🧱 What Lifters Actually Do When Shit Hits the Fan
Josh Hezza- Apr 27
- 36 min read
🧱 What Lifters Actually Do When Shit Hits the Fan
Surviving the Final Weeks
Look. I coach sensibly. I teach good movement. I talk about sustainability, injury prevention, and long-term development all the time.
But I didn’t learn those lessons in a classroom. I learned them as a lifter who has crawled through peaks held together with liniment, caffeine, and sheer bloody-mindedness. And if you’ve ever made it to a platform while battling injuries, mental chaos, or a body that's completely over it — you know exactly what I mean.
This article is not the responsible, textbook answer. This isn’t “take a deload and rest until the pain goes away.” This is what lifters actually do when they are two to three weeks out from a comp, battered, stressed, under pressure, and way too invested to stop now. When they’re deep in the prep and the only option is to survive it.
So here’s the disclaimer. This is not medical advice. You need to know the difference between being hurt and being broken. If you’ve torn something, if you’re showing serious symptoms, if you’re seeing red flags — go get checked out and don’t play the hero. But if you’re dealing with the usual pre-comp cascade of joint pain, mental fog, bodyweight stress, and minor injury drama? This is the guide for that.
For the lifter waking up with sore elbows and asking if they can just make it through three more weeks.
For the strongman whose back is cooked but the medley is finally coming together.
For the powerlifter 1.5kg over, tweaking their last few openers, and holding on mentally by a thread.
This is the real world survival manual. It’s what experienced competitors actually do to stay in the fight when the wheels are starting to come off — and how they make it to comp day in one piece, with something left to give.
This isn’t about health. It’s about getting to the platform. Getting through the weekend. Lifting with pride and walking off without collapsing. Then rebuilding after. Because you can recover later — but you can’t redo meet day.
Let’s get into it.
(Once again this isn't medical advice)
🥵 Acute Pain and Injury Hacks
When Pulling Out Isn’t an Option - You know me I don’t pull out
Let’s start with the uncomfortable truth. Most serious competitors aren’t walking into meet day feeling like a spring lamb. You’re banged up, beaten down, and holding together what you can. Maybe it’s an elbow that screams on every warm-up set. Maybe it’s a hip that locks up mid-squat. Maybe your triceps feel like they’re made of gravel and regret.
If you’ve ever made it through a proper peak — one where you actually gave a shit about the outcome — you know the final few weeks are a constant game of triage. Something hurts. Something is inflamed. Something is threatening to derail the entire plan. And pulling out isn’t an option unless it absolutely has to be.
This section is about what lifters actually do in that situation. Not what physios would prefer. Not what textbooks say. What happens in real gyms, under real bars, with real weight on the line.
And to be crystal clear — if you’re genuinely injured, stop. If you’ve torn something, if there’s bruising, swelling, instability, or loss of function, you are not in “get through it” territory. You’re in medical territory. But if it’s a tendon screaming from a poor choice last week, or a joint flaring up from too much volume, or a weird tightness that’s not ideal but manageable? Here’s how people get through it.
🔥 The Pain Triage Protocol
A lot of experienced lifters follow this unspoken scale. Again — not medical advice. Just the reality of competition prep:
Pain ≤ 3/10: It’s annoying. It’s not affecting mechanics. Keep training with minor adjustments.
Pain 4–6/10: Needs modification. Drop load, change ROM, and manage volume. Focus on workarounds.
Pain 7/10 or more: It’s impacting movement or getting worse with each set. Shut it down. Swap the movement. Re-evaluate tomorrow.
Most lifters in peak week will train through pain that sits at a 2 or 3. They’ll keep moving, tape things up, and press on. The key isn’t to ignore it completely. The key is knowing when it’s something you can dampen, and when it’s something that’s going to get worse if you pretend it’s not there.
💊 What Actually Gets Used (Again, Not Advice — Just Reality)
NSAIDs: Most lifters will rotate ibuprofen or naproxen to take the edge off. Some prefer topical gels or creams to avoid gut issues.
Diclofenac Creams and Patches: The over-the-counter kind you can get from any UK pharmacy. Surprisingly effective when used overnight on elbows, knees, or lower back.
Lidocaine Patches or Creams: Occasionally used for nervey pain or surface-level irritation. These aren’t for deep joint relief, but can dull sharpness for a few hours.
Hot Creams: Covered in the next section — but know that Deep Heat or Tiger Balm layered under a sleeve can sometimes mask more than you'd expect.
Used well, these aren’t a fix. They’re a delay tactic. They buy you 72 hours of relief so you can get your final sessions done, make it to openers, and warm up on comp day without your brain short-circuiting.
🧰 Smart Modifications That Keep the Engine Running
You don’t need to push through everything. You need to keep grooving patterns, maintaining readiness, and reducing threat to the system. Here’s how seasoned lifters modify peak week without losing momentum:
🦵Shoulder/Elbow Issues
Swap bench press for floor press, Spoto press, or slingshot pressing
Avoid wide grip work and keep it close
Use neutral grip dumbbells, Hex Presses I like for this to reduce joint strain
Pull movements? Emphasise chest-supported rows or bands
🧠Back/Hip Issues
Switch full pulls to block pulls or reverse band setups
Front squats or SSB box squats if low bar isn’t tolerable
Keep barbell RDLs strict and light, or sub for sled drags or belt squats
🔁Knee Pain
Replace back squats with leg press or tempo goblet squats
Reduce stretch reflex and keep controlled descent
Add BFR or machine quad work to maintain output with lower load
The goal isn’t to replace your entire session with fluff. The goal is to swap the one thing that will ruin you with something that lets you train and recover in the same breath.
🎯 Controlled ROM and Movement Grooving
If you can’t go heavy, go precise.
When pain is an issue, range of motion and control become more important than ever. A controlled Spoto press, a pin squat, or a paused box deadlift can do more for retention than 10 sets of trashy movement with pain in the background.
Peak week isn’t about building new strength. It’s about sharpening what’s already there. If you can groove the skill and apply enough stimulus to stay sharp, you’re still in the fight.
🧠 The 3-Lift Triage Mentality
This is something no one talks about but everyone does subconsciously in the final weeks.
Protect the most important lift. That’s it.
If you’re a bench-only lifter with an elbow problem, then maybe you’re skipping rows for a few days. If you’re a strongman chasing a deadlift PB, maybe the log press gets dropped in favour of one big main event push.
