Training Awareness: Standing in Front of Someone Squatting/Cleaning

17 Jan 2020 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:52

In this brief training awareness briefing, the speaker stresses the importance of respecting an athlete’s focus and line of vision while they perform heavy, technical lifts such as squats and power cleans. He likens the need for concentration to that required in sports like golf or bowling, and points out that standing directly in front of a lifter is both uncomfortable and unsafe. By obstructing the lifter’s view, a teammate can distract the athlete and increase the risk of a mishap with heavy weights. The speaker calls for gym etiquette that keeps by‑standers out of the lifter’s direct line of sight to maintain safety and performance quality.

Chapters

Today's training awareness, let's be aware of the focus of the athlete performing the lift. We need to treat lifts the same way we would treat a foul shot, a golf swing, bowling, where it's a precise movement where there has to be some focus in the detail of what you're doing. I've seen coaches and teammates do this while a player's trying to squat. You'll have a teammate right in front of someone trying to squat, and you're right in the direct line of vision, and you're in their face. That's just weird. It's a little uncomfortable and it's a little weird, but it's also inconsiderate of the person that's trying to perform that squat or even a power clean. A power clean is an even more complex movement, so the last thing you want to do is stand directly in the line of vision of the guy trying to perform this lift because anything could go wrong. There's heavy weights on the bar. You don't want anything to go wrong and be dangerous. So be aware of the focus of the athlete performing the exercises every day in the weight room.