Remember we will be in Kissimmee, FL this weekend March 28-29 at Obsessive CrossFit Disorder, and then Zach Even-Esh and I are teaming up May 16-17 for the best Certification Ever! Check out all of the Learn 2 Lift Certs. below:
A New Possibility in Weightlifting
Today I watched Will Hall easily snatch 155k/341lb, and I watched him take three close attempts at 160k/352lb. Will is a great lifter, so I expect that 160k will fall soon. The mystery here is that Will hadn’t snatched over 300lbs in the previous six weeks. Will has been focusing on the main components of the lifts:
• Pulls of all kinds from all positions.
• Big Squats especially dead pauses.
• Overhead Stability
• Explosive and full hip extension through plyometrics
• Posterior Chain work
We are using these fundamentals in our GridStyle Programming, and it is working. Will is the third person that I have personally watched use this type of system with success. My super Junior lifter, Cooper Hanson, is mainly powerlifting right now. Every week or two, I let him snatch and clean & jerk heavy, and he constantly hits 92%+ and PRs a lot. He does the lifts once per week each, and he mainly focuses on speed and technique.
Find out more about the GridStyle Online Team by clicking here: GridStyle Online Team
I also watched Trevor Britton of Team MDUSA focus solely on squats, pulls, and presses. We focused on his weaknesses, and guess what he got better. We put on a Fall Open Meet at MuscleDriver, and Trevor jumped in at the last second for fun. The result was a PR Total of 317k at a bodyweight of 85k. This was my first example that made me start to ask questions.
The thought of focusing on strength while minimizing the volume of snatch and clean & jerk is a big taboo in the Olympic weightlifting world. I would have agreed up until lately. I simply can’t ignore what I am seeing. The principles that I learned from Louie Simmons taught me a long time ago that targeting weaknesses leads to increased overall strength. Now there needs to be more research done before I start telling everyone to do this, but enough has been done to make me question traditional programming in the Olympic weightlifting world.
Right away, I want to say that I am referring to athletes that are already proficient in the snatch and clean & jerk. Obviously if you don’t know how to snatch and clean & jerk, it won’t matter how strong one gets. The main point here is that if you have a major weakness like squats, clean deadlifts, or pressing with excellent technique in the snatch and clean & jerk, then you are foolish to continue focusing on snatch and clean & jerk. It makes no sense at all!
Here are the main points that I am saying:
• Find a way to measure squat and deadlift ratio, overhead stability, vertical leap, lower posterior chain, upper posterior chain, and trunk stabilization.
• Once the weaknesses are identified target them.
• Limit the snatch and clean & jerk to once or twice per week.
• Keep the volume and intensity of the snatch and clean & jerk lower than normal focusing on technique, timing, positions, and speed.
• If you are not proficient in the snatch and clean & jerk, this is not for you.
Let me say right away, that I would find an 8-12 week block where you don’t have a competition to experiment with this new training idea. No matter what you will have improved weaknesses, and you will have brought more muscular balance to your physique. If it works, then you might want to rethink the way you program. I know that I have already shifted my thoughts.
I am not going to make major changes to the programming of my athletes, but I will make sure that each of them experiences these specific blocks in their training programs. If the results are positive, then you can bet that their training will be reflective of these principles from then on. I refuse to be a typical coach that is closed off to new ideas. My athletes deserve better. They deserve for me to constantly be on the outlook for something that might give them that little edge that equals podium. They have that in me.
This is the way that Coach Will Hall, Coach Paul Stewart, and I will be programming for our incredible GridStyle Online Team. Our guys are already seeing massive gains, and they can rest assured that whatever weakness they had entering the team will be eliminated. Since I have been on the GridStyle Programming, I have watched all five of my major lifts increase. I attribute most of those gains to the targeting of my weaknesses. I can thank Louie Simmons for that.
Be on the outlook for more weekly tips from the GridStyle Coaches. I think that you all can learn from them.
Look guys join our online Mash Mafia Team! We are just a bunch of athletes wanting to reach our own specific goals. Some of these guys and gals are weightlifters, powerlifters, CrossFitters, and some are just trying to get jacked. Go to www.MashElite.com/join-the-online-team/.
If you want to join the best Online Teams in America, Click on the Links Below:
Online Coaching with Coach Mash
This week we released the Online GridStyle Team, and it is awesome! Come get a program that is tailored to your own genetics to make your strengths stronger while eliminating all weaknesses! Check it out:
My Learn 2 Lift Seminar Series kicks off again in March. I will be at Obsessive CrossFit Disorder in Kissimmee, FL March 28-29. Go to www.MashElite.com/seminars/ to sign up!