Don't sweat the small stuff
Or how to cope with competing abroad

In powerlifting, something miraculous happens to a lifter after their first 5-10 meets. Even if it has only been few years since they first heard of the sport, they become experts!

This wondrous transformation happens usually about four years in the sport.

These four-year wonders are generous with their fantastic width of knowledge and expertise, and share opinions regarding the barbells used, timetables designed and the ways of which competitions are split into lifting groups. They are full of ideas on how to improve the rules in use or how to further the sport. Obviously they won’t do anything about it, but they are always willing to TALK about doing it. Without ever having ran so much as a group training session, let alone arranging a full blown sanctioned powerlifting meet, the four-year veteran with a lot of Youtube accrued expertise can offer advice in every aspect of the thing he (and it is usually a he) has never done.

If you ever happen to be adventurous enough to travel further than your local qualifier, you are very likely to learn that every competition is different. And when you learn that you are already ahead of the four-year wunderkinds, most of whom will never realise the great variety, and coincidentally the great opportunity for personal growth and learning, the sport offers.

Let us, in the spirit of boring the youngest generation to sleep, quickly delve in the past.

10 years ago, it was practically unheard of to have timetables at meets that actually held. Outside UK, Finland and few European exceptions it is still a rarity to be able to trust a timetable.

15 years ago, having screens in the holding area was rare as hen’s teeth

20 years ago, there were no computer programs showing running order and loading.

25 years ago, specialty bars or monolifts were never seen outside the US!

This is still the 2000s we are talking about. I have no need to go further back than that, I believe you understand the point.

This is the kit these dudes outlifted you with!

The man (or sometimes woman) you now refer as the centre spotter, is called platform manager. He is, in an ideal world, able to calculate a given load on the bar in his head in less than 3 seconds, make sure load is correct, rack heights are right and the bar, spotters and safety equipment are appropriate before signalling BAR LOADED.

Now, many of you may sigh of relief that you have joined the sport at this stage when the equipment is shiny, platforms grippy, timetables accurate and computers take care of everything. Well, I have news for you: IT ISN’T ALWAYS LIKE THAT!

There are promoters, countries and gyms where the 2000s have yet to arrive. In some countries the average meet is firmly at the 70s! Even more numerous are the places where all the advancements have arrived, yet the culture and expectations on how a competition is ran are just plain different.

Vast majority of meets around the world do not operate timetables. The lifting groups are designated in order, and you follow the meet as it progresses, estimating when you are on. It may mean that after your last warmup the referees need a coffee break and it stretches to good 30min before you take your opener, or with bad luck and inexperience you may have to skip the last warmup altogether and rush to the platform.

You may also find yourself lifting at 3AM in an industrial hall, having arrived at the venue at noon because the communication has been less than stellar.

You may be trapped in Moscow in an oversubscribed meet that is running full 9 hours late because of equipment malfunction and poor management.

Sometimes a meet director may think treating athletes like superstars is the way to go and clear the whole warmup so your flight of lifters, who are about to be televised, can warm up in peace, consequently making you feel very self-conscious.

The warmup may be one bench and bar designated for 18 lifters, the toilets can be literally overflowing with faeces and outside the venue may be grazing ground for cows.

If you are lucky enough, you may one day find yourself in the upstairs of an Indian youth club, where a Karnatakan lady runs a whole platform with a stack of papers and a pen, shouting commands like a drill sergeant, ordering the lifters, telling loaders what to load on the bar, keeping score, taking next attempts, while simultaneously serving as a side judge.

These examples sound fantastical to someone who has only lifted in the well-equipped, orderly and expertly organised A/BPU competitions, or similar high standard meets. But they are all real.

Any lifter who has real time served in the sport (more than 15 years and more than half a dozen countries of competing experience) will have a treasure trove of stories like that. What this article aims to do is to prepare you for the unexpected.

And, when all the preparation miserably fail, to handle it like a person of substance.

AVOIDING THE UNEXPECTED

There are certain measures you can take to prepare for the carnage. Most obvious measure is to only compete in the federation you know, under the promoter you know, at the venue you know. A way to never make any meaningful memories in this sport is to deny the call to adventure. But that is, in my less than humble opinion, the worst possible decision you can make.

Not only is this approach the coward’s way out, it is also denying yourself learnings that make you a better lifter. It is denying you the challenge that makes you more resilient. It is denying yourself the chance of growing as a person. It is choices like this that prevent one having stories worth telling!

Don’t be the boring person at the cocktail party.

