Just got back from GLSM, my 4th competition. I competed in the 181lb class which had a nice showing with 12 of us. Went into this comp with 3 consecutive last place finishes from Aug '18 - Aug '19. Anyway, on to the events.
Log Clean and Press Away - 205lbs
Little disappointed with this one. I managed 2 reps which was good enough to tie for 5th with 2 others. Thought I’d manage somewhere between 3-5 reps but pressing without a ceiling was unexpectedly challenging. Ended up being pretty wobbly and I think that’s because I didn’t have a reference point for how far back I was (or wasn’t) leaning. Will have to train in the parking lot for the next outdoor comp.
On the bright side, my first comp had a 200lb log in a medley that I zeroed. Only weighed in 1lb heavier today than I did back then and even though I underperformed it was a good step in the right direction.
Farmers Hold - 250lbs
Pretty satisfied with how this one went, 52.9 seconds was good for 6th place. Was worried I wouldn’t even be able to pick it because the handles were a lot lower than what I was training with. Just to be safe I gripped near the back of the handles and seesawed them up. Biggest goal was that the handles would slip out rather than me putting them down. Spent most of my time training with 195lbs and would hit 245lbs every 2-3 weeks. Farmers are one of those lifts where I actually see a big jump in strength from higher volume submax training.
Wagon Wheel Axle Deadlift - 550lbs
Touch and go with a down command. I zeroed this along with half the field which I expected. 4 people got 13 or more reps. Seemed like if you could crack it off the ground the bounce would guarantee quite a few more reps. Deadlift has been a weak point that needs to be addressed, especially when it comes to strength off the floor. Have a couple competitive guys in heavier weight classes at my gym and one of them offered to help me out with my deadlift so I’ll for sure be taking advantage of that.
Sandbag to Shoulder - 200lbs
Managed 4 reps to get a 5 way tie for 6th place. Pretty happy with this one as I didn’t have a sandbag to train with. Closest I came was stone over bar which I cut out from training something like a month ago to give my low back a break.
During warm ups I got stuck on my chest twice. Then came back a few minutes later to accidently throw it over my shoulder and tweak my low back from hyperextending. Somehow it came together when I got on the platform though. Think a 5th rep was there if I took an extra 5 seconds for one more breath before my final attempt.
Power Stairs - 350lbs
This one was humbling. No split times so if you didn’t get all 4 stairs it was a zero. Myself and 4 others zeroed, I only managed one stair. Was easy enough to pick it up but getting it high enough to the step was a struggle. Actually, the first 1 felt pretty easy but couldn’t even get close to the 2nd one.
Overall I took 8th place which I’m very happy with because my biggest goal was to end my streak of last place finishes. I think competing more would be helpful because I seem to make silly mistakes then panic and rush. Would be beneficial to get 2-3 cues in my head and really focus on those as well for each event.
Took 3 years to stop taking last, maybe in another 5-10 years I’ll earn that qualifying spot for nationals.