"Focus"

Weightlifting requires a lot of mental effort, the repetitive nature of the sport can be taxing on the mind and make training seem monotonous. Focus is required to keep us present in the gym, to keep our mind from drifting and our bodies sharp.

In other sports such as CrossFit or bodybuilding it's easier to turn the brain off and go. A lot of the focus comes in terms of pushing past physical pain such as oxygen deficit and burning muscles. In weightlifting however, the focus comes in one 2-5 second burst. The ability to put all of your energy both mental and physical into one lift, one time.

Achieving a high level of focus to lift day in and day out has been a challenge for me. If the weights are feeling heavy and I'm not moving well it's harder for me to give 100% of my attention to the lift, when really that's when I should be trying harder to achieve that state.

Normally when I lift I like loud upbeat music, I try to use the music to get my adrenaline pumping. While this has worked in the past, and still works today, I've also learned the value of silence. Of innate focus. Of harnessing all my energy and mental ability into the lift. Giving myself cues in my head, visualizing how it will look and how it will feel.

Currently I train with Ian Wilson, who is without a doubt one of the best lifters we have in this country. Training with him has shown me a type of focus I had not previously seen. When Ian goes for a heavy lift the music is off and the gym is silent. All of his attention is on the bar, on the lift, for that 3 seconds.

In contrast when I was training with Jon, focus came from energy. From music, from yelling, from slaps on the back and "you better not fucking miss". It's interesting to see the different styles, both of which work very well for the lifters that use them.

I've learned that focus is something that must be improved, like all aspects of training. It can be practiced, and some days it's there, others it isn't, just like the lifts. When I get in the zone I can focus much better than if I'm being chatty and mentally escaping my workout between sets. Different workouts require different types of focus, and different lifts do as well. Sometimes I focus on the finish, sometimes the pull, sometimes staying over the bar.

Focus can turn a good session into a bad one, or into a great one. It's up to the lifter which fork in the road they take.