I did not really do much today training wise because I wanted to focus just on my lifters and their squat openers.

Squat openers to me are the most important lift on the entire meet when doing full power. This first lift sets the tone for the day. Too many times in my career have I witnessed meets go down the tubes for lifters really fast after their squat opener....

The lifter is too nervous, too hype, not focused, technique falls all to shit but more than not the weight is TOO FUCKING HEAVY! It boggles my mind every time I see it happen. They either get crushed or horribly fail in their attempt. 99.9% of lifters are nervous, worked up and anxious at a meet. You don't want your first attempt at 95 - 100% right out the gate. Your emotions and diarrhea are already wrecking havoc on you. Why make it worse with a dumb ass ego move? I don't get it. I assure you that will never happen at my gym and under my watch. In 20 years it never has....

I like to keep my lifters around the 85 to 87% mark on their openers (based off their meet projections). I don't treat every lifter the same. Why? Because every lifter is not the same. Some handle pressure better than other. Some had better training cycles than others. Some need a more confidence opener lift to get theirs souring. Some have worse nerves than others. Some may be dealing with an injury, or two, or three. The list goes on. 85% is my real of thumb but that is not written in stone. Its a gut call for me with all the variables involved for that lifter for this lift. I need to know what they need better than themselves. Lifters allow their egos to lift more than their brains at times. My job as their Coach is to take their egos out of the equation. I call the their openers and every other lift they will take during the meet. Their one and only job is to lift the weight called for. Most of the time (more times than not) they are not certain what their second and defiantly not know what their third attempts will be. I don't want doubt, or worry in their mind. I want them to trust me and believe that every lift I call for them I believe they can achieve it. They each know I believe in them but they too must believe in themselves. They each know as well as myself if they applied themselves as they should have during their training cycle. If they have not, my job is to deviate enough so they will not totally fail and still come out with a successful meet.

Building confidence is my job. Building confidence in themselves as a lifter is also my job. I always promise each of them I will not let them fail but they must apply themselves to help me with that. I am very honest with each of my lifters. I don't sugar coat things. I need them to hear the negatives and the positives. We are not cheerleaders. We are competitors that need to have our egos rattled if we are breaking form or not locked in. I make sure that they all hold not just themselves accountable but each of their training partners as well. Don't let your partner eat shit and think its ok.

Everything went great tonight.

Openers are locked in with second attempts too.