Memorable lifts for you.

[Big Worm]

I was talking to POB tonight in the chat box and we started BSing about old lifts we had done and memorable moments in the gym. I thought it would be cool and motivating for everyone to talk about. Tell us about that lift you hit that you will never forget.


I have a couple.

The first one was bench. I was pretty new to the PL gym I was training at and we were on a max effort bench night and doing some overloading. I had a decent raw bench going into the gym at 425lbs. I was working out with a couple vets from this gym and we had worked up to 495 with a reverse band for overloading purposes. The first two guys missed it and it was kind of motivating, but mind fuking at the same time. I got setup, lift off, weight fed out to me, and I go through the motions and nailed it. A few minutes later the coach who was in the other room comes over and gives me some encouraging words and also chews my ass for not putting 5 more pounds on the bar and making it 500.

The second one was a dead lift. This one was a great boost to my confidence and told me I was getting stronger, but still sucked at getting into position. I think at this time my max off the floor was 635 or so. We were doing pulls from blocks and I hit 705. Its always a numbers game for me, and even though it wasnt off the floor, I had just pulled 70lbs more than I ever had. Made me happy. I also remember this because I tore the shit out of a callus and it took a while to heal good for pulling.

 

[ImDennis]

i was just talking to someone bout this, me and a great friend decided to work out together, blew out our backs on deadlift (at the start of the workout) and through the rest of the shoulder workout we were walking as if we were 90 years old, holding our lower backs and shyt,, horrible pain but great memory

 

[Joliver]

I think about it for a minute and I have had one lift that challenged my identity as a PLer. 405lbs on the bench.

Background: I am a shitty bencher. I am technically proficient, but weak as a girl scout thin mint.

On my way to four plates everything imaginable happened to me. RC tears and some other minor BS....but finally I worked my way up to through my last mesocycle where 405 was on my horizon and I tore my tricep on the incline. I became a westside student. Two years later, I worked up to 385 on the bench and had a motorcycle accident. I felt so damn cursed that I wanted jump classes and move to 242lbs where I knew the curse of 405 would fall. Everyone want me to move up. I wanted too as well, but I stuck with it and finally my friends tried to trick me with 405 without the 4 plates. I am pretty solid at arithmetic, so I put 4 wheels on there and said superstitions were for idiots. I dug in deeper and harder than I ever have and pressed it. 405 @ 224lbs.

It was a defining moment for me.

17 days later, I bombed out with 405lbs as my opener (I know--don't give me any shit PLers)......even a dying snake has a venomous bite.

 

[ImDennis]

i also remember when i first joined the gym, 315 on flat bench i was 135 pounds aha, i didnt know what i got myself into, anyway i unracked that shit, was bringing it down and for the life of me couldn't get it back up on even half rep, luckily there was those lower hooks for bench too and i was able to slide it right infront of my face, otherwise that would of crushed me aha, gym was empty too ..... fukin lucky

 

[SFGiants]

I could not squat 300 nor pull 400 when I joined a powerlifting gym, I benched more then I could squat lol.

Anyway on my weeks out of my last meet I squatted and pulled 585 with enough room left in me to indicated 600 plus was going to get smashed at that meet.


At that meet I got smashed and never been the same as I still have not gotten the necessary surgery needed to fix my shoulder and bicep tendon to be able to keep it going.

Plan was to squat 600 plus bench 500 plus and pull 600 plus, I bombed out without a total when I tore myself up on the bench and my squats were shit.

I had to drive 2 hours to the hotel and when I was halfway there in the rain on the freeway my serpentine belt broke, I got a tow back home to my mechanic then a ride to the airport to rent a car. Mind you I left in the morning and didn't end up getting to the hotel until 10:30pm having no food nor shit for water until I got there.

I knew when I woke up I was ****ed and knew it even more so when I walked into the gym but I went against my gut and lifted anyway like a dumbass.

 

[Bro Bundy]

i remember when i finally was able to curl the 20 pound db...boy was that a day to remember...that was last week by the way...making gains making gains

 

[Assassin32]

i also remember when i first joined the gym, 315 on flat bench i was 135 pounds aha, i didnt know what i got myself into, anyway i unracked that shit, was bringing it down and for the life of me couldn't get it back up on even half rep, luckily there was those lower hooks for bench too and i was able to slide it right infront of my face, otherwise that would of crushed me aha, gym was empty too ..... fukin lucky

That story doesn't even make sense bud. If you were 135 and never lifted there is no way you could even unrack 315, let alone bring it down and get it back off your chest and back up to the safety hooks. I call bullshit. Physically impossible story.

