Weightlifting
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How to Excel in Weightlifting: Tips for Success and Avoiding Mistakes
The Challenge of Becoming Your Best in Weightlifting
Training to be a weightlifter is hard work. And even though it is hard work to achieve mediocre results for most, it should be the goal of everyone entering this sport to be the best they can be. Most of us have not been blessed with elite-level talent. Almost all of us do not have unlimited financial resources. Other issues in dealing with life can also provide impediments. And yet, we all can do so much to enable us to be the best we can be. There is so much satisfaction in looking back at a lifting career with few regrets.
The Cost of Squandered Time
One thing, however, that gets in the way of almost everyone at some point is the squandering of time. In the sport of weightlifting, the clock is always ticking down whether you acknowledge it or not. Every moment spent hesitating, overanalyzing, or avoiding action is time that could have been used to improve your technique, build strength, or learn from mistakes. The opportunity to make progress diminishes with every passing year, and ignoring this reality often leads to missed potential. Understanding the finite nature of your lifting career should inspire urgency and dedication, helping you prioritize what truly matters to maximize your results and minimize regrets.
Early Career Foundations Matter
Let’s take a look at the early phase of the career of a young, fairly talented lifter. Juniors can spend time mastering and refining techniques, developing the conditioning to endure rigorous training, improving athleticism, and developing competitive performance skills. Or not! As a result, this lifter reaches that age span where the greatest progress will take place—that period between 18 and 32. He or she can be on track to take advantage of this very fruitful span or be behind those who did all the preparation work prior to age 18 in a timely manner.
Recovery Diminishes With Age
While making great progress toward the lifting of heavier weights is largely dependent upon the ability to train with heavier loads, the capacity of the body to recover from those loads gradually diminishes with age. Recovery capacity is based on the frequency of molecular collisions within the body. While certain practices can somewhat slow down the diminishment of those frequencies, there is an inevitability of that slowing no matter what the age deniers may say.
The Risks of Training Alone
COVID-19 gave rise to an increase in individuals training in home gyms. This is now the norm for many weightlifters. While progress can undoubtedly be made while training alone at home, the practice is fraught with rabbit holes that eat up the precious commodity of time. Most athletes training alone are not even aware that they are making errors in their training until much time has passed, and that cuts into progress.
The Value of Team Training and Coaching
Training as a member of a weightlifting team under the supervision of a knowledgeable coach is the fastest way to achieve the best results that one’s talent can enable. One of the biggest time savers is the immediate feedback from the coach. A corrective measure can be immediately implemented while the feeling of the error is fresh in the mind of the athlete. Furthermore, the coach can prescribe an effective remediation in the proper dosage based on the specifics of the individual.
The Role of Teammates in Your Success
Other team members can also provide advice and perspectives on life outside the gym that can lead to effective and immediate strategies for traversing the weightlifting landscape. For example, a teammate might be able to recommend a job that is located near the gym, thus effectively minimizing the time and aggravation spent in travel. This may seem like a small thing, but it can be remarkably effective.
Key Takeaways for Progress and Efficiency
So the advice to take away from this piece is to consistently be seeking ways to make progress, learn more, and to make the most of the time during the period during which the greatest progress can take place.
Avoiding Misguided Role Models
Moreover, don’t point out individuals who do things wrong and still enjoy some measure of success. They have their own unique combination of talent and life circumstances that you probably don’t. Don’t make them into role models.
Learn From History: Age and Weightlifting Success
Only two Olympic gold medalists in weightlifting have been 37 years old. The vast majority have been in their 20s. This highlights the importance of making the most of your prime years and not relying on anomalies to guide your path. Each moment spent delaying or avoiding progress is a moment lost in the most critical phase of your career. Instead, focus on optimizing your time and efforts while learning from the proven trajectories of successful lifters. By respecting time and age limits, you can ensure you’re fully capitalizing on your potential and setting yourself up for a rewarding and fulfilling weightlifting journey.
