes in the 66 and 74s, and that served to heighten nerves. They did pretty well, and I felt really good when I coaxed the sub-junior to take a swing for the fences on his third deadlift attempt, psyched him up and he crushed it!
I bailed before the celebrations, got home and packed my bag. Jam sammiches, bananas, gels, caffeine tabs, plenty of water, and I made some GOATmeal to eat after weighing in, anticipating being close enough not to risk breakfast before the 8am weigh in. Sleep was turds, just wired the whole night. Woke up at 5:45am for a piss and couldnt get back to sleep. Got out of bed at 7am, weighed myself. 81.3kg. Damnit. Made the mistake of not eating breakfast (but the scales could be wrong!!1!), though I had bit of water. Went to the car to leave, forgot spoon. Went back to get one. Finally left for the 20 minute drive to the venue, and got a text message from wife: "you forgot your muesli".
****.
Oh well, should have enough food anyway (bzzztt - you never have enough food). Was drawn for lot 15 so had a bit of a weight to weigh in, but got in and weighted in at 81.64kg. Handed in openers and ate some sandwiches, sipped through a big bottle of bcaas/electrolytes and hung out with some of the other GS boys, Kamil, Aravind and Mike who'd be lifting with me in the 83's and we had four in the 93's. Hurry up and wait. Do rack heights. Wait some more. Coaches and handlers start to arrive and we start going through the warm up process. All 18 of the 83's will be in one flight, so the warmup room is a bit full - not enough gear crammed into not enough space. We grab a corner rack together, and with a couple of solo guys are enough to hold it down and stay organised. We're told that the judges for the morning will be the same as for the girls on saturday morning who were strict about depth but also inconsistent - a concern for me as I had been just under parallel. I am nervous. I eat 200mg of caffeine. 140kg feels pretty good but I'm told I need to get deeper to really guarantee I don't get called up for it. 160kgs feels pretty good too, but same thing. Last warmup of 180kgs gets the definite all clear, so I start to relax. I've timed it pretty well as well.
We head to the ready room. I'd previously staked out a spot and got my gear there, so we all grab one bench along a wall with a view to the monitors, pretty much perfect. It is hard to sit still, but I am getting better about not wasting extraneous energy. War On Drugs on the ipod, feeling relaxed. I was to be 3rd to last out, and as it approached the coaches said that the judges were being more consistent with their calls this morning. I relax a bit more. Then start to un-relax as the count starts approaching: three lifters out, two lifters out, up and chalked, on deck, belt goes on, bar is being loaded, wraps go on, a few words of encouragement, "BAR IS LOADED", a pat on the back and I hit the platform...
It's a weird sensation. You are both there and not there. The bar is just the bar, the weight is just the weight. On the other side, there's a hundred people in a relatively small space making noise which registers somewhere. I asked for one rack in, but both are in. It registers, but again, not in a central part. I am under the weight, my walkout is good, I smoke it. I wait for the rack call. Good lift. The surge of adrenaline is quite exquisite - months of anticipation, training, planning: all over. Now, it is just the doing.
I wait some more. 15 mins between attempts is a really, really long time. All our boys make their openers. 210kg second attempt is up. I don't really remember it. It is a good lift. I am told it was fast and deep and that we'll be going 220kg for the third. I feel confident. I wait. It is time. The crowd is noisy, my team mates are cheering me on, I feel good on the walk out. I squat down and push it about half way up, but lose thoracic extension and my torso rolls forward. I fight, but I cannot recover. No lift. I am disappointed - it was just there. I still haven't seen any video, maybe my recollection is wrong. Oh well - I still need to build a total.
I eat and socialise, cheer on the 93's (there are two flights of these guys). I am starting to loosening up for bench, but something is tweaked in my upper back. It improves with some baseball action. Again we have a pretty solid system for the warmups, and it is feeling good. My opener of 112.5kg is a joke - too easy, three whites. We're getting nice crisp press calls as long as you control the descent enough. I jump to 122.5kg, moving from mid-pack to 3rd last out so the wait is even longer (a lot of the non-GS guys made very small jumps). My second attempt is just ok - hit a touch too low and pressed it straight up off the chest, but recovered albeit slowly. Three whites. There is a bit of discussion, but we go with total building and select 127.5kg for a third. The time comes, and I think i am at my most nervous all day - I've already missed one third attempt. I tried to minimize negative thoughts. This is my crispest attempt all day, and I absolutely smoke it. Three whites, and John thinks I'd have hit 132.5kg if I pressed like that. I'm not even mad, I still think 127.5kg was the right attempt based on the second, but damn it part of me rues leaving kg's on the platform.
