Well, I won't lie: the end of this meet prep was a bit of a frustrating experience. About one month out of the Pioneer Open, I injured my quad attempting an 800-pound squat:

I think for many athletes it would be tempting to attribute this kind of injury to the obvious: I was only two weeks post-bodybuilding show when it occurred. But in this particular case, I really don't think my diet or training were at fault.

The truth is, I had a lot of external stressors in my life at the time that I failed to account for, and -- cliche as it sounds -- something had to give. Unfortunately that "something" turned out to be my VMO (the teardrop part of the quad).

On the bright side, it was a minor strain that I was able to rehabilitate in just two weeks.

Moving forward, I plan to make the most out of this meet by reverting to my original goal: to have fun. That'll be easy because if this injury taught me anything, it's how much I love powerlifting and how willing I am to deal with the minor frustrations that come from getting to participate in the sport.

Pressure is a privilege!