Three white lights, and the roar of the audience confirm that the lift is good. as my senses return from a near blackout state, the platform is swarmed with congratulations from my spotters and peers. it takes a few moments to recover from pressing over 500 pounds from my chest. before i know it, i've been pulled to my feet and a microphone placed in my hand. the incredible flood of satisfaction, a culmination of months of planning, is intense. i wouldn't be standing there without my years of experience preparing for a powerlifting meet. you wanna start some history? here are my five most important "money" factors to attain your own record-breaking lift:

TRAINING
to be successful in any endeavor requires planning. this holds true for record-breaking lifts. luck and skill also play a role, but if you try and wing it chances are you'll fail. when i decide which meet i wanna do, i plan out how long i have to get ready and what weights i need to achieve in training to be ready for meet day. those weights are based on what i've done previously in training and where i'm at currently. normally, i hit the weights i'm looking for. on occasion i've exceeded projections and i also have failed to hit them.

when you fail to hit the mark, you could be having an off-day, it may be due to outside forces (lack of sleep, not eating properly, stress, etc.), or it may be that you possibly over-projected your strength curve. at this point, all isn't lost. be flexible enough to make adjustments and continue towards the meet. one bad day doesn't kill a training cycle, not even 2 or 3. i've endured up to 5 bad training days and still broke world records.

when i hit rocky patches, i make the necessary adjustment (and in hindsight, the correct ones) and never throw in the towel no matter how bad my mind wants to. my heart will never let me. some people look for the perfect training cycle. i've been training for years, and i've never had one. i've come close, but we're humans not machines.

the main goal in planning out your training is to slowly raise your strength level and start peaking for the contest. trying not to peak prior to the meet, a lifter must walk a very fine line to achieve this. if you peak too soon, the likelihood of regaining it is slim to none. if you hit the nail on the head, you have one more bullet in your gun to work with.

SUPPORT SYSTEM
the support system, in my opinion, is the most important of the five steps. when i was on my historic run, where i went from a 400-lbs bench to the iconic 500-lbs bench in 2007, i had a superb support system. i had great training partners and friends who i could talk to about anything or vent about the things that were bothering me. then, one-by-one, my training partners stopped coming to the gym. the friends that i came to rely on all of a sudden were too busy to talk or never returned phone calls.

i replaced the training partners with new personnel, but i knew right from the start this was going to be a very fragile alliance. i put people in positions in which they were uncomfortable and they came up short when i needed them the most, constantly missing training sessions. some were giving me incorrect information or suggestions on my training. in early 2008, my current hand off man, kurt bernardini, came to train with me. several months later, he became the lead man on my crew after the last guys bailed on me.

for a period of time, kurt and i trained alone, muddling through by inquiring when other gym members were training, so we had the extra bodies required to accomplish our training. there were times i had to change my workout schedule and train on short rest because people weren't going to be at the gym. when you're near the end of a training cycle, you need every moment of rest. without that rest, you risk injury.

toward the end of 2008, i needed to be in an environment where i wasn't the only big dog. i have friends who train about two hours north of my home. giving up a whole day with travel and training, the rewards are well worth it. i got everything i needed to go past where i was and go where no one thought was possible. the missing piece of my puzzle? reliable training partners, an enthusiastic environment in which to succeed, positive peer pressure, and accountability. those who i train with are also top-level lifters. if they see me quit a set and i have more in me, they'll let me know and give me a hard time about it.

another key aspect of support is therapy. i utilize deep tissue massage and chiropractic care. without them i wouldn't be able to continue training and competing at this high of a level. at first, i sought them out to treat injuries. after a time, i saw the value in them as preventative maintenance. i've been lucky to avoid any major injury that would require surgery, attributing this to cody and dr. hugh, whose therapy is incomparable.

i take an interactive approach to my physical maintenance program, informing each of how my body responds to treatments, how it handles certain workouts, and so on. i'm lucky that each has either previously competed or has an appreciation of the sport. they take an active interest in my progression and constantly go above and beyond anything i've ever expected, to make sure i'm ready for my next record-breaking lift.

the final and most important piece of the puzzle is my girlfriend, sarah. she makes home life relaxing, playing multiple roles. coming from an athletic background, exposed to every aspect of sports, she has an understanding of what drives me to go above and beyond. after most of the guys i know meet her, they remark to me that they wish their wives/girlfriends were more supportive of their pursuits. sarah on many occasions has helped defuse tense situations and restore the positive outlook that i need to continually make gains in my training. having somebody to give you their opinion or share their perspective helps you maintain focus on the big picture. it doesn't hurt that they're there to help you remember the little things, like taking your supplements.

in short, my support system consists of many parts, but each plays a vital role. i value each and every one of them. without them, i wouldn't be able to push the bar higher and higher.

