Three Years to a World Title: Keep Setting Goals

3 years ago I decided to start competing again in Olympic weightlifting. It had been almost a decade since I last represented my country internationally. Straight from the onset I set myself the goal of winning a World Championship Title. Last week I did just that by taking the Gold medal at the 2015 World Masters Cup. 3 years might seem like a long time but that is a normal training cycle for many athletes. Most top athletes will train in 4 year cycles along with the Olympic Games.

I believed when I started training again that I was capable of winning the World Masters. I trained and set my goals accordingly to reach that goal. It started out with a few local meets. Then moved on to the U.S. Open Masters Championships, and finally the World Championships.

Set your own goals well in advance, 3, 4 years down the line. Pick a tournament or competition you want to take part in, the US Open, World Champs, or Crossfit Games and set your sights on achieving it. I see too many athletes in the gym looking for that quick fix that is going to put 50 lbs on each of their lifts. The only thing that puts 50 lbs on your lifts is years of practice and dedication.

Start by making a list of the next 5 years of your life. After four years write in the goal you want to achieve. Now work your way back. Start with the National meets you want to attend each year. Then look at local meets roughly three months apart leading up to those events. That's it; there you have your plan. Now you can focus on your periodization between each.

Now that I have a World Gold medal, I have my sights set on the 2017 World Masters Games in New Zealand. I don’t just want to win the Gold; I want the Gold and the World Record. That is my goal, that is what I am training for, and that is what I intend on achieving.

I Can, I will, Watch me.