Long Deload Before A Meet

[UncleAl]

Have made nice deadlift progress this cycle but have boxed myself in with a planning error and am looking for the best way out. Here's what I've done:

5 weeks out: 90% of meet goal x2
4 weeks: 95% 1RM x1
3 weeks: 90% meet goal x3

Historically, a max double 14-17 days from a meet sets me up nicely, but at my age, a fourth consecutive ME session that soon would probably be suicide...and pushing it out into the following week won't give me enough recovery time before the comp.

I'm not so sure a three week deload is the answer either. Any thoughts?

[krazylarry]

I wouldn't do a 3 week deload. 2 yes, 3 no.
By meet goal, do you mean what you will try on your 3rd attempt or your opening lift?

I would pull my opener, than stop. Than take the next 2 weeks off from deadlifting.

[UncleAl]

I wouldn't do a 3 week deload. 2 yes, 3 no.
By meet goal, do you mean what you will try on your 3rd attempt or your opening lift?

I would pull my opener, than stop. Than take the next 2 weeks off from deadlifting.

Thanks, Larry. Meet goal is 3rd attempt. My opener is nearly always about 85% of that.

[ScottYard]

Al,

Give it a try. I know Chad Aiches would deload 6 weeks out from a meet. He totaled 2700 plus. Keep up on the mobility and recovery work and it may be a huge PR for you come meet day. If your nervous about too much rest then maybe pull every 10 days leading up to the meet to spread out the last few workouts.

[vdizenzo]

Great advice Scott. Seriously, how much stronger is someone going to get between the third and second week out? I have deloaded up to 3 weeks out. You just need to get in the gym and move. Some people take too much time off during the deload. You need to be confident in your prior training and you'll be fine. If you are going to perseverate over not pulling then you need to pull.

Remember, 50% of lifting is 5/8's mental

[Travis Bell]

Completely agree Vin. I take my last heavy equipped bench 3 weeks out. I still go through ME the following week but its raw and still dialed back.

You really can't get stronger in 3 weeks, but you certainly can get weaker if you screw stuff up.

[UncleAl]

Scott, Vince, and Travis - Thanks for the sage advice. Yea, this is a huge head game right now. I am right where I want to be to get my best pull ever and am festering over everything from this to minuscule form changes, meet attempts, etc. Appreciate knowing a path I'm considering for the first time has worked for guys I respect.

[April Mathis]

I would go light like 50-60 percent for a few doubles or triples, or warmup and one single at or near opener sometime in between the last heavy day you did and the meet, depending how heavy you think you need to go. I would actually split the difference and go with 10 days after the last one and would be 11 days before the meet then.

And pull 500 this time. Good luck.

[UncleAl]

LOL. That's the plan, April. Thanks for the advice.

Do you plan to lift in Brian's meet in Orlando next month?