NEWTON ABBOT powerlifter Shachar Head was in competition at the annual Plymouth Performance Gym Invitational on October 2 – and she ground out a fine performance despite a bout of ‘Fresher’s Flu’.
The first lift of the day was the squat in which Head lifted ‘equipped’ with knee wraps for greater strength. The 180kg lift beat her personal best by 10kg.
The bench press has become Head’s nemesis after the 19-year-old encountered shoulder problems in the early part of the year but 75kg lift was still a fine effort in the circumstances.
The last lift of the day however, after which Head said she felt ‘physically and mentally broken’, was the deadlift. After hoisting a second lift of 170kg, she called it a day, but the total of 425kg – although not quite a personal best – was still an exceptional feat.
She was up against some tough competition on the day, including the Ivybridge-based international weightlifter and powerlifter Helen Jewell, who finished top of the overall standings in the deadlift, ahead of the men as well as the women.
Powerlifting is now becoming hugely popular both as a means to train for strength and conditioning and as a sport in its own right.
Head said: “The timing of the competition was slightly unfortunate as I have had little time to train – and it was a mixed day’s lifting overall.
“Although I am obviously overwhelmed with the squat which Guy Servis and I have been concentrating on, having a bout of ‘fresher’s flu’ did not help.”
Head has busy settling into university life and moving into the halls at The University of St Mark and St John in Plymouth where there are a wide range of facilities including a fully equipped gym and conditioning laboratory.
“I feel that I am in the right place at the moment to move on – Plymouth Performance Gym and my coach Guy Servis are just down the road and the staff at St Mark and St Johns are proving to be a great support.
“With everything going for me I now need to knuckle down get some conditioning work done and focus on 2016”.
Next up for Head will be a warm-up competition ahead of the British Single Lift and Powerlifting regional qualifiers in November and December.
Courtesy of: Herald Express