any powerlifters about?

[Julesni77]

I am due to compete in a rookie meet in 4 weeks time. I am working with my trainer and have had the worst time getting IPF approved knee sleeve to go over my massive calves finally suceeded with 5xl SBD ones😳

Have any of you lovely lifters any tips for a first time competitor?

Thanks for the update @Julesni77 😁

Sending lots of strength for Saturday. Keep grinding and milk the support of the crowd to get you through those lifts 💪🏼

Have you trained fuelling on Coca Cola before? This does not go well for me but everyone’s different. I wouldn’t try anything new on comp day.

Lots of luck we’re rooting for you 👍🏼

@erinaceus no I have not trained with coca cola before - I usually mainline coffee and sweetener - I will be honest no one in our house drinks it - they were delivered by accident with a pizza lol and i thought hey that's a good idea to use them up - caffeine and sugar! Might reconsider!
@RayKray a girl in the gym told me oatcakes for energy - I don't eat them either!

Best of luck @Julesni77 ! Enjoy and great you have your weights sorted, I am on my last 2 weeks of prep before taper week… my coach has me matching PB’s this week and exceeding next week so comp could be fun! 🤩

@RayKray thank you!!

I'd agree don't eat or anything different on comp day as you don't know what it'll do. Just take some nice familiar food that's easy to eat. And a variety of things as you might not know what you fancy. Lots of lifters take haribo sweets for an energy boost. I take sweets and always forget I have them.

Fizziness does not work for me so I do not think Coca Cola is a good plan, and definitely not if you’ve not tried it before - sorry.

I use orange lucozade sport if I need a sugary drink - my stomach is used to it. I agree haribo are good for sugary boost. Beyond that easy to eat things and variety, yes. I seem to remember having an espresso before my deadlifts when I competed before, but our day was long.

Good luck to you as well @2andadog .

My comp is in seven weeks so I’m pretty much at the hardest part of the training cycle these few weeks. My sessions leave me really beaten up and I feel as if I’m eating all the fricking time trying to fuel it. But my squats are improving and we will test bench this coming weekend 💪🏼

@erinaceus some really good tips here, thanks!

My training block has just been increasing week on week weight wise, but volume has stayed the same. Also hungry allll the time though and sessions do leave me tired!! how long are your blocks? Do you increase volume at certain stages? Just interested in different techniques to training.

@2andadog With some apologies: my coach writes my training program. She and I meet in person every month and then she adjusts the program or writes a new one for the next month. In terms of how the periodisation is planned, I don’t actually know. I see it happening in the programming over the weeks and months and I follow along.

I know that where I am at the moment is pretty much the hardest part of a comp cycle because I have done a comp cycle before (about ten years ago); I know the rough plan for this month and next month because she gave us an outline of the comp prep, but beyond that she has in mind our rough plan for the year and our long-term goals and she does the programming accordingly.

There are times in the year when the intensity is lower and the focus is on technique work and volume. This is the first comp cycle I have done recently. I started at the start of last year with zero strength base and my coach and I planned from the outset that I would compete at the end of this year, so a two year run in. Sorry not to be more help, it’s not that I follow a particular book or approach. I have the impression my coach learns as she goes also.

Ah no worries! I’ve ventured into having a 1 on 1 coach for the first time ever, and I was surprised how simple but incredibly effective it is, so im just interested how different coach plans vary! The most important thing is it works best for you!

Ive eeeked quite a lot on occasions but trusted the process and it’s working, just finished a session where I’ve done 3 x 3 tempo paused back squats at 100kg which I would never have attempted 2 months ago 😌 progressive overload at its best. However I started with her 14weeks ahead of my first comp, so that has been the aim. I imagine it’ll change once this one is out the way with it being no1 and it’ll be different for the next few months afterwards ☺️

Wow! I can only dream of 100kg squat. I’m stuck at 70 k with a slightly injured knee … I really wish I’d taken up proper weightlifting 40 years ago - starting in one’s late 50s is frustrating!

That's the beauty of powerlifting - you compete in your own weight and age class. It doesn't matter if you can't lift as heavy as someone younger and heavier, you wouldn't expect to. (I mean it actually doesn't matter if you can't lift as heavy as anyone, you're cheered on for what you can do. But if you want to compare it's against people who are comparable)

Still sounds pretty good! Have you tried using knee sleeves and some mobility to keep the joint warm or is it a bit more structural than that? Starting later is better than never 👌 I’m in masters next year which will be fun!

Hi OP!

