powerlifting coach -the game day role
At Apex Strength in Coburg, Sunday August 25th 2024, a novice powerlifting competition was run. Competing, was LifeLong athlete Bailey, who over the last 12 months has gone from strength to strength in her rehabilitation and then strength training.
While we will go into the details of her recovery in a later blog post, today I would like to acknowledge the role of the coach on game day.
Bailey will be quick to tell you that I was an integral part of her success on Sunday specifically. However, I respectfully disagree. It was the work we did in the months leading into this competition, which meant that my job on the day was quite easy. Bailey, already knew exactly what she was going to do, and what she was capable of.
This stemmed from almost daily communication over the last 12 months. We know how the other works. How we react, learn and grow as people. We are often called Merry and Pippin for the LOTR fans out there. Communication is the basis of success, whether that is rehabilitation in back pain (or in Baileys case a torn glute and torn calf muscle), or in competition.
A plan was set in the days prior to competition. We had firm opening attempts that we consider Baileys final warm up.
These were a 115kg Squat, 62.5kg Bench and 120kg Deadlift.
From here we considered the final numbers lifted in Bailey’s prep. Which were 132.5kg squat, officially a 70kg bench (unofficially 72.5kg) and a 150kg deadlift. Her squat and her deadlift far exceeded anything she had done in the past, but also moved extremely quickly, which left a bit in the unknown as to how strong she actually is.
However, this gave us a ball park place to finish on our third attempts, and we worked backwards from here.
3a - conservative squat - 132.5kg
3b - planned attempt squat - 137.5kg
3c - ON attempt - 142.5kg
2a - conservative squat - 120kg
2b - planned attempt squat - 127.5kg
2c - ON attempt - 130kg
Opener - 115kg.
After taking her first attempt (after a 30 minute delay in the squats start time), Bailey reported it feeling light, and it looked like it too. So we took our planned second. This also moved well, but Bailey reported it feeling heavy. There was a slight sticking point, which is unusual for Bailey. So we opted for our conservative third attempts, which ironically ended up moving faster than the second. On reflection, due to the delay at the start, I should have selected a more conservative attempt on her second, to give her more confidence into the third.
Bench went exactly as planned.
3a - conservative bench - 62.5kg
3b - planned attempt bench - 70kg
3c - ON attempt - 72.5kg
2a - conservative squat - 62.5kg
2b - planned attempt bench - 67.5kg
2c - ON attempt - NA
Opener - 62.5kg.
Her opener moved great, second with confidence, but not enough to try 72.5kg. 70kg moved with a bit of a struggle but she was always capable of that.
Deadlifts - time to have some fun. Bailey felt on from the start of warm ups, and it looked it. Her taper the week leading into comp ticked the boxes. In the warm up room she reported feeling strong, and she looked it.
Her attempts were all ‘ON’ - 120kg, 140kg & 160kg, all easy. In hindsight I could have loaded close to 175kg and I think it would have been there.
But in Baileys words “there’s always next time”, which I look forward to training and helping her through.
Congratulations Bailey on an extremely successful first competition.
LifeLong,
Coach Dyl.
