If you could go back to your first meet, what would you have done differently?

[Slabiathan]

Test No Ester ...as a PWO/Pre Lift

Thanks, man! I'll keep that in mind for the far future! I got a lot to accomplish before any enhancements.

 

[silentlemon1011]

Thanks, man! I'll keep that in mind for the far future! I got a lot to accomplish before any enhancements.

For sure
And TBH
It takes a bit of practice to use Gear as a PWO.

My fiest few times with Halo, i missed lifts that should have been RPE7 or 8
I got too jacked up and angry, lost focus

So something for the future, but with some practice

 

[Slabiathan]

For sure
And TBH
It takes a bit of practice to use Gear as a PWO.

My fiest few times with Halo, i missed lifts that should have been RPE7 or 8
I got too jacked up and angry, lost focus

So something for the future, but with some practice

That will probably take a lot of practice for me! I lift so serenely lol. I have to start practicing just getting jacked before lifts! I am definitely on the too calm side of things.

 

[Btcowboy]

Test No Ester ...as a PWO/Pre Lift

This, I ran 20mg Halo before each of the 3 lifts... just didn't have TNE, next one

 

[Btcowboy]

That will probably take a lot of practice for me! I lift so serenely lol. I have to start practicing just getting jacked before lifts! I am definitely on the too calm side of things.

Start with some metal for background noise, add in the smelling salts... thats a great start.

If you do run gear pwo test it out in the gym and not the meet. I ran halo pwo for months during prep.. I knew exactly how I reacted, and when to take it. Of course meets dont run on the same schedule as you in the gym so you deal with and work it out

 

[Trendkill]

Start with some metal for background noise, add in the smelling salts... thats a great start.

If you do run gear pwo test it out in the gym and not the meet. I ran halo pwo for months during prep.. I knew exactly how I reacted, and when to take it. Of course meets dont run on the same schedule as you in the gym so you deal with and work it out

There's nothing worse then hearing the meet director over the PA, "we're going to take an hour break after the benches are over before we start the deadlift flights". This after starting the meet 45 mins late and taking 8 hours for squat and bench. Ugh.

 

[TODAY]

That will probably take a lot of practice for me! I lift so serenely lol. I have to start practicing just getting jacked before lifts! I am definitely on the too calm side of things.

Some of the strongest people I've ever known lifted with zero visible emotion. There's really no "one size fits all" approach to the emotional/psychological side of powerlifting.

 

[Btcowboy]

Some of the strongest people I've ever known lifted with zero visible emotion. There's really no "one size fits all" approach to the emotional side of powerlifting.

This is so true, i aint that strong but I dont get all hyped and jacked on the outside anyways. But the pwo goodies do help

 

[Slabiathan]

Some of the strongest people I've ever known lifted with zero visible emotion. There's really no "one size fits all" approach to the emotional side of powerlifting.

Definitely! Based off my normal disposition, I doubt I will ever be super jacked up outwardly. I do want to be able to flip that switch internally. Just a little more practice and mental exploration to try to find that zone for me.

 

[silentlemon1011]

Honestly
It was detrimental
I rypically lift relaxed and focused on form.
The Halo added some aggression, but after realizing it, got used to it and moved on

 

[Slabiathan]

Honestly
It was detrimental
I rypically lift relaxed and focused on form.
The Halo added some aggression, but after realizing it, got used to it and moved on

I could see how it possibly could be. I know I like the mental clarity to try to cue myself out of weird positions. The arousal curve is an inverted U. If you get to far it can be hard to be 100!

 

[Trendkill]

I just like the guys that are all business at a meet. No BS, no talking, no theatrics, just controlled rage. It's there but it's under the surface and it is 100% focused on the task at hand. Talk and BS all you want after the meet is over I'm totally cool with that but during the meet leave me the fuck alone unless its a question about an attempt or quick feedback on a lift. Or to help me get my squat suit off lol.

 

[Slabiathan]

I just like the guys that are all business at a meet. No BS, no talking, no theatrics, just controlled rage. It's there but it's under the surface and it is 100% focused on the task at hand. Talk and BS all you want after the meet is over I'm totally cool with that but during the meet leave me the fuck alone unless its a question about an attempt or quick feedback on a lift. Or to help me get my squat suit off lol.

Definitely! That is what I am trying to cultivate for myself!

 

[Trendkill]

If you want to see intensity personified just type "Chuck Vogelpohl" in a youtube search. Most guys this intense are faking it to try and impress/intimidate other lifters or because they think it's part of powerlifting. Chuck is the only dude I've ever seen this intense where it is just his natural state of mind when competing and 100% authentic. Dave Tate used to talk about the biggest struggle he had when handling Chuck at a meet was keeping him calm enough to properly execute. He'd spend 30 mins getting him under control and then some random dude would come over and say something that would set him off again and Dave would lose it lol.

 

[Slabiathan]

Yeah I have heard those stories from table talk and Westside versus the world! The footage of him lifting is insane!

 

[Trendkill]

Here's my favorite video Chuck squatting. It was his first 900lb squat. He went on to squat an ATWR 1175@275 later in his career. When I saw this video for the first time it moved something in me.

 

[Slabiathan]

Here's my favorite video Chuck squatting. It was his first 900lb squat. He went on to squat an ATWR 1175@275 later in his career. When I saw this video for the first time it moved something in me.

That is the truth. I'm gonna be watching this kind of stuff all night!!

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

That will probably take a lot of practice for me! I lift so serenely lol. I have to start practicing just getting jacked before lifts! I am definitely on the too calm side of things.

This was going to be my suggestion:

Lift the way you normally do. The meet is nothing special if you lift hard during training. There’s no reason to “hype” yourself up if you trust your training and KNOW you can hit the selected weight.

If you don’t use pre-workout, don’t use it for the meet. If you don’t drink caffeine or energy drinks then don’t use that for meet day. I had a little too much caffeine before my first meet and it made me seem nervous. I didn’t like that.

Take your time. The nerves will hit you while you are next man up but when you step on the platform the people and sounds all go away. It’s YOUR turn. Nothing else is important at that time. You won’t hear anything while you stick the lift and until you see the white lights, Then the sounds come back. That’s honestly the addictive part of competition. You get in the zone.

 

[Yano]

Some of the strongest people I've ever known lifted with zero visible emotion. There's really no "one size fits all" approach to the emotional/psychological side of powerlifting.

I have weird moments like that on real grinders ,, this thing just takes over and I get real calm and the weight just moves ,, like everything down shifts like an old truck goin into granny gear ,, i can't really explain it other than that.

 

[Slabiathan]

This was going to be my suggestion:

Lift the way you normally do. The meet is nothing special if you lift hard during training. There’s no reason to “hype” yourself up if you trust your training and KNOW you can hit the selected weight.

If you don’t use pre-workout, don’t use it for the meet. If you don’t drink caffeine or energy drinks then don’t use that for meet day. I had a little too much caffeine before my first meet and it made me seem nervous. I didn’t like that.

Take your time. The nerves will hit you while you are next man up but when you step on the platform the people and sounds all go away. It’s YOUR turn. Nothing else is important at that time. You won’t hear anything while you stick the lift and until you see the white lights, Then the sounds come back. That’s honestly the addictive part of competition. You get in the zone.

Thanks, BBBG! I appreciate that! I am going to keep this in mind as I am training. The total on the platform is the culmination of the intensity brought day to day.