I've got my first meet coming up in late May and am pretty nervous about it. My total right now is 1046 and to get into nationals I need to add about 160lbs onto my total to get to Nationals in July (Need a Class I total which is 1203lbs for 198lb). My bench and squat absolutely suck, my dead could be stronger. Bench=245, Dead=486, Squat=315. Everyone tells me I can get it no problem but on top of putting 160lbs on my total, I need to lose 20lbs to be at 198. I thought about competing in the 220 but I don't believe I am ready for that just yet. I would like to be able to bench 315, dead 500, and squat 405. I do not have a coach with all this (can't afford one) and am really looking for some help with improving my totals. I have worked with Richard "Big Bird" Matulia who has trained out of Super Training and was at West Side but his work is keeping him away from training and coaching me so I'm kind of alone with all this. I don't mind it but everywhere I read that a coach is pretty much needed to become a good lifter. If anybody has any advice on to help improve my lifts, links to other threads on how to improve individual lift without a coach, or if you're in the Sacramento Area and want to workout with me, please respond! Like I said earlier, I'm pretty nervous with this being my first competition. I want to go far and have the drive to. I don't half-ass lifting.