You don’t need to be on 12 weeks to prep for a meet if you are only going to be cruising for something like 8 weeks.
For one, drop your extra oils out a week prior to this mock meet (since you’re not using Tren this drop won’t affect your strength). Josh Bryant uses this approach with his guys because the levels will still be high at the meet only a week later, but it gets you back to cruise sooner and decreases blood pressure/improves stamina at the meet. I have done this the last 2 meets and PR’d both times. Orals need to stay in obviously if they were part of the plan. This is also how most athletes compete internationally in strongman. Let the long ester oils drop and bring orals in vitamin containers. Works just fine.
So drop the oils out a week prior to the mock, then do an 8-10 week blast before the meet. You could even start the eq at 12 weeks out and stop your TRT test for a couple weeks. The test that’s still clearing plus the eq will be enough to carry you that first 2 weeks while giving the eq the time it needs to build some steam, then add the test back in full force.
So now you’ve got 7-8 weeks of cruise/nearly cruise levels as opposed to 4, with the same power when it counts and nearly double the time off blast. Coupled with a donation when off, and you are taking much better care of your health.
Remember, it ONLY matters on the platform. You need to train hard all of the time. You do not need to train heavy all of the time. If you need proof of this, look up how Sam Byrd became an ATWR squatter in and out of gear. The same way Dr. Squat became the first man to squat 1,014, at 45 years old and at 220lbs no less. You simply ramp the weights up close to the meet as you ramp the gear up. The rest of the time, training is about building technique and accumulating a base of work capacity to translate in the transformation and realization phases.