tl;Dr
I weighed in at 87.3kg, for the 93kg weight class, and finished with a split of 157.5/100/182.5 for SBD which translates to 346.5lbs for squat, 220lbs for bench, and 402.4lbs for deadlift for a 968lb total. I took 3rd place.
BACKGROUND
This would be my second powerlifting meet, and I had a lot of things to work on since that time because I had neglected strength development and conditioning in exchange for a higher total, so I came out of it very detrained, and I came into this meet in a higher weight class.
TRAINING
I don't really follow a program. I did a lot of drop sets with squat, bench, and deadlift, to build my conditioning, and, ran into some issues with recovery after a few months and missed a few progressions as I was trying to avoid using 5lb and 10lb plates. Some of that training can be seen here
Deadlift drop set starting at 405x5
Squat drop set starting at 315x5
When that avenue of progress was exhausted, I started doing a lot of work in the 10rm range, and I focused on just building a baseline of strength. I would look at what I did the previous week, and just do more than last time, and I work from the heavir weight to a lighter weight. At some point, my 10 rm training total was the same as my 5rm training total, and I had hit 335lbs x 4 for squat squats and 355x1 for squat in preparation for this meet. After August 22nd came around, I started a new job with 12 hour days and was only able to train every other week. Still, I was gaining strength.
THE MEET
I ended up in a fairly competitive weight class, with 6 lifters in the 93kg class. One actually had signed up about 5 minutes before weigh ins, paid the membership fee for USAPL and the meet entrance fee. It was his first meet so it was interesting to see his picks for attempts. I had everything planned out more or less ahead of time what others were doing didn't influence me too much. Still, having access to the scoreboard in the warm up was a great way of watching the meet while waiting for my turn. I was in flight B and assumed wrongly that I was going to have time to warm up, so I sat back and watched the 74kg men and under as well as the women lift.
THE LIFTS: 7/9
SQUATS: 152.5kg hit, 157.5kg hit, 165kg miss
Oh, man. Was I wrong about the whole time to warm up thing. They went right into flight B from flight A, and I was about 4th in line. Everyone was warming up by then and I had no free space or even the time to do. Both the 152.5kg and 157.5kg hits were cold, but they felt solid as heck and so I decided my third attempt I would go for 165kg instead of 162.5kg. I ended up losing balance on the top of the lift and my heels came up, so the spotters just took it. Still, its a 5kg PR so I'm happy.
BENCH: 92.5kg hit, 100kg miss, 100kg hit
Honestly just frustrating here. I really wanted to finish with 105kg, and I was able to open higher than previously as a result of my training, but when I attempted 100kg the second time around my hamstring started tightening and I racked before the command as a result. I was going to just pass the third attempt to avoid injury but I couldn't just leave 7.5kg on the table. tried it again and just made sure I waited for the rack command this time.
DEADLIFTS: 155kg hit, 170lk hit, 182.5kg hit
I started off light because I wanted to at least have a score and I was having some issues pulling in training. Mainly, I was having issues pulling 405lbs in training, and then even 375lbs and then even 365lbs. In the meet, I wasn't actually even sure if I had 170kg in me, and I definitely wasn't sure about 182.5kg, but I just went in and ripped the hell out of it, for a 2.5kg PR.
RESULTS
South Side Fall Classic results
My lifter profile
I left with a 7.5kg increase to my total, took third place out of 6, and, being right in the middle of this weight class, feel that I probably have a lot of room for growth. Work will continue to be a challenge for training until I can get a home gym, so I'm happy I walked away with anything, honestly. Taking 3rd place in a meet with more than 3 lifters in my class was exhilarating.
LESSONS LEARNED
Pick openers that will put you on the board. One guy bombed out and his attempts would have put him in first place, and me at 4th.
Pick something you know you can hit any day of the week because you never know when warm ups will just not go the way you want. Perhaps the next greatest feeling besides placing was actually just going out, and hitting the squats without a warm up.
Also, most of my goals would have been, or were, met by the second lift. The third attempts I had saved for PRs and didn't really worry too much if I had hit it or missed. Getting PRs in squats and deadlifts and a total PR does feel very nice, though.