You don’t need to hit all three lifts at full volume and intensity during peak week. You need to show up strong where it counts. Triage the rest.
This section isn’t here to tell you how to train safe and pain-free. It’s to tell you how lifters survive when safe and pain-free stopped being on the table.
You can’t out-rehab peak week. But you can modify smartly, manage pain tactically, and keep your eyes on the prize without blowing your entire prep.
If you’re limping, locking up, or strapping together your elbows just to bench — welcome to the club. You’re not broken. You’re just close. Get through the week. Show up for the comp. And once it’s over? Then you can rest.
But until then? We get it done.
Liniments, Hot Creams & UK Options
The Smart Lifter’s Guide to Rubbing one out and Getting Through It
There’s a reason every seasoned lifter’s gym bag smells like eucalyptus and pain.
When you’re training through prep pain, holding together tendons, and trying to warm up a body that feels older than it is, hot creams and liniments stop being gimmicks and start becoming ritual.
They’re not a fix. They’re not going to rebuild damaged tissue or change the course of your prep. But in that foggy middle ground between feeling broken and being totally fine, they’re what gets joints moving, muscles firing, and your head locked in for another heavy day.
This is the guide to what actually works — especially for UK-based lifters who don’t have access to everything you see in US articles and forums. These are the products that get used in real gyms. The ones you can get in a high street pharmacy, horse supply shop, or from Amazon late at night when you’re desperate.
And it matters. Because done well, liniments can extend your career. Done badly? You’re the idiot slipping off the bench because you rubbed Deep Heat under your slingshot.
🔥 Mild Heat Liniments: The Everyday Warm-Up Crew
These are your go-to options for general stiffness, chilly gyms, and mild joint pain. They’re the most widely available, and most people have at least one in their kit.
Top picks:
Tiger Balm Red: Classic combo of heat and menthol, works best on shoulders and elbows.
Deep Heat (Rub or Spray): Cheap, effective, and available everywhere. The spray is useful for hard-to-reach spots.
Ralgex: Similar profile to Deep Heat but stronger scent. Often goes on slightly smoother and sticks longer.
Deep Relief Gel: UK-legal over-the-counter combo of ibuprofen and menthol. This is one of the few legit dual-action options that provides pain relief and warmth without a prescription.
Best for:
Day-to-day warm-ups
Getting stiff joints moving
Subtle post-session recovery work
Re-warming between events or flights
How lifters actually use them:
Rub onto knees, elbows, or forearms 10–15 minutes before lifting
Sometimes layered under sleeves, but this is where it gets risky
Occasionally applied post-session for circulation, though menthol can irritate skin if left on too long
🌶️ Chili Heat and Semi-Serious Options
These are still relatively mild but designed to bring the fire a little more aggressively. They’re a halfway point between your standard Deep Heat and the full nuclear warzone of capsicum-based liniments.
Top picks:
Chili (Capsaicin) Heat Patches: These are sleeper hits for UK lifters. They deliver a semi-controlled burn over a couple hours, making them great for lower back, knee, or glute med issues.
Voltarol Heat Patch + Gel Combo: Use the gel for diclofenac action and the patch for warmth. Legal. Safe. Surprisingly effective.
Caution: These get much hotter after showering, especially with warm water. Use a cold cloth if you need to bring the heat down fast.
🔥 Strong Heat Liniments: The Big Guns
This is what you reach for when the joint is locked up, the movement pattern is stuck, or the area just feels dead. These don’t just warm you up. They blast the area until you have no choice but to move.
Top picks:
Equiblock or Red Horse Liniment: Originally made for horses. Still used by serious lifters who don’t want to spend 30 minutes warming up their knees.
Capsaicin Creams (0.025–0.075%): These are sometimes prescribed for arthritis, but you can get lower concentrations over the counter. Start small. Capsaicin is what makes chili peppers hot.
“Heat Cream” (Generic Brands): Often sold in discount chemists or sport stores. Always test it on a small patch first.
Best for:
Locked-up joints
Dead-feeling muscle groups
“Emergency” warm-ups when the lift needs to happen now
Warnings:
Avoid using these under tight kit like knee wraps or slingshots
Don’t layer more than one hot product — skin burn is real
Always wash your hands before touching your face or going to the toilet — yes, that includes your partner
❄️ Cooling Liniments: For Contrast or Headaches
Cooling gels have their place. They’re not as sexy as the hot stuff, but if you’re dealing with neck tension, CNS overload, or even headaches from grinding sessions, they can help reset things between lifts.
Top picks:
Biofreeze: Menthol-based, dries quickly, and gives a fresh cooling effect without mess.
Kool N Soothe Gel or Pads: Often marketed for migraines, but great for traps, neck, and even wrists.
Aromatherapy Cooling Roll-Ons: Available in most UK pharmacies. Peppermint-based blends that offer a subtle calm-down effect.
When lifters use them:
Post-DE work
After strongman medleys
In hot venues where warming up isn’t a problem, but cooling down between events is
⚠️ Usage Tips and Avoidable Mistakes
When to apply:
Mild heat or cooling options: 10–15 mins before session, or even between warm-up sets
Strong heat: Only when truly needed — and not before a big comp unless you’ve tested it before
Overnight: Deep Relief or chili patches are useful for overnight recovery, especially after heavy squats or yoke
What to avoid:
Never double up on liniments — layering Deep Heat over Tiger Balm is a no.
Avoid using strong creams under compression kit — heat multiplies, sleeves trap it, and you’ll be cooked before the lift even starts
Be extra careful in hot indoor venues — heat creams plus wraps plus adrenaline is a recipe for spontaneous lifter combustion
Ritual or recovery?
For some lifters, this is part of the mental prep. Smelling the liniment. Feeling the tingle. Knowing your body’s about to switch on.
For others, it’s purely mechanical. If the joint is cold, it needs warming. If the back’s pumped, it needs cooling.
Both are fine. Just don’t treat liniments like magic. They are tactical tools. Use them with intention.
If you train long enough, liniments and creams stop being “add-ons” and start becoming part of your system. You learn which one gets your knees firing. You figure out what to put on your elbows when they’re fried but you still have to bench. You know what smell means it’s time to compete.
Use what works. Respect the product. And remember — these don’t make the lift easier. They just help you hold the line a little longer.
Compression, Sleeves & Bracing
When the Kit Keeps You Moving (And When You’re Just Hiding the Problem)
Every lifter who’s been through a rough prep knows this feeling: the kit bag gets heavier because your body’s more broken. What started as knee sleeves and a belt becomes a full-blown wearable exoskeleton of wraps, cuffs, braces, and layers of neoprene.
