Nitty Gritty

This week I wanted to focus on something that is going to lead you to success. I focus a lot of weightlifting itself, but I wanted to get a post in about mentality and how it can help make you more successful! So this weeks topic is mental mindset and its all about GRIT! Do you have it? Do you know what it truly is? Well read on and find out what it is and how you can benefit from it!  

Imagine yourself out for a jog when you are presented with a steep hill. You could turn and forgo the hill. Or you could dig deep inside yourself and find your strength and energy to tackle that monster. If you chose to charge over the hill, most likely you’ve got grit—the tenacity and stamina to put in hard work in pursuit of a goal, despite obstacles or setbacks. While talent and skills are important for getting ahead, grit is actually the biggest predictor of how successful you’ll ultimately be, according to Angela Duckworth,author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.

So… How do we develop or nurture our grit? Whatever your Grit level is currently, you can build more anytime. The following will aid in your desire to grow your grit. Or follow these 5 steps from theweek.com.

First, find something you are truly passionate about.

Do you love to run or bike? Maybe consider training for a triathlon.  For me its weightlifting... hence the blog. If your passionate about what you’re doing, your grit will intensify, and you’ll be much more likely to succeed. You can also choose a goal that gives you a sense of purpose—becoming an instructor or launching a kids benefit, for instance. This can be especially motivating, because you see the effect your work has on other people. Maybe you just lack motivation. Try reading 5 reasons your motivation may be missing.

Next, focus on what you really want.

To reach a goal, it needs to be “SMART” Specific, Measurable, Attainable (Realistic), Relevant,Time Bound as well as challenging enough that you have to work toward it. For example, if your goal is to “become better at weight lifting," aim for something precise like ‘I want to lift my body weight in the Clean and Jerk.” 

Ensure you surround yourself with gritty people.

“We spontaneously model the behaviors of those around us,” Duckworth says. “When you join a team, you gravitate to its culture.” If you want to become a weightlifter but have a hard time getting in the gym and pushing yourself, find a group that meets every day to crush weights with. The members’ motivation and work ethic will rub off on you.

ALWAYS... Allow AND expect yourself to fail.

Failure sends most people’s confidence and morale plummeting. However, the thing about truly gritty people: they aren’t discouraged when they come up short. Its the opposite, they’re not only undaunted by adversity, but they are also fueled by it. OK, so how can you learn to embrace failure? Keep telling yourself that ability is not a fixed quantity. Anders Ericsson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Florida State University and a coauthor of Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise says, “with practice and dedication, you can evolve and eventually become excellent at doing something you once found difficult.” 

Try to view setbacks as opportunities.

“Gritty people appreciate the work they put in on the way to reaching a goal, not just attaining the milestone itself,” says sport psychologist Gloria Petruzzelli, Ph.D. “For them, setbacks become chances to learn something and are simply part of the process of mastering a skill.” To help cultivate grit when things go wrong, ask yourself, “What am I learning about myself in this moment?” and “How can I use this situation to shape myself for the better?”

Lastly... become determined to never give up.

If you’re inclined to blow off soccer practice after a hectic day at work, remind yourself that you’re the kind of person who honors commitment! Or if you’re tempted to end your long-term goal of lifting your body weight in the clean and jerk, tell yourself, “I will not quit, I cannot quit, period,” Petruzzelli advises. “Thinking of yourself as a gritty powerhouse will help you believe—and achieve.”

Need more advice in order to never give up? Review these 7 tips.

So what will you do to determine your grit? How will you ensure you will not quit? How will this advise aid you in pursuing your goal? Leave me a comment letting me know how this information has helped aid you in your pursuit of greatness!

 

Until next week... Lift it over head, slam it to the ground and repeat! Practice makes progression and progression to Gold!

What's all the hype with completing a warm up?

If you are new to Olympic weightlifting (or just working out/training/lifting) then you probably have not clue if you should or shouldn't complete a warm up or which kind if you so choose to complete a warm up. If you rummage through the internet you will find in general three mind sets when it comes to warm ups.

