Best Case Scenario – Barbells

You don’t train for the best case scenario…

If you know me, you may have heard me say that before. Failing to prepare for the worst case scenario leads to the comment you hear so many times after bombing out in competition: ‘But I just lifted that weight in training!’. Even assuming you’re training to your federations lift requirements, try to create conditions that match what you’ll encounter on the platform as closely as possible.

The bar, for example. The stiffness, the thickness, the brutal knurling on a good competition bar can be intimidating right off the bat (we’re talking about the bar! the bar you sickos!). If you train with a bar that’s smaller diameter, it may have more whip and be easier to grip than a comp bar. It may have knurling or rings in different positions than a comp bar, throwing your setup off.

If your gym has bars that meet comp specs, it’s of course beneficial to do the bulk of your big three training with them.  If not, at least educate yourself on what those specs are so you can prepare correctly for comp.