PTC Perth Novice Competition

Powerlifting in Perth and at GPC in general seems to be moving from strength to strength. Yesterday the crew fronted up for the PTC Perth novice competition.

The PTC Perth team spent Saturday arranging the gym into it's competition layout and then on the Sunday welcomed 30 lifters  along with at least 40 spectators at any one time watching the action. Also great to see The room was packed nicely and a fantastic vibe for the mostly first time lifters who had the crowd a metre from the platform. Of course coffee and a barbecue ran throughout the day to keep spectators and lifters well fueled!

The event was well staffed by the PTC Perth crew with Daz, big Mike, Yianni and Darwin spotting and loading at various times. Also Gary Bone dropped in to help lift off the benches and great to see guys from Muscle Pit pop down as well. Paul Rucci controlled the event as head judge with Dan and Aaron running things smoothly across the day. In fact it went so well we pushed through 30 lifters in 4.5 hours: that's how well the organisation was on the day!

Of course no powerlifting event is complete anymore without Australia's greatest ever lifter Adam Coe on the microphone. The legend of Australian lifting adds value to any event with his anecdotes and commentary. It was great for this newbie to spend a couple of minutes after the event picking his brain on powerlifting in general and he is always generous with his time giving back to the sport.

There were 2 flights of 15 lifters with some fantastic lifting from the men and women. Peter Parsons from Muscle Pit took out the mens honours while Inez Idriyani put up a fantastic total in the woman's (and could probably have one a bodybuilding call out on the day as well given she was in great shape!).

A couple of pics from the day follow, though I had intentions of taking many more but spent the day doing my bit locked into the scorers table with Dani.

Below is the great man on the mic with Daz and Mike from PTC Perth in the wings.

Bench well underway....

Below is a shot from the presentations with the the top two in mens and women with the PTC Perth owners and Adam Coe. Reminder to self never to compare quads with Inez anytime soon as she looks to have most of the lads covered with some amazing quads! Her total was only 30kg's roughly from the winning totals at Nats so lets hope she continues in the sport given her obvious talent.

Check out the link for full results http://www.ptcperth.com.au/competition-results?id=8

Overall a great day and as I keep saying I am pretty fortunate to have taken this sport up in the last year at a time when GPC are putting on some great shows and powerlifting overall is moving forward. The challenge now is to continue to refine the great product and events such as this do wonders for exposing powerlifting to  more regular gym users who might not have ever considered lifting!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Mono Lift versus Walkout

So this post may be a little controversial for the some but it's Monday I feel like shit and want to stir the pot a little.

Again I have the misfortune to read people go suggest that mono-lifts are not 'old shool' and if you aren't walking your squat out then you are somehow less then a man.

Let me be unequivocal, I lift in GPC and they have a monolift. Apart from my 6 week peak, I walk all my squats out in a cage and therefore spend 95% of the year walking squats out. I have no problem with a monolift because last time I looked 300+kgs on some one's back is fucking heavy (raw) regardless of whether they walk it out.

Now guess what as a spectator I frankly don't give two flying fucks whether a super heavyweight walks that sucker out or not. I am paying to see whether he can sit in the hole and push that somaofbitch back to standing. How he gets there is of no damn interest to me. In fact to see someone fucking lose it walking back is a waste of my time.

Also I am a recreational athlete who doesn't get paid to lift so in competition if something fucks up or goes wrong it is very nice to know that attached to that mono-lift are some big ass straps that will in the unlikely event of a fuck up will stop said 100's of kg's from crashing into my pretty little shaved noggin.

Now I suspect that the whole walk out debate is just a 'my cock is bigger than yours' bunch of shit which is the exact sort of statements that fragment this great sport and continues to see the proliferation of more federations.

Lets keep it very simple and I will dumb it down for those that aren't very bright. If you lift in a federation then only compare records and results to the same federation. Don't worry your dumb ass what someone else is doing in a different fed with different rules because it simply doesn't matter and none of us should give two shits.

