cul·ture
ˈkəlCHər/
noun

1. the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.

“The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.”  -Henry Rollins
 
Culture is belief in a common cause. It is a way to draw upon the energy and attitude of those around you to achieve your individual and collective goals. Culture can breed strength in loyalty between and among athletes and coaches, and to the gym setting itself. It can even approach coming across as cultish, in a sense. Culture is a powerful tool, and it typically starts from the top.
 
At our gym, the owner sends out regular emails to members discussing general programming, facility updates, and upcoming competitions, whether they’re in-house or we have teams traveling locally to compete. These emails almost always include some kind of motivational message around a member’s accomplishments, or something else to help get your ass in gear to come in and train. Not every gym will come with an aura such as, say, Gold’s Gym, but that doesn’t mean it’s non-existent.
 
Do you train first thing in the morning as part of a 5 am or 6 am crowd? Maybe you prefer evenings to blow off some steam after work. What is it like when you’re prepping for the next training day? What are you thinking and feeling when you’re walking in the front door?
 
What are the other members doing when you’re all warming up? What is the atmosphere during training sessions? How are the coaches interacting with the athletes? Are they actively involved in watching and/or filming lifts, or are they constantly texting or checking Instagram and Facebook? Are people whining and pissed off all the time, or are they encouraging to one another?
 
Each gym has its own organically formed identity and you, as an athlete, are a huge part of that whether you want to be or not. The attitude you come in with each day works to set the tone. There are ways that coaches and other athletes can influence and maintain a positive atmosphere, though, and it really doesn’t take a lot of “work.” Here are a few things my gym has found to be successful in providing the kind of atmosphere to promote the highest levels of achievement.
 
Programming notes
 
It starts here with our coaches providing a little bit beyond just sending out an Excel spreadsheet for everyone. Emails typically include some notes and guidance on how to approach a given week, details on a specific movement if it’s something not common (even just a YouTube link can prevent people from making a fool of themselves or even injuring themselves or others). Sometimes there’s a funny/motivating gif at the end. It makes a difference. It’s not boring.
 
Daily check-ins  
 
Checking in with our coaches each day is mandatory. How do you feel? How did you sleep? Any recovery or soreness issues they should be aware of before things get started? We also recently included some group goal-setting discussion for a few minutes each day. What do you want to accomplish that day? A max-out day is simple, but encouraging focus on a specific number or not missing a lift and saying their goal out loud in a group can be powerful and help athletes hold one another accountable.
 
Long-term goals
 
What do the other athletes want to get out of training beyond this week/month/cycle? Are they looking to qualify and compete nationally? Do they have body goals? Are they trying to double their back squat? Whatever it is, it’s important everyone communicates their long-term in some way to others, namely their coach. The idea might be obvious here, but how many of you do this as part of your gym’s culture?
 
Attitude
 
Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright gave a speech about what he used to drive his team to the 2015-2016 Championship. No matter what happened on the previous play, you can see the players coming back to the bench in a timeout clapping and shouting “attitude” at one another. To build a strong culture, coaches can acknowledge what just took place, but move on immediately and focus on the next play, and encourage their athletes to do the same.
 
Did you just miss a 60 percent snatch? How are you going to react? Are you going to piss and moan and make excuses or acknowledge the miss and move onto the next rep with a clear mind and focus on the task at hand? Short-term memory loss can be a wonderful asset in weightlifting, especially on a bad training day. Sometimes athletes just need to get through the work. Other days they need intense focus on their goal for that day. Either way, it’s important to drive home the fact that athletes affect more than just themselves How many times can you see someone Clark a bar before it starts messing with your lifts? My number is two. Once is an anomaly. Twice means that person (hopefully not you) needs to step back and take 30 to 60 seconds, or maybe five to 10 minutes, to get themselves together. As an athlete, being cognizant of your surroundings and fellow athletes is just as important, if not more important, than focusing on yourself. Don’t be a selfish, bratty diva.
 
Competing  
 
Do you compete in weightlifting? If not, are you even a weightlifter? Some say no, but I guess it depends on your goals. Our team has a whiteboard that includes things like, “what lifts are you proud of this week?” and “what are your upcoming goals?” It might sound silly, but remembering successes is a big deal. This can be such a humbling and demoralizing sport that celebrating even the smallest wins can go a long way to keeping a positive mindset for yourself and teammates. It also serves a purpose of providing micro-competitions within a given week. Who did the best at their conditioning? If you were dead last, maaaaybe spend some more time there and take it seriously. Conditioning can make a big difference in the traditional lifts. We have a few lifters that are clustered around similar numbers in snatch, clean and jerk, and squatting. How are you doing against your peers? Are you leading the pack? Maybe you’re the one setting the bar for others to strive towards. Are you leading in one lift and far behind in others? Well, there’s some motivation for you. This is a lot of unspoken fire that can really motivate some athletes, but there can be a downside as well if someone isn’t progressing as fast as others. Coaches and teammates can potentially address this, but as an athlete, if you’re in your 40s and trying to keep up with a 20-year old, maybe you need to readjust some of your goals.
 
Training logs
 
I don’t think anyone can argue the importance of tracking daily and long-term progress. When I first started, I really only transcribed the workouts from the weekly programming and recorded my numbers. This migrated to adding some coaching cues and notes from each session with the idea I could review it the next time these exercises resurfaced. Later, some of my teammates recommended I keep a PR log at the back of the journal to record my mini-successes, by date. It’s just a nice way to log progress. You should know your maxes of all lifts: snatch, clean, jerk, clean and jerk, front squat, back squat, press, overhead squat, snatch balance, and other relevant accessory work. You don’t need to have these committed to memory, but easily referenceable should be a no-brainer. That’s not your coach's job, that’s your job.
 
Ultimately, culture is largely the responsibility of gym owners and coaches. As athletes, being both self-aware and aware of your general surroundings is also incredibly important. It’s a group effort to keep everyone on track, motivated, and enjoying the journey. How does your gym attempt to manage this? How do you try to make a difference? If you struggle to answer either of these questions, maybe it’s time you had a conversation with the coaches. Failing any progress there, it might be time to look inward and/or find a new gym.