Goals, goals, goals, it's all about goals

I just got done with the American Open. This was the first time I went to this meet just to do a total, and not necessarily to compete. For me, being a competitor, it was a weird feeling.

Regardless, I had clear objectives for the meet, and I was not about to let something like my ego get in the way of it.

Here were my goals:

1. Qualify for the 2017 World Master's Games in April 2017
- 2 lifts, that's it. 1 good snatch and 1 good clean and jerk. That is all I need
2. Compete for first time in 2 years at a National Meet
3. Actually talk to people
-- not kidding, 90% of my competitions, I'm so focused on winning that I never get to actually talk to my friends or network.
4. Stay healthy

Stretch goals
1. Do up to 80%
- This was the preset limit for this macrocycle**. No maxxing out, no going above 80%

Super stretch goals
1.Use Jedi mind tricks to convince coach to go heavier and win a medal
- hmmm, might be counter to my goal of peaking in April
- note to self, lift more such that my 75% is the winning total at all national meets

My goal for 2017 is to win the World Masters Games and to break all the World Records.

I actually never really thought about lifting as a Master.  To be honest, when I found out that the World Master Games were in New Zealand, I was like, "sign me up!".  Let me tell you, I want to go and see the "Hobbits" in New Zealand so bad.  You know, I just spent 3 days in Orlando and could care less about dropping $100 to see Mickey Mouse or Harry Potter at the theme parks.  Now,  for the chance to see the land of the Hobbits and Lord of the Rings movies, that I will take any excuse to fly half way around the world. The actual sets of the Shire are still there!*

Now, the only qualifier in the qualifying period for the World Master Games that I was eligible to lift in was the 2016 American Open. I was simply too young to compete at any of the other qualifiers. The last thing I wanted to do was to show-up at the American Open and just train through it. I am in a part of my macrocycle where maxxing out would just mess things up.

Personally, I am a competitor. Having me go to a meet to not compete is insanity to me.  It actually took a lot of discipline and restraint to do just enough to qualify and not too much to stay within my intensity zone for this microcycle.  I even purposely registered at the minimum entry total so as not to be tempted to go heavier; it also afforded me to open way under 80%.

Platform approach for 100kg. The expression tells it all- to compete without really competing.  Nice Photo from Lifting Life by Andy Blaida. Turns out Andy once had a pair of Ristos and gave them to one of his lifters..so years later, his pair of Risto weightlifting shoes are still in circulation. 

I am sure there are people reading this thinking, " What's the point of weightlifting if sometimes you are not going to even try to lift your best".

Well, in lifting life, you need to decide - are you a competitor or are you a weightlifter? If you are a weightlifter first, then just lifting for the sake of lifting is enough. The joy of lifting the bar over your head is more than satisfying. Now, if you're a competitor, then its more about hitting specific goals. Which competitions do I want to win? Win by how much? Specifically, how much do I want to lift this year at my peak competition?

I tell you what-- going to this competition with a completely different mindset and set of stakes lead me to some learning.

Its not about where you start, but where you finish -- well, sort of not really

I can't tell you how many times I have heard weightlifting coaches say, "it's not about where you start, its about where you finish."

Well, yes and no. At a normal competition, starting 1-3% lower than planned isn't such a big deal. Most people at an advanced level can take a 4-5kg jump on their second attempt if needed.

Now, if you are in a situation, like myserlf, picking a lift >10% below your real openers, then it gets more tricky.

For example, I opened super light in the snatch.  I wanted to take at least a 7kg jump to my second attempt.  My coach, keeping goal #4 in mind, was not having that. His point of view was "Stay healthy. Just take a moderate jump and do six lifts".  Plus, there's the other dilemma of there being 30 attempts between taking a 7kg jump or 15+ attempts for taking a 4kg jump.

Well, guess what, both options kind of sucked. So, we went with the conservative 4kg jump.  I had at least 15 attempts to wait out.  I am very fortunate that, normally, I lift towards the end of the A Session and have never waited more than 3-4 attempts ever.  Waiting >15 attempts was insane.  We dropped down to like 55kgs and kept taking snatches to keep me warm.

