On Weightlifting: A Personal View

  CHAPTER 11

30 MISTAKES TO BE AVOIDED BY THE WEIGHTLIFTER

By Donny Shankle CPT

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. - Philippians 4:8

Not Taking Enough Attempts at Maximum Weights (6)

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

Many good weightlifters get so caught up in percentages and programming they forget the fundamental principle on how you get stronger. To make your body (and will power) stronger you must place increased demand on yourself. A very difficult part of training for the conditioned weightlifter is pushing through comfort zones. Moving past comfort zones although very difficult and sometimes painful is the only way to lift heavier weights. Elite weightlifters have the special ability to command themselves to go after heavier weights fearlessly. To do this requires a certain amount of pain tolerance and a great deal of confidence. Weightlifting is the greatest display of an athlete's confidence and discipline, no other sport presents a challenge in strength so radical as weightlifting. The weight will never have a bad day or ease up on you. The weightlifter who acknowledges this and continues to put on more weight even when personal records are made in training will become successful on the competition platform with an impressive total.

No matter how many attempts you take at a lighter weight this will not prepare yourself mentally for the heavier weight. Physically with the lighter weights you condition yourself in the number of attempts made and you train your nervous system to react without hesitation. The only way to make the personal record, however, is to put the heavier weight on the bar and go after it many times. Even if you miss your building muscle and assurance of your ability for the next time you go after that PR. How do you know what you can actually lift if you don't even try? DO NOT, however, train with more failed attempts in the training session than successful attempts. Having more misses than makes in training is counterproductive to success on competition day. Once you have attempted a heavier weight multiple times without success you then must finish with some lighter attempts. You may notice once you come down in weight sometimes you'll miss that first drop set. This is normal, your body was just under increased demand and neurologically you are not as sharp. This feeling goes away quickly (usually by the second rep) and your able to find your rhythm again.

It is better to have tried and missed than to have never put it on the bar. I would rather see a weightlifter go after more weight in training than continue lifting the same percentages everyday saving it for competition. If you are a member of a gym who does not train with the direction of going to maximum everyday but to only lift maximum on competition day, get out of there and run for your life. This kind of gym and training style is a pit for mediocrity. You will never excel nor' become great in this kind of atmosphere. These are the same gyms who teach you the lifts with broomsticks and sensitivity. From the day you begin weightlifting learn the feeling of what heavy is and display the courage of a champion to deal with it. I promise after 20 misses you might miss 40 more, but one day your name will be on a list of the most ever done.