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Meet Mistakes
From my good friend Joey Smith
By Joey SmithPublished: August 14, 2012
Posted in: Powerlifting
Tags: changes, joey smith, meet mistakes, powerlifting
Meet Mistakes
No matter how much talent or potential a lifter has, he/she will probably suffer from rookie mistakes from time to time. Some lifters catch on quickly and some take longer. Trust me, I?ve been guilty of rookie mistakes and I see them all the time at meets. These mistakes will happen, but we can try to minimize their occurrences. A good way to do this is to identify them and learn from others as well.
Confidence
Rookie lifters tend to have less confidence in their contest attempts than do veteran lifters. This is demonstrated when lifters take their last warm-ups with a weight very close to their opening attempt. I?ve even seen novice lifters take more than their openers. This results in taking (what amounts to) four attempts per lift. By the time their third attempt comes, they?ve spent a great deal of strength and energy. This is equivalent to a runner running the whole race before it actually starts, just to make sure he can make it. Lifters must learn to use their training as a guide to what they can do at a meet. If your opener is chosen properly, there will be no doubt. The sooner this fear is shed, the sooner your lifting will improve.
Openers
Let?s discuss taking openers that are too heavy. This is the number one problem of most lifters. An opener should get the lifter in the meet, not win it for him. An opener should be a ?lock.? For a novice lifter, I would tell them to take a weight they can comfortably double or triple. One of the best feelings in the world is getting that first lift in; try to experience it often. Your second attempt should be something you have a high confidence level in getting. The third attempt should be the most challenging and possibly a personal record if everything is going well. Choosing weights for attempts is an art that may never be completely mastered, but experience will help tremendously here. Veteran lifters make mistakes, too. And some make them a bit too often?perhaps they too, should take a hard look at what they?re trying to accomplish.
Rules
Another common rookie mistake is not knowing the rules of competition. A common one in the squat is when to rack the weight. A successful, gut-busting squat can be quickly nullified by attempting to rack the weight prior the judge?s signal. This also holds true for the bench rack signal. The down signal for the deadlift requires the lifter to lower the bar under control to the floor, not letting it drop from your hands crashing to the platform. Rule briefings are boring to veteran lifters but novices should attend them and pay attention. Keep the rules of competition in your mind while you?re lifting. The rules are basic and simple, but stray from them and you?ll be seeing RED AND NOT WHITE.
Anxiety is high at any meet. The wait before you lift can seem to be a long one. Maybe that?s why so many lifters are warmed-up and ready-to-go when the preceding flight of lifters is still on their second attempts. Nevermind the 10-minute break between flights, so finishing warming-up about 30 minutes before you lift isn?t too desirable. Your muscles will be cold by then, which may well mean a weaker lift or an injury because you are no longer warmed-up. Ideally, your warm-ups should end about 10-15 minutes before your first attempt. If you are in the first flight of lifters, your start time is determined. Add 1-2 minutes extra for every lifter in front of you. For squats, this may be a minute or two more. If you?re in the succeeding flight, watch how long it takes to finish all the first attempts of the flight before you. If you double that time and add it to the time that flight finishes its first attempts, you have a ballpark figure of when your flight is on. Add any time that may be taken between flights and add 1-2 minutes for each competitor before you in your flight. Spread your warm-ups throughout this time-span for best results allowing 10-15 minutes before your attempt. Keep tabs on the flight?s second and third attempts for any surprises. Don?t forget to compensate for any bomb-outs as the meet progresses. This is just an estimate and not written in stone. Be ready to slow or speed up your warm-ups. Have your warm-up progression figured out in advance. Try it in a practice session a week or so prior to the meet.
The other extreme is getting left in the warm-up room while your name is being called to take an attempt. You?re better off to pass on this one and regroup for your next attempt. There is a great chance that hurrying could cause a miserable, confidence-destroying effort or worse yet, an injury. Take the same weight for your second attempt and keep calm, all is not lost yet. Keep track of where the competition is. If you have a helper, have him help in this effort.
All mistakes are not just made during a competition. Some can be made in training, in particular, the week prior the competition. Many novice lifters will train too hard that last week, leaving a lot of their strength behind. I strongly suggest that you don?t train hard a week before the competition. For example, if the meet were on Saturday, take your last deadlift workout 10-14 days before, working up to your opener. Your last squat workout would be on Monday or Tuesday, again, going only up to your opener. The same goes for the last bench day on Tuesday or Wednesday. That?s it for the week. So, 95% of your training is behind you and another tough training session will not have any positive impact on your total. It?s better to take attempts that confirm your strength level before the meet, which should quench the need to take those extra openers in the warm-up room before your actual meet attempts. This will also leave you rested and eager to get the job done for real. Lastly, going only to openers lowers your chance for a last minute injury. In addition, any failures this last week should alert you that something is wrong and you can make adjustments. Failures during hard training the week before the meet may be confidence shakers. We want to build confidence coming into a meet.
Making mistakes can be a great way to learn, but it?s not the most desirable way to learn. When you do make a mistake, learn from it and move on. Always believe in yourself and your training. Your brains can add to your total just as much or more than the newest squat suit or bench shirt.
