Competitions - Part 3

Tapering for a Weightlifting competition is somewhat of an art form.

It works differently for different people and what worked once might never work again - it’s incredibly situational and very hard to advise on. It’s just one of those things you need to develop a feel for over time.

Of course, there are standard templates you should follow to start with, but how you approach your competition taper will depend highly on the training you’ve done beforehand, how you’re feeling and more importantly, how important the competition is.

The point of a ‘taper’ is to remove just enough training stimulus to allow the body to recover as best as possible from the months of accumulated fatigue, whilst remaining game ready.  

You won’t need to taper for every single competition of the year. We’d actually advise against this, because in order to do it properly, you’d also have to had ‘peaked’ in training. And that’s a process which takes a good 5 – 6 weeks out of your annual competition training time. Something you;

a) can’t do without having done a gruelling volume of groundwork first
b) can’t afford to be doing – (peaking is not where the gains are made)
c) its unsustainable and unattainable to be ‘peaked’ for extended periods of time; and
d) in general not something you want to be doing. It takes a toll.

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Instead - chose two competitions per year you want to be truly peaked for.

1. Qualification event; and
2. Championship event (or an important to you event) you want to compete in.

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Don’t peak for the remaining competitions of the year. Take a few days off beforehand maybe. We’ll explain the difference between peaking and simply resting in a minute.

The final weeks before competition are critical and can make a break your training program. Here’s some general rules to follow;

• The longer the build-up (more accumulate fatigue), the longer the taper will need to be
• New athletes, limited by technique and mobility will be able to lift heavyweight far longer into their peak than heavier, older and more seasonedlifters. We’re all made of the same stuff. The body will respond differently toweight heavier than itself, despite how ‘easy’ it may feel to the athlete.
• Less is more. The week before competition is a prime opportunity to throwmonths of hard work in the bin (Get in the bin GIF). You’re not making anygains during your taper; you’re just setting yourself up for success atcompetition. Rest will do you better than some extra squats.

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What would a typical two-week taper look like? ‍

In the weeks preceding the final two-week taper, you’ve likely already spent a lot of time at 85% - 95%. You’re also likely quite sore and tired at this point. Don’t worry if you feel like a crap two weeks out of competition. Its normal, and a sign it’s about time to back off.

Two weeks out of competition, you’re likely still sticking to your standard program template, with a gradual reduction in volume, gearing up to some big lifts towards the end of the week (approximately 10 to 7 days out of competition. This big session usually ends up falling on a Big Friday or Super Saturday, 8 or 7 days out.

During this final ‘big’ session you’ll be working up to some heavy singles, maybe even pushing to the 100 – 101% mark, attempting to set some PB’s. Whether you set a new best or not, this session will give you a good idea of where you’re at and help you set some goals to beat at competition. Make sure you (or your coach) time your warmup during this session, as you’ll want to replicate this a week later as best you can.

In the week before competition, less is more. Remember that. We don’t want to be doing anything too heavy, and we most certainly don’t want to be missing any lifts. Build confidence, move quickly, and get excited for the weekend (competition). If you’re having a bad day, don’t push it and definitely don’t repeat training session. Less is more. Oh, and don’t do any heavy deadlifts.

There are many ways do it. But here’s a generic template we’ve had success with, in the past.

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Friday or Saturday (8 – 7 days out)

‍- Snatch – Work up to a heavy single at your planned opening attempt.
- Clean & Jerk – Work up to a heavy single at your planned opening attempt.
- Front Squat – Heavy single – approximately 90 - 95%
- Static stretches, loosen up after training.

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Monday (5 days out)

- Snatch – 1-3 singles at your ‘pre-opener’ i.e. last lift you’d take in the warmup room before our opening attempt, 90 – 95%
- Clean & Jerk – 1 - 2 singles at your ‘pre-opener’. Same as the snatch but less volume.
- Back Squat – 80 - 85% for 2 sets of 1 – 2 – keep the legs ticking over, no ‘grinding’ out reps.

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Tuesday (4 days out)

- Rest or empty bar work.

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Wednesday (3 days out)‍

- Snatch – 80% for 3 singles
- Clean and Jerk – 80% for 3 singles
- Front Squat – 70-80% for a top single
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‍Thursday (2 days out)‍

- Power Snatch – 60 – 70% for 3 – 5 singles
- Power Clean + Power or Split Jerk – 60 – 70% for 3 singles

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Friday (1 day out)‍

- Empty bar work at most – preferably rest

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Saturday ‍

- Competition

If your competition falls on a Sunday instead of a Saturday, shift everything across a day - But don't stress too much - If a competition is held over two days, the heavier weight classes will likely fall on the Sunday. If all your friends are competing on the Saturday and are doing their last big session a day before you'd be doing yours, join in with them instead, the extra day's rest won't do you any harm, but missing out on a big session with all your friends sucks.

Finally - Good luck! We hope you smash some PB's at your next competition.

If you need some extra reassurance or guidance with your taper, feel free to drop us a line at hello@stashweightlifting.com or on our social media channels. We'll sort you out!