The key to success when it comes to most things in life is sometimes a frustrating one; you must take one step back before you can move forward. Yes, you heard me right. You must move backwards if you want to move forwards in the end. So many times people get caught up in the need for forward movement without thinking where they are currently, and find themselves in a downward spiral veering further and further away from their goals.
One of the best examples to prove this point occurs right in the gym. Let’s run a scenario that is all too common. An athlete walks into the gym and looks at the workout. The lift is a snatch and the percentages have been written on the board. As instructed, the athlete puts 60% on the bar, warms up, and it does not feel solid at all. Next comes 70%, and a few misses and nasty snatches follow. What happens next? That athlete moves up to 80% and fails time after time after time, making failed attempts at 80% until the time is up. Does this mean that they are unable to lift that weight? Not at all, however it does mean that they are failing to grasp the concept of moving backwards to move forward. This keeps that athlete from improving.
It is not a hard concept to understand that if your snatch or any other lift feels absolutely awful or proceeds to be awful on a consistent basis, then there must be an underlying problem that must be addressed. I will be the first to say that random misses are going to happen every once in a while. But if they are happening on a consistent basis then steps must be taken, backwards steps that is. Ask the coach to watch you and identify what some of the problems might be and listen to recommendations for how to fix the problems. Use the many resources in the gym. The simple fact of asking and seeking help marks the desire to improve.
In my own life, I am applying this very principle and feel better than ever. My snatch and otheroverhead movements have always been lack luster due to the state of my shoulder mobility and trying to just cope with my weaknesses instead of fixing them. What have I done recently to fix it? I have not done an overhead squat with more than 115# for the past two months. As a result my overhead position and shoulder pain have improved greatly. Do I like having to do such lightweight when I know I can do more? No, I absolutely hate it! But, the one thing I love more than anything is to IMPROVE!
That whole snatch scenario was just a small illustration of the principle. You can apply the backwards step to all aspects of life. I have always grown up learning that it is better not to move on with something until I have done it correctly. So if you are working on that project for school or work and try to move on to the next step, knowing that it is good enough but not your best work, sit down and ask yourself if you want to skate through life being just good enough or do you want to live life being better than you were yesterday?
Andrew D.