My GPC World Powerlifting Championship Write-Up

Da Za

This past weekend I competed in the GPC World Championships in Limerick. I’ll first go into my results and then the entire weekend. I weighed in at 108.45kg and competed in the 110kg class as a junior.

Squat
1st – 200kg – good
2nd – 215kg – fail
3rd – 215kg – fail (on depth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyjostfIbuU

Bench
1st – 115kg – good
2nd – 120kg – good
3rd – 125kg – fail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wGpmyD10fY
Deadlift
1st – 230kg – good
2nd – 245kg – fail
3rd – 245kg – fail (very close)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPCxTfQBFZA

Total – 550kg @ 108.45kg

The week started for me last Tuesday when I began water loading. I consumed 8L on Tuesday and Wednesday, 10L on Thursday and 12L on Friday. Water consumption ceased at 10pm on Friday evening, I got to say that I was bloody thirsty at 11pm that night. I ate low residue foods from Thursday morning until Saturday morning, when food intake would cease after breakfast. Got to thank Heff for his assistance in this.

Hanley and I left around 11am or so and headed down to Kilmurry Lodge Hotel, the meet venue. I think we got down just before 1pm which was great. We both headed in, watched a bit of the Raw Bench Press competition that was taking place, there was some big raw benchers there. Then we caught the Leinster match, great finish to it. Checked into the room and chilled for a bit, watched some of the IPF lifting and got ready to head to UL, to get a bit of a sweat on. Drifter came by the hotel, got the black sacks ready to put under my clothes and we headed off. At this point I was weighing 112.4kg per my scales.

Got to UL and I was in heaven, the place is unreal. It has everything you could ever need, Drifter will not allow me to train there!! Got on the bike for 45mins and then the treadmill for an additional 15mins, the lads got their clean and bench on. I believe Drifter benched 110kg @ 79kg or so, I hate him. Hanley cleaned 120kg on L's platform haha. We then headed back to the hotel, got a shower and weighed in at 110.1kg, at this point I just had to cruise to weigh in. That night was hard to sleep, think it was around 2am before I slept.

I woke up at 7.40am or so on Sunday, checked my weight and I was 109.2kg, now I just had to impatiently wait for the weigh in. Caught COH and VIS in the warm up room, both were helping JOE get ready, Hanley was helping Gymfreak as well at this point. We then proceeded to the weigh in room. The line felt like it took ages. Weighed in at 108.45kg, boom.

Smashed 2L of water into me, then 2 sachets of Dioralyte mixed with 1L of water before I ate. Thanks to Barry for the advice on this, I felt great after the fluids. I then ate egg noodles and beef, a bag of jellies. Let’s just say I ate a lot on Sunday, by 4.30pm I was weighing 114.6kg and before bed I was over 116kg. I got my bloat on!! Also, a new system was created that night that will take the world by storm.

I watched Gymfreak and Joe lift, both had decent days, I’ll let them tell their own stories. Also met two of Gymfreak’s friends, who were both very nice. I think we all know who my favourite lifter was on Sunday!

Monday morning arrived and I was ready to lift, got breakfast with Hanley and Gymfreak, she even had seconds!! Got all my gear ready and headed to the warm up room, all of 20m away. COH and VIS were already warming up and they were ready. I then did a bit of mobility work, once they started Paddy and myself got under the bar. I’ve got to say I was nervous as hell between my last warm up and my first attempt. Hanley and Drifter were immense in pre rolling my wraps, thanks again lads. I was ready for my first attempt, 200kg was on the bar and I got it, I was in the comp and was delighted, also a PR in the 110’s for me. We called for 215kg on my second attempt, I got too far forward with it and I couldn’t finish the lift. Same weight for my final squat in the Worlds, I was ready. I fought the weight hard but got called for depth, it looked alright on the video but the call is the call.