From my good friend Joey Smith
By Joey SmithPublished: August 14, 2012
Posted in: Powerlifting
Tags: changes, joey smith, meet mistakes, powerlifting
Meet Mistakes
No matter how much talent or potential a lifter has, he/she will probably suffer from rookie mistakes from time to time. Some lifters catch on quickly and some take longer. Trust me, I?ve been guilty of rookie mistakes and I see them all the time at meets. These mistakes will happen, but we can try to minimize their occurrences. A good way to do this is to identify them and learn from others as well.
Confidence
Rookie lifters tend to have less confidence in their contest attempts than do veteran lifters. This is demonstrated when lifters take their last warm-ups with a weight very close to their opening attempt. I?ve even seen novice lifters take more than their openers. This results in taking (what amounts to) four attempts per lift. By the time their third attempt comes, they?ve spent a great deal of strength and energy. This is equivalent to a runner running the whole race before it actually starts, just to make sure he can make it. Lifters must learn to use their training as a guide to what they can do at a meet. If your opener is chosen properly, there will be no doubt. The sooner this fear is shed, the sooner your lifting will improve.
Openers
Let?s discuss taking openers that are too heavy. This is the number one problem of most lifters. An opener should get the lifter in the meet, not win it for him. An opener should be a ?lock.? For a novice lifter, I would tell them to take a weight they can comfortably double or triple. One of the best feelings in the world is getting that first lift in; try to experience it often. Your second attempt should be something you have a high confidence level in getting. The third attempt should be the most challenging and possibly a personal record if everything is going well. Choosing weights for attempts is an art that may never be completely mastered, but experience will help tremendously here. Veteran lifters make mistakes, too. And some make them a bit too often?perhaps they too, should take a hard look at what they?re trying to accomplish.
Rules
Another common rookie mistake is not knowing the rules of competition. A common one in the squat is when to rack the weight. A successful, gut-busting squat can be quickly nullified by attempting to rack the weight prior the judge?s signal. This also holds true for the bench rack signal. The down signal for the deadlift requires the lifter to lower the bar under control to the floor, not letting it drop from your hands crashing to the platform. Rule briefings are boring to veteran lifters but novices should attend them and pay attention. Keep the rules of competition in your mind while you?re lifting. The rules are basic and simple, but stray from them and you?ll be seeing RED AND NOT WHITE.
Anxiety is high at any meet. The wait before you lift can seem to be a long one. Maybe that?s why so many lifters are warmed-up and ready-to-go when the preceding flight of lifters is still on their second attempts. Nevermind the 10-minute break between flights, so finishing warming-up about 30 minutes before you lift isn?t too desirable. Your muscles will be cold by then, which may well mean a weaker lift or an injury because you are no longer warmed-up. Ideally, your warm-ups should end about 10-15 minutes before your first attempt. If you are in the first flight of lifters, your start time is determined. Add 1-2 minutes extra for every lifter in front of you. For squats, this may be a minute or two more. If you?re in the succeeding flight, watch how long it takes to finish all the first attempts of the flight before you. If you double that time and add it to the time that flight finishes its first attempts, you have a ballpark figure of when your flight is on. Add any time that may be taken between flights and add 1-2 minutes for each competitor before you in your flight. Spread your warm-ups throughout this time-span for best results allowing 10-15 minutes before your attempt. Keep tabs on the flight?s second and third attempts for any surprises. Don?t forget to compensate for any bomb-outs as the meet progresses. This is just an estimate and not written in stone. Be ready to slow or speed up your warm-ups. Have your warm-up progression figured out in advance. Try it in a practice session a week or so prior to the meet.
The other extreme is getting left in the warm-up room while your name is being called to take an attempt. You?re better off to pass on this one and regroup for your next attempt. There is a great chance that hurrying could cause a miserable, confidence-destroying effort or worse yet, an injury. Take the same weight for your second attempt and keep calm, all is not lost yet. Keep track of where the competition is. If you have a helper, have him help in this effort.
All mistakes are not just made during a competition. Some can be made in training, in particular, the week prior the competition. Many novice lifters will train too hard that last week, leaving a lot of their strength behind. I strongly suggest that you don?t train hard a week before the competition. For example, if the meet were on Saturday, take your last deadlift workout 10-14 days before, working up to your opener. Your last squat workout would be on Monday or Tuesday, again, going only up to your opener. The same goes for the last bench day on Tuesday or Wednesday. That?s it for the week. So, 95% of your training is behind you and another tough training session will not have any positive impact on your total. It?s better to take attempts that confirm your strength level before the meet, which should quench the need to take those extra openers in the warm-up room before your actual meet attempts. This will also leave you rested and eager to get the job done for real. Lastly, going only to openers lowers your chance for a last minute injury. In addition, any failures this last week should alert you that something is wrong and you can make adjustments. Failures during hard training the week before the meet may be confidence shakers. We want to build confidence coming into a meet.
Making mistakes can be a great way to learn, but it?s not the most desirable way to learn. When you do make a mistake, learn from it and move on. Always believe in yourself and your training. Your brains can add to your total just as much or more than the newest squat suit or bench shirt.
