From gym newbie to powerlifter

     When I started training with Brandon Mauro in May of last year I never would have imagined the transformation journey I was embarking on. And I certainly would not have believed anyone if they had told me that this year I would be obsessed with reaching new goals in powerlifting. I can honestly say that at the time that I started training I had no idea what powerlifting was and I had never followed it as a sport. And last month when Brandon had suggested that I compete in a powerlifting meet, I was like 'yeah right.' I thought he was crazy. Back in November when he explained to me about deadlifts, progressive overload, PRs and deficits (See Deadlifts, progressive overload, PR max and deficits, yeah mind blown!) I thought it was amazing that he was sharing his knowledge and experience of lifting but didn't believe it would be something I could do. I mean, let's be honest, I'm almost 49 years old. Who waits until they're approaching their 50's to enter a sport and become an athlete for the first time in their life? Let alone, enter a sport that puts such strain on the body and the central nervous system. 

     But as the months progressed and I got into pulling and squatting heavier weights, I became obsessed with beating my own personal records and pushing the limits to see what I could do. And back in February when I joined the Winter Transformation Challenge at Muscle Inc. Brandon decided it was time for me to step up my game and suggested a stricter diet and more intense training that included core exercises and interval cardio. And as my body began to change, so did my views on lifting heavy. Even after moving to Arizona, in our weekly conversations Brandon continues to motivate me and inspire me to push myself beyond what I think I can do. After attending The Arnold expo last month and experiencing the energy of the crowd at a powerlifting event, I became interested in attending another one in the future. I went online looking for local events in powerlifting and discovered there was an event for rookies happening in the fall locally. When I mentioned it to Brandon, before I could say I wanted to go watch the meet he said to me "you should enter!" and I was like "I was just gonna go and watch." But he insisted that I should enter. But I went online a few days later to see what the entry fee was and was disappointed to find out the event was already full. And the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do an event. Brandon agreed to coach me and explained how we would train to prep for a meet. So we decided I would enter an event in the fall of this year and I am getting more excited the more I think about it. I could not wait to see what I am capable of lifting.


     So I ended up finding out what I was made of sooner than I thought I would. There was a Push/Pull charity meet happening at Muscle Inc. on April 14 that I planned on attending. One day before the event I was training at the gym and mentioned to Bobby (trainer and owner of Muscle Inc.) that I was talking to Brandon about entering a USAPL event in the fall and Bobby suggested I enter the Push/Pull charity event on April 14. He told me it was the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet and see what I can do. When I mentioned it to Brandon he enthusiastically responded with, 'DO IT!' So I told Bobby to sign me up. At first I was just going to do the deadlifts because I never really do bench or pay attention to PR's or anything. I mean, I knew I would have to start paying attention if I was going to be doing USAPL events but up to this point I had no idea what I could lift on bench. Then Brandon told me it wasn't good to avoid something because you need to improve on it. "Powerlifting is an individual sport. It's you vs. you. Don't worry about anyone else. Do both and see where you are at and we can work from there." So I signed up for both one week before the event and would see where I was at with lifts when I trained that week. 

   Monday night, 6 days before the event I worked on my deadlifts and maxed out at 225 lbs for 4 reps. I had someone at the gym take a video so I could analyze it and send it to Brandon. I made it look easy and quite frankly, it felt easy. Starting with 225 for my first attempt at the meet should be cake. Tuesday night, 5 days before the event I worked on my bench press. Working the bench for me was a little different since I didn't know what I was capable of. I had struggled with tendonitis in both elbows and my left shoulder, had surgery on both my right wrist and my neck and dealt with carpal tunnel in my left wrist. My upper body was always my weak spot. I started with the bar and added plates until I worked up to and maxed out at 105 lbs for 2 reps. But I felt more comfortable with 95 lbs for 5 reps. The second rep at 105 lbs was a struggle and my arms were not steady. So I figured starting at 95 lbs for my first attempt at the meet would probably be best. 

     As the weekend approached I became more and more anxious about the event. It didn't help that nutrition-wise I was on my second week of zero carbs as I had started a cyclical keto diet on March 29. I couldn't wait for the weekend of the event for the carb days let alone the push/pull. The night before I got a pep talk from Brandon where he explained how a powerlifting event usually runs, the commands and the rules. He also recommended I pack a meal and a few snacks and be prepared to be there for a few hours. And as anxious as I was, after talking to him I felt a lot better about what to expect. Still, the next morning I woke up with a knot in my stomach and a pounding chest. I was nervous because of the 'unknown' element of doing something new but more so, I was excited to finally see what I would lift that day!

     And I was amazed at what I was able to lift at the push pull. The event was a huge success. I think Bobby said there were 40 lifters all together. When I arrived I registered, weighed in and they recorded my first attempt for both bench and deadlift. There was a bit of waiting around but finally the event started with bench. My first attempt at 95 lbs was good. Second attempt at 105 lbs was disqualified because I didn't wait for the command to rack it. So for my 3rd attempt I went for 105 again. Success. I was happy with what I pushed on bench but deadlifts were what I couldn't wait to do. I started with 225 lbs on my first attempt and as I figured it went up easy and didn't feel heavy at all. What I never imagined was pulling 250lbs for my second attempt and (holy cow!) 275 lbs for my third attempt. And even though my 275 lbs lift was disqualified for hitching (moving the bar up and down your thighs to get to the locked position) I’m still damn proud of myself for getting it all the way up and not dropping it! (see videos below) Next meet I will beat myself for sure! I’m addicted. The energy in the room was exactly as I imagined. It was that energy, the sound of people calling my name, yelling 'pull' on my last lift and cheering that gave me the drive to pull that last weight to the standing position and not drop it. I thought to myself, 'I am not dropping this bar. It is coming up!'

     It is amazing how much an event like that takes out of you. Brandon had told me it taxes the central nervous system but I never really imagined what he meant until it was all over. The next day I woke up feeling like I had been in a car accident, sore all over. Two days after the event my lower back was still very sore. Three days after the event I noticed bruises on my biceps and swelling on my wrists. By the fourth day I had charlie-horse pain in my left glute and hamstring. Brandon had told me to take a break from training to let my body recover and that is exactly what I did. I scheduled a massage and took it easy. It took me about a week to feel fully recovered. I have to say, at one point I thought to myself, 'I am never lifting again!' But when my body bounced back I thought to myself, 'What the hell was I thinking?" And Brandon has convinced me that when I do a future event with the proper prep, although I will still need time to recover, my body will be conditioned and prepared to lift heavier weights. And I cannot wait.