I used to be the guy who you couldn’t pay to stop training. From 6 a.m. until night class, I was on the mat. 

I thought this was the quickest way to get good at grappling. In my mind, more mat time equated to faster development. So I grinded through every training session, pushing myself to the point of exhaustion and ignoring any feelings of fatigue. 

But one of the biggest game changers for me over the years has been learning how and when to pull back. 

The tools I outline in this article are key to developing a strong body and mind for competition. If you struggle with knowing how and what to do during the last week before competing, this article is for you.

Stay Active, But Don’t Redline

This is key. You still want to stay on the mats and move, but now is not the time to go balls to the wall with your favorite training buddy. All of the hard training and skill development should have been done during your training camp. 

Continue to take class, drill techniques, and maybe do some light situationals, but don’t exhaust yourself. You want to show up to your competition feeling as fresh as possible.

If you lift weights, you can continue to lift throughout the week, but try to stick to lighter weights for each set. Don’t go for PRs and DO NOT try to do lifts you’ve never done before. That is a recipe for unnecessary soreness or injury.

Visualize Success, As Well As Adversity

Visualization is key. You don’t want to show up to the event and suddenly be hit with a wave of anxiety because you forgot that competition is stressful. 

Instead, try to visualize yourself in the warm-up area, walking out onto the mats, and competing against your opponent. Picture yourself having to fight back from adversity. This helps manage expectations before the match, gives you confidence, and lets you embrace those competition jitters without ignoring them completely.

If this process burns you out mentally or gives you massive anxiety, take a break for a quick deep breathing session. My go-to is box breathing. 4 seconds in, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds out, 4 seconds hold. Repeat as necessary. Works like a charm.

Don’t Skimp On Sleep. 

There will be times during your training camp when you will have to sacrifice sleep. Whether it’s getting up early for training or staying up later for night class, you will want to prioritize training. 

The last week before a competition, however, is not when you sacrifice rest.

This is when you should get as much sleep as possible. If you can afford the luxury, sleep in. If you can’t: put your phone down, turn off the TV and get to bed earlier. This small sacrifice will be worth it come competition day.

You want your body recovered and your mind sharp. 

I also recommend adjusting your sleep schedule so that it aligns with the time you will be competing. If you’re a night owl, but your competition is early, you will likely show up groggy and tired. By getting up early, you get your body used to being active earlier. 

Conversely, if your event is at night, try to wake up later if you can. If you can’t because of work or life obligations, try to take naps instead. 

If you nap on the day of the event, give yourself a couple of hours to wake up before you compete so that you aren’t groggy.

Manage Your Weight Cut 

If your competition is doing day-of weigh-ins, make sure you’re competing close to your walk-around weight. If you’re doing day-before weigh-ins, you have about 4-5 pounds of wiggle room. 

Bear in mind that weight cuts can be done without hard training during that last week. Instead, focus on staying at your maintenance calories while getting in only light movements. Your calorie deficit and hard training are done in the weeks before. Don’t do anything too high-intensity. Drilling, light cardio, walks, etc. are all fine options.

You will also want to be very hydrated in that final week. A gallon or more per day. And for the last two or three days you should focus on eating low-volume, low-sodium foods. You can also lower your fiber intake during that period if necessary. 

I try to keep my carbohydrates high but have them mostly right before training to ensure I have energy. My favorite for this is rice cakes. 

The final stage of your cut will be dropping water weight. You should be well hydrated by this point, and because you lowered your sodium and fiber, your body won’t hold on to as much water. 

The night before weigh-ins, a hot tub or sauna should be all you need to get off those last couple of pounds. 

Pro tip: I recommend that throughout the week you hot tub or sauna often so that your body acclimates to the heat. These don’t have to be long sessions, and should be done while drinking plenty of water. 

Your Last and Only Goal Is To Stay Present 

This should be done during the entire process, but especially so on competition day. You worked hard for this opportunity, so enjoy it! 

Stay grateful, and focus only on the present moment. This will help you direct energy to only where it is exactly necessary. You can’t afford to waste time on thoughts that don’t matter. Now might be a good time to use some of that box breathing.

Closing Thoughts    

These steps might seem excessive at first, but doing them over time will make the process feel more normal. And over time, you’ll become so comfortable that you will actually look forward to competitions. 

You shouldn’t have to dread competing. It should be fun and challenging and make you feel like your hard work in the gym is being put to good use. 

The conditions of competing can be stressful, but load-managing and avoiding causing yourself more stress will be key to ensuring a strong mindset. 

Adopting these practices will let you have more fun, win more, and feel better about the anxieties of competing. 

The biggest hurdle standing in the way of our success is ourselves. Once you’ve conquered that, your opponent doesn’t represent nearly as big of a threat.