Today we are considering how realistic it is for masters athletes to bread personal records? Should a coach ever tell them it is not likely if such a pursuit is potentially hindering their progress and goals in other areas? As you will hear, we feel there are a number of factors at play here, and ways to keep motivated and on track for your best results whether those are PR’s or not. Enjoy the show!

Record Breaking As We Age

In this episode we discuss the early arm bend, and whether or not it is wrong, ok, or it depends. Tune in to hear our opinions and recommendations on the topic. Enjoy the show!

The Early Arm Bend

Today we are considering whether or not it is ok to jump back when you receive your snatches and cleans? Many athletes consistently jump back only an inch or 2, and others jump back random amounts from rep to rep. So, how much is too much, and how can one find and develop some consistency with where their feet are landing in relation to where they started at the beginning of the lift? Tune in to hear our perspectives and recommendations on the topic. Enjoy the show!

Should You Jump Back in the Snatch & Clean?

Today we are talking about that uneasy sensation that comes with lack of oxygen or energy, that most of us have felt after a heavy clean. Maybe you see spots or darkness begins to close in, and you’re not quite sure whether to try and save your lift or just dump the weight forward. If this is a regular occurrence for you, it’s worth considering possible roots to the issue, as well as trying out any of our suggestions within this recording. Enjoy the show!

Dizzy Cleans

Today we are attempting to explore the consideration of what it feels like to snatch and clean and jerk heavy. Ultimately each athlete will have their own perception on the concept and what it feels like to them, so through the thoughts that we both share, we hope to inspire you to first think about what it feels like to you. Additionally, is there anything you can take from what we’re saying that can perhaps help you shift your perspective to something more beneficial to your lifting? Enjoy the show!

Thoughts on Lifting Heavy

Today we are zoning in on the lift off of the snatch and clean, which is the segment between your start position where the weights on the ground, up to the bar reaching the level of above the knees. Tune in to hear our perspectives on this critical piece of your lifting, and our suggestions on how to see it and execute it with the action of squatting in mind. Enjoy the show!

Lifting to the Knees

Today we are considering the idea of there being no such thing as a bad training day. Of course we all have days where we are more tired than others, weights feel heavier than usual, we are having a harder time focusing, or we just can’t seem to make our lifts. But, does that mean we have to fall into those circumstances and allow all the negativity that comes with labeling a day, or training session as “bad”? Absolutely not! Tune in to to hear our perspectives and stories on the matter, and a few considerations and tips you can use to turn your so called bad sessions into good ones when needed. Enjoy the show!

No Such Thing As A Bad Training Day

Today we are bringing you another episode in our weightlifting pet peeves series, and with this one we are talking about those that might be over-prioritizing prep work or any other aspect of the process that de-emphasizes or belittles the core working portion of your training. In other words, the sets, reps, and time with the key loaded barbell movements that you have actually set your highest goals with. It might be worth examining what you are currently spending your energy on and if perhaps you can find better balance through re-prioritizing the grind. Enjoy the show!

Weightlifting Pet Peeves: Don't Forget the Grind

In this episode, we are covering the “hip snatch”, which is also known as the “high hang snatch”. Specifically, we will discuss how to appropriately snatch from the hip in general, as well as on an individual bases, to get the best transfer into your regular snatch and to help increase your overall Olympic lifting ability. Enjoy the show!

The Hip Snatch - What, Why, and How

Today we are considering ways that you can improve your overall coordination as an athlete, and optimize your timing with the Olympic lifts. Coordination being the way all of your muscles through your body are working together, and the amounts each are contributing, to perform certain actions within the movement at the optimal times. If you are having trouble with your timing within your Olympic lifts, or being able to make certain changes to your technique, it might be an issue with your coordination that needs to be addressed on a base level. Tune in to hear our perspectives on these critical components of your lifting. enjoy the show!