I then took a break and rested for a bit before benching, COH and VIS were in the flight before me and both did well, again I’ll let them tell their own stories. I started warming up mid-way through the lads first attempts with Paddy. My warm ups were not the best and we made the call to lower my opener to 115kg, great call. When it came to it, I smashed the 115kg. We called for 120kg as a 2nd attempt and it flew up better than my opener, for a PR in the 110’s. 125kg was called for my final attempt, got under the bar, set up, the hand-off from Hanley was excellent again. The bar flew off my chest and just before lockout it stopped, I battled hard but I couldn’t finish it. I can’t remember Paddy’s bench but I know it was huge, as usual.

We had a decent break until the deadlift, both myself and COH, actually I think we were all very tired at this stage, especially Hanley!!

I began my warm-up pulls mid-way through the first flights first attempts. All felt decent. VIS did something ridiculous again and COH had a decent pull. The 230kg opener was solid, I had a total at this stage and another PR at 110. We (as in Hanley and I) called for 245kg for a 2nd. I got it above my knees and couldn’t get it to lockout. 245kg again for my final lift at the Worlds, to say I was psyched would be an understatement, I nearly hit a French lifter in the face before one of my lifts, can’t remember which one though. I got onto the platform the weight flew up, much better than the 2nd attempt, but again I just couldn’t finish it. This attempt was way better than the 2nd and I was so close, just the little cue from Hanley really helped. The little things huh!!

So I finished the worlds with a 550kg total @ 108.45kg and came 2nd in the 110’s Juniors.

I got to say a huge thanks to Hanley (who was unbelievable all weekend, loaded warm-ups, pre-rolled my wraps and was a big support), Heff (with the water loading etc.), Drifter (for videoing my lifts, pre-rolling my wraps, my UL experience and the caffeine), Barry Oglesby( helping with the last part of the cut and post weigh in consumption), Gymfreak, COH, VIS, JOE and Paddy who all had great days.

I got to meet some lifters I hadn’t had the chance to before and ones that I have met before. All are very sound and nice people. I saw some unreal lifts, Nero and Hoey are freaks. Thanks to Shane, Anita and the whole GPC crew who put on a great competition, all the referee’s and spotters.

Barry.Oglesby

My girl is really sick of me getting middle of the night phone calls and texts from worried guys who are 2kgs too heavy . I'm not though. Happy to be of a tiny bit of help and well done on the excellent results.

The Guvnor

Well done mate - onwards and upwards!:)

Killme00

Awesome Darren, keep it going for next year

podge57

Great lifting, sounds like you came close to going 6/7 for 9.

Congrats to everyone else who took part too

grimloch

Is there honestly a fucking disco ball in that room?

Hanley

grimloch wrote: »

Is there honestly a fucking disco ball in that room?

Nope, they were rotating lights. I thought it was pretty cool tbh!

Nervous Wreck

Sounds like a great few days, well done!

Da Za

Cheers guys.

Yeah, it was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

Oh and you don't even notice the lights when your up there, sure I don't even see the head judge.

Hanley

Da Za wrote: »

Cheers guys.

Yeah, it was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

Oh and you don't even notice the lights when your up there, sure I don't even see the head judge.

Yeahhhh I was saying that over the weekend too and thinking back to when I was competing. I can honestly say I don't remember any of my lifts, ever (excepted for the time I blacked out benching, and the time when I nearly dropped 200kg on my face cos the spotters didn't come in - must be something to do with stressful events).

If you're experienced you get so far inside your own head on the platform that you don't even notice that stuff anymore, so it's not a distraction. Maybe it would be for a novice lifter, but it was a world championships, so if they cant stand the heat, they shouldn't be there anyway.

Da Za

podge57 wrote: »

Great lifting, sounds like you came close to going 6/7 for 9.

Congrats to everyone else who took part too

Cheers Podge, yeah some of the lifts were very close looking back at the vids. Gotta lock things down and improve.

You eyeing up any meets yet? GPC are doing a squat/Deadlift comp, in the new year, which I'll prob do.