Ep. 13 – Caleb Ward Interview: The Secrets Of Lifting Heavy Shit Over Your Head

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Nick Horton • 2 Killer Comments

Today’s interview is with one of the best male Olympic weightlifters in the country: Caleb Ward. In addition to a lot of talk about training and lifting heavy shit above our heads, we also do a fair amount of discussion about the mental side of lifting and what it takes to be good at this sport.

Caleb is not only a hell of a lifter, he’s also just a hell of a guy. He’s funny, very intelligent, and deeply cares about promoting the sport to a wide range of people.  After a full 10 years of competing in weightlifting … he’s still a young guy with a big future ahead of him.

Find out why:

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Filed Under: Olympic Weightlifting, podcast, vidcast

Ep. 12 – Sarah Robles Interview: Confessions Of An Olympian, OR, On The Importance Of Training Your Mind

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Nick Horton • 0 Comments

Todays interview is with Sarah Robles, 2012 Olympian in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, coached by Joe Micela. Take a look into the mind of someone who has risen to the top and learn how she got there, the lessons she believes you can take away, and what drives her to put in the hard work it took to do it all.

She’s a very down to earth person with a great sense of humor and was a lot of fun to interview. It will be hard to come away from this without feeling inspired.

Quote: “The mental side of training is as important – or more important – than the physical side.” – Sarah Robles

Congratulations on making the Olympic team Sarah!! Can’t wait to watch you lift in London!

Links mentioned:

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Filed Under: Olympic Weightlifting, podcast, vidcast

Ep. 11 – Greg Everett Interview: How You Can Look Great Naked AND Be Strong At The Same Time

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Nick Horton • 3 Killer Comments

Greg Everett has become one of the most well known Olympic Weightlifting coaches in the country for a reason: because he gets results; and because he reaches out to people beyond the “inner circle” of weightlifting. That makes him a great fit here! His weightlifting club is Catalyst Athletics in the Bay Area in California where he coaches competitive Olympic Lifters, CrossFit athletes, and general fitness enthusiasts.

In this interview we discuss

  • how he got his start,
  • what he’s learned along the way,
  • what he thinks you can do to improve your progress,
  • how he runs his programs,
  • what to do if you do CrossFit AND want to improve your lifts,
  • why you need clearly defined goals if you want to make gains,
  • and a whole lot more!

Greg is focused on results, promoting the sport to a broad audience, and helping as many people as possible through is Catalyst Athletics gym and brand. I had a great time talking to him about all this stuff and I know you’re going to get a lot out of it:

You can check out his book here.

He’s also got a fantastic journal/magazine called Performance Menu here.

Here’s the Audio-Only version of this interview:

 

 

 

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Ep. 10 – Bret Contreras Interview – Strength, Science, and Controversy!

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Nick Horton • 0 Comments

The Glute Guy Bret ContrerasBret Contreras and I have a great time in this in this episode of Weightlifting Academy where I interview – and interrogate! – him on some pretty controversial topics in the fitness community as a whole.

The goal of our turning Weightlifting Academy into an Interview show is to learn as much as we can from people that come from two difference areas.

The first are people who are squarely within the field of Olympic Lifting proper – like my awesome friend, Gwen Sisto who I interviewed last week (Make sure you check that one out, I’ve gotten awesome feedback on it). These people have a ton of insider knowledge about what’s working for the best of the best.

The second group are people just outside of Olympic Lifting – like in similar sports, strength and conditioning coaches, sports scientists, etc. Doing this is something every serious coach does because we just don’t have all the answers yet, and getting outside your own “world” can pay huge dividends.

Today’s guest, my buddy Bret Contreras, fits well within the second category. He’s a strength and conditioning coach and is getting his PhD in exercise science and drops some serious knowledge bombs on us regarding some of the most controversial subjects in the strength coaching community.

