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Diagnose & Prioritize
Bob Takano
| February 11 2013 |
Weightlifting
Over the years I've developed and refined a process for working with new (to me) lifters. I thought it might be helpful to share these thoughts with those of you interested in the art of coaching.
Diagnosis: This process begins the first day when I run a new athlete through the standard exercises of overhead squats, overhead presses, and front squats. I look for joints that are lacking in range of motion, improper alignment of the spine, improper alignment of the skeletal components while sup......
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We Need More Disciplinarians
Matt Foreman
| February 11 2013 |
Weightlifting
Do you want to know one of the things I find most pathetic in weightlifting, and sports in general?
It’s when coaches let their best athletes get away with crappy behavior, simply because they’re the best athletes.
This makes me want to puke. It’s even worse when the coaches make excuses for the athletes and their shenanigans, defending them and playing the “they didn’t do anything wrong” card.
It’s sad to say, but I’ve seen this more tha......
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Learning From Your Misses
Aimee Anaya Everett
| February 6 2013 |
Weightlifting
I used to not think about other people’s training so much—about their mental state and struggles, or the fact that their minds may be racing during training as well. It’s not because I am some selfish bitch who doesn’t care about my teammates, I simply didn’t think that anyone else struggled as I do. I was oblivious.
It took me a lot of years to learn to relax in the gym, to learn that a missed lift wasn’t the end of my world as I know it, but a chance to m......
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You Got A Lot Of Freakin Problems
Matt Foreman
| January 28 2013 |
Weightlifting
Okay, I’m gonna make a list of common problems weightlifters have. Read this and keep a running tally of how many you A) have right now or B) have had in the past. I’ll write them as quotes so they sound authentic.
1) “My lockout sucks. I can pull snatches pretty high and clean a lot of weight, but my lockout when I get the bar over my head is terrible.”
2) “I jump forward in the snatch. I didn’t used to do it, but now I do it all the time and I can’......
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Motivation, Inspiration, And Stabbing
Matt Foreman
| January 14 2013 |
Weightlifting
I want you to think of someone who’s a good motivator.
Know what I mean? This has to be somebody with a really strong ability to get you fired up, feeling positive and ready to rage. You’ve probably got the name of a coach in your head right now. Hopefully it’s the coach you’re currently working with, or maybe it’s somebody from your earlier years.
Now, I have to shift gears for a second. Let me tell you a story about the worst motivator I’ve ever known.......
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Back Extension(s)
Greg Everett
| January 7 2013 |
Weightlifting
If one of your problems with the Olympic lifts is a weak back arch, that needs to become a focus for you in just about everything you do. Some of you have become very strong in round-backed postures and are finding yourselves unable to set a proper back arch in the pull of the snatch or clean, or even all the way through your squats. Reversing this can take a long time and a lot of patience and consistency.
One of my favorite exercises is the plain old back extension, or hyperextension......
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Pulling Technique- No Laughing Matter
Matt Foreman
| January 3 2013 |
Weightlifting
No funny business this time. We need to talk about technique. This one is gonna run a little long, but it’ll be worth it. Some of this is from an old PM article I wrote, along with a few changes.
We’re going to look at finishing the pull in the snatch and clean. More specifically, we’re going to do an analysis of the question “Should the lifter extend up on the toes or stay flat-footed at the top of the pull?” This is a confusing question for intermediate lifter......
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A Public Apology For Some Things I Said
Matt Foreman
| December 19 2012 |
Weightlifting
It’s time for me to apologize, people. I’ve been a jackass, and I need to make it right.
A few weeks ago, I wrote some posts on this blog where I made controversial comments about cardio and nutrition. Many of you read them, and apparently I’ve done some damage with the things I said. After being informed by some people that the information I wrote was incorrect and, in some cases, potentially destructive, I’ve decided I need to write something to set the record strai......
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Get It Behind Your Neck
Greg Everett
| December 17 2012 |
Weightlifting
The overhead position for the snatch and jerk is critical both for successful lifting and safety. Lifts from behind the neck can be a big help in improving these overhead positions through increased strength, mobility and consistency in position.
Overhead lifts starting from behind the neck allow a straight bar path to the overhead position, simplifying the movement and making it easier for the athlete to get the bar into position properly. This helps ingrain the feeling of the correct positi......
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Catalyst At The American Open... Amaze Balls
Matt Foreman
| December 10 2012 |
Weightlifting
What a meet for Catalyst Athletics…
Most of you probably read the write-up Greg did on the American Open last week. I don’t want to repeat the stuff he told you, so I’ll try to find some fresh thoughts about the things I saw in Palm Springs. When Greg described the awesomeness of the whole experience, he wasn’t exaggerating or overblowing it. I’m telling you straight up…that was one hell of a weekend for the Catalyst team.
Between the American Open, J......
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