Current total: 830.5 at 132 lb BW - Florida State and National Record Holder in Junior and Open Women's Raw division
Qualified National Strongman competitor and will be competing in Nationals this coming October to qualify for The Arnold in 2016
I am here to live, learn, and pass on.
Still going through the post blues of this past weekend’s Powerlifting Experience II with the help of jet lag, but to describe it in one word: empowering. Let alone that I am still in awe that I get to be a part of this team, to be in a room surrounded by so many people, experienced and unexperienced, who want to learn and continue to want to learn and help others along the way is an amazing thing to witness and be a part of. The vibe and energy at the compound cannot really be explained, it must be felt. Working together and cheering each other on; the amount of support and love is immense. Not to mention proceeds went towards the Make A Wish Foundation.
First day:
Schedules were set and the team was able to get a quick training session in before the meet and greet. Not sure if fun size people have some sort of mental connection, or we think at the same level (literally) but Brandon Smitley said to me “I have some briefs that can probably fit you.” Usually when I visit the compound, all of my typical training movements go out the window and I kind of just play it by ear hoping someone will suggest something interesting to try, and this was something I was hoping for.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsZsVdLll08]
First time in briefs I was able to hit 420lbs, over 120 lbs from my raw raw squat, thanks to Brandon who went out of his way to handle me and David Kirschen with many others for their coaching. Gear is definitely a whole other level I want to tackle because somehow the sensation of your head feeling it’s about to explode is quite thrilling and enough to persuade me to do it. In all honesty, it’s another challenge I want to pursue and will probably help my lifting in the long run – how technically demanding it can be and being able to handle heavier weight, I don’t see why it wouldn’t.
After squats, I was able to deadlift with Meana Franco. Sumo deads felt easy and I’m pretty happy that I’ve been able to consistently lift in the mid 300’s. Sumo or conventional stance is something I am still playing around with but getting feedback from some amazing coaches like Dave Tate, Bob Youngs, Steve Goggins, and Alexander Juan Antonio Cortez, has helped with the process of figuring out the weaknesses I need to work on and strength points that may be compensating for it. For example, my glutes and hamstrings I still don’t know how to activate during the lift. I know working on a few technical things and really listening to cues will improve that.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc0pVNBZojQ]
There’s definitely more moments and words that were shared that have stayed with me and helped me view things in a different light. So much went on, some that should just stay in Ohio, but want to write about in different posts. To be continued…
