Resting After Training Cycle

I am currently weight training following CW’s SOB program, 1 day training, 1 day off.

I’ve got an uncoming track and field competition with friends, nothing serious, but of course I wanna kick their asses :smiley:

So anyway, my SOB program ends 2 days before the event. I’m doing sprints and running to condition myself on the off days, and I was wondering, what’s the optium protocol for resting sufficiently after my weight training cycle so on the day, I feel totally 100% mentally and physically.

Diet wise and training wise, what’s the deal? Should I use the 2 days off to not do any training whatsoever, not even short 400m sprints to test my times, or what? Should I eat heaps of food as well?

Is there anything else I can do near the end of the SOB cycle, like a week before the event, which will help in performance?

Aside from dropping volume significantly prior to an event, there is not much you may want to change.

I would not change the diet much for fear of screwing up your system by say, chowing down much more than you are accustomed to. You may experience gas, diarrhea, bloating or constipation if you make big changes in your diet this close to a comp.

I would also do nothing strenuous for those two days prior. Keep or add to your flexibility (hip flexors, hams, quads, calves and glutes). Mentally rehearse your events and even visit the actual field of competition beforehand if you get the chance (unless you’ve been there before and even then it’s still beneficial psychologically).

Have you been slowly dropping training volume over the last few weeks (while adding intensity)?

EDIT: I did just realize this was more for FUN but it’s still good advise! Good luck!

Thanks for the advice, I wouldn’t say I’ve been dropping volume lately, maybe I’ll try that. Does bloating and diahorrea come from overeating?

Because I’ve noticed I’ve been getting bad bloating, gas, and diahorrea, I’ve been eating more food, still keeping the “fundamentals” like oats, sweet potato, chicken, etc… but because I’m weight training + running I’ve needed more food.

I’ve just been following SW’s SOB program and doing conditioning on the off days, volume has been pretty much constant. I will decrease the volume prior, oh and yeah, I do light “GPP” work as well to improve flexibility like back extensions, stuff for hips, glutes, hams, and the like.

Adding food should not normally induce problems such as bloating etc. but it can if done suddenly or if you introduce foods that you are not used to.

The one piece of advice about competing that probably gets overlooked often is diet.

Take a PL or Strongman comp. You train, eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep and on the day of the comp. you go out and buy carb drinks and Gatorade to drink throughout the day. Since you’ve not been drinking these things all along, they give you the runs and gas.

You should use a systematic method of decreasing volume leading up to the comp. while adding intensity. This is the way athletes have been “peaking” for years and years.