SportsEdTV Weightlifting is committed to bringing athletes, coaches, and parents pro-level weightlifting education videos for FREE. All levels, anywhere, anytime. Check out our full instructional library and sign up to join our weightlifting community!
Coach Totten, a retired high school coach and administrator, has had a long and successful career as an athlete, a coach, and an educator. Leo competed in weightlifting at the national and international levels and is the founder and director of Totten Training Systems. Coach Totten can be contacted at https://www.tottentraining.com or on Facebook.
Recently, Harvey Newton wrote a great article entitled, “Are You Training Your Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)?” Harvey and I go way back in our journey through the weightlifting world and we certainly see eye to eye on many issues surrounding our sport. His views presented in this article on mental training are spot on and directly reflect my background and training.
The points that he brings up are relevant for weightlifters, as well as athletes from any sport. The mental skills mentioned are as important as the physical skills that athletes strive to attain. These skills include self-confidence, optimal level of arousal, imagery (visualization), and concentration. Harvey also discussed the “3 D’s” – desire, discipline, and dedication. All of these factors, combined with the physical skills attained in the weightroom, provide the athlete with the best weapons to succeed.
Let’s delve a little deeper into a part of mental training that is near and dear to my heart, visualization. My own personal experience can vouch for the efficacy of this skill. Here is a bit of my history to make the point:
Back in the day, I was a pretty good national level weightlifter. Not international elite, but right up there nationally. Everything was going well in my training, but every time a big meet came along, I often didn’t put my good training lifts on the competition platform, where it really counted. My totals had leveled off. I figured the harder I tried, the better I would do, and I’d climb out of the rut I was in. But the harder I tried, the worse I did. Then worrying and self-doubt really settled in. Things got worse and no matter what I did, I couldn’t get out of the mess I was in.
I tried everything. I sat in the warm-up room with a towel over my head, trying to aggressively “get up.” It’s not my nature to do that, but I was desperate and trying extra hard. That didn’t work at all - by the time I got to the platform, the adrenaline was shot; I continued to miss lifts.
