How do you focus at a meet? Posted By: steve spinelli Date: Thursday, 27 September 2001, at 6:55 a.m. I used to get really angry, and fired up at meets, but it would burn up all of my energy. Prior to Nationals, i bombed out w/ weights that i should have smoked, because my adrenalin got the best of me. This year @ nationals, i stayed calm, and actually participated in conversation w/ my team during the flight! Although it wasn't where I wanted to be, I still hit a p.r. I learned that all of the chair throwin', and garbage can kickin' isn't where it's at for me. In that rage; however, i was dead focused on the lifts. At nationals, it seemed harder to focus. Some people wore head phones and listened to music, and some meditated off in the corner. I even saw Colin shine a tiny flashlight in his eye. I guess that helps him focus. I've heard music from metalica, to eclectic techno, to rap, to gladiator type music. What music do you listen to (if any), or how do you focus @ a meet? Re: How do you focus at a meet? Posted By: Nick Tylutki Date: Thursday, 27 September 2001, at 9:40 a.m. Steve, What works best for me is to visualize each lift before each attempt. I try to remain very calm in between each attempt. It's like the calm before the storm. When it's my turn, I walk to the platform and unleash the fury I guess you could say. My mind already knows that I can do it. I just have to do the physical part. I don't listen to music at meets. For me, it's a distraction. just my 2 cents Re: How do you focus at a meet? By: Curt St. Romain Date: Thursday, 27 September 2001, at 9:39 a.m. Quiet focus is my method before lifts. The screaming and kicking comes afterwards. I really get pumped after making a lift. I always thought about my behavior in the gym. I don't yell and scream before a lift when I train. I just sit quietly and think about my technique. I feel comfortable doing that during training and it's the same in a meet. Curt Re: How do you focus at a meet? By: Steve Petrencak Date: Thursday, 27 September 2001, at 11:52 a.m. Steve, I like to just keep my mind off of my lifts until my flight starts. Even between warm ups I like to talk to everyone about something other than lifting. It only takes me a few minutes to "Dial-In" to what I need to do. I've spent so much time in the gym preparing for this meet, that I don't need to get myself psyched up too soon. I can literally relax at this moment. I already have the confidence in me to know what I can do. As soon as I hear I am three lifters out, I start to think how easy the lift is going to be. I like to think that every lift is like pressing 225 lbs...."Nothing to it"..."Light Weight"...Those sort of things run through my mind. Then as I'm putting on my wraps I start to get fired up. My adrenelin starts to flow and this is where I start to feel like I can do MORE than what I've prepared for in the gym. As soon as I hit that Amonia, I'm Competely Focused and I'm at that point where I can barely hear everyone screaming. They almost sound muffled; And the only things I hear clearly are the Signals. After my lift, I can relax again until I'm three out. I think It's these little extras that make me a much better "Meet lifter" than a "Gym lifter". Re: How do you focus at a meet? Posted By: Jason Beck Date: Thursday, 27 September 2001, at 4:10 p.m. I don't "psych" before I go out to the platform. I like to stay focused before my opening squat but after that its all fun and I stay pretty relaxed in between lifts. I like to talk and joke and just have a good time while I am lifting. That is why I compete...its fun! I don't usually visualize too much before I go out to the platform because I have trained for months to prepare for the meet and I know my form is automatic. My heart rate and breathing naturally are faster by just walking out to the platform in front of judges and a crowd and that is when I really focus and I usually don't remember too much of the lift when I am done. Those are the best lifts, the ones you don't remember when you are complete. BECK Re: How do you focus at a meet? By: Brad Madvig Date: Thursday, 27 September 2001, at 5:57 p.m. Like you I had a tendency to get very angry before a lift. Sure this is fun for the crowd to see.. but it can kill you if you over do it. Blowing mental angry can translate into blowing physical energy very fast. The guys you see win nationals very rarely every freak out before the lift. They are always the one sitting in the corner with 1 or two other guys..they look like they don't have a care in the world.... Often very quiet or chatting with others about things totally unrelated to Powerlifting. These guys scare me.. these are the ones that dominate and destroy everyone around them. So how do you get to that point.. there is really no one way to do it.. I know when I am focused for the meet before hand when I am not thinking about it at all. I am thinking about Women...beer.....red meat... How the Vikings are sucking right now... just anything random. Come warm ups...I just think about the numbers I did in the gym. Keeping in mind what adjustments I made and why....Not thinking about the guy on the next rack who is in my weight class warming up with weight heavier then my PR. Its only when I get to the platform and I am under/over the bar do I start to freak out. That is when you need it the most.. anything before that can be a waste. MAD Re: How do you focus at a meet? By: Matt Foreman Date: Friday, 28 September 2001, at 12:43 a.m. Music and breathing. I usually make a cd with 2 types of music. At the beginning, music that makes my blood boil, and at the end of the cd music that calms me down( not put me to sleep). Right before you lift, listen to hard music, and soon as your lift is over, get to a chair put on the slower music, and and take deep breaths to 1. calm down, and 2. get ready for the next lift. This is what works for me, and i usually have my lifts at the end of the meet. Ernie