Timing is Everything

This is the official Podcast of USA Weightlifting. Spend some time with hosts and Olympians Cheryl Haworth and Chad Vaughn as they interview the athletes and coaches you want to hear and learn from, and review the competitions you want to know about. You will be able to draw inspiration and motivation from their collective personal stories and experiences, as well as always leave with at least a few immediately applicable tips from content that will range from training to technique to competition readiness and strategies. We here at USA Weightlifting are very excited to provide this to the weightlifting community and other interested parties, and we are thankful for the opportunity to further support the sport that we all love! We appreciate you listening and hope you enjoy!

In this episode we are talking about the how and why of snatch pulls and clean pulls. “Pulls” are essentially an assistant exercise to the snatch and clean that work on varying portions of those lifts, anywhere from the floor up through full extension of the body. The lifter might execute a shrug of the shoulders and extension of the ankles to come up on the toes to mimic full extension; and pulling action with the arms can be added. Needless to say, there are many different variations of a “pull” and it’s important to understand how much you should be mimicking the regular snatch and clean, or even modifying them or exaggerating certain actions to help make changes and gain strength on an individual basis. Tune in to hear our perspectives and recommendations on these exercises. Enjoy the show!

"Pull" Like You Mean It

John Coffee

Today we are joined by Edward Baker of Voodoo Weightlifting to talk about the life and passing of Coach John Coffee.A pioneer in the sport of weightlifting, John Coffee died on Jan. 22, 2023, at the age of 76. Coffee dedicated more than a half-century to advancing Olympic-style lifting, running the storied Coffee’s Gym from 1980 to 2017 out of Marietta, Georgia. The USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame member is credited with helping develop competitive weightlifting for women in the United States, with his efforts being noticed and admired around the globe as well. The 19-time women’s team champion at the USA Weightlifting National Championships, Coffee’s Gym trained the athletes responsible for 36 of the first 65 medals won by U.S. women at the IWF World Championships. Coffee’s pupils included Olympian Robin Byrd Goad, the most decorated U.S. weightlifter in history with 20 world medals to her name, and fellow world medalists Colleene Colley, Sibby Flowers, and Carla Garrett.Tune in to hear more about this true legend of our sport. Enjoy the show!

Today we are joined by Edward Baker of Voodoo Weightlifting to talk about the life and passing of Coach John Coffee. A pioneer in the sport of weightlifting, John Coffee died on Jan. 22, 2023, at the age of 76. Coffee dedicated more than a half-century to advancing Olympic-style lifting, running the storied Coffee’s Gym from 1980 to 2017 out of Marietta, Georgia. The USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame member is credited with helping develop competitive weightlifting for women in the United States, with his efforts being noticed and admired around the globe as well. The 19-time women’s team champion at the USA Weightlifting National Championships, Coffee’s Gym trained the athletes responsible for 36 of the first 65 medals won by U.S. women at the IWF World Championships. Coffee’s pupils included Olympian Robin Byrd Goad, the most decorated U.S. weightlifter in history with 20 world medals to her name, and fellow world medalists Colleene Colley, Sibby Flowers, and Carla Garrett. Tune in to hear more about this true legend of our sport. Enjoy the show!

Remembering Legendary Coach, John Coffee

Today we are discussing how to create back tension and the correct angle in your start position, and how to maintain both from the floor to the knee. It is common to see athletes lose one or both of these through this range in the lift, and left uncorrected can leave kilos on the table. Keep in mind that some athletes let the hips rise purposefully and we’ll cover the why of this in this recording, as well as how to examine yourself to help determine any adjustments you might need to make. Enjoy the show!

Creating and Maintaining Back Tension and Position

Today we’re talking with Shane Rothlisberger of Versalifts about how elevating your heels can improve your lifting. This of course happens when we wear our weightlifting shoes, but additional elevation can be added with plates or any other elevated surface for warm up and drilling purposes, or with heel inserts to help you get into more efficient and effective positions. Keep in mind that this is NOT a replacement for the mobility work that we should also be doing, but it is a very necessary part of the most effective equation that is meant to help us reach our potential. Tune in to hear our personal success stories and strategies on the topic. Enjoy the show!

