Competition preparation is the time to focus on the specificity of the sport. For Olympic weightlifters it’s the snatch, clean and jerk. The competition phase is where your main focus should be on lifting higher intensity weights in the full lifts. With that said, I thought I’d share some of common things I’ve found to be helpful in preparation for a Weightlifting competition.
Specificity
I know that many people are extremely interested in complex periodization and competition preparation schemes but the reality is, a competition phase isn’t very difficult to program for. The focus, as stated earlier, is on the competition lifts- Snatch, Clean and Jerk. This means you should probably be minimizing your specialized exercises and just focus on the nuts and bolts:
- Snatch
- Clean and Jerk
- Squat
- Pull
- Trunk work
Depending on how you adapt will determine what you need to focus on more. For instance a lifter that has a jerk lockout issue will most likely need to back off upper auxiliary work and focus on the jerks implemented throughout the competition phase. With that said, I understand that this probably should’ve been addressed earlier but weaknesses do carry over into the competition phase and need to be addressed accordingly. For you meatheads out there, this will most likely lower your overhead and bench press strength for the next strength block BUT this is a necessary “evil” to compensate for the total stress placed on your elbows/shoulders/wrist with the higher intensity/volume in the lifts= helps you recover quicker. For some it’s tough to see general strength numbers go down, just remember that the end goal is to lift heavier weights in the competition lifts.
Environment
I talked about this in the previous post but a competition can pose many different variables, for this instance let’s discuss the environment. When you’re used to training day in and day out on the same platform, same bars, same bumpers, same time of day, etc… it can bring a level of comfort. Enter a new gym, platform, hectic environment, different time, and so on it could potentially mess a weightlifters routine and thus lifts. I know for me finding a focal point is one of the most difficult parts of lifting in a new gym.
To help counter this you can do a few different things to help you adapt to the new situation.
- Start lifting around the same time as your competition.
- If possible, train in the same gym as the competition.
- Sit some where else during your regular training. This can get you out of your typical lifting routine.
- Face a different direction when lifting. This can help you adjust to a new focal point.
The point is to get yourself out of the typical routine and get used to basic adjustments. This is pretty typical for any other sport where the coach wants their players to be prepared for anything and not to get comfortable in a regular routine. You’ll have to slowly implement this but after a period of time and buy in from the team, it will become very beneficial for your lifters and yourself.
Mock Competition
A mock meet is basically what it sounds like. The lifters will take x3 attempts in the snatch then x3 attempts in the clean and jerk just like a meet. Personally I’ve found this to be very effective for weightlifters that take reps for granted, which I HATE! I won’t go into a huge rant but NO weightlifter should take reps off, regardless if it’s a warm up or not. Most of us don’t have the pleasure to train x6-12 sessions a week, to ensure that we are progressing as much as we can NO rep should EVER be taken off. In the end I’ve found this to help build the lifters focus on their attempts.
The mock meet is also important because there are some basic rules in competition, such as wait for the down signal. This is where you show the judge you have control of the bar by placing both your feet under the base of support and hold the bar steady. Once the judge calls “down”, then and ONLY then can you place the bar down. This is EXTREMELY important since most lifters are just used to lifting the bar and then dropping it after a successful lift. This is why it’s important to get out of your routine and focus on the basic competition details. I constantly pound this in my weightlifters heads…but….ironically in my first meet in over x6 years I made that same dumb rookie mistake SMH…But I laughed it off and bumped up the weight 🙂
That’s it for today, next post we’ll discuss competition day preparation.
Stay strong,