Here are some of the major areas of discussion:

  • Why is Bret Contreras known as “The Glute Guy”?
  • Should he be called, “Contreras the Controversial Contrarian?”
  • How has his ebook been received in the fitness community
  • … and What effect has it had on the training we do at PDX Weightlifting
  • Is Sport Specific training a Myth?
  • Should athletes (who aren’t Olympic Lifters or CrossFitters) even bother with the Olympic Lifts?
  • What’s up with the Sprinting controversy?
  • How Bret got totally mired in the Lumbar Flexion debate (AKA – Are crunches bad for you?)
  • What the hell is wrong with the fitness industry
  • … and worse, fitness bloggers and “guru’s”
  • All about Bret’s new kick-ass “Strength and Conditioning Review” project
Cool links mentioned:

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Ep. 9 – The Volume Queen Gwen Sisto of Risto Sports

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Nick Horton • 0 Comments

Clocking in at 500+ reps per week, Gwen Sisto’s workouts would kill most mortals. Thankfully, she’s not mortal. She’s some kind of super human: Aeronautical Engineer; National caliber weightlifter; Mother; and Entrepreneur.

Gwen is one of my favorite people, and it was only natural that she’d be our first guest here on Weightlifting Academy now that my buddy and co-host Michael Hartman is out conquering the world (watch the end of episode 8 to get details about that). We have a really fun time in this interview and combine discussions about many topics in lifting that you can put into practice immediately and, of course, goof off and act a fool. (It just wouldn’t be WA if we didn’t!)

Some of the major areas we covered that you can take away are:

  • A big heel doesn’t make you a bad person
  • The importance of volume in your training
  • The best way (according to Gwen, her coach, and yours-truly) to learn the snatch
  • Why understanding the exponential function WILL make you a better lifter
  • That “Bulgarian” does not equal maxing out
  • How being a Geek really is more awesome
  • That Gwen can really blow shit up
  • And why cheerleaders made kick-ass weightlifters

On with the show:

Links mentioned:

 

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Ep. 8 – Bulgarian Olympic Weightlifting Basics

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Nick Horton • 0 Comments

Bulgarian Olympic weightlifting training is a hot topic, wildly misunderstood, and downright fun to implement … we discuss why in this episode and how our own coaching philosophies have been shaped by it. and …

  • Why if you live in Texas you might have a heart attack if you move to Portland
  • What you can learn from two young dudes from Wisconsin
  • Why you should thank CrossFit every day even if you are scared of cardio
  • What in the world is “Bulgarian Training” anyway?
  • Is Nick just obsessed with it because his step dad is Bulgarian?
  • Michael’s to-the-point definition of Bulgarian Olympic lifting
  • Nick’s definition is more long-winded … as usual!
  • How life is like climbing up a hill during a mudslide
  • Bulgarians vs Zombies
  • Why Maxing out is not enough
  • … and quite misleading!
  • How you can squat sets of 10 reps and still be Bulgarian
  • Finally …
  • Big Changes at Weightlifting Academy revealed

For a quick(ish) rundown on what Bulgarian Training is like, check out Nick’s article on it here.

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Filed Under: Olympic Weightlifting, podcast, vidcast

Ep. 7 – Mastering Masters Weightlifting Competition, OR, What Would Batman Eat?

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Nick Horton • 0 Comments

What would Batman eat? That is the question … along with:

  • What do professors do during their office hours?
  • How should a Masters lifter prepare for their first ever Masters National competition?
  • That Nick’s math teacher wore a full Spider Man outfit (with mask) for an entire marathon
  • How Batman might save America’s youth
  • Is Weight Lifting the ideal beginning point for young overweight kids?
  • Why young weightlifters do better in a gym with Masters lifters
  • Why Oly lifting is easier than bodybuilding … in at least one sense
  • Incremental improvement is virtually guaranteed if you’re consistent

Make sure you ask any and all questions below.

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Filed Under: Olympic Weightlifting, podcast, vidcast

Ep. 6 – Get Under The Bar: Why Listening to Britney Spears is the REAL test for a Weightlifter

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Nick Horton • 7 Killer Comments
britney spears bald head 4
britney spears is good for weightlifting?

