The final leg of this journey to 900 started with the overwhelming support of elitefts™ followers. After the crushing meet bomb-out from being sick in March, I just didn’t know if I had it in me to fight any longer. Celebrating my 45thbirthday and training this way is a constant brutal assault on the body. I was at a crossroads. Thankfully, a great many of you persuaded me to give it one last chance. Billy Mimnaugh posted to me something along the lines of this: would I regret not going for it one last time? I have been told that most people, on their death beds, regret what they did not do. Just like that, I was in for one last shot at 900.
I often think the best way for me to get something done is to distract myself with something else. So first and foremost, I wanted to get my weight down. My wife always says I do my best lifting at 275 (probably her way of getting me to be a little less fat). I had been hovering in the mid to high 280’s at the time. This was going to serve two purposes. First, I just had this urge to get lighter. Second, I did not want to have to cut weight to make 275’s. I have been cutting for so long whether it had been to 308’s, 275’s and yes, even 242 once. Cutting is a drag and often an unwanted distraction during meet week.
To drop the weight, I decided to follow The Carb Nite Solution. I have been following carb back-loading for years with good success, so I stayed on the Kiefer bandwagon. I have actually found I function pretty well on minimal carbs. Anyway, I got down to 271 over seven weeks (always keep a little wiggle room for weight to come back on). That was the good news. The bad news is that my training had really been suffering for more than half that time.
No, it wasn’t the lack of carbs holding me back — that’s what my hetero life partner/nemesis Matt Rhodes would tell you. It was the same illness that caused my poor meet performance in March that was holding me back. However, this time it came back even stronger as bronchitis. My training was not good. There were a lot of deloads and even a few missed sessions, which are very unheard of for me. This is not the way to go after a 900-pound bench. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention, I had been nursing an IT band issue as well.
All that said, I have always believed in the accumulation of training. Even if one training cycle does not manifest itself in a great contest performance, that work was not wasted. It will show up down the road. That’s why I never really take time off; at some point or another you will be forced to. With time now limited, I had to come up with a plan fast. I am always conflicted about whether I should train in my shirt often or not, but this time I did not have an option. I had to get some time in the shirt, especially at my new weight. So what could I do for a short training cycle in gear that would prepare me for a meet? It hit me one day while considering my options: Circa Max.
Circa Max, you say? No such thing for the bench? Tell me about it. I searched the old interwebs with no success. Then I just decided I would reverse engineer one for myself. I grabbed an article from my buddy Jim Wendler on elitefts™ for Circa Max Squatting. After I put something together, I sent it off to Dave Tate. He was nice enough to make it even harder by throwing some chains in for ME (max effort) and then creating a brutal wave for DE (dynamic effort) work as well. Once I had it all flushed out, it was full steam ahead. Expect a Circa Max bench article from me in the future.
When all was said and done, it was one of the most brutal yet successful training cycles I have ever had. It was so tough I ended up cutting out a lot of other work. I put everything I had into the benching. The days I was not benching were spent on recovery. I’d go in to train, beat myself up, and then start the whole process again. Two weeks out I took my opener of 835. This was a PR at 275 body weight. That said, I was not nervous about opening with a PR. The work was done, and I felt strong. I pressed it like an empty bar. Mission accomplished. Now all I had to do was not hurt myself or get sick before the meet. That is always a tall order for me.
After all that time killing it in the gym, it was really hard to back off for those two weeks before the meet. However, it is a necessary evil if I want to peak for a meet. Have you ever heard “idle hands are the devil’s playthings?” Yep, that’s me. The guys have had to talk me down from trying things like box jumps and hang cleans — things I never do. What can I say? I get bored. I’m surprised they haven’t jumped me and rolled me in bubble tape yet.
I resisted the urge to do anything stupid. Training wise, at least. I spent my time doing recovery work. I foam rolled, walked, took contrast showers, and went for massages. My body was on the mend, and I felt prepared.
After what felt like an eternity, meet day arrived. It was an RPS meet and was being held at the Europa Expo. Gene and Ame Rychlak run great meets. I was psyched to do this meet for two reasons. First, the venue is really cool. It’s a sports expo. There are hundreds if not thousands of people milling around the expo. It’s just full of positive energy. Second, Gene and Ame Rychlak of RPS always put on extremely well-run meets, with top notch equipment (even in the warm-up room).
Speaking of warming up, I always start early. I was in the fourth flight, but I started getting a light sweat when the first flight started. My feeling is that you can always slow down warm-ups , but it sucks to have to rush them. Shortly after, I made my way back to the warm-up area.
