Julie’s Adventures in Powerlifting (Part 3): My First Powerlifing Meet
Six months ago, I decided to compete in my first (and possibly only) powerlifting competition. It was a bucket list kind of idea. I had some background in lifting but no experience with powerlifting-specific training. All I knew was that I would need a coach. So that was my first step.
Finding a Coach
I asked around a bit and was directed to Revolution Fitness (the gym) and Resilient Training Lab (the coaches who program). I met Paul, the owner. He has a great laugh, tons of experience with powerlifting, and a team of experienced coaches. I knew that Paul and his team could help me prep for the meet. So, in April, I officially started my training (3 days/week).
Training
Training was fun. Not easy, but yes, fun. I enjoyed carving time out of my busy schedule to train. I was committed. I had a plan, and I was being held accountable. If I said I was going to the gym and didn’t, my coaches checked in on me. Some days, I could only complete half a session and come back later that week to finish the other half, but that felt great. Committing myself to a goal and sticking to it felt great.
Meet Prep
About three weeks before the meet, training became very challenging. I began completing “singles” (lifting a heavy weight just once), and man, some of those singles took a lot out of me. It’s strange. It was how I thought the whole training would be: low reps, heavy weight. I was wrong. Thankfully, those heavy weights came into play for about two weeks (6 workouts). After those two challenging weeks, I had a light week before the meet. That felt great!
The Day Before the Meet
The day before the meet, I drove to Rhode Island and completed my weigh-in. You can watch the video below or read the transcript below to learn how weighing-in went. *Spoiler alert, my butterflies didn’t go away for a while!
Transcript:
Thoughts before the Meet:
”Hey, everybody! So today, I went to the gym and had to do a weigh-in. So they weighed me, and they inspected all of my equipment. I bought the wrong knee sleeves, which was an expensive mistake, but now I have the right ones. Yay! I feel really weird right now I want to get a good night's sleep I'm waiting for my sister I'm staying at her house, and I'm just hoping to have a good meal and go to bed early. I kind of feel like those butterflies I used to get when I would do the long jump in high school. There's absolutely no pressure, and I need to remind myself of that. I am here to have an experience and have a good time. I think that's it. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, and I will keep you updated on the meet. It should be a quick one talk to you later. “
And here is what happened during and after the meet.
Transcript:
Meet Recap
“So the big news is I just finished my first powerlifting meet! I am so excited. We started with the squat. I totally messed them up. My first one, I didn't get down low enough. The second one, I made it, so good! And the third one, I went for a big PR (personal record), and I missed it. That's all right! Bench: I hit all my benches. Hit a PR. I was so excited! Deadlift: even better, all my deadlifts all white lights, which means all good, and I also hit the pr my deadlift. Great I got a little award for being the first in my class. I'm the only one in my class (age and weight-wise). That's okay. I also got a bunch of like Connecticut State records because they didn't have any, and I hit the qualifying total for Nationals. I might go! Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm super excited I did this training has been really fun!”
My Last Lift of The Day
And finally, above is a video of my last lift (the deadlift). I’m including video of this lift because, as you can see, once the bar goes past my knees, I smile. I couldn’t help it; I was psyched the bar moved so well. I was psyched that it was the last lift of the meet, and I was just so excited to be officially completing my first powerlifting meet. I had trained for nearly six months and was proud of myself, dagnabit!
Wisdom Alert!
I want to share a few nuggets of wisdom I learned from this experience (the training and the meet).
If you want to get good at something quickly, get a freakin’ coach/mentor/trainer. Sure, you could youtube the crap out of anything you want to be better at (powerlifting, losing weight, fitness, wellness, business), but a coach/mentor/trainer is going to help you get results FAST! Imagine that Youtube is the slow, party-bus version of transformation, making frequent stops, and getting off track now and then. One-on-one coaching is more like a jet plane, getting you where you want to be faster and more efficiently.
A coach/mentor/trainer will create a custom program to get immediate results. They will help you tease out your end-game, your goal, and then they will create small steps(habits, workouts, actions) that will help you get to where you want to be (more fit, able to move with more ease, less breathless, strong AF).
A custom program significantly reduces overwhelm. How many times have you gone to the gym without a plan and ended up doing mindless circles around fitness equipment? I know I’ve been there! With a custom program, you roll up and do what is planned (with some flexibility, of course). I love being told what to do (when it comes to training).
For all of you locals (Connecticut), I highly recommend Resilient Training Labs located in North Haven, CT for Powerlifting-Specific Training, and of course, if you are a woman aged 40-65 looking for personal training, contact me and learn more about my 6-week Introduction to Transformation Program.
Get out of your comfort zone. Whether lifting a bit heavier, moving a bit more, or trying something you aren’t very good at, getting out of your comfort zone usually leads to learning and, in the end, satisfaction. No, I was not looking forward to wearing a tight singlet (powerlifting body suit) in front of strangers, but after my fourth lift, I finally became more comfortable. So comfortable that I actually began to hear people cheer me on. I felt the support of this new-found community, and I loved it!
Write that bucket list and start checking things off today!
I’ve always had a bucket list, a loose one in my mind. I now have an official one. It’s not written stone, but I do look at it every day. It grounds me, centers me, reminds me that life is precious, and I want to use my time on this earth well.
What’s Next?
I have most definitely been bitten by the powerlifting bug. I plan on competing in a local meet in March (five months from now). I also hope to go to Nationals this year. I’m not sure where they are, but I love the idea of competing at the National level. More people, a bigger event, even more cheering, and a great excuse to see more of the United States. Let’s do this!
In the meantime, I will be changing up my training to have a more HIIT (high-intensity interval training) focus for the next three months. I want to dial in my pull-ups and do more Olympic lifting (more dynamic barbell movement). I highly recommend changing up your fitness routine now and then. Boredom can be an exercise killer. And remember, fitness doesn’t always have to happen in the gym. Walking with friends, hiking, cleaning your house, playing with grandkids, rock climbing, axe-throwing. Continue to do what you love and try out some activities you have always wanted to try out.