IPO Leinster Powerlifting Champs 2008

Hanley

Today I lifted in the Irish Powerlifting Organisation's Leinster champs (affiliated to the WPF - Single Ply, non-tested). It was an INCREDIBLY well run event, the atmosphere was awesome and I had an absolutely storming meet. This is gonna be a long post, so here's the video of my lifts:
http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=vioN91uszPY

Anyway, if you wanna read on, here's my story of the day.....

The squat warm ups today were a bit strange. They didn't feel all that solid and some of them felt heavy, but the bar speed was very good across all the reps. The rack I was squatting out of was set up a bit weird, one side was higher than the other, which probably caused the problem.

I took 245kg (my current PR going into the comp) as my opener. I'd doubled this in training, but only really took it to parallel so I was confident I'd stick it in the hole without a problem. It was my first time using a monolift at this event. I usually jump into the bar with my chest to get psyched up before lifts, I did this today and nearly took my head off on the cross bar of the mono. You can see it in the vid, my head hops off it and the back spotter cracks a little smile. Anyway, I sunk it in and killed it.

Jumped to 260kg for a huge 15kg PR on my second. It had been the goal going into the meet and I had my doubts about jumping straight to it. I asked Ger (my training partner) and he said go for it, so I trusted his judgment and it came up real easy.

With that in the bag anything else was going to be a bonus so I called for 272.5kg (600lb) on my 3rd. Got really psyched for it and it nearly stapled me to the floor when I took it out. I'd been having trouble all day with getting it out of the monolift, I kept getting pulled forward. I managed to control 245 and 260, but 272.5 pulled me back into the rack. I kept my position, regrouped and popped it out strong then. Took it down into the hole and came out with it nice and smoothly for a HUGE 27.5kg (60lb) PR.

Onto the squats and my raw warm ups felt really good. I was on a total high from my squats and coulda hit a raw PR today. Then I got into my shirt and things started to go down hill.... The 150, 160 and 170kg warm ups were sluggish. I wasn't near tight enough on them and my head was throbbing from where I hit the mono on my opening squat.

My first attempt with 177.5kg shoulda been real easy (I'd done 180 3x1 in the gym with no problem at all) but my stupid right arm decided to be a bitch and make the lockout hard.

Coming into my second attempt I knew I could take a chance and go straight to 190kg (the goal for the day) since I had a bit of a bumper coming out of the squats to secure the 700kg total. I made a complete balls of my first attempt with 190. I touched too low, was soft as hell and got the bar back way too early... I Got it past mid way, and died.

I retook it for my third, jacked down the shirt and tightened everything up. My lat cramped at the bottom but I threw everything I could into it, got it to mid way again, slight stall (probs a dip too tbh) but grinded it out from there to lockout for a 10kg PR.

I was actually looking at the WPF world records a while ago and both my opener and third attempts broke the existing record of 175kg, but I won't be credited with it since there were no international judges there. Sucks, but that's life!! It was also good enough to break the WDFPF world record of 185.5kg which I've been chasing for quite some time.

My raw deadlift openers again felt grand, but once I got the suit on things started to slow down. I dropped my opener to 237.5kg and pulled it easily to get the 700kg total out of the way so I could have two attempts to go after PR's. I haven't hit a PR deadlift in comp since November '07 (250kg).

My next attempt was to push my total further up, so I jumped to 245kg and again pulled it strongly. This left me with 707.5kg.

After some consultation it was either 252.5 or 257.5 to take me to 715 or 720. I choose to go to 252.5 cos I thought I'd pull it and FINALLY hit a deadlift PR too. I tore my hamstring down at my knee about 12 weeks ago and have been working around it ever since so I've got no real deadlift training in since then. This came into play on my third attempt. The bar got to my knees and my left knee snapped in pretty badly (watch for it in the vid) and I missed the lift. I did no damage to myself, but I can't help but think if I was healthy I woulda pulled it easily.

So when all was said and done, I came out with 707.5kg/1560lb at 100kg/220lb as a drug free junior. A massive 37.5kg PR and a major headache which is still bothering me.

