Powerlifting USA Magazine

STARTIN' OUT

 

April 2010 - Vol. 33 No. 6

CONTEST 101

by Doug Daniels

 

There are many factors involved in a powerlifting contest outside of the actual lifting itself. If there are failures in any of these, chances are your results will reflect it. All your hard work, sacrifices and time can all be wasted. The best way to address what these factors are and how to approach them, is to take part a little class I call Contest 101.


Let’s start with packing for the contest. Before you leave home, check to make sure you packed all your lifting equipment, including backup gear. To reduce stress and the possibility of forgetting something, put together a checklist to review while you pack. Check your equipment before and after every contest to make sure they’re usable or in need of replacement. A contest is a good place to get info and tips from other lifters on lifting gear such as squat suits and knee wraps. If something sounds promising, give it a try during your next training cycle. If it proves superior, use it for your next contest. Each brand of squat suit, knee wraps, etc., performs differently and can vary in its effectiveness from lifter to lifter, so keep an open mind to new products and developments in lifting gear. But don’t ever try new knee wraps, etc. for the first time at a contest. Use what you came with. Competing with untested gear at a contest is asking for disaster. It requires time during your cycle to become accustomed to the effects of each piece of lifting gear and how they work in combination with other gear. Do not forget to pack a few pain relievers like ibuprofen, bandages, as well some waterless hand sanitizer.


Food and beverages consumed during the contest are important to maintaining a high energy level throughout that long day. Many lifters prefer high energy, high carb breakfasts, like pancakes, to sustain their energy. I strongly suggest avoiding eating anything you are not used to. Unfamiliar food could cause nasty digestive problems that can wipe out all your hard training in a single stomach ache. Bring some food and beverages to chow on during the contest, like bottled water, sports drinks and light food. Sandwiches and yogurt are good, especially if there is not good suitable food available at or near the contest. In many cases, nothing is available in the actual contest facilities except vending machines. Fast food can upset your stomach and weigh you down so that may not be a wise choice. Bring a cooler and keep it in your car to keep everything cold and fresh and away from other hungry lifters. If you experienced problems at the contest due to something you ate, identify what it was and stay away from it next time. Things that seemed to digest well should be considered again for the next contest. Quantity also can make a difference, I suggest taking it easy and eating light. The time to pig out is after the contest.


Some contests can be a great distance away and require several hours or more of travel time either by car or air. In some cases it may be best to arrive the day prior to avoid rushing or, at worst, missing the contest altogether due to an unforeseen circumstance or travel delay. Arriving the day before would allow you to compete fresh without the tiring ordeal of early morning travel. If the contest is local and requires a short commute, be sure to arrive with plenty of time to spare. That extra breathing room is great for stress reduction. Also be aware of time changes when traveling into different time zones.


Critical at a contest are warm-ups. Just like the Titanic had too few lifeboats, most meets do not have enough benches or squat racks. If you don’t keep tabs on how soon you’re due to lift on the platform, you may have to lift before you’ve completed your warm-ups. On the flip side, you may finish your warm-ups too soon and have to wait a long time to lift, which could leave you cooled off. In either case, you are exposing yourself to injury as well as reducing your chances for good lifts. If you are not ready to take your opener, my suggestion is to pass on your opener and take it as your second attempt and finish your warm-ups. Taking your opener when not warmed up properly could be a real confidence breaker or, at worst, lead to an injury. Too many lifters miss taking opening attempts because they were in the warm-up room unaware their name was announced to a lift. Have a helper or buddy keep tabs on how long it will be until your attempt is coming up. A few quick tips are to ask to work in with lifters that are similar in strength to you, don’t ask the reigning national champ to strip the bar down to 135 for you. Most lifters will let you work in if you ask and offer to help reload the bar for their attempts. Count how many lifters or attempts are ahead of you and add 2 minutes per attempt, this takes into account weight changes. If you had a problem in this area, make sure at the next contest you have a plan coming in. Oh yeah, plan your warm up attempts in advance. You can refer to past articles of mine on contest warm-ups in PL USA for specifics.


Your choice of contest attempts is next up. You should always come to a contest with an idea of how your attempts would go. For example, let’s say you plan to open with a 400 lb. squat, and then if successful jump to 435, and then take 450 as a third. We all know that sometimes your attempts don’t go as planned. That 400 opener may have felt a lot heavier than usual. A tougher than anticipated lift at 400 may require you to lower your second attempt to 415. There are also times when 400 feels like 300 and you may consider a higher second or third attempt. Experience is the best source of how to choose attempts at the contest when your lifting does not go as expected. It’s possible it could be due to the weights (bar and plates) at the contest weighing more or less than the weights you use at your gym. A competent coach who knows your abilities can help you with these decisions.

 

If you err or have success, use this as a learning experience for future contests. Always come to a contest with realistic expectations, but be prepared to make intelligent and realistic adjustments on the fly. Also keep in mind that if one lift goes bad, it may foretell troubles in the other succeeding lifts, so you may need to make adjustments in those also. I do not suggest increasing openers because if you cannot make your opener, you are out. Your succeeding attempts can be easily raised if your opener goes well. Your openers are to get and keep you in the meet, not necessarily to win or post personal records.


Occupying yourself while not lifting is worth considering. It can be difficult to keep motivated and your energy level high throughout a long contest. Make sure you have comfortable clothes to wear while waiting. Sweats make sense at contests where it can get chilly. Bring your fully charged MP3 or touch player to keep yourself energized between lifts. Take numerous walks outside for some fresh air to clear out the cobwebs after spending hours around sweat, chalk, baby powder and muscle rubs.


There are a lot of factors involved in a contest outside of the actual lifting. If any go awry, your results will reflect it. On the other hand, if you have a good plan, your results will show on the upside. Use each contest to make each succeeding one more successful. Remember that all your hard work can all be wasted if you blow it at the contest due to poor planning and execution. Make every contest a learning experience, a Contest 101. Soon to come, Contest 102.