Coming out for what was normally an easy 77kg snatch seemed ridiculous after I had been in the warm-up room over 30 minutes.  I was getting impatient and flustered. I complained to my coach that I didn't want to play this game of take one lift then sit for 30 minutes. I let my mind drift out of the Zone.  Needless to say, I badly missed my second attempt-like not even close.  It felt like missing the bar-- should just not happen.   For my 3rd attempt, I only had like 5 attempts to wait. I got my shit together thinking to myself, "Gwen, you do this lift in your sleep. Just do it".  This one was a much easier snatch, still I missed it. I was out of the zone.

This lead to some interesting strategies for the clean and jerk.

Strategy
You can control the situation or let it control you.

By the time clean and jerks rolled around, I was 50% at my goal. I had done 1 snatch as needed; now, all I needed was 1 good clean and jerk.

I was not going to jeapordize my 1 good lift for any reason, especially, being at the mercy of other coaches moving their lifters attempts up and down.

I realized I had one advantage no one else had. I've totaled 202kg before, most of the lifters in my session had never done over 180kg, and I only needed a paltry 82kg clean and jerk to hit my qualification goals.

So, how do I get control back?  1. Lowered my opener such that I would be the first person to open the session, Then, 2.  take over a 10kg jump for my second attempt.

If I opened with something ridiculously light, I could do very few warm-ups- say 4-5 reps.  Then, if I took a large enough jump, I would have 30+ attempts until my second attempt.  This would give me plenty of time to rest, then warm-up again to something a little bit closer to a real starting weight.

Well, the plan worked out incredibly well. My opener was ridiculously easy, and making it had taken all the pressure off the rest of my lifts.  I then jumped 13 kilos to 95kg (it was mischievous fun just to see the panic that ensued after I took above the expected 2-5kg jump..sorry, not sorry, to my coaching friends in the warm-up room).

I probably should have went 100kg for my second attempt.  Here's why: As planned, I had plenty of time to warm-up to 95kg. However, a bunch of coaches had then moved their athletes' third attempts to 96kg. This then put me back in the game of waiting a long time between my second and third attempt.

I opted to go 100kg as I did not want to wait to the last lift of the session if I took say a 6 or 8kg jump. Once again, I did not do so well with the long wait and racked the 100kg out forward.

Aside from using this competition as an opportunity to apply some unorthodox attempt selection strategies, it also showed me that I need to get better at real-world competition situations such as having more than 2-3 attempts between my lifts  --you never know when that situation might arise again.

Later that weekend, I watched the men's 85kg session. I was impressed with how some of the lifters , like James Tatum, waited many attempts between their first and second attempts and still came out to make big lifts.  Here's a photo of James with a close 182kg Clean and jerk on his way to winning the USAW American Open. <  Yes, he is wearing a pair of the Tiburon Risto Sports Weightlifting shoes. Yes, I chose this photo because of the perfect lighting on the shoes and its 6 red plates ...  >

Here's James Tatum winning the 2016 American Open in Men's 85kg. This was a very close lift with 182kg clean and jerk. I'm sure he'll do even more soon! Yes, he won a very tough competition in his very own Risto Sports Tiburon weightlifting shoes. Photo by Gwendolyn Sisto.

It made me, again, reflect on the fact that, yes, it would be good for me to increase my ability to hit lifts on the competition platform after long breaks between attempts.

On my other goals:
Hey, I can give myself a little slack. I posted a total at my first National meet in 2 years. I also took the biggest jump of my competitive career ever - a 13kg jump between first and second attempts-- and nailed the lift. My elbows held up just fine ( The two year anniversary of blowing out my right elbow at the 2014 AO is tomorrow. You can memorialize the moment by sending me gluten free cookies lol=), and, overall, I stayed healthy.  

And, yes, I did , finally get to socialize a bit more at this competition. There were so many "facebook friends" I got to actually meet in person and become "real" friends.  There were even some serrendipitous moments like seeing my friend Tim Mcrae , a 2016 USAW Hall of Fame inductee, for the first time in years.  I am really starting to appreciate the rich and amazing network of friends I've made through the sport of weightlifting; probably why I dedicate myself to improving knowledge the sport.



