[Contest Report] Lift for Autism 2015

[El Exorcisto]

I need to preface this for everyone that hasn't been cheerleading for me over the past few months in the lead up to my first contest. Four and a half months ago when I signed up for this contest I couldn't tie my shoes without nearly crying. I bitched out of my first planned powerlifting meet due to a low back injury and then moved which just cemented a whole lot of dysfunction in my pelvis. After 3 weeks of PT and the pain getting worse instead of better I thought seriously about whether I wanted to do this at all. Knowing that I'd eventually get better and that training was the answer, as it always is to everything that goes wrong, I said "fuck it" and signed up not for a nice controlled powerlifting meet but a strongman contest. 

 

Friday night:

     My wife and I showed up at Hudson Valley Strength in Walkill to for my weigh in. I tipped the scale at 193 with a full belly and clothes on which is still 37 pounds shy of the cutoff for LW novice. We checked into the hotel and found out the couple in the room next door were also going to the contest. After dropping our shit off we headed to IHOP and I carbed up on their white chocolate chip and raspberry pancakes which were fucking godly, plus half my wife's omelet and some of her pancakes. I'm pretty sure there were two tables there with competitors besides us. Back to the hotel, watched X-Men on the free HBO and crashed for the night. It took me 2 hours to fall asleep with my mind racing, running through the events in my head.

 

Saturday morning:

    We checked out of the hotel and ran into yet another couple that was there for the contest. I knew it was a big show but I didn't realize how big. A half hour later we were there with 50 or so others but by the time the 9am rules briefing started there were all of 150 competitors plus family and friends. It was amazing. We broke off into classes and got started. I was 11th to go on:

 

160lb log/160lb axle/95lb circus DB medley for time

     One guy ahead of me missed the log and bombed out totally and about 1/3 of the competitors had missed the DB. I don't have a circus DB yet and didn't have any way to get my hands on one. My press has always been a weak spot so it was the focus of my training going into the contest. I ended up push pressing the log instead of jerking but it locked out without incident. The continental on the axle was a little rough because of the tires but I got it cleaned and jerked it like nothing. Then the DB... I missed it twice. I just couldn't get comfortable with it. The next contest I do involving a circus DB is going to require a lot of focus on the implement. I'm planning on building one in a few weeks.

 

175lb Hussafel stone for distance

     I hadn't trained any loaded carries leading into the contest due to the weather so this was a total shot in the dark. I made it about 175' and dumped it. The winner of my class took it for 500 feet but there were a few guys that dumped it around 120'.

 

470 yoke/175lb sandbag, 50' down and back

     The closest I got to walking with a yoke was to load up my axle and take a few steps back and forth in my power rack. It wasn't anything like that. I think my upper back failed me but I honestly don't know. I can't think of a muscle besides maybe the triceps that aren't involved in a big way on a yoke walk. I grunted it over the line, fucked around getting the sandbag up and got it back down the course pretty fast. Several guys bailed after the yoke walk so again, not dead last.

 

18" deadlift, 3 attempts auction style, max weight

     This was the event that I wanted to hit big on. I've been better at pulling than anything else and I felt it here. The opener for the event was 400 and I jumped in at 440. I ended up hitting 440 that my wife couldn't get a shot of, 490, and 530 for a 55 pound PR. They were still making pretty big jumps and I don't think I had 580 (105lb PR) in me. There were 4 guys that topped at 490 and another one or two that failed on 530.

 

175lb keg over 48" bar, max reps in 60 seconds

    This was it. I'd done some fucking around with a 160lb sandbag over my bar in my power rack at home for doubles. I should have just spent that time getting stronger. A keg is nothing like a sandbag or an Atlas stone for that matter. I missed my first rep trying to treat it like a stone. After I figured out that I can deadlift a keg instead of rowing it I got a groove going. The video says I did six reps but it didn't seem like I did any more than three. You can't hear it well in the video but the guy to my right has this deep satan voice that just makes you start doing shit whether you feel like it or not. I don't know what I would have had in me if it wasn't for him. I finished right in the middle of the pack on the keg load with the bottom being 3-4 and the top being 13.

 

I knew I didn't place so we bailed out after we watched a few more guys on the keg and I caught my breath. We had a 2:45 trip back to home and didn't want to spend any ore of it on the road in the dark than we had to with as shot as we both were.

 

 

If you are entertaining any idea of competing, please, stop being a fucking pussy and just do it. I had the best time of my life today. Everyone was so supportive and amazing. Four moths ago I couldn't break 225 off blocks and today I crushed a 55 pound PR for 530, smashed PR weight on the log and axle like it was speed work, and threw a keg around for better than double what I thought I had in me.

 

[matty_mcfly]

Awesome shit. That 18" deadlift is beastly, great fucking job.

Haha fuck the circus DB. We will both make that implement our bitch in the near future.

Like I told Castiel, I've been more excited for your comps than I was for my own. Happy you got this first one under your belt!

[El Exorcisto]

 

Haha fuck the circus DB.

 

Yes. Fuck the circus dumbbell indeed.

[wildross]

Awesome work!!

[TurtIe]

That circus dumbbell looks like it would make a great night stand.

Awesome work!

[Drazen]

Congratz on the successful meet! 

[matty_mcfly]

Hmph...for some reason your vimeo videos never play on my devices

[El Exorcisto]

Hmph...for some reason your vimeo videos never play on my devices

Fuck YouTube. They axed Clint Darden so I stopped using them. I'm sure they totally notice the drop in traffic, too.

[matty_mcfly]

Fuck YouTube. They axed Clint Darden so I stopped using them. I'm sure they totally notice the drop in traffic, too.

Fucking eh, I went on my phone's browser instead of Tapatalk and the work laptop (work likes YouTube but shuns vimeo).

 

Great shit.  That was a huge show!

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Great work, and congrats!

[matty_mcfly]

Oh and do you think those camo cargo shorts would be IPF approved???? 

[El Exorcisto]

Nope. They're not on the approved list.

[El Exorcisto]

Then again neither are the wrist wraps, knee sleeves, elbow sleeves, belt, straps, choice of underwear, or the hat... I am not on the IPF approved list.

[El Exorcisto]

Great work, and congrats!

Thanks, Corey. Gonna come to the dark side?

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Thanks, Corey. Gonna come to the dark side?

 

Not reassessing powerlifting as my chosen sport until 400 Wilks, which should come sometime late next year if I stay on track (need 125 lb on the bar and to lose 10 lb). Strongman could be fun though. Would make my backyard look hilarious.

[miss_marissa]

Great job!!!!