WORKOUT:
Went and checked out the Pittsburgh Barbell Club today, an Olympic weightlifting club in Bridgeville (about 20-25 minutes from me) that's located in the Martial Arts and Sports Complex there. The MASC is owned by former Steeler lineman Craig Wolfley and his wife Faith.
Rege was the guy I first got in touch with, so once I got there he introduced me to the other coach that was there, Alex (I'm now officially known as Alex #2). I saw a few of the other guys finish their workouts then once there was only a few of us around, Alex primarily put me to work.
He made me do some power cleans to see how those looked then a few hang power snatches with just the bar and then with 10kg on (so I think that's 30kg). Then he made me do a few snatches from the floor and was giving me pointers the whole time. (I was alternating with a big friendly guy who's an ex-powerlifter and just getting into O-lifting too). We then tossed on 10kg each side for 40kg total, then I must've did at least eight or nine snatches that way. On the last three, he had me holding them up then going down into a full overhead squat a couple times each. I lost my balance once or twice on the overhead squats until Alex showed me how to do them properly. I also did some hyperextensions, tried a few glute ham raises (ouch), jumping full squats with a barbell overhead like in overhead squats, and he even made me try pistols (got one with the right leg and almost with the left leg).
Overall, I had a blast. I'm getting my USAWL membership today and while the monthly fee is only $50 (which includes three times a week O-lifting and full access to their gym, which is really nice. Thickbars, trap bars, lots of racks, platforms, and a ton of heavy bags and a boxing ring as they also teach martial arts out of there. My kind of place!), it can be $10 a session if you don't go more than five times a month. I'll probably only be going Saturdays for right now as the other days I either work or have Kyokushin Karate.
My coaches are Regis Becker (
http://www.csoonline.com/read/060105/heavylifter.html), a big white guy who put in a "light" workout today by working up to almost 100kg in the snatch and even more in the clean and jerk. He knows his stuff and seems to be a really cool guy. My other coach is Alexandre Chtanine. He was a former member of the Soviet weightlifting team CCCP in the late 70's (I think) and makes that stuff look disgustingly easy. I got a bit of an ego-stroking from him too as Alex said I have the physical skills to become a great O-lifter if I work hard at it. They both said I have really good flexibility (I could do the full squats pretty well and my shoulders aren't too stiff), good explosiveness (they said my lifts looked pretty good for the first time ever trying them), and since I have a good foundation with overhead pressing already from strongman and whatnot, plus strong legs and a strong back.
Going to write down some stuff on the snatch here so I can remember a lot of it. I'll probably practice with my bo staff just to keep getting a feel for it.
**Hand placing for me should be slightly past the little rings on the barbell.
**Feet should be about shoulder width apart and toes pointed slightly outwards.
**Back arched and chest out, leaning forward JUST slightly almost as in a good morning.
**Keep your head up!
**Keep the bar as close to your body as you can at all times.
**Arms should be locked during the initial pull until you finish shrugging then they sort of chicken-wing up and lock out to catch it on top as you squat underneath it.
I'm sure some of that doesn't make sense but it's there for me primarily
I had a blast, I'm definitely going back next Saturday.