A Beginner's Introduction to Olympic Weightlifting

Frogdog

Hi all,

Just thought I'd post up my introduction to, and experiences of, Olympic Weightlifting in East Coast Barbell, in the effort to maybe get other people to take it up as a sport and maybe to answer some people's questions about it if they have any.

First, a bit about my background, I'm male, 27 and over the last few years I've taken an interest in improving my life in all aspects, particularly health, fitness, strength and nutrition, all of which tie in together to certain degrees in my opinion.

I've joined a couple of different chains of gyms in the past, in the hope of getting "the body I've always wanted", which never really worked out. I didn't have the knowledge to achieve that goal and looking back, the gym staff advising me didn't have the knowledge either. I needed something else.

So I took up long distance running and ran every 5 mile, 10k, 10 mile and half marathon I could find, culminating in the Dublin City Marathon in October 2009. I found running to be great for increasing my stamina and fitness, but my strength had decreased significantly. Instead of the fat I thought my body was burning/losing with all the running I was doing, it was muscle that was falling off my body. I was 65kg and culd still grab my belly! :eek:

So I gave up the running after the marathon and began a beginner's powerlifting program, Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. I followed the program by the book, squatting heavy (relatively) three times a week, even drinking a gallon of milk every day (GOMAD) for a month to put some meat on my skinny-fat frame after the marathon. While my strength levels and the amount of muscle I had shot up, so did the body fat levels. Something needed to be done as I had just crept over the 95kg mark, and didn't want to see 100kg on the scales. I could squat my body weight 15 times with ease, but I was badly unconditioned. I couldn't even run 500m without any difficulty. One extreme to the other. :rolleyes:

And that's when Boards.ie came to my rescue.

I was looking at trying something different, again! I had thought of getting into something like Crossfit, but had heard mixed reports. And then one day I saw a post by G'em offering free introductory Olympic Weightlifting training to one lucky person. To be honest, I knew very little about the sport, but I'm one to always try something once. So I got in contact with G'em and arranged to meet her in the gym she trains in in Bray, East Coast Barbell.

My first impressions when I found the place were "Cool, now this is what I've been looking for all along"! I was introduced to the two guys that run the place, Barry Kinsella and Sami Dowling, and an Olympic Weightlifting coach, Wayne Healy. Basically, it's a converted garage in a small industrial estate on the Dublin side of Bray, easily accessible by Dublin Bus. It has everything for training, be it Olympic Weightlifting, rugby, GAA or just those that want to work out. I was impressed with the quality of the equipment - the weightlifting platforms, the range of weights and plates, chalk, straps, racks/cages, benches, dumbbells, prowlers etc - and also the coaching - all the guys in there compete, and some have weightlifting records (and hopefully a few more)! The coaches have various backgrounds such as rugby, strength & conditioning, powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting and are really friendly, and a very important aspect of East Coast Barbell is that there's always at least one coach on the gym floor at all times. Not only is it reassuring, but they'll always push you on further, something which I need at times! There's an on-site physio who gives complimentary screening and creates a pre-hab program depending on your flexibility/weak spots upon joining, and recently I've spotted a masseuse working there also (but I'm not sure if that's a permanent fixture).

Anyway, while meeting G'em, I was told about a beginner's "introduction to weightlifting" class that would be held twice a week for 4 weeks, so I signed up to it. Wayne would be my coach and there were a few other people taking part. While I didn't get the spot advertised by G'em, I was enjoying my training so much with Wayne and the others that at the end of the four weeks I decided to join the gym and become a full member. I could see the progress I was making, my strength was good, I was losing weight, my flexibility was improving, my fitness levels were coming back and I started sleeping better, eating better and had a growing feeling of awesomeness each and every day. So once I joined the coaches created my own specific program, one where I get tested every month or so, and the program changes in accordance with my progress.