Eating and waiting. In addition to something bugging me in my upper back, my right tricep is tight and my elbow is sore. One of my team mates, a physical therapist, gives both a rub and they improve a lot. I am incredibly thankful, because it was really making me dread deadlifting. More caffeine goes in, shirt comes off. I'm actually feeling quite positive and seeking some redemption for the missed squat. I'll be mid pack again with my opener of 210kg, and it is easy. John thinks 227.5 is better than 225, and I am feeling on. My psych up music is blasting through my headphones now, and we're starting to get really well wound up ahead of the attempts - having Kevin, a 40+ year veteran of the iron game, in your corner helps! 227.5kg is easy, three whites. 240kg is entered without consultation, and I'm already getting words in my ear about it being mine. The music goes up to 11. I'll be second last out. The count approaches, I ready myself: John is off my shoulder with more encouragement through the whole process: talc, belt, chalk. I am on deck. The ammonia is out, and with "TAKE IT, IT'S YOURS" ringing in my ears and ammonia stinging my nose, I hit the platform. The other 83's are watching from a corner behind the platform, my teammates are in one section of the crowd, there is a bunch of noise...
There was really no doubt. Auckland Open record deadlift, to go along with Auckland Open squat and total records. Still the 93's to go, so I sit back and watch us pick up a few more titles. Meet some really nice people all throughout the day so chat and get some congratulations. Hang out for prizegiving, get to stand on the top step and it feels amazing. Team GetStrength will take out the Overall Team title later that evening, along with both the Best Overall Male and Best Overall Female titles. Hopefully some more vids and pics will filter through.
tl;dr:
8/9, 210kg squat, 127.5kg bench press (+10kg comp PR), 240kg deadlift (+10kg comp PR)
577.5kg total (+20kg comp PR)
389.47 Wilks Points
Three Regional Records (Squat, Deadlift, Total)
Gold Medal
Long post, tl;dr at bottom.
Deloading always feels seemingly interminable. This one was made slightly terrifying as I was waking up and weighing the wrong side of 83kg. I got things in order later in the week, and was waking up at 82.5 or so on friday and saturday, so I started to relax a bit.
Saturday afternoon I went along and handled three athletes in the 66 and 74s, and that served to heighten nerves. They did pretty well, and I felt really good when I coaxed the sub-junior to take a swing for the fences on his third deadlift attempt, psyched him up and he crushed it!
I bailed before the celebrations, got home and packed my bag. Jam sammiches, bananas, gels, caffeine tabs, plenty of water, and I made some GOATmeal to eat after weighing in, anticipating being close enough not to risk breakfast before the 8am weigh in. Sleep was turds, just wired the whole night. Woke up at 5:45am for a piss and couldnt get back to sleep. Got out of bed at 7am, weighed myself. 81.3kg. Damnit. Made the mistake of not eating breakfast (but the scales could be wrong!!1!), though I had bit of water. Went to the car to leave, forgot spoon. Went back to get one. Finally left for the 20 minute drive to the venue, and got a text message from wife: "you forgot your muesli".
****.
Oh well, should have enough food anyway (bzzztt - you never have enough food). Was drawn for lot 15 so had a bit of a weight to weigh in, but got in and weighted in at 81.64kg. Handed in openers and ate some sandwiches, sipped through a big bottle of bcaas/electrolytes and hung out with some of the other GS boys, Kamil, Aravind and Mike who'd be lifting with me in the 83's and we had four in the 93's. Hurry up and wait. Do rack heights. Wait some more. Coaches and handlers start to arrive and we start going through the warm up process. All 18 of the 83's will be in one flight, so the warmup room is a bit full - not enough gear crammed into not enough space. We grab a corner rack together, and with a couple of solo guys are enough to hold it down and stay organised. We're told that the judges for the morning will be the same as for the girls on saturday morning who were strict about depth but also inconsistent - a concern for me as I had been just under parallel. I am nervous. I eat 200mg of caffeine. 140kg feels pretty good but I'm told I need to get deeper to really guarantee I don't get called up for it. 160kgs feels pretty good too, but same thing. Last warmup of 180kgs gets the definite all clear, so I start to relax. I've timed it pretty well as well.
We head to the ready room. I'd previously staked out a spot and got my gear there, so we all grab one bench along a wall with a view to the monitors, pretty much perfect. It is hard to sit still, but I am getting better about not wasting extraneous energy. War On Drugs on the ipod, feeling relaxed. I was to be 3rd to last out, and as it approached the coaches said that the judges were being more consistent with their calls this morning. I relax a bit more. Then start to un-relax as the count starts approaching: three lifters out, two lifters out, up and chalked, on deck, belt goes on, bar is being loaded, wraps go on, a few words of encouragement, "BAR IS LOADED", a pat on the back and I hit the platform...