There’s nothing wrong with that — to a point. Compression and support gear are part of the game. They keep blood in the joint, heat in the muscle, and your range of motion under control. But if you rely on them too heavily, you lose your edge. And worse, you stop being honest about what’s actually going on.
So here’s the long-form guide on when to use compression smartly, when to strip it back, and how some lifters survive peak week by using sleeves like painkillers — targeted, rotated, and pulled out at the right time to save the day.
🦵 Knee Sleeves vs Knee Wraps: Know the Mission
Knee Sleeves: You wear these for warmth, compression, and proprioception. They help keep the joint tracking correctly and reduce inflammation during and after the session. Most people throw on SBDs or Rehbands without thinking, but what matters is why.
Use knee sleeves:
During submaximal squat work
For volume and positional accessories
When warmth and tracking matter more than outright performance
As part of your general training load to reduce flare-ups
Knee Wraps: Entirely different beast. Wraps provide rebound and support under heavy singles. They can let you move weights you have no business touching raw. They’re for lifters competing in wrapped divisions — or for pulling a joker set out of a rough prep when you just need to move something heavy and live to tell the tale.
Use knee wraps:
In the final 2–3 weeks for openers and comp prep
If you’re chasing rebound or need joint protection under a max attempt
To reduce quad loading if your knees are cooked but you still need to squat heavy
Wraps aren’t for training. They’re for execution. If you’re wrapping up on week three of your cycle for a top triple, you’re missing the point.
💪 Elbow Sleeves & Bicep Cuffs: Smart Pain Management, Not a Crutch
Elbow pain is the most common prep problem for benchers, overhead pressers, and strongman athletes. You’ll see elbow sleeves on nearly every lifter over 90kg in any federation. That doesn’t make them a fix.
Elbow Sleeves: Keep blood in the joint. Add warmth. Reduce pain on the eccentric. They’re especially useful during DE bench waves or event medleys when repetitive strain builds quickly. But they can also become a way to avoid addressing technique issues, bar path drift, or weak triceps.
Compression Cuffs (Elbow/Bicep): These are the precision tools. You don’t wear them for everything — you use them when you’ve got one specific tendon kicking off, and you want to lock it down for a few sets without numbing the entire arm. Lifters will often rotate cuffs between bicep and elbow depending on where the issue is flaring.
This is where the “sleeve shuffle” strategy comes in. Don’t wear everything, every session. Rotate which joint gets support so your body doesn’t become dependent. You’ll get better feedback on how the issue is responding, and you won’t end up numb from shoulder to wrist with zero tissue adaptation happening underneath the neoprene.
🦶 Shin Sleeves, Ankle Cuffs & Forearm Wraps: Strongman’s Toolkit
In strongman, the joints that fail are often the ones powerlifters forget about. Shins get chewed up during deadlift variations. Ankles take a battering during yoke and sandbag carries. Forearms get torn apart by stones, dumbbells, and awkward implements.
Shin Sleeves: Worn to prevent scarring more than anything, but they also provide small amounts of warmth and protection during carries and pulls.
Ankle Cuffs or Braces: Underused, but critical for lifters with old football injuries, ankle mobility issues, or balance problems on axle and log setups.
Forearm Wraps: Not just for show. Useful for lifters with nerve issues, grip breakdown, or ulnar-sided forearm pain from strongman pressing.
None of these are glamorous. But if you’re skipping them, you’re leaving joint health on the table.
🧱 Back Compression and Light Bracing: The Forgotten Weapon
Most lifters think of belts as a way to brace against. But light belt use — worn at 30–50 percent tightness — during warm-ups or pumpy accessory work can give you a “held together” feeling that lets you finish a session when your low back is fried.
Use a belt lightly on:
Reverse hypers
Dumbbell rows
Barbell RDLs
Sandbag cleans
This isn’t cheating. It’s a way to offload the spine and keep moving when your lower back is threatening to quit.
If you’re walking into every session feeling like your QLs are going to explode, a light belt and a smarter warm-up can give you just enough relief to finish the job.
🧠 When to Go Without: Trusting the Joint Again
There comes a point in every peak where you ask yourself: can I still lift this without the kit?
If the answer is no, and it’s a load you’d normally handle raw, you’ve got a dependency problem.
That’s where deload weeks and light technique sessions without sleeves become valuable. Not because they toughen you up, but because they let your brain and joint re-learn the position. Use sleeves tactically. Don’t let them become a crutch.
And yes — if the session is under 60 percent, or you're just moving through warm-up volume — take them off. Let the joint breathe. Let the tendons do some work. You’ll earn more from the discomfort now than the delusion later.
🧘 Donnie Thompson’s Protocols and Tools
Donnie Thompson didn’t just invent the Bowtie and Fatbells. He built systems for staying under the bar when most lifters would’ve quit.
Shoulder & Elbow Protocols: Banded traction work, active recovery circuits, light loading in the scapular plane — and above all, frequency. Daily prehab, not just post-injury rehab.
The Bowtie: Used by lifters and office workers alike, this device helps align the shoulders, reduce forward roll, and decompress the traps. Throw it on for 10 minutes before benching or log press. Alternatively you can literally wear it for your entire lower body sessions. Another option is to use it during deloads or rest weeks to maintain posture and recovery.
Most people won’t do this stuff because it’s not sexy. But if your shoulders are a limiting factor and your elbows are always lit up by week 7, you don’t have a pushing problem. You’ve got a maintenance problem.
📜 Sleeve Legality (Yes, This Matters)
Before you show up at a meet with elbow sleeves or compression cuffs, check the rulebook. Some federations don’t allow:
Elbow sleeves in powerlifting - even squat and deadlift.
Multiple sleeves (e.g. forearm AND elbow) or triple-ply thickness in strongman
Specific brands not on the approved list
Don’t leave this to chance. Sleeves that help you train are great. Sleeves that disqualify you from competition are not. And if you're planning to use compression as part of your strategy on comp day — rehearse it under the same constraints.
Compression and bracing aren’t about looking tough. They’re about staying in the fight when your joints don’t want to play ball. Used well, they let you train longer, smarter, and harder. Used poorly, they let you lie to yourself until something breaks.
Rotate support. Reduce dependency. Be honest about what you’re managing — and take pride in how you handle it.
