Bay lifter presses ahead toward world champs

Rest, focus and a can of creamed rice are Serena Perry's formula for producing a personal best at this year's world masters benchpress championships.
The Tauranga woman is bound for the Czech Republic where she will compete against the world's best in the city of Zlin from April 21-25. Perry expects the level of competition to be very high, with many of the master grade powerlifters regularly compete in the open division.
Perry will compete in the 40-49 years, 75kg division.
Although she doesn't officially qualify for the age group until later this year, competition rules allow entry in the year that competitors turn 40.
There are three age groups for women - 40-49, 50-59 and 60-plus. In the men's division there is even a 70-plus age group. In Europe, the sport of powerlifting is well supported with a vocal crowd of hundreds expected at the championships.
"It's a bit like what rugby is over here," said Perry.
She began powerlifting eight years ago and, as a regular gym-goer, was looking to focus her training.
"You get a bit bored going to the gym just for the sake of going. You don't have any set goals."
She only started specialising in the benchpress in the past 12 months. The change was prompted by wanting a break from the traditional three lifting disciplines involved in powerlifting and by her husband and coach, Julian, getting back into competitive lifting.
Julian will be travelling with the 13-strong New Zealand team as its chief referee.
With the husband-and-wife duo involved in powerlifting, the specialisation frees up Perry's husband to concentrate on his own training.
Perry has four gym sessions each week, each lasting up to 1 hours. Two sessions focus on benchpress, one on back exercises and one on leg strength.
Surprisingly, despite the reclined position on the bench, leg strength is vital to a competitor's power. Perry said the correct technique was to keep her whole body still while driving with her legs.
"It's amazing actually, when you're using your legs it makes such a difference."
Just as important to her sessions with the heavy weights were the periods of rest in between.
"A lot of people think that when you're resting you're not doing anything, but that's when your muscles grow. It is very easy to overtrain."
Perry recently began concentrating on nutrition and has noted a difference. She said the focus was on eating good quality food - before a competition she fuels up with a small can of creamed rice and a protein shake.
She will not be entering any warmup competitions before the world championships, instead using her final training session to see exactly where she's at. Her personal best lift was at the combined New Zealand/Oceania championships last September when she hoisted 92.5kg, a new Oceania record for her age-group.
In the leadup to competition, training sessions will focus on form and technique rather than the weight lifted.
Perry doesn't usually set goals to avoid putting any pressure on herself during the competition.
Mental pressure, she said, can add to the chance of a "bomb" - when a competitor is unable to lift at all or makes technical errors.
She concentrates on focusing her thoughts on what she has to do to achieve the lift. "It's good to have nervous energy as long as you channel it in the right place."
Each competitor is given three opportunities to lift. She said first lift would be a weight she would be quite comfortable lifting in training. If this lift was successful, she would then gauge how she was feeling to decide what weight to set for the next two lifts.
Her goal in the Czech Republic is simply to get a lift in, with any personal bests a bonus.
Powerlifting is a technical sport and the benchpress has its own specific set of rules.
Three referees are positioned around the bench to ensure the lift is legal. Once the lift begins, competitors must pause, holding the weight before raising the bar to its full extension.
Competitors can't lift their rear or body from the bench and feet must be flat on the ground. One minute is allowed to complete the lift. Once the bar is raised it must be held it there until the head referee calls "rack".
Once the competition is over Perry and her husband will be taking a month to tour Europe.
On her return Perry has plans for a break, although retirement isn't on the horizon.