I will begin my latest blockbuster post with a barnstormer of an interview I had with Cathal " I have massive calves" Byrd. This is as real as it gets. It is really important to keep it real...
Here is what it takes to keep it real with Irish weightlifting:
With this interview and the resultant surge in popularity and success, I think Cathal is going to turn into this type of person:
In my own training, I finished my first cycle in training. My aims were to hit 110/140 again after three weeks back training with four months off the classical lifts. There was an Irish squad session at the end of the third week and I had only hit 100/126 in my training cycle up to that point and had not gone near weights higher than that in four and a half months. I got them both and it felt so good being back with the squad and hitting 90%+ numbers again. Satisfying and sweet.
I was healthier at the end of my training cycle than I was at the beginning which is my favourite part. I am doing the same cycle again and will hit 115/145 in training by the end if it.
To finish off this post, here is a funny sketch. Wayne Brady is a housewives' favourite that is the equivalent of Ryan Turbridy except less annoying. He is also percieved as being as boring and embarrassingly smug. Like my interview with Cathal above, this sketch was designed to dissipate those ideas of him:
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Thursday 15 March 2012
Monday 25 July 2011
Abadjiev's attitudes
Here is the final part to the interview. He was a very nice man and by the end of my visit, had warmed to me and the other Cal Strength guys. When he found out that the interview would be done by interview, he even tidied his hair in the mirror!
Thursday 21 July 2011
Thursday 30 June 2011
Friday's feast day
I trained twice on Friday and even though I was not as sharp as I would have liked, it was nice to be able to lift without severe DOMS. I did some hip mobility drills in the morning and for the first session I simply Back Squatted. I worked up to a single with 175kg and I failed. Very embarrassing. I followed this up with a double with the same weight and I got a nice little pb double in the Back Squat. My positioning felt rough, but I just needed to gut it out.
In the second session of the day, I lifted in the awesome gym, United Barbell, owned by Jenny Werba and her business partner. It is a Crossfit gym and it is fantastic! It has beautiful Eleiko weightlifting equipment and a nice platform. Max Aita was coaching a few of his lifters there and I was allowed join in. There was a really fun and intense atmosphere there with Kirsten, Joanne and Jenny kicking ass and taking names. I started off Snatching and worked up to a double with 100 and I failed the second rep with 105. I then did singles with 110 and 113 and I failed 115 and then Clarked it. I worked up to 128kg in the Power Clean and Jerk and I finished up with the Back Squat. I ended up hitting a double with 177kg and then I got a single with 182kg which felt great in regards to my form. We were rushing off, so I did not have time to finish off with a pb set of 5 which I know I would have hit.
Max was helping me out technically and there were a few points that he was making that hit the nail on the head. The important thing is that what Max was saying, was very similar to what Kelly Starret was telling from a completely different perspective when I saw him about my hip. I need to digest this more and I will write a full post on this also alongside my overall reflections and experiences from my trip.. Max said he would write a guest post for Weightlifting Epiphanies also, so that should be something to look forward to.
Here is an interview that I know will help an awful lot of people out there who are trying to set up their own weightlifting clubs and gyms. David Spitz owns California Strength and he wants to help you:
In the second session of the day, I lifted in the awesome gym, United Barbell, owned by Jenny Werba and her business partner. It is a Crossfit gym and it is fantastic! It has beautiful Eleiko weightlifting equipment and a nice platform. Max Aita was coaching a few of his lifters there and I was allowed join in. There was a really fun and intense atmosphere there with Kirsten, Joanne and Jenny kicking ass and taking names. I started off Snatching and worked up to a double with 100 and I failed the second rep with 105. I then did singles with 110 and 113 and I failed 115 and then Clarked it. I worked up to 128kg in the Power Clean and Jerk and I finished up with the Back Squat. I ended up hitting a double with 177kg and then I got a single with 182kg which felt great in regards to my form. We were rushing off, so I did not have time to finish off with a pb set of 5 which I know I would have hit.
Max was helping me out technically and there were a few points that he was making that hit the nail on the head. The important thing is that what Max was saying, was very similar to what Kelly Starret was telling from a completely different perspective when I saw him about my hip. I need to digest this more and I will write a full post on this also alongside my overall reflections and experiences from my trip.. Max said he would write a guest post for Weightlifting Epiphanies also, so that should be something to look forward to.
Here is an interview that I know will help an awful lot of people out there who are trying to set up their own weightlifting clubs and gyms. David Spitz owns California Strength and he wants to help you:
Monday 27 June 2011
DOMS domination
Well, Monday was one of the best training sessions I had ever had in the sport of weightlifting. The following day, only the soles of my feet and my scalp did not hurt. I understand what was happening and why it was happening, but holy sweet mother of God did it hurt. Every part of me that is. I had a token workout on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning. In both sessions, I was basically just trying to get the blood flowing and some active recovery on board.
For the Wednesday afternoon workout, I had a nap before hand and some caffeine. I was still really stiff so I Snatched from the blocks and was able to muster out 110kg which I was happy with considering the circumstances. Sami was able to Snatch high pull and then hang snatch 100 pretty easily too. He destroyed 120 in the Clean and Jerk afterwards also. The Clean and Jerks were hurting pretty badly and I had to summon up the fury of the gods to hit 130kg. Glenn told me to do a few Clean Pulls with 135, but the general whole body pain was too much and was something I have not experienced since I played rugby. I tried to squat after, but that was a no go also.
The Thursday morning workout was also a washout. Last year I would have been incredibly frustrated by this, but I knew what was happening; DOMS is something I have not experienced that much in weightlifting, but Monday's workout was incredibly taxing but worth it. I was able to conquer my mind on Monday and even if I could not lift for the rest of the week, it would be worth it.
