USSF Strengthlifting Challenge - Anyone competing?

[DoubleBreastedAmazon]

Howdy folks,

I am thinking of either competing in a local USAPL meet or in the USSF Spring Challenge at the end of April. Was wondering if anyone else here will be doing the USSF Challenge?

I am ambivalent ATM. I love OHP and the USSF fees are cheaper, but attending the meet would mean a weekend trip to Chicago. On the other hand, the local USAPL meet is more expensive, is 2 hours away, which will require me to get going at the ass crack of dawn. In favor of the USAPL meet, it won't require a whole weekend escapade and will give me a chance to max on bench, which I have only done once in comp.

Anyone have any convincing arguments to sway me in either direction??

[sklunk]

How long of a trip is it to Chicago for you? Flying required?

[mgil]

Howdy folks,

I am thinking of either competing in a local USAPL meet or in the USSF Spring Challenge at the end of April. Was wondering if anyone else here will be doing the USSF Challenge?

I am ambivalent ATM. I love OHP and the USSF fees are cheaper, but attending the meet would mean a weekend trip to Chicago. On the other hand, the local USAPL meet is more expensive, is 2 hours away, which will require me to get going at the ass crack of dawn. In favor of the USAPL meet, it won't require a whole weekend escapade and will give me a chance to max on bench, which I have only done once in comp.

Anyone have any convincing arguments to sway me in either direction??

You’re pretty damn strong and have a chance of winning stuff. Which one has better stuff to win?

[Allentown]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

[damufunman]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

Lots of Michgander's 'round here... I considered it but decided the Exodus meet was enough.

[Allentown]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

Lots of Michgander's 'round here... I considered it but decided the Exodus meet was enough.

Hold on, you too?

[LexAnderson]

I would honestly do the USAPL meet because its something that you can compete in more in the years to come, and build you total in that federation. Also it seems like there is a good number of people from here lifting in that meet, so it would be a great chance to meet up with some folks.

[damufunman]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

Lots of Michgander's 'round here... I considered it but decided the Exodus meet was enough.

Hold on, you too?

Yuuup, where you been, man.

[TimK]

Why am I not seeing the "quick reply" text box?

Anyway, @DoubleBreastedAmazon I didn't realize you were in Michigan either! I guess I just assumed you were in the Chicago area after seeing you at the Fall Classic.

I had to drop out of the USAPL meet on April 28 due to my torn bicep tendon. However, at some point after I signed up for the first meet they actually announced another one that will be in Grand Rapids on August 4th, so I'm planning to do that one instead. Grand Rapids is a much shorter drive than Chicago, and we have better beer... just sayin'.

[Wilhelm]

I wanted to wait until others with more meet experience replied, but my first thought was "Do the real meet."

If it was me, and i had the same choice, i would go with the USAPL meet.
Right or wrong, i view that as the more valuable federation.

My view might not be fully informed, but just in isolation, in that scenario, USAPL would be my choice.

[chromoly]

I love USSF, but at the moment it's not as competitive. In USAPL, you never know who is going to show, even in a local meet! You've done USSF before, so there's no need to convince you of how fun and (more) laid back the meets can be compared to a USAPL meet.

[Allentown]

Yuuup, where you been, man.

I'm going to blame dadbrain?

[Root]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

USAPL in Mt. Pleasant, Apr 28th is the meet we're doing. You gonna join team Exodus, @DoubleBreastedAmazon?

[damufunman]

Yuuup, where you been, man.

I'm going to blame dadbrain?

Fair enough. Would love to go the meet just to meet everyone going, but now's not a good time.

[TimK]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

USAPL in Mt. Pleasant, Apr 28th is the meet we're doing. You gonna join team Exodus, @DoubleBreastedAmazon?

Registration is sold out for that meet though. You guys will probably be ready to do another one (in GR) by the time August rolls around, right?

[broseph]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

USAPL in Mt. Pleasant, Apr 28th is the meet we're doing. You gonna join team Exodus, @DoubleBreastedAmazon?

Registration is sold out for that meet though. You guys will probably be ready to do another one (in GR) by the time August rolls around, right?

The main reason I signed for the April meet was that there weren't any GR meets on the list... Those money grabbing bastards! I'm still considering doing the August meet as well. At the very least, I'll go watch it if other Michigan Exudites will be lifting there.

I think @Timk is going to "handle" us all at the April meet. I'm going to need a lot of emotional support and hand holding, FYI.

