Chapter 3 : A comparison of Bulgarian, Russian, Chinese.

July 2nd, 2009

Chapter 1.
Chapter 2.

The previous two chapters wrote about the introduction to Chinese weightlifting and their emphasis on technique. Technique in the views of the Chinese PAWNS strength. Well you need the whole combination but, with good technique as a solid base, the rest won't be so hard anymore.

Ask a coach. ANY coach. Is it harder to ingrain proper technique into their athletes and then work into their strength and speed? Or is it harder for their athletes to be strong but with bad technique, and then try to reset their bodies and put good technique into them.

Assistance lifts.

Do I think assistance lifts are the key to the Chinese success? Nope.

That's not the key either. It's just another part of the puzzle.

Now I want people reading this to remember that there is no single KEY to success in weightlifting. It's a piece of the entire puzzle. Perhaps the biggest piece to the puzzle is just dedication.

In many sports, we find that coaches will find various ways to make their athletes better. For MMA fighters they'll use cross-training methods to increase their athletes speed and endurance, then certain periods of a year, have their athletes work a little on maximal strength then revert to speed and power again. That's because it's tailored to suit their athletes and sport.

In marathon and long distance running...I have NO idea how those people train. I'd think they just run and do bicep curls and drink Gatorade.

Let's compare the different schools of weightlifting. First, of course the very famous, Bulgarians!

Bulgarians Said:

Ivan Abadjiev said that you should be more sport specific for Olympic weightlifting.

You should only select exercises that mimick the actual movement of the snatch and clean and jerk.

You must also train with maximal weights and many sets. This way you will turn faster and switch your muscle fibers to fast twitch, 2B muscle fibers (which is still debated on whether it's possible or not. I think it is)

You should stop when you're slowing down. You must train 100% everyday, many times a day.

He did split [reportedly] Naim's sessions to 7 sessions a day.

So basically Ivan said, train the movement, train it heavy, train it often.

Russians said:

Train with periodization methods.
Functional hypertrophy->strength->speed -> max competition singles.

Always reinforce technique. Fix your weaker areas so you avoid bottlenecks. Specialized periods to train specific areas of weaknesses is a must to enable the athlete to be an all-rounder.
Train the muscles, train the competition lifts to a certain percentage but ensure that supplementary work like clean pulls and squats are plenty.

One problem with the Russian one. It does sound like all that squats and pulls may develop excessive mass on the lifter. It won't make too much of a problem with the SHW's and the heavyweights, but what about their lighter lifters?

Won't that pose a problem? OR are the methods different with the lighter lifters? If so, then why not try working the heavier lifters with the methods used for the lighter ones as well? Okay that sounds like a riddle.

Chinese said:

You should train for maximal weights and many sets for competition lifts. Sounds like Ivan. Then you must work on your assisting muscle parts parts to strengthen them, in order to avoid bottlenecks. Then you must always spend more time with your weakest parts of the lifts. If you jerk sucks, add 2-3 sessions a week for jerks.

Your lifts must be done explosively and fast, but technique must be spot on. When you're slowing down, you must make sure you're slowing down because of muscle fatigue not because you're getting lazy. Thus your effort must still be at maximal speed and exertion. Sometimes, if you find that you cannot hit your maximal weights that are close to your PR, then drop the weights and do more reps/sets to exert a significant amount of stress to your muscles. Sounds like they found this in Russian texts.

So in conclusion, Chinese mixed both of it.
However, some Chinese coaches do have a more periodization'ish way of training. I have met one coach that trains his lifters like they're bodybuilders. Weird..

pulls

Well I'm lucky in the sense I've got a Chinese coach that plans everything for me, which makes it easier. Now China's a huge country and certain coaches may have different methods. One similarity which I've found is that they all believe in the importance of muscles and strengthening all relevant muscles. What muscles are relevant to weightlifting? All of it.

Which brings me into Chapter 4 : The supplementary lifts

Client Analysis : Brooke. Upper back.

