This was a fun meet! I'll be the first to admit I was nervous for a lot of it. I tend to get nervous up until the moment I hit the platform... It sucks, but it also keeps me on edge.
Going into the meet I only had about 4 hours of sleep last night, so I wasn't sure how I was going to perform. Ass in the fact that I had to move up a weight class (thanks a lot pizza and other delicious foods I can't resist!), and it's a hard recipe to work with.
I opened with 501 on the squats. Got it easily and smoothly.
I then went for a PR on my second attempt. I was shooting for 539. As you can see in the video, I had the power, but I was a bit too high and didn't break parallel. :(
However, rather than simply try again, I decided to go for a better PR. I went up to 551 on my third attempt, and I made sure to hit the correct depth on that one!
This was the toughest squat battle of my life. I probably wouldn't have gotten it if not for the people shouting at me to keep driving it up. Afterward I was pretty exhausted. It took me about 30 minutes to recover, and even then my back started cramping up pretty bad.
I moved into bench press while my back was still cramping, never a good way to start off. I nailed my opener (341) which was my best lift back in September.
My second attempt was at 363. I got it as well, but this one hurt. That cramp in my back was spreading from the middle of my back all the way down to my left hip.
My third attempt was 373. Now, I could blame it on the spasms, which by this point were all over my back and through the front of my right abdomen as well, but even without the cramps I just didn't have the power to push this one out through the sticking point. I'll work on that for next time.
Now, because of the cramps, I dropped my opening deadlift to 474. I wanted to make sure I at least got on the board, so that way if I had to quit I could at least count my total. However, much to my surprise, the deadlifts unlocked my back. 474 went up like nothing.
2nd deadlift I went for a PR. The most I have done before is 525 at home, and 518 in competition. So, I went for 529. Got it too.
3rd attempt I decided to be a little reckless. I went for a PR again, but also decided I wanted to deadlift more than I squatted. (I have always had bigger deadlift numbers, so it would be a shame not to keep that trend going today). My third attempt was 561, and I have to say that I not only got it, but I think my form was nearly flawless as well. Not only that, but after the meet, the chief judge made sure to announce to everyone in the gym that he would love it if they would all set the deadlift down as nicely as I did. He said, "I have never seen anyone respect a deadlift bar as much as Sam, I hope you all noticed."
And, in the end, even though I had to go up a weight class, and fought through a few hours of sleep and some nasty back spasms, I came out on top. Next stop is Drug Tested Nationals!
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