I've been a member now since the start of January, so about 10 weeks so far. My weight has gone from 95.5 kg to 88kg, weight-loss of over a stone. My strength has increased, I'm having great fun learning the snatch and the clean & jerk and am progressing steadily, the fitness/combos side of things always keep me on my toes fitness-wise and probably most importantly, I've thoroughly enjoyed every moment and become friends with all the coaches and members. I'm on a first name basis with most people there, something that never would have happened in a commercial gym. I'm also planning on entering my first competition in the Summer with the help of East Coast Barbell, as long as I get my weightlifting boots before then! :pac: Wish me luck with the competition!

Anyway, if anyone has any questions, reservations, comments or thoughts about beginning Olympic Weightlifting, throw them at me. Particularly those that are thinking about trying something different. Believe me, you won't regret it! It's AWESOME!!!

Dotcomdolly

Sounds great!
Well done on your progress.

Remmy

Good read nice one for putting that up.How did you find being able to recover enough for weightlifting and ensuring you were getting stronger while leaning up?Did you have to make a consious effort to stuff the carbs down you pre and post workout and then taper them off for the rest of the day or did it come naturally from the nature of the training?

Frogdog

Remmy wrote: »

Good read nice one for putting that up.How did you find being able to recover enough for weightlifting and ensuring you were getting stronger while leaning up?Did you have to make a consious effort to stuff the carbs down you pre and post workout and then taper them off for the rest of the day or did it come naturally from the nature of the training?

I was always sceptical when I had read about people losing weight but getting stronger at the same time. In my opinion, I guess it happened with me due to a few factors:

1. I'm a beginner, relatively speaking. I would think it would be easier for beginners.
2. When I was at my heaviest, I was training on my own. So when I trained under a coach (while on a calorie deficit) he was able to improve my technique, which helped me in adding a few extra kilos to my maxes. I also used to train every session to my maxes, whereas now I might be testing my max every month or so. This helps keep me fresher.
3. I know I won't be able to keep it up forever. There's no way anyone can. Give me a few weeks and it'll taper off.

So, having said the above, I'm expecting recovery times to increase as I keep on with this cut.

Regarding the timings of my food and particularly carbs, I haven't been that technical yet. No doubt I probably will have to though, once my weight loss stalls. So I guess it's been the nature of the training so far. My first competition will probably be at the 85kg class, and then maybe try and get down to 77kg. My diet has changed in that I haven't eaten bread in 2011, nor touched a drop of alcohol. I'm getting a decent serving of protein in at every meal, and the only carbs I eat are oats, brown rice, potatoes and all fruit and veg. I've also started taking fish oil and glucosamine sulphate, just for better joint health.

drdeadlift

so does this mean you have given up doing isolation work on the guns??

drdeadlift

Remmy wrote: »

Good read nice one for putting that up.How did you find being able to recover enough for weightlifting and ensuring you were getting stronger while leaning up?Did you have to make a consious effort to stuff the carbs down you pre and post workout and then taper them off for the rest of the day or did it come naturally from the nature of the training?

Dont worry this lad eats horse meat!!

East Coast Barbell

Remmy wrote: »

Good read nice one for putting that up.How did you find being able to recover enough for weightlifting and ensuring you were getting stronger while leaning up?Did you have to make a consious effort to stuff the carbs down you pre and post workout and then taper them off for the rest of the day or did it come naturally from the nature of the training?

Hi Remmy,

A lot of people tend to over-analyse recovery. It really is a simple case of ensuring you get enough sleep (8-9 hours tends to be ideal), you eat properly (everyone knows how, you don't need to read the latest T-Nation article) and you are sensible and intelligent in your programming and your application of your program, ie. if you are wrecked for one particular session, you don't kill yourself. If Frogdog does not do any of the following, his program will be altered accordingly. Is this a threat? Yes!

Frogdog

drdeadlift wrote: »

so does this mean you have given up doing isolation work on the guns??

Jealousy will get you nowhere!