Here is an interview I had with Kevin Cornell and it is very different to the ones I have done before; Kevin's journey as a weightlifter has been interesting and something that a lot of us can learn from:
For the Wednesday afternoon workout, I had a nap before hand and some caffeine. I was still really stiff so I Snatched from the blocks and was able to muster out 110kg which I was happy with considering the circumstances. Sami was able to Snatch high pull and then hang snatch 100 pretty easily too. He destroyed 120 in the Clean and Jerk afterwards also. The Clean and Jerks were hurting pretty badly and I had to summon up the fury of the gods to hit 130kg. Glenn told me to do a few Clean Pulls with 135, but the general whole body pain was too much and was something I have not experienced since I played rugby. I tried to squat after, but that was a no go also.
The Thursday morning workout was also a washout. Last year I would have been incredibly frustrated by this, but I knew what was happening; DOMS is something I have not experienced that much in weightlifting, but Monday's workout was incredibly taxing but worth it. I was able to conquer my mind on Monday and even if I could not lift for the rest of the week, it would be worth it.
Here is an interview I had with Kevin Cornell and it is very different to the ones I have done before; Kevin's journey as a weightlifter has been interesting and something that a lot of us can learn from:
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Tuesday's think tank
Because I have been late with my update, here is something to make up:
I actually had a much longer interview with Donny, but the connection was poor and for whatever reason, the program I was using to record the conversation did not work right and I lost most of it. Annoying, but what can you do?
Another piece of news is that this blog has made another list of the best blogs/sites to look out for. Apparently I am an authority on getting huge, but this list also looks suspiciously like the other one I was included in a few weeks back. Like I said before, I am now officially above the law. I will become this man:
As for my own training, last week I had to take a download week because my lower back would not allow me to train. I still squatted heavy and slightly altered my squatting style by not sending my hips back as much, but after I Snatched on the Wednesday, I stiffened up quite a bit again. So, I decided to take last week as a taper week and this week load up again, even though I have a competiton on Saturday. This is not an important competition so getting my training right is far more important and I feel far better now. My lumbar area is still stiff in the attachment area and no longer the muscle belly. Every day it gets a small bit better, so all I can do is be patient. Because I was able to contract my lumber spine for the first time, I experienced quite severe doms. This is productive pain though, so the key is simply to manage the inflammation and accept it.
Last night, I Snatched for 8 singles and Box Squatted for 5x5; I left out the RDL's for obvious reasons. In the Snatch, I did a single with 90, 100, 105 which I stupidly missed because I did not stay over the bar, but I got it easily on my second attempt. I then hit 108kg, but it was quite slow. I was happy with the technique and positioning, but it was a monotone lift. I then went back to hit 90, 95 and 100kg again but increased the tempo significantly. I found it very difficult to lift with speed because I am very tired at the moment. Work and ECB committments are kicking my ass at the moment, so from that perspective as well as a physical one, a download week was probably in order anyway. My 5x5 in the squat went up another 2.5kg and I hit 142.5kg. Once again, the weight was not heavy, but the third and four reps on the last two sets in particular are real grinders and I am finding that as my numbers rise, the amount of rest I am taking is also rising. I am ok with that and the fact that I did not do the RDL's gave me the time anyway.
So, I have another session on Wednesday where I will do my Hang Snatches, Clean and Jerk singles and light Front Squats. I will then finish with some presses and Pendlay Rows, neither of which I did last week. Over and out.
I actually had a much longer interview with Donny, but the connection was poor and for whatever reason, the program I was using to record the conversation did not work right and I lost most of it. Annoying, but what can you do?
Another piece of news is that this blog has made another list of the best blogs/sites to look out for. Apparently I am an authority on getting huge, but this list also looks suspiciously like the other one I was included in a few weeks back. Like I said before, I am now officially above the law. I will become this man:
As for my own training, last week I had to take a download week because my lower back would not allow me to train. I still squatted heavy and slightly altered my squatting style by not sending my hips back as much, but after I Snatched on the Wednesday, I stiffened up quite a bit again. So, I decided to take last week as a taper week and this week load up again, even though I have a competiton on Saturday. This is not an important competition so getting my training right is far more important and I feel far better now. My lumbar area is still stiff in the attachment area and no longer the muscle belly. Every day it gets a small bit better, so all I can do is be patient. Because I was able to contract my lumber spine for the first time, I experienced quite severe doms. This is productive pain though, so the key is simply to manage the inflammation and accept it.
Last night, I Snatched for 8 singles and Box Squatted for 5x5; I left out the RDL's for obvious reasons. In the Snatch, I did a single with 90, 100, 105 which I stupidly missed because I did not stay over the bar, but I got it easily on my second attempt. I then hit 108kg, but it was quite slow. I was happy with the technique and positioning, but it was a monotone lift. I then went back to hit 90, 95 and 100kg again but increased the tempo significantly. I found it very difficult to lift with speed because I am very tired at the moment. Work and ECB committments are kicking my ass at the moment, so from that perspective as well as a physical one, a download week was probably in order anyway. My 5x5 in the squat went up another 2.5kg and I hit 142.5kg. Once again, the weight was not heavy, but the third and four reps on the last two sets in particular are real grinders and I am finding that as my numbers rise, the amount of rest I am taking is also rising. I am ok with that and the fact that I did not do the RDL's gave me the time anyway.
So, I have another session on Wednesday where I will do my Hang Snatches, Clean and Jerk singles and light Front Squats. I will then finish with some presses and Pendlay Rows, neither of which I did last week. Over and out.
Tuesday 4 January 2011
Tuesday's trinket
This is a very short post due to time constraints. A while back, John Broz asked me to take down the interview with Pat Mendes because he was looking for some big sponsors; the sight of Pat cursing and discussing steroids was not ideal for these circumstances, so I took it down for him. I decided to put the full thing back up on my blog however, because this will not be as widely spread--as is nine and a half people read this blog--and Pat actually has a very interesting story to tell, so here it is:
Friday 19 November 2010
Friday's feng shui
Firstly, here is the second part of my interview with Rachel Crass:
Thank you Rachel for giving the time to talk about our sport and for giving your perspective on training and lifting in general. I can speak for all five people who read this blog and say we all appreciate it!