________________
*For people who are not familiar with sarcasm-- Yes, I know New Zealand isn't actually MiddleEarth LOL
** If you are wondering what a macrocycle and microcycle are, I am coming out with a book on the Soviet System in the next few weeks. Its written at a level that both newcomers/beginners and experienced coaches can get something out of it.
*** James Tatum is wearing the current model of the risto sports tiburon " lifters " or  weightlifting shoes.  He joins many other well know lifters who have won championships in these shoes such as Neisi Dajomes, Carlos Andica, Maryam Usman, Rocio Navarro, Lesbia Cruz  ... plus Dmitry Klokov in exhibition post competitive career.

Part 3 - Dmitry Klokov, the Russian Sensation, and the lifters of the Risto Olympia Cup

Dmitry Klokov is as impressive in real life as his is in his countless youtube and instagram videos.  Dmitry is quite taller than most would imagin him.  He is a lean roughly 5'10" 105kg lifter.

His shoulders and pecs bulge through his trademark Team Winner  Russia T-shirts. He wears a manly 5' o clock shadow - scruff on his face. And, there are his eyes-- yes, they really do twinkle in person. 

Dmitry is the kind of athlete that both men and women crush on.  If anything, I know countless guy lifters who have man-crushes on him -- that is some sort of bro-admiration and desire to be like him.

Simply put, Dmitry's got Charisma.

All weekend, I announced his demonstration sessions and was helping back stage where he was doing signings and photos.  Dmitry has a great personality.  He is humble, not a big ego.  He will make sure every fan waiting in line will get an autograph.  He can really work a microphone and draw the crowd in. He's generous with his attention. He seems meticulous.  He's also awesome in that he will post on social media, frequently, copiously, to his fans about all the events he is doing and the companies supporting him (note to athletes who aspire to be as famous and valued as Klokov, you need to post frequently about your sponsor, ie more than 1 crummy picture of the product a sponsor sends). 

And, in addition to all his wonderful qualities,  he really likes our shoes and has a sweet line of plates. His Again Faster KlokovD bars and plates were meticulously designed by him.  I admire someone who can seek perfection, even if it means going through the hard work of multiple iterations.

And, now about his lifting...

He put on a show, every day at the Olympia Cup.  Generation Iron, the rising media giant in the fitness industry, even came over just to tape footage of him lifting.
Here are some of the lifts he did:

Every show, he warmed up in front of the audience with his partner and sidekick, Igor Zapirov.  This also made history, as this was the first time Igor has ever lifted for an audience (more below)

Klokov worked up to a:
170kg pause hang snatch
200kg pause front squat
200kg snatch grip deadlift
175kg power clean plus power jerk

Here is video of his front squats and , yes, you can see how he wraps his knees.

 

Igor lifting at the Risto Olympia Cup also made history. This is the first time Igor has ever lifted for a crowd.  Igor is a former world class gymnast, hold a Guinness book of world record for pulling a car with his teeth, and currently performs for Cirque Du Soleil in Las Vegas. You can tell from how he moves that he is super talented and a developed athlete. He weighed about 88kg and was close with a 110kg snatch- Klokov has only been training him for 7 months. 


And the lifters...what was in it for them:
Lifting at the Risto Olympia Cup is a first class experience.  When you arrive at the venue, there is a separate weigh-in and check-in areas for all the competitors.  The Olympia generously gave 4 Weigh-ins and check-in stations JUST for OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING. Each was professionally labeled with an "Olympic weightlifting " sign.  Each competitor received a free pass to the expo, free t-shirt, and free gift bag form bodybuilding.com stocked with supplements.

The competition was held inside the expo itself.  We had a FANTASTIC position and area.  We were a stone's throw from bodybuilding.com, mucletech, generation iron... basically, all the companies anyone cared about were right by the Olympia Cup booth. And the booth was a mamouth 2000 square feet, larger than even bodybuilding.com's (if you spend anytime reading a fitness magazine, that is like a REALLY big deal).  

We had ample amount of again faster weights, a signing area where both Dmitry Klokov , Igor Zapirove, the Risto Team, and Justin Compton met enthusiastic fans.  Our partner, Alaskafit productions had fitness models give out flyers.   It was classy by fitness standards.

