Huge Trap Bar Deadlift PR

Haven't tested this in a while... last PR was 551 in November 2021.

Today, I was good for 590!! That is the most weight these hands have ever held.. pretty cool.

285 Pound Paused Bench Press

The 285 pound paused bench press attempt was successful tonight, good for 9 more pounds than what I managed at the competition two months ago. Not too shabby.

I also hit 350/4 with SSB squats, which represents a modest 4RM.

Two Rep Maxes

Bench: 225/11 (tied 11RM)

SSB Squat: 340/7

Random Things

Bench: I just completed a cycle of Smolov Jr. to get my bench press kick started again.... ended up getting a pretty fast touch and go 280. I'm going to try a paused 285 next week just for fun. I've learned that I respond to high volume,  so I am going to keep it up for a few months and then see if I can maybe get that elusive 300...... 

Deadlift: I've been playing around with hook grip lately and pulled 520 the other night. I like how the reps feel over mixed grip with the exception of how much the thumbs hurt at the top. Multiple rep sets are especially painful. If I am going to quit mixed grip, which I think I am, the happy medium will be doing multi rep sets with straps and singles with hook.

Squats: Hit a SSB PR tonight @ 405.

Planks: been doing a 2:00 minimum plank every day for the last 4 days.... going to "keep it continue", as Sammy Sosa would say, for the foreseeable future.

Goals.... hit a PR in one of the big three by my 46th birthday, which is August 25.

Competitions......considering one in November, but too early to say for sure.

Recent Rep PRs

I've had a few rep PRs on various exercises over the past couple of weeks:

Squats: 365/7

Incline DBs: 70's/20, 95's/6

DB Shoulder Press: 85's/4

Trap Bar Deads: 530/4

Trap Bar Deadlift Fun

Had some fun with trap bar deads tonight:

160/5, 250/5, 340/5, 430/3, 480/1, 520/1, 560/0, 430/5, 430/10 (10RM)

560 would have been a 9 pound PR...it slipped out of my hands near the top. If I used chalk, I think I would have been good for it. 

My previous 10RM was 406 two years ago, so not bad there.

2023 Steel Mill Iron Showdown Results

I competed in my second ever full powerlifting meet on March 18, 2023 at Steel Mill Fleming Island in Florida. It was a USPA drug tested competition run by USPA South Carolina.

I ended up coming away with Florida state records in my age and weight class for the squat, bench press, and deadlift. (110kg, age 45-49)

Squats: Opened with 408, which qualified for the record. I then failed two consecutive attempts at 435. That was pretty frustrating because I’ve done that weight and more many times in the gym. The first failure was due to up and down movement. I am not really sure why I failed the second time. It may have been because of slight knee movement prior to racking the weight. It looked like a good rep to me on video. Shrug. 

Bench: I was good on all three attempts: 254, 270, & 276. Nailing that 276 in competition was pretty exciting and it represents an 11 pound meet PR. 

Deadlift: Also successful in all three: 485, 513, 546. 485 flew and 513 was also fast. Based on that, I decided to wing it and try an all time PR @ 546. Three white lights and a 22 pound meet PR resulted.

State Records:

Squat: 408

Bench: 276

Deadlift: 546

Special thanks to my wife for supporting me and for driving up and back to be my handler and to take videos. Another special shout-out to our babysitter for helping us out big time!

I’d also like to mention the various folks I’ve met in Florida that have encouraged me to give this sport a try. There is no way I would have ever done this if I never walked in to Power Strength Gym in Orlando some 5 years ago.