Remember your last weightlifting meet. Perhaps you’re like me and you get nervous. I have been lifting and competing since 2008 and I still get nervous! Perhaps for you the thought of lifting in front of people scares you but you love to lift and you love to be strong. There are two things that have helped me become a better lifter on the platform that I will share with you.
Breathing
When I’m preparing in the warm up area as I am preparing for a big lift in training I am deliberately breathing. I listen to my breaths. Breath in and breath out. Everything else shuts off. I cannot hear anything afterwards. Only the sounds of my breaths. Practice this. Be deliberate in your breathing
Calmness
The more calm I am the more energy I can project onto the lifts. Being calm, centered, focused will help you save energy instead of wasting it. I notice that when I get nervous my legs become heavy. When I calm myself, when I calm my legs the strength and energy returns to them and I’m able to better perform. Practice being calm.
Some of you might be the opposite and require intense crazy high energy motivation to pump yourself up. You might need to scream, thump your chest and build yourself up into a big ball of energy that is released when you lift. Whatever works for you. I’m simply sharing different approach that works for me when I lift. I find it useful for not only lifting but for life.
Respectfully,
Josue Cano
Snatch, Clean and Jerk 