Competition Mindset

[LexAnderson]

So I'm curious about everyone's competition mindset? How do you approach the bar on meet day versus when you are in the gym training? Do you usually play it too conservative with your weight selections, or do you go balls to the wall and always go heavier than you should? If you could change your mindset to be different how would you change it, and why?

I've always been interested in peoples thought processes, and how they approach things mentally.

[JohnHelton]

I've only done two meets. For both I was conservative with my selections. I would say my final lifts weren't higher than a 9 RPE. However, that really wasn't totally on purpose. I'm new to the sport, so I really didn't know how strong I was. On hindsight I would have liked to push it a little more. However, coming away from the meet knowing that I could have done more has certainly fueled my subsequent training. Additionally, I think I get a little jacked mentally when competing. Not that you could see it outwardly. But I almost puked both times before the meet started. Had to go out to the parking lot since I thought I was going to spew breakfast. Plus, I really benefit from a taper.

[LexAnderson]

I've only done two meets. For both I was conservative with my selections. I would say my final lifts weren't higher than a 9 RPE. However, that really wasn't totally on purpose. I'm new to the sport, so I really didn't know how strong I was. On hindsight I would have liked to push it a little more. However, coming away from the meet knowing that I could have done more has certainly fueled my subsequent training. Additionally, I think I get a little jacked mentally when competing. Not that you could see it outwardly. But I almost puked both times before the meet started. Had to go out to the parking lot since I thought I was going to spew breakfast. Plus, I really benefit from a taper.

I always seem to play on the more conservative side when at a meet, although in my meets thus far I have been either the only lifter in my class, or I have been so far out of first or second place that I didn't need to push my attempts.

My anxiety this time was through the roof, I was handling my wife (won her class), my father (won his class and set state records in all his lifts), and my best friend (who finished 2nd), all while handling myself.

[broseph]

Seems like way too many people miss even their 2nd attempts. I don’t know what those people’s mindset is, but don’t do that.

I’ve only done a few meets over like 7 years. The first one I got super psyched up for every lift and now I’m embarrassed to watch that guy. I haven’t gotten worked up about a lift in a long time, and my most recent meet just felt like business as usual.

Confidence in both my body AND my plan, focus, execute, done.

If I’m feeling anxiety about a certain lift, I imagine myself as Sloth from Full Metal Alchemist (not many will get this reference). I am the strongest humunculus, but using my full strength is such a pain, but less of a pain than failing the lift. Gotta do it.

Just now realizing maybe this way is even more embarrassing than getting all excited and emotional.

[Wilhelm]

On my one meet day, i found myself approaching the bar for squats in a more intense manner. But it was brow down, quiet and going to war kind of focus.
It was hype, but focused on the lift, not on slapping myself around, etc...
It just happened that way.

Bench i came out and did what i had practiced pretty much the same.
Same w/ deadlift.
But i had set 220 as my desired bench 3rd, even though i had hit 225 by then in training.
That fit with my total goal, and i had discovered how variable my result could be with a max bench attempt.
I needed the 2.5 kilos, and i absolutely wanted to go 9 for 9 my first meet.

As it stands, i should be doing another meet in November.
I anticipate the same selection process of having already hit my second attempts in training, and either going for more on 3rds, or getting a second chance if there is a fail for some reason on 2nds.

I would like to become less conservative than i was for my 3rd deadlift at my only meet so far. I definitely had more.
But i surpassed my total goal, and PRd squat and deadlift.

My mindset is based on the state records for my age and weight, and hitting whatever goal i have established going into the meet.

If i don't do the November meet, i will probably do one or two meets in my final year in Masters 2B, which will be 2020.

I have a gut feeling doing 2nd attempts i have hit in training will be how i operate normally though.
I'm pretty much doing meets to establish a mark in my class, and they award medals to the whole masters class age and weight range, so a gold will be out of reach unless none of good younger and bigger lifters are there, and that would be a hollow victory anyway.
If i improve on my bronze, and manage a silver with a similar group as were in my first meet, i'd be pleased.

[JohnHelton]

I should add that the formula I have been using for attempt selection (though a bit more nuanced than this) was given to me by Jordan F. Basically: 1st = 90% x e1RM. 2nd = 96% x e1RM. 3rd = 100% x e1RM. There are adjustments though for how the bar actually moves on the day. If your e1RM is conservative because it was estimated when fatigued during your last training block, then you will probably leave weight on the platform. Again I don't think that is a big deal...unless it means you miss a record like @Wilhelm is pursuing. I'm sure I'm so far from records that it doesn't matter at this point for me.

ETA: Actually, I don't think I'm as far away as I thought from the USAPL M1b total and squat records in Texas. I'm not really worrying about that though as I'm only 46 and have a few years to hit those numbers. Of course, if I do break those numbers, then my numbers will be crushed by LS McClain who is already M1a.

[mouse]

Given that my chosen sport is different than other replies, everything is balls to the wall and heavier than it should be lol.

I don't know if my approach makes me a good competitor or a bad one, but I'm very much non-chalant about the whole thing. I go in to primarily have fun, and if I do well along the way that is a bonus. I just want to lift/pull giant things that I don't have at home... and have fun watching other people do the same...

When it comes to regular powerlifting/strengthlifting? I have my first real meet coming up, I anticipate being somewhat more conservative than I normally would be at home. It would be nice not to bomb out because I probably won't do another meet that style for a while after this. At some point in 2019 I will probably do a meet (not sure about what Fed) once I start approaching an "easy" 1500+ total. Just to put it on the record somewhere officially to say I did...

[CamLeslie]

At home I lift with zero emotion. Focusing on cues and technique.

As the meet gets closer I will pick out 2-3 songs and play them every time before a heavy set. Eventually what seems to happen is they become like a mental cue.

Then when I am at the meet, I stay relaxed just like home. Play the songs before the critical lifts. Even if I don't have the music with me, just singing them in my head seems to have some effect. I always pick an opener I can nail. Someone said once, "You should be able to get out of bed at 2am, warm up and still hit your opener." I have beaten a lot stronger people by just making attempts. After the opener I go like 10kg and 5-10kgs on squat and DL for 2nd and third. 5kg and 2.5kg for bench.

Example from last meet.

Cameron Leslie
Weight: 92.70
Squat: 185 192.5 200
Bench: 132.5 137.5 140
DL: 187.5 192.5 197.5
Total: 537.5