The 200 Club

When I first started forming strength goals, Tiffany told me about the 200 Club, an unofficial "club" of those who reach a 200 pound deadlift. The idea appealed to me, and I set a 6 month goal. By 2/23/15, I was going to deadlift 200 pounds.

My PR on 11/25 was 185 for 3 reps. I was so close, but we'd been spending time on snatch and ignoring deadlift. I was still intent on going to the box, and I pulled up at 5:10am.

Mick arrived shortly and let us in. SWOD: deadlift 5/4/4/3/2, he wrote on the board. Oh yeah, I told myself. Hitting 200 today! I scurried around to build a bar.

"Starting heavy!" Mick commented on my bar. I bent and lifted for 5 reps, then dropped the 135# bar. "Nah, this is light," I said.

I added plates and repped. Added plates and repped. 155#. 175#. 195#. "Wanna add 5 pounds?" I said out loud, channeling my inner Cassie. I chuckled and added 5 pounds. The vaunted 200 pound bar rested at my feet.

I thought of Tiffany and all of her sports psych coaching. Chalking my hands, I clapped twice and shook them off. Turning back to the bar, I told myself, "You've got this! You are strong! This will be great! You've got this!" I imagined myself, hands wrapped securely around the bar, driving my heels in to the ground and standing up with perfect form. Easy peasy. 

I wrapped my hands around the bar, thumbs behind and fingers in front. I straightened my knees and pushed my butt back until I felt tension in my hamstrings. I rocked my heels back and felt contact with the floor through my barefoot shoes. I tightened my back and felt my shoulderblades pinch and slide down my back. I looked up, noticed Mick watching me, and tensed. Like a smooth hydraulic lift, I gripped the bar and lifted it with me as I stood.

"Yeah Erin!" Mick yelled and turned to write it on the PR board.

I'm a member of the 200 Pound Club.