13 Oct Lab Rat – THE MEET in PR City – Part 2
Three and a half months later it was time to step back onto the platform. This was one of the quickest returns I’ve had, especially considering I just came back from a year hiatus. During that time my overall health was improved and I dropped a weight class. At the APF Equipped Nationals (June 17th) I totaled 1631lbs however I knew weight was left on the platform and was eager to claim it. Bert and Mindy always run an outstanding meet so lifting at the RPS Chalk & Iron was a no brainer.
Staying at the meet venue allowed me to get away from the commotion in the warm up room and relax a little before benching. I rolled into the bench with a bunch of momentum as my second attempt squat was a small PR (6lbs) then I proceeded to add another 22lbs on my third. You can see a detailed recap THE MEET – Part 1. My bench has been feeling solid over the past few weeks so the potential for a small all-time PR on the horizon.
Warm up sets were quick and easy. I started with 135 for a 2 sets of 5 then move to 225 for a set of 4. From there I took 315 for a double then a single at 365. Danny Bellore was on top of ensuring the weight was loaded when I needed to take each set, again thank you.
OPENING ATTEMPT was set at a fairly conservative 180 kg (396.8 lbs). I’ve done this lift countless times in the gym, even managed to forget how to bench and still press it so we were well beyond safe. 3 whites and onto the second.
SECOND ATTEMPT was 190 kg (418.9 lbs) which was actually the same number I took for a second back in June. This time the weight moved much quicker, easy 3 whites. I assumed my second would be a tad higher however I didn’t plan on using that lift for my total.
THRID ATTEMPT was treated just like the squat. To be honest beyond my opener’s I had no idea what the weight was, I just had to execute. This one was a fight, it started slowing down in the transition however I managed to push through unlike my third in June. 3 whites for 197.5 kg (435.4 lbs) added another 17 lbs to the total. I was hoping to be closer to ~450 lbs giving me some cushion in my deadlift for the 1700 lb total I had in mind.
I snuck away to the room again, had a PB&J and relaxed on the bed for a little. Deadlift flights always move quick so I made my way back to the warm up room ~30 minutes later and started out with the McGill Big 3. I was a little before the middle of the flight so warm ups were timed accordingly. Clint Smith and Danny Belmore took care of stripping weights off the bar from the multiply and bigger raw lifters allowing me to get what I needed when it was needed. As always I skipped 135 and went straight to 225 for 2 sets of 3. From there 315 for 2 then 405 for a single. My final warmup was 495 which felt good but the length of the day was slowly taking it’s toll on me.
OPENING ATTEMPT was 252.5 kg (556.7 lbs) which moved a little slower than I was hoping.. By this point I already crunched the numbers and knew a PR deadlift (633 lbs) would be needed to secure 1700, a seemingly lofty goal at this point.
SECOND ATTEMPT was unknown when I walked up to the bar. Nothing was changed setup wise and 265 kg (584.9 lbs) was greeted with 3 white lights. The pull was much slower than expected, at this point I knew 1700 wasn’t in the cards so I went to the next best number, 1675.
THIRD ATTMEPT was set to 275 kg (606.3 lbs) and it remained on the floor, ha! I actually got it to my knees give or take and that’s all she wrote. Not sure exactly what happened, I’m assuming it wasn’t just one thing either. The day was long, the tank was damn near empty and it makes me want a big pull that much more.
Overall the day was extremely successful as I went 8 for 9 totaling 750 kg (1653.4lbs) which ties my PR in the 275 lb class and gives me a solid foundation to build on. I couldn’t have done this without the support of Team Samson and Team PRS, thank you! Danny Bellmore, Todd Guggisberg, Clint Smith and Paul Key all played critical roles helping making the day successful, thank you very much! Thank you Ria for grabbing us all lunch, taking vids and everything else you have done along the way. You da best! Brian, I could compose a rather long list of things you have done but I’ll save everyone from that.. Thank you for everything you have been done and giving me the chance to be part of something much bigger.
Jason Kowalewski
Latest posts by Jason Kowalewski (see all)
- Lab Rat – Chasing a 600lb Bench - January 30, 2018
- Lab Rat – Back to the Off-Season - January 20, 2018
- Lab Rat – Pulling Out.. of the meet - January 13, 2018
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