The art of training

Posted by Suman on Jan 28, 2019

I have said it many times.

Any movement, at its very core, is art.

Whether it is something as simple as walking or getting up from a sitting postion.

Or something as complex as snatching, a backhand in Tennis or flips/holds on gymnastics' rings.

As you remove the "labels" of walking, Olympic lifting, Tennis or Gymnastics, you realize that ...

Each tiny segment of such movements is not that different than the individual strokes on the canvas of a painting.

And that the intent that produces a perfect snatch at crazy weights, is no different than the intent that produces a masterpiece.

It is just that the canvas is the platform.

The paintbrush, one's body.

The colors are the barbell and the weights.



It is all about the intent.

What makes one's execution at limiting or extreme attempts precise, flawless and beautiful?

And what makes the same a "barely made it" or worst, a failure?

Is it because of the "coaching" that they receive?

Is it the countless hours (or lack thereof) they have put into practice?

Is it their level of passion for winning?

Is it their desire to win? To be a champion?

No.

It is the intent with which one wakes up every morning.

It is the intent with which one begins every single training session.

It is the intent with which one approaches their sport.

It is the intent with which one steps on the competition stage.

If the intent is one of "fear of losing" or "desire of winning", the outcome will be, more often than not, failure.

If the intent is one of creation and one's uncompromising devotion to their sport, the outcome in most cases will be success.

You must be thinking, "Aah, it is about trying not to try"

But I must tell you that adages like that have been around for centuries.

Tell me, has it worked for you?

Did you not end up trying to "try not to try"?

The reason it did not work was because your original intent was one of striving or wanting.



The redundancy of "technique" and "cues"...

Just as a true artist will not be able to tell, for instance, "how" they produce a masterpiece,

A true performer won't be able to "breakdown" his "cues" or "technique" to another individual even if they tried.

Just like a artist cannot teach you to hold the paintbrush a specific way.

No legendary athlete on this planet can teach you how exactly to use your legs during the first pull or the squat.

"Screwing the feet into the floor" or "Head through" are not cues to be mimicked.

These are not to be listed as "5 steps to an efficient Jerk".

These are a few of the many side effects when one truly understands the art of lifting.

These things happen without an active attempt of doing so.

Go about mimicking them, and you get farther away from real learning.



Then why are such cues touted widely by coaches all around?

You see, majority of those who call themseleves "coaches" are only interested in giving away cues and writing "how to" articles because it helps complete an exchange of sorts.

Everything needs a producer and a consumer to continue to exist.

For "coaches" like above to exist, masses must exist.

And because the masses exist, who train to hide or run away from the Truth, "coaches" like that eventually pop up every now and then.

It gives the coaches a "following", a sense of "righteousness", an illusion of "doing a service".

And to the masses, a sense of "fullfilment" of their time and energy.