Oh and if you really don't agree with the assistance of the mono-lift then be consistent across the board, make sure you are driving stick, don't use cruise control, stop using laser guided tools, turn off your fucking air con, don't take creatine, remove your romelaous shoes. Honestly where do you drawn the line you pigmy brained halfwits!!

Here is the thing if we are going to recapture the golden years of this sport then it requires active dialogue and conciliation not divisiveness and hurling shit from twenty paces between feds. This is especially required from the leaders in this sport who promote products to the rest of us. Have a long look at yourselves and think about moving the sport forward.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Endless debate about Raw v Equipped

Noticed some of the usual banter on the net regarding raw versus equipped lifting and the various definitions of 'raw' After much consideration and review I have come to realise I really don't give a flying fuck!

I do understand the point that guys like Paul Carter make: that the status of raw matters and obviously  a belt-less unwrapped squat will be harder than one with wraps and a belt. But making a big deal out of which should have precedence is spurious given there are so many factors at play to make comparisons almost impossible especially when you throw in PED use. Better to just compare intra federation than across feds.

On a related point, I will be honest I respect the hell out of all lifters and watching the equipped guys like Shero at Nats with 400+ on their back was insane. However I am not really interested in equipped lifting, though remember I am a novice so perhaps if/when I post a decent total for my weight I may follow that path  in the years to come? So at the moment it means I'm not going to wear equipment or watch a lot of equipped lifters but more power to you if you like that side of the sport.

My view is however raw lifting (however you define it) is the way forward particularly when we are looking to claim a broader reach into the market.

Stay Strong

Thomo

GPC Australia backstage..amazing!

With the 2013 Nationals done and dusted kudos have to go out to Markos, Emad and the GPC team for driving this federation forward. The organisation of Nationals was outstanding with facilities far and away beyond what most national level competitors would have experienced.

Walking into the warm up room early on the Saturday I was dumbfounded by the sheer amount of equipment and the fact that it was all top quality.

Have a look at this picture, 3 mono lifts (2 were EliteFTS), 3 Forza strength benches, calibrated Eleiko plates, 3 deadlift platforms and bars holy shit!!!  If you are a powerlifter and this pic doesn't give you a hard on then you are dead! Some gyms would die for this amount of equipment let alone have it available for the warm up room of a National championship.

Oh did I happen to mention a live feed video screen in the warm up room showing the lifter out on the platform and just for good measure there was a live feed screen updating the score table. Now if that wasnt enough there was a massues available all day for the lifters and he sure as shit had plenty of work to do!

Now thats just back stage, for competitors the platform was in a massive marque with a great stage arch that incorporated the judging lights, check it out on the video (if you can take your eyes of the crazy speed of Dan Green's 382kg squat!)



Truly GPC the officials and organising committee have done an amazing job the only downside is that this was only my second competition and I will expect this every time! Also good to see such a great result for Markos who has been passionate about re-creating the lifting culture of the golden years of the sport!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Some articles are just dumb

Recently my new best friend Dan Green (ok so I only met him at Nats ) wrote an article which some suggested disrespected the Westside Method. Now when I say 'some suggested' I am talking about those halfwits that would have difficulty finding their ass if there legs weren't attached to it.

The subtext of Dan's article was that blindly following the Westside principles may not be the best for all lifters, particularly if you are raw. He then went on to challenge some of the common precepts championed by Louie Simmons. Personally I loved the article as I always respect people who follow logic and analysis rather than subscribing to the herd mentality.

Now what annoys me is that some whinny little bitch will then see fit to post a 'rebuttal' article because the system they worship was questioned. Now I won't go into detail (Atlargenutrition) but the rebuttal was dumb and had some glaring inconsistent logic particularly around the box squat.

The writer took umbrage that Dan Green suggested the box squat isn't a great carry over for a raw squatter.  The blogger suggested the box squat is perfect as it teaches one to sit back more and not have knees come excessively forward. Well that's fine and dandy my friend but as always it comes down to your flexibility and individual anthropometry. For example I have tight adductors, a few odd hip imbalances, a set of relatively long  femurs and for good measure tight calves. Now that is not unusual for a 43 year old guy who had the bright idea to take up powerlifting after years of average training. Perhaps your list of issues is worse than mine. Clearly as a beginner my squat is a work in progress but what has worked for me and seen my basic lift progress has been to reduce the width of my stance a littlle and sit through my hips more: gives me a nice stretch reflex and has resulted in much better numbers and stability.