July 1st, 2009

When you keep your upper back too relaxed, your bar ends up being too far and low, thus you have to straighten your torso quickly for it to reach height. Eventually, you'll bang the bar and it'll go flying out.

If your upper back's too tight, you cannot use your traps and upper back to rip the bar upwards. No leverage. Simple right? Also your arms will be tight as well, thus even if you do have the momentum, your rock hard arms have absorbed all the speed and it doesn't transfer to the bar.

So like we Buddhists say, "Do things in moderation" Same goes with weightlifting. What needs to be tight, keep it tight. What must be relaxed, keep it relaxed. Think logically.

The "triple-rip" (Extension's a lame word for something that requires that much power) comes from the calves, the quads and the upper back muscles. Simple enough right? Now, let's not talk about the calves and quads. Let's just talk about upper back significance in the snatch.

The upper back;

  • Keeps the bar close
  • Has a huge amount of usable muscle
  • Has huge leverage, that adds the power of the quads and calves
  • Is the final corrective muscle, if you've banged the bar and caused it to fly forward
  • Distributes the amount of stress, thus helping in the first pull
  • When locked correctly, ensures you don't have to find a second double knee rebend, so your position is just consistent with less margin for error

That's how important it is. And I see Youtube videos, where people emphasize so much on the second pull that their first pull looks like a kettle snout. Then they wonder why they receive the bar in such a retarded position, sometimes backwards, sometimes forward, sometimes too high, sometimes too low.

Did you know, if you have a solid first pull, just a minor "extension" is enough for you to gain enough height to rush under the bar? Well of course, minor is relative. I love that word relative. Gets me out of trouble everytime.



Watch this video. At 3.16. His lats ARE tight, but his traps aren't. This gives his leverage. Sometimes, when I watch my coach lift and I'm thinking to myself, why the hell he can do a 120KG triple snatch and walk to his chair and breathe calmly, but I've got to crawl to the chair after snatching 95KG for a double. And a funny thing happens when I get tired.

My technique and my breathing becomes more and more controlled as I get more tired. I eventually analyzed this and found that as I get more tired, my starting position tends to change because my legs tire out. As I switch positions, I'm able to use my back more. After a few adjustments, I've developed a starting style that suits me much better than it originally had. One that uses more back and slightly less legs.

Now back to the snatch grip deadlifts and high pulls Brooke!

Tuesday (June 30th 2009)

July 1st, 2009

holy-hell-its-funny

I just love this comic strip. Hilarious stuff.

I must first log my work done today before I analyze another bit of Brooke's issues. I'll post that up tomorrow. Along with Part 3 of the Chinese training. I PROMISE!

Came in feeling pretty good actually. Then a 60KG'er wanted to rack jerk as well. So in the end, we ended up competing. The handicap was 20KG.. So he jerked 100KG. I knew.....bah! The jerk. Is something, I'm HORRIBLE at. However, when competition comes along, I somehow, seem to be much more precise and relaxed. I'm not a tense competitor, I'm the relaxed competitor. A little too relaxed sometimes.

Rack Jerk:

Butt out
Bend knees
Hold contraction
Acclerate
POW!!

    20KG x 3
    50KG x 3
    70KG x 2
    90KG x 2
    100KG x 2
    110KG x 2 x 1
    115KG x 1
    120KG x 1
    125KG x 2 x 1 (1)


    I almost thought I got it. Then I ran out of space on the platform. Drat. Oh well...1 jerk at 125KG ain't that bad.

    Front Squats

    50KG x 3 (heavy....)
    70KG x 3 (heavy....)
    90KG x 3 (heavy....wtf?)
    110KG x 3 (heavy! I decided to go against my coach's squatting)
    120KG x 3 (ah!! The bounce! It's light again!)
    135KG x 5 x 3 (Pretty light. Used the bounce well in the first two reps and then the 3rd, I'll use maximal contraction)

    My coach's method of squatting, is to squat to parallel and stand up. I always felt that method gave my knees a hard time, so went ATG and bounced instead. The reason he does that is because it's at parallel that it's hardest to stand up. If you get pinned by a clean, it's most likely going to be at that part. I'll take my chances and work on my bounce...I'm actually able to use it pretty well. Never been pinned on a clean so far. The worst was the 135KG where I was stuck at parallel, but went down again and bounced up.

