Tip: Get new shoes!

"Hey Zac! I like your shoes...not!" This is what happend to me with my first time training with Mark Cameron. Little did I know at the time that there were weightlifting shoes. I know now that they make a world of a difference but at the time I didn't know my ass from my elbow when it came to weightlifting.     He also told me that if i got anything other then Adidas  he would kick my ass. Out of spite I bought Nike. I'm just kidding about the spite thing. Weightlifting shoes are extremely expensive and for a good pair you are looking at $150 or maybe more. The reason I bought the Nike was because they were $30 cheaper. By buying a good pair of weightlifting shoes can greatly improve your lifts. Weightlifting shoes have raised heels which improve range of motions in the hips and shoulders. For weightlifters that is extremely important. In my personal opinion the five best lifting shoes are as followed.

1. Adidas Adistar
2. Nike Romaleos
3.Rogue Do Win
4.Risto
5.VS Athletics

Now, shoes 3-5 are great shoes for lifting, but Nike and Adidas have a monopoly over the world of weightlifting so naturally more people are going to lean toward those two brands of shoes. Also they tend to alot cheaper then the smaller shoes companies because the can mass produce them.

Tip: Hey! there is always tomorrow

Ok! This tip is for free. Well they are all for free because this is my blog on the internet but that is besides the point. In high school, I started throwing discus and Olympic lifting at about the same time. For those of you who don't know this both recruit the same type of fast twitch muscle fibers. That means being fresh is always better and as soon as fatigue starts to set in your technique starts to set in you are screwed. That is where injuries start to accure. Where have I heard this before... CrossFit Cough! Cough! But lets not get into that right now. I would throw and if i was having a bad day all I would want to do is keep throwing to till it was better. My coach would have to lock the discuses up in the shed to prevent me from throwing till my arm fell off. Even then I had my own discuses to use. knowing what i know now, I was only hurting myself and not making anything better.
The same thing applies to weightlifting. If you are not having a good day and not making your numbers, if you keep trying it is only going to make things worse. My best advice would be to cut your losses and try again another day.

Discussion: Keep moving forward.

The video above is a very serious and harsh reality in the world of Olympic weightlifting. We are taking alot of weight and putting it above our heads. The plan if things go accordingly, that we stand up with the bar when we are in (what weightlifters call) the "whole". Sometimes we dont stand up with it believe it or not. That is when things like the above happen. Yes, it hurts very very bad, and yes it scares you to think about the next time you go and grip the bar. What I can tell you though is that it wont stop the passionate lifter from performing the lift. Why? because we are mentally strong as well as physically. For years we have ground out reps of heavy weights in order to hopefully move up five pounds to improve our personal record. Giving up because of one little accident would be to throw away a lifetime of work and sacrifice.  Just like anything else in this crazy mixed up world, accidents can and do happen. Its not about how hard you can hit, its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

Learn from a Pro: Mark Cameron

I would like to take this time to promote a close family friend of mine and master in the world of Olympic lifting. Mark Cameron a member of the 1976 and 1980 Olympic weightlifting team is putting on a learn to lift hands on seminar. I have had personal experience with Mark one on one and he took my lifts up 30 pounds in the course of an hour. When I say that he is a magician with athletes, I truely mean that he can work wonders with your technique. I have had friends who in my own opinion have had flawless form but as soon as mark saw them lift he had a list of the things that they were doing wrong simply by watching them lift once. Now, I know that it is a little short notice but if you are truely passionate about becoming a better lifter, which I know you are because you are reading this blog, I will see you at Ocean state CrossFit on sunday!

please disregard the fact that it is at a Crossfit facility, He was the one coach that I mentioned a couple post back. This man is the real deal. He has been deemed the title of "Strongest man in the free world".

News: Anti-doping agency reduces ban.

Uk Anti-doping ban reduced.