Some other highlights from the day;

-My training partner Ger hitting his first 3x bodyweight squat (225kg @ 75), and also him barely missing a 250kg pull right at the top (he'd locked it out but his grip gave in before he got the down command)

-Ger's father Dave totalling 800 or 810kg at 100kg as a life time drug free masters lifter (how's that for a father/son team??)

-Ber Delaney hitting a MASSIVE 870kg (1920lb) total at 90kg (198lb) in single ply gear!!!! Including an incredible 257.5kg (568lb bench). 900kg for 10x bodyweight can't be far away now.

To wrap this up, I have to thank all the spotters, loaders and referee's for their fantastic work all thru the day. It's all too often they don't get the credit they deserve, but without them none of this would have been possible.

Also, I have to thank Ger for being an frickin awesome training partner, everyone I bench with on Sunday morning and train with thru out the week, and Graham for his tireless work today in helping me get ready for my lifts. The poor guy's hands are in BITS from all the wrap rolling. And last but not least, my fantastic girlfriend for putting up with all the **** that comes with this, being there to support me and also for providing the videos which you've probably watched by now.

I could probably say anything I want at this stage cos I don't think anyone will have read this far. But if you have, kudos!!!

shut up!

Excellent man. That's quite incredible. Fair play to ya and congratulations.

DM-BM

Well done Hanley,some serious weight been lifted there today.

How come you only took the 245x2 to parallel in training and not below?

Hanley

Thanks guys!!

DM-BM wrote: »

How come you only took the 245x2 to parallel in training and not below?

Mainly cos I was being a bigpussy...

amazingemmet

Yeah not taking those squats atg is just being a pussy alright I mean thats not even functional and all....

Awesome lifting by you and ger nice one

fatal

well done hanley.Keep up the good work

Takeshi_Kovacs

Yes well done Hanley. That is pretty impressive lifting.

BossArky

Well done! Pity about the knock on the head :pac:

pvt.joker

Great read, congrats on the PRs, and Im sure you'll laugh at the bump-head thing someday...maybe not today though!

Pen1987

I was there to report on it for the gazette papers. Was very concious of not interrupting or distracting any of the lifters so on got to talk to Ger, because I know him from school and Billy Kidd because he came over to chat to me, great bloke. Hanley, youre one intense bloke, highly impressive. I spent the day taking down notes on how many records were being broken. Overall a ridiculously high quality competition and great to watch too. The Hercules club is a great place aswell, that really came across.

sharkDawg

Congrats dude

kevpants

Savage. Well done boyo. If a metal bar could run away I'm sure that one would have, thought you were going to take a bite out of it!

The squatting was something else, that is huuuuuge. A 60lb PR!! Did you actually think that was there before the comp?

smashey

Well done there Hanley.

tribulus

Had to pop two blisters so I did lol, great lifting man!

Hanley

Thanks guys!!

Pen1987 wrote: »

I was there to report on it for the gazette papers. Was very concious of not interrupting or distracting any of the lifters so on got to talk to Ger, because I know him from school and Billy Kidd because he came over to chat to me, great bloke. Hanley, youre one intense bloke, highly impressive. I spent the day taking down notes on how many records were being broken. Overall a ridiculously high quality competition and great to watch too. The Hercules club is a great place aswell, that really came across.

Ya shoulda come up to say hi!! Once you don't catch me between lifts (or after a bad one!) I'm usually fine.... Billy's a complete ledge. AFAIK he's 63. You just can't keep him down. He was in training this morning again and everything!!

Let me know when the reports out and Ill try and get a copy to keep.

kevpants wrote: »

Savage. Well done boyo. If a metal bar could run away I'm sure that one would have, thought you were going to take a bite out of it!

Lulz.... the rack was looking out for the bar. It gave me a tap on the head when I was getting too aggressive!!

The squatting was something else, that is huuuuuge. A 60lb PR!! Did you actually think that was there before the comp?

