Tapering for Competition

How to Taper Training and Recover for a Competition

How you should be training this week at the gym in order to be recovered and ready for the V-Day Massacre.  Here is some info. If you have any questions or something doesn’t make sense to you, send me an email for clarification.

When should I rest and why?
Resting before a competition is a delicate balance, more so than people seem to think or realize. If you spend too much time resting and inactive, your body will respond negatively and you will have reduced energy levels and delayed response time to the intensity of the workouts you will put it through in a competition setting. On the other hand, inadequate rest will cause you to go into a competition sore and fatigued, effectively shutting your body down from overuse. Different athletes respond differently to higher volume training, and many of you will have an idea by now of how you respond to multiple workouts in a week. Since competing in FrostFit, you now know what it feels like to do two WODs back to back and how long it takes you to recover.

My suggestion for most of you would be to work out through Wednesday, perform active recovery on Thursday, and take a complete rest day on Friday. Active recovery could be going for a light swim, run, or bike at a sustainable and slow pace. While you rest Friday, make sure you do plenty of mobility. Hop on a foam roller or lacrosse ball after work and stretch after a hot shower before bed.

Nutrition and sleep leading up to competition
If you typically cheat on your diet (Paleo, Zone, or whatever healthy eating style you follow) this week is NOT the week to enjoy the sugary treats, coffees, and pastries. You also, contrary to popular belief, do not want to “carbo load” prior to competition. Eat lean meats, nuts, seeds, plenty of vegetables, and some fruit. Drink plenty of water this week, particularly the few days before the competition. Try and get a reasonable amount of sleep this week. Particularly on Thursday and Friday nights, you will want to be well-rested for competition morning. (NO DRINKING JUSTYN) Eat a healthy and filling breakfast before the competition, and pack plenty of healthy, high-energy food for the day’s competition. Re-fueling after each WOD will be crucial to your success, but it is even more important that your body is properly fueled in the days leading up to the competition.

Ensuring that you properly taper your training, eating well this week, and getting plenty of sleep leading up to this weekend will prepare you all to compete at your best. You need to take care of your body to get the most out of it, and this is even more true when preparing for a high-intensity, multiple WOD competition. As I mentioned, if any of you have further questions please send me an email.