Attempting to deadlift 305 pounds

Attempting to deadlift 305 pounds while Coach Lance (left) yells encouragement (Photo by Ryan)

CrossFit produces measurable results. Over time, a CrossFitter can lift more weight, perform more reps, or complete a workout faster as he or she develops. This week, I broke five significant personal records — PRs, in the CrossFit vernacular — but still tasted the disappointment of a goal not quite achieved.

CrossFit Central held a Turkey Day Fun Run event on Thanksgiving morning. About 45 people took some time out of their Thanksgiving schedule to run through the neighborhood adjacent to the gym. My previous best recorded time for a 5km run was 30:47. My goal was to break 30 minutes. It was a crisp, sunny, breezy morning. The wind was in our faces during the early northbound portion of the route. The pack got off to a quick start, and I found myself about two blocks behind them almost immediately. The leaders pulled further away, but I kept the rest of the pack in my sights.

The southbound run felt almost downhill with the breeze, and I sprinted the final 250m or so around the last couple of corners. The first word called out to be my Coach Carey, who was keeping time, was “Twenty.” Yes! I’ve broken 30. The next word was “Five.” WOW! My time was 25:35, a PR by more than 5 minutes! I was so excited, I think I high-fived all the coaches and everyone who had already finished, some of them twice.

Running is an important component of our CrossFit workouts, but we rarely do long runs, so I don’t have a consistent set of times with which to measure progress. Obviously, a 5+ minute improvement is hugely significant, but it probably means I would have been sub-30 months ago had we run a 5k then. My other PRs this week have better data.

Every month, we perform one of three benchmark workouts, so that each one is performed quarterly. This month’s is called CrossFit Total, which is scored as the sum total of a 1-rep max for three different lifts: backsquat, shoulder press, and deadlift. In early June, my max lifts were 125#, 105#, and 265# respectively, for a total of 495. Three months later, I improved my backsquat and deadlift by 20# each, but my press dropped by 10#. My score was 525.

On Monday, we tackled the backsquat and shoulder press. After warming up with lighter weights, I decided to start the first of three 1-rep attempts at my old PR of 145# and had no problems. My second attempt was 160#, a PR, and I got it with only a slight hesitation at the bottom of the squat. My third attempt was 175#, another PR, and I had to fight for it, nearly falling forward before finding my balance and getting upright.

I felt good on the shoulder press during warm-ups, as I felt less of the soreness and tightness in the joint than in recent weeks (including September’s CrossFit Total). My first lift was 95#, my max from three months ago. No problems. I went up 10# for my second attempt and got it without much trouble. This tied my PR. My third attempt was 115#, a PR, and I had to fight for it. For both lifts, it appears I was at a true max.

Yesterday, we hit the deadlift portion, and I knew I was going to break 300#. I’d seen myself do it in my mind for weeks, and I was confident I could go up 40# or more off my previous best. I warmed up as follows: 10×135#, 5×185#, 4×205#, 3×225# and 2×245#. My first lift was 295#, a PR, and it felt heavy, but I got it. I felt like I had to rip it off the floor with as explosive a lift as possible.

Confident I could shatter this mark, my next attempt was 315#. It would be the first time I lifted (knowingly, anyway) 300#. It didn’t happen. As I got the bar just below the knee, I felt my lower back curve outward, so I dropped the bar to avoid injury. I dropped it back to 305# for my third and final attempt, pictured above, and had the same result. Looking back at it, I believe I was slightly forward during those last two lifts, and that kept me from completing the lifts. Perhaps 295# was my max, and I wasn’t ready for 300+ yet.

Either way, I have three months to think about how close I got to the psychologically important 300# deadlift … and a CrossFit Total score of 600. My score for this month is 585, my fifth PR for the week, a 60# improvement over September and a 90# improvement over June. That’s cause enough to be very happy — and I am — but falling just short of a goal will keep the first week of March circled on my calendar.

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