I have my first Olympic lifting meet this Saturday - I’m not particularly concerned with what I lift and I’m using it as practice for a meet at the end of June. I’m going to use it as a way to get all the little (but important) things right: making weight, warm-ups, lifting in front of an audience, etc.
Anyway, I weighed myself last night and I was 87.15kg, hydrated and in weightlifting shoes, sweatpants and a T-shirt. I need to make 85kg on the morning of competition. Weigh-ins are at 9:30am and I’ll have to wake up around 8 to make it there in time.
In order to make weight, I don’t think I should eat or drink after 9pm on Friday night. Since weigh-ins are 9:30 Saturday morning and lifting starts around 11, what would be some good choices to eat during this period? Also, warm-ups/lifting will probably last until around 2. What would be some good drinks/foods to consume during this period, if any?
During the meet, I would say something like Surge or foods that are easily digested; eaten in small amounts, of course. And what about some Powedrive?
Foods that don’t “weigh you down” and keep you energized and loose. At least, that’s what I would think for me in terms of food. Potatoes would be a good one. Since they’re easily transported (bake, wrap in foil, throw in a small cooler). And of course, fruit. Plenty of water, too. If you’d been keeping a food log during your training for this meet; you can always refer to that.
I betcha Christian Thibaudeau would provide you some good advice here. But I thought i’d chime in.
I did the same thing as you the night before when I competed in Olympic weightlifting. I wouldn’t eat past 9 p.m., and I wouldn’t eat until after the weigh in.
Since we typically didn’t start until 11 a.m. or later, my friends and I would head out for some food (once we made weight) and chow down. Back then, Surge wasn’t available, so for me, it was some high protein and carbs. I definitely wouldn’t eat the same types of food I ate then if I were competing now.
JB wrote an article in a previous printed version of T-mag where he addressed a similar question for a Division I football player who wanted to know what to eat before the big game. You should check into that for info. I don’t remember it off the top of my head, but he mentioned using a carb blend before and during the game and Surge afterward.
Thanks to everyone who responded- very helpful stuff. Not sure if I’ll go for the Snickers though! Christian had some great stuff to add in his forum. Check it out if you’re interested.
Well the guy that eats the snickers squatted over 1000 lbs, benched over 600, and deadlifted way more than anybody i know. so what he says has a little bit of merit.
About those Snickers…not only does big Paul eat the Snickers, but I happened to catch a glimpse of the winner of “best overall lifter” from my last meet eating a Snickers, too. Maybe there’s something magic in them…