Peaking for a CrossFit Competition: The 8‑Week Training Guide
Preparing for a CrossFit competition requires more than just doing WODs every day. In the 6–8 weeks leading up to a competition, top athletes follow a structured approach to peak their performance. This involves gradually shifting from high-volume “base” training to high-intensity, sport-specific work, and finally implementing a taper to shed fatigue. The goal is to arrive on game day with your fitness at its highest and your fatigue at its lowest In this guide, I’ll walk through how to train during those final 8 weeks – explaining the scientific principles of peaking and tapering, why training becomes more CNS-focused as competition nears, and how to ramp up sport-specific workouts while cutting back on base-building volume. By understanding these principles and viewing it as a template, you can form your own 6–8 week competition prep plan to hit the competition floor at full capacity.
The Science of Peaking and Tapering
Peaking means adjusting training volume to make sure your performance abilities (strength, endurance, speed, skills) can be expressed at their highest level on game-day. This is usually done by tapering, reducing training load, after a period of hard training leading up to a competition, in the days or weeks before the competition, to allow the body to fully recover and reveal that fitness.
There is a saying that rings: “Fatigue masks fitness” which in other words means that if you carry too much fatigue, you won’t be able to express your true fitness level: tired legs run slower than fresh legs even if they’re just as strong. A proper taper pulls down fatigue while maintaining fitness, so you feel fresh and powerful when it counts.
When you reduce training volume, your accumulated fatigue dissipates faster than you lose your fitness adaptations. In practice, this means cutting back on how much work you do (volume) for a short period, while keeping enough intensity, usually also slightly reduced, to “signal” your body to stay ready. Keeping the intensity high enough leads to better performance on game day, which is why the key to a good taper is to reduce the volume as much as possible, while maintaining the necessary intensity to ”stay sharp”. To peak, you unload fatigue but don’t completely stop challenging yourself.
While endurance sports often see tapers of 1–3 weeks with 50%+ drops in training volume. In CrossFit, the full taper phase is often around 5–10 days for most competitors. An experienced or highly trained athlete (who trains many hours per week) might start tapering two weeks out, whereas someone with a lower training load or a novice might only need a shorter ~5-7 day taper. I usually taper the taper when it’s more than a week, reducing volume more in the second week than in the first.
The core idea is to reduce training volume by roughly 40–60% in the final days while keeping intensity relatively high at first. In this case, I mean mainly the speed of movement and loading, not necessarily metabolic intensity, which is to say that I’ll aim to keep weights high, I’ll aim to hit high speeds and potentially even some very short intervals close to Vo2max, but I’ll stay away from the more threshold-like intervals. You might also slightly reduce training frequency (e.g. if you usually train 5 days a week, you might train 2-4 days during taper), but you don’t drop off completely. I usually also tend to drop any longer aerobic work, if that’s still in the program. By the end of the taper, you should be fully recovered from the previous (hard) training block and ready to tackle whatever is next.
Why Focus on Power & Intensity Over Base Training in Final Weeks
In the last few weeks before competition, you’ll notice training shifts toward a more emphasis on heavy, explosive, high-intensity work that taxes your central nervous system, and away from high-volume “base” work. There’s a good reason for this. By 6–8 weeks out (or closer), the foundation of your fitness (“the base”) has largely been built. Doing lots of slow aerobic sessions, high-rep volume, or heavy hypertrophy workouts at this point won’t significantly improve your engine or strength in time for the competition. Those adaptations take months and should have been developed earlier. Training, therefore, shifts to transforming those gains into power, speed & ability to perform at thresholds. This means more high-intensity work both in lifting and conditioning work, and more sport-specific work in general. In other words, you switch from building capacity to expressing capacity. What excessive base training will do in the final weeks is pile on unnecessary fatigue that could blunt your peak. As the competition nears, intensity becomes the priority, and volume (base work) tapers down. This is not to be mistaken with the actual taper phase. During peaking training intensity is very high and likely increase and the goal is still to build/express fitness qualities, so even though the volume goes down, the total load won’t due to increased intensity.
Peaking means prioritizing workouts that prime your neuromuscular system to fire efficiently and powerfully. Heavy lifts, explosive movements (like sprints or plyometrics), and intense but short metcons all fall into this category. These types of efforts train your body to recruit muscle fibers quickly, coordinate complex movements under stress, and produce max power, all crucial for competing. They also tend to be trained in lower in volume cause you can simply only do a few heavy lifts or a few minutes of all-out sprints. Therefore, they tend to cause less prolonged muscle damage or metabolic fatigue than, say, a 30-minute grinding WOD. This doesn’t mean they’re “easy”, in fact, they’re very taxing neurally, but the type of fatigue is different. You can recover from neural fatigue with a few days of rest, whereas structural fatigue from very high volume training might take longer to dissipate.