The best part for me was the CROWD! Let's put it this way, Olympic weightlifting has never, ever been exhibited at the Olympia Expo - what do you think the crowd's reaction would be ---   it was utter amazement and fascination.   During down time,  in addition to competing, I did an expo of technique.  People, like flies to a jar of honey, came over -- taking photos, video, cheering, ooo-ing and aweing-- and, I was only doing 35kgs.  I would be surprised if theres a random video of me on a bodybuilding site snatching 35kgs.  I suppose that could be the only possible downside, or travesty- people didn't realize I was just  doing a work out...and to come to my real show the next day .

Again, for our competitors, they got the respect they deserved.  An engaging crowd watched every session.  90% of the crowd was not related to or has ever been to a weightlifting meet , they were simply bodybuilding and fitness fans who stumbled upon this interesting sport of Olympic Weightlifting.

You can see photos and video of many of the lifters who competed at the Risto Olympia Cup on the Risto Sports Facebook page and Instagram, please like and follow to see more content. 

Here is video from the first women's session:


And the lifters...what was in it for them:
You can see photos and video of many of the lifters who competed at the Risto Olympia Cup on the Risto Sports Facebook page and Instagram, please like and follow to see more content. 

The competitors Ca-Ching:

Awards were given out to top 3 lifters in the following categories on Sinclair:  Youth men's, Youth Women's, Junior men, Junior Women, Senior Men, Senior Women, and Masters.  Each Winner (Y-SR) received several hundred dollars worth of product from MetRx and Newgrip,  high quality made in the USA medals.  All competitors received a free gift bag from bodybuilding.com and a free competition t-shirt.  With more competitors next year, and more sponsors, we desire to give out even more prizes and cash.

In case you saw that 35kg snatch of mine on bodybuilding media outlets, I'll post some videos of my actual competition lifts:



 

Two Common styles of Olympic Weightlifting Cleans

Amongst the best weightlifters in the world, there are two dominant styles of cleaning in the clean and jerk.  In this article, you can learn about the key differences and which style may be right for you and/or your athletes.  I’ll also give you visual examples of these styles and examples of countries which employ them most.

As reviewed in previous articles, all modern weightlifting systems (systems being defined as: scientifically based technique and programming, encapsulated by a philosophy of the science) can be traced back to the Soviet System.  The main specialists are Medvedyev and Vorobyev. These styles have roots in the philosophical differences of Medvedyev and Vorobyev.

Style 1:  Complete extension

In this style, the athlete will complete the clean pull almost identical to the snatch.  The lifter will pull the bar well above the mid thigh and complete the extension of the pull.  Just like in the snatch, they pull the bar past the knee then explode upwards with the bar until it reaches the hips. Once, the bar approaches the hips, the athlete quickly turns over the elbows, going under the bar as the bar continues traveling upward.  When the lifter meets the bar on their shoulders, the expert lifter will time the flexion of the bar so they rebound upward with it.

Weightlifting schools which commonly use this are followers of Medvedyev.  Many Olympic medalists from countries like China, Colombia, and Cuba can be seen using this style.   Its important to note that Medvedyev worked closely with China in the 1990’s, when they emerged as a weightlifting power.

Athletes who use this style tend to power clean a higher percentage of their full clean than style 2.

Below is a Video of 48kg Olympic Champion Chen Xiexia cleaning 113kg.  Note that she finishes the extension, before pulling under the bar.  As the bar reaches the hips, her torso is still upright.

Here's another example with Tatyana Kashirina, note when she starts her explosion then pull under:

Style 2: Pop and drop -- Pull to above knee, then pull under

In this style, the lifter pulls the bar to 2-3 inches above the knee, then begins the elbow turnover into the full front squat position, then explodes out of the hole, and stands-up with the bar.  Note, after the lifter catches the bar, they must use a reflex reaction of the legs along with timing of the bar flexion.

This is seen often in followers of Vorobyev.  Some Russian and Kazakh lifters employ this style such as Dimitry Klokov  and Ilya Ilyin.   Some lifters from South America, such as Neysi Dejomes of Ecuador a Youth world Champion who has competed for Risto Sports at the Arnold, use this style.  Interestingly, her coach is also a Russian Professor Emeritus of the Vorobiev school. 