Can’t get under the bar fast enough? We’re here to help, and …

  • Michael is back from vacation
  • Why Nick sold $500 worth of books in order to stay cool
  • How the “hip snatch” can help you get down with your bad self
  • Why Jumping is a wrong … and yet very often necessary 
  • Nick wants you to be just a bit like a bodybuilder … sort of
  • Why you NEED to get a good start. Period.
  • Ice Cube is a weightlifting guru … seriously
  • What do you do if you can’t squat?
  • How neither Nick nor Michael are fans of heavy one-legged lifts
  • … even though Nick subjected his athletes to them for over 6 months!!
  • If you can’t lift well listening to Britney Spears, you’re not a weightlifter
  • Tracking losses is far easier than tracking gains
  • What is up with the Gregorian Calendar?

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Filed Under: Olympic Weightlifting, podcast, vidcast

Ep. 5 – Day One In The Gym: Snatch, Snatch, Snatch … Did I Say Snatch?

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Nick Horton • 1 Rad Comment

 

Michael and I talk about what we do with brand new, rank beginner olympic weightlifters on day one – your first day in the gym. And …

  • Why both Michael and I have people snatch first in the gym, rather than clean on their first day
  • How Snatches are remarkably similar to large frogs
  • Why coaches are like Pilots flying to Hawaii
  • The upsides and downsides of weightlifting seminars
  • Athletes need plans, or a syllabus … but should NOT jump ahead!
  • Michael gets nearly trampled by the Tulsa Hurricanes 
  • Why coaches and teachers have to “shoot the middle” 
  • How Olympic Weightlifting clubs are like 1-room school houses
  • Why teaching is the best way to learn
  • Why Beginners should try to train with lifters who are much better than themselves … or at least watch a lot of youtube!
  • How Nick and Michael have broken with Bulgarian Orthodoxy …
  • … But still are quite Bulgarian otherwise (Don’t worry! We’ll define what in the world “Bulgarian” means in another episode)
  • Why the ladies tend to be too efficient for their own good
  • And why men are too strong for their own good … on average!

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Filed Under: Olympic Weightlifting, podcast, vidcast

Ep. 4 – The 2012 National Olympic Weightlifting Championships VS The Jersey Shore

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Nick Horton • 12 Killer Comments

 

Nick just got back from the 2012 combination National Championships, Arnold Classic, and Weightlifting Olympic Trials and has WAY more to talk about that we could fit into just one episode. But, here’s a good start:

  • Why do Bodybuilding fans all look like they are on the Jersey Shore?
  • How Nick’s lifter Brandon did in his first ever showing at Nationals: Both the good and the bad … and what YOU can learn from it all
  • Why bombing out might be a good thing to do once in a while as a learning experience
  • In contrast, Why in your first year or so you should NEVER bomb out!
  • How the “mid-tier” lifters are better than ever, and how that’s fantastic for the future of the sport
  • Why USA Weightlifting needs to find a way to get out of under the thumb of the USOC (US Olympic Committee) … but we need help in figuring out how!
  • How we all need to embrace the smaller companies that live-and-breathe weightlifting far more than the big dogs like Nike and Reebok if we want to ensure growth
  • People and lifters are NOT the greatest asset of Olympic Lifting, The Pipeline is
  • … and more!!

Big shout out to Dan Bell, Mark Cannella, Rachel Crass, Mike “The Cookie Monster”, and all the many people who worked their BUNS OFF to make the 2012 Arnold a huge success!!

Also, Dan Bell’s lifter, Holly Mangold is now a member of the 2012 Olympic Team along with Sarah Robles (coached by Joe Micella)!! Congratulations to both lifters, and their coaches for all the hard work it took to get to that point. 

AND congrats to all the lifters who didn’t quite make the team, but are amazing, and killed it, and made us all very proud.

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Filed Under: Olympic Weightlifting, podcast, vidcast