ANSWERING THE CALL

The universe will not drag you into an adventure. That happens in the movies, yet in real life YOU are responsible for making your life worth living. For an anxious first timer who has just got over her fear of going to the gym, the first adventure is signing up for a meet.

For the lifter who has done their local qualifier and beginner’s meets a few times, the adventure is competing a bit further away. Live in Eccles? Sign up for South Wales comp. Resident of Wrexham? Compete in Yorkshire. Pick a place, find something else beside the meet that the place is famous for, make a weekend out of it. Lift heavy shit, see a tourist attraction and take your significant other to the theatre.

That is how it starts.

After this, the logical step (at least in UK) is to progress into doing National level meets. If you are lucky enough to qualify for British, attend it. Whether you fight for first or 9th place, do it. If you don’t meet the criteria in a given federation (for example, A/BPU criteria is very high, so no shame in it), compete in the other national level meets (like Supermasters, Expo meets and Powerlifting Games).

Or compete in other federations. I am the secretary of WPC UK and WPC International referee, but I compete abroad in other federation’s meets. Nothing wrong with that.

The last step is to compete abroad. You can do it as part of your country’s national team (if you qualify), or you can do it at any of the World Cup meets, within WPC and other federations. Go to Kyrgyztan or Sicily, compete in a local meet in Bagdad or visit USA. Like to visit big Fitness Expos? Almost all bigger events have a powerlifting meet attached to them. See who is running the comp and contact them.

Browse the web and when you see an odd comp in a country you didn’t know exists, enter that one! Which one are you going to remember at 98 years of age: spending the money on another week in Tenerife or visiting Nowhereistan, seeing their Goat-god temples, tasting their hairy food and competing in a converted cowshed with some strong, cool and interesting people?

MINIMISING THE RISK (to begin with)

Once you decide to compete abroad, it may be a good call to do your first international meet in a country where you can communicate with locals within your own language capabilities. You also want to do your first competition abroad in a meet ran by a promoter known for running good events. For the first foray, just being outside the country will be adventure enough.

People who run international meets for bigger federations are USUALLY to be trusted to run a good meet. Exceptions exist in EVERY federation, and I do recommend always doing your background research on the meet director. It is the promoter/meet director who contributes to the quality of an event more than what federation it is under.

Based on my experience some of the best countries to compete in the big federation meets are Finland, UK and Poland. Timetables are stuck to, equipment is up to scratch, loaders and spotters are good and communication is generally good.

Ireland, Australia and USA have a variety of meets but are generally considered good standard.

France I have only one experience of, but it was great. South Africa I haven’t been able to attend but heard nothing but good about them.

Hungary/Latvia/Lithuania/Czech generally run good meets, if sometimes not as lifter orientated as Finnish and UK based lifters are used to.

When you begin feeling more adventurous, I recommend doing a competition in a completely foreign culture. Make it into a holiday, don’t expect to hit personal bests and go in with an open mind. Just enjoy the ride and remember to be prepared (even cows in the venue).

PREPARATION

I could write a hundred pages on preparation,

but it still wouldn’t be enough.

One cannot really prepare for everything.

I have outlined the most basic things here:

1. Arrive early.

If you want to maximise performance, always arrive days (notice the plural there) before the competition. Whether the travel is long or short, whether you cut weight or bulk up, arrive early. The earlier the possible.

If you fly anywhere in Europe with a direct flight, arriving the day before weigh-ins (that is 2 days before lifting) is usually enough. Flying anywhere further, you want at least two days AND the weigh-in day. If the time difference is more than 6 hours, consider arriving 4-5 days early to get accustomed to it.

Extra notes:

-If traveling east (ie. losing hours) you want to add an extra day. Jetlag hits way harder when losing time vs. gaining it.

-Whatever the time is at your destination when you arrive, jump straight into it. If you’ve been up 29 hours but now it is morning? Suck it up and wait until night before sleeping. And vice versa, if you only woke up 12 hours ago and it is now midnight at byour destination, you will be wanting to hit the hay soon!

2. Food

Competing abroad, bring food with you. Especially food to eat after weigh-in and during the competition. You will be wanting some of your usual stuff with you, whether dried or canned, just bread, instant noodles or similar.

You want all your usual vitamins, minerals, your own brand salt and so forth. The 3 bags, 5 containers and 11 vitamin bottles that make your friends question your sanity are most definitely an acceptable load. If you want to perform, your 23kg suitcase should be at least 50% competition kit and nutrition.

When they are packed, then you can throw in the mankinis and sun lotion.

