I competed at The IPA Flex Lewis Classic in Murfreesboro, Tenn on 10/07/17. I competed as a Super Heavy weight for the first time ever in my 25 years of competing and I competed in the Men's Multiply Bench Only - Super Heavy Weight Class - Men's Open and Masters Divisions at the age of 43 years old and at the body weight 314 pounds on meet day.
I have been training tentatively for this meet for about 6 months. Meaning if my body held together and my injuries did not become any worse, I felt like I could do a multiply bench only meet. I knew there would not be a life time PR multiply bench press at this meet for me but what I could do is strike another bucket list personal accomplishment off my shrinking - powerlifting to do list. That bucket list/personal accomplishment would be to bench-press 700 pounds or more in my fourth multiply weight class. I have benched 700/242, 730/275, 805/308 and now 735/SHW!
I also had 9 Team Nebobarbell lifters competing to Coach, call depth, call attempts, hand off for and support plus my myself competing at this powerlifting meet.
We attended this powerlifting meet last year (2016) and it was so f'n awesome. I did not compete at it and hated that I didn't because it was so awesome. I told my Team if I could remain healthy I planned on doing it next year (2017).
Our training cycle went excellent over the past 5 months (off season - 8 weeks and meet training cycle combined - 12 weeks - 20 total weeks). I could really see my lifters taking another step forward in their training, diets, cardio, PR's in the gym, competitiveness with each other, hunger, drive, dedication and more. It was easy to see even several weeks out that my Team was hitting on all cylinders for this meet.
We had 4 female lifters and 6 male lifters competing at this meet plus every Team Nebobarbell Member competing and not competing was there helping out and supporting. And lets not forget all of the Team Members spouses, kids, friends and family members that attended, (everyone included - around 40 total people made that 5 hour drive!).
I am a numbers guy and numbers do not lie. So after every meet we compete at, I like to evaluate how we did as a Team, what we excelled at and what we need to work on. Here is our list of stats from last weekends IPA Flex Lewis Class is in Murfreesboro, Tenn:
- 10 Team Nebobarbell lifters competed
- Squats: 22 of 27 attempts made
- 8 out of 9 lifters squatting hit a PR
- 577 pounds of total squat PR's achieved
- Bench: 22 of 30 attempts made
- 9 out of 10 lifters benching hit a PR
- 975 pounds of total bench PR's achieved
- Deadlift - 21 of 27 attempts made
- 7 out of 9 lifters deadlifting hit a PR
- 433 pounds of total deadlift PR's achieved
- 5 new IPA World Records set
- 8 - 1st place finishes
- 4 - 2nd place finishes
- 1 Best overall lifters award
- 1 cash payout received for best overall lifter award
- 2 open elite pro totals achieved
- 1 master elite pro total achieved
- 1 Jr. lifter with biggest raw squat of meet with 700 pounds
- 1 Teen lifter with 600 pound raw squat
- 2 lifters went 9 for 9
- 2 lifters went 8 for 9
- no bomb outs
- no injuries
For myself, I had to re-up my Rhodestown membership and gain almost 17 total pounds to get myself above t 308 pounds so I could be a SHW. I weighed in at 311 pounds but weighed 314 on meet day. My heaviest competing body weight ever. If your a gear whore then you understand extra body weight changes the dynamics of your gear. Especially in a bench shirt. Touching becomes even more of a task than it already is with tight gear (which I am a fan of).
In the warm up room everything was feeling fine raw. Then after it was time to shirt up I knew today was going to be a toughy for me getting that bar to touch with what i consider light weight but again I was not going for a life time PR. I was wanting something 700ish. I was being conservative and conservative is not my thing when competing. I try to always remain smart and go for a PR first then whatever it takes to win. If there is not a chance of winning then lets up the PR.
But that was not the case for this meet. I opened with 705 pounds. Light for me but not really heavy enough for this shirt and this added weight. I was hoping it would be. It was not. Not even close. I called for them to take it as I hovered around an inch or two over my belly. No need to waste anymore energy than I already had. I called for 720 for my 2nd attempt. Same battle but I finally touch but pressed it into the racks and the weight was grabbed. More red lights....
Well here I am again. 0-2. Third attempt. Either get it for my 4th weight class with 700+ pound bench press of my career, win the money, win the meet, be the leader I am suppose to be, show I am clutch when I need to be, or bomb like a punk and wonder if I have still have it at 43 years old....
I called for 735 pounds for my third attempt. It was now or never. I believe in myself. I trust in my training and I know without a shadow of a doubt I am going to get this. Hand off was great, decent to my belly was great, lockout was great, 3 white light baby! Mission complete! Damn, Lol....
I really hate being in that position but making a lift like that with everything on the line, at a meet like this with a ton of legendary lifters lifting and watching made that moment even sweeter. Heck even Louie gave me some love afterwards! That was icing on the cake!....
I finished:
1st Place men's open - Multiply Bench Only - SHW Class
1st Place men's master - Multiply Bench Only - SHW Class
Won best overall multiply bench only lifter
Won cash pay out
I have a few more "competition bucket list lifts" that I still want to accomplish:
- 700 pound deadlift
- 800 pound raw squat
- 1000 pound multiply squat
- 2300+ multilpy total
- Finish with 5 elite totals (I have 3 now)
I want to thank my daughter Katelyn for believing in me and loving her Daddy. I want to thank my rock, my support system, my fiance - Melissa aka Lil Momma. She takes care of me and loves me like I have never known. If I had to choose between breathing and loving you I would use my last breath to tell you I love you. Thank you for all you do baby! I want to thank Dave Tate and Traci Tate for sticking by this old country boy in the middle of now where - Nebo,North Carolina for these past 10 years. I have taken pride being apart of your great company since day one and that has not changed at all. I am honored to be a Team Elitefts Team Member. I want to thank all of Team Nebobarbell Teammates. Without each of you I am nothing. You guys and girls are my brothers and sisters. My real family. Thank you to each of you believing in me and supporting this old man. I love yall with all I am. Thank you to all the Team Nebobarbell family members, friends, spouses and kids that came to support us all! Thank you to Team USPlabs for keeping my body filled with the best premium supplements available. You guys keep this old man and this old battered body grinding and continuing to hit meet PR's and conquering my goals. Big thanks to Minna and Ano for making the best powerlifting gear on the planet, Go Metal! Thanks to all the loaders, spotters, judges, table crew, dj, meet director - Bobby Betts, all the fellow lifters competing at this meet, The IPA and Flex Lewis for making this one of the best events I have ever been apart of.