Now if I were to follow the box squat mantra I would be sitting back more (not suited to my anthropometry) and relaxing the hips on the box (counter intuitive to the tightness I am trying to learn in the hole). Now while I would get some posterior chain strength etc the trade off would be that I would groove a movement pattern that isn't right for my individual needs.

Bottom line every system/template has efficacy but it depends on your individual needs and structure. Dan Green's article should be lauded for questioning the Louie Simmons status quo. Ultimately it's upto each of us to evaluate the information and see what works for us.

Honestly how strong would some people be if they just shut the fuck up and trained!

Stay Strong
Thomo

GPC Nationals 2013 Reflections

I am still pumped from my experiences at Nationals and thought I would share some of my recent reflections. As a 'newbie' to this sport my intention is to highlight what has worked for me in my first two competitions (GPC WA State Titles, GPC Nationals) so that others in a similar situation can learn from my numerous rookie mistakes. The list that follows is by no means exhaustive and I will add to this over time but for now:

1. You must be consistent: Training for competitions is not about the big sessions and smashing PB's it is about the consistent application of your training. Consistency in this context means not missing a session and hitting your planned reps each session.  In fact I remember a coach providing a great analogy, he suggested that training is like building a house, you arrive at the job each day (training), stick to the plan, hammer nails etc and after a year you have a house. This last 6 weeks between States and Nationals has been the most consistent focused training ever and it resulted in a 30kg PB total.

2. Team is everything: More than anyone I prefer to train alone. I work long hours and sometimes find it hard to commit to group training times. However training for Nationals reinforced the power of a strong team. So many times when doubt was gnawing at me prior to a big lift a teammate would get in my face and push me to a PB. In fact on my final bench at Nats I was pushing a 7.5kg PB and I remember hearing a huge shout as I tried to push through the sticking point. I got that lift and the PB and when I reviewed the video it showed the source of that shout was Paul Rucci my coach coming back towards the bench and screaming at me to push through. You simply can't buy support like that.

3. Video everything: Videoing each work set in training and at competitions has provided me invaluable immediate feedback on my form and positioning. Without doing this it is far too easy to fall into bad practices and potentially reinforce a poor movement pattern. Videoing also allows you to seek out advice from coaches who may not be present when you lift. Bottom line, everyone has a camera phone so there is no excuse.

4. Get your form right: Observing experienced lifters it's clear that their form on each rep is consistent. Whereas for much of my training each rep is like a snowflake: every damn one is unique. Therefore a good lifter focuses on his cues and driving from the same point each time while newbies like me waste energy over-thinking positioning etc. Therefore spend time understanding the proper movement pattern particularly in regard to your genetics. For example I have long femurs which dictates a more specific movement pattern in the squat i.e. more forward lean. Therefore it would be silly of me to try an overly narrow stance. Bottom line understand the movement lock it in and make it subconscious, then reinforce with verbal cues.

5. Preserve your Energy backstage: It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of backstage at a competition particularly at a comp like GPC Nationals with so much amazing equipment and so many lifters. Think about finding a quiet space and keep that energy for your attempts. Oh and keep an eye on the flight as some lifters get caught up and miss their call or have to rush to the platform.

6. Think about meet day nutrition: I spent some time on this for Nationals. At States I overdid the fluids particularly Gatorade type drinks and paid the price spending a shit load of time in the toilet as well as having an energy dip as those simple carbs flooded my system. For Nationals I had a very small breakfast with  limited carbs (plenty in the tank from loading after weigh in the day before) and took in a small amount of carbs during the day along with a normal loading of water. Consequently I had a for more even energy level throughout the day and spent more time on the platform less on the porcelain.