Chocolate and noodles are pretty much the same anywhere but safe is safe. Explore and adventure AFTER the meet is done. And avoid the exotic food until you’ve done the last deadlifts. Diarrhea is never pleasant, but I would rather suffer one after the comp than during it.

3. Language

I am writing this in English, so there is a fair chance it is read by people whose first language is English. This means that you most likely suck at languages and are too privileged to even try and learn one. Just my observation, take offense if you like.

Wherever you go, no matter the level of English fluency in the country, learn to say yes, no, please, thank you, sorry and hello in the local language.

If you find learning six words/phrases hard, then I regret to inform that you might be dumb. Or lazy. Or both.

Learning the niceties in Jiddish or Chinese or whatever language won’t directly affect your performance on platform, but it will affect the overall experience you will have in the country. It will affect the way you present yourself and, in my esoteric and unsubstantiated opinion, it will ultimately contribute to what kind of a person you are or will become.

You can tell I take my language stuff seriously, eh?

Just in case you wonder (I know you don’t, I just want to brag), I have learnt the phrases in 19 languages in my travels. I hope to add to that list in the future!

4. Do your research

Now, this is where the competing abroad turns into traveling. You don’t have to spend hours or days deeply acquainting yourself with the culture and history of the place you visit.What you need is 30min on your laptop with a notebook next to you.

10 minutes of online research the city and area you are visiting. Make a note of 3 things you want to do or see.

10 minutes of online research into customs and habits of the country you are visiting. Try searching ‘what I need to know of XXXX culture before visiting’. Once again, makes the experience better and may avoid a few misunderstandings. Jot down the 3 things you didn’t know before.

10 minutes of online research on the prices, hustles and scams. Make note of usual taxi custom and pricing, the most common tourist hustle (apart from taxis) in the area, the crime frequency and if there are any particular areas or activities that are considered dangerous.

Half an hour and you have covered the bases.

TRAVEL

The actual physical toll of traveling in itself takes a lot out of you. Following these basic guidelines will mitigate some of the effects of long distance and jetlag.

1. Drink

Drink it all the time as you travel. Keep approx. 0.5 litres of water going in per hour on the move (obviously varies from 48kg female to a 148kg male). You can add a pinch of sea salt in the water, you can throw in some Vit C effervescent, and sparkling water is great. But the important thing is to drink. Coffee and tea are good to keep the body working, soda not so much. But if you trek past half a globe in a 19-hour jaunt, a soda or two won’t be the make or break of the trip. If you’re not visiting the loo too often for your liking, you’re not drinking enough!

2. Move

When you are at the airport for more than 90 minutes, do a 10-15 minute whole body mobility/stretch routine. When in the plane for long flights, do the same type of routine (limited by space) either after each movie you watch or every 2 hours. If you manage to sleep (always good), do it after each nap. On a flight to Dallas from Sydney, you need to do this about 7 times.

Sounds like lot of hassle? Afraid that people may look at you funny?

I am so sad. Truly, you got all my empathy. Poor you. Wow, what a hard life you live. Get off your lazy behind and do it!

Don’t know what to do? Just do anything. Whether stretching, walking, bodyweight squats, just standing up and bracing the core, anything is good as long as you do something besides sit.

Extra tip: board the plane last and find a row of seats that is empty. Now you have more space, and if you find a 3 or 4-seater row, you can even lay down and properly sleep.

3. Eat

Pack yourself something reasonable to eat. Airport food and airline meals can be OK, but pack something nutritious with you. Boiled eggs (I am famous for always having ‘pocket eggs’ with me), carrot, cucumber, protein sachet, unsalted, unroasted nuts or similar.

At the airport, buy salads etc. for the flight, book yourself any of the ‘special’ diet foods. You can do that with your airline. Low sodium and gluten-free are some of the options. Usually anything that comes with ‘special’ diet happens to be better than what they offer, whether you actually need that diet or not.

Avoid snacks, chocolate, crisps and other shite. Your body is under enough stress as it is.

Extra tips:

-If you are a big eater, flash your most charming smile and ask the airline staff if they have any extra meals. 90% of the time they do. Or maybe my smile is just so charming!

-Take 10-20g of creatine on your travel day: half during, half before bed. Throw in 5 fish oil capsules during the day and another 5 before bed. Helps with the jetlag and inflammation considerably.

MINDSET

This is probably the most important part of the article.

I have tried to give a lot of tips here how to optimise your performance and how to get the most out of your trip. Counterintuitively, I am now telling you that none of it really matters. Not if you have the wrong mindset.

