work:
As any one who has ever competed will attest to, competing is often one of the most energy draining activities they could ever participate in. While a lot of that is nerves (more on mental state later), in the weeks of preparation before a tournament there is much to do in order to improve one’s wind.
First and foremost, comes mat time and lots of it. When training for a competition, I feel it’s very important to train to the point of exhaustion, and to keep substituting fresh opponents in whenever possible. If you’re training correctly, you should be getting your ass kicked as fatigue sets in. Remember, this is all about checking your ego and testing your limits. The point of fatigue should be farther and farther off with each session you train like this, so that your energy level should be high in the timeframe of a competition match.
The very top competitors in our sport will also supplement their mat time with other condition exercises. Running, cycling, bleachers, and swimming have all proved effective for many competitors for example. They key is to this should be SUPPLEMENTAL exercise to augment mat conditioning, and NOT A SUBSTITUTION. I can’t emphasize this enough.
For more conditioning tip, visit our good friends over at
www.Crossfit.comCutting and making weight:
Be aware of the weight classes available as they tend to vary from tournament to tournament and if you’re cutting weight, those extra few pounds one way or the other could make a big difference. Also, when the weigh ins are done could make a big difference as well as to how much weight you want to cut, the weigh in may be done the day before, the morning of, or in some cases right when you step on the mat!
It goes without saying that you generally want to be at the top of your weight class. But I generally I don’t advise making too big of a deal about making weight as opposed to coming in well practiced and conditioned, if you’ve been preparing correctly the weight has probably come off on it’s own anyway. If the day before weigh ins you’re five pounds or less over a weight limit it’s pretty easy to remove the excess weight by sweating it or emptying your stomach. If you have to cut more than five pounds however you’re going to have decide if it worth it to cut the extra weight. Some people can shed lots of weight very quickly, but in my unscientific observations I have noticed that people who cut too much weight don’t tend to perform as well as those who didn’t.
Also, be aware in smaller tournaments they often don’t have enough competitors in a certain weight class, so weight classes may be realigned or competitors bumped up or down on the fly, so if you spent a lot of time cutting weight it might be for nothing!
In general my opinion is be at a weight you are comfortable at, but it’s more of a by product of being in shape. I’m sure there are other sources which might have more invaluable information on cutting weight.
Sex before a competition?
I think depending on what you want to hear, you’ll hear opinions on both sides of the fence on whether abstaining from sex before a competition is a good idea. Some people need the release of energy and that can carry them through a tournament. Others need the stored up reserves of energy and I guess frustration in order to make them more aggressive on the mat. It’s largely a mental thing I believe, so whatever floats your boat. (Although some of you I don’t advise turning some down in any case if you’re lucky enough to get a chance at it!)
THINGS TO DO THE DAY OF COMPETITION
Get a Good Night’s Rest:
You’d think this would be an obvious suggestion, but it’s important enough (and often enough not followed) that it bears repeating here. Try to get a good night’s sleep before the competition. Enough said.
Don’t forget to eat something.
Again something you’d think would be obvious, but bears mention as well. Make sure you have something in your stomach so you are sustained throughout the day, but don’t eat something so heavy that you’ll be leaving your breakfast on the mat. I’m not a nutritionist, but I’ve always found that a little bit of protein, a lot of carbohydrates, and a bit of fat is my optimum meal before a competition. Ideally that’s a couple of egg whites, hash browns, pancakes and an avocado half in the morning. Also, having drink some water, and remember to bring some water with you to the tournament (you will be asking for it later). Sports drinks are good as well (although I think they are pretty nasty if not chilled). Personally the only energy drink I consume with any kind of regularity is a cup of coffee, but I only very rarely ingest caffeine so it has a pretty strong effect on me. Bananas are a good food to eat as well and contain loads of potassium which will help fight muscle fatigue.
Don’t worry about the tournament time:
Even the best managed tournaments can have scheduling conflicts or things happen. Most every tournament I’ve ever seen runs at least a little bit behind schedule. So if your bracket is set to go at 2:00, be prepared to go at 2:00, but don’t be surprised if you go on later than that. The promoter will do their best to keep you informed of the situation, and keep things moving along. Try to stay loose and relaxed, and begin your warm up in earnest when you hear your division called.
Warming up:
Everyone has their own method of warming up and getting those final butterflies. I don’t think it has to be a complicated ritual. What do you do to warm up before training for class? Do that. Make sure you have at least a few moments for whatever ritual you have before the match. Stay relaxed and focused.
Competition Strategy:
I’m not going to go into too specific details here, everyone has their own style of rolling and this could get into an involved treatise without even trying here. I’m going to give you a few tips.
First of all, never look past any opponent you have in front of you. Yes, it might be three matches to the finals, but these