NUTRITION
nutrition is a subject that's been beaten to death in the past few years, but without it, i'd still be a 155-pound bean pole. staying consistent is key for getting to that record-breaking lift. this is no time to start changing your eating habits or supplementation. i don't worry about cutting weight or bulking up for meet. instead, i let my body decide where it wants to be. i know what makes me feel good and what will fuel me through my workouts. i look at my body like a high-performance race car; you wouldn't put low-grade gasoline in its tank. high-quality fuel facilitates extreme performance.

TRAVEL
largely overlooked, traveling will play a role if you're fortunate enough to attain elite status in the sport. you simply can't break records at local gym meets or YMCA competitions. records are usually reserved for regional, national, or world meets. this way all precautions can be taken to preserve the validity of the lift. in most cases, a lifter will need to travel as as long as 8 or more hours.

during the travel process, several key ingredients that you're so diligent in keeping a steady eye on during training will be disrupted: sleep, food intake, and stress. sleep will be disrupted, as you'll usually need to wake up early for departure. for me, no matter how hard i try, a car ride isn't restful...especially a long one. eating habits change...you can't eat at regular intervals and are forced to eat quicker meals than normal because you wanna get to your destination faster. it's easier driving than flying, where you lose a lotta control to the schedule of an airline.

your sleeping and eating patterns return to somewhat normal when you arrive, but not entirely. eating patterns can resume quickly, but sleeping in a different bed, with the noises that occur in a hotel can make getting rest tougher, thus throwing you off your game. depending how smoothly your trip went can affect the stress levels that are slowly increasing in your body as the contest grows nearer. the better you handle the stress, the less taxing it is on your performance.

i generally like to arrive about two days before i'm scheduled to compete. this way, i get the travel out of the way and then decompress. i like to travel with a cooler of food, ready to make a sandwich or protein shake as i need them. my pillows and a fan also come along. i try to recreate my bedroom at the hotel, and the fan helps to drown out the slamming doors and dinging elevators. then i start to soak in my surroundings, finding restaurants and supermarkets/department stores so if i need something, i won't be running around wasting time and energy.

i've seen many a lifter underachieve or even bomb out of meets because they poorly planned their trip, at the mercy of outside forces beyond their control. how quickly you set out and arrive at your desired destination and resume your normal patterns play a role if you're successful or not.

WARMUPS
i, much like every other serious powerlifter who has ever competed, plan out their warmups. i generally start getting an idea a few weeks out from the meet. it'll go through several adjustments as time grows closer. ihe night before is when i determine the final plan. my warmups generally look like a normal, heavy bench workout. but in this case, i wanna get to my opening weight without expending too much energy.

you see, for me, i need upwards of an hour from the time i start loosening up to my final warmup lift. my warmups are done with a minimum of 10 minutes between each set. you can't start at 250 lbs, adding 50 lbs at a shot, ending in the upper 400 lbs, and lift every 2-3 minutes. i wanna be fully rested before undertaking my next weight.

during this whole process, i need to be flexible in my planning, even though i spend countless hours planning and re-planning. if things aren't going accordingly, i need to make adjustments. if i'm not feeling particularly strong, i may need to adjust my attempts. or if i'm having trouble getting the bar to my chest and touching, i might need to increase my opening attempt. timing is also important, the cadence of the meet dictates when i start warming up. i need to make sure that my last warmup is timed so that my first attempt is within the 10 minute rest period.

it's a delicate balance of meticulous planning and calm resolve to make on-the-fly decisions that could make or break your day. after all's said and done, it's showtime. time to go and let it all hang out, see if you made all the correct decisions with your training, support, nutrition, travel, and warmups. if you're right, there could be a new record in your future.