Meet Day: Training for My First Powerlifting Meet

…And that’s a wrap! Meet day came by slow and went by fast. A lot faster than I expected. My nerves hit me right before I got on the platform and I didn’t get the results I wanted. I’m usually pretty harsh on myself. However with my support team there with me, and the support of my friends, family and social media community around the world, it made me look at the day in a different perspective.

Although I missed two bench and two squats attempts due to technique and jumping the commands, I still won. I competed for the first time and came back with lessons on how to improve. I know what I need to work on the next time because next time is coming and I’m going to own that platform.

Pushing aside all the other feelings that I had that day, I enjoyed myself and had a great time. Powerlifting is more than a strength sport and how heavy you can lift. It’s all about how you can control the weight you are carrying with good form and technique. It’s a learning curve. I may be at the bottom of that curve but I will dedicate the time and years to make sure that I experience it all.

Squats

I got 1/3 with the highest of 92.5kg/200lbs. It was the first lift of the day so missing the other two attempts shattered my confidence for the rest of the meet. A year ago, I couldn’t even squat parallel but I just didn’t go deep enough for the other two attempts to count as a good lift.

Bench On Meet Day

I got 1/3 with the highest of 50kg/110lbs. I jumped the commands on one attempt and my bum lifted off the bench in the another. Bench is my weakest lift. Silly mistakes due to technicalities lost me those attempts. I remember finishing bench and wanting to quit the entire sport. I kept on questioning myself and asking why am I there?

Deadlifts On Meet Day

Deadlifts for breakfast was my saving grace for the day. I got 3/3 and hit a new PR of 105kg/230lbs. For the entire day, I had been searching for those three white lights and I finally got them. I felt like I had so much more in the tank and I could have pulled 115kg/250lbs for my last attempt. Deadlifts brought that spark back. It was that lift that convinced me not to give up and continue with the sport.

My strength was there that day. Now I have done this first one and know how the day runs, I know what I would have done differently to make sure I get 9/9 and 9 white lights. Powerlifting is about competing against yourself and beating your personal record. I am adamant to beat 5/9 in my next meet and get 9/9 and hit new PRs in all my lifts.

Back to the drawing board and it is currently 3 weeks since my meet and volume work is increasing.

Until next time,

Folakemi Olamide 💓