It's a weird sensation. You are both there and not there. The bar is just the bar, the weight is just the weight. On the other side, there's a hundred people in a relatively small space making noise which registers somewhere. I asked for one rack in, but both are in. It registers, but again, not in a central part. I am under the weight, my walkout is good, I smoke it. I wait for the rack call. Good lift. The surge of adrenaline is quite exquisite - months of anticipation, training, planning: all over. Now, it is just the doing.
I wait some more. 15 mins between attempts is a really, really long time. All our boys make their openers. 210kg second attempt is up. I don't really remember it. It is a good lift. I am told it was fast and deep and that we'll be going 220kg for the third. I feel confident. I wait. It is time. The crowd is noisy, my team mates are cheering me on, I feel good on the walk out. I squat down and push it about half way up, but lose thoracic extension and my torso rolls forward. I fight, but I cannot recover. No lift. I am disappointed - it was just there. I still haven't seen any video, maybe my recollection is wrong. Oh well - I still need to build a total.
I eat and socialise, cheer on the 93's (there are two flights of these guys). I am starting to loosening up for bench, but something is tweaked in my upper back. It improves with some baseball action. Again we have a pretty solid system for the warmups, and it is feeling good. My opener of 112.5kg is a joke - too easy, three whites. We're getting nice crisp press calls as long as you control the descent enough. I jump to 122.5kg, moving from mid-pack to 3rd last out so the wait is even longer (a lot of the non-GS guys made very small jumps). My second attempt is just ok - hit a touch too low and pressed it straight up off the chest, but recovered albeit slowly. Three whites. There is a bit of discussion, but we go with total building and select 127.5kg for a third. The time comes, and I think i am at my most nervous all day - I've already missed one third attempt. I tried to minimize negative thoughts. This is my crispest attempt all day, and I absolutely smoke it. Three whites, and John thinks I'd have hit 132.5kg if I pressed like that. I'm not even mad, I still think 127.5kg was the right attempt based on the second, but damn it part of me rues leaving kg's on the platform.
Eating and waiting. In addition to something bugging me in my upper back, my right tricep is tight and my elbow is sore. One of my team mates, a physical therapist, gives both a rub and they improve a lot. I am incredibly thankful, because it was really making me dread deadlifting. More caffeine goes in, shirt comes off. I'm actually feeling quite positive and seeking some redemption for the missed squat. I'll be mid pack again with my opener of 210kg, and it is easy. John thinks 227.5 is better than 225, and I am feeling on. My psych up music is blasting through my headphones now, and we're starting to get really well wound up ahead of the attempts - having Kevin, a 40+ year veteran of the iron game, in your corner helps! 227.5kg is easy, three whites. 240kg is entered without consultation, and I'm already getting words in my ear about it being mine. The music goes up to 11. I'll be second last out. The count approaches, I ready myself: John is off my shoulder with more encouragement through the whole process: talc, belt, chalk. I am on deck. The ammonia is out, and with "TAKE IT, IT'S YOURS" ringing in my ears and ammonia stinging my nose, I hit the platform. The other 83's are watching from a corner behind the platform, my teammates are in one section of the crowd, there is a bunch of noise...
Spoiler:
There was really no doubt. Auckland Open record deadlift, to go along with Auckland Open squat and total records. Still the 93's to go, so I sit back and watch us pick up a few more titles. Meet some really nice people all throughout the day so chat and get some congratulations. Hang out for prizegiving, get to stand on the top step and it feels amazing. Team GetStrength will take out the Overall Team title later that evening, along with both the Best Overall Male and Best Overall Female titles. Hopefully some more vids and pics will filter through.
tl;dr:
8/9, 210kg squat, 127.5kg bench press (+10kg comp PR), 240kg deadlift (+10kg comp PR)
577.5kg total (+20kg comp PR)
389.47 Wilks Points
Three Regional Records (Squat, Deadlift, Total)
Gold Medal
04-12-2015
, 07:11 PM
04-13-2015
, 12:29 AM
Obviously competing is awesome, and I highly endorse it, but finding some like minded people to train with is megaelite and totally worth the effort.
Thanks!
A few more pics. At the bottom with 220kg bearing down:
04-13-2015
, 01:02 PM
04-13-2015
, 05:40 PM
Given that I get to give it out this year, should be a lock
Haha, the Warriors also won, and the women's football team I coach started with a 2-0 win for pretty much a perfect sporting weekend.
Thanks, dt!
Thanks Yugo!
Haha I'm kinda surprised anyone read it... Parts of it still bring back goosebumps for me though.