Surviving Lower Back Pumps (Especially for Strongman & Sumo Pullers)
When It’s Not Injury — But It’s Close Enough to Ruin Your Session
If you’ve never had a full-on lower back pump mid-set, count yourself lucky. It’s not just “tightness.” It’s not DOMS. It’s the kind of seizing, stabbing, inflated-ballon-in-your-spine misery that makes you question every life decision that led to loading up that deadlift bar.
And for lifters using gear — especially high-test, high-volume preps — it’s one of the most common and misunderstood problems.
Lower back pumps can be session killers. They flare up out of nowhere, take over your posture, lock you out of position, and shut down your work capacity for the rest of the day. And worse, they’re often mistaken for injury, causing panic or hesitation right before comp week.
So let’s get specific.
This isn’t an injury management guide. It’s a playbook for surviving back pumps when they show up at the worst possible time — especially during strongman medleys, sumo deadlift blocks, or pressing cycles where your hips and lumbar are already taxed to the edge.
💊 Why They Happen (And Who Gets Them)
You don’t need to be on cycle to get back pumps, but it absolutely increases your chances. Steroid users, especially those running orals like dbol or anadrol, often report exaggerated muscle swelling and lower back stiffness even on moderate training days.
Add dehydration, poor sodium balance, poor pelvic alignment, weak hip flexors, and locked-up glutes — and you’ve got a recipe for a pump that feels like a slipped disc.
But the real issue is circulation and overload. You’re pumping a ton of blood into a small, tight area with poor drainage and expecting your spine to hold form through fatigue.
🏃♂️ Movement Is Medicine (Even When It Feels Like Death)
The worst thing you can do when your back locks up is sit down and freeze.
You want low-level movement that gets the blood flowing and encourages decompression without creating more strain.
Walking lunges: Fire up the glutes and quads and re-centre your pelvis.
Reverse hypers (banded or light weight): Arguably the best single movement for restoring back function and clearing out a pump.
Hanging leg raises: Passive decompression plus trunk movement = win-win.
Front-loaded GPP (early in the week): Kettlebell swings, incline treadmill walking, or light sleds before your main sessions can loosen the system up and prevent mid-week lock-ups.
And during your session?
Take rest periods walking, not seated. Even better: walk backwards between sets. It shifts pelvic tilt, recruits hip stabilisers, and breaks up tension faster than just pacing.
🧂 The Electrolyte Fix (You’re Probably Messing This Up)
Hydration is not just water.
Lower back pumps are made significantly worse by electrolyte imbalance. Lifters tend to go too low-sodium or overdo water during peaking phases, which ruins intramuscular control.
Here’s the golden ratio:
2:1 sodium to potassium For every 1g of potassium you get from food or supplementation, you want around 2g of sodium to maintain muscle function and prevent “cramping pump.”
Add in:
Magnesium loading (300–500mg daily, usually glycinate or citrate)
Taurine (1–2g per day or pre-session)
Pre-session electrolyte tab (especially on hot days or if you’re running PEDs)
These are small things, but they compound quickly. The lifters who don’t cramp, don’t seize up, and don’t die mid-yoke run? They’ve usually got their hydration dialled.
🩳 Compression Shorts, Powder, and Setup Hygiene
Sometimes the pump isn’t just internal — it’s pressure from kit, belt, and movement pattern.
If your lower back feels like it’s fighting against your own bracing mechanics, try this:
Light compression shorts or briefs: Offer support but reduce lumbar fatigue during long sessions
Baby powder (on the lower back and upper glutes): Reduces belt friction and shear
Belt adjustment: Go one notch looser. The blood flow matters more than the squeeze in a hypertensive back
During strongman events like carries, bag tosses, or yoke medleys, this can be the difference between finishing your run and blowing out your QLs halfway through.
🧘 Psoas, Hip Flexors, and the Real Culprit
This is the one nobody talks about because it’s not sexy — but it’s the fix for a huge percentage of recurring lower back pumps.
Your psoas and hip flexors are probably tight. And when they’re locked up, your lumbar spine overworks to pick up the slack.
Here’s what works:
Banded hip flexor release drills
Couch stretch with a twist
90/90 breathing or belly bracing drills pre-session
Bodyweight split squats at high reps to prep the pelvis for load
If you train sumo, press overhead regularly, or use a tight powerlifting arch on bench — this is non-negotiable. Free up the hip flexors or deal with lower back pain forever.
🧠 Quick Checklist for Lower Back Pump Management
Pre-session:
2:1 sodium-potassium balance
300mg magnesium + 1–2g taurine
Hip flexor release and light glute activation
Walk instead of static stretching during warm-ups
During session:
Stand or walk between sets
Use baby powder or adjust belt as needed
Add low-back friendly accessories if you’re cooked mid-session
Post-session:
Reverse hypers
Hanging decompression
Contrast showers or hot-cold rotation
Magnesium rub or CBD balm if needed
Lower back pumps are not a death sentence — but they’re a sign something’s off.
Fix your hydration. Loosen your hips. Move your blood. Adjust your rest periods. And if you’ve got three weeks left in prep and your back’s already screaming, don’t panic.
You don’t need to stop. You just need to outsmart it.
Peak Week Anxiety and Brain Fog Fixes
Because It’s Not Just Your Body That’s Peaking
The weights are the same. The gym hasn’t changed. You’ve hit bigger numbers before. So why does everything suddenly feel heavier, foggier, and more fragile?
Peak week isn’t just a physical strain. It’s a full-brain scramble. Even the most experienced lifters — the ones who’ve been here ten times before — feel the shift. It’s not weakness. It’s human. Your body is stressed. Your CNS is fried. Your ego’s on high alert. And your entire identity has started orbiting one single date.
If you’ve ever felt like your thoughts were moving through treacle, like every small cue suddenly mattered too much, or like you’re already tired before comp day has even arrived — that’s not laziness. That’s peak week anxiety. And it will ruin good performances if you don’t manage it.
This section is about exactly that. Managing the noise. Clearing the fog. And making sure the version of you who shows up on comp day is the one who can still think clearly under a loaded bar.
🧠 Why Strong Lifters Break Right Before the Meet
It’s not a lack of toughness. It’s a convergence of stress.
Your body is under tension. You’re running lower volume, so you’re out of rhythm. You’re questioning opener choices. You’ve stopped training like normal, which means more time to overthink. You’re eating differently, sleeping worse, and your identity is wrapped up in performance.
