Your 7-Day Guide to Tapering for Success

What exactly is a taper week?

Tapering isn't just for long-distance or endurance runners before their big race!

It's essential for all competitors. It's one of the tools you can use to build muscle memory while letting your body rest and repair.

Taper week has 6 components to it.

When to go full out
Visualization
Marking it or Technical Run Thrus.
Rest/Sleep
Vitamins/ Supplements
Stress release techniques and mobility.

I'll share techniques that I have used, and some learned from others, and some from the GOATs themselves.

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”

Full out.

Every emotion, move, swing, lift as big as you can get it! And run it through 3x. You have to practice it like you are going to perform it. Don't play small. If you practice it small, you won't be able to go big, or it will feel weird and take all of your energy reserves. Then you won't be able to sustain it until the end of your event unless you've done it like that for reps and reps before.

Visualization.

From start to finish. Visualize every rep, set. How does the bar feel, the air smell, the crowd sound? What do your muscles feel like? When do you anticipate the burn of the fatigue coming on and how will you shift your mind? How will you calm your nerves? How will you breathe?

Visualize yourself winning, completing, stepping on YOUR EQUIVALENT TO THE PODIUM. What does that look like, feel like?

Visualizations start at least 7 days out. It starts with 2 run-throughs in your head, and by day 4 or 5, it should be 10. You'll hate the damn song before you're done. Or you'll have done this move a thousand times in your head, so doing it on game day will feel so natural.

I've had an instructor tell me that if I don't hate the song and never want to hear it again after the performance, I didn't practice enough. To this day, there's a certain Rihanna and TroyBoi song I automatically press skip as soon as I hear the opening bars.

Technical run thrus or Marking it

Go through the moves, not fully but 5%. Go through the weight changes, body placements, and, most importantly, talk yourself through it. You can say it out loud or in your head while you listen to the beep of the clock, the sound of the song, the click of the bike or board, or the pounding of your feet. And do it over and over and over.

Rest/Sleep

This is the week you're going to want to get that golden recovery tool in. Sleep. That's the gold standard!

Do not TRADE COPPER for GOLD. aka REPS FOR SLEEP.

Sleep is where your muscles knit themselves back together. This is where you actually get stronger so you can perform with precision. You might want to get an extra hour of sleep. So schedule it in. If you have to get up at a certain time, plan on starting your bedtime routine earlier, that might even mean eat dinner an hour earlier. Weird, I know. And if you can't sleep, do your visualizations. Kobe did it that way.

"[On game days], that night I will for sure get 10 or 11 hours. I always get my rest and I think that's one of the things that people don't talk often about. Your body heals and repairs itself better than anything. Being able to get some sleep really does a great cause for your recovery and helping you wake up with a renewed, fresh mental and physical outlook." - Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Stress release and Mobility.

Foam rolling, lax ball work will help take some of that nervous energy out. Since you have been increasing your volume and power output and been going full out the weeks before your event, you'll have this feeling of anxiousness and no ability to burn it off. Foam roll and mobility work will help to maintain movement so you don't feel stiff or like you're regressing. It will also help to flush out all the crap that's in your muscles from training so heavily and use up some of that anxious energy. Mobility will feel amazing. And bring in some slow breathing techniques to get a sense of calm.

Food Fuel and Hydration

And not just drinking water.

I like to add in 2 things:

1. An Adrenal Cocktail

2. An electrolyte mix or mineral water!

Four days before your comp, start focusing on your hydration. It might take you 2-3 days to actually get fully hydrated! Surprised?!

Food. Now I'm no expert here, but I do know that you need a couple of essentials for repair: 1. Protein, Recovery B12, B6, D, and C. I suggest adding in a little extra easily digestible proteins to your rest and repair days, up till day 3 before your comp. Then mix in a bit of carbs to change your fuel ratios. If you don't eat a lot of protein, then don't change your diet drastically the week of the comp. We want to keep a sense of normalcy. Remember, your body is used to performing with what you give it. So don't get crazy in the week leading up. And as weird as this sounds, make sure you poop! If you drink coffee, keep drinking it. If you are plant-based, don't go chowing down on a steak if your gut isn't used to it.

Taper Week Timeline

Day 7-6: Last days of intense practice. Prioritize sleep, start visualizations, and add extra protein.
Day 5-4: Focus on technique, amp up visualizations, and maintain good sleep habits.
Day 3-2: Balance fuel and hydration, emphasize sleep, mobility, and stress release techniques.
Day 1 before event & event day: Hydrate, fuel up, get adequate sleep, and visualize success.
Day 1 Recovery: Prioritize sleep, eat for recovery, engage in mobility exercises, and consider cold plunges or sauna sessions.

In conclusion, don't underestimate the importance of tapering and sleep. It's the golden standard for enhancing performance and ensuring you're at your best on the big day. Stick to your routine, stay consistent with your diet, and visualize success to prepare both mentally and physically. Remember, don't trade gold for copper. Sleep is your secret weapon!

Happy competing!

-Lorae Lyn