Competition Fallout: A necessary Evil

By now those of you whom recently competed in the Lost Battalion Hall Classic Weightlifting Tournament have come to realize something. There is a downside to Competition. That is the Post competition fallout.  Do not despair; this is a normal part of periodization and a necessary evil.

For most athletes the two weeks after a major Competition or meet are hell. Their bodies are tired, and their minds are like that of a Walker on the Walking Dead. Every training session feels like the hardest yet, and technique seems to be something long forgotten. Weights that were a warm up two weeks ago are suddenly challenging.  This is called competition Fallout, and we all go through it. It’s kind of like the fallout after studying for weeks before a final exam. Your body and mind are shot.

Fear not, this will not last forever, usually about two weeks. It is a natural consequence of your body and mind preparing itself for competition. Once that competition is complete, things start to shut down.  This is an extremely challenging time for any athlete, and a very important one. It is important to not lose focus, and drop off on your training. I have seen many athletes take to much time off after competition and return worse for wears. Yes, you are not going to be at your best. Yes, you are going to go through a slump for a week or two. But it is the training and dedication you show during these times, which will benefit you the most in the long run.

During this time technique training should be kept at a minimal while focusing more on the heaver lifting, Squats, Overhead Squats, Max Jerks etc. Take your mind out of training and simply lift. In a few weeks everything will fall back into place and you will be stronger for it. It’s fighting through the tough sessions like these that show an athlete’s true character.

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For two weeks after Competition keep it simple: 

Eat, Sleep, Lift, and Repeat. Don’t think. Just lift!

Consistency is King

I often get asked " how do you become a successful weightlifter?" While there are many different variables that come into play there is one in my mind that takes precedent over the others, and that is consistency.

So what is consistency. Consistency is defined as " conformity in the application of something, typically that which is necessary for the sake of logic, accuracy, or fairness". In a weightlifters case this is obviously directed at accuracy of movement and application of technique. A lifter who trains more regularly will generally speaking always out-lift a lifter who does not. If it takes 10000 repetitions of skill in order  for an athlete to master that skill, the more regular athlete will reach that level well before the former.

I see it all to often in the gym. Athletes start training, stick with it for 6 months, then fall of the bandwagon. Only to begin again months later and be back where they started. In order to make steady gains and increases one needs to consistently be in the gym, day in and day out over the course of several years. There are no short cuts, there are no easy programs, there is only hard work. Those that are willing to work hard, and remain consistent will succeed. Those that don't can still succeed, it is just going to take them longer to achieve their goals than someone who is in the gym on a regular basis without fail.

The lifter who is going to succeed in the long run is not always going to be the strongest or have the best technique, but almost always will be the one who is the most consistent. I am talking about the athlete that comes in early to warm up. Or stays after training to work on supplemental exercises. The athlete that is in the gym Christmas morning doing squats. Or the first one in on New Years day. When I first started coaching I was lifting alone on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Now there is a core group of dedicated and committed athletes who come in every weekend. To those athletes, I salute you. Your dedication and commitment will pay off.

" The reward for hard work, medals for the whole team"

Consistency is King. 

Consistency wins medals. 

Consistency builds champions.