The start of something new

The following is a bit of history from when my powerlifting journey came to be my main hobby.....

Early 2023

For a while my body weight has slowly weight had increased to a little over 124KG. That's over 19 stone for the not so metric folk who may be reading this. Everyday tasks that I was taking for granted were becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. The simple action of bending down to tie my shoe laces was becoming hard work. The extra timber I was carrying to put it bluntly was getting in the way & the extra weight my body was carrying was taking its toll on my body.

I will admit this was all self induced & I blame no one but myself. Up until my early 30's I led a very active life playing team sports mainly football & basketball. Representing my school & the various Army regiments I was assigned in each of these sports. I was in the REME so was posted every 3 years or so. I even played for Slough Town Basketball in the very early days!

In a nutshell I let myself go & I needed to do something about. Hence the title 'Shoelaces to Welsh records'

October 2023

So, I stumbled upon this Facebook post about an "Intro to Strength" class. It was two sessions a week for six weeks and I think it cost around £35. I figured it was a great way to jump back into fitness and, honestly, tackle my flexibility and mobility issues. So, I went for it, and looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time!

These sessions were hosted by Strength Academy Wales at Pembrokeshire Sports Village. My first session was on Tuesday, October 17th, 2023, at 7:30 AM. It went pretty well, but then I started thinking, what have I gotten myself into? My body was feeling it big time! I could barely walk up the stairs, and sitting down on the toilet? Yeah, that turned into a whole new adventure. Thank goodness for the sink nearby to lean on!

The next session was at the same time on Thursday, and my body was definitely screaming at me to stop the madness. But I pushed through, and once I warmed up, the stiffness eased a bit. Then, of course, it was back to those achy muscles. That cycle went on for a few weeks, and let me tell you, there’s definitely some truth to the saying "No Pain - No Gain!"

November 2023

Guess what? I kept going! But let me tell you, my body wasn’t exactly throwing a party for me. So, here’s the scoop: every session kicked off with some warm-up exercises, then we dove into a bunch of compound moves that worked multiple muscle groups and joints. Just what I needed! We usually wrapped things up with some core exercises, and if we had time, a nice warm-down.

As the weeks rolled on, my body started to get used to the whole exercise thing, and I found out I wasn’t alone—plenty of others were in the same boat, each of us taking our own unique fitness journeys.

By the end of November, the 6 weeks wrapped up, and I’ll never forget deadlifting 120kg on my second try. What a rush! I loved the sessions so much that I decided to sign up for another 6 weeks. Can’t wait to see where this takes me!

December 2023

The bi-weekly sessions have progressed, and I am already beginning to experience increased strength and mobility, resulting in a noticeable ease in performing daily tasks. My body has adapted to the exercise regimen, and it is now a matter of maintaining the momentum I have established.

A significant factor in this journey has been the supportive community atmosphere within the gym, where individuals uplift one another. During this month, a pivotal idea was introduced to me by Helen, one of the volunteer coaches. She suggested the possibility of competing in Powerlifting, highlighting that there are relatively few participants in my age group. This notion of engaging in competitive sports once again reignited my competitive spirit.

Throughout my school years and my tenure in the Army, I had the privilege of representing my teams in football and basketball at a commendable level. Consequently, I began to conduct thorough research into the realm of Powerlifting.

January 2024

The 'Intro to Strength' sessions have wrapped up. Right after Christmas, I signed up for a monthly gym membership and continued with those sessions for now. Things were starting to click, and I decided to enter my first competition. It was the North Wales Joint Competition at Modified Fitness Gym in Flintshire on Sunday, February 18th. Along with the 'Intro to Strength' sessions, I added some extra training to prepare for the competition. I was now working out three times a week. The coaches at the gym were really helpful, offering plenty of advice and tips.
I also bought an IPF-approved singlet, a t-shirt, some deadlift socks, and deadlift slippers. Plus, I became a member of GB Powerlifting. My category was M3 120KG.

February 2024 (1st Competition)

The competition was coming up fast, and I was feeling hopeful about hitting the qualification total for the Welsh Champs in 2024. A little optimism never hurts, right?
Competition day came, and here’s how it went.
Squat
Attempt #1: 70KG
Attempt #2: 80KG (Didn’t count because I stepped forward)
Attempt #3: 90KG (Should have tried 80KG again but didn’t go deep enough)

Bench
Attempt #1: 50KG
Attempt #2: 60KG (Lifted my head, so it didn’t count)
Attempt #3: 65KG (Failed because I was frustrated with my second attempt & should of retaken 60KG)

Deadlift
Attempt #1: 105KG
Attempt #2: 115KG
Attempt #3: 125KG (New personal best)

Total: 245KG
Overall, it was a great experience. I hit my total but it wasn’t enough to qualify for the Welsh Champs. Looking forward to the next competition, whenever that may be.

March to May 2024

After the competition, I took it easy for a week, just keeping things moving while I decided on my next competition. The plan was to hit the gym three times a week—usually on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. This gave me plenty of time to recover between sessions.
So, here’s the scoop:
Session #1 was all about deadlifts and bench press, plus 4 to 5 accessory exercises.
Session #2 focused on squats and bench, with the same accessory game.
Session #3 wrapped up with squats and deadlifts, again throwing in 4 to 5 accessory exercises.

I’ve got my next competition lined up for June 1st at The Progress Gym in Yeovil! 

Thanks to this structured training, I was making some solid gains across all three lifts. By the end of April, I wrapped up the training block with personal bests in all three lifts (just a heads up, these were gym PBs).