Here is a video of Dimitry Klokov, Olympic Silver Medalist, who is very successful in this style. Note, that he’s already initiating the pull under by the time the bar is just below his hips.  Unlike Chen Xiexia in style 1, his body is tilted slightly backward when the bar is above mid thigh:

It should also be noted that lifters of this style will all "hit" at slightly different heights, some will be just above the knee, some will be closer to just below mid-thigh

Anecdotal story: At the last Risto Sports USAW competition held at Risto Sports Headquarters,  I spoke with Yasha Kahn( who was instrumental in bringing both Dimitry Klokov and Ilya Ilyin to the US for seminars) about where Klokov and Ilyin hit.  He described that, although both lifters believed they hit at the same spot on the leg before turning over, one would hit a little lower, one a little higher.

Side by Side comparison of the two styles
For your viewing pleasure, here is a side by side comparison of the two styles.  Style 2, what I'm calling "pop and drop", is illustrated by a sequence of Dimitry Klokov, photos by Rob Macklem.   Below him is myself doing style 1, what I am calling a "full extension" (Yes, I'm audaciously using photos of myself).  The differences are really clear in the second photo of the sequences.  We are at the same phase of the lift, yet, the bar is at my chest, while the bar is at Klokov's hips. Both are assumed to be around 90% of max lifts.

Comparison of two different viewing styles of clean and jerk.  Dimitry Klokov photos by Rob Macklem. Gwendolyn Sisto photos by Risto Sports

Arguments on which style is better or more efficient? 

Certainly, in the pop and drop style (style#2), the lifter is putting less work (energy) into the pull. Since you only need to catch the bar in a rack position, vs an overhead squat in the snatch, the idea is to only pull the bar as high as you need.  And, since the lifter is pulling actively only to just above the knee, the pull should take less energy than in style 1.

BUT, what about standing up with the bar?

Critics of the pop and drop style will argue that there is too much loss of acceleration by dropping into the squat position after pulling just above the knee -- translating to less energy available to rebound out of the hole in the racked position.  It is also a difference of seeing style 1 as allowing the lifter to follow through with the motion versus abruptly transitioning to the pull under in style 2.

Think about it...
In the full extension style (style 1), the lifter is pulling the bar higher, so the potential energy of the system will be higher at the top of the pull vs style 2.   If the lifter achieves an elastic collision with the bar-- that is they catch the bar perfectly with the hamstrings flexed, then extending as the bar springs upward-- the lifter will have more energy available to ride the bar up into a standing position. In short, you can pull the bar a little higher so its easier to stand-up with.

Which style should you or your athletes use:
Simple: whichever style you can execute flawlessly.  This will depend on your start position, which in turn depends on your body's conformation - the angles between your hips, knees, and ankles.

For me, personally, I hate style 2.  I tried it. Some days I would miss cleans with 80%, and it was no matter of leg strength. I felt like the bar was too far away from me and crashing on me. I felt that the reflex reaction was less natural, and I felt a loss of connection with the bar.

I find that style 1, the full extension, comes naturally to me.  By doing the full extension, I can point my knees out in the clean pull, by pointing my knees out in the pull I can initiate more power from my glutes and hamstrings, and, lately, when I rack a bar I will bounce right up with it.  I'm also fairly small build  (I have tiny girly wrists, my feet are small for my height), long legs, shorter torsos, and average length arms. If I was an anatomy geek, I would probably detail how the shape of my hips joints result in my need to point my knees out to get maximum hamstring recruitment, like many lifters on the Chinese National Team.

On the other hand, there is a lifter at my gym, Jesse, who does style 2 like a champ.  From day 1 of learning to clean, he just naturally starts to go into the pull under just past the knees. It works for his mechanics--shoulders on the broad side, points his toes straight in the start position.

My advice to coaches is to be aware of these differences-- that your lifters will have anatomical differences that will bias them towards one style or another.  And, with in each style, there will be a little variation lifter to lifter.  The most interesting part is that both styles follow the same general principles- keep the bar close to you, turnover the elbows quickly, time the bar with the extension of your legs out of the bottom rack position.