This article really gets me going! Sorry Im not sorry about this but it need to be said! Everyone who competes at that high of a level in the world of weightlifting is on some sort of performance enhancing drugs. It is not secret that they are either. Yes, what they do took years of incredible discipline but to get to the level that they have took some sort of medical help. Weather it be one thing or another they have had to taken something. Even if they came up clean I would bet my life savings on the fact that they cycled off the juice right before the meet. At that point it just become down to the fact of who can cheat better and not get caught. Why bother with testing in the first place? People wanna see incredibly jacked dude with pin point technique throw crazy-stupid weights above their heads. Let them do what they need to do. all the Anti-doping agency is doing is making things more difficult.

News: Powerlifters are not Olympic lifters

Olympic lifting: why do we suck?

I just got done reading this article from one of my favorite websites. I love reading EliteFTS and I have bought a lot of their products. As a matter of fact, the majority of my dad's gym has EliteFTS products. Majority of the time I support them with what ever they say but this time I think they have gone to far. Granted, one author that they publish does not reflect on the entire company but still!

 J.L. Holdsworth is not an author I normally read but I saw the artical and it had Olympic lifting in the title so I had to give it a look. The United States has not had the greatest past when it comes to bring home weightlifting medals. This is not hard to see, just go look at the record books. Its filled with eastern Europeans and Russians for the past 50+ years. It's no secret! Where I have a bone to pick with Mr.Holdsworth is with his disapproval of coaches fixing technical problems with a broomstick or a PVC pipe. This has been the calling card of the Russians for years now and they have won plenty of gold medals in weightlifting. Their mind set being technique over strength every day of the week and it has served them well over the years, so obviously they are doing something right.

I decided to do a little research on our good friend J.L. Holdsworth and his credentials check out. Head strength coach at the University of Kentucky, Elite status power lifter, and published author are all admirable traits but what I don’t see on his stats sheet is time spent as an Olympic lifting coach. This is what separates power lifters from Olympic lifters. Power lifters use little technique when performing bench, squat, deadlifts. Their lifts only revolve around strength when Olympic lifters need to have strength and technique to do what they do. J.L. Holdsworth making these comments is like having Ray Lewis give advice to rugby players, both have very large men, bashing into each other on a large field with a funny shaped ball but they are not the same sport by any mean.  I understand that he is very knowledgeable in the world of exercise science and a very experienced lifter but in my opinion they shots he has taken at the world of Olympic lifting were a bit uncalled for.

News:Why Crossfit is ruining Olympic weightlifting.

Now there are a few things is this world that I down right hate! This list is as follows:

5. Dogs barking at each other right as you are trying to sleep.

4. Mall cops who take their jobs way to seriously.

3. Oranges that won’t peel.

2. People who chew with their mouths open.

1. CrossFit

            CrossFit has taken the fitness world by storm over the past couple years and quite frankly it pains me for what it has done to the Olympic lifts. The reason that this training fad has caught on so quickly is because people think that it will solve their weight loss problems and give them their ripped 3 percent body fat body that they have always wanted. Now, that sounds all well and good but there are a lot of things that people don’t know about CrossFit that could save them a lot of pain in down the road.

            

The first reason why I think CrossFit is ruining Olympic lifting is that the so-called “coaches” that know proper technique. Well guess what? THEY DON’T! Weightlifting coaches spend decades learning the craft and art that is weightlifting. CrossFit coaches on the other hand spend a two-day weekend seminar and take 50 question multiple choice exam to become a CrossFit certified Olympic lifting coach. There is no sort of qualification or educational background required to attend this seminar. By simply paying the fee, you can attend. My personal strength coach took the NSCA (national strength and conditioning association) exam three separate times before he finally passed and he attended one of the best schools in the country for exercise science. I know that there are very qualified coaches in the world of CrossFit. In fact, one of the coaches that I personally know competed in the Olympics in weightlifting and holds to this day a Pam American games world record in the Clean & jerk with a lift of 501lbs.  Granted this is only qualified coach that I can speak of. This is the problem with CrossFit, the majority of coaches are not like this and anyone that wants too can become a coach.

