Focus From Beginning To End

Today I was catching up on some podcasts while I mowed our yard and something one of hosts said during the show caught my attention.  The topic was at what point during the workout does a athlete reach their “working weight” and how every weight up to then really has very little meaning.  In this specific conversation it was stated that any lifter leading up to their working weight could likely get it overhead without much thought.  Lifting the weights leading up to that working weight should be routine and almost mindless.  That it doesn’t take much effort or focus to get those weights above your head.
Granted all of those things may be true but it should be stated that EVERY lift matters from 50kg to 150kg.  Your work with the bar matters.  Your work at 50% matters.  It matters because how you lift the first weights will determine how you lift the last ones.  I have always said, “warmup like you workout and you will workout like your warmup.”
Yesterday I was working up to my “working weight” and because of lack of focus and my own reliance upon consistency in the past I missed a weight TWICE that was well below any weight that should give me trouble.  I had forgotten my own rule.  Every weight and every rep matters.  Each and every rep has an impact on your movement patterns, the good or bad habits you have, and what your body does under heavier load.
Don’t lose focus or disregard the early reps.  Don’t push aside the benefit of light weights for the growth of your own technical proficiency.  I would later step back from the bar.  Think about what I was doing and go on to finish my workout with much better poise and proficiency.  It is important for each and every lifter to focus on what they’re doing from the beginning of their workout to the end.  Regardless of whether the weight on the bar falls inside your “working weight” category.
On a completely different topic I wanted to wait for the University Games to get close to finishing before writing this.  In case yall have been blind America has decided to step up its game in the past couple international competitions.  We came home with 6 metals from the Pan Ams and at my time of writing this we are still in contention for more at the University Games.  HUGE congrats to Sarah Robles for her Gold Medal win at Pan Ams and congrats as well to a personal friend of mine, Jenny Arthur, for her Silver Medal at Pan Ams.  Also HUGE performance from fellow Georgia boy (even if it is Tech) Travis Cooper to take bronze and Donovan Ford taking third in his weight class both at Pan Ams.  Lastly I want to give a huge shoutout to Kendrick Farris for a remarkable bronze medal yesterday.  I can’t remember the last time I saw Kendrick go 6 for 6 and smoke his last CJ to take a medal.  Great work all of you.  We may be considered second tier but we’re coming quickly.
Oh and all of you should watch this.  This is the first time I have EVER seen Kendrick get this excited.  Kendrick CJ @ Universities