    Heck my next exercise was going to work my parallel strength anyway

    Jerk Drive


    150KG x 5 x 3

    Scoop the bar, go up and down 3-4 times and on the last rep, explode the bar upwards. That's one rep. The bar literally bit into my flesh. Cripes!

    Holy hell....I'm sleepy. Will update tomorrow.

    Monday training. 29th June 09

    June 30th, 2009

    For some reason, I think the alcohol over the weekend turned my brains stupid. I attempted to use a frog style pull with my shoulders all behind the bar. No wonder I couldn't get my lats contracted. After hitting 80KG and wondering what the hell was going on, I tilted forward again. Oh....that's where my lats disappeared to.

    So yesterday's training

    Snatch:

    20KG x warmup
    50KG x 2 x 3
    70KG x 2 x 3
    80KG x 2 x 3 (retard style)
    80KG x 4 x 3 (back to normal style. Much better this way)

    Snatch Pulls:

    110KG x 2 x 3
    120KG x 5 x 3

    Snatch high pull from block

    50KG x 2 x 5
    60KG x 5 x 4
    50KG x 2 x 4

    Home!

    Q&A

    June 30th, 2009

    I've had a few interesting questions that I'd like to answer here.

    Source

    1. How do the Chinese lifters train? Frequency, what exercises, reps etc..

    The exercises differ from person to person. It truly depends on what your weak points are. If you're an excellent cleaner, but horrible jerker, we'll give a variety of exercises to improve your jerk. As you progress and we analyze your jerker technique, you will drop the amount of supplementary exercises, to those that suit you most and benefit your jerk technique most.

    Most people are okay at clean, but horrid at jerks. So we'd give out exercises like, half front squats, overhead presses, push presses, behind the neck jerks. I started with even a bit more exercises than the above listed, but I've cut them down.

    As for frequency, weekly frequency is 9x a week. As competitions come closer, it increases to 11 but the repetitions are cut down and most of the focus is on classic lifts and the weak areas that an athlete may have.

    I've also noticed a semi-conjugate, semi-periodization, semi-Bulgarian method more recently.

    The russian method is based on very much heavy extra work (squats and pulls) and much active rest.

    2. How often do we go over 90% on the classic lifts?

    Every single day. We try to push our 90% from a single rep of 4 sets to perhaps a double for 3 sets. It all depends on your technique proficiency for that day and strength. Technique sucks, drop weight, more reps

    If my technique for that day sucks, I usually go to about 80% of my max and do 5 sets of 3. Then I finish. I find most people thinking that a snatch, has to be a snatch. I think the Chinese never knew that, so that's why we do something marketing geniuses call "Snatch complex for power and strength development with unparalleled gains in hypertrophy and it'll cure Cancer"

    We just call it "Zhao Kan Jue" or find the movement. What happens is, we'll do a few times of snatch grip deadlifts, then we'll pull it and do a high snatch pull. When the feeling's finally right, then we'll snatch. It doesn't matter if it's 50% or 100%. If the feeling sucks, just do a bit of initial work to grind it back in.

    3. Do we squat heavy?

    I've showed videos of my coach squatting up to 230KG. He's done 250KG recently, but I just can't be bothered to video his squats anymore. In a recent analysis by Andrew Charniga, he stated that Lu Yong did 175+210 and a 240KG FS.

    And of course, a very cool 200KG snatch high pull with rebend.

    Sooooo, do we squat heavy? Of course we do. That's why I say, we took the Bulgarian methods of heavy classic lift singles, and the Russian method of heavy supplementary work.

