How to overcome competition nerves + general Q's

[LiftinLarge]

I will be competing for the first time in November's GPC Push/Pull meet at PTC Sydney.

Never competed before, so will be popping my cherry for the first time.

General questions for all the pro's and experienced lifters out there:

1. How do you overcome competition nerves, as you're about to step onto the platform? My game plan is just to get fkn angry.. (i.e. I've done this lift a million times, and there's no reason for me to fuck it up now!)
   
2. How do I decide on my attempts? Should I be conservative and set my 1st attempt be my 3RM weight (to build confidence in subsequent attempts)? Or should I go for my gym 1RM and aim for PBs in my 2nd and 3rd attempts?
   
3. Suits. Do I need one? Compulsory? Same question about deadlifting socks.

That's all I can think of at the moment. I'll ask more questions as they come up.

Cheers!

 

[Sticky]

I wrote some thing up for all my new lifters mate.

HAve a read here. Soft suit and socks are needed

PTC Brisbane - Issue 4

Seriously, comps are a lot of fun, dont think to much.

 

[LiftinLarge]

Cheers Sticky, a wealth of knowledge!

 

[nazzysmith]

Cheers Sticky, a wealth of knowledge!

Ive only competed once and had expected that it would be pretty daunting...

Was the opposite IMO... Found a room full of people with a strong positive vibe!!!

Was an enjoyable experience...

 

[Sticky]

No problems brother.

 

[0ni]

I work with a hypnotherapist at work who uses a wide variety of methods on me. He treats everything from anxiety to engraining movement patterns to making me believe i can do anything. Highly recommended and you can self medicate once you know the techniques.

Youll be find after the first squat anyway

 

[wingman]

I competed for the first time last weekend. Heres my experiences which i hope help: (in no particular order)
1) get a suit. They're awful as hell and i was forever adjusting mine as my balls are large. But, if you think youll progress in the sport they do become compulsory at higher levels so may as well get used to it.
2) choose opening based on lifts you can do at least 3 reps of. If your nervous your opening attempt needs to be doable in your sleep so that a) u dont fuck it up b) you get something on the board incase you fail your harder attempts. 2nd attempt perhaps a bit below your PR and 3rd a bit over it.
3) nerves - sort out number 2 above and there shouldnt be any really. I had none but then im indifferent to almost everything

Other advice
* dont worry about placing / ranking. Just go and beat your own 1rm's.
* nutrition. Most of these events go all day without a real break for lunch. I took a 2L bottle of water a 1L bottle of fruitjuice, a couple of bananas and a couple lollies (eg snakes / jelly babies). You might be different but i needed the sugar to stay peaked all day.
* cheer competitors on. In powerlifting your oponents are not the enemy theyre your peers. This goes both ways and will help you get PRs.

 

[D1cko]

I was fucking shaking before every lift...both from excitement and personal expectation. I'd like to be a little more relaxed next time lol
Having said that, there was not one lifter who didn't want you to succeed, just awesome for technically an individual sport.

 

[callan]

as a general rule i open on a 2 rm, then go for your pb on the secod attempt, be carefull tht you dont open too light, or the jump to your desired second attempt will be too large (hence why i open on a 2rm) think of your third attempt as a safety net for your second, that way you wont hold back on the second, if you fail it you still have another shot, if you make it you then have a chance to go above what you wanted on the day, judge your jumps by how you feel, be realistic.
if you dont get what you wanted dont stress, this is all about improving yourself, all you are doing in your first comp is getting numbers on the board to improve on

 

[NAPARM]

be carefull tht you dont open too light, or the jump to your desired second attempt will be too large

Not if that's the way you train in the gym, I'll often take a 35-40kg jump from my opening deadlift to my second attempt.

 

[JazDSpaz]

I work with a hypnotherapist at work who uses a wide variety of methods on me. He treats everything from anxiety to engraining movement patterns to making me believe i can do anything. Highly recommended and you can self medicate once you know the techniques.

Youll be find after the first squat anyway

Wow, ok.

 

[PowerBarbie]

Scott will confirm, so far I've cried before EVERY comp.. And I think I've done almost 10 now, hahaha.. Nerves = adrenalin = epic lifting (in my case anyway).. Once you get that first lift out of the way, you'll be perfectly fine!

 

[LiftinLarge]

Thanks for all the tips, guys and gals

The comp is still a month away, and I'm already feeling some adrenalin

Since this is my first comp, I'm going to be conservative and set my 2nd attempt to be my gym 1RM. If I make the 2nd attempt with all guts and glory, then I will set the 3rd to be based off PB + 10 kgs, depending on how I feel.

 

[0ni]

Not if that's the way you train in the gym, I'll often take a 35-40kg jump from my opening deadlift to my second attempt.

you deadlift like 9000000000000000000kg though

 

[callan]

Not if that's the way you train in the gym, I'll often take a 35-40kg jump from my opening deadlift to my second attempt.

theres a fifference between opening on a warm up when you are an experienced compeditor and know what you can do rather than opening at a wheight where you can gauge what your second attempt will be

 

[benrok]

Choose an easy opener
start wearing your soft suit
dont stress about your bodyweight
bring something small to eat during the comp
dont put pressure on yourself for your first comp
have fun
be confident

 

[Sticky]

Not if that's the way you train in the gym, I'll often take a 35-40kg jump from my opening deadlift to my second attempt.

My first 300kg deadlift went 265-300
My last comp went 265-285-302
My next comp will be 275-305

 

[adamklam]

]\
2) choose opening based on lifts you can do at least 3 reps of on the day of the comp (i.e. you do it as part of you warmup). If your nervous your opening attempt needs to be doable in your sleep so that a) u dont fuck it up b) you get something on the board incase you fail your harder attempts. 2nd attempt perhaps a bit below your PR and 3rd a bit over it.

Added an extra bit. Markos uses this approach for his novice / new lifters in the early comps. two reasons -
1. You should easily make this lift - gets you in the comp (no bombing)
2. It's a massive confidence boost.

Use you're second and third attempts to smash PBs.

Once you've done a few comps feel free to use whatever approach you want but in PL, no one cares what you lifts you fail, it's the total that wins the comp.

 

[callan]

Added an extra bit. Markos uses this approach for his novice / new lifters in the early comps. two reasons -
1. You should easily make this lift - gets you in the comp (no bombing)
2. It's a massive confidence boost.

Use you're second and third attempts to smash PBs.

Once you've done a few comps feel free to use whatever approach you want but in PL, no one cares what you lifts you fail, it's the total that wins the comp.

if you need to hit your openers on the day of the comp you are only wasting energy by going pretty much to your max on comp day before actually lifting, the only time id let someone who i was coaching do that is if they are freaking out, even still the way i train personally and the programs id use to train others is that we hit openers just over a week out from comp to give the body time to recover and for the cns to adapt to the weight, that way they are going to the comp knowing they can do their openers, and have a rough idea of what they will get on second attempts

 

[Sticky]

How many lifters do you coach?