A competition dilemma...

[TheProject]

I've been planning on competing in Omaha in November.

I also started going to a chiropractor, and have gotten some custom orthotics that have helped with my collapsed arches. However, the orthotics have had an impact on my squat and deadlift. I feel a lot more stable, but the movements themselves still feel a little different, and I don't feel as strong at either. I know that I'm working in a different ROM because of the orthotics, and that I'm taking a step backward to take a leap forward, but I haven't hit that leaping point yet.

The reason I mention all this is that I'm now thinking about not competing. I'm worried that my comp lifts in November could be less than my last comp in February, and I don't know that I want to go in and total less overall.

So, yeah, it's ego, and it's pride, but do you all think there's still value in going ahead with the comp?

 

[pwr_machine]

Of course there's still value in competing! And it's waaaaaaay to early to be thinking about what your lifts might be. Keep training hard and GET stronger!

 

[Boulder257]

personally, my belief is that you should not let your fears get in the way of your successes. There are two things that can happen: you go and total more, or you go and total less. You won't know unless you try. Also, I can tell you that if you doubt yourself in even the slightest, you wont be able to do your best. Give it all you've got, and if you don't total more, at least you can say you tried, and you gave it everything you had.

People on their death beds don't think about the things they did, they think about the things they should have done...

 

[Liftbig]

perhaps you can just bench press...

i would not go into a meet where i was not confident i could set PRs.

 

[TheProject]

Of course there's still value in competing! And it's waaaaaaay to early to be thinking about what your lifts might be. Keep training hard and GET stronger!

I don't know about way too early...we're talking a couple of weeks here.

 

[Liftbig]

yeah, there is two training weeks left, including this one i beleive. my meet is the same weekend, and i have 2 de squat workouts left.

 

[pwr_machine]

So is that 2 weeks to dwell on maybe I won't be stronger? Or 2 weeks to focus and get your mind ready to be stronger? As a lifter, you know the mind is very powerful and things could click in training. That's my opinion for what it's worth. Best of luck in your decision.

 

[spatts]

I would go bench only.

 

[2Shy]

So is that 2 weeks to dwell on maybe I won't be stronger? Or 2 weeks to focus and get your mind ready to be stronger?

Listen to pwr-machine.

You said yourself it's a completely new ROM for you. It's not a lot different than switching from, say, a close stance squat to a wide-stance. You're going to see a difference in your lift until you get used to the change. You're comparing apples to oranges.

Think of your numbers with the orthotics as PRs. You're moving differently and I imagine you're using muscles slightly differently. Don't compare them to your BO lifts. Not to say that those stunk or anything .... hmmmm...maybe BO was a poor choice of abbreviation.

Compete. Have fun. Learn lots. Lift hard. If you find yourself standing with the spectators, you'll regret not competing. Concentrate on improving your numbers with the orthotics and stop comparing them to the numbers without them. You're gonna surpass those, anyway.

And, yeah, Project, it is ego. Don't let it beat you.

~2Shy

 

[spatts]

To the untrained person it may not seem like a big difference, but in a different plane, and different ROM, he will be learning to re-recruit muscles and use small muscles, that are stabalizers, and are weak because they've not been used in that plane before.

That's not a big deal with 50% of your max, but with 110% of it, it's a different story.

 

[2Shy]

I agree it's a big difference, which is why I suggested he not compare the lifts with the orthotics to the lifts without them. Guess I didn't express myself too well.

If it's a safety issue, then, no, he should wait. *G* Lord knows, I'd be the first to say I'm inexperienced. Can Project compete at lower numbers or will it mess up his standings somehow? I thought he was asking about competing at lower numbers, not at the higher ones he originally wanted.

Just don't want him beating himself up because his numbers might be lower than what he wanted. Everything is different now that he has the orthotics.

 

[MT375]

I don't mean to hijack your thread Project but how many people from elite are going to the Omaha meet? I just started getting interested in powerlifting, and am going to go just to watch. Figured I'd get an idea of how a meet is run etc before I'd enter my first one.

 

[spatts]

MT375, so far it will be almost the entire Midwest Maddog team, which is:

Ironlion
DG21 KG18
Chawk
VDOP
hannibal
mjaym
ish
benchmonster
S/B/S
spatts
animalmass
genemachine
project
phreeezer
red_evil
...and a few others that aren't on Elite


If you want to PM me and let me know where you're staying we can all hook up. We will be there Friday morning through Sunday.

 

[t3c]

I would only bench

I dont know about you...but that would be a huge knock at the self esteem if I didnt set prs in competition

also, can you elaborate more on your situation? I wear orthodics in my sneakers but NOT in my chucks. My feet are very flat...should i be wearing them in my chucks?

 

[spatts]

I wear mine in my chucks and it makes a world of difference.

 

[bignate73]

I would only bench

I wear orthodics in my sneakers but NOT in my chucks. My feet are very flat...should i be wearing them in my chucks?

sounds like a "yes" from my corner. chucks give about 0% arch support, definitely throw them in there.

 

[TheProject]

I would only bench

I dont know about you...but that would be a huge knock at the self esteem if I didnt set prs in competition

also, can you elaborate more on your situation? I wear orthodics in my sneakers but NOT in my chucks. My feet are very flat...should i be wearing them in my chucks?

Bench only is an option, and one I hadn't really thought about.

The orthotics I have are custom molded to my feet, and I wear them in any pair of shoes I have, including my chucks. They've made a world of difference in terms of my stability, my knees don't cave as badly, and I have zero foot pain now. The only thing is, the way I squat and deadlift just feels different, and I have NO idea what I can really do in either lift.

I really do think that the changes are a small step backward in exchange for a leap forward.

I think I'm going to do some high box squats for my ME work tonight, and work up some afterward, just to see how it goes, and then evaluate from there.

 

[TheProject]

I did high box squats last night, 18", and was able to hit 243 before my form deteriorated, and I hit 275 basically as a combo/squat GM. I know I could nail at least that fully equipped...getting back to 325 and beyond could take more time.

Unfortunately, I managed to "pop" something last night while I was squatting. I was pushing my air out, got down to the bottom, flexed to come up, and something on my right side, just below my rib cage, popped. I belted up and finished the work, but it hurts. I may be making a trip to the doc if this doesn't heal up in a couple of days.

 

[bigguns15]

Hope you're alright. Whatever you decide, we'll support you

 

[Liftbig]

Hope you're alright. Whatever you decide, we'll support you

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