Vlog-style YouTube video (uploaded by TJ LaFaver, Aug 19, 2024) following powerlifter Aliza Tessler through a training day as she prepares for an upcoming meet. Covers diabetes management and nutrition (protein shake, candy, snacks), a gym session with specific training targets (squats and bench work with detailed weights and sets), use of smelling salts, rest strategy, and reflections on failure and persistence. Includes interaction with Sam but is primarily Aliza's monologue about goals and routines.
Questions this video answers
July 2021.
315 lb for 3x3.
Two singles at 248 lb (112.5 kg); plus a 4x2 at 226 lb (102.5 kg).
First attempt ~100 kg (≈220 lb), second ~238 lb, third target ~250 lb.
About 5–7 minutes.
Chapters
Signs you're a power lifter. You have creatine on your bedside and.
Put barbell under your be.
No. I'm making a breakfast protein shake because I decided that I'm hungry today. I don't want to make real food. So I'm gonna put my carbs and my protein into this water, and then I'm gonna drink it. Okay. Being type 1 diabetic, I always need to be thinking about, like, what I eat and when I eat. If I show up to the gym and my blood sugar is low, I need to fix that. If I show up in a tie, I need to fix that. If I show up and it's normal, I need to expect it to go high or low. So I need to be, like, always constantly prepared for a health crisis to strike at any moment. On the flip side of that, it also has made me a lot more health conscious. This is the best flavor, like, actually mint chocolate cookies. Also really good. A plus. Plus.
It actually smelled. I don't know.
Keha smells good.
And put some ignition in because I don't only want to have protein for breakfast. I want a little bit of carbs too. Especially since I'm going to be doing a heavy workout today.
My first meet was July 2021. Once I started powerlifting, it kind of shifted my whole focus from, like, hey, I want, like, a big butt and science any waist and whatever to, like, okay. I want to lift as much weight as I possibly can. Like, I want to see what I'm capable of. We really don't have a long time to be alive. To die without seeing what I could do would be. I don't know. Why would I want to do that?
Cheers.
This helps my blood sugar stay stable throughout the day. And pinch poke.
And that's that.
I want to see if my smelling salts still work because, like, I opened them at nationals in March.
They work. They work. They're good. They're fine. They'll be great for today because what if I get hungry during my workout? These.
Step one.
Step two. That's a lie.
Always need to have candy with me. Sweetest thing ever.
All right, let's go.
I'm going to start with squats.315 for a 3x3, which is relatively light. It should feel good. And then I'll move into bench. And bench is a little bit more complex because of the upcoming meet. So for bench, we've got two singles at 248 pounds, which is 112.5 kilos. And then we have a 4x2 at 226 or 102.5 kilos. So we got our work cut out for us.
Sam.
Okay, I'm gonna wait like.
Three minutes and then go three by three. 3:15.
Not bad, not bad. Two more sets.
How long can you use in rest?
Usually 5ish minutes. Like 5 to 7. In powerlifting competitions you end up needing to wait between attempts and also you're doing usually cut something close to your max effort. If you rush it then it's going to be a lot harder to match the same weight and effort. I chill. I fulfill the stereotype of powerlifter that takes a little nappy nap. I need some snacks. And then I hit it again.
I did was hard but I did it and it's gonna get easier and that's just how it's gotta be. Now we got bench, but first I need to re rack my waist because I'm not a savage.
So I'm gonna shoot for a 248 bench or 245 because I don't know if they have like the smaller change plates here. That would be. It would be a PR match. My personal best is 248. So if I could get that today for two singles, I'll be really happy. Especially if I have like a good competition. Pause. Yeah, let's, let's do it.
Okay, let's go up.
This is going to be a little bit more than my first attempt. My first attempt will probably be 100 kilos, so about 220 pounds. Then my second attempt will probably be like maybe 238. And then my third attempt and final attempt will hopefully be 250.
I think I'm going to try 250 as a P PR and hopefully I got it. And if I don't I'll drop down to 248 or 245 and. Yeah, let's see. Gonna hit that 2.5. Toss that on.
Ah.
All right. Well that's the point of the safeties. Failure is a part of success. And I didn't get it today, but I fell 200amillion times before I got 200. I fell 225amillion times before I got 225. And I'll probably fail 250amillion times until I get 250. But as long as you keep going, it doesn't matter if you keep failing.
The re rack of shame.
It's not there today.
It's fine. Everything is fine.
Everything about fine.
Yeah, it's a week out From a meet. That's not great. Yeah. How far are you? 10 days. So wait, how long? 10 days. Not the right time to be.
All right, we got a top set in. That's good. Sometimes when I fail, I get kind of in my head and it makes me feel things that I have the strength for, but mentally, I'm just, like, scared. Not doing that today. Today is fight. We're just going to fight for it, and that's okay. Some of these roller shots.
That moved good. That moved really good, actually. Good pause, good rep.
So after you do your top set, you kind of want to get a little bit of volume work in. And today, usually my back bends are significantly lighter than my top set.
Today, since I failed my top set and I had to reduce the weight, I'm going to keep my back down close just so I get a little bit more rep work in, working in the range that I'm going to be competing at. And it encourages muscular growth and obviously strength, which is what I'm mostly after.
Easy peasy.
Now accessories, then groceries.
Done.
Now for a post gym snacky snack.
These are actually fantastic. 20 grams of protein and 9 grams of fat, which is like. The macros are insane for something like this and tastes amazing, too. So I basically live off of these.
How'd your workout go today? What were your thoughts?
Squats were good.
So bench, I mean, it is what it is again. I failed 200amillion times before I got 200. I failed 225amillion times before I got 225. And if I fail 250amillion times before I get 250, it. That's how it's got to be. Was I happy with it? No. Am I going to stop because I wasn't happy with it? No, I'm not gonna stop. I'm gonna keep going until I am happy with it.
Back to the meat style.
Thank y' all for coming along with me preparing for Bench Worlds, getting a training session in, and I will catch y' all soon. Bye.