East Coast Barbell wrote: »

Hi Remmy,

A lot of people tend to over-analyse recovery. It really is a simple case of ensuring you get enough sleep (8-9 hours tends to be ideal), you eat properly (everyone knows how, you don't need to read the latest T-Nation article) and you are sensible and intelligent in your programming and your application of your program, ie. if you are wrecked for one particular session, you don't kill yourself. If Frogdog does not do any of the following, his program will be altered accordingly. Is this a threat? Yes!

Haha! It'll be hard to sleep knowing there's so much pressure being put on me now!

tomaoo7

Im thinking of trying this one day..:D

token

I tried out the beginner classes there too and also decided to join up full time after they ended. I think Frogdog covered everything so I won't go on about it but I'll say I'm making good strides on my olympic lifting with a bodyweight snatch fast approaching and I'm building up my twig legs with plenty of squatting.

Transform

Plus Glen Pendaly is there on wednesday!!

ontheditch2

First of all, the above information is very interesting.
My background- i am a hurler, have never really done gym work because i just dont like gyms, am 27 years old, probably a stone overweight.
Last week, i was talking to another Hurler, who is studying Sports science in UL, and he has started doing Olympic weightlifting down there, and had nothing but positive things to say about it and how he would recommend that all GAA players do this type of training as opposed to normal gym work.
What do ye think about this?? Would ye recommend it for this purpose of improving..
Any comments are greatly appreciated

metamorphosis

Do you have access to UL, if it were something you wanted to do with your hurling go and have a chat with the lads in the weightlifting club there.

Mellor

One thing I 've always wondered about Oly lifts

What would be a good weight lifted for somebody who just does the lifts as part of an over all plan (ie not training specifically for olylifting)

I know its relative obv, but say to the same level as 1-1.25 x bw bench, 1.75 Squat, 2xbw deadlift

Maars

Standards schmandards, but here you go...

http://danjohn.net/2009/11/hoffman-standards/

Remmy

Mellor wrote: »

One thing I 've always wondered about Oly lifts

What would be a good weight lifted for somebody who just does the lifts as part of an over all plan (ie not training specifically for olylifting)

I know its relative obv, but say to the same level as 1-1.25 x bw bench, 1.75 Squat, 2xbw deadlift

I dont know the ratios and this wouldnt apply to fatties but I remember reading somewhere that if one cant clean bw in their first month or two of weightlifting they dont have much potential in the sport.flame away..

Remmy

Maars wrote: »

Standards schmandards, but here you go...

http://danjohn.net/2009/11/hoffman-standards/

Thats pretty cool thanks for posting it!

g'em

Remmy wrote: »

I dont know the ratios and this wouldnt apply to fatties but I remember reading somewhere that if one cant clean bw in their first month or two of weightlifting they dont have much potential in the sport.flame away..

load of balls tbh.

A complete beginner will rarely be introduced to the full clean movement a month after starting out for one thing.

Remmy

g'em wrote: »

load of balls tbh.

A complete beginner will rarely be introduced to the full clean movement a month after starting out for one thing.

Thats fair enough I think I saw it on a clip of Pat mendes cleaning and He or his trainer responded to a question about how long it would take to reach an x amount of strength and one of them responded with something along the lines of if someone after that time didnt clean bw they weren't at the races.



I'd say I probablly picked it up wrong.I didn't mean any offence.:o


edit;I'd def say I took it out of context..

g'em

no offense taken

Pat Mendes is a freak in the best possible way though, if you were holding yourself to that kind of standard you'd be sorely disappointed very quickly

With weightlifting it's pretty easy to see from the beginning when someone has real potential. They will pick it up quickly, they'll tend to have great kinesthetic awareness, good flexibility, and a history of high-level athletic competency.

But if you're starting out and you can't clean bw after a month it doesn't mean you should give up, far from it. It just means you're not a genetically gifted anomaly

dantes87

If someone started weightlifting after building a decent base of strength would they not be cleaning bw or more straight away, even if their form/flexibility was crap?

I imagine early progress in Oly lifts has as much to do with training history as genetics?

g'em

dantes87 wrote: »

If someone started weightlifting after building a decent base of strength would they not be cleaning bw or more straight away, even if their form/flexibility was crap?

