So You Want To Be A Great Weightlifter?
By: Coach Craig Gilbert
Too often, we find ourselves coming to
weightlifting with no clear idea of what we want to accomplish that day. Sure,
we know that we will warm up, play with some bars and sweat for a while, then
go back home. We had fun, got a little bit healthier and did stuff that most
people have never even seen, but what did
we really accomplish? Did we improve as weightlifters, or just get some
reps in? Do you find yourself wanting to be better, but constantly feeling
frustrated because you don’t know how to improve, or even if you are?
You know you want to improve. You wouldn’t
be there if you didn’t! For some reason, you are driven to lift heavier and
heavier amounts of iron above your head. That is great, but just wanting it
won’t make it happen. And unfortunately, just coming to class and doing what
the coach tells you to might not make it happen either.
If you are interested in competing as an
Olympic weightlifter or at Crossfit in general, one of the keys to success is
the quality of your practice. It is not just the time that you spend in the gym
or the sweat you leave on the floor (which are both valuable, don’t get me
wrong!) but the quality of the time spent there. And especially with a sport
which is as technical and challenging as weightlifting, quality is often more
important than quality.
We often hear “practice makes perfect,” but
this is not true, and can be quite misleading. Practice only makes permanent. If
you spend time in the gym performing movements incorrectly, then you will only
ever be good at performing them incorrectly. This is true regardless of the
hours you put in. It is a fact that the method at which you practice is more
important than simply the hours you put in. What is needed for success is
deliberate and focused practice. When it comes to quality practice, we need to
know exactly to do, how to do it, and how to know if we did it correctly.
What are the components of deliberate, focused
practice?
So how do we practice in such a manner as
to perform at our best? A study of Canadian Olympic athletes (Orlick & Partington, 1988) identified two
basic classes of athlete, those who met or exceeded expectation at national or
international competition and those who did not. The athletes who exceeded
expectations had the following practice philosophies (adapted from Martin, 2015):
·
A strong commitment to get the most out of every practice. Approach every practice session as an opportunity to improve, but
realize that you will need to make the best use of the available time. If you
want to be your best, then this is the time to work hard and focus your
attention. However, this commitment also extends beyond the gym. We need to
arrive for practice fueled and rested, if possible. We also need to adequately
recover after the work is done. It is factors such as these which allow for us
to make our maximum gains during practice.
·
Establish written goals before each practice. Put it in writing that which you hope to achieve that day. This
needs to be detailed and quantifiable. “I’m going to do my best today” is vague
and undirected, while “I’m going to increase my turnover speed” is specific and
measurable. Without SMART goals, there can be to clear end state to work
towards.
·
Set goals which include both quality and quantity. A goal such as “I’m going to successfully make 90% of my lifts
today and I am only going to count the lifts where my turnover was fast enough
as successful, regardless of whether I made the lift” incorporated both a
quantity (90%) and a quality (fast turnover) aspect. Place high standards on
your work, and don`t cheat yourself by accepting anything less than good
enough. If you fail to meet tough goals, be honest with yourself about it.
·
Reflect on their goals prior to practice.
Begin the session with a clear understanding of what you need to accomplish and
how it should be done.
·
Have a way of monitoring progress.
Activities such as periodic testing or evaluation can ensure that your progress
is on track. PRs are great at measuring peak performance on some random day,
but the small improvements in technique are what define your progress.
·
Keep a written record of progress in meeting practice goals. After every session, record whether you met that day`s goals. You
need to be tracking your progress over time, and this includes your progress in
achieving goals as well as technical or strength achievements. The better you
become at meeting goals, the more challenging you can make them!
While attacking each and every practice in this manner is certainly
not required to improve your general fitness or to enjoy weightlifting, it will
go a long way towards contributing to your success and helping you to get the
more out of sport. One of the coaches would be more than happy to discuss goal
setting with you and help to form a plan to make you the best lifter that you
can be!
Martin, G. L. (2015). Applied Sport Psychology.
Winnipeg: Sport Science Press.
Orlick, T. & Partington, J.(1988).
Mental links to excellence. The Sport Psychologist, 105-130.
