Codger's Quest

[Browndog]

White lights Codger...

Hope you have a day to remember!

[Browndog]

I'm in suspenders...it's killing me...need.to.know.results.

[codger]

I think your white-light wishes helped, BD. I got 27 of them yesterday--three for all three attempts at all three lifts! It was a great day all around. The meet took place at Albuquerque Barbell, a really nice gym. Only 35 competitors in all--women, men, and kids. I was the oldest lifter by a few months, and definitely the skinniest in the 105 kg class. The next-oldest lifter weighed in at 280 pounds! My wife and I stayed at a hotel the night before. Surprisingly I got a good night's sleep, woke up at around 8:30, had breakfast at the hotel and then drove to the gym. Weighed in at a hair over 93 kg so I competed in the 105-kg class. I was in the second flight of lifters, and started lifting at around 2:30. So, the results:

Squat: 150, 160, 170. All three lifts felt solid and strong. My wife heard the judges say that I was going deeper than necessary so I have to learn to cut the squat off a bit higher. Before the meet I thought 170 might be out of reach but now I think I could have hit 172.5, maybe even 175. I'll post some videos below. (Note the fear in my eyes during the squat!)

Bench: 100, 110, 115. Here again I felt like I could have done more, maybe 117.5. Must have been the adrenaline at the meet. I opted for a lift-off and the spotter knew what he was doing. Perfect set-up, better than lifting alone in my garage.

Deadlift: 190, 205, 217.5. As with the squat I thought my third attempt was going to be a reach, possibly a failure. But the weight went up steadily and my my back didn't round. I did the first two attempts without a belt, and belted up for the third. Used a hook grip for all three.

I managed to break 1,100 pounds, a goal I was hoping to reach this year. The total came to 1,107. I think each lift might be a New Mexico state record for masters 3A at 105 kg, but I'll have to check once the results have been officially posted. Took home a nice medal with a ribbon. Strangely enough I had more trouble sleeping last night after the meet than I did the night before the meet. Funny how excitement and effort affect your body and mind. I feel pretty good today, not beat up or sore.

My take-home lesson from this meet was that I could try considerably harder on the third lift. One other lifter told me that if you get all white lights you're not trying hard enough. So next time I'll try to push things a bit more. Especially with the deadlift. i wish I had tried for at least 222.5. Before this meet I honestly thought all my third attempts would be outliers for me.

There were some really impressive lifters at the event, including a few who have represented the US internationally. The best deadlift was above 600 pounds, and there were a few 500+ squats.

Third attempts for all three lifts:
squat: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PFk1UoXEIMz6s14U2

bench: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bO1DsTpHq09vRePl2

deadlift: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bRRgSH8GczQHgGHE3

[Meshuggah]

Congratulations!! Awesome Lifting my Friend!!

[Browndog]

Outstanding...

Yeah, you might have undersold yourself, but it was your first meet - 9 for 9 is outstanding.

Better a little deep on the Squat than to leave it open to question.

Nice pause on the chest - strong!

No messing around on the pull. You just walked out there and grabbed the bar before anyone had a chance to say anything.

Everthing looked great. I'm thrilled at how well you did. Isn't it amazing at how amped up you are after a meet?

So, you gonna do Raw Natls in Spokane???

[Oldster]

Sonuvagun, Yoda! The Force WAS with you! Congratulations doesn't seem like enough after your showing.

My comments must be taken with a grain of salt because I've never competed.

The depth of your squat? My opinion is don't mess with it. Go with what is natural. If you aren't forcing yourself to go deeper, keep doing what you're doing. You'll continue to get stronger.

For your first comp, I think nine whites are great. You now have a baseline. I'm curious, were these all PRs?

How about Mrs. Yoda, what did she think of the day? Was it an ordeal, or did she enjoy it?

[Brian Goldstein]

Awesome meet, Codger!

[codger]

Congratulations!! Awesome Lifting my Friend!!

Thanks, Shug!

Everthing looked great. I'm thrilled at how well you did. Isn't it amazing at how amped up you are after a meet?

So, you gonna do Raw Natls in Spokane???

