In last week’s post I wrote about what to do the week before a meet. Today I am going to talk about What You Should Do the Week After a Powerlifting Meet.
Why?
Because it’s not talked about much and I see people back in the gym the Monday after doing huge weights (for them) which may or may not be the best thing.
I’m going to attempt to impart some wisdom here with the what’s and the why’s so that you recover from your meet and continue to progress in the weeks and months to come.
There are tons of opinions on What You Should Do the Week After a Powerlifting Meet ranging from absolutely nothing to get right back in the gym after it.
I’m somewhere in the middle depending on a few factors.
What are the factors you ask?
Well, here’s a short list:
- Age
- Experience
- Raw or Equipped
- Personality
- Work ethic
- What level meet was it
Now, of course there can be a few other factors to consider when deciding What You Should Do the Week After a Powerlifting Meet but these are the big ones.
I remember back in the day equipped lifters at higher levels would take two weeks or more off after a big meet, and they needed it. Some took a month off.
Let’s look at my factors to consider when deciding What You Should Do the Week After a Powerlifting Meet
Age
This is simple. Younger lifters need less time to recover for the most part than older and Masters lifters. When I was in my twenties, I could recover from just about anything in a day or two. Now as I approach my late 50’s, not so much.
Experience
Another common sense one here. Beginner lifters usually need less time to recover than highly experienced to elite level lifters.
Without getting too nerdy, beginner to intermediate lifters use more of the muscular system to lift. On the other hand, elite lifters use more nervous system.
Before the real nerds chime in I dumbed that down for the readers who don’t understand the science behind it.
Simply put, elite level lifters recruit more of their nervous system to lift than beginners. Yes, they all use the muscular system too. High levels of nervous system stress take longer to recover from than low levels. Get it?
Therefore, elite level lifters need longer to recover. Usually.
Raw or Equipped
This one is sure to ruffle some feathers from some. But, I don’t care.
Raw lifters need less recovery time than equipped.
There, I said it.
Equipped lifting, especially multi ply has an incredibly high demand on your nervous system. And before you say it doesn’t, make sure you’ve done both at high levels.
So, if you are an equipped lifter, chances are you’ll need more time to return to homeostasis.
Personality
Are you go with the flow or are you a hard charger?
Do you use the gym to chase the demons away and go a little cuckoo when you can’t go?
These are things to consider.
Work ethic
Do you bring it every training session and do what is necessary or even more than is necessary?
Do you give 100% focus and do all of the Assistance/Accessory work to the best of your ability?
Or, are you on your phone for 10 minutes between sets? Of everything.
Those with a high work ethic will need more recovery than those who are watching fucking cat videos in between sets, or on social media posting.
What level meet was it
This is a big one.
It may not seem like it, but trust me.
Did you do a local meet, a regional, or Nationals-Worlds?
Was it a local meet but you needed a qualifying total for a bigger meet?
Different level meets have different levels of stress for many.
This matters.
So, now that we have many different factors to consider here are my opinions on What You Should Do the Week After a Powerlifting Meet
Take some time off. Maybe a week or two depending on what level meet you did, how old you are and how much it took out of you.
If you are younger and less experienced, maybe just a few days is needed.
If you are equipped, older, Elite level, maybe at least a week is needed. Maybe more.
Even though I said to take time off from the gym, don’t be a lump on the couch. Motion is lotion so get up and move.
Walk your dog, or go for a walk with your “companion”. Walk by yourself. Walking is proven to be a top recovery aid.
Stretch, foam roll, do mobility work. Yes I know foam rolling is not what they told us it was back in the day. I also know that it gets some blood into the are you rolled and getting blood into your muscles is good.
And don’t eat like an asshole.
How many lifters use the week or two after a meet to eat like shit?
A lot.
Don’t be them.
If you are in the group that is ok to go back to the gym in a few days or you go crazy if you don’t, go back to the gym.
But, don’t do a Powerlifting session. Drag a sled, push a Prowler, do some body weight work. Maybe even some light bodybuilding stuff with no program to follow. Just go and train.
If you are one of those people who thinks your lifts will suffer if you don’t train them three times a week (they will not) go ahead and get back to the gym, maybe Wednesday-but no sooner! Do 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps on the Squat, Bench and Deadlift at no more than 70% of your max.
Use this time to REALLY focus on being a technically correct as you can be. And do 2-3 Accessory exercises. Just not too hard.
If you recorded your lifts, study them at home and see where you need work to prevent whatever technical breakdown occurred. What? There was no technical breakdown? You didn’t go heavy enough!
Develop a plan to address the areas that caused you to have a technical breakdown. Was it upper back, hamstrings, mobility? Whatever it was, sort it out and add it to your next block of training.
And whatever you do, don’t be that guy/girl that writers a long apology post for your poor performance at the meet to your 45 Insta followers.
I hope that I gave you some great ideas on What You Should Do the Week After a Powerlifting Meet.
The worst thing you can do is:
A: Get right back in the gym Monday at 90% of your meet lifts
B: Lay on the couch like a fat arsehole and eat shit for a week or two.
The best option is somewhere in between on those based off my factors listed above.
Sort it out.
Did you miss last week’s log?
Read it here.
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Vincere vel mori
C.J. Murphy
May 10, 2024
