i have a "strength" competition comin up on the 11th, is there anything i can do to make sure im "up and running" at optimum levels for that day???? how many days should i take OFF before the comp?? should i drink too much water? eat "soft" foods? i just dont wanna feel sluggish and crap out with normal weight....any help would be great.......SrA orlando g

Good question.. You've stumped me. As I've not done strength type competitions before. I'd have to say.. the best thing you can do is warm up first.. duh.. but don't over do it the week before.. you need your chest to be ready for a full blown max.

how much time is good to warm up BEFORE i max out???? i might take 3 days off before

ORIGINAL: boyrancher6250

how much time is good to warm up BEFORE i max out???? i might take 3 days off before

If this is for bench here's my warm-up routine:

Jumping jacks
Deep Knee bends

Do this for at least 5 min and don't stop until you have a light sweat going

Stretch for 10 min, ensure that you do upper body stretches also, hold each stretch at a comfortable tension for at least a 10 count.

Flat bench DB press with about 30% of your 1RM, do 2 sets of 10 and hold at the bottom for 1 second.

For me, I find that this gives me the best warmup in the shortest amount of time.

Now in terms of taper? I would not hit chest or triceps for at least 72 hours prior to the competition and not hit them HARD for at least a week before.

I have a competition on 20 March

Paul

cool man....thx for the info...is your comp a STRENGTH comp as well??? what ive heard from the winners last month, i MIGHT take 3rd place for weighing 160ish and pushing 260......ill let yall know what happens.....

Yep. 3 Attempts for max weight, no bouncing, no arching, no lifting the feet and both hands must remain level with each other during the whole lift. I have no illusions that I'm going to win over all (pound for pound) or even my age group (35+) but still I'm going to see what I can do. First attempts gonna be 315, just to get on the board then after seeing how that goes, who knows?

Paul

from what ive read for my competition, a power arch IS permitted but the buttocks or shoulders must NOT come off the bench, the feet however CAN roll but not come off completely....ive never been to one before so im nervous....do they INSTRUCT you oh when to lift and bring it down?????? geez i dont feel well(im sickly) but im going anyway becuase they only have ONE a month

NOT GOOD!!!! nothing worked out first, i was warmed up and ready at the 1000 start time....so my red bulls didnt do me any good since i had to lift at 1115!!!!! WTF??? and on the indoor bench ive put up 260, once it got TOO packed, they made me use the OUTSIDE crappy bench and i swear the bar is 10lbs heavier....so i knew i wouldnt get the 260 on that bench and they wouldnt let me take it down 5 or 10lbs....so i FAILED!!!! MISERABLE!!! sigh.....sad thing is the 1st place guy put up 315, second place guy put up 275, and the 3rd place guy put up 205 since i crapped out....everything was against me...my illness, the timing and the bench!!!! some guys complained about the outdoor bench BUT no action was taken.......

Sorry to hear about the outcome of your meet.Use it as a guide and as an inspiration to do better next time.How many attempts did you get and what weight did you start out with?

That does suck.. but don't let it get you down. In fact, you outta practice on that outdoor bench. If you can put up 260 on it.. maybe you can do 315 lb on the indoor?!

Don't plan a seed of doubt in your mind. You can and you will do this. Big deal if you didn't do it now. You will. Nuff said.

thanks fellers....i was bummed out...but im getting over the flu and i just plan to him the weights hard this month and get ready for next month....

in response to tj wes, since i had put up 260 with some ease on a non-rested day..i figured i wanted to try for 265 MAX so i said i would try 260 first time, then it switched and i couldnt get it ONCE...i did attempt it twice with a different grip and still failed!!!

Rancher, First of all if you have 3 attempts you always take a light first attempt that you are sure you can do.Warm up like this:
135-12
185-8
225-3
Then open up with 240 for your first attempt.This way you get on the board,and have established yourself.After that, try your max of 260, then go for whatever you feel capable of doing, judging by how the 260 went for you.As far as rest goes, take a full week off from training before the meet.You will more than likely benefit from the rest, and actually have more power on the day of the meet.During this rest time, visualize yourself making all of your attempts with power to spare.See yourself as an animal on the bench.This works beleive it or not.Your last really heavy day should be two weeks before the meet,and the week before, should just be light reps, working on form,with possibly210- 220 in your case, judging by your max.Then a complete week off doing no training at all.These tips helped me to always have the highest bench in my class in every power meet I ever entered.Remember, if you can do 260 in the gym and it`s a tough max, you may not be able to do it all the time, depending on rest,energy levels, etc. that`s why you should always start out lighter, with a weight you KNOW you can do at will. Good luck !!

very true....i dunno what i was thinkin...i mean i was SICK!!! i shouldnt have even been there....BUT next month i will definitely do what u said...start low and get established.....so im gonna hit the gym hard until then.......thx

You`re welcome! Those suggestions should help a lot ...I hope.Train hard bro !!

Boyrancher6250: I do not have the experience of T.J. but here is something I've learned that may add to your "toolbelt." I am a martial artist and a bow hunter. You may say WTF do these two tings have in common? There comes a moment of "truth" when you determine your success. Everyone can learn how to kick and punch, but can you do it when your heart is racing, crowd noice, and a moving target? Bow hunting is the same. . . how many stories have I heard when the hunter is 20 - 30 yards away and misses!!! My two cents worth? Practice in a mode that simulates what you will encounter during a contest. Noise, cold, heat, loud music, talking, lots of people around you, when your tired, a bar that's not the best, I think you have the picture. Good Luck!!