Iron Insights with Big Brother

A few weeks ago, I was talking with my brother Roy about getting into the gym and fitting a good workout into our busy schedules, despite heavy work demands. He was on the road and managed to get a late night training session in at the nearest gym – and made sure to let me know this fact. I am always proud to hear this, coming from my 42 year old bro’ who used to hit the weights pretty hard (not for powerlifting, for bodybuilding – but still).

I credit Roy with introducing me to old school gyms and heavy weights – and the glory of lifting them – in the first place. It all started when he got a membership at Bath Beach and Bodyworks Gym in Brooklyn, New York – he was a teenager, and I was a little kid – and he never stopped talking about it (or flexing in front of the mirrors at home). When I was 10, he made me a pro-wrestling fan during the World Wrestling Federation’s heyday (the Big 80’s), looking up to these muscle-bound men in spandex who went airborne off turnbuckles, surrounded by packed arenas. Then, he got me a set of free weights for my 16th birthday, which I put to use at home. And when he served in the U.S. Military, he toted me alongside him and had me watch him work out – and try it myself – at the Air Force Base gym in Bangor, Maine, when I was 17. I joined THE GYM Training Center in Fridley, Minnesota when I was 19 to gain some weight; and when I visited Roy the next year, we trained at the Minot Air Force Base gym in North Dakota…

Long story short, he didn’t know that was all going to translate to his skinny little sis’ becoming obsessed with the sport of powerlifting, to the point of winning national championships and representing the USA internationally.

Speaking of that…we spoke about that, too. We got on the topic of Women’s Nationals; he asked me some really great questions, as he likes to pick my brain every now and then – and he asked from the perspective of someone very familiar with the weights, but not personally familiar with the training and competition aspect of powerlifting.

“Do you think you could do those lifts again?”

My immediate reaction was a definite “yeah,” because I was already thinking ahead about what new PRs (personal records) I want to achieve next. But he added that he was curious because I had mentioned that my max lifts at Nationals were real tough – I had to give everything I had, and more, to successfully lock them out.

For example, a peek into how I had to grind-out 336 lbs. for my final deadlift:



Or the even-more-painfully-slow 176 lb. bench press (which my competition kicked to the curb with her 198 lb. lift):



That led me to talk about how having close competition drove me to deliver the very best that I could – which turned out to be a 9-for-9 performance this time, for the first time in my life. I guess the real answer was, “Yes – if I want to, badly enough… or if I have to… yes, I could do them again. And, if I continued to train hard, I could do more.”

I am a believer that you could talk yourself into doing anything (or not doing it): “The power of life and of death is in the tongue.” Self-fulfilling prophecies are real. Your actions follow your words, which follow your thoughts. It all starts with what you believe, what you choose to focus on, and what you tell yourself. There’s reality –and much of that is the reality you create.

So he also asked me to compare the competition I typically face at Nationals, to that at World’s, and how that affects my lifting. A common theme of discussion related to what went down in Miami (and at the other Women’s Nationals I’ve won) has been how having competition motivated me. After I won in 2007, former IPF World Champion Ann Leverett told me I am “definitely a meet lifter,” meaning that under stressful conditions, high expectations, and around challengers doing their very best… I do my best.

I’ve lifted at three Nationals and had close competition at each one. So I’ve achieved personal bests at these meets – the “worst” ones being 8-for-9 performances (missing just one attempt). However, at IPF World’s in 2007, I felt as though I was lifting alone, against myself, since almost all the other women in my weight class – the 48 kg., in which I was new – were so far out of my league. And the drop in my total – from a 783 at Nationals in February, to a 749 at that meet in October – seemed to reflect that. (My best deadlift was a 309!!) Two years prior to that, at the World’s in 2005, I had very close competition from Laurence Hernandez of France. I tied her to win the overall bronze medal in the 44 kg. class by lighter bodyweight.

I will also say that lifting these big weights is the ultimate form of stress relief for me. Literally, one hour in the gym in which I pull 330 lbs. is often a manifestation of a huge release of frustrations – and a desire to compensate for other times in which I have failed – by NOT failing. Rather, by crushing. Overcoming. In a matter of seconds.

All the more rewarding when some would say it cannot –- or should not –- be done.

For a variety of reasons, I have declined my spot on Team USA for the IPF World's in India later this year. I have no definite meet in the near future, other than the NAPF/IPF Pan American Championships in August. What is going to motivate me in the meantime, and keep me coming back into the gym?

Time will tell. But a lot of it will probably have to do with that one pound that stands between me and 800...

Powerful Memories: Photos from Women's Nationals 2009

Check out the outstanding photography taken by Christy Newman (IPF World Bench Press Gold Medalist) at her 2009 Women's Nationals photo gallery!

2009 USAPL Women's Nationals Results

My email to friends and family, immediately after I won my weight class at Women's Nationals last Saturday, Feb. 14th:

Hi -- a quick report from Women's Nationals, this Valentine's Day in sunny and warm Miami, Fla...

I am very grateful to say that I had a perfect day today and went 9/9 (all attempts good) for the first time in my powerlifting career!! I had the pleasure and inspiration of having my friend, the veteran and legendary Ann Leverett, on hand as a still-solid-and-strong Master competitor (breaking several American records herself).. and awesome and unexpected competition from another one of the legends in my weight class -- April Schumaker (who turns out was formerly April Delmore)!!! Because of this lady's mind-blowing huge bench press of 198 lbs. @ 104 bodyweight, getting all my lifts was necessary to win my third Nationals and remain undefeated...