It’s intensity that bridges the gap between gym gains and speed, power and work-capacity in a competition setting, helping you translate strength and conditioning gains into race qualities. This process is often called actualization, which refers to the process of realizing the potential built in earlier phases. Additionally, because intensity (not volume) is the main driver to expressing speed, power and work-capacity, it is the key variable to maintain during the taper.
Heavy lifts and high-intensity intervals send strong signals to your body to stay “sharp”. For instance, many coaches include a heavy single lift at ~85–90% of 1RM in the final week to “prime” the CNS. Importantly, it’s done at low volume (just 1–2 reps), so it doesn’t leave you sore, instead it makes you feel crisp and ready. In contrast, doing a high-volume light lifting session might leave muscles drained without providing that neural stimulus. If you were to cut intensity and only do easy volume, you’d actually detune your nervous system and risk feeling “flat” on game day.
Finally, as you taper down, it’s important to remember that you won’t lose fitness in a matter of days. Strength and fitness are especially “sticky”; once built up, they won’t vanish quickly. You can safely reduce heavy lifting in the last week or two without losing strength, because it takes much longer than that to detrain. This is slightly less true for speed and power, due to their heavy neural component, which is why ideally you still train those in low quantities.
Early Peaking (Weeks 8–6 Out): Transition from Base to Specific
Overview: About 6–8 weeks before your competition, start transitioning your training focus. This phase is about shifting gears from general training to competition-specific prep. In practical terms: gradually pull back on pure base-building workouts and start cranking up intensity and skill & sport-specific work. If you’ve been doing long aerobic pieces or high-volume strength sessions, begin trimming those down. Instead, incorporate more workouts that resemble what you’ll face in competition, higher intensity, mixed-modal, and often shorter bursts of effort. This is also the moment that you’ll have to make sure you’re training all relevant movements at competition-relevant volumes & intensities. So if, for instance, you’ve been leaving out things like high-volume kipping, GHD sit-ups or pistols, this is when you start re-introducing them.
Think of this phase as moving from “training mode” to “competitive mode” in a controlled way. Depending on the athlete and the amount of sport-specific training the athlete needs, this phase could be longer too. However, you probably don’t want to make it much shorter as this simply doesn’t give enough time to develop the desired qualities.
Roughly speaking, we stop thinking about building fitness, and start focusing on expressing it. Having said that, if you’re a developing athlete or someone with very clear weaknesses that require long term planning. Than you probably don’t want to completely remove those things.
Key focuses in Weeks 6–8 out:
Reduce Volume (Gradually): Start dialing back overall training volume slightly. For example, if you were doing extra long cardio sessions or lots of assistance exercises, cut their duration or frequency. Volume is usually the first thing to cut when aiming to peak, since it contributes most to fatigue. By easing off volume early, you begin lowering accumulated fatigue and clearing up some space in training so that you can handle and introduce more intensity in the coming weeks.
Maintain Strength & Power: Don’t drop heavy lifting. In fact, this is when you might push toward a strength peak before tapering later. You might work up to heavy singles or doubles in key lifts (squat, clean & jerk, snatch) during this period, or test near-max lifts about 5–6 weeks out. The idea is to arrive at your highest strength levels a few weeks before competition, then stop pushing for new PRs so you can recover. For now, keep heavy days in your program, but ensure you’re getting enough rest between heavy sessions, since the neural demand is high.
Increase Sport-Specific Metcons: Begin doing more CrossFit-style metcon workouts at high effort, especially ones that include the movements and time domains common in your upcoming competition. If earlier in the year you did mostly interval work or longer pacing pieces, now is the time to reintroduce those “for time” or AMRAP workouts that force you to go hard. Gradually ramp up the intensity: for instance, you might start with a couple of metcons a week at 80% effort, and by 5–6 weeks out be doing some at near competition effort (with appropriate recovery). This trains your body to handle the “full send” intensity again. It’s also when you combine elements, e.g. doing heavy barbell cycling with gymnastics with conditioning, to practice the chaos of competition conditions & hone your race skills.
