What if I instructed you I might allow you to in on a little bit secret to maintain you cool as a cucumber at a take a look at occasion or competitors? If you’re a human being, I’m positive you could have, sooner or later, been nervous or perhaps even hyperventilated at an occasion the place you knew everybody was watching. Right here is the story of how I gained the IWF Masters World Weightlifting Championships by controlling my breath.
Introduction
On December 3rd, 2022, the ballroom the place the Worldwide Weightlifting Federation World Masters Weightlifting Championships was being held was full to capability with athletes, coaches, volunteers, and spectators.
For many who have by no means been to a weightlifting meet earlier than, let me set the scene. There’s a again room with warm-up platforms for every athlete. Then there’s one fundamental elevated stage platform the place the athlete will make their competitors makes an attempt. Every athlete is allowed three makes an attempt on the snatch, which is one steady motion from floor to overhead. And three makes an attempt on the clear & jerk, which is first a clear, a motion from the bottom to the rack place, adopted by a jerk, a motion from the rack to overhead, leading to an prolonged locked-out place.
Every lifter is grouped right into a flight of athletes by their entry complete. Mine was the best complete so I knew I might be following myself for all six of my lifts (three in snatch and three in clear & jerk). I additionally knew that I wanted a complete to safe the gold, which oddly sufficient made it extra nerve-racking. I usually like being in an underdog place and making an attempt to win out of sheer tenacity and a few luck.
The Competitors
The snatch is the primary carry at a weightlifting meet. After my rivals completed, 54kg was loaded onto the bar and my title was known as. Though I made the carry, I used to be given two pink lights for an elbow press out. I didn’t need to threat one other missed try, so my coach and I made a decision to take that weight once more. When an athlete follows her or himself, they’re given two minutes to relaxation between makes an attempt. The load of 54kg was known as once more and this time I didn’t depart room for doubt whether or not my elbows had been locked out or not. I obtained three white lights. Though this carry secured the snatch gold for me, I nonetheless had yet another try. We determined 56kg was a wise name as a result of I solely had two minutes to relaxation and didn’t have time to heat up for a better weight on the competitors platform. The bar was loaded with 56kg and I completed by making two out of three lifts within the snatch taking the gold.
The subsequent carry is the clear & jerk. With ten-minute breaks between lifts, I needed to wait about 45 minutes for my rivals to complete. This meant I wanted to settle down, relaxation, after which work again as much as a heavy carry to arrange for my clear & jerk. That is the place controlling my breath got here in (extra on that later).
We determined to play it protected and do what was wanted to win the clear & jerk gold and complete gold. I opened with 69kg, dedicated to the carry, and made it with ease. This secured the gold. Having accomplished my job, any weight over 69kg within the subsequent two makes an attempt could be enjoyable.
As I had been working in the direction of the world document, we determined to make 72kg as my second try. This was a quantity I had accomplished in coaching many instances, so I felt assured in its execution. As anticipated, it was a strong carry. Crowds gathered for my final try of the clear & jerk, and it felt like everybody was on the sting of their seats. The bar was loaded with 74kg, which was 1kg over the present world document. I managed to wash it effectively however once I went to jerk it, I might really feel myself only a hair out entrance and misplaced it. I used to be dissatisfied on the time however very pleased with my effort and I knew I might come again to interrupt that document sooner or later.
The Physique’s Response to the Stress of Competitors
The refereeing is sort of intense throughout these occasions. To find out a very good carry, referees search for immobile possession, management of the load, and full lockout of the extremities. The stress to get the load above your head will not be sufficient, it should even be technically proficient. Some would possibly say it’s plenty of weight within the bodily and proverbial sense. One would possibly ask how finest to deal with and overcome the nerves or added vitality that comes from being in a second the place execution is essential and each kilo counts. It may be overwhelming to know that you’ve skilled a complete 12 months for this sooner or later and 6 makes an attempt.
Essentially the most profitable method I’ve been in a position to practice the so-called nerves and improve bodily efficiency is with respiratory strategies and protocols from the Second Wind seminar. Breath is a strong instrument that’s usually ignored and ignored. Nonetheless, no a part of the human physique has as a lot direct management over the end result of coronary heart fee, psychological points, and physiological capabilities as breath. For many years Russian athletes and particular forces have been using varied respiratory strategies to boost efficiency, particularly key when somebody’s life is determined by it. In flip, these respiratory strategies additionally apply to elite athletes making an attempt to enhance efficiency outcomes.