My numbers:

Squat - 287 lbs. (state and personal record)
Bench - 176 lbs.
Deadlift - 336 lbs. (state and personal record)
Total - 799 lbs. (state and personal record)

Every one of my third attempts were in creeper mode... I had to give 110% to grind them out.

Thanks to Mitch for helping me pick the right numbers and with all my warmups and gear...

More to share later. Thanks very much for reading!


While I'm getting ready to blog a more detailed report of what went down (and up!) at Nationals in Miami, check out these links...

Official Results

Women's Nationals Open Champs (discussion on one of the USAPL forums)

Mitch's Congrats and Quick Report (discussion on same forum)

Observations/Speculation from PowerliftingWatch.com

YOU are on POWERLIFTING WATCH...

...well, OK...maybe not YOU (or maybe so, if you're one of those powerlifters Jon has tagged to shine the spotlight upon)... but I like to say this whenever someone I know is featured on the popular and unbiased powerlifting news site.

This time, it was none other than my boyfriend/coach, Mitch Edelstein and his recent Best Lifter win at the USAPL Minnesota State Championships last Saturday. Check the news and videos out here.

I took his 650 lb. video, below:



What's next for him? Coaching me at my third (and his second) Women's Nationals in Miami, Fla. this Saturday. I'm hoping and praying it will be my third National Championship victory and I remain undefeated. It should be interesting with this coach. When he lifts, he's Mr. Conservative/Play-It-Safe. When he coaches, he pushes me to let it all hang out/go straight for the jugular.

New gear, last day of SQ and BP training for Nationals

It was my last day of training for Women's Nationals, and I had to combine my final squats and bench presses due to coaching at the Minnesota State Championships yesterday (more on that later when I am able to post more...congrats to 12-time State Champ Mitch!! I have videos that I will add from that event, too, next time I blog).

I have been generously sponsored by Titan Support Systems once again and had a new squat suit and bench shirt in hand today, but I highly doubted the idea of trying brand-new gear on the last week before a high-level meet (or any meet, for that matter), because it usually takes a few weeks of breaking it in and getting used to it. BUT, thankfully -- and surprisingly -- the new gear fit me just fine and I was able to lift well today!!

Squats
45x10
75x3
105x1
135x1 - loose wraps
165x1 - new suit, a bit looser around the torso and straps, but tight around my thighs... put it on myself, like my old suit
195x1
225x1

Opener, for reps
250x2 - straps up, deep -- on my own, no depth calls!! yay :)

Here's video of it, thanks to Mitch for the spots AND hitting "record" and "off" --



On to the bench... (yes, it was a 2/3 mini-meet today)

Bench Press
45x10
65x3
85x1
105x1
125x1
145x1 - new F6...yes, it was painful to touch at first
160x1 - went up, but wasn't as easy as I thought...was out of the groove

Heavy single of the day...
175x1 -- hit the groove, have not gotten this in training for a looonnng time!!!

I am really thankful I was able to have a strong day in new gear, and it all worked out...that is really what I hoped for, just before this big meet!

Last Big Pull Before Nationals

My last lunch hour deadlift session before Women's Nationals...

Sumo Deadlifts
45x6 (conventional set)
45x6
135x1
165x1
195x1
225x1
255x1 - DL suit
295x1 - straps up

Heavy single of the day...
325x1

Just as I felt it slow down, it locked out already. Mitch thought I had 10 more lbs. in me, which was great news to me :) Hesaid we should have filmed it, but I was too focused on being in the zone...

And that concluded my last deadlift day before Nationals. If all goes well, I'm going to try for another state record/PR in Miami. We shall see.

Last Heavy-Single Squat Day Before Nationals

It's no fun spending too many seconds fighting through this position. Lately, that's been happening. Today, it was with 275 lbs. (instead of 265 as pictured above at the IPF 2007 World's in Austria).

Due to my work schedule, I've been squatting on Sundays, with Mitch making an extra trip into the gym to help me each week. Today, he joined me and did his squat workout as well, since last week (Monday, his usual SQ day), he unexpectedly found himself without any help at all. And fortunately, we were able to get some help from not only each other, but much-needed spots from Paul Balyeat and feedback from Maura Shuttleworth.

I also multi-tasked by bringing my 10-yr.-old son Glen through a deadlift workout, too, in between my sets and Mitch's! Talk about running around like a chicken decapitated. But well worth it.

Here's how my training day went:

Squats
45x10
45x5
75x3
105x1
135x1 - loose knee wraps
165x1 - suit, straps down
195x1
225x1
255x1 - straps up

Heavy single of the day...
275x1 - with Mitch's depth call, Maura watching depth also, and Paul spotting me.

Again, this came up way slower than usual, but it never stopped moving and locked out. I actually felt it speed up after the real odd, slow sticking point; and once it sped-up, it seemed to just spring into lockout. Weird. I meant to end this training cycle with a 285-290 deep squat single, but sometimes adjustments need to be made according to oddities/the unexplained.

Heavy walkout
305 x slow count of 10

Static hold
335 x slow count of 10

Leg curls
60x10
70x10

Hold the jammers, since this was my last heavy squat day...next week, I'll do a triple of my opener.