PR’s Here and There

In a day, I am now probably spending what might be considered excessive time on Facebook. However, I like to see what everyone’s doing moving forward toward the 2016 Olympic qualification procedures in weightlifting. As a three-time Olympian myself, I can tell you that the last couple of years leading up to the Olympic trials in each quadrennium always pique my interest.

The advent of Facebook and other social media have given rise to what one of my long-time associates in the sport has termed “internet champions.” Oh, certainly, they are athletes with varying degrees of talent…some of them with lots of talent. Every single day brings video of what people are doing in training: everything from the lifts themselves to every kind of training movement imaginable – squats are assigned special importance as a benchmark portending great things to come. Oftentimes these lifts are done as sort of an exhibition as part of a camp or clinic given at at CrossFit gym.

Several times, I have seen athletes lift more at these sessions than they do in the upcoming competition. I don’t think I’ve seen one unofficial US record in training translate to an official record on the competition platform. If you can snatch 112% of your pr off high blocks, good for you. If you can snatch 5% more with straps than you’ve ever made officially, then that’s nice to watch too. If you can pr in the pause front squat on youtube, splendid. Gruesome combination complexes with substantial weight? I’m all for it, if it translates to something later. It may get you hundreds or thousands of social media “likes” as the result of what you’ve done.

Ladies and gentlemen, make sure you allow adequate recovery time from the total wear and tear that all of this takes. When you’re done with all of this, it will be important for you first and foremost to be in one piece. There is a special place in your future; 169 square feet of special real estate. It’s the competition platform. I am wishing all of you PR’s there.

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