As for my own training, I have had a positive week so far. I feel like I got a bit of momentum from my last competition and it definitely makes training when you are tired that little bit easier. Last night I hit two nice 85% doubles in the Snatch and it felt like it should, which is great. My second double was better than my first and the showed that what I have been working on--maintaining my positions throughout the lift--is beginning to pay off. London is just over two weeks away and it feels nice to build some sort of momentum.
German has been lifting some big weights also, he recently hit 132.5kg in the Snatch and 160kg in the Clean and Jerk weighing around 92kg. I have a higher intensity session tomorrow, so I will see how that goes. Have a nice weekend everyone; train hard and train smart!
Thank you Rachel for giving the time to talk about our sport and for giving your perspective on training and lifting in general. I can speak for all five people who read this blog and say we all appreciate it!
As for my own training, I have had a positive week so far. I feel like I got a bit of momentum from my last competition and it definitely makes training when you are tired that little bit easier. Last night I hit two nice 85% doubles in the Snatch and it felt like it should, which is great. My second double was better than my first and the showed that what I have been working on--maintaining my positions throughout the lift--is beginning to pay off. London is just over two weeks away and it feels nice to build some sort of momentum.
German has been lifting some big weights also, he recently hit 132.5kg in the Snatch and 160kg in the Clean and Jerk weighing around 92kg. I have a higher intensity session tomorrow, so I will see how that goes. Have a nice weekend everyone; train hard and train smart!
Friday 12 November 2010
Friday's franchise questions
Here is a short video of Rachel Crass, who is a 75kg lifter for the USA:
Here is part one of an interview I had with Rachel, so I hope you enjoy it and any questions that you have, leave a comment below and Rachel might answer them herself. I will have part two of the interview ready for next week.
As for my own training, I have taken a download week to recharge my batteries. Being tired all the time is not fun so I have trained onece this week with a light session and then the following day I did some squatting to make sure my legs did not forget who I was. I have a competition on Saturady in Belfast so I am going to go up and enjoy it. I will be coaching beforehand again, but there is no way I can change this, so get on with it I suppose! Have a nice weekend everyone and train hard!
Here is part one of an interview I had with Rachel, so I hope you enjoy it and any questions that you have, leave a comment below and Rachel might answer them herself. I will have part two of the interview ready for next week.
As for my own training, I have taken a download week to recharge my batteries. Being tired all the time is not fun so I have trained onece this week with a light session and then the following day I did some squatting to make sure my legs did not forget who I was. I have a competition on Saturady in Belfast so I am going to go up and enjoy it. I will be coaching beforehand again, but there is no way I can change this, so get on with it I suppose! Have a nice weekend everyone and train hard!
Sunday 29 August 2010
Sunday's snag list
This week has been a frustrating one, but more importantly than this, it has brought another change in perspective that is needed for me to continue improving in the art of weightlifting.
As Einstein said: “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Another favourite quote is: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
So, it comes down to this: I did not follow my program properly despite this being the main intention before I started. Emotion and ambition got in the way and even though they were not as prevalent as last time, I still allowed them to kick my ass. Embarrassing. The program was there to help me improve my ability to tolerate a greater work load. As David pointed out in a previous comment, I also increased intensity along with the significant increase in volume. I got away with a slight hip injury that reoccured from the original injury from playing rugby in my last season. Hindsight is always 20/20, but this is another lesson learned along the path of me qualifying for the European Championships. I got an amazing amount of work done in five and a half weeks, but I could have gotten more done in the 8 weeks that were scheduled. I know my training will stick to me, but I also know I should have gotten more out of it. Wayne kept telling me and I kept listening to the emotion and ambition in each session.
I read some of Glenn Pendlay's comments on a forum and I kept thinking of how they related to me and my own training. There are several aspects to training that are mainly ignored when discussing weightlifting and I called Glenn in order to discuss some of his ideas. Most of the 15 readers of this blog are weekend warriors like myself and are in a similar situation, so I thought to myself, why not talk about things that are relevant to us more than professional lifters? Here is the conversation and very many apologies for my fat head being in the picture; I could not edit it out. As always, if you have feedback, leave a comment.
As Einstein said: “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Another favourite quote is: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
So, it comes down to this: I did not follow my program properly despite this being the main intention before I started. Emotion and ambition got in the way and even though they were not as prevalent as last time, I still allowed them to kick my ass. Embarrassing. The program was there to help me improve my ability to tolerate a greater work load. As David pointed out in a previous comment, I also increased intensity along with the significant increase in volume. I got away with a slight hip injury that reoccured from the original injury from playing rugby in my last season. Hindsight is always 20/20, but this is another lesson learned along the path of me qualifying for the European Championships. I got an amazing amount of work done in five and a half weeks, but I could have gotten more done in the 8 weeks that were scheduled. I know my training will stick to me, but I also know I should have gotten more out of it. Wayne kept telling me and I kept listening to the emotion and ambition in each session.
I read some of Glenn Pendlay's comments on a forum and I kept thinking of how they related to me and my own training. There are several aspects to training that are mainly ignored when discussing weightlifting and I called Glenn in order to discuss some of his ideas. Most of the 15 readers of this blog are weekend warriors like myself and are in a similar situation, so I thought to myself, why not talk about things that are relevant to us more than professional lifters? Here is the conversation and very many apologies for my fat head being in the picture; I could not edit it out. As always, if you have feedback, leave a comment.
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Tuesday's toll
I had an enjoyable workout today and yesterday in East Coast Barbell. We are very close to opening and I am really looking forward to starting officially. The carpentry is now finished and the place needs a thorough cleaning, but otherwise we should be ready by the end of this week.
Myself, Byrdie and Germans trained today and I had a good session. Today was my 85% day and I worked up to 97.5kg for six doubles in the Snatch and 117.5kg in the Clean and Jerk. These are not heavy weights, but the doubles are killers! I had an 80% session for the six doubles on Monday and I will have another 80% session tomorrow. On Thursday, which will be my second 85% session, I will move the Clean and Jerk doubles up to 120kg and maintain the 97.5 for the Snatch. I am still squatting loads and three times a week I Front Squat and twice a week I Back Squat.
