It has been a few weeks since the meet and I am finally getting some time to sit down and put everything down on paper.
Being a part of Relentless is one of the most amazing things I have ever done. It is about lifting but it is not. These meets are about HOPE. As a whole we raised over $214,000 to help kids and families with life threatening illnesses.
When people talk about the relentless family they truly mean it is a family. It is like a reunion at these meets. Lifters helping other lifters even though it might hurt their own performance. The meet atmosphere is different.
Going into the meet I had some goals.
1. Get through a full meet and put up a total
2. Set myself up for a bench and deadlift PR
3. Squat 525, bench 535, deadlift 740. (planned 3rd attempts)
I de-loaded a little longer than I had planned so I wasn't sure how things would totally end up.
Friday we drove out and I made weight at 239.2 after my wife decided to play the heat game to cut the last few pounds and make weight.
Meet day
Squats
Planned attempts 475, 500, 525
Since I was squatting in just briefs I was first in the flight. I opened easy at 475. Everything felt good so I jumped to my planned 3rd attempt of 525. Three white lights so I jumped to 550 and it ws good as well. Looking at the video I should have gone heavier but I still would have been short of a PR total so it didn't really matter.
Actual attempts 475, 525, 550 - 3 for 3
Bench press
Planned attempts 500, 515-520, 535
A few weeks out from the meet I found a run and a small hole in my single ply shirt. i wasn't sure if it would hold up through the meet but I was going to use it until it blew.
The weights felt light in the warm up room and my shoulder didn't give me much trouble as I warmed up. I opened with 500 and had some difficulty touching but I touched and pressed very easily. I was urged to take a big jump. I decided to go for 525 since I was in the meet and my squat was above what I had planned. My second attempt again flew up and I was urged to take a big jump. Into uncharted water I went. Blowing past my PR of 530 to 550. Taking jumps like this make me nervous because I have never pressed this much before. My third attempt was good and this looked to be about the right call. Six for Six!
Deadlift
Planned attempts 685, 715, 740
My lifting has always been about the deadlift. It is my lift. Training went well and my indicators shows I should be good for about 750. My indicators we dead on. After an easy opener and second attempt I took my planned third of 740. My second attempt was a small pr and my third would be 25 pounds more than I had ever deadlifted from the floor.
740 came up like an opener!
9 for 9
It is always exciting to see your training come together and do exactly what you set out to do. Yet it is almost disappointing knowing that you left so many pounds on the platform. I am now eagerly awaiting some down time to recover and relax. It won't be long before prep for Relentless Minnesota begins.
