The meet weekend was crazy, not only because I was sure that I was going to
get my first 1000 pound squat at a meet, but the Colts were playing in the Super
Bowl the following day. I was ready to hit some big weights and talk a lot of
shit about the game. Looks like I shot myself in the foot twice. Actually, the
craziest thing of the weekend turned out not to be my lifting (I SUCKED), or the
game (Colts sucked too), but the weather. It was awful.
I knew that we were supposed to get a ton of snow, but the forecast for
Indiana was also calling for ice and sleet. Rather than try to make the drive
over to Columbus in all of that crap, I left Muncie Thursday night and drove to
Wendler’s. That was about the most uneventful thing to happen all weekend.
However, Friday morning I realized I had made a good choice.
I woke up around 9 AM and started to head over to the meet venue, which was
at the Courtyard Marriott. Danny has all of his meets there. It started snowing
a bit on the way, but it wasn’t bad. The drive was about 20 minutes from London.
I made weight - at 302 even - and spent about an hour bullshitting with some
guys in the lobby. The weather was quite a bit different when I left the hotel
that afternoon. My car was covered in snow. Roads had also digressed to the
point that I thought I was going to die - more than once - and the same drive
that took me 20 minutes an hour ago took almost 50 minutes on the way back!
The ride in Saturday morning was even worse. Jim, Leigh An and myself took an
hour and fifteen minutes to get there in Jim’s monster truck. No worries though,
I was ready to go.
I was lifting in the third flight. I felt strong, and planned to open at 890
pounds in the squat. It’s not a huge weight, but honestly something that I feel
I could handle on my worst day…no matter what. It turned out to be a good call,
as it would be the only squat I got in. Warm-ups went great, everything felt
light and solid on my back. I was excited.
Warm-ups:
Bar x 10
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 1 added belt and briefs after
500 x 1
600 x 1 added suit after
700 x 1
800 x 1
I went up and took the opener - 890 pounds was good, three whites. Took 1000
on the second. I took it out strong, it went down easy, made it about halfway up
and…started losing it forward. It stalled out, and they grabbed it - no lift.
The third lift was similar. I took it out strong, sat back, and continued to do
so until I realized I was going to fall over backwards, and told them to take
it. I would rather miss a lift than dump a grand on someone because I’m an
asshole. I’d like to say thanks to the 500 guys Danny had spotting. Although I
missed two out of three, I wasn’t even close to being injured. I wish I had some
sort of excuse as to why I missed, but in reality, I just sucked. The strength
was there and then some, but I just didn’t have it. I just sucked.
Bench press was the same for me. One and done. I did set a 30 pound PR,
hitting 230. Could I do more than I open with? Absolutely. There’s a reason I
didn’t though. For me, as a lifter, it doesn’t make any sense to have spotters
and loaders rip the bar down from 800 to 250 so I can take a second attempt.
Meets take a long time anyway, and if I can do my part to shorten it up, that’s
what I’ll do. I’m still going to end up getting beat by 500-600 pounds plus in
the bench anyway, so what does it really matter?
I was impressed with the guys in the bench-only flight. There were about 20
guys in the bench-only flight, and they literally had 35 missed attempts IN A
ROW. That has to be some sort of record. I wish more bench-only guys were like
Vincent Dizenzo or Joey Smith and actually opened with weights that they could
handle. Instead, they just get a gangster shirt and are only strong enough to
lock out what is coincidentally the lightest weight they get to touch. I don’t
know if there were 20 misses in any flight where they do all three lifts. Mike
Maxwell was on the mic, and he let them know what he thought too. It was pretty
funny, and definitely ran over into the powerlifters benching.
Deadlift went well for me, and was the only real hiccup at the meet. Danny
had said they were going to combine the last two flights, so everyone started
warming up, then about 10 minutes later, they decided to keep it at three
flights. I had just pulled my third warm-up, so no damage was done.
Warm-ups:
225 x 1
315 x 1
405 x 1
225 x 1
315 x 1
405 x 1
500 x 1
600 x 1
My opener was 700. I pulled it easy for a 20 pound PR. I really thought that
this meet was going to be the one I was actually close to my capabilities in the
deadlift. Nope. Took 735 on a second, which would have given me a 60 pound PR
and the biggest pull in our gym. Hips rocketed out of the bottom for a huge
miss. I guess it does take technique to pull sumo. I took 735 on my third and
pulled it conventional. It went up pretty quick to (what I thought) was lockout.
Got the down signal, and set it down. I looked at the lights, two reds.
Apparently I re-bent my knees. Damn you John Bott! I haven’t completed or gotten
white lights on a third deadlift at any meet John judges. I think he hates me.
Ha! Sounds better than what is true - that I just suck.
I didn’t have the day I wanted, going 890 – miss – miss – 230 – pass – pass –
700 – miss - miss…for three of nine and a total of 1820. However, I did set two
PR’s and a total PR. So, I can’t really argue with that. I know some things I
need to work on and get fixed, so it’s back to the drawing board to get shit
right.
I’d like to take a second and say thanks to Dave, Jim, and the staff and
team at EFS for allowing me the opportunity to represent such a great company.
Thank you Jim LeighAn and Betty, for letting me take over the couch in the
living room for three days while the Civic thawed out. I’d also like to say
thanks to Jeremy Frey, The Thinker, The Angry Coach, and Landon Evans, for the
help with getting the programming straight with regards to using block models.
I’d have been way worse off if not for these guys. Thanks. Want to say thanks to
the guys who check out the log and the other stuff I write here at EFS. I
appreciate all of the support.
SGT Jason Pegg was stationed with the 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne division
of the United States Army in Fort Bragg, NC. On his third deployment to a combat
theatre in 2005, in western Afghanistan, he sustained a serious arm injury from
an IED (roadside bomb). As a result, he spent 18 months at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center, including three months as an inpatient. Two and a half years
after not being able to squat 315 pounds with a safety squat bar, Jason has
squatted 900 pounds, deadlifted 700+, and has a PR of 565 in the bench.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
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