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(This is the first of multiple series on the many benefits of practicing Olympic Weightlifting.)

Everything starts in the head, as the old saying goes. Henry Ford once said, ”Whether you think you CAN or CAN’T, you’re right.” Many articles have been written citing scientific evidence on the physiological benefits of the sport, while I’ve never read an article on the psychological benefit of doing it. Perhaps it is because the psychological impact the sport brings cannot be measured objectively using gadgets and other lab tools. But I will guarantee that all practitioners of Olympic lifting know what I’m talking about regarding its psychological benefits. Not only are weightlifters fit, strong and athletic, they’re also confident and mentally tough.

Think about it. Remember when you were young? You had no fear. You climbed trees, you tumbled and somersaulted, you picked up snakes not caring whether or not it’s poisonous. Because you had no fear. As you aged, you developed some common sense as well as the innate gut-feeling to stop doing dangerous activities. “You want me to jump in mid-air and flip? Are you on crack? I could crack my skull open!” Throwing a heavy object in the air (like a barbell) and catching it in solid, locked position is a scary, scary thought.

 Although Olympic lifting is safer than bobybuilding or powerlifting in a sense that it has the lowest injury rate among many sports, the thought of picking up a heavy barbell from the floor and explosively accelerating it overhead is extremely intimidating. There are only two choices when faced with the prospect of having a heavy-ass weight split you in half: A) Run like hell and don’t lift the dang thing; or, B) Face the fire and have the courage to do so.. And the ones that do it, to be blunt, got big sets of BALLS..

More on confidence building. Let’s take basic training for example, military boot camps are designed to break down individuals and build them back up. The development of mental toughness in the military is conducted through confidence courses, among other things. Though not officially confidence courses per se, repelling out of a Black Hawk helicopter at Air Assault school or parachuting out of a C-130 Hercules at Airborne school were the best confidence builders I have ever negotiated.  (Granted, I was younger at the time so I also had less fear and more rocks in my head.) Starting this sport at age 38 (when elite lifters start at 5 and when others my age get knee pains at the mere thought of doing ATG squats) gave me a great opportunity to be introduced to myself once again – to know what I’m made of, and to know if I still got it. 

Bodyweight clean and jerk is nothing but a light warm up to the elite. But for someone like me, it seemed an impossibility in the beginning of my journey. After several months of hard training I was able to do it. I still remember to this date what I had for lunch on that marvelous day of personal achievement. I promised myself yams and porterhouse steak if I achieved that goal, and that’s what I ate.   I can honestly say Olympic lifting increased my level of confidence and mental toughness even more. It all started in my head. I thought I CAN, and I was right.