[TimK]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

USAPL in Mt. Pleasant, Apr 28th is the meet we're doing. You gonna join team Exodus, @DoubleBreastedAmazon?

Registration is sold out for that meet though. You guys will probably be ready to do another one (in GR) by the time August rolls around, right?

The main reason I signed for the April meet was that there weren't any GR meets on the list... Those money grabbing bastards! I'm still considering doing the August meet as well. At the very least, I'll go watch it if other Michigan Exudites will be lifting there.

I think @Timk is going to "handle" us all at the April meet. I'm going to need a lot of emotional support and hand holding, FYI.

Oh I'll "handle" you alright...

wait a minute, I'm not @KOTJ and you're not @Manveer. Nevermind.

I am planning on coming to the meet though and I would be happy to help out however I can. I can take video for you guys too if anyone needs a hand with that.

And yeah, I was also a little pissed as well when I saw a GR meet announced after the registration for the Mt. Pleasant meet had closed.

[DoubleBreastedAmazon]

How long of a trip is it to Chicago for you? Flying required?

I'm in east MI, so it's a 4 hour drive out to Chig, from here.

You’re pretty damn strong and have a chance of winning stuff. Which one has better stuff to win?

Thank's @mcgill, I think I would have a better chance of winning in USSF, the competitions so far haven't been too steep among the lady folks. I've competed twice at USSF. First time I won women's 2nd place, second time I won women's 1st place and I placed 5th nationally. I think that if I actually make some gains this cycle I may have a chance of moving up nationally. I've only competed once at a USAPL meet where I did moderately well, but didn't win anything. As for the prizes; no idea what the USAPL meet offers for wins. I know USSF has those dynos, not sure what I would do with a second dyno

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!

Yeah, me and my husband, @OckhamsRazor are Ann Arbor based; though we will likely be moving out of MI in the coming year as I will be moving on to my post-doc career.

Lots of Michgander's 'round here... I considered it but decided the Exodus meet was enough.

Yeah, I am doing the online meet, but I just really want to do a live competition too.

I would honestly do the USAPL meet because its something that you can compete in more in the years to come, and build you total in that federation. Also it seems like there is a good number of people from here lifting in that meet, so it would be a great chance to meet up with some folks.

Yeah, I do want to get to meet some of you folks in person, so that would be a plus about the USAPL. On the other hand, while I have complex feelings about USSF because of the recent trajectory of SS, I do want to support a federation that does the press instead of bench....

Anyway, @DoubleBreastedAmazon I didn't realize you were in Michigan either! I guess I just assumed you were in the Chicago area after seeing you at the Fall Classic.

I had to drop out of the USAPL meet on April 28 due to my torn bicep tendon. However, at some point after I signed up for the first meet they actually announced another one that will be in Grand Rapids on August 4th, so I'm planning to do that one instead. Grand Rapids is a much shorter drive than Chicago, and we have better beer... just sayin'.

Yeah! I was thinking about the August meet too. Slight potential complication is that I might be pregnant by that time, and not sure if I will be performing at my best, whereas in April even if I succeed in getting knocked up, it will be early, so wont too much of a performance decline.

I love USSF, but at the moment it's not as competitive. In USAPL, you never know who is going to show, even in a local meet! You've done USSF before, so there's no need to convince you of how fun and (more) laid back the meets can be compared to a USAPL meet.

Exactly, the chillness of it is very appealing.

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

USAPL in Mt. Pleasant, Apr 28th is the meet we're doing. You gonna join team Exodus, @DoubleBreastedAmazon?

Registration is sold out for that meet though. You guys will probably be ready to do another one (in GR) by the time August rolls around, right?

Yeah! I kinda regret not registering for that, but funds were low at the time....

[SpinyNorman]

100 posts and I am just now noticing another MI lifter?!
Is the USAPL meet the one that @broseph, @Root, @SpinyNorman, uh... who else and who actually signed up? I know @TimK dropped.

I did not sign up. I've been running a really tight budget to get my car paid off (to free up monthly income to put myself deeper in debt for a bigger house, nasty cycle). Should send the last car payment in next month. I was unwilling to spend the money when it was time to register for the meet.

[platypus]

I've done one USSF meet and two USAPL. I like USSF better.

The downsides to USAPL:
- Platform commands
- They made a fuss about my shoes; my knockoff chucks were not acceptable and I had to buy real chucks.
- Two-hour weigh ins are such a tease.
- I got red-lighted for a thumbs around grip on squats.

Downsides to USSF:
- Must fly to meets
- Fewer available categories to place in, bad for my ego