Updated PRs and Days 1-3 of Training for the USAPL Georgia

It had been about a month since this table was updated and what better time then when we are looking forward to our next competition and laying out the groundwork for success at it?

Lift	Reps:	1	2	3	4	5
Squat		460 Dec 9, 2009	450  Sep 24, 2010	445  Aug 13, 2010	420  Sept 17, 2010	390  Aug 6, 2010
Bench		320 Oct 10, 2010	315  Feb 16, 2010	308  Sep 25, 2010	308  Sep 25, 2009	281  Apr 23, 2010
Deadlift		606 Oct 23, 2010	555 Aug 11, 2010	555 Aug 11, 2010	518 Sept 15, 2010	518 Sept 15, 2010

Here are the last three training days strung all together. A bit behind at this moment leads to a giant post:

Monday, 25 October 2010, D1, Bench assist

Pretty decent day. Normally wouldn’t have worn a belt on presses, but my back was still out of sorts from a twinge on my last warm-up and first attempt at the NOTLD (which I am still reveling over). I am pretty sure that is my best triple. I know I’ve hit 209 for a single at least, possibly a double. On incline dumbbell presses I couldn’t have been more pleased. Never played with the 120s on it. In fact, I tied my flat bench dumbbell press PR with this set.

I am most concerned with jump starting my bench and squat after the deadlift focus the past month, or so. If I am going to qualify for Raw Unity, or make a push for the state total record, they have to be up to snuff.

Typing this 21 days out I can say that my bench was weak yesterday, but I expect a quick return. Best contest numbers are 457-308-457 for a 1328 total at the Georgia last year and 451-319-562 for a 1332 total at the Battle on the Borer in March. Of course, I pulled 606 at the NOTLD. I need a whopping 1509 to qualify for Raw Unity and 1485 to beat the USAPL GA Raw total record. The other Georgia records are: 534-380-639.

Here is the particulars:

Military Press	44 x 15,	88 x 8,	132 x 5,	154 x 5,
	176 x 5,	198 x 3 ½
Incline Dumbbell Press	50 x 10,	90 x 6,	100 x 6,	110 x 6,
	120 x 4
Bench Dips	—x 10,	+55 x 10,	+88 x 10,	+110 x 10
Side Lateral Raises	20 x 8,	25 x 8,	30 x 8

Wednesday, 27 October 2010, D2, Deadlift

Rough day.  My low back was still unhappy at the point I did this workout, and is still, slowly, improving.  I had a light day planned to day and decided to run beltless with the pause to work on weak points.  The pause fries your mid back and upper back and should help with my slow down point.  I only rested enough to cut the prior video, so a minute, or so, and it was brutal.  Lets you know what kind of shape you’re in real quick.  Here are the numbers:

Deadlift	165 x 8,	275 x 6,	385 x 2,	429 x 5,
	429 x 3,	429 x 3,	429 x 3

Thursday, 28 October 2010, D3, Bench

Weak on bench due to ignoring it.  All-in-all it went well.  Super-setted last two exercise.  Not much else to say. Here are the numbers:

Bench press		44 x 35,	132 x 10,	176 x 5,	220 x 2,
		264 x 5,	264 x 5,	264 x 5
Close-grip bench press		154 x 5,	198 x 5,	231 x 5,	264 x 5
Super-setted	Front lateral raises	20 x 8,	20 x 8,	20 x 8
	Tricep pushdowns	70 x 7,	80 x 7,	90 x 7

I am writing this Sunday and this afternoon it will be time to squat. This is the big day to push. It will also entail some heavy shrugs to continue working on my lockout. Tomorrow I have some random assist work which will probably not make it to video. Although, I may be looking to hit a pull-up PR, so it may? Then we start over again at bench assist. Next week will be much heavier.

