

Written by Team Juggernaut

By Brandon Lilly

Number one, I don’t recommend competing on back to back weekends, but I had a great opportunity so I took it. Basically I am writing this to help you avoid the “post meet soreness” and help you get back to training at a high level immediately.

I competed at the XPC Semi-Finals on Saturday, Oct. 27. I lifted raw more out of necessity, than choice. I will be competing at the SPF SuperTraining Backyard Meet of The Century as a raw lifter, and I guess in my quest for raw strength I gained a fair amount of new muscle, leaving my gear basically impossible to wear, or use effectively… So back to back raw meets it will be. I squatted 804.5, benched 562, and pulled 771.6 and believe me by the end of the meet I was feeling like I had been through the ringer.

Knowing that in many ways every hour of every day could make a difference in my performance this upcoming weekend, I watched my buddy Chris Della Fave pull his final deadlift, and I was out the door. I didn’t wait around for trophies or anything, I said goodbye to a few friends on my way, but I left in quick order. Having made plans for dinner at 8:30, I had roughly 3 hours to maximize. So, when I got back to the hotel I immediately fought the urge to collapse on the bed because I knew sleep would leave me stiff, and tired. I got a bucket of ice and ran a bathtub full of cold water.

This was my regimen from 6pm-7:50pm

6-6:15- Ice Bath

6:15-7:15- Hot Bath (Drained and refilled hot water 3 times. I wanted the water uncomfortably hot at first)

7:15-7:30- Cold Bath (Coming off the hot water, I didn’t use anymore ice, but the water felt frigid)

7:30-7:50- Contrast Shower (30 seconds freezing water, 1 minute and 30 seconds hottest water I can stand. Repeated 10 times over)