I see two common mistakes when people attack lifts.
They rush in with a tidal wave of energy, but no plan, no process, and no set procedure. Then after the dust has settled, they can’t understand why their results vary wildly from attempt to attempt.
The other common mistake is overthinking it. Yes, you need a plan, and yes, you need to prepare, but agonizing over every speck of minutia will undermine your confidence and ability to execute at your full potential.
What’s the solution? Create a ritual.
No hooded robes or incense required. However, for each lift, you should have a series of steps you follow =every= time.
Here’s mine for the clean.
- 30-60 seconds before the lifts stop talking and listening to everyone but your coach.
- The first strap of my right shoe goes under the bar where the inner knurling meets the smooth. Same now for the left foot.
- I then place the crease of my right thumb where the smooth meets the knurling, then the same on the left.
- Next, I hook grip the bar with my right hand then my left
- Then I brace, creating the correct tension throughout my body, so the power is transferred into the bar correctly.
- Finally, I cue myself internally. For me, on the clean, this is usually ‘delay the second pull’ or ‘long legs’
- GO!
Now that might seem like a lot, but steps 2-7 works out to probably 5-6 seconds.
My inner dialog (yes I say this stuff to myself as I prepare)
Right foot – Left foot – Right – Left – Hookgrip – Hookgrip – Brace – Delay the second pull
Why all this fuss for a quick lift?
Well, for starters, if I use the same setup each time, I have a point of reference to make changes if something goes in a way that I don’t like.
Also, I can give you the best directions in the world to get from my house to Starbuck, but I change the starting point on you randomly. Those directions are useless!
Further, using a consistent starting point allows me to make efficient adjustments. So if I’m missing the cleanout in front of me, I might decide to move the bar out to the far side of the straps on my lifting shoes (maybe a quarter of an inch further) and see if that adjustment has the desired effect. If it helps, I’ll make the change to my ‘ritual’ and keep on progressing!
Inconsistent preparation will always yield inconsistent results. Start today and create a ritual for each of your lifts. I promise you’ll enjoy the results!
To find out more about how a step-by-step approach to lifting can help you, book a talk with one of our coaches on me!
