Pre-Meet
This summer, I moved back to northeastern Ohio, and I’ve been training with a new group. In this time, I’ve made a handful of technical adjustments that I really believe in the long run will make me a better lifter. Apparently, I just need a little more time to fine-tune some of these adjustments.Going into the meet, I was confident, and physically, I felt great. I’m sure I could have pushed it a little harder the last few weeks of training to the point that I physically and mentally needed that deload week like I have in just about every meet I’ve done in the past. I think as I prepare for my next competition and I combine the smarter, more technical training from my new group, with the harder, push-the-limits style of training from my old crew, I will be good for a PR total.
Meet Day
I weighed in at 215.2 on Friday, and by meet time, I was back up to over 225.
Squat
I felt great warming up. One of my old training partners, Josh CIoca, came up to wrap my knees. I usually self wrap, but it’s very tough to really crank the Krait Wraps down, and they are by far the best wraps.I opened at 630 – it was fast and easy. On my second attempt, I went to 680, a five-pound meet PR. I got called on depth on a very close call. It was very easy, and I contemplated going to 700, which was my goal for the meet, but I decided to take the “sure thing” and walk away with a PR. So, I took 680 again on my third, and it was just as easy and was a good lift for a five-pound meet PR.
Bench
This is where I’ve made the most technical adjustments and felt confident going in.I opened conservatively at 400 pounds and hit it very easily, but my back did cramp up on this attempt. On my second attempt, I went to 425, five pounds away from a meet PR, and hit it just as easily. On my third, I went to 440 pounds, which would have been a 10-pound PR, but I relaxed at the bottom and let it sink into my chest — exactly what I’ve been trying not to do. It must have really looked bad because one of the spotters thought I got hurt.
Deadlift
After another three-plus-hour break, I started warming up for deadlift. Usually, I’m pretty excited to deadlift, but at this point, I was absolutely drained.In warm-ups, everything was still light and moved well; I was just so out of gas at this point. My last warm-up was 605, and it was easy as I could hope for.
I opened at 680, which is probably the lightest opener I’ve had in a few years. I was light and fast. I took 730 on my second, and I got called for a down, up movement as I started to shake as the bar got to my knees (which is common for me). I’m usually my own worst critic, and I was shocked I was red-lighted on this one. I already didn’t hit the numbers I wanted to (I needed 760 to hit a PR total), so that’s what I called for on my third attempt, despite getting reds on my second. Unfortunately, I didn’t have it in me that day.
Powerlifting is definitely a game of inches. If a couple of close calls would have gone the other way, it could have been a completely different meet for me. But in the end, it’s you versus the weights. Next time, I will leave no doubt. I am looking forward to finding my next meet and getting back to training!
Thank you so much to all my friends and family who came out to support. I realize I’m very lucky to have all of these people in my life.
Jo Jordan Cuts Squat Suit to Lift 965 Pounds at 2019 XPCs
