Lifting Heavy - How do you prepare?

"Whether you are a beginner or an advanced trainee, you should be thinking about how you lift.

And I don't mean whether you are a grunter, or a grimacer; a teeth grinder or a screamer.

I'm talking about the set up, the preparation, the pre-lift ritual.

Every one has a different pre-lift routine/ritual.

A re-tightening of the wrist wraps, popping the knee sleeves, the way you chalk your hands, repeating a personal mantra, 'you got this!', perhaps you turn your hat backwards like Sly Stallone in Over The Top.....

I like to stomp my toes up nice and tight inside my shoes, and it also reminds be to stomp my feet hard during the lift.

Don't forget the other important parts of a good pre-lift routine.

• Get your head in the game - no fear, full of confidence, perhaps have a key word or two you say out loud. "FAST!", "TIGHT!", things like that.

• Talk to your spotters if back squatting or benching. Make sure they know your signal if you plan on giving one, or that they know to grab the bar as soon as it stops or moves backwards. Ensure they are confident in their role! If not, get someone else.

• Get braced before you lift. Find the correct position before you start, because if you don't there is no chance you will be able to find it during. Set your spine, squeeze those shoulders and lats, grip the bar tight, and get a good breath of air into your belly. If the coach can't hear you breath in, you didn't do it right

Check out crowd favourite Oly lifter Milko Tokola lifting HERE. The set up before each lift is the same. The screaming afterwards varies a bit though..."

Darren Ellis, Crossfit New Zealand.

TRAINING DECEMBER 2nd - PR Week