Sources of Information, Part 1: Weightlifting

This is going to be the first in a series of hopefully helpful sources on different aspects of movement and training.

       

I feel like my time in college studying Exercise Science was beneficial for me because I learned basic principles about biology, physiology, anatomy, and kinesiology. I also learned critical things about research and the scientific method. I do feel, however, that it was repetitive, incomplete and biased in many ways. Had I not continued to study on my own and allowed myself to open my mind to possibility that useful information existed outside of the limited and difficult-to-practically-apply research journals, I might never have found the various aspects of training I enjoy now. Here are some resources I’ve used for weightlifting specifically:

Weightlifting

I started weight training in college with the intention of getting “ripped” and/or “jacked” like many male college students. While searching for information on improving my athleticism along with getting ripped, I found at the a book at the university library called Bigger, Faster, Stronger by Greg Shepard. That was my introduction to power cleans. I became seriously obsessed with explosive power training utilizing the so-called Olympic lifts (though I think you are not allowed to market them using the term "olympic" now).

I started training them on my own but soon learned that one of the professors at my school was a certified coach. His name was Dr. Mike Waller and he helped us start a weightlifting club at the university. I got my first lessons from him and was hooked. For about 3 years I did very little beyond snatches, cleans, jerks and squats. I competed locally and had so much fun and met so many great people. Utah has a thriving community, only improved by Crossfit's inclusion of the sport. The resources I loved:

Pendlay Forum – I bought a specialized weightlifting bar and weights from the Pendlay. Glenn Pendlay is a weightlifting coach with great insight into the sport. The pendlay forum has various threads discussing every conceivable question about weightlifting. I would spend hours on that site learning from the community members and watching the Pendlay videos.

Frank Rothwell's Youtube Channel - Frank Rothwell has uploaded so many of the Olympic and World Weightlifting Championships by weight category. I used to just sit and watch the greats lift. I really feel it had an extremely positive impact on my technique. Not to mention it was so much fun.

Average Broz Gymnasium – John Broz introduced me to concepts of Bulgarian programming in weightlifting (which are simple: go as heavy as possible every single day, often in multiple sessions per day). He coaches athletes who put up impressive numbers in the classic lifts and squats. I watched the videos on his youtube channel, read the comments and tried his methodology for quite a while. I learned about the myth of overtraining and what it feels like to handle heavy weights regularly.

These were my main sources of information on weightlifting. I loved the sport and spent a ridiculous amount of time learning, watching and training. It did grow stale after awhile and I sought to expand my movement repertoire. But it was instrumental in helping me understand discipline, patience and consistency in training. Up next, I try my hand at gymnastics...