Athlete Meets January 10th, 2016
4,117 views · Published 11 January 2016 · 2:27 · Indexed 19 October 2026
Channel: Cody Lefever (GZCL) · 2016 · Sports
Today was a big day for me as a strength coach. Had two different lifters compete in two different United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) meets. Each did pretty damn well. A Marine I first met while on my last deployment to Afghanistan. We met because I organized a deadlift only meet on Camp Dwyer. And he won! I think he pulled 565 that day? Well, fast forward a year and change, Jacob has just begun powerlifting. This weekend was his fourth meet in a year and he successfully squatted 573, benched 380, and deadlifted 600, for a 1,554 total at 265 pounds bodyweight. He went 7/9. Passing on a third bench and missing a 622 deadlift at damn near lock out. His 573 squat was a 22 lb. meet PR and an 8 lb. overall PR. His 600 deadlift was just six pounds off his best ever. The bench didn't go as planned so 380, while still good for Jacob, was just under what he was aiming for. It was however enough to set him up for a 39 lb. PR total. His first meet he had a 1,515 total with wraps at the Camp Pendleton Open in 2015. That was his previous best total. His 1,554 today was in sleeves. Then Bill, a Marine Captain and a friend of mine competed at the Camp Pendleton Open today. He and I first met when I was a Sergeant in 29 Palms, just then getting into powerlifting myself. We trained together, and he was the guy who filmed my first 500 lb. deadlift. We then competed together in our first meets at the Camp Pendleton Open in 2012 I was then a 148 and pumped on my very first 1st total of 1,113 pounds. I took second place overall! Bill was a 181, totaled less than me I think, and got beat by a bunch of enlisted Marines. What a loser. (Just giving him hell, he's a great guy and Marine officer.) Fast forward four years and Bill asked me to be his coach and do his programming for him leading into this meet. I was pretty excited to say the least, because Bill and I had done our first meets together- and now I was to be his coach. To say the least I did not want to mess this up! Today he totaled 1,439 lb. at 196 lb. bodyweight. Going 523 on the squat for a 5 lb. PR with plenty left in the tank. Smoked a 314 bench for an 11 lb. PR. and capped it off with a 600 deadlift for a 16 lb. PR. All combined for a total PR of 1,438 over his previous best of 1,399 for a gain of 39 lb. on his total. When Bill and Jacob came to me I knew I had to step up to the plate and give them a good game plan. In the 12-weeks weeks since they EACH gained 39 pounds on their totals. Came to me the same week for services. Competed on the same day. In two separate meets within the same great federation. All three of us United States Marines. All three of us having competed at the USPA Camp Pendleton Open as our first meets. I want to first thank these two lifters for their work ethic and drive. Coaching, programming, whatever magic people are selling, is NOTHING without lifters like them. I'd also like to thank Steve Denison and the USPA for putting on such a consistently excellent meet at Camp Pendleton year after year. It's been a cornerstone of Marine powerlifting and I hope the event remains an annual event and continues to spread the sport through the Corps. Bill will be providing his own separate report soon. I'm through the roof right now.
