Psyching Up at a competition

[climber511]

Maybe a little discussion of the subject of how you get yourself wound up for PR or competition lifts.  Music choices - nose tork - screaming and yelling - breathing techniques - whatever you use?  Internal or external psyching?

 

[Jedd Johnson]

As little as possible.  If I get too hyped, I drop afterwards and have a hard time getting it back, plus then it make sit tough to run the computer I'm usually fighting with.

Clap the hands, bark, set the grip.  Gets her done retty well.

[EmilBB]

Music is definitely my way of getting amped up, specifically a band called "Heilung". Although I don't like getting too amped up for grippers which is what I mainly train, because I then often mess my set up - resulting in miserable failure.

Edit: Just realized the title says "at a competition", I haven't competed yet but this would still be my approach 

Edited November 16, 2023 by EmilBB

[Douglas Carney]

21 minutes ago, Jedd Johnson said:

As little as possible.  If I get too hyped, I drop afterwards and have a hard time getting it back, plus then it make sit tough to run the computer I'm usually fighting with.

Clap the hands, bark, set the grip.  Gets her done retty well.

To add for me personally (your mileage may vary):

At home, my heaviest deadlift videos have "Surfacing" by Slipknot playing in the background.  Coincidence?  I think not.

As for comps, I'm completely new to them...but I haven't worn headphones or played my own music because the social aspect is a h-u-g-e part of the experience for me.

For either, I like Kabuki Strength Whiskey & Deadlifts.  Nice little eye opener right before the clap, bark, and set.

Edited November 16, 2023 by Douglas Carney

[Blacksmith513]

I've never competed and from years of my family telling me i'm to intense, i'm the complete opposite now.. Anytime i get  psyche too worked up I end up breaking something something, hurting myself or scaring people.

 

So I just try to nonchalantly channel my energy...

[dubyagrip]

I tend to pace across the room and find a spot to squat or kneel to gather my thoughts, discard everything but the task at hand, visualize, internalize everything, and then execute.  Like Jedd, I try to avoid the adrenaline dump.  To outside observers I look calm and chill.  It gets easier to stay cool the more I compete.

Edited November 16, 2023 by dubyagrip

[Blacksmith513]

1 hour ago, dubyagrip said:

I tend to pace across the room and find a spot to squat or kneel to gather my thoughts, discard everything but the task at hand, visualize, internalize everything, and then execute.  Like Jedd, I try to avoid the adrenaline dump.  To outside observers I look calm and chill.  It gets easier to stay cool the more I compete.

This is the way to be. Never show your cards.

[PinchByPinch]

I get psyched and then stay psyched for hours, wish I could replicate it at home! Seeing other people trying hard definitely helps me perform. Heavy lifts I also do a bit of a powergrunt which I have no control over. It's how I know I'm trying hard (same for climbing).

[Vinnie]

I think the fact that other eyes are on me and that the result is "official" makes me focus on maximum effort and best form, in a way I might not do as acutely when just training for myself.  I rarely put on music (most of my training is grippers, and at work), and I don't make much noise myself.  In comp, I tend to let out a little whoop AFTER the lift, if it was decent.

[C8Myotome]

1 hour ago, Vinnie said:

I think the fact that other eyes are on me and that the result is "official" makes me focus on maximum effort and best form, in a way I might not do as acutely when just training for myself.  I rarely put on music (most of my training is grippers, and at work), and I don't make much noise myself.  In comp, I tend to let out a little whoop AFTER the lift, if it was decent.

I'm the exact opposite of you, I perform better by myself when I'm not thinking about anyone watching me, with music, and I unintentially am loud sometimes via exertion. I had a friend train grippers with me recently and even someone watching me makes me double-think everything because now I'm thinking about how someone perceives what I'm doing as I go through all my cueing

[climber511]

I tie all my lifting to the breath - no outward excitement at all (not that I remember doing anyway).  When I first started competing in grip - I tended to stay "up" much of the contest - and ended up exhausting myself.  I trained myself to be able to "turn on" and then off following the lift.  I train at nearly the same levels I manage in a comp - a little more in a contest but my training lifts are very close to the contest lifts.  I try hard to breathe my way up and down in excitement level - I am a big believer in what proper breathing can do.  Everything is internal - no outward signs of excitement before a lift.