7. Write shit down: If you are serious about improving as a lifter then write stuff down, analyse it then use what is relevant. It stuns me how many guys say they want to improve but leave it to guess work to remember the feedback and specific cues they received from coaches and/or more experienced lifters.

8. Bloody enjoy it: Given all the preparation and bustle of the day it is easy to forget to stop and enjoy the moment. I can tell you that there is nothing sweeter than being on that platform you against the bar hitting a PB with the crowd, your peers and fellow lifters all yelling and screaming for you. Pat yourself on the back given you are doing something that 90% of gym goers never work hard enough to achieve.

On a final note if I compare my lifting last year before I competed and my lifting now that I have two competitions under my belt there is simply no comparison. We are competitive animals and competition galvanizes your training effort and gives it a purpose. So get on the platform with GPC and have as much fun as I did.

I will close with a couple of pics of the PTC Perth team....

Multicultural PTC Perth team, Darwin (world record deadlift), Ando and Yianni...gif the powerlifting doesnt work out we could all open a  food hall!

All smiles after my event...not sure what Daz is smilling about he was in the 100kg class so still had to lift the next day!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Dan Green..holy shit!

So I will take away from Melbourne many fantastic memories of my first GPC Nationals. However one that sticks is from my first five minutes in the venue. Staying in the center of Melbourne I caught an early taxi out to the meet venue to calm the nerves and have breakfast with the PTC Perth team.

I wander into the warm up area and literally stunned to see the far and away best 100kg raw lifter on the planet 10 feet in front of me: Dan Green. Two things strike me, firstly he is a little taller than he looks in videos and secondly he is possibly the most granite hard dense individual I have ever seen and I have met Ronnie Coleman.

Given I have nothing to lose I approach the big guy and ask politely if he would pose for a pic with an appreciative newbie...guess which one of these guys totals 985kg??

Given the strength in that grip I was lucky to get out with my right hand intact. But joking aside it was fantastic to meet the far and away best 100kg lifter on the planet and reports through out the weekend would confirm he was a great ambassador of the sport and a gentleman. Here's hoping he returns in 2014.

True to form Dan lit up the platform totaling 985 the biggest total ever lifted in Australia in the 110kg class. The photo below captures the essence of the meet, an amazing venue, stage and lighting and the best lifter in the world pulling a monster deady in front of a screaming packed house!

Check out the speed of this squat...it's insane!

Needless to say it was a highlight to be at the same meet as a lifter of this calibre and spoke volumes about the excellent organisation of the local GPC crew that not only secured Dan Green for this event but provided a venue befitting such quality lifting.

I have plenty more updates on this amazing meet to come.

Stay Strong

Thomo

Deadlift dusted..what a meet!

Following on from my bench I was 6/6 and had a 17.5kg improvement in my total from states. My confidence was running high and I wanted to make a point on the deads.

Simply put deadlifts have been my favourite lift and given my arm length it is one of the only physical benefits I bring to the platform. At States I was dissapointed by my pulling and through poor attempt selection and running out of energy I missed my PB by 2.5kg.

Not today, my opener went up fast and strong and my second attempt was set at my current PB. I was confident this would go up well as I doubled this in my final week of training but I wanted to be conservative with my 2nd attempt and lock in a small improvement from States. Three white lights ensued as again it went up well.

I spoke to Paul Rucci as I came off the platform and asked him about my third attempt. Prior to the meet I pencilled in a big 3rd attempt which was 10kg over my PB and I was stoked to hear Paul confirm my thinking and call for 180 on the bar.

Back in the warm-up area I rehearsed the lift, this would be the first time I pulled four plates! For a second I second guessed my attempt selection but a quick word with Coach Rucci calmed the nerves as he looked straight at me and said  'Thomo you have 180'.

Out to the platform and I was calm, my set up quicker than normal but the minute I touched the bar it was aggression as I commenced the pull.


The pull actually felt like my best of the year, I wanted this bad and it felt all at once that the effort of the last 14 weeks prep went into this lift. I locked it out nicely,  waited for the refs call and then paused watching the three globes light up white across the board.

