Dr. Dave's Kilo Classic II Meet Recap

I love powerlifting, weekends like this last one make reaffirms that love. Six Team OPS athletes competed across three different meets: four in person at the Kilo Classic II, where I handled on the platform, and two online athletes competing at separate meets. Carson Rohrbach competed at the USPA Strength in Bloom meet, and Marko Nugent competed at the British Powerlifting Union Single Lift Championship at the Arnold Sports Festival UK.

I was flying high all weekend. Meet day is where everything we build in training gets tested, and watching my athletes step on the platform and compete at a high level is something I never take for granted. Every single one of these lifters represented themselves and Team OPS with the standard we hold ourselves to, and I could not be more proud of each of them.

Here is a breakdown of each athlete, their prep, their performance, and what I appreciate about each one of them.

Karra Russell | Kilo Classic II | Women's Open

This prep was all about redemption. Karra had competed in November and came back with a healed back and a chip on her shoulder. We hit our stride fast, posting massive training PRs including a 185lb bench, and had serious momentum heading into the meet. The goal was simple: big total PR, big DOTS jump.

On meet day, Karra went 8/9 and delivered exactly that. She went 3/3 on squats, finishing with a smooth 303lb third attempt for an 11lb squat PR. On bench she got a slight butt lift on her second attempt at 170lbs. Rather than push for more and risk a miss, we retook 170lbs, got the lift, and kept her total moving. We stayed focused and kept building the total. She came back on deadlift and went 3/3, finishing with 325lbs for a 22lb deadlift PR. She improved her DOTS score by 17 points and walked away with Best Lifter for Women. 799lb total at 124lbs in her 7^th competition. A perfect redemption meet.

What I appreciate most about Karra is her resilience. She does not let temporary defeats turn into long term failures. She problem solves, she pushes hard, she celebrates her wins, and then she immediately sets her sights on something bigger. She is a powerful, exciting lifter to watch, and there is a lot more on the way.

Angela Richmond | Kilo Classic II | Women's Open and Masters

This was Angela's fourth competition, and she came into it during one of the busiest stretches of her year. As a music teacher juggling band, ski patrol, and concerts, she had a lot on her plate during prep. That never stopped her. We put together a hard fought training block through winter and came in with real momentum. Bench had responded beautifully after adding a daily pushup program, hitting 145lbs for doubles and triples. Deadlift was sitting strong with a double at 315 six weeks out. Squat has been a challenge for Angela, but we had a max effort 242 at three weeks out and a clear plan to shoot for PRs across the board.

On meet day she went 6/9 with a 677lb total, matching her best total, and adding +12 to her DOTS. Squats were solid overall. A high bar position on the second attempt caused a tough grind, and the third at 236lbs did not make it through, but the pick and positioning were better and there was real progress in her execution at that load. On bench, we opened at her previous PR of 132lbs, hit it clean, and went after 143lbs. We didn’t bust through that bench wall, but she handled the misses with composure. She got her emotions out, recomposed herself, and came back on deadlift and put on a clinic. 3/3 with a 319lb third attempt for a 5lb PR, each pull better than the last.

What I appreciate about Angela is how much she cares and how she is willing to lean on the people around her when things get tough. When the bench was not going her way, she leaned on her coach, her husband, and her community. She let them support her and then she turned around and absolutely delivered on deadlifts. Getting back into the moment after misses is difficult, it is a real skill. Angela showed she has that.

Amy Headrick | Kilo Classic II | Women's Open

Amy has been on a serious upward trajectory. She has been combining her powerlifting with trail running and has done an exceptional job managing her recovery between the two. Over the course of prep, she was doing for reps what she had previously done for singles at her last competition in June 2025. Her strength has grown significantly and she came into this meet at a lower weight class of 148lbs, setting up a huge opportunity for a total and DOTS jump.

Amy went 9/9 and took 4th place overall in women's open with a 749lb total. Squats went 3/3 with a 286lb third attempt for a 44lb PR. Her bench showed great pauses and powerful leg drive every single attempt, going 3/3 with a 148lb third for a 16lb PR. Deadlift warmups were flying in the back room and that energy carried to the platform. She went 3/3, finishing with a 314lb deadlift for a 28lb PR. Amy improved her total by 88lbs and her DOTS by 57 points. A perfect day from start to finish.

What I appreciate about Amy is the way she continues to grow as a lifter and as a person. Her self-confidence has developed alongside her strength, and watching both improve over the past year has been one of the highlights of my coaching. She never shies away from the work, and the results on the platform speak directly to her focus and drive. I am genuinely excited about where this trajectory takes her.