If you’ve spent 12 weeks preparing and suddenly find yourself doubting your bench grip or changing your warm-up plan at midnight, you’re not alone.
Even elite lifters spiral here. The difference is that they have systems in place to pull themselves back.
🪵 Grounding Cues and Ritualised Confidence
If your brain is spinning, your body needs something real to anchor to. This is where tactile grounding and pre-lift ritualisation come in.
Compression garments: Wearing compression tops or sleeves during warm-ups can help overstimulated lifters reconnect with the body and reduce mental chaos.
Pre-comp breathwork: Three to five rounds of controlled nasal inhale and long exhale can reset your arousal state fast. It’s not about zen. It’s about signal control.
Repeated warm-up cues: Use the same music, same shoes, same movement pattern every time you warm up. Not for magic — for certainty. Familiarity kills panic.
Some lifters wear the same hoodie to every comp. Some use chalk as a reset. Some have a mantra, some get slapped, some go silent. You need a ritual that doesn’t hype you — it stabilises you.
💊 Caffeine Cycling, Sleep Hygiene, and Nootropics
This is where most lifters either burn out or peak too early.
Caffeine: If you’re hammering caffeine daily, cut it down by 50% in the 5–7 days leading up to comp. You want your nervous system to respond when you need it. Not be desensitised by six energy drinks and a double pre every weekday.
Sleep hygiene: Blackout curtains. Low light at night. No phones an hour before bed. Magnesium. CBD. Ashwagandha. Whatever gets you off your phone and into sleep. If you’re not sleeping, your decision-making will get worse.
Nootropics: Use with caution — but Alpha-GPC, L-Theanine with caffeine, or even low-dose Rhodiola Rosea can help bring back focus without overstimulation. You want clean mental clarity, not wired jitters.
And don’t throw in a brand new stack the morning of comp. Trial your stack a week out, during a heavy session. Know how you respond under pressure.
🔇 When to Not Talk About the Comp
This is a bigger one than people think.
The closer you get to meet day, the more people want to ask, “Are you ready?” “What numbers are you opening with?” “Feeling good?”
It’s okay to not want to talk about it. In fact, for some lifters, talking about the comp too much drains the mental fuel they’ll need to perform.
Set boundaries. Tell your training partners or coach when you want silence. Lock in when it’s time. And if you need isolation to perform — lean into that, not away from it.
🎧 Environmental Anchors — Train How You’ll Compete
If you always lift with headphones but your comp doesn’t allow them, wean off them now. If you always have hype music but the venue only plays terrible pop, be ready for that.
Start training without music once or twice a week
Rehearse lifting in silence, or with white noise
Try comp-style commands or group warm-ups
Control your environment when you can. Adapt when you can’t. Because a bad sound system should not be the thing that ruins your deadlift PR.
Your brain is part of your peak.
It’s not just the squat, bench, or deadlift that needs to be primed. It’s the nervous system. The mindset. The clarity under pressure.
You don’t have to be zen. You don’t have to be the loudest in the warm-up room. But you do have to be present, aware, and calm enough to lift what you’ve built yourself up for.
No amount of prep saves a lifter who falls apart under pressure.
But with the right rituals, right cues, and right systems in place? You can go in anxious — and still come out victorious.
Last-Minute Weight Gain or Loss
How Lifters Actually Cut, Creep Up, or Cram In the Night Before Weigh-In
This isn’t a guide for your first-ever fat loss phase. This is for the lifter staring down a weight class deadline with 48 hours left on the clock — or trying to show up a little heavier, fuller, and more dangerous on the platform without missing the mark.
Meet prep does weird things to the body. You’re stressed, depleted, overthinking, under-recovering, and often walking a fine line between “ready to peak” and “one meal away from disaster.” That’s why last-minute weight gain and loss strategies matter. Done wrong, they fry your nervous system, bloat your gut, and kill your leverages. Done right, they let you weigh in on target — and perform like nothing ever changed.
Let’s walk through what actually works in the final few days — whether you're gaining, cutting, or rehydrating post-weigh-in — and how I coach clients through this without panic.
⬆️ To Gain: Creatine, Salt, and Low-Fibre Carb Loading
Most people think you can’t gain meaningful weight in a few days. That’s technically true if we’re talking lean tissue. But in terms of glycogen, water retention, and appearance on the platform? You absolutely can.
The goal here isn’t to just “bulk” blindly. It’s to come in heavier, fuller, and more stable — especially for lifters who’ve been under-eating or sitting below class.
Here’s how to fill out quickly, safely, and effectively:
Creatine front-load: 10–15g per day across 2–3 doses starting 3–4 days out. You’ll hold more water in the muscle without bloating your gut.
Sodium boost: Don’t go crazy, but increase salt intake slightly across 3 days. Add a pinch to each meal, use salty condiments, and avoid “clean eating” extremes.
High-carb, low-fibre: White rice, cream of rice, low-fat bagels, white potatoes, cereal, and jam. You want food that digests fast, fills the muscle, and doesn’t back you up or make you gassy.
Bonus tips:
Avoid bulky veg or heavy red meat — they slow digestion and push the scale up the wrong way.
Drink water steadily with carbs, but don’t slam litres — more water is not always better if your gut is struggling.
Small meals every 3–4 hours work better than massive plates if you’re prone to bloating or tightness.
⬇️ To Lose: Salt Out, Bath In, And Don’t Freak Out
Last-minute cuts aren’t about dropping body fat. They’re about reducing water retention, flushing excess bulk, and gaming the scale.
If you're 1–2kg over the night before weigh-in, here’s the approach:
Day-before weigh-in:
Salt out: Cut all added salt and high-sodium condiments. Switch to distilled water or low-sodium options.
Water load taper: If you’ve been drinking 6–8L, cut to 1–2L, then 500ml max the night before.
Carb taper: Keep fats and proteins in, but reduce carbs — they hold water and bulk.
Laxatives if needed (not recommended routinely): A Senna-based or magnesium-based option can help drop scale weight through GI emptying.
Night-before protocol:
Hot bath soak: 20 mins with Epsom salts, followed by wrapping in towels and sitting warm.
Optional: light sauna: 10–15 mins max with gentle movement between stints.
Sleep under warm covers: You’ll sweat more than usual.
Morning of weigh-in:
Void bladder fully, go to the toilet multiple times
Use the same scale you’ve been tracking with if allowed
Weigh in without clothes if permitted — yes, it matters
💦 Post-Weigh-In: The Recovery Checklist
Once you’re off the scale — whether you made weight by cutting or you’re just looking to optimise performance — how you rehydrate can make or break your comp.