    4. In the video of my coach snatching, here, he doesn't stand up after snatching. Does that count as a snatch?

    He's snatching a 120KG for triples. So if he's to attempt standing, he'll be wasting energy. He's working on pull and drop speed, that's why he doesn't stand. Simple logic. :D






    Brooke’s Snatching Issues

    June 29th, 2009

    Brooke's my first online client. He sends me videos for me to watch, and my coach and I will work out what his problems are. We'll analyze the video, slow it down, pause it and check and then tell where his issues are.

    Here's a video of his recent snatching



    We've discussed and found that, he tries to consciously avoid knocking his bar on his knees. Now this is barely a worry if he knows how to PRESS off the ground and keep the bar close. Now the problem is, the snatch is a complex movement. When you're attempting to rip a heavy bar from the ground above your head in one second, you need to be absolutely precise (Now heavy is relative to maximal strength and skill)

    With so much pressure, you just CANNOT keep your mind consciously on something as insiginificant as not knocking on the knees. That's why the Chinese have simplified the snatch into a mere press, rip and catch.

    Anyway, his main issues are his inability to keep his upper back tight. This is pretty simple to fix. Just tilt his body forward a little more. That way the body is directly over the bar and much easier to flex the upper back.  Then press, rip, catch! Flex those essential muscles that I've told you Brooke.

    No? Dont' think so? You think his snatching has a problem at the banging of the bar?
    His bar's too far away, so he swings his back, to find his "rip point". But at that point, his back's already straight and his leg power can only go FORWARD, not upwards.

    But if he kept his bar close?
    Now, the moment he presses off the ground, it'll AUTOMATICALLY find itself at the "rip point" and he can instantly pop his quads and rip his bar upwards and catch.



    Now to move to your snatch pull with rebend. At 0.51, see, that position's alright. I would rather have my lats slightly tighter. And pull your wrist all the way. And whoaa......at 0.52, where'd you learn to do that??? It's a snatch pull with rebend. To mimick the movement of a snatch. At 0.52, you should be rushing UNDER the bar, not avoiding the bar. My coach even looked at me and said "Since when the hell did I teach you to do THAT????"



    Look at 0.06. He looks like he's hyperextending. No he's not, he's already finished the rip. He's now rushing under the bar. This is the movement you should be having in your snatch pull with rebend movement. At 0.07, this is the OPTIMAL snatch catch position. Before you crazed internet warriors come at me, at this position, your bar is directly above the most stable point of your legs. Near the navicular bone around the midfoot. This is the only way he can actually fully utilize his quad strength to stand up. To be able to sit this low, you need to have absolutely flexible adductors, hips and ankles. Yes the shoulders too, but NOT so much on the shoulder joint flexibility. If it's too flexible, you'll find yourself losing it backwards. So start stretching, you lazy whores.

    So that's it for this time Brooke. Email me if you've anything else to ask. For those who are interested, contact my email at kirksman@gmail.com

    Our main focus work is to work on correcting technique. Then we'll work on a solid routine to help you progress.

    Cheers!





    Thursday and Friday 18/19 June 09 Training

    June 20th, 2009

    Thursday was just a extremely tiresome back squat, from rack. It's to work at my sticking point. Each rep would require me to deload on the rack and then squat up again. It becomes extremely difficult as it's at the parallel position and the quads and hips must work overtime to even get the bar off. The lack of the eccentric portion and thus the lack of a stretch reflex from the muscles make it even harder. In the end, I got up to 160KG for a two singles. Holy hell that was hard.

    Then that was it. It's my rest day.

    On Friday, I snatched till 90KG. IT was a PR somewhat when I power snatched 80KG's like feather. Interesting....my coach's first reaction was "WOW! That was light!"

    I was initially planning to snatch 100KG for 3 singles, but instead decided against because my back wasn't feeling it. It wasn't the lack of power or speed, it was the lack of the supporting muscles isometric strength. So I maintained with 90KG and did 3 doubles with it. Actually it was more like four doubles, because I missed two reps, so I did it again to make up for the lost snatches. Steady first pull, extend upwards like Mister Klokov and catch!

