For the Love of The Game: 2017 Arnold Grand Prix Recap

I'm not even sure where to start here......so I think I'll start where it started: the end of Nationals. Nationals drained me. I was feeling burnt out going into it and I was running on fumes afterward. The first few weeks back in the gym were terrible. Everything hurt and I felt super weak. So I did what every good powerlifter does and started eating and sleeping and generally slacking a bit in training. Eventually, I felt better. Nagging issues resided and my desire picked up. So did my body weight. It picked up all the way to about 140 pounds. Oops.

So, when I finally came out of the fog and decided on definitely doing The Arnold, I had almost the exact amount of time to make the cut back to my weight class. I considered going up a weight class for this meet, but it turned out that I would have the opportunity to set world records, so I decided to go for it.

Aside from bringing it down to the wire with my body weight, this training cycle was one of the smoothest cycles I've had to date. I hit all my numbers as written and I think I missed two reps the entire time (one was on overhead press, so does that even count?). My anxiety was pretty low and I was feeling confident about openers and planned attempts. But of course there is no coasting into a meet.....just when I think I'm gonna coast, I lose a bit of focus and confidence but I felt physically fine.

For this meet, because I didn't have to win, I wanted to focus on taking some less conservative attempt calls. Typically, I have attempts laid out and then almost always pull back the number on the thirds come game day. I pretty much stuck to this plan of taking heavier attempts; in hindsight, I'm not for it. Ha! Let's just say I've done it both ways, and I prefer getting more attempts rather than risking a missed lift. Not the first time I've learned this lesson.

I was invited to compete in the inaugural USAPL Grand Prix event at The Arnold Classic Sports Festival. The meet was formatted in which we were competing not by weight class but by formula. Something I've been thirsty for since I started this sport. As a competitor, I absolutely loved it. It was small, there was a huge crowd, the competition was fierce, and the hype was real.

I weighed in at 55.56kgs. Light. Lighter than I probably prefer. I did a water cut and this put me at about a five pound water loss when I really only needed about 2.5.

Squats. Squat warm ups feel ok. I was nervous, as per the usual. Being nervous always makes it hard for me to brace and get as tight as I want to for squats. In my mind I'm thinking it's just nerves and my strength will prevail. Opener, feels meh but I say it's fine, again believing my strength will show itself soon enough. Second attempt was much slower than I wanted. I ignore that. Tell Wade it felt fine. He said he was going for it then....I ignore my instincts to lower the planned third.

Third attempt. World record attempt. Miss. DUDE. When I unracked it, it was the best unrack of the day. I just knew I was going to put it up when I walked it out. I came out of the hole strong but pitched forward. I was so close to pushing it back and I felt the bar roll and then I was done. Failed. I knew then it would be a fight for my total goal of 455kgs.

Bench. Bench has been super annoying to me since Nationals. I've been struggling with my set up and chose my attempts pretty conservatively. I planned no risk with bench.  But alas, bench is a bitch even when I try so hard to please it. Opener was no problem. Second attempt, get set up under the bar, ready for lift off and EVERYONE IS YELLING AT ME. I had no idea what was going on but they tell me to get up. My wrist wraps were too high on my wrists. I try to correct but get timed out before ever taking the lift.

Well shit. I absolutely had to have 95kgs or I was as good as dead. I knew that I could get that weight. It wasn't ideal, but I had to make it happen. So we go up. I get it and it's a bit of a grind. Either way, good lift and I am fired up. At this point, I just need to go after the world record total because it's the only thing within reach.

Nothing exciting for deads. Opener, fine. Second, fine. Felt very medium to me. Decided just to get enough for the world record total. All in all, my performance was pretty boring. HOWEVER, this meet was probably the most fun meet I've done for one reason: FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME.

The stage, the crowd, my competitors.....all of it, it was what I crave as a lifter. The ladies I was competing with are all amazing lifters. I wasn't paying too much attention to scores but I do know they were pretty close throughout the competition.

Deadlifts may have been my absolute favorite because the pace was high and our attempts were so close that often times they weren't even changing weights. So much fun.

I know there was disappointment about the lack of live stream but I've got to tell you, the energy on that stage was amazing. As a lifter, I take this sport very seriously (duh). I can't nail down one specific reason why I love it so much. I just freaking love it. This meet, the atmosphere, the other lifters, the crowd, the stage, it felt like the sport had finally loved me back! HA!

I took second place to Marisa Inda who had a phenomenal day going 9/9. Some discussion on the socials about missing lifts and if strength is always the issue which provoked some thought. I say, more often than not, it is not a strength issue. We are all chasing that unicorn of a meet where it all comes together. Body weight, mental focus, attempt selection, equipment mishaps, strength, technique, all these little things that all add up to make the day you have. That's the game. Figuring out how to make it all come together exactly when you need it to. That's what I love and eternally chase.

 

I feel so lucky to have been able to experience this. Of course, there is no magic....I am keenly aware of the amount of work and desire that I have put into this to get me here.

All the thank you's:

My husband. I really just want to thank my husband for being an independent human. He doesn't get his feelings hurt when I obsess over this sport and start to get crazy a few weeks out (or all the time). Where this is a potential breeding ground for resentment and jealousy, he encourages me to be great at something by finding and pursuing his own greatness. He is the most rational person I've ever met and I am so glad he is mine.

My family. I am 34 years old and approximately 12 members of family came to watch me compete. That is something quite special. My Grandpa turned 80 years old on the day I was competing and was sitting in the audience. My nephew is 1.5 years old and he was in the audience. My Mom, my Dad, my sister, my aunts and uncles, friends of the family that I consider aunts, my grandparents. They all traveled, got rooms, woke up early, dealt with the crowds and all in support of me. My family at home that helped with keeping my children loved and taken care of while we were gone. #bethegasoline

Wade and Missy. I'm not the athlete you have to tell to work harder. I'm not the athlete you have to encourage to work on technique or study video. I've got all that covered. What I need is someone to teach me how to be a competitor. I need someone to help me navigate the mental fortitude it takes to compete on big stages and in big meets and deal with big success and big failure. Wade has realized this need and taken it by the horns. Thank you, Missy for being Wade's support system because this can be mentally draining for a person in Wade's position!

Aaron Thomas. When I said I was feeling terrible after Nationals, I wasn't lying. Aaron somehow knows how to write a program to get me out of my own way. Other things I like about working with Aaron are: he is always positive, he allows no room for bullshit, he does not micro manage, he does not ever let me believe that I am a special snowflake and he also makes me really strong! He also came to the meet! It was great to get to spend some time with Aaron. He is exactly the same as he is via text messaging.

USA Powerlifting and Rogue Fitness. Again, a great event and great marketing of the event. Rogue was the presenting sponsor. They came out and filmed a mini documentary of my life before the event and then did a piece of the actual event. I've got to commend them on the final cuts of both pieces, both were very well done. Some of the protocols required to lift in this fed and at this level are a pain in the ass, no doubt. That being said, USA Powerlifting is putting resources into marketing and partnering with companies like Rogue and upholding professional standards that are helping grow the sport. You can't underestimate this. I encourage you to go to their youtube page and check out the coverage of the USA Powerlifting events and share the videos, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME. If we want more prize money, bigger events, more sponsors, and more opportunities then the sport must reach a large audience and this is a huge vehicle.  

My training partners of course! Team Ogre in the gym and online. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement! All of you that sent messages, made posts, spoke with me in person, thank you a million thank you's.

Not my best meet, not my worst. Happy, but never satisfied. 15 more weeks of chasing the unicorn.

Meet Videos -------> https://www.youtube.com/user/Jenniferannful