The Pull

There are countless views on any single subject. Moments of clarity often come from hearing things in a new way, and seeing things done differently. I have learned a lot about the sport of Olympic Lifting in a pretty short time. Much of it from the keen eye of coaches. Still, nothing totally sinks in until something clicks in our own heads. I have always known that the lifts are considered pulling movements, but I have never really thought about how the bar is pulling against the lifter. That occurence has come to me in the past few weeks.

The Olympic lifts in their simplest terms are considered pulling exercises. The athlete is pulling a weight through a given range, and pulling their body around the path of the bar. There is no singular way to do it, but positioning is key to success. The weight the athlete is trying to move is trying to pull the lifter out of the proper position. In effect the lifts are a quick tug of war that is over in a matter of 1-2 seconds. If the weight is succesfully lifted you win, if not, you lose.

This pulling match has been how I have thought about the lifts for the past few sessions. Before I guess I was just trying to get the weights up. Now I try and visualize the whole movement before each lift, let it sink in, and then start the match. This visualization has helped me dial in the aggression necessary to win each tug of war, or at least continue to make progress.

Aggression is a key component of the Olympic lifts. Without it lifts will be slow at worst, and a great deal of the time unsuccesful. I have never been a ra-ra type of dude. I like to take care of business and make it look like I've been in a situation before, even if I haven't. Aggression has also never been my strong suit. I have never been in a fight, and even in sports it would take a punch in the mouth, or a kick to the groin, before I let out my aggression. Now, I try to approach the bar knowing that it is pulling against me. Trying to keep me from achieving my goals. Just like many things, trivial as my problems may be, outside of the gym try to pull me away from my goals. With that in hand I get in position and I go.