    The CNJ's were the highlights of the day. I was supposed to do 5 singles at 110KG.

    Everything went rather well, nothing too difficult. Clean was easy like mad and the jerk was nothing spectacular, but at least I didn't miss any. The FINAL set was the crazy one. I prepared myself as usual and cleaned the weight nice and fast.

    However, as I was getting tired, I took 3-4 puffs....on the forth puff, everything just went dark and I fell sideways. My subconscious mind was saying "Throw the bar now!!! NOWW!!! NOWWWWWW!!!" and finally when my mind managed to work again, I threw the bar and fell on the bench.

    Everything was a blur and I heard a ringing sound and my friends and coach's words sounded like a bell moving left and right. This continued for 15 seconds and after that I just couldn't move anymore. HELL that was some scary shit! I'm never taking a puff for too long again.

    Did some clean pulls at 130 for 5 triples and called it a day. It was alright.

    To do.....finish the article about Chinese training!

    Chapter 2 - The Chinese Weightlifting Technique

    June 19th, 2009

    Chapter 1.

    I had to sit and think for a few days about this part. How do I explain technique. I've the answer.

    I DON'T.

    If I could explain the technique to others, via the Internet with diagrams and words, then coaches would be out of a job. And I certainly don't want that happening as that would effectively put me out of a job. Wait, does that make sense?

    shi-jiyong

    Shi Jiyong's one of the perfect examples of how textbook Chinese weightlifters are. Okay now why should we first develop perfect technique before developing strength?

    1. It's more efficient
    2. You save energy and can increase work capacity [well ...sorta]
    3. You're more consistent
    4. The bar's travelling at the most efficient line and thus allows you to lift more
    5. Muscles are able to work effectively [no sticking points]
    6. I don't care what your coach said, or the Youtube Internet warrior said, good technique is half of the lift already
    7. Developing excessive strength will cause you to use wrong muscles and thus have imperfect technique [try using your arms to muscle a 180KG clean]
    8. You're able to maintain or build better flexibility which is nearly always good for weightlifting

    That's a few reasons. Might be more but at 5AM and after some "Coke-D", I can't remember them all.

    Now I've noticed a lot of people talking about this double knee rebend thing. Honestly I never noticed it in my lifting and many Chinese lifting. To me, the pulling movement is simply;

    1. A press off the ground with the quads [1st pull]
    2. Maintain back position ALL the time
    3. When bar reaches optimal height, [extend is a pathetic word to describe how powerful this second pull is] rip the bar like mad to get it as high as possible
    4. Catch at the moment the bar stops [Catch the "hang time"]
    5. Catch the bounce and stand

    Probably the most beautiful weightlifting shoe ever

    It doesn't matter whether it's a snatch or a clean. Just do the same thing. What crazy double knee rebend are some people talking about??? The only double knee rebend happens when you use your back to activate the first pull and have your shoulders BEHIND the bar. Then you'd have to adjust your position, or jump backwards or, you'll end up banging the bar with your hips and occasionally, penis. The only people I can think of having that issue, are people with extremely short torsos and short legs with short arms, in which...sorry lah friend, maybe it's time you find a new sport. Urik Vardanian did have a short torso and still lifted an untouchable record at 82.5KG,405KG. Still, he had the fundamentals right. Torso over the bar, legs off the ground, RIP!

    Try it. Grab a bar, and stand up with JUST your legs. There, the bar's at the right position to rip into the air. Bar too low, especially with the clean grip so extending would be extremely inefficent? That's when you need our help, so email us for to send your videos and get some help. We'll offer the tips and even give you some other work to correct this problem, for a small fee.
    kirksman@gmail.com

    The only person that got away with ridiculous techniques were the super heavy weights who were extremely strong [maybe that's cuz they just gained weight like it was nobodies business to increase strength] Hossain Rezazedah, Chemerkin, Paul Anderson, [especially Paul Anderson] had the weirdest technique but still managed monster weights. It's just that it was inefficient. Imagine if Paul Anderson had better technique. Shit...the 272.5KG CNJ would've been done then.

