"You best be mentally tough nukkas" - Coach B (not really, but it'd be funny)Don't worry, I have't forgotten about you all. I purposely have not updated this thing in a while because I was trying to get in the Guinness Book of World Records for the least updated blog in all of existence. I WON!
I recently decided that I am taking a break from Crossfit and am strictly going to focus on my Olympic Lifting. For the first time in 2 years, I am back on one of my dad's lifting programs ( Mikesgym.org It is the 12 week competition program) and I'm LOVIN it (Not a reference to McDonalds). Let me tell you why I decided to do this.
Here's the thing: I absolutely love crossfit; the way it makes me feel, the mental toughness it instills and the fact that it can knock me on my bumper (aka bottom) for a good 10 minutes, when I really only worked out for a total of about 5. However, I found that the constant intensity of crossfit style workouts was really starting to become mentally taxing for me (It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that I may or may not be a little sissy girl). When working out became more stressful than fun, I knew that it was time to change things up a bit.
Olympic lifting and Crossfit both require mental toughness. HOWEVAA, in my personal opinion, the mental toughness required for Crossfit is completely different than the mental toughness required for olympic weightlifting.
Let me break it down for ya'll:
Crossfit: When we crossfit, we experience insurmountable amounts of pain throughout our whole body and soul. It's a competition between you and said "pain". Mental toughness in Crossfit means fearing the pain, feeling the pain, accepting the pain, and overcoming the pain.
Olympic lifting: When we olympic weightlift, we experience the fear of having to get under a heavy cuss weight. Stepping up to a barbell that is loaded with a weight you've never lifted can bring up all of your repressed feelings of self doubt and insecurity. Mental toughness in Olympic Weightlifting means believing that you are more of a badass than any one else on this planet. It means stepping onto the platform and allowing your self confidence to suck in all that doubt and insecurity and crush them into oblivion. CRUSH, I say! It's a competition between you and the barbell. Are you going to let that barbell beat you? or are you going to make that barbell your biznatch?
So, the point I am trying to make (even though I'm just kind of rambling on about biznatches and crushing and cussing and what not) is that I think that it's good to change up your training because you get to experience what it means to be "mentally tough" in many different ways. If you're constantly having to challenge your mind by forcing it to be all sorts of "tough", you become much more well rounded as an athlete.
Spend a couple months overcoming the pain that Crossfit brings about, and then change it up and force yourself to face (And crush) the self doubt and insecurities that weightlifting brings about. If that doesn't make you a better athlete and person, I don't know what will!! (other than maybe listening to some more Fergie).
PS. I just went back and re read this whole post and it is ALLLL over the place. Get over it.
I backed down to one day of Crossfit a week and am mostly Oly lifting too. The thing that was making me crazy about Crossfit is the lack of periodization. It's just virtually impossible to periodize stuff properly when you're programming for a class of twenty different athletes on fifteen different schedules. I definitely see a role for some "constantly varied" training, but I really wanted a core of consistency and measurable progress. I don't know that I'll be a dedicated oly lifter forever, but I really like focusing on something enough to see measurable improvement over time.
ReplyDeleteI remember when our coach decided to program Olympic lifting focus into our regular weekly program, and I loved it. She was right: CrossFit can and does make you fit, but if you want to see some major improvement (both in form and weight) on the Olympic lifts, you have to take the time to focus on it.
ReplyDeleteI saw the Mikesgym.org main site, but didn't see an explanation of the 12 week program. Can you give us that link. What do you think about trying to do both the 12 week program and crossfit at the same time? I am trying to work on my Oly lifts and need some structure beyond my own farting around before class.
ReplyDeleteAwesome.
ReplyDeleteIs there a beginners course in Olympic lifting?
Peace. Love. Crossfit.
sarah
This is great! I know a couple of people coming back to Oly lifting after doing other things for a while. I look forward to seeing you kick ass at some big meets! I just had a meet yesterday, so everything you talked about with mental toughness on the platform is fresh on my mind, and you were spot-on. Happy lifting!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I have been doing olympic lifting for a few months now and have a couple competitions under my belt. Still trying to find that mental strength to tell the barbell who is boss and believe in myself enough. Practice is so much easier then competition. It seems when I get out there on the competition platform I choke and can't even get the lightest weights. Its all about finding that zone which I have been in a couple times by accident in practice. I started crossfit before that but am really enjoying lifting mostly with a few crossfit workouts once in a while. Good luck with your lifting!
ReplyDeleteThhanks for this blog post
ReplyDelete