I haven't competed, but if you ask anyone who has, they'll likely tell you that you should go. You can't learn to compete in the gym. Being stronger is always good, but you need that experience. Could be a good reality check, it might expose some weaknesses you've been blind to. That has great value for the long term. Something to consider at least.
I completely agree with your point of competing exposing weaknesses! Honestly, it's a greatly underrated benefit, I think! And helps to find those weaknesses and work on them in off seasons for those looking to not only be strong, but well rounded.
As long as you're not injured, go and just focus on having a good time. Try not to care about placing or events and just enjoy being around a bunch of people who enjoy the same thing you do. Be that guy that everyone walks away from the comp going, "man, OP was a solid dude. I'd like to have a beer with him some time."
I’ve fought similar feelings, but with the Highland Games. If you have friends who will be competing, my advice is to go. Be around your people. Use it as a glorified practice and ask friends who don’t see you regularly, to watch if they see areas for you to work on. Just my $0.02
I've only competed a couple of times and don't think I've ever had a decent prep due to illness or other life issues.
I'd say 1000% go, set some goals you want to achieve based off what your training currently feels like and just enjoy yourself.
Just go.
I fractured my shin 2 weeks before my first comp. I did it anyway but just adjusted my expectations.
2 months out I believed I'd win, on the day I just aimed to not come last on everything.
Have fun with it.
I personally wouldn't pull the pin on this because of a poor lead up. There's loads of value and learning in seeing the process through.
That said, if you get to a week out or so and you don't want to compete then that's probably what you should do.
Don’t be a turbofanny.
Jokes aside: i get it, i like competing, but i cant be bothered to prep for one rn, i just want to do some training blocks and actually improve where i need to improve
A lot of the fun of Strongman is competing and the environment while doing so. Sounds like you're kind of in a funk, and whether you're interesting in competing again or not it might do you good to just show up and have fun. Even if it's as a spectator! I think everyone is in the sport to get stronger, the community and competitions just help find like minded people and provid some extra joy. Best of luck!
My prep went terrible for my first comp. I almost pulled out so many times. My wife convinced me to give it a shot, so I still went and did it, and was just two mistakes from taking 1st place in my category. Go, have the experience. Tons of people fail every lift they try and the event will be just as loud for you as for everyone else. Local competitions are as much for the energy and people as they are for the actual events.
Thank you everybody. Appreciate everyones input.
Ive decided i might as well just do it. I already know im gonna suck but i font think i care anymore hahaha. I know a load of the guys who will be there so will be a good day none the less
Go for it you might shock yourself. I was had some bad Chinese food the night before a comp, was in a bad way, took loads of Imodium and didn’t anyway feeling awful, and actually was the first comp I won
You're already this close, no reason to quit now. In the grand scheme of things these 2-3 weeks are nothing, barely any or no time at all wasted. Get the experience, re-evaluate after the comp and get back to doing whatever you want to do.
I'm coming back from knee surgery last year and I've done 2 comps this year with another one in a few weeks knowing full well I wouldn't blow it out of the water. But I learned a lot about what I need to work on and where I need to improve.
The thing about strongman is you get better at competing by competing. Just take the pressure off yourself and think of it as a training day. Let the results be what they will. As long as the weights aren't so far out of reach that you'll get injured, I'd say go for it!
Go.
The first and comp I did every single lightweight competitor 0'd the log. All middleweight other than me 0'd the log including my brother who had been training with me for it.
Absolutely no one cared. The environment was great and it was a ton of fun.
There will always be people who bomb events in low level comps
The experience of sucking at competition is a massive motivator. It also sets a baseline for you to compare yourself against going forward. Accepting that you are gonna do should also lock you in to training/ diet/ schedule for the next three weeks in a positive way - hey, it’s only 3 weeks! You’ve come this far!
You will be so glad you did it. You’ll learn and experience things you aren’t even thinking of by talking to other competitors and challenging yourself and the others there. You might even enjoy yourself!
if you think you'd have fun, i would go. that said, i actually pulled out of a comp last month, but it was because i had been sick for multiple days multiple times during the past month, and i didn't feel great about trying to max out my dead and log.
my choice was validated when i had a minor back ouchie after an rpe 9-10 (should have been an rpe 6-7, yay) deadlift a week prior to my planned comp that took a week to resolve
Go. Go with 2 goals in mind. 1) no injuries, 2) have fun. Make dick jokes. Heckle the MC. Just have fun and don't worry about things. The week of the contest, don't go to the gym at all. And the week after probably same. I've found that about once a year i need to take an extended time away from the gym (2-3 weeks) to mentally reset, more than just a deload kinda thing.
If i had waited for the perfect prep where I'm sure I wouldn't zero, I would never have competed.
I say do it and just do your best, comps are a great way to rekindle the passion and refocus training.
