A six month project and several drafts have got me to here. Using @metricvbt to collect my data.
Also working on a third degree polynomial - I think this is key. The biggest take away at this stage that you see when you look a non-liner models is predicted performance isn't just about the position of line but the shape. I left the model in but cut off the definitions until I can compare the quadratic and cubic lines. Though a regression does show there is a strong relationship. I'd be keen to hear how others are using VBT and if anyone would be willing to donate some (de-identified) data down the track to stress test the model. When you use a population of one (me) there is a bias to build the model on the individual. Not the system you a modelling.
The trip hasnโt been all cricket. I had an opportunity to drag the family to the Gallery of South Australia. Since my undergrad I fell in love with the romanticism paintings of Tom Roberts. I have the print myself but never seen โA Breakawayโ in person. Itโs a large piece of work and you could see all the fine details in the paint work. The gallery had several other Roberts works and while not as physically imposing I liked the โA turning of the soilโ which is a small, almost sketch like piece.
If you are in Adelaide itโs worth a look as the gallery has an impressive catalogue of sculptures, imperial and indigenous works.
Starting rowing again
New gym set up is awesome. Itโs a sweat box but I love that sort of training environment.
Iโm a long way off the 100k weeks of the last few years but itโs a start. This is more about heart health. Getting old sucks and while Iโm the strongest Iโve ever been the old aerobic capacity is limited and my sleep has been terrible. Trying to fight off the need for a sleep aide. So improving my lung capacity and using nose and mouth tape has been my strategy.
Ive also jumped in a modified pump dragon with the lads to continue the goal of getting huge and staying huge.
If you hate running and walking doesnโt cut it I strongly suggest you find a rowing coach to teach you the basics and youโll never look back.
This comp was different โ not because of how I lifted, but because of who was there beside me.
For most of Alexโs life, Iโve been the one supporting him โ sport, study, all the challenges that come with growing up. But this was the first time he got to return the favour. And he was brilliant.
Tore my hand on my second deadlift. He patched my torn hand with super glue before my last lift, ran around with me, gave me a pep talk, and reminded me of all the things I used to tell him โ stuff about focus, grit, and reminded me of all the times I told him that you gotta push hard when it tough. Donโt give up. And it was my turn.
Powerliftingโs not a casual hobby. Itโs not โplay on the weekend and hope for the best.โ Itโs 16 weeks of commitment, through injury, doubt, grind. I donโt want Alex to just see me succeed. I want him to see me struggle. To see that itโs okay to have doubt, to fail, to hurt โ and to show up anyway. The process is hell of a lot more important than the outcome.
Kids donโt need your stories or your โback in my dayโ moments. They donโt need you to be their measure of success. Share stories to help them learn, educate them. They need to see it for themselves. Being part of the journey means more than hearing about it after. And this time, he was in it with me โ not watching from the sidelines.
Alex doesnโt train with me as much as Iโd like just yet. But he loves a bench day. And after this comp, I think weโre building something more than strength.
You donโt get redos in parenting. But this momentโฆ this one feels like something I got right.
Competed at @ironstrengthpp on the weekend.
A few takeaways, so Iโll be as concise as I can.
I was so close (one day) from pulling out of the comp four weeks ago. But the legend @sewastrong gave me a plan and the confidence to push where I could and see if the adductor would comply. It has and Iโm keen for us to keep working into the next comp!
Overall a pretty good day was had. 8/9 : 210/142.5/265.
Tore my hand on my second deadlift which spoiled any third attempt. I took a modest jump to 275 which would have got me the win but alas I couldnโt hold it. Left some kgโs out there so keen to pick em up next comp. I may have even impressed @eliasbenjaminwright with my bench which is something neither of us would have ever dreamt of.
I really enjoyed having @alex.horne12 at comp. Heโs slowly becoming my full time training partner and was helping with my bench during training so it made perfect sense for him to help me at comp. Thanks Youngblood, perfect handouts and support throughout the day.
With three groups there was a little more waiting time. So I had a chance to chat to other competitors. I quite enjoyed talking about pre-comp expectations with @alex_snodgrass and @mosiahlui . I told them if they were going to beat me to make it look close and make me look good. As luck would have it, we occupied the top three and there was very little between us. I couldnโt think of two finer young men to be beaten by. Mosiah in his first comp made every lift look easy and this will be the last time I am anywhere near his total. Makes me feel a little ill to be honest. And Alex put on a display worthy of first and the MVP. He showed tenacity hitting a huge third squat after a miss on his second whilst supporting everyone around him. I saw youโve put over 50kg on your total and I am confident 600 is just around the corner. Again, well done boys!
