Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.
Olympic Weightlifting requires a LOT of commitment. To add to this, NYC doesn’t make it easier since we have to carry everything-no trunk to drop it off in. I mean who wants to carry a gym bag with Weightlifting shoes (weighs a LOT more than tennis shoes), belt, chalk, gym clothes, water bottle, protein/carb bottle/powder on a crowded NYC train? To add to that most of us New Yorkers need to travel a bit to head to a training hall. It’s common for many committed Weightlifters to travel 60-90minutes 3-5x a week just to train with their team.
To put it lightly most NYC Weightlifters are very committed to the sport. But it’s all too common for Weightlifters to get a bit psyched out with the way a heavy weight looks or “feels”, especially if they’re not used to it. This is why I really push on the guys to focus on not wasting any attempts. Why would you “test” a weight and waste all that energy on an attempt to not fully commit?
For example these two lifts should’ve been completed:
Alex felt the weight and steered away from his typical pulling path, this is why it crashed and it became a missed attempt. If he would have pulled just like he did with all his other lifts he would’ve nailed it, easily! He attempted it 3-4 more times and each time getting closer and closer but at that point his energy was drained. If he would’ve maintained position from the start he would’ve crushed it!
“NEVER take an attempt for granted!”
Andrei has enough power and strength, if he’ll commit to pull under the bar 80k will be flying up for him. Commitment!
While it’s easier to say than do, the sport of Olympic Weightlifting is just as much a mental game as it is strength and technique. This is why it’s so important to have a qualified coach and great teammates to push you beyond your comfort zone.
To be clear this isn’t a knock on Alex or Andrei, I’m very proud of the way they are building up to be strong Weightlifters, in both aspects technique and strength (mental and physical).
