Olympic Lifting

I am a weakling. Let's just get that out into the open. I have never been a strong boy. I say boy, because that is what I am. Men are strong,  powerful, and burly. They have beards and do things like lift large televisions by themselves, or alert you that it's "10 o'clock" while they are strolling around the house in their tighty whities. (For those 6 readers who are wondering what the hell I'm talking about, these are references to the things "men" in my family have done at some point in time.

That's a man.

Since I can remember I have always cared to much about my weight. Thinking I was chubby, or overweight. In reality I was just skinny fat. A boy without the discipline to stick to lifting weights and getting strong. I could always just go run to get a great "workout" and stay trim. Running is all well and good. A great way to drop some pounds and stay in shape, but it never really aligned with my goals. You are not going to get strong, like dad strong, or one pound of brisket followed by 6 pints of Guinness strong by running.

This last season of rugby I played flanker. I was undersized, and the only reason I could even compete was because I have always been scrappy to some extent. I would have been a more productive player if I would have put on about 20 pounds or better yet learned to squat.

Coming to California was about shaking things up and doing things I have never done before. My biggest goal on that level is to get strong. I chose to come and learn the Olympic lifts because they are a sport that can make you pretty damn strong and even more athletic. I have never really been an individual athlete. I have always been a "team player". There is a lot of satisfaction in team sports, but I believe that I needed to get out of my comfort zone, and do something where everything rides on me. Further, the athleticism that develops from Olympic lifting transfers to many other athletic endeavors. Someday if I go back to playing rugby, soccer, or whatever else I may want to do, I will be that much better for it. I am just starting out on this adventure and I am excited to see where it takes me.

The Olympic lifts are composed of the Snatch and Clean and Jerk. Here is a quick video that displays just how powerful an Olympic caliber lifter can be.

 In Russian for your viewing pleasure.