I weighed in at 87.3kg, for the 93kg weight class, and finished with a split of 157.5/100/182.5 for SBD which translates to 346.5lbs for squat, 220lbs for bench, and 402.4lbs for deadlift for a 968lb total. I took 3rd place.
BACKGROUND
This would be my second powerlifting meet, and I had a lot of things to work on since that time because I had neglected strength development and conditioning in exchange for a higher total, so I came out of it very detrained, and I came into this meet in a higher weight class.
TRAINING
I don't really follow a program. I did a lot of drop sets with squat, bench, and deadlift, to build my conditioning, and, ran into some issues with recovery after a few months and missed a few progressions as I was trying to avoid using 5lb and 10lb plates. Some of that training can be seen here
Deadlift drop set starting at 405x5
Squat drop set starting at 315x5
When that avenue of progress was exhausted, I started doing a lot of work in the 10rm range, and I focused on just building a baseline of strength. I would look at what I did the previous week, and just do more than last time, and I work from the heavir weight to a lighter weight. At some point, my 10 rm training total was the same as my 5rm training total, and I had hit 335lbs x 4 for squat squats and 355x1 for squat in preparation for this meet. After August 22nd came around, I started a new job with 12 hour days and was only able to train every other week. Still, I was gaining strength.
THE MEET
I ended up in a fairly competitive weight class, with 6 lifters in the 93kg class. One actually had signed up about 5 minutes before weigh ins, paid the membership fee for USAPL and the meet entrance fee. It was his first meet so it was interesting to see his picks for attempts. I had everything planned out more or less ahead of time what others were doing didn't influence me too much. Still, having access to the scoreboard in the warm up was a great way of watching the meet while waiting for my turn. I was in flight B and assumed wrongly that I was going to have time to warm up, so I sat back and watched the 74kg men and under as well as the women lift.
THE LIFTS: 7/9
SQUATS: 152.5kg hit, 157.5kg hit, 165kg miss
Oh, man. Was I wrong about the whole time to warm up thing. They went right into flight B from flight A, and I was about 4th in line. Everyone was warming up by then and I had no free space or even the time to do. Both the 152.5kg and 157.5kg hits were cold, but they felt solid as heck and so I decided my third attempt I would go for 165kg instead of 162.5kg. I ended up losing balance on the top of the lift and my heels came up, so the spotters just took it. Still, its a 5kg PR so I'm happy.
BENCH: 92.5kg hit, 100kg miss, 100kg hit
Honestly just frustrating here. I really wanted to finish with 105kg, and I was able to open higher than previously as a result of my training, but when I attempted 100kg the second time around my hamstring started tightening and I racked before the command as a result. I was going to just pass the third attempt to avoid injury but I couldn't just leave 7.5kg on the table. tried it again and just made sure I waited for the rack command this time.
DEADLIFTS: 155kg hit, 170lk hit, 182.5kg hit
I started off light because I wanted to at least have a score and I was having some issues pulling in training. Mainly, I was having issues pulling 405lbs in training, and then even 375lbs and then even 365lbs. In the meet, I wasn't actually even sure if I had 170kg in me, and I definitely wasn't sure about 182.5kg, but I just went in and ripped the hell out of it, for a 2.5kg PR.
RESULTS
South Side Fall Classic results
My lifter profile
I left with a 7.5kg increase to my total, took third place out of 6, and, being right in the middle of this weight class, feel that I probably have a lot of room for growth. Work will continue to be a challenge for training until I can get a home gym, so I'm happy I walked away with anything, honestly. Taking 3rd place in a meet with more than 3 lifters in my class was exhilarating.
LESSONS LEARNED
Pick openers that will put you on the board. One guy bombed out and his attempts would have put him in first place, and me at 4th.
Pick something you know you can hit any day of the week because you never know when warm ups will just not go the way you want. Perhaps the next greatest feeling besides placing was actually just going out, and hitting the squats without a warm up.
Also, most of my goals would have been, or were, met by the second lift. The third attempts I had saved for PRs and didn't really worry too much if I had hit it or missed. Getting PRs in squats and deadlifts and a total PR does feel very nice, though.