TSC Any last minute tips?

[Questionfear]

I'm doing my first TSC on Saturday. I think I'm happy with how my training has gone, and I feel really good about where I'm aiming for my deadlift. Any tips/things you wish you knew before your first one? I'm coming into this figuring I'll see how I do and then plan/adjust training for the one in October, so I'm trying to be pretty chill about expectations.

 

[Sean M]

My first time was last fall. It was a great time. If you’ve done the prep work, my only advise is have fun!

 

[Pavel Macek]

On Saturday, just stop for a second and think of all sisters and brothers in Strength having fun all across the globe... and have fun, too!

 

[Steve Freides]

I'm doing my first TSC on Saturday. I think I'm happy with how my training has gone, and I feel really good about where I'm aiming for my deadlift. Any tips/things you wish you knew before your first one? I'm coming into this figuring I'll see how I do and then plan/adjust training for the one in October, so I'm trying to be pretty chill about expectations.

Are you good with picking your DL attempts? We can help with that if you need.

-S-

 

[Questionfear]

On Saturday, just stop for a second and think of all sisters and brothers in Strength having fun all across the globe... and have fun, too!

Good point! Thanks.

Are you good with picking your DL attempts? We can help with that if you need.

-S-

I am all for any feedback. I've been doing the Daily Dose Deadlift, prior to that my deadlifts were part of following 5/3/1. I have been running 5/3/1 with my deadlift max at 250lbs, and I peaked the Daily Dose Deadlift at 230lbs for 5. My plan is to aim for 250 on Saturday, though I don't know if I should aim higher if the first attempt feels good. Most days for the Daily Dose Deadlift I've been doing 185, and that feels good to bordering on easy. When I did the 230s I felt like I had a little more in the tank after doing the 5. For reference I am female, 37 yrs old, and I've been barbell lifting since August and have kettlebell trained for the last few years.

One thing training for the TSC has taught me is that the deadlift is by far my favorite lift.

 

[Anna C]

My plan is to aim for 250 on Saturday, though I don't know if I should aim higher if the first attempt feels good.

That's about where I was in my last TSC in Oct 2016. If you can do 230 for a set of 5, I would guess you're probably good for more than 250 on Saturday. (But don't test it this week -- no heavy pulls the week of the event!). I don't know what my 5RM was when my 1RM was 250ish... but I think it was less than 235.

In that TSC I opened with 235 because I was very confident with that weight. I got 255 on the 2nd attempt, which was a bit of a stretch but thought I had a good shot at it. The 3rd attempt I tried for 265 but didn't get it.

I'm thinking you might open with 240, go for 260 on the 2nd attempt, and 275 on the 3rd... but that's just a guess and I don't have that much experience at selecting.

 

[Steve Freides]

@Questionfear, standard guidance is to open with a weight you have tripled in the gym, aim for a small PR on your second attempt if you think you have, as @Anna C says, a good shot at it, and for your third, see how you feel. Don't forget that are not _obligated_ to take more than one attempt - in the last TSC in which I participated, I did exactly 1 DL and skipped the other two.

-S-