14 Jan Eyes Open, Mouth Shut, Work Ready: Surviving in a Team Enviroment

By Team Samson/Shane Ford

Five years ago, I sent an email to Adam Driggers about joining Team Samson. I had no idea that I had made a huge mistake. Eventually that mistake turned out to be one of the best mistakes I’ve made. In the years since, I’ve learned what to do and what not to do as a good teammate. Some of these things will sound harsh, and some of them obvious, but all of these things have been drawn from candidates (some who never made the cut) that have passed though Adam’s gym. If you are trying to get involved with a local powerlifting gym, group, or just be a better training partner, then this is for you.

[wa-wps]

Eyes and ears open, mouth shut:

It doesn’t matter at all what kind of education you possess, what strength level you are at, or what you could bench years ago. This is universal; keep your trap shut. Watch what the older, more seasoned lifters are doing, listen to the things they say as it relates to lifting. When you have a question, ask. This is how you will learn. To add to this, don’t assume you know how to train. Just because you have been lifting for a minute doesn’t mean you can self-assess weaknesses or form flaws. Listen to the cues given, and actively work to reduce your flaws. If the team sees a younger lifter listening and applying advice, it will go a long way assuring you’ll stick around.

Again, MOUTH SHUT:

Until you have years (and not just a few years and a handful of meets under your belt) of experience, you have ZERO opinion. Period. Unless you are an expert in a specific subject and the conversation involving THAT specific subject comes up, keep quiet. As much as I could emphasize this, it is inevitably going to happen. You are going to tell a training partner that his deadlift looked terrible and the whole team is going to look at you like you have three heads, then you’ll understand what I am saying. It takes time and hard work to earn the respect of your teammates. There is no point in diminishing that by voicing an opinion that you haven’t the knowledge or experience to express intelligently as it relates to powerlifting.

Grow thick skin:

If you’ve ever played team sports, you’ll know that busting chops is part of the game. Your teammates will give you shit morning, noon and night, seven days a week. The same applies with a powerlifting team. If you are easily offended, Team Samson is not the place for you. Even if you do get offended, act like it doesn’t bother you. As soon as you show that weakness your teammates will attack, it’ll be the wound that everyone rubs salt in; all the time. This is a two way street, BUT you’d better be in the respect column before the thought even crosses your mind to give a teammate a jab. If not, be prepared to get eaten alive, and potentially be out of a place to train. Just don’t go down this road. At the same time you can’t just be everyone’s punching bag.

You aren’t entitled to shit:

Just because you’ve been invited out doesn’t mean that you are going to be with that team forever. You have to pull your weight. This means spotting, loading, wrapping knees, cleaning the gym, helping people in and out of gear, purchasing supplies for the gym, and travelling to meets if asked. Basically, if the gym owner needed help to dig a ditch to bury three or four bodies, you better get your ass out there to help. Not doing these things would more than likely would result in finding a new place to train or training by yourself.

Be accountable:

Don’t come in late or miss sessions and if you going to miss or be late, let someone know. Spot, wrap and load without being asked. Pay attention. You can’t spot with your finger in your nose. As a spotter, you are responsible for the lifter’s safety and not paying attention for a split second could cost someone dearly. As a new lifter, one of, if not your first priority is to learn how to spot correctly. There are extenuating circumstances, but this is just common sense.

Compete:

The importance of actually competing cannot be understated. In the several years I’ve been with Team Samson, there have been a few candidates who had no ambitions of competing. Generally, they didn’t last long. Even if you only compete once a year, you learn about how much energy and time it really takes. You may compete and find that you don’t actually want to compete, or that you love competition. But you will learn to appreciate how much your teammates actually mean to you by trusting them to spot under a heavy load, loading your weight correctly, wrapping your knees and you’ll learn what you mean to them as a teammate if you do the same for them.

Listen, know your place and apply the advice given and you might find yourself becoming a better lifter, teammate and person in the process.

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Team Samson Powerlifting

Team Samson was founded by Adam Driggers who built the Team Samson compound. Some of the biggest names in powerlifting have trained with Team Samson including Dondell Blue, Al Caslow, and Gary Frank. What began as a small group of members has grown into an accomplished team of lifters that continue to chase after new strength gains. Team Samson is made up of pro lifters Brian Carroll, Clint Smith, and Jonathan Byrd along with lifters in various stages of their lifting career including Adam Driggers, Keith Price, Filipe Gusmão, Mike Holman, Paul Key, Shane Ford, Shane Shepperd, and Tony Garland.

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