The Why & How of Elevating Your Heels w/Shane Rothlisberger of Versalifts

In this episode we’re talking about distractions and how if we let them, they can have varying extents of control over our training and competitions. We share stories of how we ourselves have let distraction take us over in the past, and how we have navigated around it. We hope these examples and our suggestions can help shed some light on the things that might be distracting you and taking away from your progress and potential, and how you can take a step or 2 towards overcoming. Enjoy the show!

Overcoming Distraction

As 2022 comes to a close, we’re taking this time to reminisce on the few key lessons we’ve learned over the past 12 months. It’s been an honor to have your continued support of the USA Weightlifting Podcast and we’re even more excited for the year to come. Tune in for another episode of technique talk and some of our yearly recaps! Enjoy the show.

Lessons Learned from 2022

This episode will help you better understand deload weeks and how to read your body throughout to optimize your training.We are joined by Hannah Tatro of TrueCoach to help us cover this topic. TrueCoach is the official coaching app of USA Weightlifting, and is an innovative, all-in-one platform built for both coaches and athletes alike. Don’t let using metrics and tracking your workouts be a missing ingredient in your training! Tune in to learn more about how TrueCoach can help you get the most out of each session.https://truecoach.co/

This episode will help you better understand deload weeks and how to read your body throughout to optimize your training. We are joined by Hannah Tatro of TrueCoach to help us cover this topic. TrueCoach is the official coaching app of USA Weightlifting, and is an innovative, all-in-one platform built for both coaches and athletes alike. Don’t let using metrics and tracking your workouts be a missing ingredient in your training! Tune in to learn more about how TrueCoach can help you get the most out of each session. <a href="https://truecoach.co/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">https://truecoach.co/</a>

Understanding Deload w/Hannah Tatro of TrueCoach

Weightlifting straps are a great accessory for weightlifters when it comes to lifting heavier weights, or even training for hypertrophy – but you shouldn't be relying on your straps for all your attempts. In this episode of the USAW Podcast we’re going over the do’s and don’ts for weightlifting straps. Tune in to learn more about when you should use them, when you shouldn’t, and why it matters. Enjoy the show!

Weightlifting straps are a great accessory for weightlifters when it comes to lifting heavier weights, or even training for hypertrophy – but you shouldn't be relying on your straps for all your attempts. In this episode of the USAW Podcast we’re going over the do’s and don’ts for weightlifting straps. Tune in to learn more about when you should use them, when you shouldn’t, and why it matters. Enjoy the show!

Weightlifting Pet Peeves: Excessive Strap Use

This week on the USA Weightlifting Podcast, Coach Danny Camargo joins the crew to talk about analyzing your lifting videos. Recording and analyzing your lifts is a great way to tweak and improve your lifting technique but at what point does it become a hindrance? In this episode we’ll be looking at when you should and shouldn’t be recording your lifts.

This week on the USA Weightlifting Podcast, Coach Danny Camargo joins the crew to talk about analyzing your lifting videos. Recording and analyzing your lifts is a great way to tweak and improve your lifting technique but at what point does it become a hindrance? In this episode we’ll be looking at when you should and shouldn’t be recording your lifts.

Paralysis by Analysis: Over-Analyzing Your Lifting Videos

This week on the USA Weightlifting Podcast we’re taking a quick dive into what it means to take the “slack out of the bar”. In this episode we’ll be explaining how taking the slack out can help initiate weight from the ground more effectively and the steps required to eliminate it. Enjoy the show!

This week on the USA Weightlifting Podcast we’re taking a quick dive into what it means to take the “slack out of the bar”. In this episode we’ll be explaining how taking the slack out can help initiate weight from the ground more effectively and the steps required to eliminate it. Enjoy the show!

Quick Tip: Take the Slack Out

Love listening to this podcast for tips and tricks for lifting as well as updates on the sport!

Great podcast for weightlifters

Get Ryan Grimsland on here or other super sting youth lifters

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The USA Weightlifting Podcast

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