You need to understand that whatever you do, things are still going to surprise you. That is the whole point of it, to experience something new. Whether you let it affect your performance is up to you.

In the worst case Moscow scenario that I alluded to earlier the competition weigh-ins took close to 6 hours, and the competition itself was damn near TEN hours behind schedule. Reasons were multiple, ranging from venue restricting competition days, equipment malfunction, Russian greed and incompetence of promoters.

But the reasons don’t matter.

When you find yourself at a position where you have spent more than thousand pounds and travelled for days, you NEED to make the most of it. Not for pride, not for glory, not for the team. For yourself. How you react to adversity is something you will carry that for the rest of your life. Sports have always been more than just the performance. They are metaphor of your personality, an allegory of life itself.

Many people start whinging: ‘This is sooooo unacceptable’. ‘I am not having this’. ‘These people are assholes’.

Those statements may well be true (they were in Moscow). Yet, it DOES NOT MATTER.

One heavyweight wannabe hardman called it a day around midnight, made a social media post complaining, whinging and feeling sorry for himself. Instead of making the best of it he consoled himself with the sycophants and back-patters and well-wishers online joining into the pining. Many people succumb to this, especially in social media era when you can get the likes and comments and agreeable weak nobodies taking your side to feel better for yourself.

Deep down you will know what you did if you stoop to that level, no matter the thousand likes or hundred shares. You will always know bottled it. You dropped the ball. World gave you a chance to grow and be stronger, and you chose to be an online assclown.

It is events like this that you can really prove to yourself what you are made of. At the end of the day, it is just a long day and a shit comp. You’re not exactly facing insurmountable enemies and sacrificing your life so that the women and children can flee to safety. All you need is a preworkout and an extra chocolate bar for energy, man it up and lift what you can.

Obviously, we need to held promoters accountable and we need to raise questions when lifters are treated poorly. Any things that can be addressed during the comp need our attention. God knows I, and especially Emma, have pulled promoters mid comp to correct wrongdoings. But with 200 lifters at the venue, limited staff and one working monolift options are limited. Complains and formal issues have to be raised even then, sure. But that needs to be AFTER the lifting!

Forget your social media clout, forget how many views you could get or how many sycophants would be patting your back after the meet. Conquer the moment. It’s a good story to tell later on and you won’t have to do mental acrobatics later to justify yourself how you were treated unfairly and were right to wussy it out. World has enough useless self-proclaimed victims as it is.

10 years down the line you can tell how the comp was even worse and ran even more late, and add 20kg to all of your lifts. Everyone has the God given right to complain and whinge to their mates, as long as it is done AFTER you stepped up and made the best of whatever situation you are whinging about. Hell, day after the meet you can even go and do your social media rounds if you crave the attention so much.

Whether you are in a competition where there is human shit in the wall and ceiling of the toilet (true story), or where three men spot and load 18 hours without breaks and with ever declining quality of spotting (true story), or where the warmup bench is fastened with a teaspoon (!) and breaks from under you (true story), or where timetables are so off that lifters have blankets and duvets with them so they can sleep at the venue (true story), or where the promoter decides to swap the timetables in the morning so your flight is 13 (thirteen, yes) hours before the original start time and you only got 41 minutes from waking up in your hotel room to lifting your opener on platform (true story), the same truth stands: make the most of it.

I will say that some high performing athletes may choose to pull out rather than risk injury in some cases, and that sometimes happens even if the competition is perfectly ran. That is a different matter. Even then, you make the most of it.

Help your mates, enjoy the meet in the audience, or go and visit a theme park.

I’ve had slight rotator cuff injury during warm up. I had travelled 3000 miles for that comp, so I made the best of it. I helped my teammates and helped my strongest rival to lift the all time world record in single ply (410kg/903lbs single ply bench at 125kg/275lb weight class by Anton Begalko).

Making the best of it does not always mean lifting against all odds (though usually it does), but there is one thing that it NEVER means: feeling sorry for yourself, blaming the circumstances and complaining like a spoiled brat.

In a world of wet, weak-willed non-entities who seek validation and keel over at the first sight of adversity, do better. Be the guy or gal who stands tall and makes the most of any situation.

Making the most of a situation isn’t about being hardest, toughest, grittiest or any of the ‘hardcore’ bollocks the alpha male clowns try to peddle as toughness. It’s staying positive, embracing hardship as a challenge to be learnt of and being the last one laughing. And telling the complaining brigade to f**k off.