Wellington and Central Powerlifting Regional Championships 2024, 318 Fitness, Paraparaumu, Kāpiti

Competed as Under 120kg Open lifter

Squat

1st attempt: 200kg

2nd attempt: timed out

3rd attempt: timed out

Bench

1st attempt: 172.5kg

2nd attempt: 180kg

3rd attempt: 185.5kg - WCPA Open under 120 record (+ higher than M1 and M2)

Deadlift

1st attempt: 240kg

2nd attempt: timed out

3rd attempt: timed out

Total: 625.5kg - 3rd place

Notes

This meet was largely just a tune-up, as there is a long break until my next one.  

Three weeks out, injure my shoulder.  Stuck my head down and got into rehab/recovery as fast as possible and did the loads I was capable of on the day.  Self guided, didn't bother with physio as waiting list is pretty long lately.  Training went ok.  Squat/deadlift training were quite good, but squat and dieting do not match.

Dieting was required, as I was heavy.  After Nationals I went overseas and got food poisoning, and the repercussions of that carried on for a month or so, maybe longer.  Then went away to another conference in the South Island, and back home for a bit, then Christmas.  The repercussions of all that was being heavier.  The weekend before the meet was my youngest boys birthday, so cake and food was had, and a bloated 123.6kg was the outcome.  Consistent diet (~2550kcal average), and water loading took me back to 119.5kg on the morning of the meet.   Seven days, 4.1kg.

Helped move some equipment from the lockup into a van for the setup of the meet on Friday.  Got a hire van Saturday morning and mostly relaxed the rest of Saturday (while keeping my steps up).

Drove the van down to the meet, left before 9.20am and arrived around 11am.  Weigh-in was 11.45am, and was again 119.5kg.  Rehydrated with ~1.2L sports drink, a caffeinated version, topped up with more salt.  Taking a hyperhydration approach to retaining fluid.  Some jet plane gummies, and a small can of rice pudding was pre-comp food.  Plus another 1.2L of sugar free sports drink for the remainder of the meet.  

Warmed up for squat, and this felt pretty strong overall.  Walked out, lifted weight up, and it moved as easily as a sub-5rm weight can move.  Timed out for my next two attempts.

Another small can of rice pudding and some more jet planes.  Then pre-workout.  

Bench warmups were fine as well, but the benches in the warmup area were pretty squidgy, and definitely way softer than the Eleiko competition bench.  Opener moved.  The second attempt wasn't as snappy as I hoped, but loaded for the open record that I had targeted.  There was some discussion about the load, probably confused as I was going for all three records, but it was an open record so it really made no difference.  That got me a bit more aggressive, which helped and the 185.5 moved ok.  A tough lockout but 3 whites.  Goal achieved.

Then deadlifts.  Another can of rice, a few more lollies, and did a few warmups.  Went out for 240 which moved OK, and happy considering I just did heavier than that for four on Thursday.  Back felt reasonable.  Then timed out on the next two attempts.

Then packed out, loaded up the van, and got going to home.  Arrived back home just before 9pm.  Then unloaded the van into the lockup the following morning.  That is the bit that tired me out.  

Happy with the meet.  I wanted the bench record.  I wanted to do a lift.  I didn't want to compete in my own age group, as I am the current National record holder and I don't need to rock up to collect medals.  I was happy with the third place (there might have been only three lifters, will check later).  

What is next?

A down week and then a little off-season block.  Wanting to relax a little on bench, and let the shoulder rest up/recover while I hammer the rehab on it.  I do not want this happening later.

I will then have two building blocks before a peaking block into either Oceania Championships (October) if I get selected, or otherwise Nationals (September).  

Then.... dieting.

Onwards.