Skill and Efficiency Work: As you shift to more sport-specific workouts, continue to refine your skills. Movements like muscle-ups, handstand push-ups, double-unders, etc., should now be practiced under fatigue, not just fresh. For example, you might do an EMOM that alternates skill movements and rowing, or include higher-skill gymnastics at the end of a metcon when tired. The goal is to make sure you can perform your skills when your heart rate is high, a critical aspect of CrossFit competition. Even though I mentioned doing more sport-specific work, with skills you haven’t trained much under fatigue. It’s wise to slowly reintroduce them. If you have a particular weakness (say, high-volume wall balls gas you, or your rope climbs are shaky), you should still address it in training during this phase, but do so in a controlled way so it doesn’t crush you. That might mean practicing the skill at easy pace or in small sets, just to keep it fluent, without turning it into a marathon that wrecks your recovery.
Plan for the (Un)known: Around 6–8 weeks out, you may not know the exact events or WODs in the competition (unless it’s something like the CrossFit Open, which announces workouts weekly). However, you can make educated guesses about common elements. Most competitions will have some kind of heavy lift or barbell complex, a high-skill gymnastics component, and some lung-burning metcons. Do your homework on the competition if possible – e.g., if last year’s event had a swim or a max deadlift, those could be likely again. Use this intel to bias your training (slightly). In this phase, practice those likely elements more. For example, if a 1RM lift is probable, include mock 1RM tests in training. If there might be odd objects or running, incorporate them. The idea is to start tailoring your fitness to the competition’s demands. This doesn’t mean you should neglect other elements completely. However, if your competition is in a local hall without a swimming pool, you might be fine dropping your swimming practice for a while.
By the end of the 6–8 weeks out phase, you should notice a shift: overall training volume has started to come down, you’re feeling less beat-up from endless mileage or reps, but the intensity of key sessions has gone up. You might feel a bit more acute fatigue after hard metcons (that “CrossFit tired” feeling right after a brutal WOD), but less overall exhaustion during the week because you’ve trimmed excess volume. This sets you up for the next phase, where intensity and sport-specificity hit their peak.
Full Peaking (Weeks 5–3 Out): Peak Intensity and Competition Simulation
Overview: From about 3–5 weeks out (roughly the month before competition), your training should reach its highest intensity and most sport-specific format. Think of this as the real peaking phase of training. By now, you have built your base and transitioned into full “competition prep” mode. The goal in this phase is to expose yourself to the toughest workouts and scenarios you might face, while still allowing enough time to recover and taper afterwards. These weeks will likely include some of your hardest workouts of the season, high-intensity “simulator” WODs, perhaps multiple workouts in a day to mimic a competition day, and heavy lifts under fatigue. It’s challenging, but it conditions your body and mind for the demands of competition, so there are no surprises on game day.
Key focuses in Weeks 3–5 out:
High-Intensity Metcons: This is the time to go 100% in some workouts. You might program benchmark-style WODs or past competition workouts and attack them at competition-level effort. The aim is to push your pain threshold and get comfortable with being uncomfortable at high heart rates. For instance, you could do an Open-style couplet (like thrusters and pull-ups) and really test your limit, or a short sprint chipper that leaves you on the floor. Limit such all-out efforts to a manageable frequency (e.g. 1–2 per week) and ensure you recover, but you want to feel that intensity now so your body adapts. You could also program “repeatable” high-output intervals here, for example, interval repeats on a rower or bike where you go hard, rest, and repeat. Training your ability to sustain high power with short recovery. All these build your peak anaerobic capacity and mental toughness.
Competition Simulation: Approximately 2–3 weeks out, it’s common to do a mock competition or at least a mock “competition day.” This means doing multiple workouts in a single day or over a weekend, similar to what you’ll face at the event. For example, on a Saturday you might do three workouts: one in the morning (perhaps a heavy lift event), one at midday (a longer grinder), and one in the afternoon (a fast burner). Simulating this helps you practice crucial things: warming up and cooling down repeatedly, nutrition between events, pacing when you’re already fatigued, and the mental game of resetting between WODs. It also exposes any weaknesses in your recovery – better to find out in training that you cramp up on event #3, so you can address hydration or fueling, than to discover it at the competition. Keep these simulation workouts very sport-specific. Use movements you expect to see. If possible, even mimic the competition format (e.g., if you know it’s 5 events over 2 days, you might do a “mini version” of that). After a simulation weekend, make sure to allow extra recovery (light days after) because it will be exhausting. Many top athletes do their last big simulation about 2 weeks out, then shift into taper mode.