Thanks very much, BD. Amped up is right. I still feel a bit buzzed now more than 24 hours later. I hadn't been thinking about the Raw Nationals because travels this summer might interfere with my training. I'd really like to make it to Spokane; I should know in a couple of months what summer schedule will be like. Anyway, I'll train for it and hope for the best. Hope it works out. It would be fun to meet up there.

The depth of your squat? My opinion is don't mess with it. Go with what is natural. If you aren't forcing yourself to go deeper, keep doing what you're doing. You'll continue to get stronger.

For your first comp, I think nine whites are great. You now have a baseline. I'm curious, were these all PRs?

How about Mrs. Yoda, what did she think of the day? Was it an ordeal, or did she enjoy it?

Good advice about the squat depth, Oldster. Thanks--I think I'll take that to heart. You're right--my squat has been feeling good; no injuries, and the weight has been going up steadily so I shouldn't mess with it.
All my third lifts at the meet were PRs by a good ten pounds or more for each lift. And it was interesting to test myself and find that I still had a bit more in the tank.
Mrs. Yoda had a blast. You can hear her saying "Yes!" in the deadlift video as I complete the lift. The meet organizer was a great guy. He made a point to keep the audience informed about the lifts and he really kept everyone revved up. It felt like a real sporting event. Lots of fun. Mrs. Yoda now has a USAPL T-shirt.

Awesome meet, Codger!

Thanks, Brian! All these good wishes are extending the fun of the meet. I'd encourage everyone to give competition a shot at least once. It's a nice experience on many levels.

[Oldster]

I'd like to know early on if you are going to the Spokane comp. If so, and it doesn't interfere with what we have planned this summer, it's only about 7 hours away. I'd love to come watch and cheer you on!

[Silentpadna]

I think your white-light wishes helped, BD. I got 27 of them yesterday--three for all three attempts at all three lifts! It was a great day all around. The meet took place at Albuquerque Barbell, a really nice gym. Only 35 competitors in all--women, men, and kids. I was the oldest lifter by a few months, and definitely the skinniest in the 105 kg class. The next-oldest lifter weighed in at 280 pounds! My wife and I stayed at a hotel the night before. Surprisingly I got a good night's sleep, woke up at around 8:30, had breakfast at the hotel and then drove to the gym. Weighed in at a hair over 93 kg so I competed in the 105-kg class. I was in the second flight of lifters, and started lifting at around 2:30. So, the results:

Squat: 150, 160, 170. All three lifts felt solid and strong. My wife heard the judges say that I was going deeper than necessary so I have to learn to cut the squat off a bit higher. Before the meet I thought 170 might be out of reach but now I think I could have hit 172.5, maybe even 175. I'll post some videos below. (Note the fear in my eyes during the squat!)

Bench: 100, 110, 115. Here again I felt like I could have done more, maybe 117.5. Must have been the adrenaline at the meet. I opted for a lift-off and the spotter knew what he was doing. Perfect set-up, better than lifting alone in my garage.

Deadlift: 190, 205, 217.5. As with the squat I thought my third attempt was going to be a reach, possibly a failure. But the weight went up steadily and my my back didn't round. I did the first two attempts without a belt, and belted up for the third. Used a hook grip for all three.

I managed to break 1,100 pounds, a goal I was hoping to reach this year. The total came to 1,107. I think each lift might be a New Mexico state record for masters 3A at 105 kg, but I'll have to check once the results have been officially posted. Took home a nice medal with a ribbon. Strangely enough I had more trouble sleeping last night after the meet than I did the night before the meet. Funny how excitement and effort affect your body and mind. I feel pretty good today, not beat up or sore.

My take-home lesson from this meet was that I could try considerably harder on the third lift. One other lifter told me that if you get all white lights you're not trying hard enough. So next time I'll try to push things a bit more. Especially with the deadlift. i wish I had tried for at least 222.5. Before this meet I honestly thought all my third attempts would be outliers for me.

There were some really impressive lifters at the event, including a few who have represented the US internationally. The best deadlift was above 600 pounds, and there were a few 500+ squats.

Third attempts for all three lifts:
squat: https://photos.app.goo.gl/PFk1UoXEIMz6s14U2

bench: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bO1DsTpHq09vRePl2

deadlift: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bRRgSH8GczQHgGHE3

This is awesome! Thanks for posting these. You are an inspiration.