    Like my coach said, if you have your technique right, it doesn't matter if it's 20KG or 200KG, your technique will be spot on. Your technique should not break even if it's 200KG, because if it does break during training, what makes you think the tension, the stress, the weight cutting, the nerves, won't break your form at a competition?

    Thus I've always, always worked close to my maximal lifts, with a few repetitions more. I'd try to work my snatch to 90-95% of my 1RM for doubles after hitting my daily max.That way I feel more confident when approaching the heavier weights instead of thinking "Shit, I've only done this once. Can I?"
    Also another benefit I feel with this method, is because I'm already tired, I can't afford to slack a single muscle and lose a bit of my technique. When I'm fresh, I can save a bad snatch by quickly running forward or standing up. However, when I'm tired, I need to really tear the bar after the first pull in order to get it high enough, and drop extremely fast to catch it. If my technique was out, 1CM too far and I'm likely to lose it forward. If I turn lazy, and use my back to alleviate the stress on my quads during the first pull, I'll probably lose it backwards. Thus technique has to be consistent.

    Photobucket

    How the hell does he have a chest like that doing weightlifting? Godammit! I want that.

    So yeah. Weightlifting technique is complex, yes. But as you get better at it, your body remembers what to do, but your mind must essentially remember the few important things. It's different per individual, but mine's just, press, rip, catch. Ah I need some sleep.


    Chapter 3 : The comparison between Bulgarian, Russian and Chinese methods.

    Chapter 1 : Introduction to Chinese style weightlifting.

    June 18th, 2009

    The Chinese, in the Olympics 2008, won a ton of weightlifting gold medals. All their women won gold, and nearly a clean sweep for the men too. It was gold gold gold gold gold almost the entire way. Crazy stuff. Before someone screams "Steroids!", individuals that use steroids have to work much harder than an average person.

    They take steroids not because it's an easy way out, it's because they want to tax their bodies and increase recovery rate and working capacity so they can train more. SO if you're thinking steroids is an easy way out, you're so wrong.

    If you've been trained by a Chinese coach, you'd easily believe that steroids isn't the reason they're that good. It's more like a combination of perfect technique, speed and explosiveness, maximal strength, excellent attitude, confidence and a competitive environment. As well as selecting the most suitable athletes for a particular sport.

    Now if you're wondering why the hell Liao Hui salutes like that, it's because he was formerly from the Chinese Army.

    Now China has been exporting their coaches to a few Asian countries. Thailand has them. Indonesia had one, until he came back to coach the Malaysian team. Yes, our very own Coach Lin. Vietnam and Laos has a Chinese coach as well. I've got a feeling that South Korea may have a Chinese coach as well because of their methods of training looks rather similar to the Chinese. [My mistake : They use a Korean coach but train a lot in China] Taiwan uses a Chinese coach also, because that Chinese coach's a friend of my coach.

    So yes, around the Asian region, we want Chinese coaches. We already know they're darned bloody good.

    Now everybody thinks that China has a super secret method that they keep under their beds every night and have a padlock the size of George Bush's head (Biggest dumbass on earth) to keep it away from others. Hell no. It's not even close to that. They have teams from Asian countries that go to China's provinces to train with the coaches there for a month or so. How'd I know that? Maybe it's because our national team DOES THAT? And the coach our national team, is after all....a friend of my coach?

    The Chinese method, is almost exactly like the Russian method of training. Where did the Russians get their routine? I did read (I cannot confirm) that Russians said they got their original ideas from the........AMERICANS! So basically, we're practicing what the Americans taught previously. Maybe the only difference is that it's so much tougher. Another thing is, from how I noticed my training is designed.....there seems to be a lot of Bulgarian style of maximum competition lifts incorporated.

    So Bulgarian+Russian=Chinese method of training.

