2018 NASA New Mexico Powerlifting state championships report

Body weight 265lbs
275lb weight class

Power clean 52.5k

Strict curls 57.5k (PR & state record)

Squat 435lbs (state record)

Bench 303 (PR & state record)

Deadlift 479 (tied PR & state record)
Total 1216 (state record)

My son
Weighed in at 64.2lbs
Lifted in 65lb weight class
Clean 55lbs (PR & state record)
Squat 60.3lbs (PR & state record)
Bench press 50lbs (PR & state record)
Deadlift 132.2lbs (PR & state record)

This weekend my son and I competed in the 2018 NASA New Mexico Powerlifting state championships.

I'm not going to go into a lot of details about the day. Most of this post will be about my sonss and my coacg. I knew two things was going to happen.
1) since I'd lost 80lbs in the last 7 months I knew I wouldn't be lifting anything amazing.
2) I knew my son was going to do some amazing lifting

My best squat was 435lbs. It was my 2nd best squat in a meet.

My best bench press of the day was a personal best and state record of 303lbs. I was pleasantly surprised by that lift.

My best deadlift was 479lbs. That tied my 2nd best lift.

My total was 1216lbs. My 2nd best total of all time.

Overall I did about the same as I used to do. But I used to weigh 346lbs. Now I'm only 265lbs. For me to have kept up my strength while losing this much is a near miracle. And truth be known, it's not something I'm doing. All the accolades should go to my Powerlifting coach Vernon Smith-More.  He's the most amazing coach I've ever had any sport. Most coaches know how to do one or two different approaches to training their athletes. If those don't work they'll blame the athletes diet, not sleeping enough, or they'll tell the athlete, "just stick with it. You're going through a plateau." Or "it's because your losing weight." But coach Vernon never stops trying new things to make sure I'm getting gains. He doesn't accept me not gaining strength just because I'm dieting. He's tried a lower volume, higher intensity program. A higher intensity, lower volume plan. High both, and low both. As he's trying these things he's watching my results and learning about how my body is responding and applying that knowledge to my next program. He's doing the same for my son. My son's total last year at this same meet was a 110lb total. In one year he's gone up to a 242lb total. His deadlift was 22lbs higher than his total was last year. Coach Vernon is the amazing. Not only is he a great coach, but he's a wonderful and compassionate human being too. As long as Vernon is my sons and my coach our future in powerlifting is going to be great. 

Upcoming powerlifting meet Gallup New Mexico

This weekend is the NASA (Natural Athlete Strength Association) powerlifting New Mexico state championships. Both my son and I will be competing. He'll be competing in the power press and powerlifting division. I'll be competing in four divisions
Power Sports Police division
Retro police
Power press police
Retro masters 1

I'm very excited about this meet. I'll be attempting to break a 300lb bench and 500lb deadlift for the first time in a meet. I'll also be attempting a 433lb squat. Not a great squat, I know. I've lost some strength in my squating in the last 8 months because I've dropped 80lbs of body weight. Which brings up the other reason I'm really excited about this meet. I'm weighing in at 265lbs right now. I'll be lifting in the 275lb weight class. I usually weigh in at 340-350lbs and lift as a super heavyweight. And even though I've lost 80 pounds I'll still be attempting meet PR's at the bench, deadlift, and total!!!!

My son will be attempting a greater than body weight squat and a double bodyweight deadlift. Here's only 10 years old.

The trip will be him, my best friend, my God-daughter, and I. Should be a blast. IllI keep you updated.

Next block, probably hypertrophy

I'll be getting my next powerlifting block today from my coach Vernon Smith. I'm pretty sure I'll doing hypertrophy again. That's bitter sweet. On one hand I seem to lose weight a lot quicker when I'm doing hypertrophy. Hypertrophy builds a lot of muscle, makes a guy look pumped, or swole (swole seems to be the new popular phrase). On the other hand my body isn't used to it. It hurts. And I struggle getting through the workouts. But I sure love the prospect of getting bigger and leaner.

