[Meet Report] SPF TN State Championships, Goodlettsville, TN | 297.5kg@65.5kg (655 lbs) | 310 Wilks | Raw w/ Wraps (x-post r/powerlifting)

[mnms4him]

Background

This was my first meet! For some background, I have been lifting in general for about 2 years and training specifically for powerlifting for about a year. I train with a team and a coach and run a program written by my coach (happy to answer any specific questions about my programming).

My first meet was supposed to be in June 2016, but I had a bit of a medical emergency--a saddle pulmonary embolism that nearly killed me and landed me in the hospital for 10 days. Needless to say my plans for my first meet were shot, so I decided to complete a conditioning/hypertrophy block before I started prepping for this meet. I think it helped SO MUCH and I'm stronger than I was pre-hospital.

My main goal for this meet was essentially to just get a total! I had my openers set, but let my coach and fellow teammates make my 2nd and 3rd attempt selections on the fly. I'm grateful I did this!

Squat

The squat is the lift I'm the least confident in, but the only lift I went 3/3. I think my attempts were planned perfectly, and I'm glad I decided to compete in wraps. I struggle with my form the most in the squat, and wraps give me so much more confidence!

Attempt 1 - 92.5kg/203.5lb (Good): I was SO NERVOUS before this lift. Super, super shaky, and the bar was a lot thicker than the one I train with (60lb squat bar) so everything felt off. I smoked it though, and was so relieved to get the first lift out of the way.

Attempt 2 - 97.5kg/214.5lb (Good): I felt really confident in this attempt,

Attempt 3 - 102.5kg/226lb (Good): My only gripe here is that I didn't go up to 105kg, which would have been a PR for me. It was fairly easy and I think I had more in the tank, but overall I am glad I went 3/3.

Video

Bench

Attempt 1 - 60kg/132lb (Good): I struggled for weeks trying to pick my opener. Bench is so much a mental game for me, and I get intimidated whenever the big wheels go on the bar. I'm really glad I trusted my coach on this one--smoked it.

Attempt 2 - 65kg/143lb (Good): Easy!

Attempt 3 - 70kg/154lb (No Lift): I was feeling good about my 2nd attempt, but I got SO NERVOUS when I heard the girl before me had 70kg on the bar (which meant that my coach had decided 70kg for me). I wish I hadn't been able to hear the number, because I totally psyched myself out. Lost my tightness, and the bar wouldn't even move off my chest. I really feel like I have the strength for this (would have been a 4lb PR), I just lost focus. In hindsight, I think I would have benefited from a more aggressive opener or just smaller jumps.

Video

Deadlift

UGH. I am SO BUMMED about my deadlifts. I consider this my strongest lift and the one I am most confident in, but I have never deadlifted after max squats and bench obviously. I just never expected it would affect me so much! My gym PR is 300lb, so I was hoping to hit that AT LEAST on my third attempt.

Attempt 1 - 122.5kg/270lb (Good): For me, so slow. I knew at this moment I was going to have to adjust all of my planned attempts down.

Attempt 2 - 130kg/286lb (Good): SUCH GRIND. Good lift, but I was SO disappointing afterward. I knew that 300 was totally out of reach at this point and I had the sads.

Attempt 3 - 132.5kg/291.5 (No lift): Buuuuh. It came off the floor super quickly, but it wasn't going to go. Major disappointment for me.

Video

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I had an okay day. The meet atmosphere was really fun, and I am so happy I finally got on the platform. My teammates did AWESOME and one of my good friends got her 3rd elite total and best female lifter, so I was mega excited for all of them.

I have to say, I am really having a hard time getting over my deadlifts! I think I set my expectations a little high for my first meet, and now a lot of goals I had seem really out of reach. I definitely think I have a serious case of the post-meet blues--getting my ass to the gym this morning was REALLY difficult, and I'm feeling pretty de-motivated even though I have another meet coming up in April. Would love to hear from more experienced lifters on how you personally move past disappointments and get on with it!

 

[differentviews]

@mnms4him Congrats on your first meet! The first one is the hardest one and you did a fantastic job with it!

My main goal for this meet was essentially to just get a total!

Your mindset for your first meet was spot on and very refreshing. A lot of people miss this important part and put too much pressure on themselves to do a million things during their meet when they don't even know what to expect out of a meet yet. So, major kudos to you!

Keep the r/xxfitness community update on your progress! It's always exciting to see other powerlifters in here - and it was exciting to see two meet reports in here in the past couple days!

 

[mnms4him]

@differentviews Thank you! I have to credit my coach for that mindset--he drilled it into my head for the entire meet prep. Every single time I'd start rambling about attempt selections or start to get disappointed in some missed lift he'd cut me off and say, "What's your meet PR for this lift?" and I would have to begrudgingly hang my head and respond with "...zero...". Also, he refused to let me try and cut a weight class or do any amount of dieting or water cutting which I'm grateful for. For 12 weeks I just kept hearing "GET A TOTAL" from him. He's a great coach.