    Hey PRESTO! You've got the magical routine. I swear, it is really that simple. Yeah right. There are tonnes of other reasons why Chinese athletes are so much better. It could be the nutrition, the massages, the recovery theraphy, the technique (I swear, they are fucking anal about technique. I once had to CNJ 2x more because my rear leg splotted. Fuck I hate CNJ) It could also be because of competition between themselves.

    Noo....It's because of the steroids. You still want to believe in that bullshit? Weightlifting isn't powerlifting. There's a buffalo load of technique involved and having the best drugs and just plain pulling the bar off the ground, isn't going to cut it. Technique has so much to do with it.

    Check out the technique in this boy. He is a lil slow on the recovery, but let's not forget he's 8 years old and weighs 40KG and that's 75KG above his head. He's EIGHT for heaven's sakes. (PS: Not even a country like America would put a 8 year old on dope. To you Americans reading this, hehehehe!! )

    Tomorrow, after my exams...I shall give a guideline about about the technique. Ever notice how almost all Chinese weightlifters, seem to have a perfect consistency in technique, from female to male, light to heavy?

    Watch these two videos;

    Except for the younger boy's rear leg buckling a bit under that immense weight, they look perfectly consistent.

    Tomorrow...Chapter 2....the technique......If I remember to do it.




    Thursday June 18 2009. I think I see the light.

    June 18th, 2009

    I swear this dog's the cutest thing I've ever seen on youtube next to Baby Ally (or was it Allie?).

    Today some guy from the Malacca Weightlifting Association came. As usual lah...."Apa you mau? Apa you mau? You bagitau saya. Supplement, vitamin, trunks, apa you mau?"

    Let's see alright. We need;

    1. A new female training barbell set, preferably Eleiko because Uesaka hurts the hands
    2. 3 sets of male training barbell sets.
    3. More 5KG, 10KG and 15KG plates. We've too many 25KG and we don't have Anatoly Pisaranenko training here
    4. New weightlifting shoes
    5. New lifting suits (Yeah those gay ass spandex shit)
    6. Protein shakes, creatine, BCAA, multivitamins, glucosamine and fish oil would be nice
    7. Solid jerk racks. Can you believe our jerk racks construction actually have designed HOLES in them and a light base? Stupid fools
    8. A power rack to do overhead and partial work

    So MWA....when are you guys going to walk the talk and give us what we need? Gan Boon Leong's the weightlifting association's president, yet Malacca's gym is grossly under-equipped. Yeah, so the other gyms are under-equipped as well. So? What's that to do with us?

    Training today was insane again. My coach deems it the "Hell Routine" with an evil "Hahaha!" at the back. He lied. It's beyond hell.

    My jerk has always been my Achilles heel. While my max clean is 130KG, I can barely hold 120KG overhead. After yesterday's marathon jerks, I've to battle it one more time. Worked up to a 110CNJ and had problems with the leg drive.

    I'm always too nervous when it comes to the jerk. First two, I could not jerk it all the way. Both times at 110KG, the bar went up but it was a little forward. Third rep, I managed to tweak myself and finally hit the jerk right. The 4th and 5th attempt was better, but this time the clean became an issue because of the front squats from yesterday that totally taxed me out.

    I thought it was over but nope....I still had to do 90KG for 3 sets of doubles. And ONCE AGAIN, it's my final 2 reps that was the most. I'm inclined to think that I'm a retard.

    Did clean pulls till 150KG for 5 doubles. Those were pretty tough especially when your quads are officially fried.

    Finished off with some behind the neck presses with an empty bar and then had a "Stepping Massage With Brutal Evil Coach" He literally walked all over my sore and aching muscles, while telling me to relax. Dude, you weigh 71KG and you're pressing your toes and heels into my legs. Relax? Maybe if my muscles weren't sore, but they're sorer than a virgin wife after her first night (Yeah right, like that exists anymore)

    Tomorrow's back squats.....I wonder what's he got in store....I'm just aiming a 150KG for 5 triples. However, I don't think I'll be that lucky.