Topic: Old Powerlifters learning to Olympic Lift

[Judas]

Name: Judas
Age:  36
Gender:  male
Occupation:  no thanks 
Location:  on the edge...
Team:  I put the 'I' in team...
How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?:  started in powerlifting... this was better
Years involved in weightlifting: 5 1/2 years total, 3 1/2 powerlifting, then 2 weightlifting, though i still bench
Athletic achievements:  my ninjutsu skills are without peer
Role in weightlifting:  cautionary tale...???
Coaching/educational credentials:  train/coach at IPF World level in powerlifting, just getting started here
Favorite weightlifter:  Dolega, Klokov, i like the beasts...
Interests other than weightlifting:  speed and crack, devil music, mayhem, vigilante justice
Other information you would like to share:  The owls are not what they seem...??? No, seriously, i type WAAAAYY too much, i have an absolutely vile sense ov humor, i can spell but i cant punctuate (see?), though i just i cannot seem to spell 'ov'. You'll get used to it...

I shoulda signed up here a long time ago, but i couldn't think up a cool last name to go with my first name (the only one i use). I also post at Fortified Iron (the only other good weightlifting forum on the net i've found) and i  just get sick ov registering for new forums all the time, but Weightlifting Exchange seems like the industry standard for the sport. Weightlifting is my sport, so i should be here as well.

Long story very short (for me); i've been in and out ov gym memberships since i was 15, with absolutely ZERO to show for it, save a violent hatred for the  fitness industry. I was a bicept-jockey ov the highest degree... probably even had some ILS every now and then, i didn't know any better. I was a classic hardgainer. Then one day in between failed gym memberships i heard ov 'powerlifting'... a brand new concept for me. Took me years to find an actual powerlifter, when i did he was a trainer/guru and i started right away, and made absolutely ridiculous gains in mass, body composition and strength in just months. All raw powerlifting, no belt even. So much for being 'the world's hardest hardgainer'... I wanted to get bigger, stronger and most importantly - more powerful, and had even heard ov weightlifting after i'd been powerlifting for a couple months, but my trainer knew nothing about it.... at all.  I learned powersnatches and powerclean & push-press on my own and called it 'weightlifting', but never really figured it out till i found some actual weightlifters online and went to my first weightlifting competition after about two years ov powerlifting. I dont live anywhere near any kind ov weightlifting club. I have to drive 50 miles to Surrey (near Vancouver), and i'm not a rich man (retirement aint payin' the bills...).

I dabbled in both for about a year, its hard to take the sport seriously when i cant get coaching. Especially when my benching was going so well. So i did, and still do both. But for the past two years i've been decidedly concentrating on weightlifting. Plus bench. I cant seem to give up my bench... i'm so close to hitting some VERY long-range goals... and i'm STILL without a coach or club in weightlifting... so i'll do both until i get to a club. I do okay, for my size and shape (i look like a bodybuilder), and have pretty decent form on snatches. I think my form looks good on cleans, but they are my nemesis, and at the rate i'm going i expect to out-snatch my clean soon. Actually, my cleans are going backwards... i expect to be out-curling my cleans soon... Jerks are a non-issue, easily my best ov the three movements, though i rarely drill them.

I have never experienced frustration to a degree i have trying to become a better weightlifter. I'd like to make National level, then a 300kg total (i'm 105kg), then a lot more. I've done 252 in the gym so far. I really, really REALLY should just stick to powerlifting... i am very good at powerlifting... i'm surrounded by powerlifters, many competitive, including a 3-time IPF world champion, who i train and coach... I was still making mad gains when i pretty much gave up powerlifting... i still make good gains on bench... but it was just so easy. If i can become a kick ass weightlifter... . . . then i KNOW i've accomplished something.

Especially now... seeing as i'm SO OLD...

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Judas,
  How old are you?  Where do you train at on the Island?  I'm very familiar with that area and am completely unaware of any barbell clubs.  There's a xfit gym in Victoria that's olympic lift friendly, but that's all I'm aware of.

  Good luck and welcome to the board.

All the best,
 Arden

Name: Judas
Age:  36
Gender:  male
Occupation:  no thanks 
Location:  on the edge...
Team:  I put the 'I' in team...
How did you get started/involved in weightlifting?:  started in powerlifting... this was better
Years involved in weightlifting: 5 1/2 years total, 3 1/2 powerlifting, then 2 weightlifting, though i still bench
Athletic achievements:  my ninjutsu skills are without peer
Role in weightlifting:  cautionary tale...???
Coaching/educational credentials:  train/coach at IPF World level in powerlifting, just getting started here
Favorite weightlifter:  Dolega, Klokov, i like the beasts...
Interests other than weightlifting:  speed and crack, devil music, mayhem, vigilante justice
Other information you would like to share:  The owls are not what they seem...??? No, seriously, i type WAAAAYY too much, i have an absolutely vile sense ov humor, i can spell but i cant punctuate (see?), though i just i cannot seem to spell 'ov'. You'll get used to it...

