Weightlifting and Travel
York County Barbell is home to several national- and international-level competitors. Two of our athletes are Masters’ World Champions, winning gold in Rovaniemi, Finland in September, 2024. Three of our athletes are currently competing at the 2025 Masters’ National Championships in Boise, Idaho. With meets distributed around the world, how do athletes eat to perform, make weight, and enjoy their travels?
There are a handful of mechanisms that can make the process of traveling to compete smoother. Knowing details about how you like to eat, sleep, and how you handle transit are critical. For example, are you someone who deals with the stress of travel by eating calorically dense foods? Are you someone who would prefer to have a long layover, or would you rather run to a connection in order to have more time in destination? These are things that should be assessed prior to traveling to a meet, if possible. Reflecting after that meet will also enhance your understanding of self such that you are better able to prepare for the next one.
Generally, I advise extensively preparing for travel, even without the consideration of making weight. This includes having all documents retrievable without an internet connection, especially if traveling internationally. Some international destinations even require proof of lodging, so printing or screenshotting a reservation is required. I always bring a chronological record of my travels with me on an international trip, beginning with color copies of my ID documents, any necessary visas and insurance, and then moving through my transit reservations, lodging bookings, and any confirmations I need to execute on my journey. This makes my frequent international travel much less stressful, which contributes to my performance when traveling for competition.
Additionally, I typically travel with only one bag. This is not feasible for everyone. I pack incredibly efficiently and densely, even in winter. When traveling to compete, I fit my entire kit, including lifters, belt, knee sleeves, singlet, and warm-up layers into my backpack. Even if you must check a bag, keep all of these items in your carry-on luggage. I suggest a backpack that will fit under the seat so there is no risk of mandated gate-checking if the overhead luggage becomes full.
I use the Patagonia Black Hole backpack to travel, and I can confirm that Nalgenes fit in the side pockets. This bag has come everywhere with me, including into the Colosseum!
Hydration is another critical element of travel. I always bring two Nalgenes with me, as well as a few packets of electrolytes. As a weightlifter, I typically snag free LMNT packets at USAW meets. I like their product because they have very few macros relative to the amount of electrolytes they offer. They are, however, very salty in taste, and I find I need to split a single packet over 2-4 Nalgenes to be palatable. I always aim to hit my minimum water goal of 128 oz per day when traveling. If you are in a water cut, I recommend reserving some water for the plane to help with the dry environment.
In addition to Nalgenes, I typically pack 2 protein bars per day of travel (meaning days away), 2 sticks of turkey jerky per day of transit (meaning days getting there), and 1 apple per day of transit with me when I travel, plus any extras I can fit. When traveling to compete, I always bring at least 1 small bag of gummy bears for pre-training and pre-competition fuel. I also typically pack 1-2 microwavable packages of rice. Even if I am unable to access appropriate food, these items make my competition day experience smooth and simple.
Upon arriving at my competition, I always go to the grocery store. I typically buy the same foods as I would at home. However, I also take care to reduce the volume of food that I am eating. This is especially critical for those who also need to cut to make weight. Whilst high-volume produce is both delicious and filling, in the days prior to competition, it is preferable to eat denser food so that the food weight in your gut is as light as possible. If you are cutting significantly, plan your cut in advance of departure so you have an expectation of what you must do, making it easier to adhere to your plan even if travel is stressful. Working with a coach can also be useful. I work with my clients to determine what type of travelers they are, what their experience with international flights is, how they accommodate to time changes, and more when planning cuts at distant meets. I typically already have an understanding of how my clients sleep, how they handle stress, and other such details by the point that we’re strategizing an international cut.
Keeping meals similar to those I would eat at home helps to keep me regulated and disciplined when traveling to compete. I also know about myself that I would prefer to have at least two nights at a destination to recover my sleep, get on the local time zone, go to the grocery store, and get a session in the training hall prior to competition. As the youngest master on my team, I typically lift last, meaning I have several days to settle in, watch my teammates, and even work remotely! When at Worlds in Finland, I booked lodging within walking distance of both the venue and a local grocery store, which make fueling up incredibly simple.
Here are some of the meals I ate in Finland prior to my competition day:
You can see the focus on lean protein in the form of deli meat and high-protein yogurt, as well as a variety of produce, coffee, and preserves for a punch of carbs.
It is also important to enjoy travel! I take competition as an opportunity to experience other parts of the world. Knowing that an interesting meal is on the horizon after competition can make the weight and any necessary cutting more tolerable. I try to be temperate with my post-competition meals, and advise my clients to do the same. Excessive swings between cutting and refueling typically do not help with weight maintenance or performance. A reverse diet is often appropriate after a deep cut; working with a coach can be useful for this type of navigation.
Below is a gluten-free pizza and cinnamon roll with Arkansas peaches that I shared with a partner after USAW Nationals in 2024. By sharing these items, I was able to experience numerous local flavors without over-indulging.
Here is some vegetable-based soup we enjoyed in Latvia. We were able to sample local flavors, chose plant-based where possible, and ate lean protein. We supplemented with grocery store items and the protein bars I packed wherever possible!
Ultimately, weightlifting should be fun and should contribute to our overall health. I love to travel, and extend time at meets to include additional journeying. This is not for everyone! If being away from home is stressful and will not help you meet your performance goals, it is totally valid to get right back on the plane and back to the home gym. The underpinning ethos is that you should know yourself before you get into a demanding situation such as an international meet or extensive travel so you can prepare yourself for both success and enjoyment.
Weightlifter nonsense in the Baltics:
