Long story short: I started my journey in 2005 as a bodybuilder, but as interest and support for women's bodybuilding waned, I transitioned to raw powerlifting. I last competed as a bodybuilder at the IFBB North Americans in 2009, and last competed in powerlifting in 2010. I put up a raw total of 1041 (not bad for a chick!) at ~175lbs. Powerlifting Watch ranked me #1 on the Lifter Rankings list after that meet.
Then I walked away. Why? I don't understand it all, myself. Basically, for the last 5 years since my last competition, I was trying to be something I wasn't. And I learned the hard way that's not a good way to live.
I started lifting really heavy and intensely again around Christmas '14, and as cheesy as it sounds, I've felt like a new person ever since. When my deadlift bumped over 300, I thought "what the hell, I'll train for a powerlifting meet". So I've put my sights on a meet in August, and we'll see how it goes.
I use an "85% solution" approach to programming. I lay out the overall plan, but I always leave room for instinctive training and adaptation as I progress. That's what works for me.
My current split looks like this:
Mon - Deadlift
Tues - Bench power
Wed - Off, but may do some cardio or core work depending on how I feel
Thurs - Squat
Fri - Bench speed
Sat - Cardio
Sun - Off
Accessory/assistance movements are done throughout the week.
My diet is NOT on point, I will be the first to admit that. I'm dealing with some pretty heavy shit (I will spare you the gory details), and let it get in the way, screw up my schedule, etc. I need to eat more. I'm working on it.
Best lifts as of mid-2010:
Bench 250
Squat 363
Deadlift 429
Current lifts:
Bench 185
Squat 295
Deadlift 335
To summarize, I'm shooting for a meet in late August, and while I'm not expecting to destroy that meet, I am back on the path and ready to work to surpass my previous stats!