One of the most frustrating yet rewarding parts of Olympic weightlifting is that it requires commitment and dedication in order to achieve good results. It is a difficult, technical sport, and there is a saying that it takes 10,000 repetitions to dial in good technique!

Therefore, anyone who is highly serious about weightlifting, will come to realise that progress is best made when they consider it a lifestyle and not just casual exercise.

The problem is, most of us have very normal lives outside of the gym. We are likely to go to university or have a full-time job, have a home, pets and a family. With all of these things going on, it is difficult to give weightlifting the attention it requires.

Here are some things you can do to adapt your normal life to fit weightlifting in and in order to make more progress in weightlifting:

Put your training session first thing in the morning

This can improve the likelihood that you don’t miss a workout. Many things can happen during the day, such as unexpected meetings, phone calls, traffic, deadlines. We can end up facing and dealing with these interruptions over our weightlifting workout. If the workout has already been done, it doesn’t matter how many disruptions or unexpected things occur later in the day!

Waking up early is a good habit to get into anyway! Plus, you can go about your day knowing that your weightlifting has been achieved, which is really good for your mood.

Cut down on your workout time

More does not equal better. Some people think that the more exercises they do, the more repetitions, the more sets, or the longer the time spent in the gym, the more progress they will make. This is not true. It can be much more effective and sustainable to train efficiently. Some ideas about how this may be done are:

·       Remove assistance exercises
·       Use assistance exercises as warm-ups
·       Spend more time on the “big lifts” – snatches, clean and jerks, and squats
·       Take less rest time between sets
·       Do complexes (you can get a lot of bang for your buck)
·       Walk or cycle to the gym instead of warming up at the gym
·       Reduce the number of workouts per week (depending on your goals, it may not be essential to do six workouts a week)

Join other people in their healthy pursuits

If you have family and friends who are interested in keeping fit, allow them to be part of your weightlifting aims. People who prioritize keeping fit themselves will likely understand your weightlifting commitments and offer encouragement.

If your family and friends don’t understand your commitment to weightlifting, try to join in with the type of exercise they do, whether that’s playing football or skipping with the children in your life, walking the dog, or even cycling. It will help keep you fit and you can chat with them at the same time. You might find it easier than going to the pub with them or going to the cinema.

Work from home

If it’s feasible to work from home, it can really help your weightlifting-life balance. The time that would otherwise be spent commuting can be spent with your family or doing an extra workout. (Obviously whether you can do this depends on the job you have.)

Invest in a home gym

Having some sort of setup at home (even a very basic one) can mean it’s much easier to fit your weightlifting into your life. You can go in there at any time and be out within no time. Even if you can’t get all the equipment you want, having the option to train at home on busy days is better than not getting a workout in at all.

Having a gym at home also means you have more time at home with the family and, in the long run, the money that would be spent on gym membership could be spent on doing activities with your family.
Sleep properly

Your muscles build during your sleep. Make sure your bedroom is optimized for sleeping, such as a quiet room, room being the right temperature, no electronics in the bedroom, blackouts blind if necessary. This is a practice known as sleep hygiene.

Decide in your life what really matters

You cannot do everything! You can figure out what things in your diary are truly important and/or enjoyable to you and cut down on everything else. This will leave more space for weightlifting.
Have a fixed daily routine.

Routines are helpful because they facilitate getting things done. You may have noticed that you are much more productive during weekdays than weekends. A reason for this is likely that your job provides you with a structure.

It’s a good idea to get into ways of knowing exactly what you are going to be doing and at what time every day when you wake up. Incorporate weightlifting into this routine to ensure it always gets done, hence my previous remark about doing your weightlifting first thing in the morning, for instance.
Plan and prepare your meals in advance

Your diet can fit inside your fixed routine—you can know what you are going to eat and at what time. A healthy diet is important in order to get better at weightlifting so make sure you are eating for optimal results.

Preparing your meals in advance also saves time on weekdays so that you have more time to spend doing other things.

You could get your family involved in creating healthy meals as well.

Receive a massage regularly or use a foam roller

Having a regular massage or foam rolling daily can help your muscles recover and they are also good for stress-relief.

Take away

Be aware of your life-weightlifting balance. It is not always healthy or realistic to become so focused on your weightlifting that other aspects of your life suffer. Do not be too hard on yourself and understand that it is okay to take time off sometimes and that there will be times when other aspects of your life must come before weightlifting.

Ultimately, you probably wish to aim for a life in which high quality workouts are consistent and maintainable. See whether any of the ideas in this article help you improve your weightlifting and have a more balanced life.