Meana is planning to compete at the RPS Showdown at the Storm II at the Perfect Storm Hard Core Training Gym in Holly Hill by Daytona Beach on July 27th. Perfect Storm is the main gym that she trains at now by where she lives. Being able to compete in a comfortable, familiar environment is always advantageous for a variety of reasons.
Meana is currently 13 weeks out. She’s on a 4 week rotation of:
Squats:
High Box
Reverse Band
Full Squats w/chains
Full Squats
Bench:
2 Board
1 Board w/chains
Reverse Band
1 Board or Foam w/Straight Weight
Deadlift:
Rack Pulls from just below the knee
Deadlifts off the floor w/chains
Reverse Band
Full Range Deadlifts
We’ve found this rotation to be ideal to focus on Meana’s weak points, as well as to work with what’s best for her ROM. Once Meana is 4 weeks out (with the 1 week out being a deload and having her take the week of the meet off) she’ll focus on all full ROM.
Unfortunately, as many as of us have, with the combination of all of the stresses we place on ourselves including the heavy ass weights, Meana has currently been dealing with an injury. She has costcochondritis, which I have to admit I had never heard of before. Good ol’ Web MD defines it as “an inflammation of the junctions where the upper ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone, or sternum. The condition causes localized chest pain that you can reproduce by pushing on the cartilage in the front of your ribcage.” It sounds, and I’m sure is, incredibly uncomfortable. I’m sure it’s also one of those things where you don’t realize how much your sternum is involved in (everything) until you experience it. Meana has been laying off bench for now and has also been working with Elitefts teammate and Physical Therapist, Dani LaMartina (Overcash), to work through it.
Here’s some of Meana’s recent training:
Full Squats w/275+120 lbs of chains x5
Reverse Band Deadlifts w/435x5
I am constantly impressed at Meana’s strength and resilience and have no doubt she’ll be ready for this meet.