Perspective: Going 9/9 On Meet Day
A 9/9 meet. It’s an experience we all bask in, or maybe for some of us, yearn to achieve at some point. A perfect meet is hard to beat, a day to fully capture the efforts that led up prior, leaving you hungry for more. As athletes and coaches, our goal should generally be to accomplish this outcome with every controllable variable possible. Meet day entails an unpredictable environment; sometimes, you can’t account for everything. That’s the reality of sport, and the nature of adapting to uncertainty provides valuable lessons and improvements for your future. Secondarily, 4/9, 5/9, 6/9 (or less) meets- do not have to be your "normal." Your experience on the platform defines your experience of Powerlifting as a whole, your perception, recovery, sustainability, and enjoyment of the event- in its entirety. It’s important to guarantee success across those markers- in every stretch of the imagination. 9/9 meets are a valuable data point into what you’ve done right- so you can achieve your end destination: being the best athlete possible.
What does going 9/9 signify?
9/9 shows a lot about you as an athlete and the coach who made your decisions.
To some, 9/9 may seem like sand-bagging, that you “didn’t try hard enough,” or take enough risks, but hear me out.
Is the goal of competition not:
to perform as your best possible self?
to showcase your strength across the board?
to achieve the highest total, not just individual lifts?
to officially put numbers to your name, with judges, on a regulated platform?
to spur success for future competitions?
Going less than 7/9, in my opinion, does not achieve those fundamental goals-to the highest level possible. Imperfect meets can hold weight as learning opportunities; each provides insight into how we can do better next time, fueling a fire that later becomes pounds on our totals & wisdom in our souls. They don’t need to derail you or swallow you into puddles of guilt and despair.
But the objective & strategy should align with getting the most attempts possible. A 9/9 meet positions you as a mature, experienced, knowledgeable athlete. Nothing on that platform is guaranteed- except for your own decisions and efforts, and you chose to control those properly to ensure your outcome.
A 9/9 meet shows management in ego and a realistic expectation of one’s capabilities. You know your limits, where your strength is now, that there are many variables on Competition day, and you chose to play it conservatively, putting aside the numbers your Inner Gym Bro may've whispered. You could control and tame your emotions and hype in the moment, trusting the plan you’d created.
A 9/9 meet shows adaptability. Training is one thing. PR’ing at your comfortable, familiar gym home is an entirely separate event from doing it on a platform- where environment, nutrition, other lifters, judging, and rules- all impact you, potentially pulling you away. You adapted to these circumstances, used them to your advantage, and even walked away with success.
A 9/9 meet shows forethought and perspective. While blowing it out and ego-lifting may be fun during the moment, it is far from sustainable. Those meets, where every lift reached RPE-insanity- can leave you feeling beat up, burnt out, and dead-tired. A 9/9 meet will leave some in the tank. You'll know you could’ve pushed more on at least one of your lifts, and that thought excites you- enticing your brain for what’s ahead. You leave feeling like you’ve worked- yes- but you can still stand on both legs and keep walking forward, having gained something.
A 9/9 meet represents strategy and introspection. It takes a lot of awareness, preparation, and intention to guarantee perfect lifts across the board.
-You must know yourself well, remaining in tune with your body’s needs and patterns.
-You must have been thinking about attempts well before meet day, visualizing the platform, preparing yourself for this event, and playing your openers and seconds to set yourself up for secure thirds.
-You’ve taken the data you'd been given- applying it to the conditions of competition- so that you can do what’s important when it matters. You went in already deciding what you’d end with-the best representation of yourself.
A 9/9 meet represents a higher standard. You've put up nine single reps, all approved by judges according to a rulebook. You went out there and committed to every attempt, ready to give it your all and get what you came for. You took the chance to trial your strength on a platform, determined to make that opportunity yours.
9/9 doesn’t happen by accident.
It represents a great deal of skill, proficiency, and intention.
Is going 8/9 or even 7/9 that different? No- but the 9/9 exemplifies this sport's purpose and your understanding of it. Athletes who go 9/9 set themselves apart in a sense, indicating distinct qualities that support them as Powerlifters.
2. Controlling the Ego
Some may say that the platform is the place to take risks, max out, grind out lifts, and leave everything out there, but why?
In the one chance that you get, 2-3 times per year, to perform and reflect on your strength, where you’ve paid money, maybe even invited friends to watch, with referees to judge the validity of your attempts, competition around you, knowing these lifts will be public on Openpowerlifting.com:
You choose not to guarantee your numbers?
You want to attempt new weights you have little confidence in?
You want to bust out the ego and go balls-to-the-wall?
It doesn’t make sense.
In a sport where you, in most ways, are in the driver’s seat, controlling the course of the game, why sabotage yourself? Why directly steer yourself off a cliff into chance, stakes, and uncertainty?
We all have egos, and that’s not inherently bad. It’s essential to support our self-belief, image, and perception of success. Without it, you’d go too far in the other direction- severely underperforming due to your doubt in your capabilities.
Yet, letting it run wild during your most sought-after athletic moments is nonsensical self-destruction. On a day where your performance is defined, in large part, by the choices you make, why would you go for the ambitious jumps you have little confidence in? That’s what a 4/9 day signifies to me, among other things.
