5 common meet day mistakes athletes make
Competing. It’s such a special experience as an athlete, one that graduates you from just training in the gym to becoming an official Powerlifter. Here at Ironside, we firmly believe that getting on the platform is an endeavor everyone should undergo. Meet day is for all individuals: it doesn’t discriminate. Many athletes have warped ideas of what competing entails- putting too much pressure on themselves, when in reality, it’s just about reflecting your hard work and how far you’ve come. How you approach the day can determine its outcome- and it’s easy to fall into common misconceptions and lose focus. Let’s go over five common mistakes I see lifters make- and how you can avoid them to have the best meet day possible.
Setting platform expectations too high.
You guessed it.
Meet day is filled with goals, dreams, and PRs in mind. You spend months working for those single moments, building up motivation and anticipation, and it’s easy to get caught up in that- expecting your day to go perfectly.
The reality is “perfect” meets (by most peoples’ definition) are often an unrealistic target, and you cannot possibly control for every variable.
Most lifters don’t hit 20+ pound PRs on their lifts.
Don’t expect to qualify for Nationals if your gym total is 50+ lbs away.
And if you haven’t been meticulously consistent during meet prep, you have no business expecting monster PRs on the day of.
Most athletes can expect to repeat their numbers in the gym or potentially go for small PRs, but remember- each lift affects the next. A grind-y squat PR won't leave you as fresh for deadlifts.
And additionally, everyone reacts differently to meet day.
Some athletes’ peaks can lead to big jumps on the platform, whereas others hit the same numbers they ended with in the gym.
If it’s your first meet, you have no idea what your strength levels will be and how the environment will affect you- so going in there with these arbitrary numbers you “have” to hit is a recipe for failure.
As a more experienced lifter, you’ve got some practice and data under your belt (pun intended), so setting achievable goals becomes far more doable.
Choose 1-2 things for the day you care about most, are well within reach, are worth it to you- and let that be your focus. Maybe it’s a 300# deadlift, a Class 2 total, at least 7/9 lifts- chase it. “Success” isn’t determined by perfect outcomes in every aspect, it’s having a day that pushes you further along the journey of growth.
Redefine what meet day means to you.
It’s a chance to improve from your prior platform numbers.
To highlight who you’ve become- as an individual, and what you’ve trained for.
To reflect all of the hard work you’ve put in during prep.
Get numbers officially to your name, upheld to platform standards, rather than “gym PRs.”
And ultimately, to have fun, celebrate your strength, and enjoy the highs and lows of the day.
Each meet has a different goal- whether it’s hitting a National qualifying total, just setting out and doing the damn thing, or adding some weight to your PRs.
Go into it with a realistic plan: one that's both in line with the work you’ve done- and aligns with you. When you have that focused intention, your actions will follow, and you’ll be far more satisfied with the overall experience.
Control everything in your power: mental preparation, nutrition, rest, openers, warm-ups, and leave the rest. Absolutely, do everything you can to have the day you’ve trained for, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit every single goal you could imagine. There are wins to be derived from each platform experience- and viewing it that way will lead to more good meet days.
2. Failing to properly time nutrition.
Meet-Day nutrition is an integral aspect of a successful performance. Many athletes end up leaving kilos in the tank because of improper fueling. Don’t let that be you- few things are more devastating than missing your third deadlift because you didn’t eat enough.
We have an entire blog post on the topic (read that here: https://www.ironsidetraining.com/blog/meet-day-nutrition-101 ) but briefly, here are some tips to ensure adequate nutrition:
-Weigh-in day nutrition is where it all begins: eat plenty of carbs the day before the meet.
-Eat a big breakfast in the morning: plenty of carbs, which should be your main priority. Bagels, oatmeal, rice, cream of wheat, cereals, etc.: something fast-digesting. Pair it with some protein, too.
-Continue snacking before squats. Whatever you can get down, do it! Fruit juice, applesauce packets, and carby snacks like pretzels, candy, jelly, and dried fruit are great options since they’re easy on the stomach.
-Hydrate. Drink water and/or Pedialyte or Gatorade throughout the day: while you’re warming up and in between lifts. Keep a water bottle handy.
-Eat a real meal after squats and bench. Same message as before: carbs-carbs-carbs, with some protein mixed in. Whether it’s a larger serving of snacks you brought, going out to get a meal, or was prepped days prior- refuel immediately after these lifts.
-Eat foods you’re used to. Avoid introducing anything brand-new, as this could cause stomach upset or negatively impact performance- situations we’d like to avoid. Consume what you typically do, just in greater portions.
-Don’t go crazy on caffeine- this can lead to digestive issues and anxiety. Follow the amounts you’re used to, maybe adding a little extra pre-deadlifts if your energy is low.
-Snack before deadlifts. As the day goes on, fatigue begins to rise- making it harder to stay in the zone. A couple of extra carbs before a heavy pull can make or break it. OJ is always my go-to as I’m warming up and waiting behind the platform.
-Keep fats low throughout the day. Fats slow down digestion, and we need fast-burning energy on meet day, which is why carbs hold priority.