Post-Weigh-In Rehydration Checklist:
Creatine: 5g with your first carb meal — every meal after, if needed.
Electrolyte tab or oral rehydration sachet: Add 1 to 200–300ml of water every hour for the first few hours.
Ideal sodium:potassium ratio is 2:1, especially for pump-sensitive lifters or heavy sweaters.
Salted carb sources: Rice and soy sauce. Salted cereal and oat milk. Bagels with jam and peanut butter.
Small water sips every 10–15 minutes: Not litres at once. Overdoing water just flushes electrolytes and ruins recovery.
Avoid gas, bulk, and sluggish digestion: No fibrous veg. No whey protein shakes unless you digest them perfectly.
If you cut hard:
Plan to eat small meals every hour or so, not one massive refeed
Watch for brain fog or limb fatigue — this means electrolytes are still off
Bloating ≠ fullness — don’t confuse a stretched gut for a filled-out muscle
🧠 Coaching Clients Through This Without Panic
The biggest mistake most lifters make during peak week is panicking about the number on the scale.
I’ve had clients weigh in 0.6kg over 24 hours out and still make weight. I’ve had others who made weight but felt flat and missed every lift because they stressed themselves into dehydration.
Your goal isn’t just to weigh in — it’s to perform.
That’s why I:
Always track morning weight, fasted, on the same scale
Set a “safe zone” buffer of 0.5–1.0kg for contingency
Run mock weigh-ins 1–2 weeks out if weight is tight
Create written plans for both rehydration and emergency cuts
If a lifter is too lean or light to start with, we’ll strategically gain across the final 2–4 weeks, not the last 2–4 days.
💊 What About Meds, Diuretics, and the Sketchy Stuff?
This is the line you have to walk carefully.
Mild OTC diuretics (like dandelion root) may help shift water without zapping strength
Prescription diuretics, even loop or potassium-sparing options, carry real risk — electrolyte crashes, cardiac stress, flat performance
Lifters using these often require frequent small-carb doses to prevent blood sugar drops and CNS fatigue
Beta-blockers, antihistamines, or water-shedding PEDs should never be new compounds in the final week
If you’re going that route, you should have trialled everything weeks out
Disclaimer: None of this is medical advice. I coach around it, not with it. But pretending it doesn’t exist helps no one.
Weight class lifting is a game of planning and discipline — not starvation and panic.
Whether you’re filling out or cutting back, the goal is to be ready on the platform — not just on the scale.
If you’ve done the work, don’t sabotage it with last-minute chaos. Execute the plan. Rehydrate like a pro. And remember — no medal was ever won at weigh-in.
Kit Drama, Event Changes, and Curveballs
How to Keep It Together When Comp Day Goes to Shit
You trained for a 280kg yoke. You brought your squat shoes. You packed your meal prep. And then the promoter says, “The yoke’s been swapped for duck walk. Good luck.”
Welcome to strength sports.
No matter how dialled in your peak is, meet day always brings curveballs. It could be a broken event implement, a surprise rules change, a platform running two hours late, or your favourite belt snapping mid-warm-up. Doesn’t matter. What counts is how you respond — because the lifter who holds their nerve through the chaos usually beats the lifter who trained perfectly but panics under pressure.
This section is about preparing for the stuff you can’t predict — and why your mindset and backup bag might be the most important tools you bring to the comp.
🎯 “The Yoke Is Now a Duck Walk.” What Do You Do?
Every strongman has heard some version of this the night before an event.
The heavy medley becomes a press medley. The truck pull gets replaced with a sled drag. The loading race goes from stones to sandbags with no tacky allowed.
This isn’t a disaster — it’s normal. Event changes are the rule, not the exception, especially at grassroots and regional-level comps.
How you handle it matters more than how you trained for it.
What you need is mental agility, not perfect practice.
Can you switch footwork patterns without spiralling?
Can you shift your cues from yoke posture to duck walk rhythm?
Can you adjust your grip when the log is suddenly knurled differently?
The lifters who rise to these moments aren’t the ones with flawless prep. They’re the ones who stay calm, think clearly, and don’t freeze when things change.
🎒 Backup Kit = Confidence Insurance
You don’t need to be paranoid — but you do need to be prepared.
There’s nothing worse than snapping your belt or forgetting your wraps and spending the morning begging other lifters to lend you their gear.
Every serious competitor should have a comp bag backup protocol:
Two belts: Even a cheap lever or Velcro belt can save your day if your main one fails.
Spare shoes: Especially for deadlift and events. If the floor’s slick or the warm-up area is outside, you’ll want options.
Extra socks and sleeves: Wet kit will ruin your grip and your day. Bring backups.
Multiple pairs of tape and chalk: Don’t rely on the venue to provide enough or anything at all.
Electrical tape and scissors: For last-minute patch jobs.
Snacks and water: The worst drama is when the venue runs out and the shop’s shut. Fuel yourself.
It sounds like overkill. It’s not. The comp you prep hardest for is usually the one where your kit gets left behind, broken, or soaked from the rain walking in. Don’t let logistics beat your lifting.
🧠 Mental Agility Beats Technical Perfection
You can’t train for every variation. But you can train yourself to think flexibly under pressure.
Get comfortable adjusting your foot stance or grip width on the fly
Practice transitions under fatigue
Learn to “problem solve” in training when implements don’t move as expected
Train some of your events with weird equipment so you’re less reactive to changes
Perfect technique helps. But comp day rarely gives you perfect conditions.
The lifters who make podiums — even when they’ve never touched the exact kit before — are the ones who keep their heads, adapt fast, and know what good enough feels like under load.
💥 What Lifters Learn From Bombouts and Curveballs
It’s easy to be a composed, focused athlete when everything’s going to plan. It’s much harder — and more valuable — to stay locked in when the timeline slips, your opener gets misloaded, or you get called up three lifters early.
The most experienced athletes build resilience through exposure:
They’ve bombed out once and know how it feels
They’ve forgotten their wraps and lifted anyway
They’ve loaded the wrong plate and pulled it again without whining
They’ve trained on borrowed kit, late-night flights, and zero warm-up
Those experiences aren’t failures. They’re reps for your brain.
They’re the reason some lifters hit PRs even after a 6-hour delay, while others crumble because their warm-up room playlist wasn’t right.
The moral?
