First Meet FAQ
Later this week Liberty First Credit Union will be filled with the sounds of bars slamming and people cheering. For many of us this will be one of the many competitions in our weightlifting careers, but there will be a few that never forget their first competition. I remember my first competition in a local crossfit gym with music blasting and people scattered across the gym with no real sense of order. It was very overwhelming and I had a lot of questions I was too scared to ask or asked too late to be helpful. So I’m going to break down a couple of commonly asked questions with the hopes to ease some minds…
How does a meet run?
The meet will consist of multiple sessions throughout the day. The sessions are often divided by age/weight category at National meets, but local meets will group athletes based on the entry total they provided when they signed up. This will put athletes together that lift roughly the same weight. Weigh-ins for each session will begin two hours before the session starts. You have one hour to weigh in. The session will start with an announcement of all the athletes in the session. Then a 10 minute clock will start to give the beginning athlete time to warm up and officials to get ready for the session. Once the 10 minute timer is done the athlete with the lowest snatch will start the session. Athletes have one minute to start their lift and two minutes if they have to follow themselves. The weight on the bar will go up in weight and athletes will take attempts when the bar reaches their desired weight. Once every athlete has taken three attempts on snatch then another 10 minutes timer will start before the same process repeats for clean and jerks.
How will I warm up?
The coaches will tell you exactly what weight to lift and when to lift it. We do this by counting how many attempts out you are and try to have the athlete lift every 3 attempts/3 minutes. At Heartland we have a sheet we fill out so we know what warm ups you like to take, what you want to hit for the day, current PRs, qualifying totals you are close to, etc. This was what I was most nervous about my first time so my recommendation is to just trust your coach and focus on each lift. One thing at a time.
How do the weight classes/age groups work?
Weight classes represent the maximum amount you can weigh to compete in the category. So if someone was competing in the 100kg weight category then they can’t weigh more than 100kg. Local meets will adjust your weight category as needed, but national meets will not allow this. Age groups just break up lifters by age using similar weight categories across all age groups.
Do I need to wear a singlet?
If USAW is reading this..YES. Singlet is required. Next question…Okay now that they are gone, no. Technically it is required, but we will not require you to spend the $100 to get a singlet for something you are trying for the first time. Now if you want to do another meet then yes. Time to buy a singlet. Otherwise please wear normal gym attire, preferably tighter fitting if possible. As long as the judges can see your elbows and knees be fully straight or slightly bent you are good to go.
I hope this helped ease some minds for those that love to overthink, but I will end with one more piece. HAVE FUN! Yes it’s a competition and all of our hard work for months comes down to 6 lifts on a singular day, but pressure makes diamonds and giving it your all is what makes the day great. Enjoy a packed back room filled with athletes and coaches who love the sport as much as you do. Enjoy the smiling faces of the crowd filled with people who want to see you succeed. Enjoy your lifts and how far you’ve come from the start of your weightlifting career. See you in the backroom…
