Written by Team Juggernaut
By Brandon Lilly
Number one, I don’t recommend competing on back to back weekends, but I had a great opportunity so I took it. Basically I am writing this to help you avoid the “post meet soreness” and help you get back to training at a high level immediately.
Check Out Brandon’s Training Log
I competed at the XPC Semi-Finals on Saturday, Oct. 27. I lifted raw more out of necessity, than choice. I will be competing at the SPF SuperTraining Backyard Meet of The Century as a raw lifter, and I guess in my quest for raw strength I gained a fair amount of new muscle, leaving my gear basically impossible to wear, or use effectively… So back to back raw meets it will be. I squatted 804.5, benched 562, and pulled 771.6 and believe me by the end of the meet I was feeling like I had been through the ringer.
Knowing that in many ways every hour of every day could make a difference in my performance this upcoming weekend, I watched my buddy Chris Della Fave pull his final deadlift, and I was out the door. I didn’t wait around for trophies or anything, I said goodbye to a few friends on my way, but I left in quick order. Having made plans for dinner at 8:30, I had roughly 3 hours to maximize. So, when I got back to the hotel I immediately fought the urge to collapse on the bed because I knew sleep would leave me stiff, and tired. I got a bucket of ice and ran a bathtub full of cold water.
This was my regimen from 6pm-7:50pm
- 6-6:15- Ice Bath
- 6:15-7:15- Hot Bath (Drained and refilled hot water 3 times. I wanted the water uncomfortably hot at first)
- 7:15-7:30- Cold Bath (Coming off the hot water, I didn’t use anymore ice, but the water felt frigid)
- 7:30-7:50- Contrast Shower (30 seconds freezing water, 1 minute and 30 seconds hottest water I can stand. Repeated 10 times over)
- At this point I was feeling really good, but to be ahead of the curve I took 3 Ibuprofen, and it was off to dinner.
When I got to dinner I was given one glass of water, and while this sounds ok, I asked for two more. I kept three glasses in front of me at all times, and made sure that at all times at least two were empty, and by my best count I had 11 glasses with dinner. I also knew we were going to celebrate (as all powerlifters should do after a meet, Ive never had a bad time sharing stories and drinks with other lifters). We went to one of my favorite bars called Adobe Gila’s, the drinks were a plenty, but I also kept in mind the bigger goal of next weekend. I had a few beers, and a few shots, and about 2/3 of a frozen margarita fish bowl, but I was also drinking water the entire time.
Everyday since the meet I have dedicated to eating 4 whole meals, and one shake per day. I have taken Ibuprofen at any sign of soreness, and I have stretched, and rolled whenever I felt like tightness was coming on. It is now Tuesday, and I am itching to lift heavy. Today I will be going in to the gym to do a full body circuit to flush the blood around, and to see if I feel as good as I think I do. Regardless, I am proof that with a plan before the meet, and a plan after the meet that you don’t have to go through the post meet hangover, and can actually be ready to train lightly by Monday after a meet. It’s all about going the extra step to realize your goals.
