We left off with you being all weighed in! It’s the night before the meet. What should you be doing?
Your priorities are to rest and prepare.
Rest is super important!
Meet day is taxing on the body and the mind. The adrenaline and the sensory overload, while exciting, can be overwhelming. Your plan is probably to max out all three lifts on the same day. With all of this happening in a short period of time, your body is going to be put through the ringer so in order to get ready for your best performance, relax and rest the day before your meet is crucial.
Tips to get relax the day before:
- Get a manicure/pedicure
- Go for a few brisk walks outside
- Enjoy something leisurely like, reading a book, watching a movie, or lying by the pool (but don’t let yourself get burnt!)
- Get to bed early
- Take a natural supplement to help you get better sleep
- Feed your body healthy foods throughout the day that won’t upset your stomach, and make you feel sluggish and uncomfortable.
- Don’t consume too much caffeine
- Try to reserve your sleep for the evening to ensure a good night's rest.
** of course everyone is different and so do what works best for you, your body, your budget, and your circumstances.
One last tip is to make sure that you’re not doing anything that would cause you to be sore or even get injured. This is not the time to learn a new sport, help a friend move, start rock climbing, or get chased on foot.
Next, you want to put your mind at ease by preparing.
There are 3 things you want to have prepped and ready to go before the day of the meet:
- Your gym bag
- Your lunch/snack bag
- Your phone
Your gym bag should have everything you’ll need on the platform (the things that were checked at gear check) plus anything you will need to warm up and recover. Things like, bands, a hip circle, a massage gun, and a massage ball, You’ll also want to make sure you have a towel if it’s going to be hot or sweatpants and a sweatshirt if it’s cold. Extra socks and maybe even extra underwear, just in case.
Some other items you may want to consider is pain reliever like ibuprofen, an antacid, bandaids, sore muscle ointment, period supplies, smelly salts/ammonia, chalk, and baby powder. Some of these things might be supplied by the meet coordinators but you never know and you want to be prepared.
In your food bag, you’ll want to make sure that there’s enough food to sustain you throughout the day. Some lifters don’t want a full meal but some do. A good rule of thumb is the more food you have the better. Remember that, food gives you energy and caffeine is a stimulus so don’t rely on energy drinks and pre-workout for a full day of lifting because the ups and downs throughout the day could have a negative effect on your lifts. It’s ok to bring them but don’t rely on them especially if you don’t drink them often.
Bring high, fast-acting carbs and some protein. Fats might slow you down or make you feel sluggish so keep those at a minimum. You also want to make sure you have plenty of water. If you prefer cold water, getting an aluminum insulated bottle that will keep your ice water cold all day is a great investment. And lastly, electrolytes. Again, meet is a marathon so you’ll want to make sure that you stay hydrated all the way till the last lift!
The last part of your preparation is your phone.
For most, music is life when it comes to getting ready for a heavy lift so make sure you download all your favorites! You can’t always rely on Wi-Fi or cell service so your best bet is to download.
And don’t forget to bring headphones. AirPods and earbuds are common but they can get lost easily and often times lifters forget they have them in when they step onto the platform, which is a technical flag. Corded headphones or ones that are more conspicuous may be a better option for you!
As always these are simply suggestions. Please refer to your federations rule book for do’s and don’ts on equipment.
Once your meet day bags are packed. Get some sleep because tomorrow is a big day!!
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