Wednesday, September 14, 2011

the beginning . .

I've been training Oly lifts with coach for a couple of weeks now . . i felt it was time for a change & i wanted to challenge myself in other areas of strength that i'm not used to . . i wanted to be in that uncomfortable zone again . .

Training is 3 x a week at the moment . .

Each session usually starts & ends with either front squats or back squats . .

In the middle of that my mind is being stimulated by the 3000 verbal cues coach is giving me . .

"FAST ELBOWS"
"FINISH"
"SHRUG HARDER"
"SHOULDERS OVER THE BAR"
"EXPLOSIVE HIPS"

My mind understands but my body seems to absorb the information at a muchhhhhhh slower snail rate . .

Just when you think you've got one part of the movement down, something else springs up to show you that . . no . . you in fact DON'T KNOW SHIT.

OH . . and when you think you've done all the squatting you could possibly do . . that was just the warm up.

I can see that it definitely takes patience (something that i know not of . . but am learning to apply) . . belief in yourself . . and knowing how your body works as one unit.

Each lift is like a symphony . . each instrument works in harmony with one another to produce the perfect note . . the same way every muscle in the body works in harmony to create a beautiful lift . . the symphony builds up to an explosive, aggressive sound . . the same way the hips move violently against the bar creating that necessary momentum to make a lift . .

Every session the bar and my body are learning to work together that little bit more fluidly . . every session i know more than i did the last . . it's frustrating as hell but i'm grateful i have 2 arms and 2 legs to be able to do whatever i set out to do.

My strength & flexibility are there . . i just need to get the momentum & the timing of each pull . . which means doing a shit load of reps . . consistency is always key.

The interesting part is you can pretty much train Oly lifts everyday . . because you're DRILLING technique every session & reps rarely go past 5 . . although by the end of it it does equate to a high volume.

Don't get me wrong . . each session is mentally & physically draining but in a completely different way than i'm used to.

Clean & Jerks i'm comfortable with - coach thinks i will be a Squat Jerker because of my flexibility . . but i want to go the Split Jerk route . . it just feels more comfortable for me . . along with the fact that squat jerks mean you have a small margain for error if you want to make the lift . . you can work with a split jerk if it's a bit shaky . . anyway that's up for discussion a LOT later on when my lifts improve.





Squat Jerk




Split Jerk

Yesterday we drilled snatches for a good half of the session . . that is one tough MF movement to master . . but i'm not one to quit when shit gets hard. PRACTISE PRACTISE PRACTISE





" There have been times when my stomach was empty because I had no money for food but, I still trained.

There was a time I was in love with my wife but, my spouse was no longer in love with me. On the day she rid of me, I still went into the gym and trained.

I was once hit by a car. My neck and back hurt terribly but, I still trained.

I have had to work long hours that went well into the night but, I still went to the gym and I trained.

My mother took her last breath in my arms,but as badly as I hurt, I wiped my tears and I trained.

Nothing and no one matters to me more than what I am fighting for each and everyday in that weight room and on my platform.

I do not care how I feel, what I may lose out on, or what the weight may feel like either in my hands or resting on my chest.

I renounce the idea of hard and the concept of heavy.

I detach myself from negativity and, as a weightlifter, I find the courage to never let anything, which I have no control over, dictate my performance either on the platform or in any other of my life' responsibilities.

You must learn to do the same if you want to become a great weightlifter. You must learn to do the same if you want to win. "

- Donny Shankle




PEACE.
Mel


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