27 Jun Lab Rat – APF Equipped Nationals

After almost thirteen months away from the platform it was time to step back on it.  I woke up right at 258lbs after forcing myself to continue eating and rehydrating most of Friday evening.  In an effort to keep things as consistent as possible I followed my normal breakfast routine (8oz. egg whites, 1 cup of finely ground oatmeal and 1 scoop of protein).   I also elected to have a ‘cleaner’ breakfast as I feel in the past all the junk food consumed putting weight back on followed by a very heavy breakfast hasn’t been the best for my performance or at least how I feel.

I arrived at the venue just after 8:30 ensuring I had ample time to catch up with training partners, settle in and warm up without feeling rushed or stressed.  The warm up was no different than any other Saturday, I started with a few rounds of the McGill Big 3 then did a few sets with an empty bar.  Thanks to Team Samson we were able to ‘control’ one of the monolifts ensuring Clint and I got our reps when needed.  The jumps were pretty straight forward starting at 155 and increasing a plate each set.  I threw a light wrap on for 425 and a moderate wrap for my last warm up of 515.

• Opener – 573.xx – good lift
• 2nd attempt – 606.xx – good lift (26lb PR)
• 3rd attempt – 622.xx – no lift

My opener moved extremely well and got me in the meet.  Getting this was a big deal as I had to retake my opener last May which threw my mental game off.  My second attempt was a soild PR as I missed 630 on my 3rd attempt last May.

There was a fair amount of downtime between squats and my bench warm up so I stayed off my feet, snacked some and kept hydrated.  Biofreeze was applied to my lower back as a precaution followed with rotator work.  Bench warmups went quick with 145, 235, 285, 325 and 355.

• Opener – 391.xx – good lift
• 2nd attempt – 418.xx – good lift
• 3rd attempt- 424.xx – no lift

I mis-grooved my opener and it moved much slower than expected.  No big deal as it was an opener, a weight you can do even if something goes less than perfectly.  My second attempt moved much better however I didn’t think there was much left in the tank, we made a small jump on the third and it wasn’t in the cards for the day.

Deadlift warmups flew by and everything felt locked in.  I started with 225 then made a plate jump each set.  My last warm up was 495.

• Opener – 551.xx – good lift
• 2nd attempt – 589.xx – no lift
• 3rd attempt- 606.xx – good lift

At this point we already did the math for a PR total on my 3rd attempt.  551lbs moved quicker than it has ever and I knew I was in a good position to make a run at a PR total.  We went safe on my 2nd attempt to ensure a victory over Cranford, a good friend.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get the lift due to a technicality.  At this point the choice was easy, we made a small jump 606lbs to ensure I had Cranford covered by total and coefficient.  My final lift moved easy and the meet was over.  I ended the day with a 1631.xx total, 20lbs short of a PR total at almost a 30lb lighter body weight.  All things considered I had one hell of a meet.

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Jason Kowalewski

Jason Kowalewski is an up and coming raw powerlifter residing in Jacksonville, Florida where he trains with Team Samson. In his younger years he was a “gear head” who built his first drag car before obtaining a driver’s license. Within the last 6 years his primary focus has shifted from motorsports to powerlifting. Jason began training under Brian’s tutelage in February 2013. He was actually one of the initial test subjects, hence the name Lab Rat. Since then he has seen significant improvements on all lifts with his commitment to Brian and the 10/20/Life methodology. To date his best total is 1653.4lbs via 633.8lb squat, 435.4lb bench and 584.9lb deadlift at 242lbs.

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