I've yet to see someone start to weightlift - regardless of training history - and be able to clean bw right off the bat.

dantes87 wrote:

I imagine early progress in Oly lifts has as much to do with training history as genetics?

I'm not sure I understand...

Hanley

g'em wrote: »

I've yet to see someone start to weightlift - regardless of training history - and be able to clean bw right off the bat.

Hi.

I also snatched bodyweight in like 4 weeks.

dantes87

If someone deadlifts 3-4x bw, and has never done an Oly lift before I am sure they could get bw from the floor to overhead without a problem.

This person might not be genetically gifted for the Oly lifts, but their powerlifting history, rather than genetics, has allowed them make a decent start in the clean.

When you said a complete beginner will rarely clean bw within a month did you mean someone who never touched a weight or just someone who never did oly lifts?

g'em

Hanley wrote: »

Hi.

I also snatched bodyweight in like 4 weeks.

that's awesome.

oh and you weightlifted for how long before you injured yourself?

dantes87 wrote: »

If someone deadlifts 3-4x bw, and has never done an Oly lift before I am sure they could get bw from the floor to overhead without a problem.

they more than likely could. Hanley is an example. But a) getting the bar to OH in one movement is a snatch and b) there's a gazillion ways to do it without it being a clean & jk.

dantes87 wrote:

This person might not be genetically gifted for the Oly lifts, but their powerlifting history, rather than genetics, has allowed them make a decent start in the clean.

It will and it won't. Having a PLing history tends to cause difficulty in the starting positions for weightlifting. But they will have a decent strength base to help them on their journey.

dantes87 wrote:

When you said a complete beginner will rarely clean bw within a month did you mean someone who never touched a weight or just someone who never did oly lifts?

Either/ or, although I should qualify that by saying with good form. Like I said above, there's different ways to get a bar overhead, few of these methods can be considered weightlifting.

d'Oracle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Uf9zZkVOo

g'em

I don't know whether to fall off the chair laughing or in despair

Hanley

g'em wrote: »

that's awesome.

Thanks

oh and you weightlifted for how long before you injured yourself?

Not too long, but I'd already torn that shoulder apart years previously, could barely do a pull up or hanging leg raise without it attempting to subluxate anyway, so it was always going to happen.

Fortunate enough to avoid picking up a lot of the nasty habits that you see a lot of the time from coaches and lifters tho like leaving the bar in front, not extending full and pulling with my arms tho.

Find it funny to see coaches still displaying those habits after multi year training tbh.

a) getting the bar to OH in one movement is a snatch

Do you know many people who can snatch more than they clean?

and b) there's a gazillion ways to do it without it being a clean & jk.

I think the discussion was on cleans?

Having a PLing history tends to cause difficulty in the starting positions for weightlifting. But they will have a decent strength base to help them on their journey.

Would you not agree that a regular dude coming off the street with no PL history will exhibit similar issues and difficulty when it comes to setting up?

And that the reason it happens is because of poor mobility and flexibility as a result of not looking after that aspect of things? So it becomes less a feature of PL'n being inherently bad, and a lack of mobility work being the issue?

g'em

Hanley wrote: »

Not too long, but I'd already torn that shoulder apart years previously, could barely do a pull up or hanging leg raise without it attempting to subluxate anyway, so it was always going to happen.

So why actively choose a sport that would lead to injury?

Hanley wrote:

Fortunate enough to avoid picking up a lot of the nasty habits that you see a lot of the time from coaches and lifters tho like leaving the bar in front, not extending full and pulling with my arms tho.

Find it funny to see coaches still displaying those habits after multi year training tbh

Habits generally take time to form though don't they

Funnily enough there's very few coaches that I know of who are perfect at their own sport. Is that a prerequisite of good coaching ability these days?

Personally I find awareness of my own faults (of which there are many) help me be a better coach. It's easier to spot faults in others when yuo know how easy it is to have them yourself

Hanley wrote:

Do you know many people who can snatch more than they clean?

