[Meet Report] The Power Express presented by MPG Fitness (Powerlifting America) Aurora IL 575KG at 107

BACKGROUND

Did this meet last year https://www.reddit.com/r/powerlifting/comments/1heebrl/meet_report_the_power_express_presented_by_mpg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button and had a good time. This will be my fourth meet. I'm not competitive by any means but I just try to enjoy the time.

Most of the summer and into the fall was mostly spent trying to do bare minimums to maintain as i had other interests/obligations. My normal gym moved to a new location just before Halloween and I hated everything about it (layout, longer distance, etc) so I switched gyms. The new place had some cool toys (a belt squat! a reverse hyper! different bars!) which sometimes pulled a little focus.

MEET PREP

Meet prep was absolute hot garbage. The meet kinda snuck up on me a little, so I was a bit slow in switching to prep mode. Then I got sick, then tweaked my back, then had some emergency dental work done, then got sick again, all during the last month. Had all of three gym sessions in December, none of which were inspiring. One final SBD day on the Thursday before my meet just trying to work up to openers as I gauged whether or not to pull out altogether. Changed my expectations a bit.

MEET DAY

I work evenings and get off at 11pm; took Friday off to rest up a little better. Slept long, but fitfully. Weigh-ins were at 7am and lifting started at 9. I overslept and arrived just in time for the rules meeting. I was in the A flight; there were three flights in this AM session. The meet was team-oriented so teams camped out in the warmup area which made it difficult for people not on a team (like me) to get warmups in.

SQUAT

200kg: This was a little harder than an opener should have felt. Realized on re-rack that I'd really buried it. Three whites. https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx-Lm2mebBIcu6t4AB2GyHuyq8-1owmYHv?si=3QVzIkdcCta9g2qD

215kg: After the first one, I consciously tried to cut the depth closer to parallel. Must have cut it too much as I got two reds for depth. https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxb3eDRUJ9n-rygvi2YJN3ftP2zCpSqDtg?si=9KUM026gJXWaMgXD

215kg: Fired up over this one after failing it last time. In retrospect I probably didn't have any more left in me anyway. Two whites, I'll take it. Walkout song- All I Really Want For Christmas by Lil Jon and Kool-Aid Man. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxVwHBQpfxc3mytYFq7eZFtGjrgHKucwu9?si=pYf9nA9Q0DFIpjdJ

BENCH

130kg: Hit the warmups quickly before most of the others got into the warmup room. Solid lift, no notes. Three whites. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxEjBrQJHcJad3ZhkkIEPytqRBpph9v4Bq?si=iBvXV322aha6OR1i

140kg: Moved well enough. Two whites, 5kg meet PR. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxrB2ioEv_VOX96ffvss9nvpO5HyGJcXM1?si=OVhWHru1ukevj_aI

145kg: Kinda hemmed and hawed about shooting for the moon. This would have been an all time PR for me, but it wasn't there today. When I'm really grinding, its oddly my left hamstring that feels like its giving out first. No lift. Walkout song- Funky Christmas by Too Many Zooz and Big Freedia. https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx8adBkWR3jM08R2oKB9nQohSNaq4umkAE?si=Sru5Tb6aOrif56Xa

DEADLIFT

200kg: This felt as an opener should. Three whites. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxdB5jaKXgr9sYShRsBTb0z17j-i1kGEni?si=MgYX_zsonNAt1_Jm

220kg: This one felt really good, too. Three whites. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxTVa4ZOI8KnAMjJWgZTHeMRPBLIBt746e?si=m24KJR_qFAxTglae

235kg: This was a YOLO lift. Would have been a lift and total PR. Not today, though. Walkout song was Zombie Claus by Psychostick. https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxMyOSqsUcyyIgoo3mynRNLojuJ1HGrTW_?si=bzCixSpNYTP9VM5h

RESULTS

6/9 on the day. 575kg total. Bench PR. Squat and deadlift were better than I expected coming in.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There were five flights across two sessions. It was team-based which changed the energy a bit compared to other meets in the past. A lot less overall camaraderie this time; if you weren't part of a team it was a bit more of a singular experience. Quite a few extra handlers/hangers-on at this one, too.

On a positive note, I wound up spending a little time helping out a young lady who was on her own and at her first meet. Briefly talked her through the commands and what to expect. She did well and I hope she competes again. By far the most enjoyable part of the day.

(An odd aside, it wouldn't allow me to make a post until I removed my lifter flair and chose one of the generic flairs)