I shoulda signed up here a long time ago, but i couldn't think up a cool last name to go with my first name (the only one i use). I also post at Fortified Iron (the only other good weightlifting forum on the net i've found) and i  just get sick ov registering for new forums all the time, but Weightlifting Exchange seems like the industry standard for the sport. Weightlifting is my sport, so i should be here as well.

Long story very short (for me); i've been in and out ov gym memberships since i was 15, with absolutely ZERO to show for it, save a violent hatred for the  fitness industry. I was a bicept-jockey ov the highest degree... probably even had some ILS every now and then, i didn't know any better. I was a classic hardgainer. Then one day in between failed gym memberships i heard ov 'powerlifting'... a brand new concept for me. Took me years to find an actual powerlifter, when i did he was a trainer/guru and i started right away, and made absolutely ridiculous gains in mass, body composition and strength in just months. All raw powerlifting, no belt even. So much for being 'the world's hardest hardgainer'... I wanted to get bigger, stronger and most importantly - more powerful, and had even heard ov weightlifting after i'd been powerlifting for a couple months, but my trainer knew nothing about it.... at all.  I learned powersnatches and powerclean & push-press on my own and called it 'weightlifting', but never really figured it out till i found some actual weightlifters online and went to my first weightlifting competition after about two years ov powerlifting. I dont live anywhere near any kind ov weightlifting club. I have to drive 50 miles to Surrey (near Vancouver), and i'm not a rich man (retirement aint payin' the bills...).

I dabbled in both for about a year, its hard to take the sport seriously when i cant get coaching. Especially when my benching was going so well. So i did, and still do both. But for the past two years i've been decidedly concentrating on weightlifting. Plus bench. I cant seem to give up my bench... i'm so close to hitting some VERY long-range goals... and i'm STILL without a coach or club in weightlifting... so i'll do both until i get to a club. I do okay, for my size and shape (i look like a bodybuilder), and have pretty decent form on snatches. I think my form looks good on cleans, but they are my nemesis, and at the rate i'm going i expect to out-snatch my clean soon. Actually, my cleans are going backwards... i expect to be out-curling my cleans soon... Jerks are a non-issue, easily my best ov the three movements, though i rarely drill them.

I have never experienced frustration to a degree i have trying to become a better weightlifter. I'd like to make National level, then a 300kg total (i'm 105kg), then a lot more. I've done 252 in the gym so far. I really, really REALLY should just stick to powerlifting... i am very good at powerlifting... i'm surrounded by powerlifters, many competitive, including a 3-time IPF world champion, who i train and coach... I was still making mad gains when i pretty much gave up powerlifting... i still make good gains on bench... but it was just so easy. If i can become a kick ass weightlifter... . . . then i KNOW i've accomplished something.

Especially now... seeing as i'm SO OLD...

[Judas]

Judas,
  How old are you?  Where do you train at on the Island?  I'm very familiar with that area and am completely unaware of any barbell clubs.  There's a xfit gym in Victoria that's olympic lift friendly, but that's all I'm aware of.

  Good luck and welcome to the board.

All the best,
 Arden

You know me from Fortified Iron. I'm 36. Ancient for this sport, i know, but i vow to be moving better and faster than 95% ov the kids by the end ov the year.

And there is no island near me. I'm  the other way... 60 miles EAST ov Vancouver. But, i know there are clubs in Nanaimo and way up North too. Port Alberni i think? Theres more lifting going on there than near me thats for sure. I had no idea you were Canadian.

Nope, i'm all by my lonesome here. The only club in these parts will be my own, and hopefully soon... but then I'M the coach, and that wont help MY lifting any...

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Judas,
  How old are you?  Where do you train at on the Island?  I'm very familiar with that area and am completely unaware of any barbell clubs.  There's a xfit gym in Victoria that's olympic lift friendly, but that's all I'm aware of.

  Good luck and welcome to the board.

All the best,
 Arden

You know me from Fortified Iron. I'm 36. Ancient for this sport, i know, but i vow to be moving better and faster than 95% ov the kids by the end ov the year.

And there is no island near me. I'm  the other way... 60 miles EAST ov Vancouver. But, i know there are clubs in Nanaimo and way up North too. Port Alberni i think? Theres more lifting going on there than near me thats for sure. I had no idea you were Canadian.