I was pointing out that his definition was a snatch not a clean, how did you derive that question from what I posted?

Hanley wrote:

I think the discussion was on cleans?

It was, dante mentioned going OH

Hanley wrote:

Would you not agree that a regular dude coming off the street with no PL history will exhibit similar issues and difficulty when it comes to setting up?

Depends on their natural flexibility I've found. PLers will have a neural pattern set in place from deadlifting though.

Hanley wrote:

And that the reason it happens is because of poor mobility and flexibility as a result of not looking after that aspect of things? So it becomes less a feature of PL'n being inherently bad, and a lack of mobility work being the issue?

Just for clarity I'm not anywhere saying that coming into weightlifting as a PLer is bad, nothing of the sort You're right, bad mobility and flexibililty will have much more pronounced negative effects, a hisotry in PLing will just confer additional challenges.

East Coast Barbell

ontheditch2 wrote: »

First of all, the above information is very interesting.
My background- i am a hurler, have never really done gym work because i just dont like gyms, am 27 years old, probably a stone overweight.
Last week, i was talking to another Hurler, who is studying Sports science in UL, and he has started doing Olympic weightlifting down there, and had nothing but positive things to say about it and how he would recommend that all GAA players do this type of training as opposed to normal gym work.
What do ye think about this?? Would ye recommend it for this purpose of improving..
Any comments are greatly appreciated

Hi there,

Weightlifting can help you in a variety of ways in my opinion. It can help your flexibility and mobility which will be vital to not only prevent injury but also to improve performance. Hurling will also require speed, strength and power, so weightlifting, when taught appropriately, can also check these off the list.

It is also fun to learn new movements and the sport is bizarrely addictive whether competing in its own right or using it to enhance sporting performance. The key is to find somewhere to improve all these traits because if you are not well coached, you will not make best use of your time.

The right coach can help you get healthier as well as help enhance your performance whether it be to improve your bodyweigh:strength ratio or if you need to put on some muscle, because as Dave Tate says, you can't flex bone!

drdeadlift

So Frogdog whats your plans for competing this year??

East Coast Barbell

dantes87 wrote: »

If someone started weightlifting after building a decent base of strength would they not be cleaning bw or more straight away, even if their form/flexibility was crap?

I imagine early progress in Oly lifts has as much to do with training history as genetics?

Hi Dante,

Most rugby players we coach Clean bodyweight and far, far more very quickly. Generally we go from the Hang to begin, but strength is not an issue with these guys, even the younger players. A lot of other rugby players I know training in other places "Power Clean" far more than bodyweight in hideous form, but they are still strong enough. As such, yes, early progress in SOME of the weightlifting movements can have as much to do with training history as genetics.

Without being particularly strong or genetically gifted, I taught myself how to Snatch 90kg bodyweight in around six weeks or so when I was a rugby player. After five months of coaching, I Snatched 105kg weighing 94kg. I was not freaky in any way, but it shows that despite flexibility issues, I was able for it. Again, as a self taught rugby player, I Power Cleaned 105 for a double weighing 90kg and Clean and Jerked 130kg after five months in the same competition. If I can do it, anyone can: but they needed to have a base level of strength, athletic training and basic training history.

Fr someone starting off without that training history, they use weightlifting to get that training age and as such, it takes longer to hit those bodyweight to strength numbers. Neither person is more gifted than the other, just different training backgrounds in my opinion. I have seen an American kid who was a typical overweight coach potato start weightlifting at 12 and Clean and Jerk 203kg aged 19. His training age was weightlifting realted only. There is another 19 year old with the same numbers and he was a track and field athlete/football player and he has not specialised in weightlifting for a fraction of the time.

Either way, get yourself into the right environment and you will lift far great numbers than you ever dreamed you could.

