Final Post - World Masters Now a Memory

Training Over 35 Lifter
1

Where I am in Australia you can only compete in Masters OL if you are affiliated with one of three Sydney clubs. As I don’t need to train in the club, and they are 40mins to
1 1/5hrs from home, I just need the affiliation please, don’t need to train.

First place could not understand I know how to lift ( I watch Carl …hey how hard can it be ? I lift the same, except I lift little versions of Carls weights - he has been very good for keeping my rampaging ego in check) but wanted to charge me $800 for the affialition.

Okay that could have gone better, onto the next one, yeah sure, but again could not understand how I could know how to lift and thought I should come down and discuss membership at $60 per week.

Final one was Burwood Police Boys Club. Had not been there for 36 year, and yep it was still the same (obviously buildings dedicated to saving our youth from indolence can by pass the building codes). It is a small room, 5 platforms, all in use with a power rack and hyper bench both looking unused for a long time, no aircon, and probably four squat racks, the portable type, oh and a couple of small dumbells.

I stood there talking to the coach ( I had talked my way in when I told the story how in 1972 me and the other kids in that very gym, tore up the old wood floor so cement could be laid, we broke every axe and sledge hammer, and used empty training bars to smash the boards and saws, and crow bars to leaver off the planks)

Now I saw something I never had experieced before looks of total disinterest and in one case disdain, from the guys lifting.

I saw 155kg power clean & jerk by a guy probably 84 class, , and a 19 year old 76kg kid do a nice 140kg C & J, I realised that little had changed in 36 years. This little hole in the wall is one of two genuine elete weightlifting gyms in Australia, and two of the guys and one woman there were on their way to the worlds.
Just like 1971 when I first walked in I was the small frog in the pool, all over again.

When I went home my dear wife asked if I wanted some ice cream after dinner, or maybe some cookies, and was surprised when I said no ( I’m a thrower not a bber, and ice cream and cookies are allowed, even welcomed at times). She asked “if I was okay”, and I told her it was time I got serious again, that I would get their respect or blow a knee trying.

Have not trained around better lifters in 35 years, hope the old body holds up, looking forward to it.

2

One day at a time, be patient grasshopper! It’s a journey worth taking at anytime, best of luck and train hard!

3

Thanks Stream…

tonight is the night, looking forward to it…

“drive your hips through, don’t pull with your arms too early, go up on your toes, drive your hips through, can’t you move faster, is that as far as you can dip,and drive your f@#$king hips through…”

oh, the good old days…should be fun…

4

Last night was fantastic, had forgotten that training in such an environment could be such a buzz.

got pulled along by younger guys and attempted weights (oh so close) that I never thought I would ever try again,

bar for powercleans went, 50, 60, then it was to be 70, but someone joined the roatation and threw those big 10kgs. So rather than wrestle the large diameter plates off, I go from 60 to 90, and not easy but would never had tried that series otherwise, then 100, also would not have gone there, then pulls, 110, 120, 110 and finishing a close miss power clean at 110.

said little, just followed the rotation on the bar, and tried to follow the coaching cues. Apparently I have dropped my head and look down when pulling, and pulling too early with arms, and not after fully shrugging. Sorer traps today.

also found I had gone through three exercises in the time I normally do two, and have not sweated that hard in a gym, I can’t remember when

a couple of the younger guys initiated conversation, …

after that I was that high that could not fall asleep till very late…

on a side not watched the Australian version of biggest loser when I git home, I think in the US it is once a week, here it is 6 nights for a total of 4 1/2 hours,…

then dreamt that the trainers had them doing cleans and jerks…they were pretty good too…and then I woke up…

5

Atmosphere is everything. Have to watch myself when I get going with the younguns. Glad you’ve found such a good place to lift. Enjoy.

6

Hel thanks,

someone asked me why training there was such a huge plus. Think for me apart from the adrenelin that it produced (was not there last night though, amazing how quick we adjust) it was that I could just concentrate on lifting.