Night of the Living Dead Blog Featured on Powerliftingwatch.com and 70sBig.com

After the surprise of my lifting results being put up on powerliftingwatch.com in the following thread:

 

Steve Winburn at the Night of the Living Dead

 

I have the pleasure of learning that my blog on the results and the meet are now also featured on Powerliftingwatch.com and on 70sBig.com at the following URLS:

 

The Night of the Living Dead, Lifters Without Borders, and My First 600+ Pull on Powerliftingwatch.com, and

The Night of the Living Dead, Lifters Without Borders, and My First 600+ Pull on 70sBig.com.

 

These are follow ups to my first showings on the above sites for my PRpalooza deadlift PR of a few months ago:

 

PRpalooza day 1 deadlift PR 555 x 3 on Powerliftingwatch.com, and

PRpalooza day 1, deadlift PR 555 x 3, featured on 70sBig in reader\’s appreciation article.

 

To say the least it has been a great year for me so far.  Thank you to everyone who helped me on this journey.

The Night of the Living Dead, Lifters Without Borders, and My First 600+ Pull.

This Saturday I had the honor of not only meeting some of the best lifters in the World, but also competing against them. Many of the lifters would have remained unknown to me were it not for the vision of Alex Campbell and the affronts of a group of people who pulled the Night of the Living Dead from the clutches of the USAPL, though I call it home. The opening of these doors brought a group with greater depth than could have been hoped for from a single federation to lift against one another and forged friendships and camaraderie where monolifts, the number of plys a man, or woman, wears, and whether or not he, or she, is subject to OMTs.

From across the country, and indeed across the seas, lifters descended upon Elizabethton, TN to bend over, grab a piece of steel laden with steel discs, and pick it up all to the applause of hundreds of fans in an unlit high school gym with smoke effects and deafening music. We call it the dead lift, a lift forgotten in the era of lifting equipment. From the smallest, Haydin Spradlin at only 62 pounds and still bearing the load of childhood, to the largest, Andy Bolton weighing a staggering 335 pounds. There were many with world titles and world records to their credit across the diaspora of federations powerlifting now has the sadness of trying to piece together. Great lifts were made and great lifts were missed, but everyone brought only their best and received the cheers of a frenzied crowd as they strode to the stage and faced the PRs of yesterday and the aspirations of the day of competition.

For the women first place was taken by Natalie Freed with a pull of 352.7 pounds at a mere 119 pounds of body weight and second place went to Rhonda Clark who pulled 440.9 pounds missing her third attempt at 463. The men saw the much-anticipated battle of Mr. Andy Bolton and Mr Tom Eiseman. This year Andy Bolton took the win with a Schwartz score of 214.9 via a third attempt pull of 964.5 pounds, wearing a singlet, a belt, and enough chalk to coat a smaller mans body. Mr. Eiseman made a second pull of 755.1, giving him a Schwartz score of 213.38, missing a third attempt at 771.6 pounds, which would have given him the win with a Schwartz score of 218.05, had Mr. Bolton not pulled at least 979.05 pounds.

The other twenty-one competitors did not fail to impress either, and I am humbly including myself in the same group. The complete list of the results, in pounds, is given after the video of my meet and pictures of the competitors, their families,, friends, and some of the people who made this all run smoothly.

For my part I had the pleasure of pulling my first 600+ pull with 606. Although I was unhappy with my training for the last few weeks to a month, and there was a twinge on my last warm-up in my low back, I conquered the challenge that I had set for myself on the platform and look forward to something even greater next year. I would like to thank all the lifters, Alex Campbell, the fans cheering, and the Elizabethton high school powerlifting club for making it such a great experience. I would also like to thank the woman who not only carried my son while I was off chasing dragons, but carried him in her womb until the moment Elijah came into my life. You are my world and without you I have no purpose.

