The USAPL Atlanta Women’s Open is less than four weeks away.
If this is your first powerlifting meet (and even if it’s not), you might be freaking out, thinking and rethinking various meet day scenarios.
If you haven’t had a dream yet about powerlifting, it’s coming soon.
Hopefully you’re already training consistently for the meet.
If not, it’s time to get down to business.
While you probably can’t add 50# on to each lift between now and meet day, you can definitely improve your technique, your mental game, and your recovery to be a better lifter by May 6th.
Instead of worrying and overthinking every aspect of the upcoming meet, channel that energy into these six areas that will help calm and prepare your mind for the big day:
1. Learn the rules
Is your gear approved to wear at the meet? Is your technique going to fly on meet day?
MANY OF THE CROSSFIT DEADLIFTS, LA FITNESS SQUATS & BENCH PRESS BRO REPS I SEE ON INSTAGRAM WOULD NOT BE COUNTED AS GOOD LIFTS ON THE POWERLIFTING PLATFORM!
MAYBE you LOVE lifting with your lucky velcro belt, and then when you show up at the meet, the referee informs you that is not an approved belt.
Dang, what do I do now?
Read the rules.
Ask your coach (or your meet director) if you are unsure whether your gear is “meet-legal.”
So you set a new squat PR in the gym, and now you are ready to CRUSH that weight at the meet. Did you hit depth on the squat? Did you practice commands with that rep? If not, do it again and get video from several angles. There should be no question about your depth, or any of the other rules of the lift.
Read through this, or at least check out pages 16-17 and 28-32, to get familiar with the points of performance for each lift.
2. Establish a routine
Practice lots of singles at sub-maximal weight before meet day. Practice setting up, breathing and bracing the same way every time.
Your squat walk-out should always be the same. Set up on the bench the same way every time. Approach the bar the same way for every deadlift. Take your time. BREATHE. Practice with the commands over and over and over again.
3. Practice
Obviously, you should train several times between now and meet day. Once you learn the rules and establish your set up routine, practice each lift several times, hitting the points of performance on each lift.
I helped a client prepare for her first meet last year, and she was having issues with squat technique – sometimes she double-bounced at the bottom. Sometimes she didn’t hit depth.
We practiced so many squats leading up to the meet that it ended up being her easiest lift on meet day. In fact, on her first attempt she squatted SO FAST that the referees and spotters were shocked at how quickly she moved, and for her second attempt they warned each other to “get ready” in case she moved that fast again.
4. Fuel
Eat and hydrate. If this is your first meet, I don’t recommend worrying about which weight class you end up in. Get the experience of competing, and then decide if you want to cut or gain to become more competitive in a certain weight class. Now is the time to experiment with any new foods or supplements you might want to try on meet day. Don’t eat anything new on competition day.
5. Recover
SLEEP. Take some rest days. Do not max out on every lift several times between now and meet day. I recommend you do your last heavy deadlifts between 10 days and two weeks out from meet day. Do your last heavy squats at 7 to 10 days out. And do your last heavy bench presses no later than Monday of meet week.
Practice light reps the week of the meet, so your movement patterns and your mental game stay sharp.
6. Visualize
Spend time every day (or at least a few times a week) visualizing yourself making each lift successfully. Visualize your set up. Picture the referee, giving you commands. Imagine you see the white lights on the scoreboard as you make a good lift.
Between now and meet day, eliminate as much negative self talk as possible and become more loving and optimistic in the things you say to yourself.
“I am strong.”
“I can lift this weight.”
“I am a bad bitch.”
…whatever it is that unleashes your strong side, and puts you in the right mindset to make the lift.
Finally, enjoy the journey!
If you need more help before meet day, join me tomorrow night (and every Tuesday) at Citadel Nutrition for the Ladies Barbell Club from 6 to 8pm. I’m also hosting another Powerlifting seminar this Saturday, April 15th at Citadel, from 12n-3:30p. More details here.
Good luck!
In strength,
Lis Saunders
USA Powerlifting meet director/ state referee/ club coach/ athlete
aka Lis Smash aka She Hulk
IG @lissmash
Twitter @lissaunders
Please check out this week’s video below, and subscribe to my new YouTube channel to see more tips for new powerlifters.
