Garage Blog

It has been a number of years since the war between dynamic and static stretching ended, and although dynamic stretching emerged the victor for pre...

There are two typical extremes when people come to the end of their sets. In one camp is people who stay very conservative in their sets, never pus...

Understand that there are no shortcuts I lied on the title of this blog. The truth is that everyone is looking for easy and comfortable ways t...

At the end of each day you could let all these things impact you negatively, or you could be positive about them. All good weightlifters love what they are doing, and I do love what I’m doing, but that doesn’t mean nothing bad can come from this sport. I wouldn’t change this for anything. Even the thought of being successful in this sport is enough to keep me going, making my life have an ultimate purpose.

Motivation is defined by Google as, “the general desire or willingness of someone to do something”. I would agree with that, but I would also add something of my own to that. Before we get to that, there are a couple kinds of motivation though. Extrinsic motivation, which is based off outside factors such as money, rewards, and gifts. This kind of motivation is controlled and can easily lose value the longer it goes on. The second is Intrinsic motivation, and this motivation is based off internal factors. Intrinsic motivation comes from within and is about self-motivation and self-fulfillment. This is much harder to lose and very powerful. Back to what I was saying earlier, motivation is the general desire or willingness of someone to do something, while sacrificing something else.

One thing I’m very happy about is how well our post-collegiate throws group gelled this year. It’s nice to have a group of like-minded individuals who aren’t just like-minded in terms of training. We can all come together and have a good time without even thinking about our training. That is absolutely huge, and I don’t think any of us discounts that. It’s always good to be in an environment you can feel comfortable in, and when we can all drive 11 hours from PA to Michigan and not hate each other by the end, that’s a pretty good sign. I guess the overarching lesson here is be mindful of who you train with. If you start training with someone but you don’t quite work together very well, things probably aren’t going to get any easier. A lack of chemistry can lead to distractions and that’s not helpful for anyone. Training partners are very helpful to have, but not at the expense of your sanity!

When going up for a big lift, or even a heavy squat in training, all that should be running through your mind is making that attempt. A lot of times I find myself questioning a lift right before I attempt it. It either goes good or it goes bad. If I only told myself I could do it, then it would be done. Visualization doesn’t just happen right before a lift, it has to be done on a daily basis. Before you go to bed, lay there and visualize where you want to see yourself for 10 minutes. Only good thoughts should be running through your head. Visualize yourself being a champion and achieving all the goals you have set for yourself. This is only one small step in mental focus.

After coaching for 3 years, I have learned a significant number of things that I wish I knew while I was still competing. Most of my problems came ...

Don’t sit around and rationalize how you can work around a lack of mobility. You’re only hurting yourself and your training by prolonging the amount of time you’re moving poorly. Not only will you not train as efficiently as you could, but you’re more likely to get injured! Sports are all about movement, and if you have areas of your body that could function better to help you move better, you should address them. Personally, it was amazing to me how quickly I felt a change when I started focusing in on my mobility issues (rather than just general stretching). I got a mobility program from Dr. John Giacalone (GS Athletics’ Team Doctor), and within a few sessions I really noticed a difference. So don’t waste any more time, get it done!

In my last blog, 4 Things to Know About Olympic Weightlifting, I discussed how your mental game can make or break you as a weightlifter. This is by far the most challenging component of becoming an elite weightlifter. Here are a couple of ways to improve your mental game:

Technical adaptation is the ultimate example of the true shape of the path of success: a winding, curvy trail that sometimes doesn’t seem to have a clear end to it. You have to trust that the changes you’re making will work for you in the long run, especially when they don’t seem to be working right away (which is usually the case). It’s not going to be easy, or particularly fun sometimes, so you really do need to have a clear idea of just how good you want to be.

This list wasn't meant to be all-inclusive, or in any way intimidating. Rather, I hope to educate some people on aspects of post-collegiate life they mat not know about, and help people make informed decisions. So, without further ado, here's the list: