Learning from the Snatch

The Snatch: an Olympic lifting movement involving bringing weight from a dead hang position to overhead in one swift motion. Above: Liao Hui capturing a gold medal for China, lifting a total of 348 kg (158 kg Snatch, 190 kg Clean and Jerk).

Total Focus

You cannot perform this movement without focus. You cannot muscle your way through this explosive movement. You either have it or you don't. All or nothing.

Some of my own stats

I was working on some lifts this morning before dragonboat practice. The weights I will post are not heavy, but they are recorded to chart my improvement for the future. This morning, I worked up to:

- 95 lbs Push Press

- 115 lbs Front Squat

- 75 lbs Snatch

The emphasis was on perfecting technique and avoiding injury. I would like to get my Snatch to 135 lbs by the end of summer. I am going to work to 95 lbs by the end of this month.

The Snatch Attitude

The Snatch happens in an instant, requiring complete focus. In life, some activities require this kind of focus, and many of these activities last more than an instant. Life is sometimes a marathon, and at other times, a series of sprints. A diverse set of mental faculties is required to take on the various challenges in life.

An Example

In my own life -- in fact, right now -- my "Snatch" is my research thesis. To be efficient, effective, and productive I need to give my full attention to the task at hand (in this case, writing code to simulate individual shopping location choices). Right now, I also have a multitude of windows open (e-mail, Facebook, the Economist, med school / MCAT info). From time to time, my mind (and attention) drift to these and other topics.

When performing the Snatch, your mind cannot wander. Yes, it is only a few seconds of complete concentration, but during those few seconds, I cannot be thinking about medical school, e-mail, friends, relationships, and so on. In the same way, I need to lay aside every weight that hinders, in this case, closing all those windows and just write the code.

I will conclude with one of my favorite verses from the Bible. In this example, the apostle Paul's "Snatch" is eternal life.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance ..." (The opening of the 12th Chapter of the book of Hebrews)