I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve begun a lift only to stop mid-way through; “Clarking,” as weightlifters refer to it.
“What happened?” My coach might ask.
“I started thinking.”
The mind is the circuit breaker in weightlifting. When overloaded, it’s what prevents a lifter from reaching their full potential. When tuned and working properly, it’s also what allows a lifter to take heavy attempt after heavy attempt despite getting buried. It’s what opens the door for new personal records.
Much as the body is developed by external stimuli, the mind and its capacity for work is molded and shaped over time. Sitting all day can shorten the hip flexors, but it can also shorten the mind, albeit in a different kind of way. Both of these effects might not be immediately apparent, so the inclination is often to brush them off. “I’ll start training when I have everything planned out and feel 100%,” or, “I’ll start that big project next week, I don’t really feel like dealing with it now.” These decisions have severe long term consequences. What starts out as “Just this once,” then becomes habitual, and finally life altering. Taking on challenges is paramount to avoiding this cycle.
Despite taking years to develop, the mind seems largely absent from and glossed over in mainstream training discussions. Perhaps because it isn’t as readily observable as the body. Training the mind isn’t a straightforward task, either: undoing pre-constructed frameworks, silencing negative self talk, and learning to feel comfortable while uncomfortable. There’s a lot to unpack here and it isn’t always easy.
“Through trial and error,
being coached and self-coaching,
the barbell becomes a mirror.”
I wish someone taught me how important the mind is when I touched a barbell for the first time many years ago. Maybe it wouldn’t matter, because I had to find out for myself. Through trial and error, being coached and self-coaching, the barbell becomes a mirror. The awareness you develop from it is up to you. ◼
