First weightlifting meet: Medals for all.

So over the last weekend (3\21\15) I took my team from Crossfit Hoboken over to New York for the Lost Battalion Hall Classic Weightlifting tournament. I am very proud to announce that every member of the team came home with a medal. Here is the proof that hard work pays off. Dedication and commitment will always be followed with success. Well done Guys I am extremely proud of all of you.

Britta Winans, Silver Medal Woman's 63 kg Division: @filtaa

Chad Michael, Silver Medal Men's 85 kg Division: @cmflanic

Jarrett Fisher, Gold Medal Men's 85 kg Division: @jarrf1989

Dallas Quano, Gold Medal Men's 94 kg Division: @douano20

Ryan Erasmus "Coach Ryan" , Gold Medal Men's 69 kg Division, and Silver Medal in Overall Masters Men. @erasmusryan69

"WELL DONE TEAM"

A coaches role in competition:

Coaching in competition and coaching in training are two very different things. In the training hall a coach needs to be focused on an athletes technique, and making fine adjustments to maximize an athletes potential. The focus is on programming, periodization and progression. In competition a coaches role and responsibilities are on preparing the athlete for the platform. 

First and foremost a coaches job is to keep the athlete calm and prepared before the competition. If an athlete is getting nervous and pacing around it is the coaches job to bring them back down. Staying focused and being mentally prepared before a competition is very important.

During the warm up procedure the coaches responsibility is on getting the athlete prepared to make their first attempt on the stage. This means the coach needs to be acutely aware of the time before the competition starts, and how long it will take an athlete to warm up and reach their last lifts before reaching the platform. It is during this warming up that the coach will decide what would be the best starting weight for the athlete. Your coach knows you as a lifter better than you do. He knows when you are looking good, and when you are not. It is the coaches responsibly to make the adjustments to starting weight according to how he see's your warm up going. In general the coach will always pick the starting weight. Then after talking with the athlete they will decide together what the second attempt will be. The third attempt is up to the lifter. Unless a gold medal is at stake. If a coach believes that an athlete has the ability to attempt a weight that will give the athlete the gold medal it is the only time that the coach may veto the athlete. Other than that the last lift will always be decided by the athlete.

During competition is is the responsibility of your coach to count the number of attempts before your first. That way he will know how many warm up attempts you should take before your first lift. It is also at this time that the coach needs to be focused on any changes in weight or starting attempts by other athletes that might increase or reduce the amount of time an athlete has before their first attempt.

Coaches also need to understand what the best form of motivation is for an athlete. Every athlete is different, and every athlete needs different styles of motivation and encouragement. I am a very intrinsic, calm athlete. I am often found having a nap an hour before I am competing. That's is my thing. I need to be calm and focused in order to lift my best. I recall on one occasion a coach whom I wasn't familiar with started slapping me in the face before I walked on stage. He thought he was doing what was needed to psych me up for the lift. Unfortunately all he did was piss me of. Which he very quickly came to realize. Some athletes need to be shouted at, some need to be quietly spoken to and motivated. It is the coaches job to know which athletes respond best to each different type of motivation and encouragement, and treat them accordingly.

Once an athlete has taken their first attempt it is the coaches role to decide, along with the athlete what their next attempt will be. Coaches can increase the amount of rest an athlete has by increasing the weight three times, the allowed number of increases. This will give the athlete more time to recover,or possibly even give another athlete a turn to lift. The weightlifting leader board backstage is a chaotic place. All the coaches are staring at it looking for potential changes, assessing their own strategies, and increasing their own lifters weights to get them in the best possible position to win, or get a medal.

That is essentially the role of a coach at competition. To take the thinking away from the athlete and let them focus on what they are there to do, lift. An athlete should not be looking at the leader board, that is the coaches job. All the athlete should be focused on is lifting. A coach cannot change an athletes technique on the day of competition. this will only serve to confuse the athlete and hinder their performance. The best advice I was given in competition was " Don't think, Just Lift" A coaches is there to motivate, calm, and if necessary push an athlete to reach a Personal record in order to win. There are good training hall coaches, and there are good competition hall coaches. I have met very few who are good at both.