First belief - Mark Rippetoe: Strength and condition specialist and author of Starting Strength states. "No jumping around in the floor, no 100 air squats, no goofy walking, no stretching other than assuming the bottom position a couple of times. Just get warm under the bar, add weight, and squat." He continues, "There is no evidence, in either The Literature or in the objectively evaluated experience of coaches or lifters, that 30 minutes of stretching before a barbell workout is anything other than a detrimental waste of time." In his mind, you would be warm once you put on your pants and get to the gym. No need for stretching or a traditional warm up as it takes away from power output.

Second belief - Mayo Clinic/Most professionals: A warm-up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system by raising your body temperature and increasing blood flow to your muscles. Warming up may also help reduce muscle soreness and lessen your risk of injury. This brief, but specified warm up is built in to the workout to prepare for lifting, bending and repeat use of the muscles and mechanics of the body to prevent injury and increase performance.

Last belief - Crossfit/Olympic Weightlifting: The belief behind these warm ups is to get your body moving/temperature raised, heart rate up, stretch to create "mobility" or flexibility and prepare for a rigorous workout. Typically you will see these athletes utilizing a lacrosse ball or foam rollers to self massage/release myofascial tissue (muscle connective tissue). According to Performbetter.com, athletes "use the roller to apply pressure to sensitive areas in their muscles-sometimes called trigger points, knots, or areas of increased muscle density." Also, the site states, "One would usually use a foam roller to apply longer more sweeping strokes to the long muscle groups like the calves, adductors, and quadriceps, and small directed force to areas like the TFL, hip rotators, and glute medius." The idea according to aaptive magazine is that by foam rolling, you can increase blood flow to the tissues and improve mobility, which aids in recovery and performance. It helps to reduce tightness in muscles so that they can move through a range of motion with ease.

So which should you believe and practice?

You probably think because I am blogging about Olympic lifting and I was so extensive on that one, it is my belief. Well, truthfully I like to incorporate all three to some degree. In my opinion, each have their perspective pros and cons... thus incorporating all of them. But I am not here to discuss all that. What I am going to go over is what I personally do as a certified personal trainer and person with a degree in Health and Human Performance. 

As a general, rule a warm up is just that... getting the body temp up and blood flowing. So the very first thing I do (and some will contest/disagree with part or all of this) is complete 2-3 minutes of exercise for one of the following:
          Brisk walk/slow jog
          Light rowing
          Jumping jacks
          Jump rope
          Elliptical
Once I complete the 2-3 minute exercise I will begin with a dynamic warm up (actively moving through the positions/stretches) of leg swings, arm swings, arm circles, trunk rotations, knee/ankle rotations and hip extension/flexion/rotation.

Next, I go into a very brief static stretch (5 second hold) for each muscle group beginning at the ankles and moving upward all the way to my neck. If I feel extra tightness in my ankles, wrists, triceps, hips or shoulders I will hold up to 15 seconds, but no longer. I am not going to be able to extend my mobility or create a greater range of flexion with these holds. That will take weeks or months to improve. However, I do want to work on getting into position, create a mind muscle connection and decrease the pain reception prior to working out.

After completing these dynamic stretches followed by static stretches, I will then move on to the PVC previously recommended in the blog titled "Equipment recommended?!?" or a barbell. At this point I complete 5 reps of each: hang snatch high pulls, Snatch Grip behind neck OH press, Good morning squats, "shitty squats", Snatch Grip OH Squat, clean grip shrugs, clean shrug to front rack, front squat, split jerk, power jerk and then finally close grip (as close as you can perform comfortably) OH squat.

After completing all of this (I know... time consuming, but very integral) I begin actual lifts with clean pulls, snatch pulls, drop snatch, hang snatch, hang cleans or full cleans (depends on prescribed exercises) with the barbell moving up in weight every three good lifts until I reach working weight (weight prescribed in plans for that day). And -NOW- you are ready for the true workout!

To get a good idea of what a traditional warm up looks like, take a look at this warm up for Olympic Weightlifting video. Or if I get enough comments or inquiry, I will put a video together and post it for you to see first hand my exact warm up.

I hope this helps get you physically and mentally ready to lift as well as prevent injuries. If you have questions such as what exercises to incorporate into the dynamic stretches, what static stretches to implement, weight to use etc., please leave a comment and I will address it ASAP!

Until next week... lift it overhead, slam it to the ground and repeat! Practice leads to progression... progression to Gold!