I have another powerlifting meet on April 28th in Gallup NM. Its the NASA powerlifting (natural athlete strength association) state championships meet. I'm hoping to get a 450/300/500/1250

2016 and 2107 NASA Powerlifting records

Even though I haven't done any athletic training at all since November due to a back injury-i got ran over by a car at work- i still plan on competing in the 2017 New Mexico NASA state powerlifting championships on April 24th 2017 in Gallup NM. It's only 4 weeks away. I realize I'm going to have to attempt some very very light weights since I've been without training for 5 months. But there's a bunch of state records that are vacant. All I have to do is have one good lift and I'm the state record holder. While I was going through the NASA New Mexico state powerlifting records yesterday I saw both of my sons own state records in their age group and weight class. I knew there probably hadn't been any lifters competing in their age group or weight class because they were so young and light (scrawny). But I hadn't thought about the fact that they had set state records. They were pretty excited when I showed them their names under the state records page on the NASA website.

Rion owns the unequipped bench press record for 6 year olds weighing 48 pounds. He benched 11kg.

Cody owns the retro powerlifting state records for the 8 year olds weighing 57 pounds. Sq 20k, BP 15k, DL 20k, TL 55k.

This year I'll be entering Rion in the unequipped bench press division.

Cody will be in the unequipped powerlifting division.

I'll be entering the:
1) power clean police division
2) unequipped powerlifting masters pure
3) retro powerlifting masters 1
4) unequipped bench masters 1
5) equipped push pull police division
6) unequipped push/pull masters 1

Starting training again

A few days ago I bid for my shift/days off/post for the next 7 months at my new career. I'm going to start training for sports again after my new post starts. Depending on what my hours were going to be would determine if I was going to train for weightlifting or powerlifting. My new schedule works really well for powerlifting, and doesn't fit the hours for weightlifting at all. I called up powerlifting coach Rich Kahle out of Las Cruces New Mexico and asked him to start coaching me again. He agreed. We start on March 29th. I will also be training for track and field too. Between powerlifting and track I'll be training 7 days a week. I haven't trained 7 days a week since 2011 when I was a hard core triathlete. It looks like my tentative schedule will be:

Powerlifting on Monday's, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. 

Track on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The New Mexico Track and Field state championships will be held on June 24th and the NASA New Mexico state powerlifting championships will be held on April 29th. That doesn't give me much time to train for either of these. But even if I do poorly I can use those performances as a starting point. 

NASA New Mexico state powerlifting championships report

Last night my 2 sons and I competed in the NASA New Mexico state powerlifting championships.

My 8 year old son, Cody James,  weighed in before the meet and the scale showed 55 pounds. Cody James competed in the unequiped powerlifting. He built up to a 20k squat, an 11k bench, and a 20k deadlift.

My 6 year old weighed in at 46 pounds. He competed in the bench only division and lifted 14k.

These were the weights I lifted. I set PR'S (personal bests) on the clean, squat, deadlift, and total. I tied my lifetime meet PR on the bench.
Clean 125 PR
Curl 55
Squat 200 PR
Bench 135
Deadlift 205 PR
Powerlifting total 540k (1,188 pounds) PR
Coefficient: 1.4522

 Iron Soul, the powerlifting team my boys and I are on won the state championships!

I set 10 national records and 11 state records:

1) power press- police division: PR clean, PR total, national and state record.
2) power press- open division: PR Clean, PR total, national and state record
3) power press- pure division: PR clean, PR total, national and state record
4) power sports- pure division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
5) power sports- police division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
6) power sports- master 1 division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
7) Unequiped push/pull- pure division: PR Deadlift, PR total, national and state record
8) Unequiped push/pull- police division: PR deadlift, PR total, national and state record
9) Unequiped powerlifting- police division: PR deadlift, PR squat, PR total, national and state record
10) Unequiped bench- police division: PR, national and state record
11) Clean- pure division: PR total and state record

my first meet after a new coach and gym

I have a weightlifting meet this weekend. I've only been at my new weightlifting gym, High Dessert Athletic Club learning new and completely different form for a couple weeks. I think learning new form will eventually benifit my weightlifting, but I'm guessing there'll be a learning curve. I suspect I'll get worse for a while before I get better. I have no idea what to expect on Saturday. Best case scenario I reach the HUGE milestone of the 100's in the snatch and the 120's in the clean and jerk. Worst case scenario I don't lift well but I get more experience competing in weightlifting. It's a win win. A bit of a nerve racking experience, but a win win none the less.

6 days after the weightlifting meet I'll be competing in my third powerlifting meet, the New Mexico NASA state powerlifting championships. If all goes as expected I'll set 11 NASA national records, 11 state NASA records, and be the New Mexico state champion. The New Mexico NASA state powerlifting championships will be held on April 30th. Which is the last day I'll be employed by the state. On May 1st I'll be a retired correctional officer. Setting national and state records, what a great way to celebrate!

different form, state records, and national records

My first week training High Dessert Athletic Club I thought my form was bad and needed a lot of corrections. Now I've realized it's not that my form was poor, it's that the club I was at then and the club I'm at now teach different technique of the snatch and clean and jerk. Much different.

I'm learning the new technique quickly, but I'm pretty sure there will be a learning curve for me. I'll get worse for awhile before I get better.

My next competition will be at High Dessert Athletic Club on April 24th. I'm hoping to break the three state records I set in March of 96k, 116k, 212k.

 Then on April 30th, 6 days later, I'll be competing in the NASA New Mexico state championships powerlifting meet. If I compete well I'll set or break 11 national and state records in the following divisions for the SHW 40-44 ag:
1) power press- police
2) power press- open
3) power press- pure
4) power sports- pure
5) power sports- police
6) power sports- master 1
7) Unequiped push/pull- pure
8) Unequiped push/pull- police
9) Unequiped powerlifting- police
10) Unequiped bench- police
11) equipped powerlifting- open

to much competitive spirit?

Earlier this year I found out NASA (natural athletes strength association) powerlifting has a power clean division. Not many powerlifters in New Mexico have competed in the clean division. Consequently there's almost no New Mexico state records in the power clean divisions. When i found this out I became very excited. I told all the athletes I know at The Miller Gym, High Dessert Athletics Club, Praxis, and Santa Fe CrossFit that they could compete in the upcoming New Mexico state NASA powerlifting championships held on April 2016 in Gallup New Mexico. I told them just showing up and lifting the bar would make them both state champions and a state record holders in the power clean division! I let them know i could fit 9 athletes in my vehicle if people wanted to carpool. I assumed everyone would be as excited as I am about going to a new venue, setting new records, and becoming state champions just by essentially showing up. Not a single person seemed interested. I asked my wife, "How could this opportunity not get everyone fired up? If I heard I could set a state records in something even if it was something I sucked at I'd still show up. For the experience and memories if nothing else." My wife told me most people just aren't as competitive as I am. On a basic level that makes sense. But on the other hand I REALLY don't understand. Everything about competing is awesome. I never feel as alive as when I compete. I'll compete in anything. Even if it's something I don't really enjoy or know anything about. You name it I'll try it. Not only are they fun, but I find it's a great way to gain back dwindling motivation for weight loss, training, or life in general. In the last 11 years I've competed in 86 multi-sport races, 8 running races, 2 Jiu Jitsue tournaments, 7 weightlifting meets, 1 powerlifting meet, and 1 CrossFit games. That averaging almost 1 competition a month. To me that's what makes life worth living! With all the options and opportunities out there nowadays why the heck would people not want to try something new and exciting all the time? Perhaps my wife is right. Maybe I'm much to competitive. And perhaps, as unbelievable as it sounds, maybe a new adventure and finding new adversaries just isn't as appealing to others as it is to me. Could there be such a thing as to competitive?

gaining strength and the Natural Athletes Strength Association (NASA) state championships

Today was a great day for training. I did my first clean and jerk with good form. It felt great and my coach Shane Miller said it looked great. I'm getting stronger and my form is getting better every training session. Today I squatted 99 K 5X5 easily. The last set felt like a warm up set, and last week I struggled with that weight. I also did a set of bench pressed, 5 reps at 93 K easily. I'm pretty sure I could have done 6 or 7 reps.

My best friend and I have agreed to compete in the Natural Athletes Strength Association (NASA) state championships held on April 26th in Gallup NM. I've decided to enter all three events consisting of:

a. Squat
b. Bench Press
c. Deadlifts
Full Power Sports Division:
a. Curl
b. Bench Press
c. Deadlift

Power press:
a. Clean
b. Bench Press.