Your ability to handle chaos is a competitive edge. Don’t train just for strength. Train for execution under uncertainty.
🔧 Quick “Kit Shitstorm” Checklist
Pack an extra belt — always. If it snaps, you’ll want a second.
Bring two sets of shoes: one for grip, one for comfort/stability.
Don’t rely on the venue for tape, chalk, or equipment.
Keep an emergency cash stash or snacks if the venue food fails.
Prep mentally to lift without music, crowd hype, or your favourite hoodie.
Expect timeline delays. Plan for early calls and late lifts.
Most lifters spend 12 weeks chasing a perfect peak — and only 2 minutes planning for comp-day chaos.
But the moment something goes sideways, all that prep gets tested. And that’s the point.
If you can lift well when everything goes right — you’re a lifter. If you can lift well when nothing does — you’re a competitor.
Comp Day Psyche: Strong but Functional
Because All the Strength in the World Means Nothing if You Mentally Collapse by Event Two
You’ve made weight. You’ve got your kit. You’ve nailed your prep. But if your brain unravels on comp day? It’s over.
Competition isn’t just about who’s strongest on paper. It’s about who can deliver when the lights are on, the cameras are out, and your opener feels heavier than it should. The most elite lifters in the world know this: your headspace is a weapon — or a liability.
This section is about keeping it together when it matters. Not just hyping up. But showing up. Every lift. Every event. No matter what.
🔊 Not Everyone Needs Ammonia and Screaming
We all know the stereotype — big headphones, slaps, pacing like a caged animal, yelling on the way to the platform.
For some lifters, that works. But for others? It’s overstimulation, distraction, and performance sabotage.
Your comp day psyche doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. It just needs to work for you.
Some lifters are explosive. Some are robotic. Some need noise. Others need silence.
Figure out your activation style — and stick to it.
🧍♂️ Lifter Types: Know Yourself
There are three common comp day personality styles. Knowing yours helps everyone around you — especially your handler — do their job.
1. The Isolator
Headphones in. Eyes down. Minimal talking. Lives in their own zone.
Best strategy: carve out space, don’t let people interrupt. Handle yourself or have one handler only.
2. The Pacer
Walks in circles. Repeats cues out loud. Focused but kinetic.
Best strategy: small repetitive rituals, avoid emotional conversations. Let them pace.
3. The Aggressive Talker
Talks themselves (and others) up. Needs hype. Performs best with energy around them.
Best strategy: use a loud handler or hype crew. Feed their buzz — then direct it into precision.
If you’re handling someone else, ask: “What kind of lifter are you on meet day?” And if you’re competing yourself — tell your coach what works. Don’t leave it to chance.
🎒 What to Pack, When to Eat, and How to Time Warm-Ups
You don’t want to be figuring this out at 9:43am when they call deadlift flight B and your food’s still in the car.
Pack:
Lifting kit (two of everything if you can)
Easy-digest carbs: jam sandwiches, Rice Krispie squares, bananas, baby food, sweets
Salty snacks: pretzels, crisps, salted nuts
Water, electrolyte mix, caffeine tabs (or whatever you prefer for a small boost)
Towel, chalk, tape, and extra socks
A hoodie or blanket for staying warm between events
Eat:
Light breakfast ~2–3 hours before lifting
Small, frequent carb hits between events
Keep protein/fats low unless you’re competing all day
Warm-ups:
Start 15–20 mins before your expected flight
Do NOT peak in the warm-up room. Last warm-up should be no more than 90% of opener
Use a timer or handler to manage rest
Move between warm-ups to stay loose (don’t just sit and stress)
🧘 Anchor Phrases: Keep Your Brain on Rails
In chaos, structure saves you. One of the best tools? A repeatable anchor phrase before each lift.
Examples:
“Strong and easy”
“Snap it up”
“Lock it clean”
“Tight, press, hold”
“Move with intent”
Say it. Mean it. Own it. Doesn’t need to be dramatic — it needs to be yours.
Over time, this phrase becomes a signal. A neurological trigger. Your brain stops thinking and starts executing.
🔍 Introvert vs. Extrovert Handling
This might sound fluffy. It’s not. It can be the difference between PRing and bombing.
If you’re more introverted:
Avoid the warm-up room hype if it drains you
Stick with one handler or close friend
Bring noise-cancelling headphones or a hoodie to shut the world out between lifts
If you’re more extroverted:
Feed off the room — but don’t let others’ failures infect your focus
Talk and move between events to stay relaxed
Use music, talk-throughs, or shared cues to stay present
There is no right answer. Only what helps you lift.
🧠 Comp-Day Plan: Why Most Lifters Fall Apart After Event One
The truth? Most lifters don’t screw up their third deadlift. They screw up after their first miss, their first call-out, or their first mistake in warm-ups.
That’s why you need a full comp-day plan. Not just for attempts — but for what happens between them.
What’s your process after each lift?
What food will you eat and when?
How will you reset if an event gets delayed?
What do you do if you miss a lift early on?
Planning this ahead of time stops you panicking in real-time. Because on meet day, emotion is the enemy of execution.
You don’t need to be loud. You don’t need to be stoic. You just need to be consistent — and mentally ready to do your job.
Know who you are under pressure. Give your brain structure when your body’s peaking. And never, ever go into a comp hoping your “mood” will carry you.
Control it. Lock it in. And lift like it’s inevitable.
Not Medical Advice (But Here’s What Gets Used)
The Real Stack, the Sketchy Stack, and the Strategic Middle Ground
Let’s be clear up front: this isn’t medical advice. But it is what lifters actually do — quietly, carefully, or sometimes recklessly — when the pressure’s on and the competition’s close.
Because while training is the foundation, comp day performance is often enhanced, managed, or propped up by a very real pharmacological toolkit. Some of it is mild. Some of it is mainstream. Some of it dances right up to the edge of what’s wise.
What matters is that we talk about it honestly. Not to glorify it. Not to recommend it. But to reduce the harm, give better context, and arm serious lifters with real knowledge — not just whispers behind the warm-up room curtain.
Let’s unpack it all.
☕ The Stimulant Stack: Alert but In Control
Caffeine is a comp day staple. But how it’s used varies massively — and misuse ruins more performances than it helps.
Most common stimulant compounds:
Caffeine: Tabs, drinks, gums, or pre-workouts. Effective, but easy to overshoot.
Taurine: Smooths out CNS agitation and helps reduce back pumps.
