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Armwrestling Competition Countdown Planner

Enter your tournament date, training days and level. You get a week-by-week countdown: build, intensification, peak and taper weeks, rest days before the event, and key milestones. Add every session to your calendar with one .ics download.

Your competition

Plan starts today (October 27, 2026)

Training days per week
Experience

Competition day: December 22, 2026

56 days to go · 9 weeks · 22 sessions

Milestones

  1. Wed, Oct 28 · Prep starts

    First session. Test your current numbers lightly so you have a baseline.

  2. Mon, Nov 9 · Deload week

    Back off on purpose. This is part of the plan, not lost time.

  3. Mon, Nov 23 · Intensification begins

    Shift to heavier, more specific work and more table time.

  4. Tue, Dec 8 · Check weight class & rules

    Two weeks out: confirm registration, weight class, weigh-in time and the rules (elbow, strap and foul rules).

  5. Fri, Dec 18 · Last hard session

    No new maximal efforts after this. Your job now is to recover.

  6. Sun, Dec 20 · Rest days

    No training. Light walks and mobility only.

  7. Mon, Dec 21 · Taper starts

    Cut volume hard. Sleep, food and hydration matter more than training now.

  8. Tue, Dec 22 · Competition day 🏆

    Warm up thoroughly, pull your game plan and enjoy it. Good luck!

Week 1 · from Mon, Oct 26

Build

Volume and general strength for pronation, cupping, rising and side pressure, plus technical table time.

  • Wed, Oct 28Table techniqueSetups, hand position and starts at moderate effort, with a partner if you can.
  • Fri, Oct 30Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.

Week 2 · from Mon, Nov 2

Build

Volume and general strength for pronation, cupping, rising and side pressure, plus technical table time.

  • Mon, Nov 2Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.
  • Wed, Nov 4Table techniqueSetups, hand position and starts at moderate effort, with a partner if you can.
  • Fri, Nov 6Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.

Week 3 · from Mon, Nov 9

Deload

A lighter week with about 40% fewer sets and easy table work, so tendons catch up.

  • Mon, Nov 9Light strengthThe same movements with lighter weight and fewer sets. Stop well short of failure.
  • Wed, Nov 11Easy table timeTechnique drills only, no hard pulling.

Week 4 · from Mon, Nov 16

Build

Volume and general strength for pronation, cupping, rising and side pressure, plus technical table time.

  • Mon, Nov 16Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.
  • Wed, Nov 18Table techniqueSetups, hand position and starts at moderate effort, with a partner if you can.
  • Fri, Nov 20Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.

Week 5 · from Mon, Nov 23

Intensification

Heavier, more specific work in match-like angles, with fewer sets and more table time.

  • Mon, Nov 23Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.
  • Wed, Nov 25Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Nov 27Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.

Week 6 · from Mon, Nov 30

Intensification

Heavier, more specific work in match-like angles, with fewer sets and more table time.

  • Mon, Nov 30Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.
  • Wed, Dec 2Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Dec 4Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.

Week 7 · from Mon, Dec 7

Intensification

Heavier, more specific work in match-like angles, with fewer sets and more table time.

  • Mon, Dec 7Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.
  • Wed, Dec 9Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Dec 11Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.

Week 8 · from Mon, Dec 14

Peak

Short, sharp sessions with low volume and high quality. The last hard pulls happen here.

  • Mon, Dec 14SharpenA few quality sets of your main movements at about 60–70% of normal volume. Stay fast and crisp.
  • Wed, Dec 16Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Dec 18SharpenA few quality sets of your main movements at about 60–70% of normal volume. Stay fast and crisp.

Week 9 · from Mon, Dec 21

Taper

Competition week. Light activation only, then rest. Arrive fresh, not tired.

No training: you're in the rest days before the event.

⚠️ Safety & assumptions

  • This is general, conservative guidance for healthy adults. It isn't medical advice and can't diagnose or treat an injury.
  • Progress gradually. Tendons adapt more slowly than muscles, so don't add a lot of weight just because a competition is coming.
  • Stop the exercise if you feel sharp or joint pain. Competing injured makes injuries worse. See a qualified professional.
  • Gym numbers don't reliably predict match results. Technique, table time and match experience matter a lot.
  • Check the specific event's rules, weight classes and weigh-in times with the organiser.

See how the pros peak

East vs West puts the world's best on the table every few months. Browse the latest card, the official rankings and every past result.

East vs West events

How the planner works

  1. 1

    It counts back from your date

    The competition week is the taper. The week before is the peak. Before that come 1–3 intensification weeks, and everything earlier is build.

  2. 2

    Deloads are built in

    In longer preps, every 4th build week is a lighter deload so tendons can adapt. A deload never falls right before intensification.

  3. 3

    Rest days protect your arm

    There's no training in the last 2 days before the event (3 for beginners). The final week has at most two light activation sessions.

  4. 4

    Your calendar, your device

    The .ics file is generated in your browser and works with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.