I am happy, because for the first time I feel stronger in the third week of a program, when usually I go over the top in the first two weeks rather than build up. Because I have a 6 month plan, I am far happier to be more patient and gradually build things up. It is easy to do this as a coach, but as a lifter, far more difficult. How have you found this process? Do you find it easy or difficult to gradually build up to when it really matters?
Have a look at this interview. There are four parts in total:
Myself, Byrdie and Germans trained today and I had a good session. Today was my 85% day and I worked up to 97.5kg for six doubles in the Snatch and 117.5kg in the Clean and Jerk. These are not heavy weights, but the doubles are killers! I had an 80% session for the six doubles on Monday and I will have another 80% session tomorrow. On Thursday, which will be my second 85% session, I will move the Clean and Jerk doubles up to 120kg and maintain the 97.5 for the Snatch. I am still squatting loads and three times a week I Front Squat and twice a week I Back Squat.
I am happy, because for the first time I feel stronger in the third week of a program, when usually I go over the top in the first two weeks rather than build up. Because I have a 6 month plan, I am far happier to be more patient and gradually build things up. It is easy to do this as a coach, but as a lifter, far more difficult. How have you found this process? Do you find it easy or difficult to gradually build up to when it really matters?
Have a look at this interview. There are four parts in total:
Wednesday 7 July 2010
Wednesday's waiting area
I finally realised what was happening with the videos so without further ado, here is my short and sweet interview with Rob Adell, who happened to be in a state many of us understand: being wrecked from a week's worth of training!
My own training is going swimmingly, but it is as hard as one would expect. I am lifting far more repititions than usual and as Murph said to me today: they test your inner zen. Every part of my body is feeling it: lower, mid and upper back; glutes, hamstrings and calves; shoulders, all the attachments and connective tissue around my shoulders and scapula and even my arms! What would Ronnie Coleman say about the burn?
I really want those pants!
My own training is going swimmingly, but it is as hard as one would expect. I am lifting far more repititions than usual and as Murph said to me today: they test your inner zen. Every part of my body is feeling it: lower, mid and upper back; glutes, hamstrings and calves; shoulders, all the attachments and connective tissue around my shoulders and scapula and even my arms! What would Ronnie Coleman say about the burn?
I really want those pants!
Thursday 1 July 2010
Thursday's tightrope muscles
On Monday I am starting a new six month training cycle and I am really looking forward to it. This week I am trying to get my body to some semblance of trainability. I got home on the Saturday morning and competed after 8 days of laying on my ass in Duborvnik where I was so lazy I made Homer Simpson look like Monica from friends. After the competition, I was even more in a heap, particularly on Monday I have never had such painful DOMS, particularly in the upper back and hip areas. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were simpy trying to get my body back into workable shape again and I will do what I can on Friday and Saturday also. Here are the final three parts of my interview with John Broz:
Sunday 27 June 2010
Saturday's sloppy slip up
I was away on holiday for a week and I got back home at around three thirty on Saturday morning. The Leinster Open was on a few hours later in Crossfit Ireland and it was great fun, but my lifting was not the Mae West--108/132 which is roughly 90% of my best. I had not touched a bar in nine days and I was finding it quite difficult to focus my mind. I still enjoyed myself though and was happy to see everyone again. I am really looking forward to the next two months where I can train to my heart's content and continue setting up and establishing East Coast Barbell. By the way, I am setting up an ECB youtube account and will publish my four part interview with John Broz on it and switch over a few of my other interviews also. Here is the first part of John's interview:
I have talked about Pat a few times now, but I have neglected to discuss his training partner. Rob Adell is a 94kg lifter who is training with the Average Broz club; he is around 97kg and is about 5"7 in height. I have never met anyone like him physically: he is like a mutant shark in human form. The man is a perfect fit for the 94kg class and with his background of heavy lifting since he was 12 and his lifestyle, weightlifting is a match made in heaven. The first assumption that jumps to mind is that he is using, but when you realise his lifestyle and fanatical devotion to nutrition, my opinion evolved.
Rob is only 19 and he does not drink, smoke or eat junk food of any kind. So when people jump on the bandwagon and assume him and Pat are using, they are using a mind set that is completely alien to both athletes. People cannot understand their lifting and this means they try and work out in their minds how THEY could do it and gear is the only way they can imagine it. Of course I will not preach how these guys are using steroids or not, but what people need to understand is that there are far more important things to understand. The problem is that Pat's and Rob's brains do not work like ours. In Average Broz gymnasiun, Rob's lifting is treated as a tragic Greek drama: so much potential that has come nowhere near realised due to the main protaganist's conscious decision to ignore the calling of fate. Neither Rob or anyone else in the gym are anywhere even remotely satisfied with his lifts. Now that Rob has decided to focus on lifting and not football, we will see his results sky rocket.
When he was 17 years old he had Cleaned either 180kg or slightly less after little over a year of training. Himself and Pat started training at the same time and Rob was actually making better progress than Pat, but he was still playing football and actually hardly training with John for about a year. He is back and we will be hearing a lot more about him soon. In an interview I will show when Blogger stops being a stubborn 8 year old girl who just got her first Barbie taken off her on Christmas day so that she will eat her dinner, he was so tired from his week's training that he was practically a walking zombie and was not nearly as articulate as he would be normally. I will put up the rest of John's interviews over the next few days.
I have talked about Pat a few times now, but I have neglected to discuss his training partner. Rob Adell is a 94kg lifter who is training with the Average Broz club; he is around 97kg and is about 5"7 in height. I have never met anyone like him physically: he is like a mutant shark in human form. The man is a perfect fit for the 94kg class and with his background of heavy lifting since he was 12 and his lifestyle, weightlifting is a match made in heaven. The first assumption that jumps to mind is that he is using, but when you realise his lifestyle and fanatical devotion to nutrition, my opinion evolved.