2013 AFX wrap up

The Alaska Fitness Expo gets better every year, with this year being no exception.  Coming to the expo, I was excited about quite a few things: (1) Mike O'Hearn joining Team Risto Sports as our brand ambassador, (2) we were the official travel sponsor of Kai Greene and George Farah, (3)getting in a competition in Alaska.

On Real Life Super Heroes:

Mike O'Hearn showing LG how to superhero pose,  while Gwen Sisto snatches

Mike O'Hearn is often called a real life superhero. He is a 4 time Mr Natural Unniverse holds multiple guinness world records, was a powerlifting champion, and was an All American Football player.   In person, Mike's persona and physical presence matches his resume.

What many people do not know about Mike is that he started off in the iron game as an Olympic Weightlifter.  He competed in weightlifting when he was 13, before focusing on bodybuilding and powerlifting. Additionally, Mike was actually a customer of Risto Sports before becoming our brand ambassador.   With this background, it comes as no surprise that Mike appreciates a good lifting shoe. 

Mike O'Hearn with Stryker and Coach Ivan Rojas, Risto Sports, in Alaska

 What impresses me most about Mike, is that he has the strength to match his incredible physique. This really is interesting because, in weightlifting, most weightlifters are stronger than they look and , in bodybuilding, most bodybuilders are look much stronger than they actually are.

Mike explained it had always been his goal to be physically strong AND have an impressive physique. Let me tell you,  in normal work out clothes, Mike still manages to look jacked and cut.  Further, Mike is a natural bodybuilder;and Mike had been so successful so early on-- for example, he was discovered by Joe Weider-- that there was never a motivation to be anything but natural. 

Elio Guerra (210KG clean and jerk), Coach Ivan Rojas, Mike O'Hearn, and Stryker

When we meet Mike for a Risto Sports Team work out and photo session, he shows up with his Siberian Husky Stryker! And, if you've visited his Facebook Instagram or twitter it's fairly existing he's a dog person . Stryker is a sweet dy who is impeccably trained.

Mike O'Hearn doing leg presses in his Risto Olimpico's with Stryker

Mike did a leg day in his Risto Olimpico's.  Look for video on Mike doing Leg Day in his Olimpico's and divulging some useful training secrets- he goes through several variations of squats and other leg work all in his Risto Sports weightlifting shoes.  

 

 

Gwen Sisto, Mike O'Hearn, and Stryker at the Risto Sports booth at the AFX

Aside from our kick ass training session at South Side Strength and fitness in Anchorage, AK, Mike also represented us at our booth at the Expo.  He must have been asked for literally a thousand
photos through out the day- to which he gladly accepted. Mike is certainly a crowd favorite.










 Mike also had the prestigious honor of giving out the top Men's trophy, shown here:

Mike O'Hearn giving out the top male trophy with Garry Lodoen, Risto Sport banner center stage

Kai Greene and George Farah
Risto Sports also had the honor of being the Official travel sponsor of Kai Greene and George Farah at the AFX.


Kai is as impressive and deep, in person, as he is on Youtube and in any of his numerous print interviews.  Kai just radiates positive energy; he is a very kind and positive person.  He is also incredibly muscular.

 When I first see him at the Expo, I flag him over to our Risto Sports booth, where Kai and George would be signing autographs and taking photos for the day.  The funny part was, I was getting ready to warmup, so I was barefoot with my Risto Weightlifting shoes dangling in my free hand.  The first question Kai asks me is "What do those shoes do?" with piqued interest.  Fortunately, we had his shoe size at the Expo.

Kai did a riveting guest pose at the expo.  He also gave a wonderful speech that resonates with any athlete.  You can catch these on the Risto Sports Youtube channel.


I also had the honor of speaking with George Farah, the promaker, for whom we also were a travel sponsor.  George is Kai's trainer, and he has an amazing resume of clients, including The Rock.
George is a very well spoken, thoughtful person. For example, I missed a snatch behind, after trying to save it, George asked me how my shoulder was doing. It was an insightful comment, as at the time, all I could think about were my elbows. Later, Ivan and Elio, put me on upper body conditioning as they thought my shoulders needed to get stronger for the larger weights I will be locking out overhead.  In short, it comes as no surprise that George is one of the most respected trainers in the bodybuilding and fitness world.