Strength and CNS Priming: By around 3 weeks out, you usually stop pushing for new PRs in strength; you don’t want to risk injury or excessive fatigue by maxing out too close to competition. Hopefully, you hit your peak lifts in training maybe 4–5 weeks out. In this 3–5 week window, all you want is to maintain strength which can be done at significantly lower volume. You might still lift heavy regularly, but in a structured way. For instance, do heavy singles at 90–95% 1RM, or heavy complexes, but low reps and not to failure. Some workouts may incorporate heavy lifts under fatigue (e.g. a chipper ending with a heavy clean, to simulate hitting a lift when tired). These teach you to access strength even when winded, a common requirement in CrossFit comps. Also focus on speed and power: Olympic lifts for speed, plyometrics, and short sprints can all prime the CNS and need frequent touches.
Fine-Tune Skills and Strategies: Use these weeks to iron out any strategy for workouts. Practice things like transition speed, e.g., doing rounds of common couplets and seeing how fast you can move between movements without redlining. Dial in your techniques for things like efficient barbell cycling, or the rhythm for gymnastics sets. If you know, for example, that there’s a high-rep muscle-up workout likely, figure out your break strategy now. This is also when you confirm things like your pacing on a 10-minute AMRAP or how hard you can go out in a 3-minute blitz. Essentially, rehearse everything: not just the movements, but how you approach the workout. High-level athletes even simulate their mental approach, e.g. they’ll practice positive self-talk or focus cues during these hard workouts so that come competition, it’s automatic. In these final weeks you won’t get much fitter, but you can get major wins by dialing in strategy, technique and competition habits.
By the end of week 3 out, you will have put in the hardest work. It’s normal to feel pretty beat up at this point – you likely have accumulated fatigue from the intense training. Don’t panic if you feel exhausted or even a bit off your peak in the middle of this phase. It’s part of the plan, because the next step is tapering. In fact, many athletes intentionally overreach slightly during the peak phase, then rely on the taper to come back stronger. As long as you don’t have any injuries and your metrics (like sleep, appetite, mood) are not completely terrible, some fatigue now is okay. You’re about to drop the volume and let the fitness emerge.
If it’s your first time doing a comp-prep like this you could be slightly more carefull with the intensity & fatigue and just hone in on whatever works for you over time. Different people will respond differently and recover at different speeds. For master athletes, for instance, I’m usually a bit more cautious with the intensity and volume, while with teens or people that are further away from their genetic potential, usually you can be a bit more aggressive.
Taper (Final 2 Weeks): Taper and Recovery for Game Day
The last 10–14 days before the competition make up your taper (with the final 5–7 days being the true deload). This phase is all about reducing fatigue and fine-tuning. You have done the work, you’re not going to gain any significant fitness in the last week or two, and in fact trying to do too much can hurt you. Now is the time to freshen up. The taper isn’t a full stop, you keep just enough work in to stay sharp. By the end of this phase, you should feel itching to exercise because you’re so well-rested. Your body will repair any niggling soreness or micro-injuries, your CNS will recharge, and you’ll restore your glycogen and hormone levels so that on competition day you’re at 100%. Here’s how to approach the taper:
Significantly Cut Volume: Plan to cut your training volume down to a fraction of what you were doing. Reduce total volume by 50% or more during the final week. For example, if you normally do 5 metcons in a week, maybe you’ll only do 1-3 in taper week, and they’ll be shorter. If you usually do 5 sets of strength work, you might do only 1-3 sets. You usually also stay away from doing more than 5 reps in any lift at meaningful RPEs. This reduction in volume is crucial for allowing muscles to fully recover and for lowering systemic fatigue. Don’t be afraid to do a lot less work than you’re used to, trust that your fitness won’t disappear.
Maintain Some Intensity (Early in Taper): In the first few days of your taper (say ~10-7 days out), keep some relatively high-intensity work in your sessions, but make it very low volume. For instance, about a week out, you might do a couple of short Metcons (5-7 minutes) at about 85–90% effort. These should feel fast and explosive, not grindy. You want to leave the gym feeling energized, not exhausted. You can also include heavy lifts in that timeframe. Commonly, athletes will do their final heavy lift about 5 days out from competition, but I often still have people work up to a heavy single or double at RPE 7-8. It shouldn’t be a grindy lift; it should feel crisp. Hitting that heavy lift and a short, intense WOD (for example, a 7-minute “competition style” piece) early in the week will remind your body what intensity feels like without wearing you down. By 2–3 days out, you’re not doing anything that causes fatigue, maybe just light movement (we’ll cover that next).