I'm a powerlifter too, I had a little break from Mumsnet so I have only just seen your thread

All the advice you've been given is excellent, and I second not trying new foods or drinks on comp day. Remember that on the day you're looking for energy and something that you know you digest well, nutritional value is less important (for me, that means rice crispies squares and Haribos between lifts 😅)

Have fun on Saturday and let us know how it goes!

If you need anything in future feel free to reach out, I have been competing for a few years and I'm also a referee (although that's a relatively recent development!)

I had a tear in the knee cartilage (meniscus?) while running very fast intervals on the treadmill (20 seconds at 14.5 kph - try it!!) and I wear a knee support on that knee - I've done a LOT of kneehab to get glutes & quads strong, and I'm a trained dancer so mobility not an issue. It's just ageing. I can't get above 60 kg in a squat at the moment. Being 65 is annoying sometimes!

Disaster ladies! I have strained my back! Sods law on deload week! Attended a class last night and it happened during a 30kg push press! that's normally very light for me - my knee had been feeling funny too and I was thinking about that and I got a twinge in my lower back - I just don't want this to ruin Saturday after all my hard work... booked in for physio tomorrow so hopefully he can tape me up or something - using voltarol gel as cannot take brufen as on BP meds - any and all tips for quick rehabbing gratefully received

Oh no! Heat, lots of gentle stretching, and keep moving is my best advise. Least it’s early in the week so you have chance to get back mobile before the weekend. It’s Sod’s Law but least the hard work is already done. Does your physio do cupping?

Not too sure he is generally very good though so here's hoping! I can scoot for a sauna hot tub sess at lunch (local leisure centre lol) for a bit of heat and am doing the normal school run walking - I would not normally see a physio for a minor strain which I am hoping this is but I was just so annoyed at the timing!

Oh dear, that is really annoying!

Keep moving

Do some very gentle glute stretches - a gentle pigeon pose (I do them standing if my back is spasmy), and I always find lying on my back, knees to chest, arms spread wide, and rolling my knees from side to side can bring a bit of relief - but it has to be very gentle.

I follow the physio Adam Meakins on Instagram - he did a whole series of posts about his recovery from a back strain after a heavy deadlift - he treated himself as it were by keeping mobile (walking) and hot baths.

@Julesni77 that is annoying, but... it's pretty common to feel beat up going into comp. Your body will be more vulnerable to things happening so do rest and taper. There are different schools of thought on it but I see an osteopath and they don't recommend ibuprofen and heat. Osteopaths can also often make things feel better quite quickly IME. They always help me in the run up to comp as niggles are often part of it. And I'd also keep moving. And get lots of sleep to let your body do its healing.

Comp day the adrenaline and endorphins will probably make it all feel a bit better anyway. You can sort it properly post comp.

Fingers crossed for you

Re tape check the rules but I think it's not allowed? Except on thumbs maybe. I'm not sure but check. And they would see as you have to strip off at weigh in

That's the bit I am really dreading I will easily be the heaviest woman there - but this is my mid life crisis and i am determined to push myself out of my comfort zone!

Beats buying a sports car 😂

I detest weigh in too, I nearly gave up when I heard about weigh in. It doesn't help me, as it's not where my issues with it lie, but no one is judging bigger bodies, as in powerlifting bigger means strong.

Tape is not usually allowed (because some clever clog at some point will have tried to use it for added compression to help with a lift), but it's worth contacting the comp organisers to ask. At a local comp, they may be able to accommodate it in some way.

Don't worry about weighing in, you're only down to your underwear for a few seconds while you're on the scale, and the referees weighing you in are competitors too, they'll have been in the same position as you and will make you feel comfortable!

Make sure you know your opening attempts for all 3 lifts in advance as they usually take these down during weigh-in as well. Also bring proof of GB Powerlifting membership (an email on your phone is fine) and photo ID into the weigh in room - as a Master athlete you will have to prove your age ☺️!

Toi toi toi @Julesni77 I hope your back co-operates!

On no! Praying for a swift recovery @Julesni77 . I agree with @RayKray that your body is vulnerable in the run up to comp so make sure to take care of yourself.

Add me to the list of people who dislike weigh in, although I seem to remember weighing in in my singlet but maybe the rules around what you can wear at weigh in have since changed.

Speaking of singlets I also hate those 👎🏼 I know some elite lifters make our sport look glamorous but this is not a look I pull off.

I love walking round in my singlet! I feel so cool. (At a comp, I don't walk round in it otherwise)