When I lift by myself, you pick weights, you worry where a missed lift will put your training, will a PR mean a change as well, should it be 2.5kg more or 5kg, 3 or if that was easy 5, but when in rotation, you just get up, walk to bar, lift hard, sit and repeat (hey as I was mid guy in rotation I did not even have to think about what to put on bar.)

last night the coach watched me and gave me lots of feedback. Was not interested in my bad knees or my life storey, just this is wrong, this is why, fix it. I simply nodded and tried my best, must have been doing something as he kept giving me something new, instead of reminding me of my past errors.

Had a nice snatch grip dead, with shrug on toes that felt like a snatch pull, except I always pull with arms, and as no-one else does, I have tried to fit in. It felt better.

A push press of 85kgs ( I throw heavy weight so never do any presses or benches - started three weeks ago,) was easy but 90kgs was a ton, and no go.

I think one of the hardest things is not wanting to explain that I don’t think I can do it that way because of (my bad knees for example - I could talk for days about my kness) At my local gym “Fitness First” a little softer than a typical Golds style gym, (they are very big in England and OZ)
the older members seem to spend as much time explaining to the trainers why and how they can’t, than actually do what the trainers ask. Young people just nod.

I just nod and pray, then go away and try to work out how)

other thing was, I left a strap last week , and it was still there. If I put a strap or small towel down in my gym and walk away for more than 10 mins I will never see it again

nicer people, and I will talk about the hot blond next week…if she comes back…

7

yes have still been at it, but too busy to record it, so 15 April, …had front squatted
a big PR two days before so my VM and quads in general decided they would lock up if I tried to bend them or put them under stress like the start of a snatch pull, or the drive for a power jerk, my power simply disappeared, nice long drive through peak hour to simply go, oh well …maybe next week

22 April, got a phone call from our state lifting president telling me I had got my paperwork wrong on the application and it would be summarily rejected !!!, after some explanation and some confirmation from my coach (at 55 I now have a coach again…) it was decided that my attempt at the qualifier for the masters worlds could not wait till late June, as they wanted to settle the team early so you will lift on 2 may…"thank you sir, much appreciated " , now exactly how many kilos am I short of the total ???

attempted best power snatch with hook grip. had power snatched 70 kgs with straps but as a result of using straps exclusivley (even for the empty bar…yes I know, I know) my grip sucks (this descriptive term applied to my lifting may actually get worn out soon) tried for a PB without straps and at 65 snatch, (power snatched 60 x5 with those handy straps…got to keep the strength up) then did a 90 power jerk so had 155 kgs need 157 so looks promising.

27 April, last night was better got a 67 power snatch, and did 65 x 3 with straps then
60 x 3 without, so grip is almost there. Then made a PR 92 power clean and power jerk, so it adds to 159, 2 kgs over the qualifier, all I need to do is get it right, Saturday.
Oh yeah I now have a neat spandex (addidas) suit…(on Loan)
Next update after comp, first in 35 years…“what do you mean there is no press …”

young guy turned up last night to try some OL, got to sit and watch for an hour while waiting for coach, then after coach met him (he is 21 with no background other than “weight training”) he got to sit next to coach while being told look at the shrug, you have to pull violently with the traps etc, may be if he keeps turning up they will let him touch a bar…one day

8

GMH, this is a fun read. You leave me with a lot to work forward to in a few years if I keep this up.

9

Terry, just avoid the straps as much as possible. Way back when, I used to snatch exclusively with straps and my competition lifts suffered because of it. One day I got tired of that and quit using the straps except for pulls and deadlifts. It took a couple months to quit feeling strange, but it did eventually start feeling better.

What with doing power versions of the lifts, the adrenalin of competition will only help your lifts, so Saturday looks good for 157+.

