My 30th year Anniversary competiting on Dutch Nationals Powerlifting coming up….

This week I mentioned that the upcoming Dutch Powerlifting Nationals for Masters are a memorable meet for me personally. 5 monhts ago  I woke up after my operation. The surgeon came to my bed and asked if the pain was gone? I said: Yes. The surgeon: so the operation is successful and due complication you have to stop with your sport………
You can image that was a big punch in my face…….. The weeks after the operation were tough due I have to deal with that message. Ofcourse you can accept and give it up. Only the voice in my head was searching for alternatives. So few days before the control appointment in March I started to train with very light weight. During the control appointment the problems which occur during the operation became much more clear. I understand how it come that the surgeon advice me to stop my sport. Because too much pressure in my head can generate too much pressure on my bloodvains and this can cost again the pain I had. The conversation at the control appointment was confronting and the surgeon told me: When you can control the pressure and manage it to your core (belly/stomach) you can train. Wow that was a very nice gift 😀

After that I started step by step with my training and the first steps with CardioPowerLifting 😆 I was (am) very happy that I was able to train, although it is only with light weights. During the weeks I felt that although I was training with light weight, my maximum strenght was gaining 🙂 And 3 weeks ago I was for myself at a level that it is ok for me to compete on a platform. And this is awesome for me. A lot of things can change in 5 months and most of all: keep your eyes for on the things you want and search for alternative ways.

This week I also figure out that 30th years ago I competed on my first Dutch Powerlifting Nationals (years) and lifted each year at least in National Powerlifting Championship 🙂 So you can image that this makes the upcoming Nationals memorable to me.

In 1983 I did my first gymcompetition bench press in March 1985 I did my first full Powerlifting meet.

On my May 30th 1987 (1 month after I became 18) I competed in the -90kg class at the junior Nationals. It was my debuted on the Nationals. It was new for me and I was very enthusiastic for the meet. I trained very very hard for the meet. So hard that I was a little bit over my peak moment and I had to adjust my goals (in kilograms) I missed my opener in squat 190kg.
Although I squatted over the 200kg in the gym. 2 attempt was in and for my 3rd attempt only 5kg was added. That was also a good attempt.
Bench press went not that great. I pressed only my opener of 110kg and failed 2 times on 115kg.

Deadlift went great. We (the coach) decided to adjustment my opener with a lighter weight, because I was able to win the Nationals 😀 That was a great learning point, because on championships it is not about the kilograms you lift, it is about the ranking you get.
My opener was 180kg, followed by 195kg and my 3rd attempt was 210kg.

My goal in the nearby future is now to compete at the Worlds Masters. The Europeans are to earlier, otherwise I will be to eager to gain the weights in the coming weeks. After the Nationals Sunday, my first priority is  to control my bodyweight and go back to the -120kg class. Than I have plenty of time to train and hopefully can wear loose suits / shirt to support my lifts.

But first things first. Sunday the Nationals Powerlifting Masters 😀