Be Patient

We are a results driven society.  In everything we do, we want results, and we want them NOW.  If you're a beginner or new to any type of training, you will probably get those gains - it's called the beginners effect.  Once you've hit those big initial gains as a beginner, however, huge increases in performance start to taper off.  When beginners start to plateau or aren't seeing the big gains they're used to, they become frustrated and sometimes through in the towel.  For those of you who are at this point, my advice is this: BE PATIENT.

Don't stop and never let go.  Elite athletes might not hit a PR for months, if not years, and when they do, it's not a substantial increase.  Does this deter them?  NO.  It motivates them to keep pushing, to keep training, and to keep their eye on the prize and work towards improvement.

Being patient is especially true with technical movements such as the snatch and the clean & jerk.  When it comes to learning or perfecting these lifts, don't expect to nail it the first time.  Neurologically, your body needs time to adjust to the new movements.  For some, it may take longer than others, and that's fine.  When being coached, don't be frustrated if it's not clicking right away.  Be patient, don't let go and keep moving forward!