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.
Jason Kowalewski
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