Check out the video below, one of my favorite elements is that Australia's greatest ever powerlifter Adam Coe is the MC and calling my lift, a weight he probably curled in his day but an honour to lift in front of Australia's best.



Elation as the meet comes to an end with the perfect finish.  I had the option of a 4th lift  but again coaching feedback and common sense prevailed. I have a PB, I'm uninjured...leave it at that!

I will wrap up the meet tomorrow but for now I am just savoring a great experience.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Bench behind me

 My flight is now finished in the bench and I managed 3 for 3 with a 7.5kg PB. Overall damn happy with that and I really had to grind that last one. This is the lift that I need the most work on technically but plenty of time after this meet to base build.

Resting up now for deadlift and I really want to PB on my favorite lift.

 Stay Strong
Thomo

squats down bring it on

Finished squats with a PB and hit 3 for 3. Funny how it all goes out the door when you are on the platform. You can't here the music your team or see shit, just you and the bar.

 Was a 10kg PB today, bring on bench.

Below is a pic of the lads backstage warmining up

Stay Strong
Thomo

Made the cut

I rolled up to the Rydges in Preston to see the competition being prepared in earnest. The venue looks fantastic and credit to Markos and the GPC federation for putting on a great venue.

The Perth team were already downstairs and they all weighed in under the limit. Jumping on the scales it was pleasing to see my water loading worked as I came in at 71.9, a tad under my States weight but well under the 75kg limit.

 A quick hello to the lads and I was back into the city to start re-feeding over a massive breakfast and shake.

Feeling good and chilling out by watching Hawthorn and Collingwood at the dome, an early night then game on in the morning.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Welcome to melbourne -Nats is almost here

Today I arrived in Melbourne after a 3 hour flight. What made it interesting was the first time I have taken my 2 year old daughter on a flight. Normally you hear horror stories of kids on flights but she was a dream and the last hour was perfect given she and I fell asleep.

Coincidentally one of the gentleman of powerlifting Jim Ambrose was on the flight with me and we talked a little about Nats. Love the way he is still lifting in his sixties makes my journey at 43 look easy.

Now I am firmly ensconced in an apartment with the family in the centre of the city.Tomorrow is weigh in so I am fasting to make sure I make the weight cut.  Yes that is really really dumb and I have decided to not cut again.  I'm a beginner just needing to get stronger why the fuck am I cutting weight, I'm not going to take the open 75 class and all the cutting simply robs me of strength. Just another dumb newbie mistake.

Catching Darwin and the other Perth guys at weigh-in then the re-feeding begins!

Can't wait

Stay strong
Thomo

T minus 4 Days and Counting

Tonight I overdosed on motivational videos and articles from Paul Carter through to EliteFts and some old school rocky..yes i said Rocky. I remember being 8 years old on my first visit to Perth and seeing the iconic footage of Rocky running up those steps to that music in 1978 on the big screen. Suck up some old school inspiration (listen on you tube).



I am feeling good and trying to build the anticipation for the iron. I am not going into the gym tomorrow to do speed work.  I don't want to touch iron until Saturday, I want to be so desperate to rip the fuck off that bar once I touch it.

Weight is going well I am sitting at 74.2 with clothes 4 days out and feeling comfortable. The clock is ticking, there is a loaded bar waiting for me...fuck that I am waiting for it.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Openers Done next up flight to Melbourne

Last night was openers for our team with most of the crew in and ready to lift. As a newbie I find openers and interesting concept. I have been told it's mostly for confidence but to be honest I took more confidence from my PB's the previous week than backing up last night and eating into recovery.

Again output from last night was mixed. It seems while some guys run an undulating periodisation model I end up having an undulating success model!! Last week PB's on everything and feeling strong, last night my squat fucked with me again and I needed take a second opener to feel good...and I still didn't.

The upside was I was fired up for deadlifts and pulled a nice fast opener at 160 ready to give 180 a shake at Nationals, as always one step at a time!

