Strength Metrics

Tag someone who missed their deadlift on grip at Age Group Nationals

Competition time: Guess the winning totals in each weight class at NZPF Nationals and you could win an SBD Hoodie.

One entry per person, open to all NZ lifters and supporters. Closest overall guess wins, with tie-breaker going to the earliest entry.

SBD New Zealand and Strength Metrics are both proud sponsors of Nationals 2025. Enter now via the link in our bio.

Our powerlifting workshop is back!

Learn the powerlifting basics, Establish squat, bench, and deadlift technique. Open to all levels.

Limited to 8 spots - DM to sign up!

Between and Strength Metrics had a team of 6 competing.

This was 2nd meet cutting down to the u120s. Tapering into the comp, he tweaked his quad, but Tony was able to push through. Going 8/9 with 220/157.5/230, weight class PB on squat, ATPB on bench, and a narrow miss of an ATPB on deadlifts with 245kg. This place Tony 3rd in the M2 u120s.

This was just _ ‘s second meet working with Tim. She increased her total of 367.5kg in March to 392.5kg. Going 7/9, missing a squat and a huge 195kg deadlift that would have pulled her into a podium position in the u69 junior class. In the end, she went 140/70/182.5. With this rate of progress, she is someone to watch out for in the u69jrs.

In a fierce battle for 1st in the u93sjr class, it came down to .liftz loading 257.5kg on deadlift to pull for the win, which wasn’t there quite there on the day. Jaiden finished the day with 225/150/257.5 for a 632.5kg total, placing him 2nd. Fortunately, Jaiden’s 642.5 total from March earnt him a spot at Junior Worlds.

fitness also found himself in a massive battle in the U74jrs. Going 6/9, Nick still hit a massive PB total of 637.5kg and is only capable of more when we sort out the hip pain impacting squats. It came down to needing a 287.5kg deadlift to pull into 1st, which was just out of reach. Nick went 210/155/272.5, which placed him 2nd. Next up will also be Junior Worlds. Don’t ask about the liquid chalk…

Leading in, .ladley had some really rough training, one block out things came together. Coming off squats and bench with a good sub-total PB, we decided to load up a huge deadlift PB of 275 for fun, which just wasn’t there. Finishing with 215/122.5/265 for a 592.5kg total in the U93jrs his first Nationals. 105s time now, and with more than one block of training, can’t wait to see what he can do.

Hitting a 40kg total PB from just eight weeks prior, .moroz15 had a perfect day. Going 257.5/147.5/300 for a 705kg, placing him 4th in the U93 junior class. Now it’s time for Alex to go up to the U105 class; if you’ve seen this man in person, you’d agree he was too jacked to be in the U93.

Recovery makes or breaks your progress - and it’s not just about training.

In a perfect world, we’d be ticking all the green boxes and avoiding the red. But it’s important to recognise what’s within our control and what’s outside of it.

Key metrics for recovery like sleep, stress and illness can and will be shaped by our lives outside the gym. Jobs, relationships, finances often hit recovery harder than training itself. And that can be unavoidable.

Start with the low hanging fruit:
Drink another glass of water
Put the phone down between sets
Swap the 7th Easter egg for a piece of fruit

Once you’re consistently hitting the basics, you might ask yourself:
Are you and your coach on the same page?
Could your sleep hygiene be better?

Some will go the extra mile. Find a job that gives better work-life balance. Finance a sauna/ice bath for the backyard. Move overseas to avoid time zone challenges.

Take a moment to reflect on what might be impacting your recovery. What’s within your control? What are you willing to adjust this week to support your training?