Do You Even Lift?
Weightlifting Etiquette & Tips To Help Make You A More Successful lifter
by Paul Dyck
There are certain things that are appropriate and not appropriate in a weightlifting class. We want everyone to become better and training safe, being consistent, and awareness can lead to a better performance and experience on your path to becoming a better weightlifter.
1. Warm that brain & body up...
Olympic lifting is requires the whole body to be running on all cylinders. Blood needs to be pumping, your central nervous system and synapses lighting up at speeds faster than a super computer can manage to produce a technically sound and desired outcome. Your joints need to be mobile and warm. The synovial fluid between articulating joints should be viscous to help limit friction and protect you.
With all that being said athletes need to come into the gym and start getting mentally and physically prepared for the task at hand. If you show up 15-20 min early for a lifting class and there is nothing going on then take that time to warm that body up whether it's with some rowing or a dynamic warm up and start hitting mobility in your wrists, shoulders, T-spine, hips, knees, ankles, and anywhere else you might need some TLC.
You can sit and play with your phone for 15 minutes or you can become better and prepare mentally and physically for what you're about to do to your body.
Pet Peeve: When athletes come in form -40c and jump on a foam roller or lacrosse ball while complaining about how cold they are. Jump on the AirDyne, Rower, or Jump Rope for 5 min then start some rolling. Cold tissues are not responsive to rolling, smashing, or friction work. Warm up then loosen up (consider it pre-workout foreplay)!
2. When an athlete is preparing or performing a lift...
Do not walk directly in front of them while they are setting up
Do not clang and bang weights (this includes adding or taking plates off your bar)
Do not yell or talk
Athletes have enough to think about and focus on whether it's a max lift or trying to refine part of a lift. So many people say "there's so much to think about when I'm lifting". This is true. As you become a better lefter and the brain and the body are working together there will be less and less cues that you need to focus on. If you take the time to learn and build in that muscle memory then it will be easier for you to perform your movement with less thought. The better you get the more technical and refined your movements and cues become but it will take a while to get there. The last thing you need when you are trying to focus is everything else going on around you.
3. Watch where you're going...
Whether you're walking to grab some more weight or your water be aware of whats going on around you. If someone is setting up for a snatch and you walk right by the end of their bar it may clip you on the way up or down and can cause injury to the lifter as well. Be aware all the time!
4. Watch & learn...
While resting between complexes and attempts, watch others who have been lifting for a while. Everyone has things they need to work on but watching athletes who have been doing it for a while can be a great way to pick up on some good habits and it may help you to understand some of the cues better that coaches may be offering. This also ties in with my next point...
5. SIT DOWN AND REST!
After performing drills, complexes, attempts, or lifts you may be a little out of breath. If you just missed a lift at a decent weight relative to your max sit down and refocus on what you did well, what you did wrong, and what one or two cues you need to think about during the next lift.
If you miss a lift and are gassed then try to lift it 10 seconds later how do you think that's going to go? More experienced lifters have a good idea of how much rest they need before attempting the weight again. Rule of thumb in weightlifting, if you are breathing heavy then DON'T go back up to the bar! Take two to three minutes recovery and focus on quality and not quantity.
6. Goal setting...
Set some goals for lifting. It could be a weight that you want to hit by a certain date. It could be a drill that you want to have perfected, it could be an accessory movement that you wan to perform after every class to work on a weakness.
Good things don't come to those who wait, they come to those who work their asses off and never give up!
7. Write it down...
When all is said and done write down your workout, write down the weight you used, and write down the consistent cues that you received from the coach. Most times the cues are the same during a session and until you can get those movements dialed in it will be tough to progress.
Looking back can show you how far you've come and your accomplishments.
Next time you come to a weightlifting class think about these tips and get the most out of your training. This is not a sport where gains come quickly. You need to be consistent, diligent, and attentive.
Good luck, stay strong, lift heavy...
Paul Dyck
