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By
Phil Stevens |
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No, I really do.
Ever since I missed what should have been an easy deadlift
in my meet its been running through my head again and again.
How? why? Likely mostly due to the fact I have not missed
a DL PR in competition in over 4 years, so of course Im going
to over analyze it and figure out what went wrong?
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Was it the hip injury?
No it cant be. While yes being diagnosed
with a degenerative hip , no cartilage left in half the cup, is
not a positive its not a condition that happened over night and
was that way likely just a few months ago when I pulled 725 for
the first time and it didn’t stop me from opening at 700lbs
easy.
Was it the hip and back tweak I
got while benching?
This could be a factor I’m not
sure. What happened, was due to my childhood injury that found my
pelvic broken in 16 places and permanently externally rotated (
and also the bad hip side) my heel touched the bench and I got red
flagged. So good thing I opened stupid light. I hade made the lift
easy so I went ahead and went up but kept it conservative. I asked
one of the crew working the meet to grab my leg and force it, pull
it out to where my heel would not touch. It hurt when he did it
by it wasn’t that bad and I was set, lift off, pause Press!
Lightening shot up my hip and carried into my low back locking up
right QL and left lumbar spine. I made the lift but it was Slow
due to the pain and I was nearly stuck on the bench.
I had Jay work on my to get the cramping
down and in a few minute I was seemingly Ok. Time passed and I was
still able again to open with the easiest 700 of my life. Did that
injury play a part in why I missed the 750 attempt. Yhea maybe sure
it didn’t help was it why the bar flew to my knee and turned
out to be the easiest Looking heavy PR attempt Ive had and then
in-turn missed? Possibly
I however think upon looking back
its due to the fact...
I didn’t lose my mind
I have this uncanny ability when it
comes time to step on the platform to go mindless. I don’t
feel see or hear anything that one would in there normal everyday
life. Or that I feel and here even in the gym. I get in a guess
what one could call the “zone” as people say. Its time
for the rubber to hit the road. No thinking now is the time to act.
Thinking is for training. Meets are for acting, putting all that
thinking on auto pilot and just lift. I get tunnel vision, selective
hearing, hair stands on end, electricity runs through you. All I
know is Pick the bar up. Time runs in slow motion, seconds seem
like minutes as I set up, get a breath, dip once, dip twice dip
three time and PULL. I am always amazed looking back at the videos
at how fast the set up actually is when it felt like hours.
I didn’t get there this day.
I was there for the 700 and the result was expected. It felt like
I could have cleaned it. Then I called 750 and the thinking began.
Was my back ok, how's the hip, my mind running about the other athletes
I was coaching. My normally blank mind was all over the place. It’s
my turn. I approach the platform and I didn’t have that usual
meet energy running through the surface of my skin and I was trying
to create it. So I'm thinking about that. I'm thinking step up,
grip, sit back, get tight. Long arms etc Blaa I was beat right there.
You can read about this in an article I wrote earlier on this subject.
The
Art of the Mindless Meat Head
I got beat at my own game and how?
I can only think it was due to just
so many things out of whack. I’ve had meets in adversity before.
I don’t know? Im not worried however it was an off day. I usually
am very well at getting in that zone on command. I missed, no one
bats 1000. I guess but it just reaffirms my prior article and as
well this quote below by Dr. Allen Fox "Emotional Control"
and tennis, as it fits like a glove.
“In a match, it's very necessary to maintain emotional control.
And by "emotional control" I don't mean that you get angry
or discouraged but that you just don't show it. By "emotional
control," I mean two things:
One is, you don't have anger or discouragement or these emotions
that hurt you.
And number two, you create emotions that are helpful to you,
like aggression, and excitement, and optimism.
Now most people, their emotions tend to follow what's happening
on the court. If they're playing badly, their emotions go down,
and their game tends to follow. The great players don't let their
emotions be determined by what's happening on the court— they
use it, but they're trying to create the emotions themselves.
Maintaining emotional control is one of the keys to winning tennis
matches.”
I create my own emotion. That’s
what I didn’t after a long day with no food and running a charity
event when I entered the meet last minute and pulled my first 725.
That’s what Ive done in the past to break mine and others squat
bench and DL records.
Come meet day you must create your
own emotions, and you must let the physical body and unconscious
mind take control over the conscious mind. The conscious mind and
body is to slow and weak. To the conscious mind 750lb weighs 750LBS!!!!!!
The unconscious just knows the movement patterns you instill on
it, and weight is weight. Its an emotionless number unlit hat simply
must be lifted, just another bar so do what you know, pick it up!!
About The Author
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Coach Phil Stevens is an accomplished
strength athlete with considerable experience in both powerlifting
and strongman competition. Phil is the 2007 APA World Champion
in the 242-pound class (total). He currently holds the APF
275-pound class raw National bench, squat, deadlift, and total
records. Phil’s marquis lift was his 700-pound raw deadlift,
performed on February 14, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Phil has been ranked in the “Top 10” in the deadlift Nationally across all powerlifting federations, also serves as the Arizona State Chair for the North American Highlander Association, as well as the founder of Lift For Hope, an annual strength-competition
with proceeds donated to Charity (www.Lift4Hope.org).
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