Thank you so much for the encouragement and feedback! I am looking forward to continuing my powerlifting career and certainly will update.

 

[differentviews]

@mnms4him Ugh, your coach sounds awesome! Too many lifters try to cut weight for their first meet and there really is no reason for it. I understand how tempting it can be to want to fit into a certain weight class, but it is completely unnecessary for a lifter's first meet. I'm glad you had fun!!

 

[conservative_christian]

@mnms4him YAY! Congrats! And freaking amazing bench, btw.

I completely 100% understand the post-meet blues, especially after deadlifts don't go well. I'm a very mental lifter too, and I had a deadlift meltdown at my first meet in June (I hit my first lift but missed my next two, when they were numbers I easily hit in the gym). Here's the video, if it helps. I have my second full meet (I've done two other push/pulls since then) this Saturday and I'm expecting it to go much better, but still really nervous about re-creating the first meet.

What helped me a bit was to completely set my sights on the next meet. All of my training and preparation went into my mindset of "It's fine, I'll kill it this next competition." I plug it into a countdown app on my phone as a reminder that I've got time to improve and will have another opportunity very soon to give it another shot.

I also learned that it's very common to have gym PRs that are higher than meet PRs, since it's an entirely different environment with a ton of additional factors (people watching you, commands, judges, etc.), and that helped a bit to keep things in perspective.

You did a great job and you should be super proud. You'll annihilate deadlifts at the next competition, just keep your sights on that.

 

[mnms4him]

@conservative_christian Thanks! My bench used to be a weak point for me, but skyrocketed when my form was corrected by my coach and also when I gained 10 lbs. Dat powerbelly.

Your post: "I did the adult thing and cried about it." So much relate! I definitely held back tears too, which makes me laugh when I think about it. Doing the most macho sport ever and yet all I do is cry when things don't go my way.

I am really hoping I can learn from this and do much better next time! I now know exactly where my weaknesses are at least. My lifting buddy told me that she didn't hit all three deadlifts until she had several meets under her belt, which also gave me some perspective.

Thank you so much for the encouragement!

 

[mdigi]

@mnms4him I think that's an awesome result! Not to mention an amazing result for a first meet that also happened to be post-pulmonary embolism!

We are all our own worst critics. Being disappointed in a performance when you felt like you could've done more is natural and sometimes a good thing that pushes you forward. But don't forget that the raw numbers are not the only thing, or even really the most important thing, that you can get out of a meet. In addition to your total, you gained knowledge of how a meet works, you've learned things about yourself (where you could adjust your openers to be advantageous for you, the equipment that you want to have on you compete, your own energy levels on a meet day and how you might mitigate them next time,). You also proved that after a near-death experience, you can push your body to the extremes of stress and effort that a meet requires and walk back into the gym a few days later.

You've put in a ton of gym hours to get to where you are, and I know that some of those hours were also really difficult. So, consider this morning's difficult time just another one of those. It is now behind you, and there are many more good hours ahead.

 

[mnms4him]

@mdigi Thank you so much!

One of my training buddies and lifting idols reminded me that even though things didn't go my way, I didn't let my ego get in the way and adjusted my attempts according to the day. I'm definitely trying to hang onto that "win" at least.

I am proud of the work I put in for sure--and proud that I even got to the gym today despite the blues and THE WORST DOMS OF MY LIFE. Trying to focus on those things!

Thanks again for the encouragement. It really helps.

 

[abigal13]

@mnms4him I don't have any advice but I just want to high five you because DAMN GIRL. You should be proud that you got out and did it and don't let your brain get in the way of how killer you did. (Also hi I live in Nashville!)

 

[mnms4him]

@abigal13 Hiii! Thank you! I am proud, but also always very hard on myself. Curse you, expectations.

Another xxfitness lady in the 615?! Awesome! If you ever want to lift or do other cool fitness things please totally hit me up. I love to hike and Nashville Climb is boooomb (I am a TOTAL climbing noob).

 

[abigal13]

@mnms4him Where do you lift? I'm just at the YMCA(s) cause I don't do Crossfit and haven't found any better options. A TON of my friends do Nashville Climb!

 

[mnms4him]

@abigal13 Which Y? I have a Y membership because I travel for work and need gyms on the road a lot. I haven't been locally in a long time, but the Donelson Y is where I go if I do pop in.

I lift with a powerlifting team at my coach's basement gym. It's called The Ogre Compound--in Mt. Juliet!

 

[abigal13]

@mnms4him That's awesome! I bounce around based on my schedule, mostly Brentwood during the week cause it's close to work and Green Hills on the weekend. I also travel for work and it's been so nice to be able to use Y's nation wide.