Short, Sport-Specific Tune-Ups: In the final week, you still want to “touch” the movements you’ll use, but in a very controlled way. For example, do a few very short workouts that include competition movements, but cap them at 3–5 minutes, low volumes and don’t go to failure. One strategy I learned from the coaches at Training Think Tank is using “stingers” or sprint workouts: super short metcons that mimic the feel of a competition WOD (the movements and speed) but end before you get truly exhausted. An example might be a 3-round sprint of 10 thrusters and 10 burpees – it’ll spike your heart rate and burn a bit, but it’s over in a couple minutes so you won’t accumulate much fatigue. These tune-ups keep your neuromuscular coordination on point. If competition workouts are announced ahead of time, use the taper week to walk through those movements and standards. For instance, if you learn on Wednesday that there’s a snatch + burpee event, on Thursday you might do a few easy reps to feel the movement and maybe do a few rounds at low volumes test your setup & transitions, but nothing more. You’re just reminding your body “we know this movement,” not trying to train it.
Active Recovery and Mobility: As intensity and volume decrease, you’ll have more free time (which can make competitive people antsy!). Fill some of that time with active recovery: easy cardio (can even just be walking), mobility, and prehab exercises. For example, take a 20-30 minute light run/walk or bike at conversational pace – this can aid blood flow and recovery without causing stress. Spend a lot of time on mobility drills, foam rolling, stretching, and trigger point work to ensure you’re as limber and pain-free as possible. Now is a great time to address any tight spots or niggles – for instance, if your shoulders are tight, dedicate 20 minutes a day to shoulder mobility. These activities actually help with taper, because they promote circulation and relaxation, and they can reduce the risk of injury when you get to competition (you’ll be moving well). Just avoid making these sessions slowly start looking like training again; keep them truly recovery-focused. Rest is also a weapon: you might take extra days completely off training in the final week (e.g., many athletes rest 2 days before competition). Don’t worry, resting will only make you stronger at this point, not weaker.
Psychological and Tactical Prep: Use the taper period to get your head in the right place. Trust in your training, as the saying goes, “the hay is in the barn.” Rehearse your game-day routine mentally. Plan out things like your nutrition for the day of competition, equipment and gear, and warm-up routines. It’s wise to stick to your normal habits and not introduce anything new at the last minute. If you always drink coffee before a workout, do that on game day; if you train in a certain shoe, compete in it. The taper week is also when nerves can creep in because you’re not as exhausted with training. Channel that energy by visualizing success and going over your strategy. Some athletes find it helpful to do light visualization or breathing exercises to handle anxiety. Stay occupied but relaxed, for instance, go on a walk, read, do light skill work, but avoid sitting around worrying excessively. There’s no last-minute workout that will suddenly add 10% to your capacity, so instead, your job is to arrive rested and confident.
Final 1–2 Days Before Competition: In the last day or two, keep your activity minimal and purposeful. Many top coaches advise not taking complete rest the day before competition, but doing a short “primer” session to stay loose. For example, the day before, you might spend 15-20 minutes doing an easy warm-up (light jogging or biking, some dynamic stretches) then a few sets of very light, quick movements: a couple of light lifts, a few gymnastics reps, and maybe a 30-second sprint on a rower at moderate pace. Nothing that causes fatigue or soreness, just enough to break a sweat and remind your body it’s go time. Follow that with thorough mobility work and then get off your feet. Prioritize sleep every night of taper week, but especially two nights before competition (since pre-competition night you might be a bit nervous). Eat well, hydrate well, and stick to foods you digest easily.
By competition day, if you’ve executed the taper, you should feel fresh, strong, and excited. A well-rested body with maintained intensity can do amazing things, many athletes hit lifetime PRs or perform beyond what they thought possible after a good taper because all that built-up fitness is finally unleashed. As you step onto the competition floor, it’s “go time” – you can fully send it knowing you’ve prepared intelligently.
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FAQ
Q: Why taper at all? Won’t I lose fitness if I’m not training hard up until the competition?
A: Tapering is essential to eliminate fatigue and allow your full fitness to shine. You won’t lose meaningful fitness in a week or two of reduced training – those adaptations (strength, endurance) stick around longer than that. What will happen is your body will repair muscle damage, replenish energy stores, and rebound hormonally. Trust your training and embrace the taper.
Q: How far out should I start tapering, and how much should I drop my training?