Nope, i'm all by my lonesome here. The only club in these parts will be my own, and hopefully soon... but then I'M the coach, and that wont help MY lifting any...

Judas,
  I'm not Canadian.  I'm from West Virginia.  My ex-wife was a Moari that immigrated to Vancouver Island.  I spent A LOT of time on the island and in the interior chasing the Loggers Sports circuit during my youth. 

   I hear you on the ancient part - I'm 39 and a reformed powerlifter myself.  It's great to have all the pulling and squatting power, but it's yet to translate into proper, in my eyes, lifts overhead.  My interest in the sport is mainly for my daughters, as my eldest has taken to lifting like a fish to water.  She's doing great.  Youngest is still too young - she's 9. 

    I wouldn't worry to much about having the bench in your training.  I would cycle it as much as you can with 4 board and 2 board work - as I've found that really heavy 4 board work has helped my jerk stability immensely.  I've gone from getting 150kg overhead to now feeling comfortable with 170kg overhead.  The only thing I'm doing differently is cycling 4 board work in once a week after my snatches, OHS, and snatch pulls.  I'm following a modified Wendlar protocol that has me going 5,4,3,2,1 with waving the percentages on the 1 with whatever my program calls for on the week.

   Good luck and Go heavy.

All the best,
 Arden

[Judas]

I wouldn't worry to much about having the bench in your training.  I would cycle it as much as you can with 4 board and 2 board work - as I've found that really heavy 4 board work has helped my jerk stability immensely.  I've gone from getting 150kg overhead to now feeling comfortable with 170kg overhead.  The only thing I'm doing differently is cycling 4 board work in once a week after my snatches, OHS, and snatch pulls.  I'm following a modified Wendlar protocol that has me going 5,4,3,2,1 with waving the percentages on the 1 with whatever my program calls for on the week.

   Good luck and Go heavy.

All the best,
 Arden

Thing is about my benching... i have to work so **** hard for what i have, that it takes no small amount ov work. When i bench i do stupid volume, thats what works best and anything else just maintains me. I'm talking twice a week, 5 heavy sets ov 8 on two ME exercises, plus 'lighter' stuff for sets ov 8 again (at least 13 total heavy sets, not including a lot ov warm-up sets) and i'm not even getting into the tricep or arm work. Trying to snatch the day after that is a chore, but i can do it, and well. It just takes a LOT ov stretching, and when considering i'm benching over 405 and snatching 120kg with good form, i dont mind 30-90 minutes ov stretching.

My weightlifting has kinda taken off lately, so i've cut the bench way back now (just warm-up sets for bench and then military presses for 5 work sets) and the difference is immediate. I dont want to give up on my bench goal ov 440-455, but recent workouts prove that i'll snatch 130 with relatively little work. I'd love to bench 4 1/2 plates raw and could i have no doubt, but snatching 300lbs would be just WAY more badass... Lots ov people can bench 455, very very few can snatch 135+.

Funny you mention boards... thats the one thing i cant do with bench... i can rep up to 365 or more all day long, no pain, but load 400+ and start repping it (boards) and that shoulder gets right cranky and quick. Its sheer weight that aggravates it, and otherwise its not an issue. Not too many raw benchers can say that. Boards are actually my weakness too... not my lockout, which is strong, but just holding and working with BIG weights is something i need to do (for bench), and i cant. I'll deal with the 'weakness' in other ways, i've got healthy shoulders... board work isn't worth it.

My jerk stability is strong too. Its my cleans that need work. LOTS ov work. I hate cleans...

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Judas,
  Well done. I understand where you're coming from. 

   My only ego lift I have left is deadlift.  I've pulled over 350kg about a dozen times in my life.  I went that heavy once this past spring for kicks and giggles and I felt it afterwards.  I limit myself to once a week and I heavy silly set every two weeks.  I end up doing some form of pulls three times a week though (snatch pull, clean pulls).  I irks me to no end that my clean technique is so crappy that i can't get a good weight on my shoulders.  But I'm dealing with it and it's getting better.

   And I totally agree with you on that snatch.  That would be as sweet as all get out.  I can power snatch ok.  But squat snatch is still eluding me. I dump forward almost every time I get a decent weight on the bar and it's because my pull is not right.  But it too is evolving.

  Keep up the excellent work!!!

All the best,
 Arden

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Sorry Chris,
  Thanks for moving this.   

All the best,
 Arden

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Not me. Shaun is on the ball. Do you have a title you prefer for this thread so WE can rename it something appropriate?

Thanks.