On reflection I was pretty sure I was no where near warmed up enough for the squat. I raced through my warm-ups so that I could slot in with Yianni and Darwin and by the time I got to my work set I was feeling tight and consequently my form felt off right away. Lesson for Nats, run my own race and take the time to warm up with plenty of reps, I know I feel better mentally when I do this.

It's funny but after all this prep I am still making dumb mistakes, however it is good to see with the squat most of these are simply poor positioning or prep in my warmups: these can be easily rectified.

On the upside I am entering Nats hitting my best numbers ever and the deadlift last night went up really well.

I am flying Thursday so I will spend time recovering, cutting weight (already under the limit) and maybe a light session at 40% tomorrow on the squat to get my foot positioning right and stretch out the hips.

The work is all done and success is now all down to strength of mind.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Powerlifting 101 - More mass please!

In my final week of prep for Nationals I am pretty comfortable with what I have achieved. Despite some real nasty niggles with my adductor, changing jobs and the usual shit storm of life I have managed to hit PB's on all three lifts and progress.

However let's not confuse comfortable with satisfied. I have an awfully long way to go in my masters lifting career. I am still a beginner and name a newbie mistake I have probably made it. In fact sharing my goofs with other newbie lifters is the sole reason I commenced this blog.

After Nationals I am focusing on putting on some quality mass. Given my structure I think the 75kg class is my natural weight but I clearly am under muscled at the moment. In fact my next Dexa scan will likely show I have a good 15kg of useless fat that needs to be addressed.

I am not too worried as I know a good 10 months prep and lots and lots of reps in the 60-75% range in the lead into my program will start to send my body composition in the right direction. Particularly as I am very focused now on what carbs I eat and when. It's a lot harder at 43 when your metabolism and test levels start fucking with you!

In terms of motivation as a beginner there is no more sobering moment than feeling good about your last squat session then watching a girl 15kg lighter in bodyweight smoke a lift only 10kg's lighter than yours deeper and easier!

I love this game it kicks you down and forces you to get back up.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Want to know what Powerlifting is...

I blogged earlier in the week my ongoing frustration that I invariably have to explain to people what Powerlifting is.  If your friends want to know what we do tell them to watch the fucking video!

EliteFts Inspiration

In the run in to Nationals I am overdosing on videos that get my fired up for training. The one below is my favourite for today!

Powerlifting runs last in awareness

As a GPC athlete it is fantastic to be part of a powerlifting federation that is doing all it can to increase the profile of the sport. It would appear that the GPC Nationals is going to be a massive event and I can't wait to  rub shoulders with the elite of Australian powerlifting.

Despite the massive turnout the fact remains powerlifting is a fringe sport and much needs to be done to lift it out of the doldrums. Certainly the structural issue of multiple federations that dilutes sponsorship, fractures the supporter base and confuses spectators alike is difficult to redress. However what surprises me is how much the average person knows or at least is aware of every other strength sport except powerlifting.

Case in point my lovely lady was out with her mothers group and the topic of our impending trip to Melbourne was raised. The mention of me going for a powerlifting meet raised a flurry of questions and clarifications.

What was annoying and symptomatic of powerliftings low profile  is that of the four mothers, one thought it was bodybuilding, another thought it was weightlifting and worst of all one mentioned Cross-fit. Fucking Cross-fit are you kidding me!!

The increased profile in powerlifting will take time but GPC is taking all the right steps and I look forward to watching it grow.

Stay Strong
Thomo

Deadlift Smoked

Tonight was the end of a short but intense preparation for Nationals as the team finished off with Deadlifts. As always Darwin was there when I arrived, now while he is some crazy strong 75kg 17 year old prodigy  he is a great teammate to have around. He may out deadlift me by about 100kg but his energy is great and he is always there to provide support.

Tonight every damn warm up set felt heavy. I am still trying to learn how many sets I need without gassing out prior to the top set. Regardless I kept alternating with Darwin until it was time for the working set.

Now at States I finished with 167.5 and was so stuffed I couldn't get 172.5 off the floor. Tonight I had 167.5 scheduled for a double. However 170 sounded good so it was loaded and I was ready to go.