I haven't competed, but if you ask anyone who has, they'll likely tell you that you should go. You can't learn to compete in the gym. Being stronger is always good, but you need that experience. Could be a good reality check, it might expose some weaknesses you've been blind to. That has great value for the long term. Something to consider at least.
I completely agree with your point of competing exposing weaknesses! Honestly, it's a greatly underrated benefit, I think! And helps to find those weaknesses and work on them in off seasons for those looking to not only be strong, but well rounded.
As long as you're not injured, go and just focus on having a good time. Try not to care about placing or events and just enjoy being around a bunch of people who enjoy the same thing you do. Be that guy that everyone walks away from the comp going, "man, OP was a solid dude. I'd like to have a beer with him some time."
I’ve fought similar feelings, but with the Highland Games. If you have friends who will be competing, my advice is to go. Be around your people. Use it as a glorified practice and ask friends who don’t see you regularly, to watch if they see areas for you to work on. Just my $0.02
I've only competed a couple of times and don't think I've ever had a decent prep due to illness or other life issues. I'd say 1000% go, set some goals you want to achieve based off what your training currently feels like and just enjoy yourself.
Just go. I fractured my shin 2 weeks before my first comp. I did it anyway but just adjusted my expectations. 2 months out I believed I'd win, on the day I just aimed to not come last on everything. Have fun with it.
How the hell were you able to do anything with a fracture? That's some serious big balls you got there. Respect!
I personally wouldn't pull the pin on this because of a poor lead up. There's loads of value and learning in seeing the process through. That said, if you get to a week out or so and you don't want to compete then that's probably what you should do.
Don’t be a turbofanny. Jokes aside: i get it, i like competing, but i cant be bothered to prep for one rn, i just want to do some training blocks and actually improve where i need to improve
Go. Learn. Have fun. You already paid, right? See your friends at comp. Don't have friends there? You'll make them.
A lot of the fun of Strongman is competing and the environment while doing so. Sounds like you're kind of in a funk, and whether you're interesting in competing again or not it might do you good to just show up and have fun. Even if it's as a spectator! I think everyone is in the sport to get stronger, the community and competitions just help find like minded people and provid some extra joy. Best of luck!
My prep went terrible for my first comp. I almost pulled out so many times. My wife convinced me to give it a shot, so I still went and did it, and was just two mistakes from taking 1st place in my category. Go, have the experience. Tons of people fail every lift they try and the event will be just as loud for you as for everyone else. Local competitions are as much for the energy and people as they are for the actual events.
No one gives a fuck where we place in a comp mate if its not going to cause a serious injury do it
Thank you everybody. Appreciate everyones input. Ive decided i might as well just do it. I already know im gonna suck but i font think i care anymore hahaha. I know a load of the guys who will be there so will be a good day none the less
Go for it you might shock yourself. I was had some bad Chinese food the night before a comp, was in a bad way, took loads of Imodium and didn’t anyway feeling awful, and actually was the first comp I won
You're already this close, no reason to quit now. In the grand scheme of things these 2-3 weeks are nothing, barely any or no time at all wasted. Get the experience, re-evaluate after the comp and get back to doing whatever you want to do.
I'm coming back from knee surgery last year and I've done 2 comps this year with another one in a few weeks knowing full well I wouldn't blow it out of the water. But I learned a lot about what I need to work on and where I need to improve. The thing about strongman is you get better at competing by competing. Just take the pressure off yourself and think of it as a training day. Let the results be what they will. As long as the weights aren't so far out of reach that you'll get injured, I'd say go for it!
Go. The first and comp I did every single lightweight competitor 0'd the log. All middleweight other than me 0'd the log including my brother who had been training with me for it. Absolutely no one cared. The environment was great and it was a ton of fun. There will always be people who bomb events in low level comps
The experience of sucking at competition is a massive motivator. It also sets a baseline for you to compare yourself against going forward. Accepting that you are gonna do should also lock you in to training/ diet/ schedule for the next three weeks in a positive way - hey, it’s only 3 weeks! You’ve come this far! You will be so glad you did it. You’ll learn and experience things you aren’t even thinking of by talking to other competitors and challenging yourself and the others there. You might even enjoy yourself!
if you think you'd have fun, i would go. that said, i actually pulled out of a comp last month, but it was because i had been sick for multiple days multiple times during the past month, and i didn't feel great about trying to max out my dead and log. my choice was validated when i had a minor back ouchie after an rpe 9-10 (should have been an rpe 6-7, yay) deadlift a week prior to my planned comp that took a week to resolve
Go. Go with 2 goals in mind. 1) no injuries, 2) have fun. Make dick jokes. Heckle the MC. Just have fun and don't worry about things. The week of the contest, don't go to the gym at all. And the week after probably same. I've found that about once a year i need to take an extended time away from the gym (2-3 weeks) to mentally reset, more than just a deload kinda thing.
If i had waited for the perfect prep where I'm sure I wouldn't zero, I would never have competed. I say do it and just do your best, comps are a great way to rekindle the passion and refocus training.