Reactive Training Systems

BobW · Senior Member

Off Topic: Post-Competition Slump

Dano · Veteran Member

Well, it may not be a training issue or even related to competition, especially since you describe it as "unnerving" and lasting for months. Did you continue to train hard instead of deloading? Anything major happen in your life?

I think I hit 4 or 5 meets last year and I'm usually relieved(well, for a week at least, LOL) after a comp is over because I can rest a little(even though I have a serious problem backing off).

More detail may help.

BobW · Senior Member

Not sure what detail may help, so the rambling begins.

Oh, it was definitely comp-related. No other major changes during that timeframe in my life. Basically, got home from the comp on Saturday evening, had a nice celebration dinner with my family and friends, who spent the night, and then we spent a good portion of Sunday hanging out, swapping stories, and I taught them some strongman lifts. Perhaps of note is that I was so wound up on Saturday that I couldn't sleep at Saturday night. I really enjoyed the competition, and was really amped up.

I went to bed early Sunday evening, and had been planning on taking Monday off work to relax, but I woke up so depressed that I went into work just to be around other people.

I basically had done a 3 week taper leading up to the comp (90%, 80%, 70% the week of the comp) and I reversed that coming out, easing back into the heavy training. I actually did well in training after getting back up to speed, setting some PR's in key lifts.

In my mind, everything was so focused and so clear leading up to the comp. Everything in my life seemed to focus on that comp. That was my purpose.

Then it was gone, if that makes any sense.

(Also perhaps noteworthy: this was my first athletic event ever (at age 46), in 2006 I had been told by various doctors that my spinal condition basically meant that I'd never lift again, and so I started lifting seriously, figured that it was literally now or never - with a couple degenerative things going on, one of which is incurable, well, it was time to put up or shut up. So I decided to do a comp ASAP, depending on how my rehab and training went, and I finally was ready in 2008. So, in some sense, I had been thinking about this for a couple years, although I didn't pick the actual comp until Feb 2008.)

As soon as I realized what was happening, I started to set some other goals, and talked with a pro strongman and unofficially competed at an invitational meet - I hoped that would give me something to focus on, and get me back on track. It was about a month after the first comp, and it didn't help all that much. I was still pretty depressed for a couple months after this.

Oh, and I call this depression "unnerving" because quite frankly it scared the crap the out of me.

I want to deal with this issue now, b/c sooner or later I'm going to compete again...

Thanks for any thoughts, advice, etc.

Dano · Veteran Member

Great to here you are getting out there and putting up some big weights, especially with a serious medical condition!

I work in a psychiatric facility so thats where the request for "detail" came from because, well, life happens and it happens really hard and fast sometimes.

As long as you are getting better I wouldn't let it psych(no pun intended) you out for future comps. Could've been a one time thing. Rough patches happen. Being your first comp, you may have been wound tighter than a Swiss watch then just crashed.

BobW · Senior Member

Dano, thanks.

Sorry to bring work into a recreational forum for you, but I do greatly appreciate the advice. I do have a tendency to be wound too tightly, and you're right, that could've been all it was.

Dano · Veteran Member

I think help is what we are all here for. Bring it on!