TommyKnocker

d'Oracle wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Uf9zZkVOo

I don't think three red flags would be anywhere near enough for that attempt :D

Edwardius

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I don't think three red flags would be anywhere near enough for that attempt :D

It's a continental clean and press, it's a strongman lift.

d'Oracle

TommyKnocker wrote: »

I don't think three red flags would be anywhere near enough for that attempt :D

I posted it to show something that was, as g'em put it, NOT weightlifting.
It is however a competed and perfectly valid lift, involving putting weight over ones head.

Here is Poundstone setting a record in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BSzywnlj28

And from the front:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU7hNviBijc

dantes87

East Coast Barbell wrote: »

Hi Dante,

Most rugby players we coach Clean bodyweight and far, far more very quickly. Generally we go from the Hang to begin, but strength is not an issue with these guys, even the younger players. A lot of other rugby players I know training in other places "Power Clean" far more than bodyweight in hideous form, but they are still strong enough. As such, yes, early progress in SOME of the weightlifting movements can have as much to do with training history as genetics.

Without being particularly strong or genetically gifted, I taught myself how to Snatch 90kg bodyweight in around six weeks or so when I was a rugby player. After five months of coaching, I Snatched 105kg weighing 94kg. I was not freaky in any way, but it shows that despite flexibility issues, I was able for it. Again, as a self taught rugby player, I Power Cleaned 105 for a double weighing 90kg and Clean and Jerked 130kg after five months in the same competition. If I can do it, anyone can: but they needed to have a base level of strength, athletic training and basic training history.

Fr someone starting off without that training history, they use weightlifting to get that training age and as such, it takes longer to hit those bodyweight to strength numbers. Neither person is more gifted than the other, just different training backgrounds in my opinion. I have seen an American kid who was a typical overweight coach potato start weightlifting at 12 and Clean and Jerk 203kg aged 19. His training age was weightlifting realted only. There is another 19 year old with the same numbers and he was a track and field athlete/football player and he has not specialised in weightlifting for a fraction of the time.

Either way, get yourself into the right environment and you will lift far great numbers than you ever dreamed you could.

Thanks for the reply.
I was thinking a bodyweight clean is not very special or particularly difficult. I was referring to earlier in the thread where someone said it would be hard for the non genetically to achieve within a month.

I would be interested to know what sort of ratios are typical for average bros with ok technique? Eg clean:squat or clean:deadlift

d'Oracle

Don't take this as a criticism, but you seem very keen on the "typical".

I'm not sure these things exist.

Hanley

d'Oracle wrote: »

Don't take this as a criticism, but you seem very keen on the "typical".

I'm not sure these things exist.

He wants to compare himself to see if he's good.

Sid_Justice

metamorphosis wrote: »

Do you have access to UL, if it were something you wanted to do with your hurling go and have a chat with the lads in the weightlifting club there.

what's the craic with the UL weightlifting club? I'm newish to UL and didn't know there was one. I'd love to give it a go.

dantes87

Hanley wrote: »

He wants to compare himself to see if he's good.

Not really I know I am ****!
Never tried to snatch and can't get rack position for a clean.

I would just like to know how people's cleans/snatches match up with their other lifts. I can get a 90kg clean with no form or technique this is 50% of my best squat and less than 40% of my best deadlift.

With a some practice what kind of percentages have you guys achieved?

Hanley

dantes87 wrote: »

Not really I know I am ****!
Never tried to snatch and can't get rack position for a clean.

I would just like to know how people's cleans/snatches match up with their other lifts. I can get a 90kg clean with no form or technique this is 50% of my best squat and less than 40% of my best deadlift.

With a some practice what kind of percentages have you guys achieved?

Of my best squat- power clean 55%, snatch 40%

Of my best 10rm curl - power clean 200%, snatch 150%



It doesn't mean anything.

Mellor

My experience of cleans, jerk and snatch is basically me grabbign a barbell and giving it a go in a commerical gym.

Form is obv terrible.
I've probably only done c.30 cleans/power cleans and exactly 13 snatches ever
I can hang clean more that I can full clean so that says something about my form in getting it up off the ground

Frogdog

drdeadlift wrote: »

So Frogdog whats your plans for competing this year??