In high-risk or high-stakes conditions the guts fee will naturally enhance as will anxiousness and doubtlessly a state of hypoxia. There are two broad outcomes to those excessive stimuli. In Second Wind, Pavel describes these outcomes and the physique’s bodily response:
- The primary is hypertrophic, which includes excessive central nervous system (CNS) excitability and low exercise of inhibition methods.
- The second is hyperkinetic. On this state there’s inefficient circulation and coronary heart fee exercise, in addition to elevated metabolism at relaxation and through train. There’s additionally an elevated focus of metabolites and adrenaline within the blood, a low resistance to emphasize, and a low tolerance to hypoxia. There’s additionally decreased immune resistance and elevated incidence of illness and accidents.
- The third is rest (a stability of excitation and inhibition within the CNS). This includes the velocity of muscle rest, medium muscular power, glorious motion coordination, and a very good response to shifting objects. It additionally includes environment friendly coronary heart exercise, environment friendly metabolism, a lowered focus of metabolites within the blood, and a excessive fee of restoration. In rest, the physique has a wonderful work capability, excessive resistance to emphasize, a decrease threat of harm, considerably higher tolerance to bodily and psychological masses, and larger athletic longevity.
It needs to be clear which response an athlete would favor simply earlier than and after lifting in a contest: rest. This state of rest is named “second wind.”
“Second Wind is a manifestation of the comfort mechanism of acute mobilization towards excessive stimuli (RMAD)”—Vysochin, 1986
Solely on the time of executing competitors lifts would an athlete need to change gears and get excited.
Controlling Breath Throughout a Competitors
1. Warmup and Mobilizing
- Mobilizing breath: inhale on a 1-2-3 rely and exhale on a rely of 1.
2. Competitors Elevate Warmup
Under is the protocol I exploit throughout the competitors carry warmup earlier than the snatch and clear & jerk. That is the loading part.
- 1+3 inhalations and 1+3 exhalations:
- A sluggish deep inhalation adopted by a three-second pause whereas maximally stress-free the muscle groups of the rib cage (don’t exhale).
- Three extra consecutive inhalations with a three-second pause after every adopted by a deep exhalation.
- A 3-second pause whereas maximally stress-free the muscle groups of the rib cage (don’t inhale).
- Lastly, three extra consecutive forceful exhalations, utilizing the belly muscle groups with a one second pause after every.
- A sluggish deep inhalation adopted by a three-second pause whereas maximally stress-free the muscle groups of the rib cage (don’t exhale).
- Three extra consecutive inhalations with a three-second pause after every adopted by a deep exhalation.
- A 3-second pause whereas maximally stress-free the muscle groups of the rib cage (don’t inhale).
- Lastly, three extra consecutive forceful exhalations, utilizing the belly muscle groups with a one second pause after every.
3. Calming the Nervous System
As soon as the snatch portion of the occasion is full, I make use of the protocol beneath to calm my nervous system down earlier than beginning the ramp-up for the clear & jerk portion of the competitors. After which use it once more after the clear & jerk.
- A chilled breath inhaling on a rely of 1 and exhaling on a of rely 1-2-3.
- Diaphragmatic respiratory with suggestions (contact a wall with the abdomen).
- Yogic respiratory.
Conclusion
At the same time as I write this text and relive the occasions of that day, I really feel my coronary heart racing and respiratory turning into static. Understanding that these respiratory methods calm me down and put together me for aggressive occasions of any form, helps me relaxation assured I’ll all the time succeed regardless of the end result.
Thanks for taking the time to learn my story.
Your 2022 Masters World Weightlifting Champion of the fifty-year-old/55kg weight class on behalf of the US of America and StrongFirst Licensed Senior Teacher, Mira Kwon Gracia.
For extra data and sources concerning the observe of StrongFirst ideas within the sport of weightlifting, please don’t hesitate to contact Mira on the StrongFirst forum @mgracia to start out a dialogue for others to be taught and share. Energy to you!