Here’s the breakdown:
Squat PB now 120KG
Bench PB now 75KG
Deadlift PB now 150KG
... which gives a total of 345KG

Just a short training block before the competition in June!

June 2024

It was competition time! I stayed at my daughter's place before heading to The Progress Gym. I got there early on June 1st. After chatting with the host, I found out that several lifters had dropped out for different reasons, so there were about 25 lifters in total.

I hoped I was better prepared this time and could use what I learned from my first competition earlier this year.

Squat
Attempt #1: 90KG
Attempt #2: 102.5KG 
Attempt #3: 112.5KG (New personal best)

Bench
Attempt #1: 60KG (Lifted my head. I lifted more on the next attempt, which felt comfortable)
Attempt #2: 67.5KG 
Attempt #3: 72.5KG (New personal best)

Deadlift
Attempt #1: 135KG
Attempt #2: 145KG (New personal best)
Attempt #3: 155KG (I was really tired by now and struggled to lift the bar)

Total: 330KG

It was another great competition with amazing support from all the lifters and volunteers. I’m really happy because I increased my total by 85KG!

July to September 2024

After the competition, I took a little break from the gym and eased back into some light training just to stay active. My goal for the rest of the year is to hit the qualification total for the Welsh Championships, which is set at 357.5KG. I’m only 27.5KG away from that!

I kicked off a new training block in mid-June, but I know I’ll have to take some breaks over the next three months because of vacations and life stuff. So, I’m not really sure when my next competition will be.

The 2nd weekend in August I attended & passed a Powerlifting Coaching Level 1 course which was held at PB Performance Gym in Cardiff. As a side note the gym later rebranded to Naked Ground Health Club which eventually went under due to unpaid bills. This meant that Welsh Powerlifting had to find a new home gym for there regional competitions.

I had an awesome time in Ireland! Caught a Coldplay concert at Croke Park Stadium and even went on a distillery tour for a whisky producer. I might throw in a little section about whiskey since I’ve developed a bit of a taste for the occasional single malt!

October 2024

Wow, what a month it’s been! I finally got back into my training groove, and then bam! Mid-October, I got hit with a nasty tummy bug. And let me tell you, this wasn’t just any tummy bug. It stuck around for 11 days, and let’s just say, a certain part of my anatomy was feeling pretty sorry for itself. You know that famous Johnny Cash song? Yeah, it felt a bit like this:

My body was totally drained, and I ended up losing 4.5KG. Not exactly what I was aiming for, even if I had a bit of extra weight to lose. But hey, we roll with the punches, right?

November & December 2024

Upon resuming training following a period of illness, I encountered significant challenges throughout the month of November. My performance in various lifts was markedly diminished, leading to the perception that my physical capabilities had regressed to a foundational level. Weights that I had previously managed with relative ease became increasingly difficult, resulting in frequent failures.

At one point, I seriously contemplated discontinuing my gym regimen. It was perplexing to comprehend the extent to which the illness had impacted my physical state, leaving me feeling as though I had been deprived of the fruits of my dedicated efforts over the past year.

In response to this setback, I engaged in a period of self-reflection, during which I critically assessed my situation. I took the time to thoroughly review my training plan and acknowledged the necessity of recalibrating my lifting expectations. My objective was to identify a method to restore both my confidence and strength.

Consequently, during the months of November and December, I implemented a progressive overload training program designed to facilitate the recovery of lost gains. By mid-December, I began to observe positive results and a notable improvement in my condition, marking a return to more favorable circumstances.

January 2025

Following the holiday season, there was a slight increase in weight. However, there are no significant concerns, as I remain comfortably within the 120KG weight category. This month has also served as a period of reflection, during which I have developed a strong desire to enhance and expand my experience in the realm of powerlifting. Consequently, critical decisions have been made, and the focus on training and preparation will be elevated to a more serious level.

February 2025

Reflection time was over & I was in a position where I was limited by my experience & knowledge. Time to find a Coach.

Lucky for me there a lovely lady who is also a Master lifter & since it was her fault for planting the Powerlifting seed into my head. She in effect had followed the same path as myself. Starting with the 'Intro to Strength' Classes & found herself competing at Powerlifting events. Over several years she has gained vast knowledge from competing, other coached & she was already a qualified Powerlifting Coach. It all made sense & the stars were about to align!

Thankfully when I approached Helen she agreed to Coach me & the first target was to reach the qualification total for Welsh Champs in 2026. Next competition scheduled to be Rising Heat in August 2025.

First official training started 24th February 2025. Next thing to consider was to look at my diet. Current weight was around 114KG So my lifting class would be M3 120KG

March 2025

It became evident that a review of my dietary habits was necessary. My wife and I had previously adhered to a weight loss regimen that yielded intermittent results, characterized by fluctuating weight. Leveraging my medical insurance, I secured a complimentary 30-minute consultation with a nutritionist, seeking professional guidance.

Prior research suggested that meal planning could be a complex undertaking. To avoid excessive pre-planning, I met with the nutritionist, whose concise advice, "keep it simple," proved invaluable. This provided a foundational framework, allowing me to adapt an existing meal plan to my specific requirements. For those seeking a robust meal tracking solution, I recommend 'MyNetDiary' from the Apple App Store. This subscription-based application is currently priced at £23.99.

May to June 2025

I was training 4 times a week & have weekly reviews on progress. My meal plan was in place & over the course of these 3 months attended Physio to address an niggle in my right shoulder. It turned out to be an inflamed rotator cuff. Physio consisted of massage. movement exercises & ultrasound to help with the healing process. Some of the exercises provided by the Physio I use now as part of my warmup

July 2025