Leinster Open is on July the 11th I think, that'll be my first proper competition. I'm aiming to make the 77kg class so I've about 7-8kg to lose to get down to my training weight. Wayne Healy, my coach said that that should be no bother, given the progress I've been making so far.

This weekend just gone there was a heavy training session/dummy competition for all the members of East Coast Barbell, as well as a few members of other weightlifting clubs around the country. A lot of PBs set/broken, including a PB for the clean & jerk for myself! And the jerk part of the movement absolutely shot up like a rocket, so I know I have more in me. I set a snatch PB last Monday night at training, so I had a good week overall!

tomaoo7

:rolleyes:

SpaceCowb0y

nice post Frogdog! Defo sparked a bit of interest! Good luck with the competition!

Frogdog

An update for those that are interested:

I'm just after competing in my first competition last weekend down in Edenderry, Co. Offaly. Weighed in at 81kg (still a few kilos to go to the 77kg weightclass), but it didn't matter as the competition was using the Sinclair method. I didn't bother cutting or anything for it, so could have been around 79kg or so had I tried.

Anyway, my opener for the snatch was set at 55kg. Rushed through the last warmup, which was 55kg also, and it didn't quite come off. Everything up to then was fine, so I was a bit more nervous stepping on the platform knowing I had just failed the same weight. Anyway, I gave it my all and it shot up like a rocket - it's true what they say - the weight on the platform is lighter! Then came 59kg, which was a 1kg PB, and I managed to steady myself and nail it as well. I was thinking of going for 61kg, but my coach Wayne called for 63kg! :eek: Again, shot up like a rocket, but was too slow to get in under it. I caught it but it slipped backwards and behind me. Oh well!

Then the clean & jerk, had only time for 2 or 3 warm up lifts before my opener of 61kg. No bother at all. Then a jump to 71kg (a PB of 1kg), again it was fine. Could have done with more punch. Then my final lift of 75kg. I felt the clean was brilliant, a new clean PB for me, but the jerk lacked serious punch and me getting under it. My technique with the jerk needs a bit of work.

So all in all, 4 PBs on the day (snatch, clean & jerk, clean and total) so I can't be dissatisfied with that. And of the 10 or so novice lifters (first competition), I think I came second to a lad a stone heavier than me.

Definitely has whetted my appetite for more competitions and I want to put more effort into training down at East Coast Barbell with Wayne and the boys after it.

And it was nice to meet some of the posters on here in person; Token, Dead Ed, Supposedly, ItsallabouttheL and Molly. Hello to all!

IdidIt

Well done on the competition!

I've seen some fellas in my gym Raw near the Portobello doing some Olympic lifting and I'd love to learn how to do it without destroying my back. Do you know of any beginners classes in Dublin City? Brey is too much of a trek for me.

howtomake

I was wondering if you were just too lazy to post your results
63kg, nice, CONGRATS on the PR. More effort eh? Maybe keeping a log wouldn't be bad so we can abuse, *ahem*, I mean encourage you.

IdidIt, I hear ya on the trek, can take me up to an hour or just to get there. I moan about it, but its well worth. And you are talking to a person that always tried to go to a gym that was no more than 15 minutes away. But just keep your mind open about ECB for the time being.

Frogdog

Read that again howtomake - my snatch PR was 59kg, I missed the 63kg! but only just. If I had another attempt I reckon I would've had it. :P

No log for me, far too lazy for that craic.

howtomake

Frogdog wrote: »

Read that again howtomake - my snatch PR was 59kg, I missed the 63kg! but only just. If I had another attempt I reckon I would've had it. :P

No log for me, far too lazy for that craic.

Too lazy to read it again, I'll just take your word for it, seeing as though you were the one there. So what went through your mind before, during and afterwards?

Mellor

After you posted this the last time I added Oly lifts to my workout. Nothing serious, jsut a few sets of snatch or power cleans once every week or two. My form is pretty bad when I go for maxes, but i 've got similar numbers to yourself. something I'm defo going to keep up.