Contest Day - warmup & what to bring?

[Jill Carter]

What do you make sure you bring with you the day of the contest?

How do you warmup before your events?

Thanks! :)

[Steve Trippe]

I bring lots of food and water, a few sports drinks, and all the gear I think I'll use. I'm a primadonna and wear 3 types of shoes depending on the event (wrestling shoes, olympic weightlifting shoes, or sneakers) as well as my wraps, extra shirts, spandex, chalk, etc.

And my warm up depends on the event, but most of my warm up comes from a general warm up before the start of the contest. I just make sure everything is lose enough (specifically shoulders for an overhead event), get some blood pumping, and then do any specific warm ups for events.

Some contests will have extra implements for warm ups, others won't. Most contests will be somewhere close to a weight room, so don't be afraid to use that.

[JimPierce]

Steve pretty much covered it, I usually bring just about everything i own for gear in case something happens I usually have atleast 2 sets of wraps ,straps and braces plus I bring alot of food and water.

warm I bring one of those band sets and use that for some basic warm up then usually most contest will have some extra stuff laying around to warm up on

[Bob Wanamaker]

If it's outside on a hot day, bring a big cooler with your food and drinks. Load it with ice. Ice your neck, head, and wrists in between events to cool your core body temperature. I found it really helped keep me fresh.

[Matt Brouse]

As a bald (well, shaved...) Norwegian blooded guy I advise to bring sunscreen.

[Eric Jett]

Like most have said, bring extra everything. I'd take two or three shirts and same for shorts, especially for stones, since I do have shorts I use specifically for stones.

If you follow the Scott Porter Fashion Plan, you would wear something different for every event.

[Steve Trippe]

If you follow the Scott Porter Fashion Plan, you would wear something different for every event.

I have 6 different singets I use for powerlifting meets... all at the same time!

[Joshua Davis]

I found out the hard way it's a good idea to bring spare shoelaces to a meet.

I take the big quart ziploc bags and put straps, spare shoelaces, ammonia caps, muscle rub, basically all the small crap in one. I'll then pack my food, which usually just ends up being granola bars. Finally, I'll bring a cooler with drinks and maybe some fruit.

Otherwise, I pack two-three shirts, couple different pairs of shorts, etc... and a mesh bag to put my rehbands and compression shorts in afterwards so I can leave them in the back of the truck to air out. Putting sweated-in rehbands in a gymbag when you are pretty sure you won't be opening it again for a couple days is a bad thing.

[Paul Savage]

What do you make sure you bring with you the day of the contest?

How do you warmup before your events?

Thanks! :)
ive only done 3 comps so far but i feel warming up on the actual implements you're gonna use in the contest is important (especially if you have not trained on them previously), there can be a lot of little variations with the same implements e.g ive used several different logs an no two have felt the same >phil pfister once said something along the lines of "sometimes the difference between doing you're best an doing poorly, an doing you're best an kickin butt, is a little bit of experience" - it's much better to get that experience before the whistle than after it

[Matt Schumann]

As a fellow shaved head person... I learned the hard way a few weeks ago at a contest that this is great advice :mad: --->get it?



As a bald (well, shaved...) Norwegian blooded guy I advise to bring sunscreen.

[brian kling]

I bring my gym bag with all my equip in it, lots of water and thats about it. I don't really eat anything or it comes back up.

[Paul Neuhaus]

Aside from everything else that was already suggested, I also like to take Immodium before a contest because you don't want to have a BM come on when your name is called to do an event. No joke, I know a guy who had to change his shorts after the Conan's Wheel at a contest. And if you're in the john when your name is called, they'll pass you up. This is just one of those little things that no one thinks about, and I'm not joking.

As far as warm-ups, don't change anything. Do whatever you normally do on your event training days so you don't throw yourself out of rythm.

[Tom Mutaffis]

Aside from everything else that was already suggested, I also like to take Immodium before a contest because you don't want to have a BM come on when your name is called to do an event. No joke, I know a guy who had to change his shorts after the Conan's Wheel at a contest. And if you're in the john when your name is called, they'll pass you up. This is just one of those little things that no one thinks about, and I'm not joking.

As far as warm-ups, don't change anything. Do whatever you normally do on your event training days so you don't throw yourself out of rythm.

Or you could just opt for water instead of a gallon of milk at the buffet the night before the contest... :cool:

You do want to make sure that you stick with your normal diet though prior to a contest, introducing new supplements or making drastic changes could upset your stomach which would effect performance.

[davebeers]

Or you could just opt for water instead of a gallon of milk at the buffet the night before the contest... :cool:

You do want to make sure that you stick with your normal diet though prior to a contest, introducing new supplements or making drastic changes could upset your stomach which would effect performance.
So you're saying that trying to out-eat Mr. Beers has its drawbacks?
I was so miserably full after that meal, couldn't take a deep breath because my belly was so bloated that it was pushing on my diaphragm
Of course nothing that a little coca-cola and snickers ice-cream couldn't take care of 2 hrs later!


Day of contest straight water and some fruit and candy is what i like. Last show in Jersey i learned my lesson and will always have a cooler ready with ice and towels to prevent overheating. I will also bring extra fluids. Thank goodness that my fellow strongmen were very self-less and supplied me with those(thanks to kevin cronin, mark, and heather!)

[Paul Neuhaus]

Or you could just opt for water instead of a gallon of milk at the buffet the night before the contest... :cool:


HAHA! You'll never let me live that down, will you? Actually, I always pig out on carbs the night before I train events, and it's usually pizza. That buffet just messed me up something aweful, and it was still in my stomach when we competed the next day!

[Eric Jett]

Aside from everything else that was already suggested, I also like to take Immodium before a contest because you don't want to have a BM come on when your name is called to do an event. No joke, I know a guy who had to change his shorts after the Conan's Wheel at a contest. And if you're in the john when your name is called, they'll pass you up. This is just one of those little things that no one thinks about, and I'm not joking.


This is actually good advice. After deadlift at one contest, I had to change my shorts as well. Luckily, I was going next to last, so I had plenty of time before the final event.

[Ryan Bracewell]

Im not real big on eating during a contest. Mainly because Im not in the mood for real food, and I probably couldnt keep it down. I have not been in many contests, but I usually take several types of pre-made protein shakes and fruit. During training or contest, I like the Isopure drinks and I will bring the 0carb version because its easily digested and I will bring the Mass version for carbs and calories throughout the day. It gives me everything I need, plus I dont feel bloated or nautious afterward. I also drink water and Gatorade.

As for your warm-up I would simply recommend whatever you do before your normal workouts. I do light(5-10#) plates raises in 4 directions for shoulder warmup, active stretching(jumps, high knees, leg kicks, etc), and whatever warmup on implements they allow.

[Jill Carter]

This has been very helpful - thanks for all the great info! :D

[Scott Markowitz]

I bring whatever wraps/straps/etc I'll be using (generally just wrist wraps, and a belt if there's a yoke, but that's just me). And of course tacky and tacky remover if there's stones (unless it's a Tom Mitchell show)

I generally don't eat during a contest. When I'm pushing myself that hard, the thought of food makes me nauseous. I do eat asap afterward though, even if it's just a smackerel. I do bring Gatorade and water, and lots of it.

Other essentials:
A towel for wiping sweat and for putting over my head.
Biofreeze.
A camp chair, depending on the venue.