Rob is only 19 and he does not drink, smoke or eat junk food of any kind. So when people jump on the bandwagon and assume him and Pat are using, they are using a mind set that is completely alien to both athletes. People cannot understand their lifting and this means they try and work out in their minds how THEY could do it and gear is the only way they can imagine it. Of course I will not preach how these guys are using steroids or not, but what people need to understand is that there are far more important things to understand. The problem is that Pat's and Rob's brains do not work like ours. In Average Broz gymnasiun, Rob's lifting is treated as a tragic Greek drama: so much potential that has come nowhere near realised due to the main protaganist's conscious decision to ignore the calling of fate. Neither Rob or anyone else in the gym are anywhere even remotely satisfied with his lifts. Now that Rob has decided to focus on lifting and not football, we will see his results sky rocket.
When he was 17 years old he had Cleaned either 180kg or slightly less after little over a year of training. Himself and Pat started training at the same time and Rob was actually making better progress than Pat, but he was still playing football and actually hardly training with John for about a year. He is back and we will be hearing a lot more about him soon. In an interview I will show when Blogger stops being a stubborn 8 year old girl who just got her first Barbie taken off her on Christmas day so that she will eat her dinner, he was so tired from his week's training that he was practically a walking zombie and was not nearly as articulate as he would be normally. I will put up the rest of John's interviews over the next few days.
Wednesday 16 June 2010
Wednesday's withered lifting
I am now back home after my weightlifting odyssey in the States. I trained today and it went as swimmingly as I could have hoped. I was weak as a kitten, but it was nice seeing Wayne and Zag again. I was telling them how jet-lag was not a problem--and then I trained...Uh oh. Here is a link to my first interview taken from my stay in Average Broz gymnasium:
For the first time since I started this blog, I am not sure about how to write about the experience because it went beyond weightlifting. I learned a lot in regards to weightlifting in both California and also in Vegas, but I really enjoyed myself in the process and it was in meeting so many interesting, fun and genuinely nice individuals that will make my trip a powerful and indisposable memory. What people don't understand is just how generous both the guys out in California are and John Broz is out in Vegas. I have spoken about Glenn and David out in San Ramon in length, so I will focus more on John in this post.
People's perceptions of John lack both accuracy and credibility. Some people think of him as an extremist and that all his lifters use enough gear to help them fly. I refuse to be naive enough to igmore the possibility of drugs, but people fail to realise it is simply an opinion, not a fact. There is a difference. Last year, I met John Broz by complete chance and after training in his club, I thought it would be fun to interview a man who loved weightlifting and strength even more than I do. John has dedicated most of his life to both and is incredibly passionate in helping his lifters as well as other people who ask for his help. I have visited on two occasions now and my good friend Cathal Byrd--don't tell him I called him that: it is embarrassing for us both--has also visited him:click here to read his report.
Both of us found him to be a generous and genuinely top guy who is a charismatic character in our sport. I can see how he can rub some people the wrong way with his brash manner in dealing with the USAWA, but he is a man who will do anything for his lifters and he has always strived from day one to set international standards for them; he has deliberately avoided most local and national competitions which bucks the trend to get competition and platform experience. It is not my place to explain his actions and I will not presume to answer for him, but there are answers that that go beyond the presumption that Pat Mendes and Rob Adell are taking copious amounts of steroids. Sometimes an assumption is made that says more about the people making it rather than the intended recipient--the temptation is to use the word "victim" but John and Pat are certainly no victims; they have made their decision and are happy to face the consequences.
I still do not really know how to relate my experience. John helped me technically and I spent a good bit of time both with him and his lifters. People ask me about him and the first thing that comes to mind is that he is just a really nice guy who I get on well with. How great a weightlifting coach will be decided in the future and this is a challenge that he seems to revel in; many of his lifters make similar gains, but with Pat and Rob the starting points were different. Pat walked into the gym with a 230kg Back Squat and a 200 odd Bench Press. Both himself and Rob had been weight training since they were thirteen, going as heavy as they could. This kind of training and "genetics" are incomprehensible to most people. Most people assume that without gear, training twice a day is impossible over the long run. In my interview above, Jessica is plainly not using and she maintains this schedule despite having an injury history before taking up the sport. Sometimes expectations set from the beginning alters a person's thought process and therefore their mental and physical ability to learn. All good teachers and coaches know this. Irish expectations are too low. We all know this and this is why we are making a collective effort to improve.
Over the next few days I shall release my series of interviews that I took with different people who train in Average Broz so that an overall perspective can be gained and not just a focus on Pat and John. Are you going to be one who makes an easy assumption or are you going to think for yourself and reflect on more than numbers?
For the first time since I started this blog, I am not sure about how to write about the experience because it went beyond weightlifting. I learned a lot in regards to weightlifting in both California and also in Vegas, but I really enjoyed myself in the process and it was in meeting so many interesting, fun and genuinely nice individuals that will make my trip a powerful and indisposable memory. What people don't understand is just how generous both the guys out in California are and John Broz is out in Vegas. I have spoken about Glenn and David out in San Ramon in length, so I will focus more on John in this post.
People's perceptions of John lack both accuracy and credibility. Some people think of him as an extremist and that all his lifters use enough gear to help them fly. I refuse to be naive enough to igmore the possibility of drugs, but people fail to realise it is simply an opinion, not a fact. There is a difference. Last year, I met John Broz by complete chance and after training in his club, I thought it would be fun to interview a man who loved weightlifting and strength even more than I do. John has dedicated most of his life to both and is incredibly passionate in helping his lifters as well as other people who ask for his help. I have visited on two occasions now and my good friend Cathal Byrd--don't tell him I called him that: it is embarrassing for us both--has also visited him:click here to read his report.
Both of us found him to be a generous and genuinely top guy who is a charismatic character in our sport. I can see how he can rub some people the wrong way with his brash manner in dealing with the USAWA, but he is a man who will do anything for his lifters and he has always strived from day one to set international standards for them; he has deliberately avoided most local and national competitions which bucks the trend to get competition and platform experience. It is not my place to explain his actions and I will not presume to answer for him, but there are answers that that go beyond the presumption that Pat Mendes and Rob Adell are taking copious amounts of steroids. Sometimes an assumption is made that says more about the people making it rather than the intended recipient--the temptation is to use the word "victim" but John and Pat are certainly no victims; they have made their decision and are happy to face the consequences.
