Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Finish and Other Problems

I have been so guilty of the early arm pull on the snatch and having a closed hip.  Last night in my training, I finally saw all of my hard work and practice I've been putting into technique payoff. 
 
I filmed the lift using "The Coach's Eye", so I was able to go back, frame by frame and evaluate the different positions.  Tons of practice has been put into snatch segments, and I was so stoked to finally see those positions in my lift.
SHOULDERS BEHIND THE BAR SON!
I came across a great read today on Catalyst Athletics blog by Matt Foreman, and I thought I would share it below, since yesterday's post briefly touched on refocusing...just know when things get tough, you're not alone.  It's the life of a weightlifter.
You Got A Lot Of Freakin Problems, Matt Foreman,
You Got A Lot Of Freakin Problems Matt Foreman | January 28 2013

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’t seem to fix it.”
3) “The bottom position isn’t comfortable for me. I see other lifters sitting deep and it looks stable and comfortable, but I feel tight and off-balance when I go below parallel.”
4) “I’m stuck at the same weights. I haven’t made a new PR in what feels like forever.”
5) “When I’m snatching, I accidentally do a lot of power snatches. I’m not trying to do it. I want to go all the way into the full movement, but I catch a lot of them high and I can’t stop doing it.”
6) “The bar keeps swinging out in front of me. I can’t figure out how to keep it close to my body.”
7) “I doubt myself. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be really good at this, and it screws with my head.”
8) “My family gives me a lot of static because they think I’m wasting my time with weightlifting. They think I should just quit and start living a normal life.”
9) “I keep getting injured. It happens all the damn time and I can’t make any progress because of it.”
10) “All of my friends are getting married, buying houses, and making money. I feel like I’m getting behind in life because I’m committing everything to lifting.”
11) “Other people in my gym are making progress faster than me. Some of them haven’t even been lifting as long as I have.”
12) “My knees/back/wrists/elbows just hurt…all the time.”
13) “I keep hitting my pubic bone when I drive my hips into the bar and it hurts so bad I almost can’t stand it.”
14) “I know some of the people I compete against are taking drugs. I’m staying clean and they’re beating me because they’re cheating, but they don’t get caught.”
15) “I don’t think my coach has me on the right program. I think I should be doing something different but I don’t want to say anything.”
16) “Things are going bad with my boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife because he/she thinks I’m obsessing too hard about weightlifting.”
17) “I can’t find a good coach.”
18) “I have to train every day with somebody I hate.”
19) “I have to train every day with somebody I used to date, and it’s awkward as hell.”
20) “The athletes I coach aren’t making progress and I think it’s because I’m not training them correctly.”
21) “One of my best athletes is a pain in the ass and it’s screwing up the rest of the team.”
22) “Some jerkoff coach is trying to move in on some of my lifters.”
23) “I have to train in a gym where they get pissed at me if I try to do any real lifting.”
24) “I don’t know if I want to do this anymore. Sometimes I feel like I want to just move on and get out of weightlifting, but I don’t want to let anybody down.”
25) “One of the best athletes I’ve ever coached just quit on me all of a sudden.”
26) “I can’t believe how many freaking idiots there are in this sport. It drives me crazy because some people actually listen to them and think they know what they’re talking about.”
27) “My leg strength sucks. I can pull the crap out of the bar, but I can’t stand up with anything.”
28) “I get so pissed off sometimes when lifting isn’t going well. I want to break stuff and kick the crap out of somebody, and it’s making me a nasty person.”
29) “People tell me I’m really talented, but I don’t believe them. I think they’re lying just to be nice.”
30) “I’m worried that weightlifting is going to make me look like a freak.”
31) “I work my ass off for the people I coach and not one of them shows any appreciation or gratitude.”
32) “I know I’m working harder than most of the other lifters out there, but some of them are still beating me. It’s not fair.”
33) “My coach is being a butthole.”
34) “I’ve got a weight I’ve been trying to lift for a long time and I keep missing it. Now it’s in my head.”
35) “None of my friends respect what I do. They don’t know what weightlifting is and they think it’s stupid.”
36) “I started lifting too late. I think I’m gonna be too old to really make it to the top.”

So…how many of those have you had, or currently have? Personally, I’ve had 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18, 22, 25, 26, 28, 32, and 34. You’re not alone when you go through rough patches. We’re all in this sport together, and that means we’re going to eat a lot of the same dirt.

