AAPF/APF GA State PL Meet
Not the day I wanted but at least I didn't bomb out like last April.

First of all, there were about 100 lifters at the APF GA State and one plat - 4 flights of squats, 6 flights of bench and 4 flights of deads. Lifting started at 10:30am and I left after my dead flight (the first of 4) at 8pm. Meet was over by 10:30pm from what I hear. A LONG day. I was first flight in squat, 3rd in bench and 1st in deads. Here's how it went down.

Squat - warming up and Marc Bartley's running my monolift, very cool and slightly intimidating. Super nice guy. He was there handling his lifters and selling his Spud Inc. straps and KB's. Out for the flight and the great Steve Goggins is my back spotter, no pressure what-so-ever..

Open - 402 blasted it up, 2 reds on depth (APF is VERY strict on depth)
2nd - 402 smoked it and got a lot of props on my depth
3rd - 429 (4lb PR attempt), took it down nice ended up bottoming out and had no drive out of the hole. Not a good start, but I'm in the meet.

Bench - Joe Ladnier is the head judge, a very intimidating looking man. I was not about to step onto the plat until he called lifter up. LOL!

open - 270 easy
2nd - 292 (6lb PR attempt) missed the last 4 or 5 inches as I pushed toward my belly, srong off the chest.
3rd - 292 a repeat of the last lift, strong off the chest, pushed to far forward and not back over my chest. Not where I wanted to be, but at least I get to deadlift at this meet.

Deadlifts -
open - 402 easy
2nd - 440 easy (10lb PR)
3rd - 463 didn't get tought til' the lockout, might have had 10-15lbs more in me (33lb PR)

Day went 5 for 9, total-1135 (15lb meet PR) and had a freakin' blast. The judging was strict, fair and consistent, nothing like the anti-APF rumors you read on the web. Despite the insane turnout I think Jon Grove ran a hell of a meet and he is a great guy. Alwasy made it a point to walk around, talk to lifters, etc. Judges were always coming backstage to tell people what they were getting called on, great communication.

Thanks to my friend Z for coming to handle me and drive me to the meet, Z also had a heck of a deadlift workout as he did the handoffs for my training partner Malcom, Chris and Joey.

Malcom finally got the 500lb monkey off his back! He missed 502 on his 2nd attempt after opening with an easy 440 and came back and smoked it on his 3rd! He's a 198 too and in a way loose shirt, congrats Malcom!

Joey Troup had a GREAT meet and he better give his report cause' he was making it all look too easy, here' his spoiler 8 for 9 and PR's across the board!

Highlight of the meet - seeing the amazing Sam Byrd break his WR squat in the 198's twice! He opened at 930 something and it was easy, then he made a solid 1003! The first 198 ever to do it, it was legit, below parallel and a solid lift. He came back and took 1030 about half way up before the spotters took it. The guy is a freak! Kara got tons of videos of it so I am sure you will see them on the net soon.

What I learned:
I need more specific lift work. I need more raw bench work and more raw strength across the board. Deadlifting is not much a problem for me compared to the other two lifts. I got tons of compliments on my squat and dead form so at least some things are going well. I may try to add more lift frequency in my training to get more practice on the lifts.

Squats - more paused work, more raw doubles and triples, more low box work, more speed work

Bench - more raw triples and board work, more shirted triples in a loose shirt, adding reverse grip presses on light days

Deadlift - more low back work

I feel like a freight train hit me today. This week is off, then I see my Doc next week for a hernia check, then it is either a minor op or back to work!

-Scott