I still do not really know how to relate my experience. John helped me technically and I spent a good bit of time both with him and his lifters. People ask me about him and the first thing that comes to mind is that he is just a really nice guy who I get on well with. How great a weightlifting coach will be decided in the future and this is a challenge that he seems to revel in; many of his lifters make similar gains, but with Pat and Rob the starting points were different. Pat walked into the gym with a 230kg Back Squat and a 200 odd Bench Press. Both himself and Rob had been weight training since they were thirteen, going as heavy as they could. This kind of training and "genetics" are incomprehensible to most people. Most people assume that without gear, training twice a day is impossible over the long run. In my interview above, Jessica is plainly not using and she maintains this schedule despite having an injury history before taking up the sport. Sometimes expectations set from the beginning alters a person's thought process and therefore their mental and physical ability to learn. All good teachers and coaches know this. Irish expectations are too low. We all know this and this is why we are making a collective effort to improve.
Over the next few days I shall release my series of interviews that I took with different people who train in Average Broz so that an overall perspective can be gained and not just a focus on Pat and John. Are you going to be one who makes an easy assumption or are you going to think for yourself and reflect on more than numbers?
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Tuesday's trip report
I just got back home and I have a lot of things to do. The good news is that I got a lot of cool interviews that I will be putting up over the next few days and while I was in Vegas, I also took a few with John Broz and Pat Mendes. Here is an interview with Donny Shankle, who is simply awesome--even more so than Murph, which is saying a lot. Here it is:
A weightlifter that all the boys in California spoke very fondly of is James Moser and here is a video of him Snatching at the Arnold's two years ago.
All the guys are looking forward to him returning back again--he is currently in jail--and hopefully all will be well.
I will write about training in Average Broz over the next few days. I will be away again on Thursday--not for weightlifting though--and I have a lot of things to get sorted before I leave, so, till the morrow. I hope you enjoy Donny's interview.
A weightlifter that all the boys in California spoke very fondly of is James Moser and here is a video of him Snatching at the Arnold's two years ago.
All the guys are looking forward to him returning back again--he is currently in jail--and hopefully all will be well.
I will write about training in Average Broz over the next few days. I will be away again on Thursday--not for weightlifting though--and I have a lot of things to get sorted before I leave, so, till the morrow. I hope you enjoy Donny's interview.
Saturday 12 June 2010
Thursday’s talent hotbed
Everyone only trained once today and even at that, physically I was a broken mess. But, I was one happy weightlifting camper and I still really enjoyed our session. Caleb ‘s back was still hurting and he kept it light and snappy; after all the hard work he has put in, I really hope he stays relatively healthy for the Junior World’s next week in Bulgaria. He has put the hard yards in and he deserves a break. Donny and Jon Power Snatched and Power Clean and Jerked. After their vicious session the previous day, I could see they were hurting a bit, but they still got on with it.
I went straight to the blocks and started Snatching from there. I worked up to a few singles with 100 and I left it there as I was struggling to maintain tension in my back due to fatigue. I moved onto Power Clean and Jerks except I lifted off one 25 as a platform and worked up to a few singles with 110kg which felt incredibly heavy despite the fact that it is usually a joke of a Power Clean. Again, the cues were to keep my weight on my heels and to really get my hips into the Clean. In the Jerk, it was to aggressively get my head through in the catch and again, to keep my weight in my heels. By the time I finished, my tank was empty and it was plainly obvious why. I am not used to lifting with this volume and intensity over the last week and this shows that instead of me being over-trained, I am very much undertrained. Of course I am not going to beat myself up over it; the wrong thing to do in my life situation would be to jump straight into doing as much as I possibly could and bury myself in a hole. Instead, I need to gradually increase the amount of volume I can successfully tolerate and in the process, improve my technique and consistency in the lifts and get stronger. It sounds simple and a sensible head will have to reign; therefore I need to take myself and my nonsensical mind out of the situation and trust Zag, Harry and Wayne.
For my last few hours in California, Glenn showed me a few different exercises to strengthen my weak back; the way he performed them was slightly different and some of them were quite similar to some of Tom Bruijen’s. They were some back raises; back extensions and some basic barbell rows and you can see two of them in the video below.
All in all, my week’s stay in California Strength proved to be an incredibly enjoyable experience. I learned a lot in regards to weightlifting technique, programming and the type of environment required for success. But just as importantly I had a lot of fun and spent a lot of time laughing my ass off. Everyone works hard in this place. Max is one of the most intelligent people I have met and has a razor sharp dry delivery. Caleb is incredibly talented, generous and was full of brilliant stories—mainly about Donny and Jon. Donny is one in a million and you shall see the interview I took with him in a few days. How a man can combine culture, a voracious competitive streak and being an old school eccentric is beyond me, but Donny pulls it off in style and it is an honour to have spent time with him. Jon is a beast and his intensity is incredible; He is only lifting for a little under three years and we are going to see some major numbers from him. There were a number of young lifters coming up the ranks that are being fostered in this environment and I know they will experience undoubted success.
Glenn and Lori were very generous and Glenn needs no obsequious rambling: his results speak for themselves. As a person, he is passionate and extremely learned. His mindset is something I aspire to as a coach and a teacher. David and Catherine were two of the coolest people I have ever met and spending time with them was a pleasure. David’s experience in weightlifting and business is amplified in the success of California Strength as a weightlifting club and as a business.
Have a look at the videos below; one is a brief look at Thursday’s training and the other is an interview I had with Jon North. As always, constructive feedback is always appreciated.