Name	BWt (Lb)	Sch	DL 1	DL 2	DL 3	Best DL	Coeff Score	Pl- Div
1F.Natalie Freed	119	0.911	314.2	336.2	352.7	352.7	145.78	1-F
2F.Rhonda Clark	165.4	0.664	413.4	440.9	-463.0	440.9	132.90	2-F
3F.Sarah Kapoor	111.6	0.982	253.5	-275.6	-275.6	253.5	113.00	3-F
4F.Jennifer Payne	157.8	0.689	286.6	308.6	336.2	336.2	105.19	4-F
5F.Ramona Patterson	153.2	0.707	275.6	308.6	-341.7	308.6	99.04	5-F
1M.Andy Bolton	334.5	0.491	837.7	0.0	964.5	964.5	214.90	1-M
2F.Thomas Eiseman	180.4	0.623	711.0	755.1	-771.6	755.1	213.38	2-M
3M.Orlando Green	223.2	0.551	749.6	804.7	815.7	815.7	203.98	3-M
4M.Ryan Snelling	153	0.708	567.7	622.8	-655.9	622.8	200.09	4-M
5M.Mike Hedlesky	229.8	0.545	749.6	-810.2	-815.7	749.6	185.37	5-M
6M.Derek Wilcox	194.6	0.592	633.8	677.9	-705.5	677.9	182.10	6-M
7M.Damon Meyers	191.2	0.599	639.3	666.9	-705.5	666.9	181.23	7-M
8M.David Cooper	250	0.532	694.4	738.5	-766.1	738.5	178.49	8-M
9M.”Drew” Sheffield	234.4	0.541	705.5	-804.7	-804.7	705.5	173.31	9-M
10M.Mike McCoy	242.8	0.536	644.8	677.9	705.5	705.5	171.65	10-M
11M.Carlos Rijos	199.6	0.583	611.8	644.8	-705.5	644.8	170.64	11-M
12M.Mark Ferris	249.4	0.533	700.0	-755.1	0.0	700.0	169.26	12-M
13M.Robert Dale	265.4	0.526	700.0	-738.5	-738.5	700.0	167.20	13-M
14M.Charlie Conner	177	0.631	529.1	573.2	-600.8	573.2	164.11	14-M
15M.Markcus Millner	326.8	0.494	617.3	-655.9	716.5	716.5	160.78	15-M
16M.Steven Winburn	216.4	0.558	540.1	573.2	606.3	606.3	153.62	16-M
17M.Paul Sutphin	197.8	0.586	512.6	540.1	0.0	540.1	143.69	17-M
18M.Zach Seymour	90	1.281	214.9	226.0	237.0	237.0	137.73	18-M
19M.Wayne Stover	188	0.605	468.5	-501.5	-501.5	468.5	128.67	19-M
20M.Hayden Spradlin	62	1.281	148.8	170.9	187.4	187.4	108.90	20-M

Where I’ve Fallen

Today I came home early from work to hold my son. I sang to him and cried at how happy it made me to have him in my life. The thing is, he is already more than I am, or will be. He is the greatest gift his mother and I have ever received. He is God’s breath in my life, the buttress of my faith, the hope for a better tomorrow, and how I define love. My failures fade in the brilliance of his being.

Elijah tempers my faults. When my hands are clenched in rage he unfurls them with innocence. When I boil with frustration and contempt for the moments of my life I find unbearable, he calms. If I grab and hold steadfast to intolerance, he reaches with open arms to embrace the unknown. Every dream I carry each day in flights of fancy is replaced with the solid hope for his happiness and strong growth. He gives me reason to covet only he and his mothers comfort in times of need and fills my heart when it feels empty.

Elijah is my dreams growing each day. Each tomorrow is filled with a chance to carry him through the trials of his life. Whether it be helping him roll from his belly to his back and back to his belly again, or celebrating his first time catching a ball. Comforting him after a fall when all he needs is to know I am there, or sitting with him when he first falls in love and when he taste the sting of lost love.

It is only fitting to close this thought with humble appreciation for the wife who carried Elijah for nine months and birthed him into this world, with awe of a God who made it possible to spread joy in such a profound way, and with unyielding love for a son whom I hope will only taste the best of life, but should he face trials, that he face them squarely and rise above them.