ADAU 2009 Contests

ADAU 2009 Contests

The following messages were posted in the Weight Trainer's United forum and on my MySpace page.
See Contest Possibilities for background to these posts.

Bench/ Deadlift Contest in Pittsburgh, PA, January 2009

ADAU Raw Power is holding a bench/ deadlift contest in Monroeville, PA. It is the ADAU Raw Power Steel City Challenge, Saturday, January 10, 2009. The contest will be held in the gymnasium of Boyce Campus of the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). The campus is just off the Pittsburgh/ Monroeville exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Normally I wouldn’t even consider entering a bench/ deadlift contest, but it’s hard to resist with this contest being just over half an hour from my home. So tentatively, I am thinking of entering it. Note that this is two separate contests; there is no total. I am not sure if I will enter both benches and deadlift or just deadlifts, and I am not sure if I will go 114s or 123s.

First, I need to explain, that in the ADAU, there are separate records for lifts done in a full power contest and for lifts done in a single-lift contest. That actually makes a lot of sense. There is a world of difference between deadlifting after having already squatted and benched and just deadlifting or even deadlifting after only benching.

The situation for me is this, checking the records section on the ADAU Web site for the Single Lift American Records for 114s and 123s, there are currently no records in either weight class in the Masters 45-49 division. So all I have to do is enter and not bomb out to set the masters’ records. In the open division, the bench records are out of reach, but I should be able to easily break either deadlift record. So it matters little as regards records which weight class I enter.

However, there will be a Best Bencher award and Best Deadlifter award. I doubt seriously I’d be in the running for the Best Bencher award, but I might have a shot at the Best Deadlifter. Cutting to 114s would aid in that regard. There are early weigh-ins on Friday from 3:30-5:00 pm, so if I do cut weight, that will give me plenty of time to eat and rehydrate afterwards.

All of this means there is more reason for me to enter deadlifts than benches. But I might enter both depending on my training at the time. I’ll wait until the last minute to decide. The entry deadline is not until January 6, so I’ll probably wait until January 2 to send in my entry form.

In addition, I have little concern about benching and deadlifting raw, but squats are a concern. So by entering a raw push/ pull contest in January, it will give me more time to work on squatting raw. Specifically, if I enter this contest, then I will probably wait until the late spring or early summer for my next contest. I already know of two or three possibilities. But that will be a decision for later.

In any case, my thought about this contest is that a bench/ deadlift contest that is so close won’t be that much more tiring that workout, and I won’t have to break my training near as much as for a full power meet that requires an extended travel. This would especially be the case if I don’t cut weight.

I already contacted the meet director, and he told me the contest will be in kilograms, but the warm-up room weights will be in pounds. Also, in the ADAU, if you only enter one division, you can break records in more than one division. IOW, I will only have to pay to enter the masters division, but I will still be qualified to break records in the open division. American records can be set at this contest.

If anyone is interested in this contest, contact the meet director for an entry form. His contact info is on the Meet Schedule on ADAU Web site.
10/9/08

ADAU Single Lift Contest in Johnstown, PA, February 2009

I just received the entry form for another ADAU contest early next year. It is the ADAU Raw Power Emmanuel Greater Johnstown Single Lift Open, February 21, 2009. The contest is being held at Emmanuel Church, 425 Luther Road, Johnstown, PA 15904.

Early weigh-ins are 4-6:00 pm the day before. It will be about an hour and a half drive. I already found a couple of inexpensive hotels within a few miles of the contest site, both with 2:00 pm check in times. So I could leave early Friday afternoon, check in to the hotel, go weigh-in, then go back to the hotel and have the rest of the day to eat and rehydrate.

I am still thinking of entering the ADAU Bench/ Deadlift contest in January I posted about before. But my thought is, I’ll enter that contest at 123s then this one at 114s. That way, the first contest will not disrupt my training too much. I’ll just look at it as a workout for benches and/ or deadlifts. I will mainly be focusing on this contest since all three lifts are being contested. I’ll post with my workout log my exact plans.

However, it should be noted, this is a “single lift” contest. That means all three powerlifts are contested. But they are separate contests; there is no total. This sounds rather strange. To me, the total is what is most important, especially when ranking lists are released. Since all three lifts are being contested, I see no reason why the lifter who competes in all three lifts should not be given credit for a total.

In fact, the 2009 ADAU Nationals in July will be a combined contest, for both full powerlifting and single-lift lifters. Someone can enter one or two lifts for the single-lift part, or all three lifts for a total. That makes sense to me. What I don’t understand is why it is not the same at all contests.

But be that as it may, I already contacted Powerlifting Watch, and Jon told if I enter all three lifts then he will give me credit for a total as far as his raw ranking list goes.

In addition, as I posted previously, the ADAU keeps separate records for single lift contests and full power contests. By entering two different single lift contests at different weight classes I should be able to break most of the records in both weight classes. I could then enter ADAU Nationals in July or a full power contest the ADAU holds each October to go after the full power records and to get in an official total for 2009. But that will be for later.

For now, I already contacted the meet director for this contest, and he told me the contest and the warm-up room weights will be in pounds.

If anyone is interested in this single lift contest, contact information for the meet director is on the meet schedule on the ADAU Web site.
10/18/08

For my workouts leading up to these contests, see Full Workout Logs: Starting 9/19/08: Off-Season: Weeks 1-5.

Update

See Hamstring Injury for why I was not able to enter these contests.
10/23/08

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