Example plan

An intermediate puller with a tournament 8 weeks away, training 3 days a week:

56 days to go · 9 weeks · 22 sessions

Milestones

  1. Wed, Oct 28 · Prep starts

    First session. Test your current numbers lightly so you have a baseline.

  2. Mon, Nov 9 · Deload week

    Back off on purpose. This is part of the plan, not lost time.

  3. Mon, Nov 23 · Intensification begins

    Shift to heavier, more specific work and more table time.

  4. Tue, Dec 8 · Check weight class & rules

    Two weeks out: confirm registration, weight class, weigh-in time and the rules (elbow, strap and foul rules).

  5. Fri, Dec 18 · Last hard session

    No new maximal efforts after this. Your job now is to recover.

  6. Sun, Dec 20 · Rest days

    No training. Light walks and mobility only.

  7. Mon, Dec 21 · Taper starts

    Cut volume hard. Sleep, food and hydration matter more than training now.

  8. Tue, Dec 22 · Competition day 🏆

    Warm up thoroughly, pull your game plan and enjoy it. Good luck!

Week 1 · from Mon, Oct 26

Build

Volume and general strength for pronation, cupping, rising and side pressure, plus technical table time.

  • Wed, Oct 28Table techniqueSetups, hand position and starts at moderate effort, with a partner if you can.
  • Fri, Oct 30Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.

Week 2 · from Mon, Nov 2

Build

Volume and general strength for pronation, cupping, rising and side pressure, plus technical table time.

  • Mon, Nov 2Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.
  • Wed, Nov 4Table techniqueSetups, hand position and starts at moderate effort, with a partner if you can.
  • Fri, Nov 6Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.

Week 3 · from Mon, Nov 9

Deload

A lighter week with about 40% fewer sets and easy table work, so tendons catch up.

  • Mon, Nov 9Light strengthThe same movements with lighter weight and fewer sets. Stop well short of failure.
  • Wed, Nov 11Easy table timeTechnique drills only, no hard pulling.

Week 4 · from Mon, Nov 16

Build

Volume and general strength for pronation, cupping, rising and side pressure, plus technical table time.

  • Mon, Nov 16Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.
  • Wed, Nov 18Table techniqueSetups, hand position and starts at moderate effort, with a partner if you can.
  • Fri, Nov 20Strength: volumeMain armwrestling movements, 3–4 sets of 8–12 at a controlled weight.

Week 5 · from Mon, Nov 23

Intensification

Heavier, more specific work in match-like angles, with fewer sets and more table time.

  • Mon, Nov 23Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.
  • Wed, Nov 25Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Nov 27Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.

Week 6 · from Mon, Nov 30

Intensification

Heavier, more specific work in match-like angles, with fewer sets and more table time.

  • Mon, Nov 30Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.
  • Wed, Dec 2Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Dec 4Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.

Week 7 · from Mon, Dec 7

Intensification

Heavier, more specific work in match-like angles, with fewer sets and more table time.

  • Mon, Dec 7Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.
  • Wed, Dec 9Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Dec 11Heavy specific strengthYour key movements in match angles, 3–5 sets of 5–8 or short heavy holds.

Week 8 · from Mon, Dec 14

Peak

Short, sharp sessions with low volume and high quality. The last hard pulls happen here.

  • Mon, Dec 14SharpenA few quality sets of your main movements at about 60–70% of normal volume. Stay fast and crisp.
  • Wed, Dec 16Table sparringMatch-like goes against a partner of similar level, with plenty of rest between goes.
  • Fri, Dec 18SharpenA few quality sets of your main movements at about 60–70% of normal volume. Stay fast and crisp.

Week 9 · from Mon, Dec 21

Taper

Competition week. Light activation only, then rest. Arrive fresh, not tired.

No training: you're in the rest days before the event.

Run your prep in ArmProgress

Log every session of the countdown, track your numbers per exercise and arm, and see whether you're peaking at the right time. Free on iOS and Android.

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Frequently asked questions

How many weeks do I need to prepare for an armwrestling tournament?

About 8–12 weeks is ideal for a full build, intensification, peak and taper. With less than 4 weeks there's no time for real strength gains, so focus on sharpening technique and arriving fresh.

When should I stop training before a competition?

Most pullers do their last hard session 5–8 days out and take the last 2–3 days completely off. This planner schedules no training in the final 2 days (3 for beginners) and only light activation in competition week.

What is a taper in armwrestling?

A taper is a short period of much lower training volume before the event. It keeps your skill and strength while removing fatigue, so your tendons and nervous system are fresh on the day.

Should I still pull at the table in the last week?

Only light technical work, if any. Hard table sparring in the final days adds fatigue and injury risk without making you stronger in time.

How do I add the plan to my calendar?

Tap 'Download calendar (.ics)' and open the file. Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and Outlook import it as all-day events, one per session plus competition day.

Does this plan guarantee I'll win?

No. It's a conservative general structure, not medical advice or a personalised coaching program. Gym numbers don't reliably predict match results, and technique and table experience matter a lot.