A topic that has come up in conversation multiple times recently is the idea of getting away with lifts vs. earning them. This is an often discussed topic in the context of minimums and maximums, but I think is worth discussing, so here ya go.

A few months ago, one of the lifters on our team was competing at the state championships, and was in a situation in which he needed to make a big clean and jerk to secure the win. He ended up opening with a PR Clean and Jerk to come back from a 12kg deficit after snatches, then going on to put 5kg on top of that lift to set a state record as well!

That record however was a lift that had less than stellar technique, and very shaky stability overhead, and quite possibly should not have been a good lift. But he got 2 white lights, so here we are. In all reality, he should not have attempted that lift, and I would not have recommended he attempt it in training or in a competition with lower stakes, but he did it, made it, and is now on Team USA because of it.

That 160kg Clean and Jerk is a great example of a lift that he got away with. He’d never done it in training, but had the strength reserves and technical reserves to do it.

An example of a lift he had earned was the 150ish kg Clean and Jerk he opened with. He’d done multiple reps at 145, complexes with 140, stability work with 160, front squatted 180+. So when he went for the 150, he knew without a doubt that he had it. The technique of the lift, how hard it felt, and the fact that he did it as an opener all tell me he had earned that lift.

Now that you understand the difference between weights you earn and weights you get away with, what do you do with that?

First of all, there is NO reason to frequently get away with lifts. This will lead to burnout, and is not reinforcing proper technique. For beginners, you should never get away with lifts. For intermediate lifters, you should only get away with a lift if:

• It’s going to win you a medal that means something like a state championship or higher,

• If attempting a record (not a PR, but a state record or higher)

• It will secure your spot on a team (Fl. Elite, or Team USA, etc. )

The goal of your training should be to increase the bar for the weights you have earned. This is a whole other article on how to do this, but basically just training weightlifting consistently, improve your technique, get reps under your belt, and you’ll do this.

I guarantee that if you increase the threshold of weights you have earned, then the weights you can get away with will go up. For example, the same lifter who got away with 160kg above, has now earned this weight and is hitting it at least twice a month. Soon 165kg will be a weight that he has earned, and 170kg will be what he can get away with. Take from that what you will.