Well another powerlifting season has come to an end for me. I started in to this years keto-paleo journey Jan 5 th 2015. This years competition was the Michigan APF Great Lakes Open
How did I do?
Weight Class 220#’s/100 kilos
440.9#’s/200 kilos Squat
407.8#’s/185 kilos Bench (competition PR) (YouTube)
507.1#’s/230 kilos Deadlift
I took 1st in APF & AAPF 220’s weight class, Master and Open *Classic Raw. Before you are too impressed I may have been the only guy in those division but it doesn’t look like anyone “RAW” or “*Classic Raw” in the 220’s beat me. (*that’s what APF calls it if you wear a belt and knee sleeves or knee wraps. I wear Rehband knee sleeves).
The meet ran long. I don’t think we were done lifting until after 8pm. Meet started at 9am. Things I kept in my cooler to keep me going was sugar free electrolyte drinks, broth granules, water, Low Carb Quest bars (cookie dough my favorite), sausage sticks and some cashews. I do take a sugar free preworkout and some beta alanine too, keeps me warm.
What did I learn?
So what did I learn this training cycle? I think 2 things stand out the most.
1. Don’t forget what you already know! What does that mean? Well I’m just about to be 43 years old. (10/31/2015) I have been a competitive powerlifter for just about 25 years. I know what works for me and it has been tried and true. Don’t throw that out the window!!! My mistake and not all of it my fault was dismissing that amount of work I have to do to get stronger. Not always my fault, due to responsibilities with the gym, work, family etc. I would have to cut workouts short. Second I started down a DUP cycle, didn’t give it a fair shake, as well as not doing the accessory work that I know is important to get stronger.
Jamie’s RAW Squat/Deadlift Routine (being edited)
2. Hydration and Ketosis. So this year, for whatever reason I started drinking coffee in the morning and it became every morning and it started to become a lot of coffee. Found an Organic one I liked and would add coconut milk to it. I discovered this would suck the fluid right out of my muscles! To add insult to injury I forgot and blew off adding a cup of broth to my pre-workout regimen. (*1) I knew this and used it last year. I learned about it in Phinney and Voleks “Art and science of low Carbohydrate Performance. This really effected my Squat and Deadlift day. I didn’t figure it out until the 11th hour so to speak. Once I cut it out my body started responding exponentially. The feeling is that of no pump or pressure in your legs at all. This combo’d with issue #1 above was a big, big mistake. Forecasted lifts when started 12 weeks out should have been 500# squat and 600# Deadlift. Yeah, Coffe is gone, it’s a rare treat and it’s definitely not on a training day.
Now I usually jump right out of keto after this meet or my birthday (10/31). I didn’t do that this year. I decided that didn’t make any sense from a recovery stand point. My body recovers so fast in Keto-paleo I didn’t blow it out afterwards with a Standard American Diet barrage of junk. (see Take That Body post) I may or may not come back to a standard paleo diet this year during the Holidays. I’m completely addicted to the way I feeling of untimate health and performance and remember how crappy I’d feel back on the glycolytic path. Not being Paleo but the carb cheats I’d throw in crashing me down and getting me fat and inflamed.
Thanks to all my friends and family who support me and or put up with me constantly working from sun up to sun down. My gym PFP Fitness and Training Center in Howell, MI. Thanks to Darilyn Doddy who no matter what is there to train!