I guess we should come up with a list of solutions, right? It doesn’t do any good to complain about something if you don’t find a way to fix it. I’m not a genius, so I can’t really come up with a long list of ways to solve these problems. In fact, I can only think of two possible choices when this crap hits you. Here they are:

1) You can curl up in a ball and quit.
2) You can keep working and find a way to fight through it.

Feel free to chime in if you can think of any more. But that’s all I’ve been able to come up with after 25 years of weightlifting. When it’s all said and done, you just have to pick one of those options and go with it.

Personally, I think you should pick #2. But it’s your life. Do whatever you want.

 
 (To read more great blog articles click on the link to Catalyst Athletics here.)

Monday, January 28, 2013

REFOCUS

Sometimes, life throws you curve balls and challenges.  Sometimes the training is going to feel hard and beat you down.  It can beat you down so hard that you begin to question yourself, why you're doing it, and what's it's all for anyway? 

During these momentary lapses in our training lives, it's okay to step away and reevaluate ALL of it.  It's okay to change up your routines and get back to spending some time doing other things that you love.  That way when you get back at it, you're mind will be strong and fresh and ready to conquer anything.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Yay!  Cardinal Softball Season!!!
Coach B & Coach J
2012

Last year, I had the fortunate opportunity to coach high school softball with one of the best...Jocelyn Forest .  With tryouts only one week away, I am excited for the new season and eager to get into the swing of the new schedule, as it will be pretty grueling with the combination of keeping up with the intensity that I like to maintain for my own training.  But hey, but I like a challenge, and I seem to work well under pressure.
 
How do you manage your personal life, responsibilities, extra curriculars, kids, and training?  How do you keep the energy high without becoming totally fatigued?  Please share your tips in the comments section below! 
 
Happy Monday!  Well, its Tuesday, but Monday was a holiday, which means it's almost Wednesday, which is "Hump Day", which means it's almost Friday! Yay!!!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

21 Days to Change a Habit

While critics would argue that "21 Days to Change a Habit" is a myth, I have found it useful to presume that I could change a habit in 21 days.  21 days seams to be challenging, but not defeating as it is not quite a month in it's entirety.  Myth or not, using a number to set measurable goals gives someone a specific number to work towards.  Now of course depending on who you are and what your goals actually are, this number could vary drastically.  I read an article called, Busting the 21 Days Habit Formation Myth by Ben D Garner Sood, which helped to dispel the myth and possible pop culture media explanation behind this suggested number.  Trivial or not, I found it helpful.  The article suggested that you may have to persevere well past January 21st, if you've set some New Year resolutions.  So press on soldiers, and I'll see you on the other side. 

"We are what we repeatedly to.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle

21 days or not, make sure that your goals are SMART!

SPECIFIC
MEASURABLE
ACHIEVABLE
RELEVANT
TIMELY
 

Monday, January 14, 2013

Down and Out

A medium-sized orange is an excellent source of vitamin C with 70 mg.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/467889-are-oranges-good-for-a-cough-phlegm/#ixzz2HysJ6z5g
Down and out with the flu!  That's where I've been if you've missed me. 

An interesting thing happened to me during this event.  Prior to the onset of a 103 degree fever, I found myself in the kitchen cutting into oranges and cold Cuties that were stored in the refrigerator in the garage.  Normally, I avoid all fruit because of the sugars.  As I was cutting into them I knew that my body was craving them out of some desperate need.  I seriously knew my body had taken over and was trying to provide itself with something that was missing.  I was craving the cold, sweet, and sugary Cuties, but why? 

Oranges provide your body with energy, Vitamin C, and has antioxidant properties that strengthen your immune system.  "Oranges contain 62 calories each with 52 mg of calcium and 13 mg magnesium. Rich in the antioxidant vitamin A for healthy mucus membranes to control infection and phlegm, one medium orange supplies 295 IU. Oranges contain  folate, which boosts the immune system and helps prevent respiratory problems that may cause coughing. An orange provides 237 mg of potassium plus iron, magnesium and phosphorus, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database."
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/467889-are-oranges-good-for-a-cough-phlegm/#ixzz2HyrpfzFH




Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Christmas Abbot

Another favorite athlete is Christmas Abbot. 


"I've worked my ass off for this body and will continue to do so. Like it or not, I don't care. I love my body and what it does for me." - Christmas Abbot

My feelings precisely. 

Being Me is Being

 
RX STAR