I went straight to the blocks and started Snatching from there. I worked up to a few singles with 100 and I left it there as I was struggling to maintain tension in my back due to fatigue. I moved onto Power Clean and Jerks except I lifted off one 25 as a platform and worked up to a few singles with 110kg which felt incredibly heavy despite the fact that it is usually a joke of a Power Clean. Again, the cues were to keep my weight on my heels and to really get my hips into the Clean. In the Jerk, it was to aggressively get my head through in the catch and again, to keep my weight in my heels. By the time I finished, my tank was empty and it was plainly obvious why. I am not used to lifting with this volume and intensity over the last week and this shows that instead of me being over-trained, I am very much undertrained. Of course I am not going to beat myself up over it; the wrong thing to do in my life situation would be to jump straight into doing as much as I possibly could and bury myself in a hole. Instead, I need to gradually increase the amount of volume I can successfully tolerate and in the process, improve my technique and consistency in the lifts and get stronger. It sounds simple and a sensible head will have to reign; therefore I need to take myself and my nonsensical mind out of the situation and trust Zag, Harry and Wayne.
For my last few hours in California, Glenn showed me a few different exercises to strengthen my weak back; the way he performed them was slightly different and some of them were quite similar to some of Tom Bruijen’s. They were some back raises; back extensions and some basic barbell rows and you can see two of them in the video below.
All in all, my week’s stay in California Strength proved to be an incredibly enjoyable experience. I learned a lot in regards to weightlifting technique, programming and the type of environment required for success. But just as importantly I had a lot of fun and spent a lot of time laughing my ass off. Everyone works hard in this place. Max is one of the most intelligent people I have met and has a razor sharp dry delivery. Caleb is incredibly talented, generous and was full of brilliant stories—mainly about Donny and Jon. Donny is one in a million and you shall see the interview I took with him in a few days. How a man can combine culture, a voracious competitive streak and being an old school eccentric is beyond me, but Donny pulls it off in style and it is an honour to have spent time with him. Jon is a beast and his intensity is incredible; He is only lifting for a little under three years and we are going to see some major numbers from him. There were a number of young lifters coming up the ranks that are being fostered in this environment and I know they will experience undoubted success.
Glenn and Lori were very generous and Glenn needs no obsequious rambling: his results speak for themselves. As a person, he is passionate and extremely learned. His mindset is something I aspire to as a coach and a teacher. David and Catherine were two of the coolest people I have ever met and spending time with them was a pleasure. David’s experience in weightlifting and business is amplified in the success of California Strength as a weightlifting club and as a business.
Have a look at the videos below; one is a brief look at Thursday’s training and the other is an interview I had with Jon North. As always, constructive feedback is always appreciated.
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Tuesday's tactile takeover bid
Tuesday was supposed to be a light day where we did doubles with relatively light intensity. They did not feel light. I felt beat down and I was doing a Power Snatch with a Hang Snatch working up from 50 for a few, 70 for one or two, 80 and then 90 for five doubles. They felt like they were 110 and Jon felt just as rough except his doubles were with 130kg. Embarrassing....
When I moved onto the Clean and Jerk, I worked up to Clean doubles with 110 for five doubles and finished on 120kg. My timing felt a lot better even though I felt weak as a kitten that just fell out of a tumble dryer. It was one of those sessions where you just have to power through and get on with it. Glenn had me focus on staying back on my heels, keeping the back as tight as possible and getting quicker elbows. I knew this was coming: weights that are usually light Power Cleans feel like 90%+ full Cleans where you have to grind them out. The Snatches were the same: rough as a bear's arse and and Murph's stubbled chin. Even though my positions were not as optimal as I would like them to be, the rhythm of my lifts felt more consistent, particularly the second reps where I had to rely more on technique.
I can feel the nervous system straining; the body is not that sore but the fatigue is creeping up in different ways: positions are harder to achieve and maintain as is mental focus; the adrenaline you feel being in this kind of electric atmosphere is at odds with how you feel physically but you are buoyed up; Jon is howling at you--Donny is making his Southern gentleman remarks that inspire but with a double edged sword, cause hilarity and a cacophony of chaos. Glenn lords over the process with a concise and accurate delivery of instructions and directions while David plays the yin to Glenn's yang. The only thing I have been mising is Caleb's intensity--he is injured. I cannot describe the atmosphere any better than this.
Here is another interview I did with Max Aita. He discusses his experiences training under Ivan Abadjiev in greater detail and his Oscar Wilde witticisms shine through to boot. Enjoy:
When I moved onto the Clean and Jerk, I worked up to Clean doubles with 110 for five doubles and finished on 120kg. My timing felt a lot better even though I felt weak as a kitten that just fell out of a tumble dryer. It was one of those sessions where you just have to power through and get on with it. Glenn had me focus on staying back on my heels, keeping the back as tight as possible and getting quicker elbows. I knew this was coming: weights that are usually light Power Cleans feel like 90%+ full Cleans where you have to grind them out. The Snatches were the same: rough as a bear's arse and and Murph's stubbled chin. Even though my positions were not as optimal as I would like them to be, the rhythm of my lifts felt more consistent, particularly the second reps where I had to rely more on technique.
I can feel the nervous system straining; the body is not that sore but the fatigue is creeping up in different ways: positions are harder to achieve and maintain as is mental focus; the adrenaline you feel being in this kind of electric atmosphere is at odds with how you feel physically but you are buoyed up; Jon is howling at you--Donny is making his Southern gentleman remarks that inspire but with a double edged sword, cause hilarity and a cacophony of chaos. Glenn lords over the process with a concise and accurate delivery of instructions and directions while David plays the yin to Glenn's yang. The only thing I have been mising is Caleb's intensity--he is injured. I cannot describe the atmosphere any better than this.
