Meet Day Attempt Selector

Your opener should be 87-91% of your current 1RM — a weight you can confidently triple in the gym. The primary goal of an opener is to secure a total, not to impress. Failed openers are the most costly mistake in competition. A conservative opener at 87-88% ensures you get on the board even if warm-ups felt sluggish or the platform feels different from your gym.

Conservative if: recovering from injury, first meet, inconsistent recent training, or weight cut affected strength. Moderate for standard meet prep with no major disruptions. Aggressive only if training has been peak quality with recent PRs at or above target weights in the final training block. First-time competitors should always choose conservative — meet-day adrenaline often compensates for the lower attempts, and finishing 9-for-9 builds confidence for future meets.

Competition barbells use calibrated plates in 2.5 kg increments (1.25 kg per side minimum). All attempts must be loadable with available plates, so the calculator rounds to the nearest 2.5 kg. In some federations, 0.5 kg record-attempt plates are available, but standard attempt selection should use 2.5 kg increments. This rounding can occasionally create situations where a 2nd and 3rd attempt are the same weight.

Plan a target 3rd attempt but be prepared to adjust based on how your opener and second feel. If your second attempt moves slowly or with technical breakdown, repeating it as a 3rd is smarter than jumping to a PR attempt. The gap between 2nd and 3rd attempts should typically be 2.5-5 kg (not 10+). Many experienced competitors decide 3rd attempts in the warm-up room based on how their 2nd moved on the platform.

Standard jumps: opener to 2nd = 5-7.5 kg for squat/deadlift, 2.5-5 kg for bench. 2nd to 3rd = 2.5-5 kg for all lifts. Larger jumps (10+ kg) are risky and only advisable if the previous attempt moved exceptionally fast. The smaller the jump to your 3rd attempt, the higher the probability of making it. A made 3rd at a smaller weight always beats a missed 3rd at a bigger weight.

Water cuts of more than 3-5% bodyweight can reduce strength by 5-10%, especially on squat and bench where stability matters. If you cut weight, reduce all attempts by 5-7% from your gym maxes and choose the conservative setting. Deadlift is typically least affected by weight cuts because it has no walkout or stabilization phase. Rehydration quality matters: poor rehydration (under 3% regained) may warrant dropping attempts further.

Aim to go 8-for-9 or 9-for-9 rather than chasing a high total. A conservative total with all lifts made teaches you meet flow, timing, and platform experience. Most first-meet competitors who plan aggressively end up bombing out on one lift and wishing they had been more conservative. Your second meet is where you can start being strategic with attempts.

Start warm-ups 20-30 minutes before your flight. Take your last warm-up at approximately 90% of your opener. If warm-ups feel heavy, stick with your planned opener — do not increase it. If warm-ups feel unusually light, you can consider a 2.5 kg increase to your opener, but resist the temptation to make larger changes. Meet-day adrenaline accounts for approximately 2-5% of the difference.

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