After Nationals I need to work on deficit deads and get stronger off the initial pull from the floor. So I am focused on bar speed to get the fucker moving. I focus on the first rep and make sure I pull the slack out of the Texas bar.... and then up it goes up. It feels slow and hard but it moves and I get the hips under it and lock it out.

Now I know I have this second rep and it goes up and feels much faster. In fact  the top I toy with the idea of going a third but decide wisely to keep a little in the tank. As the bar hits the floor I have doubled my PB and it feels damn good!

This final week the program has come together perfectly. I had a PB in bench, added 2.5 kg to my squat PB and doubled it and doubled my deady PB tonight. Kudos to the coaches for programming this perfectly and for the team supporting each other all through the last 5 weeks.

Seven days to weigh in..can't wait to hit the platform!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Bench done and dusted

Tonight I was tight on time so didnt have a lot of time to work through my bench. Regardless I doubled my weight from States, did a paused 2.5 kg PB and 7.5 kg PB again. My strength off the  pause isn't great but that's what you get for being a dumb-ass and touch and go benching for 6 months.

It felt low key tonight, I certainly didn't have the game face on but I will still take a PB. In fact to be honest it felt like I was hurrying through. Hurrying through to get to something else...deadlift night on Friday!

I have been building up tension for the deadlift even before I squatted this week. I had a great session last Friday and also harbour disappointment from States where I missed a PB through poor attempt selection.

So tonight is over and the Texas bar awaits me. It's been a good week of training and the anticipation for the platform at Nationals is palpable. This is where the mind games can begin, but the work has been done. No one is getting stronger in the last week, it's now about fine tuning and then leaving it the fuck alone for a week to let recovery begin.

It's close I can taste it!

Stay Strong
Thomo

Aspirations for Nationals

So 9 days from today I will be getting on a plane bound for Melbourne Australia to join 180 GPC lifters for what appears to be a fantastically organised meet.

I can't speak for anyone else in the team but I feel like a fat kid in a cookie store with excitement. I am keenly aware as a beginner  my total will be one of the lowest but I am going to give it everything in the 75kg class and leave it all on the platform.

I have specific goals for this meet. First I want to refine my competition technique and learn to better control my nerves on the day: at States I burnt so much nervous energy.. Second and obviously I want to improve my total, more on this shortly. Finally I want to own the weight, I want to head out for each attempt so utterly   confident that it will go up.

My lifts have come along way in the last 8 weeks both just before States and in the prep for Nationals. My squat has improved and I have added 40kg to my PB (good to be a beginner!). Much of this is to do with confidence, getting under the bigger weights and trusting going deep in the hole. Bench is still a problem with my technique all over the place. Somehow I found myself with an ultra narrow geared lifter style bench. Consequently I kept missing lifts 6 inches or so off the chest as the bar path strayed off the natural groove. I had the good fortune to read an article by Dan Green which resonated and since I have been focusing on this my lifts feel much more in the zone. I feel comfortable I will double 2.5kgs more than my States lift. My deadift is the one I am less sure about. I would like to think I have a 180 in me which would be a 12.5 kg PB. I will know more on Friday as I attempt to double my current PB.

Overall if I have a great meet then my total is 30kg over States, but to be honest I will stoked with 5-10. Now it's important to put this in perspective, the 3rd best total in GPC in my class this year is 567kg a full 167 more than my current total. But here's the thing I am 43 I am new to this, I am hungry and I am going to give it a hell of a crack over the coming years!

I can't fucking wait!

Stay Strong
Thomo

First Powerlifting Meet - What did I learn?

It's been 5 weeks since my first powerlifting meet and it was an epiphany. Competing magnified every possible weakness in my training, my philosophy's and my physique. Point of fact it has fundamentally changed the way I approach my training.