To be honest, no, I didn't!! After my opener I wasn't even sure whether to jump straight to 260 or not. I was told to by my training partner, so i did!! That was the ultimate goal for the day, and anything else was going to be a bonus. I had 270kg ear marked as a possible third if I hit everything perfectly, was working on the assumption I'd weigh in at 90kg and get 3x bodyweight with it, but when that didn't happen I figured I was so close to the 600lb mark that I may as well take a shot at it. And thankfully I got it.

The next target now is to rep 200kg x5 raw in training and march towards 285 in comp next January.

Hanley

tribulus wrote: »

Had to pop two blisters so I did lol, great lifting man!

Two?? I thought it was just the one... I would blame Ger's wraps on it, but I think we both know I'd be lying.

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Congrats Hanley, seriously impressive stuff there!

g'em

Kudos Hanley, very impressive lifting and it sounds like a great day was had all round.

Naos

Excellent work Hanley, very impressive!

Malteaser!

Congratulations again Ham!!

It was definitely one of the best competitions that I've been to, the atmosphere was just electric at it. I reckon it was because the venue was so small, like when I think back to Grangemouth for teh Worlds...that place just seemed dead, everyones cheers seemed to be getting lost down the back of the hall somewhere!

It's funny, when you whacked your head off the monolift no-one noticed and then when you finished your lift and said 'jesus that nearly killed me' as you were walking away, my stomach sank. I thought you were talking about the actual lift, like that it was really hard. I thought you were just being stubborn by taking 260 as your next lift and it wasn't until much later on that I realised wtf was going on!!

Pity you're not going to Vienna, as Ruairi said, it's gonna be a hell of a competition. The Irish team is really top notch!!

Pen1987

Why arent you going to Veinna?

I was told that pretty much everyone there would be heading in November, my article even states you should be one to watch there!

Hanley

Pen1987 wrote: »

Why arent you going to Veinna?

I was told that pretty much everyone there would be heading in November, my article even states you should be one to watch there!

I probably won't be going cos I'll have just started a new job (and when I say new, I mean "my first real") and there'll be A LOT of training days about how to get to grips with the audit systems, excel etc that I'll have to go to and chances are these will fall on one of the day's I'd be travelling. I won't really know for sure until I actually get started on October 6th, but I probably won't be there. It's a shame, but what can ya do?

My real focus at the moment is breaking the IDFPA national 100kg junior total record of 750kg which has stood since 1998 and was set by another Hercs member. I've til the end of '09 to do it. If I can put things together properly in the next 16-18 weeks I should have a shot at it early next year.

J--W

Whats up Hanley,

It's John from Herc's.

haha,...bored in work and surfin the net.... by pure conincidence I stumbled on this forum today and discovered your a member.

Nice liftin on saturday....fair play. Competition went great too....it's events like that that make ya proud to be in the Herc!! Best Gym in Ireland Bar none.

Watched the Vid. Just wondering, did you not think you got the bench?? I was referreing on the left side (can't see me in the vid though) and to me it looked like a good lift. I think the video can be slightly misleading from that angle as it appears that when your arms came just about paralell that you paused and the weight lowered very slightly (which would be a failed lift of course) I think, however, that what actually happened was that the bar drifted slightly toward your face which gave the illusion from the front angle that it may have stopped and dipped. As far as I was concerned though, the bar kept movin so the lift was good.

Would have loved to have been in there lifting. Definitley feel like getting back into it now. My bloody lower back is still a f*cking mess though. Couldnt even lift the plates up when we were cleaning up afterwards! (too painful) Might try a few lunges tomorrow night though and see if they are'nt too much for my back. I really gotta work my legs somehow because I can see them shrinking rapidly. Probably gonna pay a visit to the Chiro/physio. All's I can do is bench-press now....so gonna focus on buildin that up to maybe 220+ and then maybe try get down to the 90kg class.

I Like the whacked head!! Nice one on not letting it throw you off though. I love the way Sean starts laughing after!

who set the 750k record in Herc's anyways? Was it Alan prior??

Hanley

J--W wrote: »

Whats up Hanley,

It's John from Herc's.

haha,...bored in work and surfin the net.... by pure conincidence I stumbled on this forum today and discovered your a member.

Nice liftin on saturday....fair play. Competition went great too....it's events like that that make ya proud to be in the Herc!! Best Gym in Ireland Bar none.

