Much of what happens to us is the result of being at a certain point in history. The current time is no exception and the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the weightlifting community as it has much of the rest of our lives.
Weightlifting has always been an activity in which its practitioners were comfortable with its solitary aspects. Generations of American weightlifters have sprung from basement and garage gyms. The majority of weightlifting champions have been developed in weightlifting clubs, however. Although the coaching in the clubs may have been a major factor, an overlooked point is the rate at which training knowledge and experience develop in the group setting.
Furthermore the group setting provides the psychic ambience that encourages progress.
The Upsurge In Solitude
In the last decade or so there has been an upsurge in athletes pursuing weightlifting in a solitary fashion. This approach has been fostered by the prevalence of internet coaches for just about anything who have taken advantage of the convenience of the online medium. People have become convinced that they can achieve mastery in a wide variety of disciplines through internet instruction. Whereas in previous times many people interested in weightlifting would have sought out a properly equipped facility that featured sound instruction, nowadays many are convinced by the sales propositions of online coaches that solitary weightlifting mastery is possible.
Throw in a pandemic
Our inability to curb the spread of Covid 19 has brought back hermit-like approaches not to mention the closure, if not the limiting, of a number of legitimate weightlifting gyms. Consequently there is even less coaching and instruction than before and novice weightlifters are doing what they can to make improvement.
I have to admire them for asking for help as most of us are not comfortable with baring our weaknesses to the world. I am seeing more and more lifters posting videos of their lifts and asking for help, comments, criticism, coaching…….
The Problem for many
The result is that most of these posted videos draw too many comments. Many of the comments are provided with good intention, but the sheer number presents the athlete with too many to sort through. Oftentimes they simply identify problems but offer no suggestions for improvement. The result may well be overwhelming confusion with the result being that the athlete is even more bewildered.
Coaching tips from novice coaches
It is perfectly normal for novice coaches who have yet to develop the sophisticated coaching eye to offer critiques in several categories:
· Personal strengths: Coaches who attribute their own success to one particular factor are enthusiastic about getting others to do the same. A coach with, for instance, great leg strength will always try to get others to squat more whether they need to or not.
· Personal weaknesses: Coaches who had some athletic success because they overcame a weakness are often committed to getting others to work on that same characteristic whether it is a problem or not.
· What I just learned at the weekend course: The latest “trick” or “secret” that the novice coach learned at a weekend course is what he or she might apply to everyone they encounter.
· What I can see: A veteran coach can see all the faults at one time. A new coach needs to learn to see them sequentially. Consequently they end up coaching what they can see even though it might not be the cause of the problem.
One overlooked remedy
As I look over the posted videos and read the accompanying suggestions, the one response I fail to see is “You need to get stronger”.
What to do
The easiest solution is to get a good coach. That, however, may have to wait until after the pandemic. The next best is to join a club. The collective knowledge of the athletes there is almost always an upgrade. The third best is to figure it out yourself. For most people this will take too much time and unless you are thirteen you don’t have that time to waste.