A: It depends on your training volume and experience. For most CrossFit intermediate competitors, a one-week taper (5-7 days of reduced training) is sufficient. If you’re training very high volume (say 10-15+ hours a week or you’re an elite athlete doing multiple sessions a day), you might stretch that to a 10-14 day taper. During that period, cut your volume dramatically to about 50% of normal or even less. However, maintain intensity especially at the start of the taper: still include a couple of short, high-quality efforts early in the week (at 80-90% effort). Then taper intensity down as you get closer to the comp (no grueling workouts in the last 2-3 days). In summary: start taper about a week out (maybe a bit more if you’re a higher-level athlete or masters athlete who needs more recovery), cut volume by at least 40-50%, keep a couple intense lifts/WODs early, and rest more on the last days.
Q: Should I do a workout the day before the competition or complete rest?
A: The day before competition, it’s generally recommended to do just a light “activation” session, not a full workout. Complete rest can sometimes leave you feeling stiff or sluggish on game day. Instead, do an easy 10-15 minute session: something like a thorough warm-up (jog, dynamic stretches), then a few sets of light movements or light barbell drills and potentially some explosive lifting or jumping. You could also do brief machine intervals (like 3 x 30-second row at moderate pace). The goal is to get blood flowing and trigger your nervous system briefly. After that, stretch and relax. This light session will also help you sleep better and calm nerves. Avoid anything intense or new, no PR lifts, no long Metcons, you want to go into the competition 100% fresh. Remember, the work is done; the day before is just about staying loose. If you feel very fatigued or something is sore, it’s okay to make the day-before session extremely minimal (like a 10-minute walk and stretch). Listen to your body. But generally, a bit of movement is better than none.
Q: I still have a weakness (e.g., poor double-unders or a heavy lift I struggle with) and the competition is close – should I train it hard during the taper?
A: In the last couple of weeks, you can address a weakness, especially during the early peaking phases. But caution needs to be taken towards the taper, you don’t want to exhaust yourself too much or get injured trying to cram last-minute improvements. Skill-based weaknesses (like double-unders, handstand walking, etc.) can be practiced during taper, for example, doing a few minutes of double-under practice focusing on technique, or some light drilling of a lift with sub-max weight. This can sharpen coordination without much fatigue. What you want to avoid is high-volume or high-intensity work on your weakness so close to competition. If, say, muscle-ups are your weakness and you go do a giant workout of 100 muscle-ups for time a week out, you’ll likely just end up ripped up and tired. In summary: no heavy “panic training” of weaknesses during taper. A little practice is fine, but keep it easy and safe.
Q: How do I manage nutrition, sleep, and recovery in the final weeks?
A: The final weeks (and especially the final few days) are the time to dial in recovery basics. Sleep: Aim for consistent, quality sleep every night. If you can get 8+ hours, great. Two nights before competition is key, prioritize that, since the night before you might be anxious. Nutrition: Maintain your normal healthy diet; don’t suddenly try a new supplement or diet plan right before competition. In the taper, since you’re training less, you might not need as many calories, but don’t dramatically slash food, your body is repairing, so it needs nutrients. Emphasize protein for muscle recovery and carbs to top off glycogen stores as you ease off training. Staying well-hydrated is crucial: start increasing water and electrolyte intake 2-3 days out. Many athletes also slightly increase carbs in the 1-2 days pre-competition (carbohydrate loading on a small scale) so that you have full energy stores, e.g., adding an extra serving of rice or fruit to meals. Recovery practices: This is a great time for things like massage, contrast showers, or other modalities if you use them. Foam rolling and stretching daily are highly recommended to ensure you’re limber. Mentally, do things that relax you, could be meditation, listening to music, or spending time with friends, to keep stress low.
Q: Any tips for game day itself?
A: Game day is your execution time. A few quick tips: Stick to what you know. Eat the breakfast you know sits well with you (competition day is not the time to experiment with new foods or supplements). Warm up thoroughly for each event. Have a plan for each workout (paces, break points, etc.) but also be ready to adapt if needed. Between events, focus on recovery: get carbs and protein in within a short window after each event to refuel (even if it’s just a shake or a banana), stay hydrated, and get off your feet if possible to relax. Keep an eye on the schedule so you’re not rushed, know when you need to start warming up for the next event. Mentally, treat each event as its own competition: once it’s over, whether it went great or poorly, reset your mind for the next one. And remember to enjoy it!! Competition is the celebration of all your hard work. If you’ve followed a solid 8-week prep, trust yourself and give it your all. As many seasoned competitors will tell you, “prepare, relax, perform.” You did the preparation, so now relax (as much as possible) and then execute when the time comes, leaving no regrets. Good luck, and have fun out there!