In an uncontrolled environment, choose to control what you can. I’m not implying you should never go for the bigger number, but do so with full knowledge- and not for a first-meet situation.
When on the fence between two numbers, ask yourself:
Is there data to back up your ability to likely complete this lift?
How much do those extra 2.5 or 5 kilos really mean to you?
How will you feel if you fail it, really?
Leave the experience knowing you played your cards smart, without regret, and feeling satisfied, even a little underdone, in your attempts.
Ultimately, it’s about the long-term vs. short-term perspective- which we all struggle with as humans. But this is a long-term sport- and on the platform days, center your brain there. This meet won't be your last- there’s no reason you must try that number today, you’ll have the opportunity to in the future. It’ll all be there, and saving some today may leave more for you tomorrow.
Taking risks (and sometimes missing a lift) happens at some point, but if that is your pattern, prevent yourself from repeating it. Redefine what competition is about. Failure on meet day can deter your confidence, enjoyment, total, and success. You want to show off your best self on this day you’ve prepared so hard for. The goal is consistent improvement over time- there may not be huge increases- on an individual basis, but every meet adds up. Hold back the ego and let your Athlete Brain be objective and logical.
3. Realistic Expectations During Peaking
Many athletes perceive the platform as some magical PR machine- where their training numbers suddenly skyrocket because they’re lifting in a competition rather than their home gym. Yet, this is not always the case. The platform provides circumstances that can both increase and decrease your performance- and it’s hard to know exactly what that split is. Moreover, your age, sex, weight, and experience level will all determine your peak & how that carries over, so it’s individualized.
Don’t expect to hit Monster all-time PRs on the platform, weights you’ve never touched. This view is unrealistic, except for elite-level athletes who have those data points and plan their peak accordingly.
For newbie/intermediate athletes, especially in smaller weight classes, especially as a female-
Go in, trying to repeat whatever numbers you’ve hit in the gym.
Maybe add a couple of kilos to your third deadlift attempt.
Sure, it sounds less exciting, but it’s far more attainable- and will allow you to feel accomplished rather than discouraged. You replicating those numbers with judges, up to standard, all on the same day- is a PR in itself, and that’s where your focus should be.
With squats, this is especially true- and going for an all-time PR on your squat will likely gas you for the rest of the day. For bench, repeating is a win: you may even get the number lower than what you ended at in the gym (or for male/bigger lifters, maybe 2.5-5kg more).
Deadlifts have the most room for potential growth- especially depending on your energy levels & RPE on the day of.
Knowing this will vastly increase your chances of going 9/9. If you’re expecting major jumps- you’ll be far more likely to miss lifts. Strategize and predict your thirds to match your gym numbers, and set your first and seconds up to achieve this.
4. When Taking More Risks Makes Sense
Of course, there are some instances in which 9/9 should not be your sole goal of the meet.
Do you have a (significant) chance of:
Qualifying for Nationals?
Winning 1st place in your weight class?
Setting a record (not for Submaster Push-Pull Deadlift-Only, but for something legitimate?)
Taking the riskier attempt would make sense. Note that *how* close you are to these markers is a defining detail. If that Nats qualification is 50 lbs above your total, it’s not worthwhile. You must have a fair shot (within roughly 3% of your current best) to go ambitious.
In these instances, meet day takes on a whole new meaning. Each attempt is strategic at setting you up for that outcome. You add up those thirds to reach that qualifying total, play your squats and bench conservatively to secure that deadlift record, go for the attempt that’s 2.5kg higher than your direct competition, etc.
Your goal is to win in some aspect. You- as an athlete- have to know that this is riskier- and you can’t let your brain get tied to both the 9/9 outcome and whatever else you’ve set your sights on. Let yourself have fun with the ambitious jumps, and go into them with entire confidence, as if they were weights you’ve done before, but if you miss, leave knowing you gave it everything- and for a good reason.
Sometimes it’s worth letting yourself have the chance to exceed your limits, to surpass your previous visions. When you determine the potential upsides are worth it, make that choice in full agency. These outcomes add to the experience of competing, making it even more fulfilling- and it’s important to embrace that if you have the opportunity.
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As athletes, we are all tied to our numbers and the goals we set for ourselves on the platform. This opportunity arises- maybe two or three times per year- to showcase our strength with a standard. In this, many lifters set lofty aspirations for meet day, hoping to hit numbers that aren’t entirely realistic (been there), which causes them to miss attempts. Your perception of your platform capabilities may be skewed. Meet Day does not just magically add kilos to your gym total. Instead, you will likely repeat the same- maybe ending with a PR or two- here and there. Go into it with this mentality, hoping to replicate what you’ve done in training- just in a less controlled, more official environment. Strategize your attempts accordingly. When you go 9/9 (or 7 or 8 for 9), you'll leave feeling inspired, satisfied, accomplished, and a little eager for more- the perfect combination to continue finding joy and growth in the sport. Of course, there are some instances in which taking risks makes more sense, such as winning first place or securing a qualifying total, but if that’s not the case, set out to get as many successful attempts as possible.