L-theanine: Calming without sedating. Takes the edge off caffeine jitter.
Yohimbine: Sometimes used for aggression and CNS drive, but risky for anxiety-prone lifters.
Beta-alanine: Less common comp day, more for prep — but may offer buffering effects.
Smart stimulant strategy:
Don’t go above 200–300mg caffeine in one dose unless you’ve trialled it in training.
Stack taurine + magnesium + caffeine for an alert, smooth focus and reduced lower back cramping.
Avoid dry-scooping mystery pre-workouts 20 mins before deadlifts.
🧠 Calm the Nerves: Beta Blockers, Theanine, and Social Fixes
Meet day can trigger full-blown anxiety, especially for lifters who feel pressure, crowd exposure, or perfectionism kicking in.
Some strategies used in practice (not advice, just observation):
Low-dose propranolol (beta blocker): Commonly used to manage performance anxiety. Reduces heart rate, tremors, and public-speaking panic.
L-theanine + low-dose caffeine: Focus without overstimulation.
Adaptogens like ashwagandha or rhodiola: Used during peak week to regulate cortisol — better for prep than comp day itself.
CBD: Where legal, used for night-before anxiety or sleep. May reduce inflammation slightly, but mostly calms nerves.
THC: Also used by some to manage pre-comp tension or post-weigh-in relaxation. Not performance-enhancing — but function-enhancing for certain lifters.
Know your own brain. Some lifters need calming. Some need amping. Some need to be protected from both.
💧 Hydration and Electrolyte Prep: The Underrated Stack
Many lifters cramp, shake, or gas out on comp day not because they’re weak — but because they’re dehydrated, depleted, or over-sweated.
Hydration stack used in practice:
1L water
1g sodium (¼ teaspoon salt or electrolyte tab)
300mg potassium
200mg taurine
Optional: creatine 3–5g if weight is no longer an issue
Take this stack 60–90 minutes pre-comp for steady hydration, cell volumisation, and better CNS conductivity.
If you’re competing over a long day (e.g., strongman), repeat in smaller doses every 3–4 hours, especially in hot venues.
🩸 The PED Discussion: Harm Reduction, Not Hype (this isn’t even a discussion, its a nod to the idea of having the discussion)
Let’s not pretend PEDs don’t exist in strength sports. They do. And whether you’re in an untested federation, on TRT, or simply curious, here’s the line we walk:
Performance-enhancing drugs can help recovery, aggression, and strength. They can also wreck joints, fry your CNS, and derail your meet if mismanaged.
What experienced lifters actually do (again — not advice, just observed):
Keep compounds stable in the final month. No major dose changes, new orals, or Hail Mary stacks.
Avoid high-dose orals in the final week unless you know exactly how you respond. Liver stress, appetite suppression, and aggression issues are common.
Some drop or taper compounds 7–10 days out to reduce inflammation and improve mobility or reduce water retention.
Some use BPC-157 or TB-500 (unregulated peptides) for soft tissue healing — again, do your research and understand legality, sourcing, and risks.
What matters most? The system still matters more than the stack. PEDs without smart programming just accelerate your burnout.
🧠 Strategic vs. Sketchy: The Respect Line
Strategic:
Caffeine + theanine for focus
Taurine + magnesium for muscle pumps
CBD the night before for sleep
Electrolyte stacks for hydration
Mild beta blockers for known performance anxiety (prescribed and trialled)
Sketchy:
Pre-workout cocktail you’ve never tried before comp day
Excessive stimulants (600mg+ caffeine, yohimbine without tolerance)
Last-minute oral anabolics or DNP use
Water cuts without proper electrolyte plan
Peptides from mystery websites with no timeline or testing
If your stack compromises your thinking, it’s no longer helping.
You don’t need to be natural to be smart. And you don’t need to be enhanced to care about what goes in your body.
Whether you’re drug-free, low-dose, or full-send, the best lifters don’t wing it. They plan. They trial. They track. They get better through strategy — not desperation.
The goal isn’t just to make it through meet day. It’s to perform at your best — with a clear head, a stable system, and a plan you trust.
✅ Get to the Platform, Get Through the Day, Rebuild Later
This isn’t the long game. This is survival mode.
Meet day is not the time for optimisation. It’s not the time for pristine mobility, perfect sleep, or textbook health decisions. It’s about execution. About doing what it takes to show up, hold it together, and leave it all out there — even if the prep was messy, the joints are fried, and the plan has changed three times already.
This guide wasn’t written for the ideal prep. It was written for the real one.
The one where your elbow’s been aching for weeks, your sleep’s gone to hell, and your opener suddenly feels heavier than it should. The one where the kit’s wrong, the timeline’s late, and your nerves are running the show. That’s the version most lifters are living — and if you’re nodding, you’re not broken. You’re normal.
What separates the experienced from the emotional isn’t talent — it’s follow-through. It’s knowing what to do when things aren’t perfect, and doing it anyway.
This isn’t a lecture about what you should do. It’s a field manual for what lifters actually do when shit hits the fan — and how to survive the day without making things worse long term.
Because you can always recover later. You can rehab the shoulder. You can rebuild the volume. But you can’t redo meet day.
💬 What I’d Tell My Younger Self
If I could go back 10 years and talk to the lifter version of me who taped his knees with a roll of hope, skipped warm-ups out of nerves, and chased PRs through every niggle — I’d say this:
“It doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to happen. Show up. Stick to the plan. And stop trying to impress anyone who isn’t under the bar with you.”
You’ll lift better when you stop chasing magic and start chasing execution. That’s what gets you on the podium. That’s what earns the respect of the room.
💥 You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
If this hit home — if you’re the lifter who’s managing injuries, juggling life stress, navigating last-minute chaos, or trying to peak for a comp without falling apart — you don’t need to go it alone.
This is literally what I do.
I coach strength athletes through real-world meet preps.
I help bench-only lifters hit new PBs without blowing their elbows out.
I guide strongmen through brutal event weeks with systems that hold up under pressure.
If you need someone to help you put all the pieces together — the planning, the prep, the recovery, the mindset — I’ve already got the roadmap.
Or grab one of the ebooks if you’re not ready for full coaching yet — they’re all built from real-life, tested-in-the-trenches experience.
Because at the end of the day?
Lifting’s not about being pristine. It’s about being prepared — and unrelenting.
Let’s get you to the platform. Let’s get through the day. And let’s rebuild stronger from there.
You’ve got more in the tank. I’ll help you find it.
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