Lastly thanks to all the volunteers and the @ironstrengthpp crew. Seamless comp as always. @chambyrolls again is the real MVP for helping set up tech and platform managing on the day.
Hopefully thatโs not too much waffle !
9 for 9, PBs and National Records all around. This comp was about executing the plan. The plan was not just getting the training done, sometimes thatโs the easy part. Itโs getting the body physically repaired and recovered, good nutrition, minimising stress and staying in my own head on comp day. Who would have thought ๐ค
Here's a throwback of Day 1, of recurring record breaker @meagsstory crushing her final squat.
Last day to secure media packages for Saturday Day 4!
#powerlifting #sbd #masters
Wrap up Mega Nats 2025 Masters 1 63kg
Squat 140kg M1 National Record (5kg PB)
Bench 85.5kg M1 National Record (.5kg PB)
Deadlift 170.5kg M1 National Record for a minute!! (8kg PB)
Total 396kg M1 National Record (13.5kg PB)
at 62.25kg BW
@odd_quad this block was epic, it came together perfectly. So keen to keep this momentum, 7 years of coaching me and we are still getting stronger
@strong24_7 in the end it was all the damn food, magic. No potato I promise
@aidenpotts_hpc thanks for handling me, spot on again
@powerlifting_physio your advice and treatment for my glute med repair has been on point, so great to meet you in person and @azra_rantucci for the hands on torture
@lkstrengthcoach_ head game was key and I stayed in mine. Photo credit and loudest in the room @petadayzee Thanks to refs, spotters, loaders and the APA crew. Day 1 was great, keen to see the next few days unfold
@rat_540@allesandra.t t @olivia.trovato@keiratrovato_ My heart, my soul, my everything ๐๐๐๐
Next stop Japan ๐ฏ๐ต
I set a goal this year that I wanted to give a 300kg deadlift a decent crack. Iโve always felt a little let down by my off seasons so for some accountability I asked @eliasbenjaminwright to hook me up an @ironstrengthpp special. Weโve been pushing beltless deads and I think we are cooking here.
@meagsstory and I were sick of lifting in the flooded patio gyms of Townsville and hit up @heavymetalstsv . Lifting in aircon was a luxury I canโt afford myself to get used too.
Happy with these though. Last set was an AMRAP with 10 @ 200kg. Lungs gave way before the legs did. Keen to see where we land here and prep into July!
๐ DNPC WRAP-UP...THE LAST EVER ๐
๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ ๐ ๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ฆ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต-๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ธ๐ณ๐ข๐ฑ-๐ถ๐ฑ๐ด, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐โ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐บ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ข๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ, ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ, ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ข ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ. Warning - it's long, but entertaining, I promise!
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ โ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฅโ, ๐น๐ฒ๐โ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐๐ก๐ฃ๐. ๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐, ๐๐ฒโ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ผ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐. ๐ก๐ผ๐, ๐ถ๐โ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐๐ก๐ฃ๐'๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ (๐ ๐ฉ๐ฃ๐).
If youโre new here, each year our referees and officials pick one male and one female athlete for the MVP award. Itโs given to those who show an outstanding attitude, passion for the sport, community spirit, and technical skill.
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ง๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ.
๐ธ ๐ง๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ had a flawless performance on the platform, but thatโs only a small part of why she earned the MVP. Her incredible spirit and unwavering support for her teammates and fellow competitors stood out most of all. Tinaโs also always the first to lend a hand - she was at the venue the day before, helping us set up! Her positive energy radiated all weekend, setting an example for everyone.
๐คด ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป returned to the 3-lift platform after a seven-year hiatus - and letโs just say, it was worth the wait. He also had a perfect day, hitting lifts that even surprised him, one of which secured him a spot in the record books. But if youโve been part of our comp scene for a while, youโll know Damien doesnโt just show up for himself. Heโs been at nearly every one of our comps since 2015 (except for one year - because apparently wedding anniversaries are a thing).
Continued in comments...
Awesome shots from @keep3rphoto at last week's @ironstrengthpp NQ Open.
I've been involved in every comp the last 10 years and every year they deliver.
