I competed in the bench only, raw (no supportive gear) category on March 27 at the I.P.A. New England Revolution Power lifting meet. Before I begin I want to thank my handler, Brik Brickett, and my wife, Kerry, both for their support. I haven't been the easiest to deal with this training cycle. Also a big thanks to Millennium & Critical Bench. It's a sweet thing to have sponsors.
The meet went well, I learned a lot, and took some chances. My original plan was to open with 425, take 455 on my second for a PR, and then go 470-475 on the third. Things don't always work out as planned.
Warmups:
bar * 15
135 * 10
225 * 3
275 * 1
325 * 1
375 * 1
First Attempt: 425, 3 white lights. Easy.
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Second Attempt: 455, 3 white lights. Easy. PR.
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Third Attempt: 500, no lift. Not easy.
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Some of you are probably wondering why I took 500 on my third attempt instead of sticking to my plan. I am too. Just kidding, but seriously, my goal for a while has been to bench 500 without supportive equipment. The 425 felt very very easy, and the 455 felt good too. Several of my friends, and more experienced lifters than myself, encouraged me to try 500 on my third attempt.
Initially I didn't want to, as I'm a person who does well with plans. There were two phrases which made me give it a try, the first was something like "you're the only person here who doesn't believe YOU can do 500", and the second was "you may never have another chance to do this". I spend the next 10 minutes talking myself into believing that I had a right to try the weight, and not only that, but a good chance of actually getting it. This is the hardest part.
I put everything I had into the lift. I have never been so focused, I have never been set up so tight, and was able to push my fears and doubts aside. Unfortunately, the weight was just a little too heavy. I moved it well, if it had gone another inch or so I would have had it. Yes, it felt heavy but it wasn't that bad. This is do-able. It was good that I have felt it in competition.
So today, I do not regret my choices because I dared to dream big. 500 has been a dream. Today I touched it.