Creating a plan with your nutrition ahead of time is a surefire way to help you perform at your best on the platform.
3. Opening too heavy
I’ll shout it from the rooftops over and over: No one cares what numbers you open with!
Many lifters, even experienced ones- can place far too much ego in their opening attempts. A general rule is that your opener should be a weight you could *TRIPLE* on your WORST DAY. The sole goal of your first attempt is to get you in the meet, preventing you from bombing out.
If you can't even hit your opening lift, you’ll deprive yourself of the opportunity of a PR on your third.
Many factors go into meet day- nutrition, sleep, the rack you’re using, the hype, how your peak went, how recovered you are- you want to set yourself up for the most success possible.
Go with an opener you feel fully confident in.
One that looks & feels light- and moves fast.
A number you know you could hit under any circumstances.
That way, once you smoke that attempt, you won’t be too gassed for your following numbers, and you’ll go into them feeling powerful. Use it to set the tone for the rest of your reps.
Bombing out is an experience we all want to avoid- so drop the ego, go with the low number, and then make your jumps based on how things move.
4. Not communicating or outsourcing help.
Whether you’re a new lifter or have many meets of experience, having a handler is a game-changer. The opportunity for another human to guide you through the day, keep you calm, attend to your needs, and help you choose attempts is one you want to take.
On meet day, your goal is to focus on one thing: securing those weights, whatever they may be. Thinking about all of the little details or trying to comfort yourself after a difficult moment can distract you from this target.
This is where the team aspect of Powerlifting comes in: lean on your Coach or someone else you trust; to provide that support for you. Sure, you can survive on your own, especially if you’ve had a successful meet prep, but you’ll have a smoother, more successful day if you’ve got another human in your corner.
The quote “To go fast, go alone- to go far, go together” rings true here.
And when you do have a handler, let them know what you need. Adopt the selfish mentality on platform day: it’s yours to truly shine, and every little detail can impact your performance. Tell them what energy you want, what words support you before each lift, how you like to go through warm-ups, when you need a snack, etc. If you don’t communicate, you won’t receive adequate guidance.
Having someone by your side will make the day less stressful and more meaningful-
You’ll go into each lift feeling prepared, with more brain space to bring intention to every weight.
You’ll get that shoulder to lean on, in case you need it, and a warm embrace to celebrate each accomplishment with.
Don’t strip yourself of that meet-day experience- the outcome could be that much more special.
5. Letting one setback dictate the rest of the day.
Powerlifters are an emotional bunch- our numbers mean a lot to us, and we get tied to the numbers. This fact is further exaggerated on the platform- where our lifts are tested, upheld to a certain standard, reflecting ourselves as individuals. When something goes wrong, it can be devastating.
The reality is- not every meet goes exactly according to plan.
Maybe that opener felt heavy to you.
Maybe you missed your second bench press attempt.
Maybe one of your warm-ups didn’t feel quite right.
Or your shoulder starts nagging you in the middle of the day.
Maybe you even bombed out of the meet entirely.
Whatever the hardship may be, refuse to let it define your entire performance.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of catastrophizing, feeling beaten down from that adversity, and forgetting about the mountain that’s ahead of you. But, if you allow yourself to slip, you’ll continue falling down for the rest of the day, deeper and deeper into that pit of despair instead of climbing back up. The result? Ending with a far worse outcome than you could’ve had.
Any difficulty along the way tests your character as an athlete.
How do you deal with difficulty?
Are you able to use setbacks as fuel, turning them into wins?
Are you stronger than your failures, or do you let them determine you entirely?
Can you show up for yourself when you need to the most?
A heavy opener can become an easy second.
A missed second bench attempt can preface a redemption third.
A failed squat can precede an all-time deadlift PR.
Or these can all lead to more missed lifts, frustration, anger, and heartache.
You determine how you want to finish the meet & how you want to represent yourself as a whole.
When met with hardship, spend a couple of minutes reflecting, feeling your feelings, and talking it out with your support system. It’s okay to be upset.
But then, you shake it off, focus on the next immediate task, and drown yourself in that gaze toward what’s to come. Visualize, manifest, write it down, listen to music, re-watch successful lifts, take that warm-up again, find your head, repeat the mantras: whatever helps you most, do it on repeat.
Go through the rest of the day determined to end with a win: nothing can get in your way: that’s your one clear vision that guides every action you take.
You approach your day with that mentality? No denying you’ll be proud of the aftermath.
And you know what? Those victories will be even sweeter- knowing how deep you had to dig- all you had to battle to earn them.
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Meet day. It can be both a highly exciting & a highly stressful experience. Many lifters create false narratives of what it’s truly like, adding to the existing pressure around their performances. Yet, when you embark on the journey with the right tools and guidance, it can be a fun, successful, and gratifying event. We all can learn from each other’s mistakes, and going into it with knowledge and the right mindset will certainly improve your outcome. After all, the point of the platform is to highlight your achievements as a lifter in an official manner. Let that be your guide, focus on having a great time with those you care about, showcasing your growth, and enjoying the highs along the way- guarantee, you won’t be disappointed.