Adam Richmond | Kilo Classic II | Men's Open and Men's Masters

Adam came in off a tremendous personal transformation. He has dropped 30lbs of bodyweight through better management of his Type 1 diabetes, and his health and training consistency have been excellent. Five days a week, week after week. Squat took a hit with the weight loss but we had built back to a strong 455 by the end of prep. Bench was in a good spot shooting for a 5lb PR. Deadlift has always been Adam's strongest lift and we hit a big 600lb training PR three weeks out. The plan was to be conservative on squats and push bench and deadlift.

The day had some real chaos to it, in the best way. We were sharing a rack with Bryan Gifford, who squatted 915lbs that day. Between warmups, Adam and I were loading plates for Bryan and spotting him. Adrenaline was running hot by the time Adam stepped out. He went 2/3 on squats with a 451lb third attempt turned down for depth. The fatigue and adrenaline set in a bit after squats and bench turned into a struggle right on his opener. It was one of those misses that kind of came out of nowhere with warmups being clean and fast. Adam got inducted into the real powerlifters club with a 0/3 bench bomb. But in true Adam fashion, he did not let that define his day. We regrouped on deadlift, lowered the opener slightly, and he went 3/3 with a clean 562lb finish. Prior to his bomb all his lifts were set to be state records, so he’ll get to add more of those to his name next time.

What I appreciate about Adam is the way competition brings out the fire and passion in him. He’s one of those calm, cool, collected guys that gets to just let it out on meet day. He is one of the best listeners I have ever worked with, and he asks the exact right questions to understand the finer points of technique. I am also genuinely proud of how much he has used his physical transformation to fuel a broader personal transformation. He keeps building himself in every direction, and that matters.

Carson Rohrbach | USPA Strength in Bloom | Men's Open

This was Carson's first powerlifting meet, and we had 17 weeks to prepare for it. The big technical priorities were bar and torso position on squat, quality pauses and leg drive on bench, and generating more leg drive with the wedge on deadlift. The rate at which Carson's technique developed each week was genuinely impressive. He also set his ego aside on bench to commit to long pauses during prep, which is harder than it sounds and speaks to his coachability. We also needed this meet to serve as a USPA Nationals qualifier, so execution mattered from the first attempt.

Carson had the perfect powerlifting debut. He went 9/9, posted a 1504lb total at 210lbs, and put up a 429 DOTS. Squats went 3/3 with a perfectly executed 507lb third attempt, and there is clearly more in the tank for Nationals. On bench he chipped the state record with a 375lb third attempt, which shows exactly how far his bench has come in a single prep. Deadlift went 3/3 with a massive 622lb pull that we will be able to clean up and push even higher heading into Nationals. A superbly executed debut.

What I appreciate about Carson is that he has never let his ego get in the way of making progress. He responds to feedback, lifts with intent and focus, and brings that same energy to his accessories. His lifts have grown significantly because of the way he commits to doing things right. He is jacked, he is strong, and he is going to be a serious competitor at Nationals.

Marko Nugent | BPU Single Lift Championship, Arnold Sports Festival UK | Men's Masters

Marko first reached out dealing with shoulder pain and unable to bench without discomfort. The goal was to rehab, compete at BPU National Championships, set a record in the 75kg Men's Masters class, and then turn around four weeks later for the BPU Single Lift Championship at the Arnold Sports Festival UK and compete at 82.5kg. We accomplished step one at Nationals, where he set a national record at 160kg. Coming into the Arnold, the shoulder was holding strong.

Marko went 2/3 at the Arnold, setting a new national record at 162.5kg in the 82.5kg Masters class and qualifying for World's in November. He felt strong on the day and decided to take a big jump from his opener to push toward 170kg. A rough handout cost him the second attempt, but after a better setup he smoked 162.5 for his third and set the record. He is a very strong bencher and I fully expect to see a 180kg+ attempt from him at 82.5kg in the near future.

What I appreciate about Marko is how well he walked the line between pushing and knowing his body. Coming back from a shoulder injury and pressing heavy loads again requires intelligence and patience. He built up quality reps, improved his technique, and then stepped on the platform at the Arnold and sent it. The records he has earned are a product of disciplined, smart training and I am proud of everything he put into this process.

What a Weekend

Six athletes, three meets, two countries. Every one of them showed up and competed at the OPS high standard. I am incredibly grateful to be a part of this community and to work with people who are willing to put in the work that these results require.

If you are interested in what working with Team OPS looks like, reach out at opsgym.com. We would love to help you build toward a platform performance you are proud of.