Weightlifting Tournaments - format and procedures

So seeing as though several of the Crossfit Hoboken team (myself included) are competing in the Lost Battalion Hall Classic Weightlifting Tournament next weekend (3/21/2015) I thought I would write about the format of a weightlifting tournament today.

Weightlifting tournaments are a very formal, structured affair. There is a certain hierarchical class system at play. At the top of the list are the Judges. They are the ones that are going to decide whether or not to give you three little white lights, or three little red lights. So naturally they are the top of the heap. They can go anywhere, and pretty much do anything .Next are the lifters. The entertainment for the day. The competitors battling it out for the precious few medals. Last, and certainly not least we have the spectators. The friends, the family, and the team of those who will be competing.

So first things first. Two hours before the event you will weigh in. You will head into the change room when your name is called and be faced with one of said Judges. They will ask you to provide your USA weightlifting Membership card, and a form of ID. After which you are free to weigh. You can weigh in tights, underwear, or butt ass naked. considering the fact that a lighter lifter than yourself merely has to equal your lift in order to beat you, I always go "Ah Natural" I have both lost and won medals based on the point zero, zero, zero that is added by weighing with clothing on. But each unto their own. 

Once you have weighed in, you will change and gather in the warm up hall. The only people allowed in the warm up hall are the lifters and their coaches. This is not a social gathering, friends and family are not permitted in the warm up area. You generally have 2 hours after your weigh in before your competition starts. Every lifter has their own way with spending this time. Some sleep (me) some listen to music on their earphones, and some pace around outside. Everyone has their own way of preparing themselves.

The first hour after weigh in is for the lifters to do as they please. The last hour is the coaches responsibility. getting those lifters who need extra time to stretch and warm up ready. Around 15 minutes before the scheduled start time the announcers will ask all of the lifters scheduled for the upcoming session to make there way to the stage. Once all of the lifters are assembled, they will announce each lifter by name. Giving the spectators an opportunity to see the full line up before the event. Once the line up has happened the lifters have 10 minutes before the first attempt is called on the platform.

Competitions are run on a rising bar format. Meaning the lifters starting with the lightest weights will lift first, and those starting with the heaviest weights will finish last. At this point a lifter and his coach should have a very good indication of where and when the athlete will be lifting in the session. It is the coaches responsibility to count the number of attempts before their lifters attempts, and to communicate any changes with the judges back stage. An athlete should not be running over to the judges table and making changes (unless said athlete has no coach) The coaches job is to prepare the athlete and communicate changes with the judges, so that the athletes can focus on what they came to do, lift the best they can.

Most athletes have a tendency to want to start to high for their opening weight. Your first (of three) attempts needs to be a sure thing, a weight you do not miss. First and foremost you need to get yourself on the leader-board. In general a coach and an athlete will discuss what their opening weight will be well before the tournament. Take it from someone who has Bombed out of several international tournaments, don't start to high.

Once your name has been called you have exactly 1 minute to get to the platform and make your lift. When walking up to the platform it is considered etiquette to walk on to the platform from the rear. If you like you can acknowledge the judges with a simple bow. This can go a long way when it comes to controversial decisions. Showing them respect before you lift is a sign of a mature and confident lifter. While the crowd might like the show-boater, I can guarantee you when he gets backstage he will be sitting on his own. When you are on the platform, try your best to block out the audience. Pick a spot on the wall, a light, anything and focus on that throughout your lift. Also remember a lifting platform is substantially bigger than a training platform. You have plenty of space, just don't walk off the platform. Most important of all, make sure you wait for the Judges signal "down" before you drop the weight, or you will be given red lights. 

Once the competition is done make sure to shake hands with all of your fellow competitors and congratulate them on their day, no matter where they placed. This is another integral part of the culture. We all come to compete, no matter how well we did, or didn't do, acknowledge your peers and fellow  competitors. Sportsmanship, and camaraderie means more than medals and trophies. 

I wish everyone that is competing the best of luck. I will be there as a fellow competitor, coach, and spectator.