I have been involved in the sport of Olympic weightlifting long enough to see some dramatic changes. The sport's post-Louis Cyr origins were still within the memory of some of my older Canada colleagues in ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Holley Mangold, Entry 16 – Recovering From Surgery
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. Follow her journey here as she trains for the 2016 Olympics! Holley's journal will be posted every Friday. You can ... Continue Reading
The Barbell War: How the Soviets Ousted American Weightlifting
I have written previously on how the United States lost its monopoly on weightlifting supremacy in the 1950s. This was a blow to the ego, especially in an era when Soviet Premier Khrushchev threatened to ... Continue Reading
Weight Lifting Straps: What They Are, When and Why to Use Them
In my most recent article in WODTalk Magazine, I discussed the “hook grip.” Since I have been on the subject of holding onto the bar quite a bit lately both in articles and with my own athletes, this month ... Continue Reading
Does Race or Ethnicity Matter in Athletics?
Whenever a certain country or those of a certain racial or ethnic heritage dominate a certain sport analysts end up looking for the cause of such dominance. Often the explanation is over-simplified and may ... Continue Reading
The Gold Medal Napkin: How To Avoid Being A Clueless Coach
It's your first day. You have never practiced the snatch before. You have seen videos. You have watched other people at your gym do them. They look wicked awesome. And you want in on the fun. You ... Continue Reading
Featured Coach: Greg Everett, Part 1 – The Dream of Professional Weightlifting
For Greg Everett becoming an Olympic weightlifter and weightlifting coach fulfilled a dream, and he intends to spend the rest of his coaching career working to fulfill the dreams of others. Greg didn’t ... Continue Reading
The Compound Interest Snatch Workout: How To Train Hard And Smart At The Same Time
Last week I wrote an article that can be summed up like this: work harder if you want to achieve your goals. It seems simple enough, but because of our overemphasis on phrases like "work smart, not hard," ... Continue Reading
How To Train Like A Pro, Without Training Like A Pro
With the Olympics just around the corner there will soon be living rooms filled with wannabe athletes intent on shaking off their slovenly past, ready to do some exercise, inspired by the incredible feats ... Continue Reading
Athlete Journal: Holley Mangold, Entry 2 – My Travels
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. Holley is part of Team USA headed to London this summer. Follow her journey here as she trains for the 2012 ... Continue Reading
Karate Kid Weightlifting: Why I Can’t Teach Patience, But You CAN Learn It
"Problem: Attitude." - Mister Miyagi In the totally awesome 1980s martial arts movie "The Karate Kid,” the main character, Daniel, was told by his Karate master, Mister Miyagi, that his early ... Continue Reading
Weightlifting Straps Review, Part 2: My Top 4 Favorite Brands
In last weeks article, I wrote up all the primary reasons you should at least own a pair of straps if you plan to lift heavy weight. Heck, even if you only used them on deadlifts, that's worth it. Not ... Continue Reading
Weightlifting Straps Review, Part 1: What They Are and Why I Love Them
You need to lift more weight. And you need to lift more weight more often. Sorry, I'm just not going to sugar coat it for you. You can't make great progress in the gym by lifting loads that are under your ... Continue Reading
The 5 Best Olympic Weightlifting Shoes for Under $200 in 2012
When I first started Olympic weightlifting, there were very few choices for weightlifting shoes. It was basically Adidas...or Adidas! And they were NOT cheap. But now, in large part because of the ... Continue Reading
Are Coaches REALLY Worth the Money?
Coaches like me are expensive. We charge big money and then turn right around and make YOU do all the work. What gives? On the surface that sounds a heck-of-a-lot like a scam! If you peaked into the ... Continue Reading
Sports Psychology Warning: Do NOT “Psych Up” ‘Til You Read This
You see it all the time. The big guy with the hairy back starts screaming and yelling, grunting and screeching...and he hasn't even grabbed the bar yet! He stomps around the room banging his chest ... Continue Reading
Everyday Squatting for the Everyday Athlete
The year 2011 was a great one for the promotion of heavy, daily training. Olympic weightlifting continued its rise in popularity, CrossFit partnered with Reebok, and the so-called "Bulgarian" methods of ... Continue Reading
What Charlie Brown Can Teach You About Weightlifting: Look Up!
Charlie Brown just can't get a break. He can't kick the football, he can't get a good Christmas tree, he can't even control his dog! He walks around with his shoulders slumped, his head down, and is ... Continue Reading
The Map Is Not the Territory: Plan Less, Lift More
Back in my bodybuilding days, before I saw the light and switched over to strength sports, I used to train with a couple of buddies: Adam and Justin. All three of us worked part-time as personal trainers ... Continue Reading
Weightlifting Belts: Should You Use One? Pro and Con
Depending upon who you ask the question, "Should I wear a weightlifting belt?" you can end up getting an emphatic "yes", a condescending "no", or an uninterested "I don't care." For instance, powerlifters ... Continue Reading
“Six Pack Abs” Make You Less Efficient in Weightlifting
Training the abdominal muscles for a purely aesthetic goal is common in athletic training today. Traditionally, core work is often based on developing musculature for a “six-pack” rather than balanced ... Continue Reading