           

The coaches are only half the problem though. Let me start this off with a question. When watching Olympic lifting, how many reps to do you see weightlifters preform at a given time? The answer should be one! This brings me to my second problem.  Olympic lifts should be done in reps of up to 3 and no higher! Olympic lifts in a properly designed program come first and foremost because these lifts need to done with 100% explosive power. No one in there right mind would run a mile, do 10 pull ups and, then proceed to snatch 65% of their max for 8 reps. Its asking for an injury due to mass fatigue and damage to the nervous system. Simply put, your body cannot take that sort of abuse. When fatigue starts to set in that is when form starts to break down. When form starts to break down , that is when injuries happen. What CrossFit has done is mixed fire with gasoline. An exercise that is 90% technique, one cannot simply incorporate it into an aerobic circuit. Its madness!

Olympic lifting for beginners: how to start.

The Snatch

It has been brought to my attention after my last post that I may have jumped the gun and not properly introduced the Snatch and the Clean &jerk. What I should have done was broken down both movements separately and how to implement them into a workout routine.  Then if you realize that you cant do these lifts in your local gym then go to the post below and begin working on those exercises

*Disclaimer*

            In recent history for training athletes many people have said that Olympic lifting is on it's last legs and on the way out due to the resent rise in safety issues. However, if taught and performed correctly these lifts are no more dangerous then the bench press or barbell curls.

The Snatch

            When performing the snatch it is important to start with a weight that is a lot lighter then you think. For a beginner, I recommend using just the bar. The Russians are notorious for teaching with a broomstick for up to a year before allowing their athletes to use a barbell. This annoyingly is how I learned for three weeks with my first coach. Thankfully it was not a year.

            The barbell should be on the ground and with plenty of chalk on it (trust me you are going to need it). Squat down and grab the barbell with your hands about two inches away from the end of the bar with you knuckles facing out. Now that you have your position in the right spot, pull your shoulder blades back. This is where you will begin your lift.

            The snatch starts just like a normal dead lift. Simply standing up with the bar is half the battle. The second part of the lift is basically jumping. Lift up onto your toes and shrug at the same time. If done properly all at once with enough speed from beginning to end, the bar will rocket up above you head. All you need to do at this point is drop under neither the bar. The progression below is how it should look in individual parts.

The Clean and Jerk

This movement is nothing like the snatch! let me get that right out in the open. They may look the same to the untrained eye but it is like comparing apple to oranges. The bar starts on the ground again but your grip should start about shoulder width apart or maybe a little more. Begin by curling your wrists just a little bit. This is a tip that will serve you greatly later in the lift and keeps the path of the bar true and strait. Dead lift the bar to your waist. To help beginners in this lift I like to tell them to over exaggerate a jumping with a shrug when the bar gets to your waist. Because the clean in jerk is done with more weight then the snatch this will only bring the bar to your shoulders but only after you have dropped under neither the bar with ferocious speed. when the bar has reached your shoulders stand up with the bar and you only half way there. Unlike the snatch the clean & jerk is a two part movement.

Now that you have gotten to this point most people would be glad to drop the bar and be done with it. NOT TODAY! This last part of the lift is what makes or breaks men and women in this lift. Settle the bar down on your shoulders and take a deep breath because all this weight is going above your head. Dip down a little bit a press the bar above your head while splitting your stance to give your self a wider base. Make sure to squeeze every muscle in your body or else this bar will not stay above your head for long. As soon as you have the bar up there bring body your feet back under you. You have successfully completed the lift at this point.

                                                      (Photos from: Muscle & fitness.com)

These lifts are extremely complicated and extremely taxing on the body. If you wish to implement these into your workout routine perform the following workout routine by its self and I recommend not doing any other lifts but these on one given day.

Start with a little warm up.

Snatch: 8 sets of doubles: (8 x 2)

Clean & jerk: 8 sets of singles (8 x 1)

Front Squat: 5 sets of 5 (5 x 5)

Press: 5 sets of 3 (5 x 3)

Go Home and Recover!