10

Sfp thanks for dropping by, and your right on reading it, …it is actually more fun than doing it…doing it has fun, mixed with fear, anxiety pain etc etc

On Wendnesday before the lifting the @##$beckistan jr (I can’t remember which “stan” he is from) actually got into a conversation with me with “how was it in your day”

“no we did not all split our snatches, no I don’t know when exactly people started to squat snatch, but I do remember training in a gym with all steel plates and you only got to drop them if you had a life threatening miss…followed by a coaches glare…yes steel plates…yes like in car panels…no I am not joking…”

.amazing isn’t it

and Carl my problem is my home bar is a $A90 chinese special with “fitness centre” type knurling, and my other equipment before now is the classic fitness centre bars (at the classic fitness centre) with smooth knurling made almost smooth as a babies butt, by the various rack use. So no straps no lift.

at Burwood in 5 weeks my hook grip has improved a lot,…when I was young…sigh I only started to use straps when I started to deadlift for reps…and loved them so much never looked back…

may need to spring for a new bar, and some bumpers, and get some mini platforms…

honey guess what I want for my birthday…

saw your comment on your joints…made me feel better…

11

[quote]GMH454 wrote:

…
saw your comment on your joints…made me feel better…[/quote]

Glad to help in any way. Usually they feel fine, but sometimes if I’ve been working hard lately, they do that.

12

[quote]Carl Darby wrote:
GMH454 wrote:

…
saw your comment on your joints…made me feel better…

Glad to help in any way. Usually they feel fine, but sometimes if I’ve been working hard lately, they do that.[/quote]

the guy who is resurrecting Burwood (think Duncan YMCA of the 60’s or York barbell) to its former lifting glory is Dr. Robert Mitchell. Not sure what Rob did when he was young but he got second in the World masters champs in the 84s I think it would have been 45-50 age group. Snatched around 90+ but had a big 132 C & J.

Asked him why he was not competing this year, and his reply was “quit two years ago…it just hurt too much”…and after a few weeks I cannot wait to retire again…

was starting to think you were some genetic marvel, who should have been drafted for the X-men, glad to see you are human…hope it is nothing major…

13

Made it !!!

Power snatched 64,67,70 to judges satifaction, got one red for unsteady lockout, that guy was tough, gave a lot of reds.

Then needed " önly " an 87 C & J, but as the warmups went on my shoulders started to play up. Coach kept saying “lock it out fast”, have a rather narrow grip so have a hard time catching. Moved grip out about 1" each side and made some difference.

I power jerk and power clean. Made a easy 80 and 87 then passed third, was debating doing 95, but coach refused to let me “stuff” myself so we called it quits.

Total 157 Kgs and qualifier for worlds…

then came home and went throwing…

Carl, the 35lber sucked only hit 11.40m, (did 12.13 just before this OL fun began) but I threw the 20 a nice three turned 16.70 and have not touched it in 5 mths. After a comp and 10 throws with the 35 to hit that was very pleasing.

After 5 weeks of concentrating on Ols my heavy weights, 35-56 are down but my 20 is surprisingly good. Also my three turning is nice and crisp, and yet I am doing no multiple turn drills,

Warmed up way too early for my lifts so will learn from that, and forgot that weightlifting comps unlike throwing are not over in 45 minutes. very hungry by end…

Now I will probably find out the heavy weight and my lifting are on the same days at the Games.

14

Last night got there early, got 1/2 workout out of way ,beforte it got busy, then spent 1/2 hour waiting to do good mornings. (and I used to get peeved waiting 10 mins for the squat racks at my fitness club !!) Learned a few things while waiting.

Doing 5s now after the comp, and has to be my least favourite training modality.

Before training my coach (that still sounds real strange)gave me some pointers on the sore shoulders I get from power jerking, and why my back felt so bad after 40 kgs split jerks. Apparent lack of shoulder and hip flexor mobilty…got some exercises for the shoulders so we will see how they go…

Got paired up with one of the better juniors for my good mornings, while he front squatted.

he asked if I wanted to start with the empty bar, looking very helpful, and asking what I would go to, (him thinking “oh no, I will have to strip the bar between sets for the old man”) so I started on 50kgs and told him I would GM what ever he squatted, at least that surprised him then, unfortunately I let him go to 115 for his fronts while I did sensible sets of beutiful GMs at 90kg.

I have to be careful to do only Ol at the gym, although my occasional plate twists get ignored, as we don’t want to set the wrong example, for all the young kiddies.