When talking about the meet day, I must start with this: I have one of the best crews you could ask for. Karsten, Drew, and Brian were helping me and our training partner Josh. I time out my warm-up attempts. When I tell them I’m ready, they snag the bench and get the weight and rack height set. We should really run a seminar on this. Warm-ups can be mayhem for reasons ranging from too many extraneous people in the warm-up room to people not knowing how to properly warm up. That said, my warm-ups went perfectly. Each jump in weight felt better than the last.
Before I knew it, the guys had secured me a good spot and chair behind the scorer’s table. I know it can be hard to believe, but I am quite amiable to people during meets. Also, because of the weight I would be attempting, there was a bit of a buzz about it. People want to talk to me. So the guys do their best to keep me to myself. This really is an important time for me to maintain focus.
I was the last lifter in the flight, and I knew it would be a little while. I felt so strong and confident peaking for this contest that I had not been using any visualization or affirmations. All I did was rest my hands on my stomach and made sure I was practicing good diaphragmatic breathing. Before I knew it, Karsten had me stand up, and we started suiting up for my opener.
Even though my first attempt was a personal record of 835, it was anti-climactic when I hit it. If I felt anything, it was relief. With geared lifting, there are a number of things that can go wrong. Fortunately, none of those things happened this time. The guys didn’t even have to ask what my second attempt was as they went to the scorer’s table. I think I said “895 right?” upon their return. It was a serious time, but I had to keep it loose.
I sat and waited patiently for my next attempt. I just continued to focus on my breathing. Like clockwork, Karsten got me up to get ready. Before I knew it, we were on the platform. I dug into the chalk bowl, pulled out both hands, then clapped. One of the last things I usually remember about an attempt is the puff of chalk as I clap my hands together. I can still see it in my mind. I can almost smell the chalk dust.
As I sat down on the end of the bench, I looked up to the rafters. I always look up before a big lift. I look up in hopes of my brother looking down on me while I lift. Since his passing, he has inspired a lot of my big lifts. This was going to be no different. I lied down on the bench, forced myself into position, and started counting breaths. I counted “one, two” and then Karsten lifted the bar off as I inhaled for the third. What a BOSS Karsten is to lift off 900 pounds by himself. He set the bar perfectly in my hands and I waited for the start command. My spotters and I handled the bench at the meet the same way we do in the gym: As soon as the bar starts its descent, I hear Brian spotting on my left, cueing “squeeze” which makes me grip down even harder on the bar and engage my back. Then I hear “toes.” This means to keep my toes up in my shoes forcing me to dig my heels into the ground. This is usually Drew’s job, by the way. Then there’s “two, one” which means the weight is that close, in inches.
The weight came down so smoothly. When I heard Gene call “press,” I drove with everything I had. I forced my left arm as hard as I could because that arm lags. Then I heard “Rack!” For a long time, I have been dying to hear that word with 900 pounds in my hands.
While getting up from the bench, cheers were starting as a result of the three white lights. It was a surreal moment. I remember fist bumps and hugs from the guys. I went and thanked the judges as I always do after a big lift. Then it was off to hug the most important person of my team: Jessica, my wife. We all know how much our significant others put up with for our passion. I think she wanted this one as much as I did.
I had no plan for a third, but Drew did. He told me to take 930 because it would put me top 9 all-time regardless of weight class. A nice number from Drew, I must say. With no need to make this longer than it already is, I was gassed. When Karsten handed me the weight, all I could think was, “Please don’t let this cut me in half.” Not the right mental perspective to start a lift. I controlled it and gave it a push, but it was not to be.
When all was done, I’m not sure whether I felt more elated or relieved. I have accomplished everything I could hope for in benching. I don’t feel the need to chase anything else. It’s time to drop some weight and have some fun. I love this sport and will be around it as long as my body holds up. Powerlifters are just some of the coolest people in the world, and I am grateful to be part of the community.
Thanks to my wife Jessica, training partners Brian, Drew, Anthony, Josh, and Karsten for everything over the years. With me and Robert “Tee Tee” McCray, this small crew from CT has produced two 900-pound benchers. Not too shabby. Lastly, I greatly appreciate the long lasting support I have received from elitefts™ and AtLargeNutrition.
Now it’s time for the next chapter of my lifting. I’m on my way down to the 242’s or lower for good. Yes, it’s really happening. I’d like to try and do full raw meets. Starting over, I could probably still make gains over the years and have some fun along the way. Unfortunately I am suffering some serious back issues as a result of the 900 or the ill fated 930. I’ll be seeing a doctor soon, so lifting is on hold indefinitely. Such is the life of a powerlifing addict.