Kai Greene, Gwen Sisto, LG, Ivan Rojas, Elio Guerra, George Farah at the AFX

On lifting:
 LG and I put on some good lifting on the AFX stage. LG weighed in at 45kg and hit 34 and cleaned 45. She also had the highest JR female sinclair, and highest sinclair across genders for youth.

10yr old LG, Gwendolyn Rojas, with 33Kg overhead. Bottom position like a Pro. Risto Sports.

I got 84KG and 100KG overhead as a 63Kg bodyweight.  I am happy about the fact that the weights kkeep getting easier and easier for me- especially, considering I was sidetracked with additional duties, being an event sponsor. When I lifted, I was back in euphoric-aggressive lifting mode.  I approached each weight, simply, knowing I could do it.  My technique has also improved.

Ivan is also very involved with the Olympic lifting program at CrossFit Fairbanks.  He coached Brianna Walters who made huge gains since last years' AFX.

Brianna Walters of CrossFit Fairbanks, which works with Risto Sports.  Nice Risto gear too

Below are photo sequences of 84kg and 82kg snatches, as well as my approach to 100Kg (no photos =( ).

Gwen Sisto approaching 100Kg, look who's got some shoulders

84Kg snatch (they used 1 1kg and 2 .5kg plates on each side)

Gwen Sisto, 84kg snatch, bar at knee position

Gwen Sisto, 84Kg snatch extension, Risto Sports: singlet, shoes, knee wraps, wrist wraps

Meeting the bar, 84kg snatch

The catch at 84kg snatch, Gwen Sisto

82kg snatch, Gwen Sisto entering the final phase of the snatch in her Risto weightlifting shoes

82Kg getting under the bar, note the height. Gwen Sisto Risto Sports

Gwen Sisto Risto Sports

Gwen Sisto Risto Sports

Gwen Sisto Risto Sports

Recovery with 82Kg snatch

Standing with 82kg snatch, my Risto weightlifting shoes did me well

Finally, don't forget to check out & follow the following people
www.mikeohearn.com , twitter: @mikeohearn
www.officialkaigreene.com , twitter: @kaigreene
twitter: @gvfarah
www.alaskafitproductions.com

Bent armgate part II: there's something about straight arms

Lifting with bendy arms is a bad habit that I most likely picked up at the earliest stages of my lifting. In recent years, because of my synchronous movement of my legs, back, and traps at the top of the pull, it was one of those flaws that fell by the wayside.

Sometimes, it takes a big failure to see the light.  Somewhere around NOV/DEC 2012, my bendy arms really started taking a noticeable toll on my lifts. Worse yet, I started getting Glute injuries from the suboptimized trajectory of my pull. It all came to a head when I did some explosive snatches at the 2013 Arnold, yet wound up bombing out in the clean and jerk due to a combination of my glute pain and my bendy arms leaving the bar to way out front in the catch of my cleans.  Bombing out at a big meet was like Halley's Comet.

4 months later, it's a whole different story!

Change is good. Change takes time. 

As I have said on this blog, before, most natural systems follow exponential growth (Sterman, business dynamics, MIT).   At first, working a pull with straight -- yet, not tight arms-- was painfully slow.  I'd have a good set, then a sucky set, then I'd have a bad set and tweak my glute. Slowly, I would really make straight arms the focus of all my pulls, and slowly I'd have epiphanies about what aspects of my start position was causing the bar to drift forward, which then caused me to compensate with bent arms. Slowly, that lead me to work on back and abs isometrics which enabled me to initiate and hold the right positions and hence keep my arms straight.

What felt like 2 months of almost stagnation, was really two months of tiny, tiny linear improvements ... Now, months 3 and 4 are the fun part.

It seems like somewhere in May/June, things started taking off.  Gradually, the pains went away, and. More and more my arms were straighter , I was using more leg and glute in my pull, I could visualize myself with a bar trajectory like Ilya Ilyin's.

So, here's my results after 4 months:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=g-high-u&v=yw6470Z3Pnw

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=ueZTvpR4aAk

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=plcp&v=RlKU4jMRf9c

Before 5 months, I will max out at Nationals. Now, this is going to be the fun part.  Here's to another 4 weeks of badassedawesomeness!