The young newbie from last week has perserved and after a night of watching, a couple of nights of mobilty work, drop snatches with a broomstick plus some more broomstick snatch drills, he finally got to put the pieces together, and wound up with some very nice 20 kgs squat snatches. Not power snatches with OHS squat, but actual squat snatches.

Coach Dr Robert Mitchell strikes again.

15

Good work getting that qualifying total. All this talk about weight throw makes me look forward to this weekend when I can throw it again.

16

Saw video of my lifts, whoa talk about embarrassing… the power snatch was, well ugly even I thought I pressed out, did not feel that way but sure looks it, and the power clean & power jerk looked like it should have been my first warmup, it looked so easy…was very very hard, but looked rediculously easy.

answer is going to learn tp split again.

only ever worked my split jerk twice in my life, and surprisingly only ever jerked well twice in my life…hmmm coincidence or just maybe …

and am going to learn to split snatch…

when I was a kid my first coach tried to teach me to split snatch, but I always knew I would squat snatch one day so why bother…well one day has come and gone, so am currently dragging out my memories of how he trained my friend at the time…Ian got a 75kg split snatch at 60kgs at 17, and he was far from a natural…

better preactice at home first before polluting the Club…

17

I hear you on the videos looking easy and that not fitting with my memory of how the lift felt. Keep at it and it will improve.

18

Quiet night last night, at Burwood, the guys are are all tapering for the state titles this Saturday, a couple of guys were there Alex coming back from a 8 year retiremnt, another master, who has also just qualified for the Worlds (my weight class and age, we now own all state age records between us in the same gym ) and a newbie who we let do clean grip deadlift shrugs, presses and squats. Nice kid.

Me, well I am not working my pulls as much, and they keep getting better, power cleaned 90 for 6 or 7, then spent too long thinking if I had lost count, and Alex was telling me my form was getting crap (in pure technical terms…but that is what he meant) and lost my “groove” and my jerk is still coming along very slowly, the back soreness is now manageable, so I am adjusting to the new stimulus, but not sure I am going to live long enough to benefit.

Leg strength getting better.

Did jerk recoveries in the rack, starting with the bar at a little over head high, taking the split position, and…recovering to a erect postion. Got up to 105 (how Carl does 130…I will never know ) but by the end session, I was struggling to get up out of the split with 80, my back foot was buckling I could feel my groin,
there was not a sticking point, as such it just felt like a ton… now if I could see some progress with my jerk it would all be worthwhile…well at least my pulls are coming along…

19

Burwood is my “hardcore…I wonder what that means…” Ol gym, if you did a power squat they would say don’t come back, seriously space is limited and you would have to do serious penance…

this morning was my local “Fitness First” a chain that started in the UK and has spread throughout OZ, maybe biggest chain in world now, nice gym nice trainers and on my way to work…also the mall it is in, has Krispy Kreme expresso coffee, hard to resist…

did jerks
clean pulls with a pause of the bottom
split drop snatches
squats

did a PB (well best since 1973) of 70kgs in the jerk, up 10 kgs since last week, and now equal to my power snatch…(sigh) problems with correct racking, wrist pain, trying wider grip to get over shoulder pain so have great room to improve…and because of the jerk recoveries on Tuesday, well my back leg (solus calf) was struggling and my front knee reminded me on each landing that it had a hard workout on Wendnesday, …owch.

if only my recovery could match my ambition…

can’t wait till throwing tonight…

20

I also throw 25lb weight in Masters T & F. kind of why I started working my OLs at start of year, as a test of whether I had lost too much speed.

Anyway it is a tecnical issue that I am yet to address and it has now flowed onto my 56lb weight throw. My two turn throws have pretty turns but no delivery.

back to drawing board on Saturday one turns with the 56lber and bingo… got a new PB for a one turner of 7.76m, so power is there, the OLs are improving mny speed strength, and hopefully once I turn my main attention back to throwing my two turner will …return.

anyway first PB in the throws since July last year, so kind of happy…

Saturday was State champs and my club Burwood basically dominated. Outnumbered by other teams but only one Burwood lifter got beaten by anyone other than a clubmate…

nothing has changed in 37 years…