Now the things I have learned in the last 6 weeks could probably fill 50 posts but what follows is a distillation of the my key learning's:

1. I need to squat and bench more: it's all about the technique and groove, to bench and squat more I have to increase the frequency, once a week isn't going to cut it while I am still technically a beginner
2. I need a stronger core: After my 1RM squats at States I felt like Vinnie Jones spent half an hour punching the shit out of my ribs. I do AB roller work but it sure as hell isn't enough so more core work each session is required
3. I need a stronger 'everything': Lately I have been reading a lot of old 70' and 80's powerlifting magazines and noted that the champion's of old stuck to pretty simply regime's focused on what Paul Carter calls base building. Lots of linear progression, hypertrophy and lots and lots of reps
4. I need to go hard on legs: Genetically I don't have big wheels but I need to pump these suckers up if I am to keep progressing. One thing I got away from was quad development and given this is so critical to squatting raw then I need to up the reps and get on the Elite FTS leg press
5. Don't over think squats: After my adductor injury I spent a fair amount of time changing my squat form which did nothing more than mess with my head and waste lots of time. At the end of the day it is a movement my baby daughter can do with perfect form. I need to continue to focus on just dropping through my hips and driving back up...keep it simple
6. Focus on the right nutrition: I have been focusing a lot more on nutrient timing and the associated hormonal impact. Consequently my new regime is focusing on exactly when I take carb meals to better manage insulin. Yep kind of dumb to be busting your ass in the gym and undoing the good work through poor timing
7. Get my pre-lift routine locked down: Watching videos of the top lifters they all have their pre-lift routine to get there mind ready for the attempt. I don't or when I do it varies. I am focusing a lot more on the mental side now to just make sure I don't forget the key pre lift cue's.
8. 90% of what I read is worthless: Now I did know this but it is easy to get sucked in to what Louie and Westside say about the box squat and knees out etc etc. However I've noticed through the writings of guys like Dan green and Brandon Lilly that there is a shift back to simplicity and raw training. For me it's now about keeping it simple and lifting more weight for more reps

Even from this reduced list it is clear I have plenty to work on. After Nationals I have 10 months to really hammer the growth and get a strong base. My medium term goal is a 500kg total with a 200kg squat and deadlift and I expect I will be a fair way closer to that in the next 10 months. But for now it's all about Nationals and a PB in the deadlift on Friday!

Stay Strong 

Thomo

Last Squat Session Before GPC Nationals

Tonight was a big night for the PTC Perth crew. Our last scheduled squat session called for 100% 1RM for a double and yes it felt like a big ask.

All 7 of the team was ready to squat tonight and coupled with a full gym and ACDC pumping the atmosphere was electric. I took time tonight with my warm-ups making sure I got to my top set feeling strong and in the groove. One of the many learning's over the last two months has been that some warmup sets will feel good others shit. The key is not to dwell on the bad ones just get the form right and keep moving up.

There was plenty of rest between sets tonight, no one was rushing to get to their top set but the vibe was good and confidence high. I felt good but as my warm-ups progressed my second and third last set felt rough slightly out of the groove.

I sat and collected my thoughts and watched the rest of the team under the bar. The mental toughness required particularly for the squat in powerifting is significant. That feeling of a limit poundage on your traps driving you into the hole, trying to staple you to the floor is sensational. Even though you are surrounded by spotters and straps in the mono are there to catch you there is still the hint of fear just below the surface.

The lads are looking solid and in no time at all I am up. I am feeling it and want more pressure the weight on the bar is my single PB from States. I ask for an extra 2.5kg and I am going to double this. Dazza wraps as always, it's tighter tonight but I don't mind it's game on and time to go inside.

Hands on the bar now, it's cold, I smell the chalk, I can feel the energy from my team mates and their support. This double is mine. I lift off and then sit down, feel the pressure driving me down further...then up and first rep is done. This PB is definitely mine now, as I drive the second rep up and rack that fucker.

Simple a 2.5kg PB and I doubled it!

I work through my bench session but help the rest of the team as they hit their top sets. A few of the lads had trouble with the double tonight but it's understandable with the numbers we have been running and  the numbers they had to hit tonight.

Dazza in particular couldnt get the groove tonight but I know he will smash it at Nats. He went 9/9 at States and is a big game performer.

Two sessions to go and we deload, I can't wait for deadlifts Friday.

Stay Strong
Thomo