Getting ready for my first meet (help!!!)

[Seattleite]

Guys…

I work for the U.S. Army and we will be having a powerlifting meet at my location on December 1. This isn't anything big time for sure, but it's something that all of us who work in the area will be doing for fun. That being said, I'd still love to win the competition so I need some advice from the experts on training. I'll say right off the bat that Westside is not an option for me. I don't have a lot of the equipment like bands and chains available, plus I am 100% raw so a lot of the exercises like rack lockouts and so forth don't apply so much for me.

I do nearly all of my training in a power rack, which means that I pretty much do the "big 5" lifts (squats, bench, deads, military, and rows) as well as some other stuff like dips and chins. I have been following the exercise template of the 5x5, however I have been using a different rep scheme: 1x12, 1x8, 1x5, 1x3, 1x2.

Do you guys see any flaw in that training methodology? All help is appreciated!

 

[roadwarrior]

Good luck. I'll leave it for the guys who compete to comment in detail as I lift PL style but have never competed in it. DaveTSI, Powerbuilder333, and Scotsman come to mind right way.

 

[Seattleite]

Good luck. I'll leave it for the guys who compete to comment in detail as I lift PL style but have never competed in it. DaveTSI, Powerbuilder333, and Scotsman come to mind right way.

Thanks…I have never competed either, and this is a very low-key meet. It's not open to the public or anything…just something that a lot of us guys in the weight decided to do every 3 months or so to keep us motivated.

Bottom line, I just need advice on the best training routine to continue getting stronger while using the basic compound lifts.

 

[Blane]

You sound like you have a solid base. so reping down to your max should not be a problem.

Do you break pararell on the squat? Have you ever done a single with a pause on the flat bench? Do you DL without hitching?

Start decreasig the reps 8 weeks out. Meaning count backward from the day of the meet. Do you have targets set for the 3 exercises(one rep max)? Squat breaking pararell, Bench with pause and DL without hitching?

You must figure out what you want your target to be. once that is complete its simply a timing issue and implimentation. Ex: week 8(meaning eight weeks out)

lets say you want to add 10 lbs a week(as a conservitive number) to each exercise.

lets use the squat. lets assume your target is 500lbs.

Week 8(remember we are counting down): your working sets will be 420lbs for 3 sets of 5.
Week 7: 430 for 3 sets of 4
Week 6: 440 for 3 sets of 4
Week 5: 450 for 3 sets of 4(knee wraps)
Week 4: 460 for 2 sets of 3(kneee wraps)
Week 3: 470 for 2 sets of 2(knee wraps , squat suit)
Week 2 480 for 2 sets of 2(knee wraps , squat suit)
Week 1 490 for 1 set of 2(knee wraps , squat suit)
Meet day 490 for 1, 500 for 1, 510 for 1(knee wraps , squat suit)

since this is your first PL cycle it is diff to know how your body will react. So use the above as a loose guide. I think you will surpass the 10lbs a week number.. so this is simply an example.

Try on your squat suite early. to be sure it fits properly... this way you have plenty of time if you need to reorder.

The core exercises are what you should be doing IMO. Squat once a week, bench once a week, dl once a week. when i was competing i would not do any other exercises when cycling for a meet. Maybe good mornings, stiff legs, leg presses, inner benching. depending on how i felt. No iso work, and nothing over 5 reps.

also practice moving at someone elses pace. meaning as meet time draws near. have someone tell you when to start the exercise, when to rack etc. this way you get used to a judge. remember if you move out of sequence the lift will not count. Another example. on flat bench , wait till your buddy tells you to press. just dont think your pause is acceptable.(during training)

I know its a very simple roitine. i hope you can take something away from it.

and good luck at the meet.

 

[NASAKYCHAIRMAN]

10 COMPETITION BP TIPS

Here are 10 great competition bp tips that I have learned over the years:

1. Your last heavy bench press workout should be 7-10 days before your next bp competition.

2. Use no more than 80% max because if you do a Max Single within a week to 10 days of the Meet, you can automatically take 5% to 7% off that amount for your max on meet day.

3. 1-3 weeks before a bench press meet you can't get that much stronger, but you sure can get a lot weaker.

4. Ice your elbows 2-3 times before your bench press competition.

5. Your bp will suffer the most when you loose wt. You can plan on losing about 3 lbs from your bp per lb. of bwt lost AFTER the first 3 lbs of lost bwt. The lighter you are the more dramatic the effects.

6. Increase protein intake to increase recuperation.

7. Get a lot more sleep/rest.

8. Visualize the meet and your attempts.

9. Go over your meet equipment check list.

10. Have fun.


COMPETITION EQUIPMENT CHECK LIST

I have read several post on different forums about beginning lifters asking what should I bring to a bench press meet. Well, I’m going to outline a competition equipment checklist what you need to check before every bp competition. I truly believe it will help a lot of bp lifters.

1. Gym bag
2. Bp shirt(2) or none if raw
3. wrist wraps
4. singlet
5. belt
6. Cooler
7. Protein shake & variety of snacks
8. H20
9. Towel
10. Camera
11. Membership card
12. Extra $$$$
13. Extra clothes
14. Pen
15. Rubbing ointment
16. Deodorant
17.Vitamin H20

Good luck with your meet!

TRAIN HARD

“BIG WILLIE” J.T. HALL
YouTube - NASAKYCHAIRMAN's Channel

 

[Devastation]

just because you don't have bands and chains doesn't mean you can't train "westside" style for the meet. they have tons of great principles and ideas to use for your workouts. main things: follow your percentages, do 3 rep maxes, watch your volume, follow the conjugate method, do tons of good mornings and other exercises you don't normally do and mix it up every week. if you don't have the right equipment, improvise. you wouldn't believe the shit i had to rig up until i could convince my gym to buy the right equipment. and if your current routine isn't making you stronger every week, change it up and find one that does. when that one stops, try something else. good luck broham