 

[Joliver]

I have a 135lb hydraulic press that can press 8,000lbs. Don't you ever....EVER, underestimate what 135lbs can do.

 

[Azog]

My favorite lifting accomplishment goes back to my oly lifting days. We were hitting power cleans/power jerks of 2 blocks, so just above knee height. I managed to get 315 for 3. I remember feeling quite pleased with myself, that was until the dude I out did squatted something silly like 650lbs for 5 reps (ass to hammies, btw) with no belt or wraps or sleeves. That feat made me realize I had about 1 more week of out oly lifting him, 'cause once he got ANY technique he was gonna crush me lol. This guy had some absolutely ridiculous wheels.

 

[Assassin32]

Long story short. The 1st time I benched 405. I was smiling for 3 days like the time I touched my first boob.

 

[Popeye]

My most memorable lift would definitely be about 4 hours ago... a failed 643lb deadlift!!!

I had a severe panic attack minutes before and was having trouble breathing, but, GKs mother insisted on reverse-cowgirl...I shouldve known better...

 

[NbleSavage]

Great thread.

Only one that sticks with me to this day is the first time I pulled 405. BW at the time (this goes back a few years) was around 185 - not at all impressive by PL standards, but just mentally breaking that 400 Lb barrier was a mystical thing for me.

 

[DieYoungStrong]

I gotta say, and anyone who started lifting at a youngish age, the first time you bench 315 sticks with you forever. Getting 3 plates on there is like taking the training wheels off your bike.

 

[PillarofBalance]

Some of my most memorable lifts...

My first 405 front squat. I had missed it bad the month prior. Went for it again. Buried that bitch deep and came up with a good fight. Right before Christmas too. A little gift for myself.

When I hit a 585 squat. I was focusing heavily on squatting and I wasn't supposed to be doing a ME day. But I was feeling magical. I hit it no problem. Then loaded up 600 and missed lol

My bench has and continues to be my worst lift. Before my last meet I focused heavily on technique. My pr at the time was 340. Heaviest I had ever benched. So when peaking for the meet I hit 340 for a 5rm I was feeling invincible. Loaded up 360 for a 3rm. And I smoked it. Full pauses on each rep. Awesome speed.

 

[{'Calcul08'}]

Wowzers.. Well this makes all the memorable lifts I can do seem suddenly rather insignificant..

Was so extatic when managed to reach 176lbs x 8reps milestone with deadlifts; but can only do 66lbs on one-handed ones.

 

[Stevethedream]

The one memorable moment for me has to definitely be when I pulled 585 lbs. I remember prior to lifting that I had already did about 5 sets of deads. I did about 12 reps with 405 lbs and was just about to call it quits until my buddies started hyping me up to keep goin heavier. So of course I did. I remember pulling 525 and thinking " oh man, that was easy" so that's when I decided to try and hit the 585. Now man.....That was heavy. Lol. I honestly thought my lower back was gonna snap right in half. It felt like eternity trying to get that weight up but when I did, man o' man was I super excited and proud of myself. Maybe one day I'll eventually try 600 and see how that goes.

 

[Seeker]

When I first squatted 405. I was so happy! My tail was wagging for a week.

 

[DieYoungStrong]

When I first squatted 405. I was so happy! My tail was wagging for a week.

Yup. I remember walking tall that week.

Also, my aunt used to own a gym, and I'd hang out in there all the time when I was a kid. One of my best buds father was a personal trainer there. I learned a lot about lifting in there at a young age. Before that my father had an old 1960s bench with sand filled plastic weights in our back yard.

When we were about 11 or 12, we were finally able to bench 135. Man did it feel great to put a "big boy" weight on the bar.

 

[AlphaD]

Props Big Worm, this is an excellent topic.

Lets see, most memorable lift was when I hit 515 on the DL..... Sadly enough growing up I never DL'ed. It wasn't a lift I ever did. In fact i really didn't start hitting DL until about 8 years ago, but still not taking it serious enough. I knew better.....I knew it was one of the most important lifts....anyhow. about 5 years ago with the 5/3/1 program I really hit hard, studying and nailing down the form....took my deadlift up quite quickly. I remember when was I was at 475, I was damn I can do more.....worked up to 515. Staring at bar, nervous and excited....bit scared. Set up and pulled 515. Never got the chance to go any higher because 2 weeks later I hurt my lower back working in the garage.

 

[JOMO]

Over three plates on bench. And when you squat and pull 405 for the first time. Just seems like a different level after 4 plates.

And pulling more belt less than with a belt.