Here is another interview I did with Max Aita. He discusses his experiences training under Ivan Abadjiev in greater detail and his Oscar Wilde witticisms shine through to boot. Enjoy:
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Saturday’s stipulations
I woke up feeling better than I thought I would. My back and postural muscles were tired and a little stiff, but otherwise I was ok. The Saturday workout usually comprised of pulls and squats mainly, but Glenn changed it around on the day so that we focused more on the classical lifts and squats. As I said earlier, he was telling me to stop doing any Power Cleans and Power Snatches because they are getting me to overpull the bar, causing a sloppy and awkward catch, particularly in the Clean. After a brief warm up, we started with Snatch doubles and did two doubles with 50, 70, 90 and then I did one with 100 and for some reason could not get another with 100 so I dropped back down to 90 for five doubles and then went up to 95 for my final double. I was working on getting a consistent rhythm in my lifts and getting under the bar quicker. Donny and John did five doubles with 130 as did John as Glenn said afterwards, despite the intensity being pretty light, he was moving well and his technique was consistent.
After the Snatch, we moved onto the Clean and Jerks and I did around three double with 110, two with 115 and then I finished off with 120kg. I do not do Clean and Jerk doubles often, but they are quite demanding and after every set, I could feel myself getting more and more consistent. Glenn had me focus on tightening my back as much as I could, getting my feet out in the catch and like the Snatch, getting under the bar far quicker. Normally these weights feel very light, but doubles are very tiring and obviously this makes the second rep in particular feel a lot heavier than it actually is. John was doing doubles with 130 and after his big workout the previous day, along with his jet lag from his trip back from the Pan-Am’s, he was feeling very rough. For his final set, he jumped up to 150kg because that is what Donny was doing and he made this look better than any of his 130’s. These guys compete against each other and that is one of the reasons why they keep improving—this is the case whenever Irish lifters train together also. A competitive environment is a vital component to a successful training program.
The guys had a 45 minute break and then went back to squat. After a brief lunch, we went back, but the owner of the gym, David Spitz along with his lovely wife, took me out to experience the joys of San Francisco in a memorable day, so I skipped squats. I’ll have to make up for the missed lifts, but something tells me that should not be a problem...
On the Sunday a few of us went to the beach to chill out and rest up. I had a short interview with Caleb Ward and hopefully you shall enjoy it.
After the Snatch, we moved onto the Clean and Jerks and I did around three double with 110, two with 115 and then I finished off with 120kg. I do not do Clean and Jerk doubles often, but they are quite demanding and after every set, I could feel myself getting more and more consistent. Glenn had me focus on tightening my back as much as I could, getting my feet out in the catch and like the Snatch, getting under the bar far quicker. Normally these weights feel very light, but doubles are very tiring and obviously this makes the second rep in particular feel a lot heavier than it actually is. John was doing doubles with 130 and after his big workout the previous day, along with his jet lag from his trip back from the Pan-Am’s, he was feeling very rough. For his final set, he jumped up to 150kg because that is what Donny was doing and he made this look better than any of his 130’s. These guys compete against each other and that is one of the reasons why they keep improving—this is the case whenever Irish lifters train together also. A competitive environment is a vital component to a successful training program.
The guys had a 45 minute break and then went back to squat. After a brief lunch, we went back, but the owner of the gym, David Spitz along with his lovely wife, took me out to experience the joys of San Francisco in a memorable day, so I skipped squats. I’ll have to make up for the missed lifts, but something tells me that should not be a problem...
On the Sunday a few of us went to the beach to chill out and rest up. I had a short interview with Caleb Ward and hopefully you shall enjoy it.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
A week's worth of training
I have been back from Amsterdam over a week now. I came back on the Monday morning and trained on the Tuesday and Wednesday. My hip was at me a bit from all the flexibility I have been doing so I left out training on Thursday and did some soft tissue work instead. I spent the time working on my first pull and adjusting to my new technique. On the Monday I was Power Snatching up to 88kg for a few reps and Clean and Jerked up to 120. On the Tuesday, I Snatched up to 90 for a few singles and Power Cleaned and Jerked up to 110 for a few singles also. I squatted all the time as well as worked on my mobility squats. I did not go heavy at all last week and simply tried to adjust to the work I did the previous week.
On Monday night, I Snatched up to 97kg for a three singles and Power Cleaned and Jerked 115 for three singles. I missed a few Snatches which was surprising. I was not putting enough finish in my pull and I was lacking in the speed department. Four days on holiday has left me a little too relaxed I think. I Back Squatted up to 150 for three doubles to finish with.
Last night, I Power Snatched up 93kg. 90 was fast and sharp, but after that I felt sluggish and got 93, but then missed it. I Clean adn Jerked up to 127 and then missed 132 twice which would be very rare for me. I was not getting the start of my pull sorted and this negatively affected how I finished the pull and this meant that I was not catching the bar. Very strange, but it has been a while since I have Clean and Jerked over 115 and 120, so I will have to accept it. I have no doubt that I will get used to the weights very quickly again, but it is a little gut check all the same. I am glad I spent time working on my technique, so now I need to get used to lifting some weight pretty quickly so that I can lift something decent in Seniors next weekend. I finished up with a light double on 140 in the Back squat and spent time stretching and doing some soft tissue work.
Here is part one of an interview with Tom Bruijnen, the Dutch coach I spent time with over in Amsterdam:
On Monday night, I Snatched up to 97kg for a three singles and Power Cleaned and Jerked 115 for three singles. I missed a few Snatches which was surprising. I was not putting enough finish in my pull and I was lacking in the speed department. Four days on holiday has left me a little too relaxed I think. I Back Squatted up to 150 for three doubles to finish with.
Last night, I Power Snatched up 93kg. 90 was fast and sharp, but after that I felt sluggish and got 93, but then missed it. I Clean adn Jerked up to 127 and then missed 132 twice which would be very rare for me. I was not getting the start of my pull sorted and this negatively affected how I finished the pull and this meant that I was not catching the bar. Very strange, but it has been a while since I have Clean and Jerked over 115 and 120, so I will have to accept it. I have no doubt that I will get used to the weights very quickly again, but it is a little gut check all the same. I am glad I spent time working on my technique, so now I need to get used to lifting some weight pretty quickly so that I can lift something decent in Seniors next weekend. I finished up with a light double on 140 in the Back squat and spent time stretching and doing some soft tissue work.
Here is part one of an interview with Tom Bruijnen, the Dutch coach I spent time with over in Amsterdam:
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