Hey man!!

As soon as I saw "J--W", before I even opened the thread, I knew it was you. I don't know how, I just did!!!

Watched the Vid. Just wondering, did you not think you got the bench?? I was referreing on the left side (can't see me in the vid though) and to me it looked like a good lift. I think the video can be slightly misleading from that angle as it appears that when your arms came just about paralell that you paused and the weight lowered very slightly (which would be a failed lift of course) I think, however, that what actually happened was that the bar drifted slightly toward your face which gave the illusion from the front angle that it may have stopped and dipped. As far as I was concerned though, the bar kept movin so the lift was good.

Ahhhhhh ok I saw a dip in the video. I didn't realise the movement was the bar drifting back. That makes more sense. I was watching my elbows too and as the bar "dipped" they actually flared back to go into a better lockout position, so that would probably explain why it looked like there was downward movement when there wasn't actually any too!

The one thing I was concerned about at the comp was getting gifts because it was a club event. I probably should have known better tho. Yourself, Ben and Ruairi are all stand up guys with the balls to call it like you see it! (Ruairi actually gave me the thumbs down for that lift, which I could see why. Like I said, based on the vid alone, I woulda done the same)

Would have loved to have been in there lifting. Definitley feel like getting back into it now. My bloody lower back is still a f*cking mess though. Couldnt even lift the plates up when we were cleaning up afterwards! (too painful) Might try a few lunges tomorrow night though and see if they are'nt too much for my back. I really gotta work my legs somehow because I can see them shrinking rapidly. Probably gonna pay a visit to the Chiro/physio. All's I can do is bench-press now....so gonna focus on buildin that up to maybe 220+ and then maybe try get down to the 90kg class.

I'd say you're going mad. The recovery from it seemed to be going well too.... Did you try out leg pressing.....? You're right tho, probably a good idea to get it checked out.

I think Dave has the 100kg open bench record at 220 or so. Might be nice to go after that one too!! You'll definately do it at whichever weight class you choose. You seem to have a mega strong top end so you should easily be getting 50kg+ out of a shirt with some work... Thank god I'm still a junior. Gives me a few years to make up lost ground before I have to tackle you on the bench!

I Like the whacked head!! Nice one on not letting it throw you off though. I love the way Sean starts laughing after!

who set the 750k record in Herc's anyways? Was it Alan prior??

I don't think anyone but the spotters actually copped onto the fact I nearly knocked myself out. No-one I was talking to afterwards seemed to until I showed them the vid.

And yeah, it's Al's record. The chap was just a total freak. I'm pretty sure he did it at 21 too. And I've heard stories of him squatting 180kg x20 in the run up to that comp, and pulling 290x2. I know I won't get near his deadlift, I probably won't get near his squat either for another 2 or 3 years (I've until 31/12/09 as a junior) but my bench should be up enough by next year's IDFPA nationals to put me within reach of the total.

There's a bench comp in Limerick in September at some stage you could start training for if you were interested. Get a shirt and bust past 200kg....

J--W

Hanley wrote: »

Hey man!!

As soon as I saw "J--W", before I even opened the thread, I knew it was you. I don't know how, I just did!!!



Ahhhhhh ok I saw a dip in the video. I didn't realise the movement was the bar drifting back. That makes more sense. I was watching my elbows too and as the bar "dipped" they actually flared back to go into a better lockout position, so that would probably explain why it looked like there was downward movement when there wasn't actually any too!

The one thing I was concerned about at the comp was getting gifts because it was a club event. I probably should have known better tho. Yourself, Ben and Ruairi are all stand up guys with the balls to call it like you see it! (Ruairi actually gave me the thumbs down for that lift, which I could see why. Like I said, based on the vid alone, I woulda done the same)

Ha, yeah...no point giving favors to anyone as it doesnt really help the lifter at all to lie to them. I actually failed bernie on one of his attempts but was overruled..haha. Well, that's why we have 3 judges I guess....3 heads better than one and all that.

I'd say you're going mad. The recovery from it seemed to be going well too.... Did you try out leg pressing.....? You're right tho, probably a good idea to get it checked out.

christ man, you have no idea. It's so bloody frustrating.

I really thought it was gettin better....so I decided to do some VERY light squatting last tuesday.
60kg felt OK...a little stiff. 90kg felt the same.
so I popped 100kg on the bar...took it out...did one rep and BANG....screwed up my back properly. THought I was gonna collapse with the weight on my back and had a lot of trouble walking home. Could barely stand up from a sitting position without putting my hands on my knees to support myself. So I'm back to square one recovery-wise.

Cant even leg press at the moment....the stretching in the glutes pulls on my lower back so it's feels as if my back is gonna rip.

And yeah, it's Al's record. The chap was just a total freak. I'm pretty sure he did it at 21 too. And I've heard stories of him squatting 180kg x20 in the run up to that comp, and pulling 290x2. I know I won't get near his deadlift, I probably won't get near his squat either for another 2 or 3 years (I've until 31/12/09 as a junior) but my bench should be up enough by next year's IDFPA nationals to put me within reach of the total.

Yeah, Al is an animal for sure.
You'd definitely put up much better numbers than him on the bench though so you'd make up a lot of the numbers right there.

There's a bench comp in Limerick in September at some stage you could start training for if you were interested. Get a shirt and bust past 200kg....

might go for it....it'll do me good to have somethin to train for.

Superdub2

Thats some good work alright!

A bit off point.. why do have your feet so far apart when doing deads opposed to having them roughly shoulder width apart? Cheers!

Hugh Mongus

Awesome lifting Hanley! Inspiring stuff.

Hanley

Superdub2 wrote: »

Thats some good work alright!

A bit off point.. why do have your feet so far apart when doing deads opposed to having them roughly shoulder width apart? Cheers!

Thanks man.

For the deadlifts, it's a matter of preference really. I've always been a good squatter, so it makes sense to take my feet out, use my legs more and capitalise on that to try and get a bigger pull. Also, with the suit on you can get better carryover with sumo stance as opposed to conventional. I'm still doing pretty badly in that regard tho because I haven't really been training properly for it.

Hanley

J--W wrote: »

Ha, yeah...no point giving favors to anyone as it doesnt really help the lifter at all to lie to them. I actually failed bernie on one of his attempts but was overruled..haha. Well, that's why we have 3 judges I guess....3 heads better than one and all that.

Lol I saw that... it takes guts!! FWIW, I agreed with pretty much all of the calls that I saw on the squats. It can be hard to give the thumbs down to the guys you train with week in and week out because you know how hard they're working and how much it means to them. It has to be done tho!!

christ man, you have no idea. It's so bloody frustrating.

I really thought it was gettin better....so I decided to do some VERY light squatting last tuesday.
60kg felt OK...a little stiff. 90kg felt the same.
so I popped 100kg on the bar...took it out...did one rep and BANG....screwed up my back properly. THought I was gonna collapse with the weight on my back and had a lot of trouble walking home. Could barely stand up from a sitting position without putting my hands on my knees to support myself. So I'm back to square one recovery-wise.

Cant even leg press at the moment....the stretching in the glutes pulls on my lower back so it's feels as if my back is gonna rip.

I didn't actually realise you injured it. That's sh!t. There's nothing more frustrating than an injury you can't shift. I've been carrying the same hamstring injury for nearly 14 weeks or so now I think.... I popped something down at me knee going for 240kg raw, took 4 or 5 weeks off sumo, went back to it, pulled 205 x2, dropped back to 160 and it went again. I actually missed my 3rd pull on Saturday cos of it. If you watch the vid you see my left knee pop in pretty badly as it gets to my knee and I had to just drop it.

Like you, I'm at a loss as to what to do now!!

Yeah, Al is an animal for sure.
You'd definitely put up much better numbers than him on the bench though so you'd make up a lot of the numbers right there.



might go for it....it'll do me good to have somethin to train for.

I still see him the odd time. I've a membership in Total Fitness in Blanch and he trains up there from time to time.

You should deffo go for it with that comp. You can at least focus all your energy towards bench training and not feel as guilty about giving your back time to heal up!