IOL Strength and Conditioning

Dan John

Glenn Pendlay’s Olympic Lifting Techniques DVD shocked me quite early. Honestly, I thought I would be sitting and going “well, yes, of course.” Right away, he was emphasizing methods that were counter to nearly everything I have ever learned. I would be sinful if I didn’t mention that I also saw a “Juan Diego” shirt in the first pan through and that simply made me smile.

I really enjoyed how Glenn emphasized that an elite lifter should do this, but the beginner needs to “that.” I was happy to hear that many of my little tricks with youth were “okay” as my audience (teen athletes and really most people I deal with in training) are going to use the Olympic lifts as tools to other goals.

Glenn teaches moving immediately into the Squat Snatch and I applaud this vigorously. I found the same issues with teaching football skills and throwing techniques: the longer you wait to teach the athlete the “full” movement, the harder it will be to teach those early successful, but mediocre, movements. Discus throwers become addicted to standing throwers while football players catch the ball one way in a flag football game and their arms “magically” shrink in a real game. O lifters who learn the power variations first tend to love to stay with them long after they have any value. I was so happy to hear “Stay on your heels,” by the way.

It was nice to see Jon North’s consistent excellent technique throughout the DVD series. Glenn would talk and Jon would lift and the combination keeps one watching. “Learn by doing” DVDs need an excellent technician to get the idea of what we are trying to accomplish. I love Joe Q. Public, but it is hard to learn much watching those beginner movements.

There is an excellent summary towards the end of the snatch DVD where the review of all the points really gets to the point. I actually “feel better” about my little method of teaching the lifts watching this as it is basically the same approach. I really enjoyed the hammering on the word “consistency,” too.

The Clean and Jerk DVD was nice as I printed out the slides (a pdf file on the first DVD) and I could “follow along” and watch for the subtle coaching clues). I do have to add that it was fun seeing a lot of familiar faces in the group. I need to keep my weekends more open so I can attend these kinds of things and enjoy the fun.

Excellent DVD overall. I was very impressed by the simple approach and look forward to meeting Glenn in person one day.

In this live workshop seminar filmed for DVD, USAW International Olympic lifting coach Glenn Pendlay teaches the snatch and clean & jerk to a group of novice adult trainees. By the end of the session, this collection of mostly beginners moved from clumsy to relatively competent (using a loose term here) under Coach Pendlay’s guidance.

Disk one

After a few minutes of general introduction and discussion of the initial bar position, Glenn teaches—

• How to put the bar overhead
• Jump and catch
• Squat snatch
• Second position, then taking it from the floor

Glenn is assisted in the seminar by Jon North, who demonstrates the proper technique in each position. During the workshop, Coach Pendlay takes Jon through his workout while the participants — and the viewers at home — learn of the intensity involved in an elite weightlifting training session.

Next, he moves to a conversation on speed and works through taking the hesitations out of each position. We then watch Glenn supervise an elite athlete’s training as he puts Jon through his paces, and finish with a review of the morning’s work.

Each section includes Glenn’s description of the technique, followed by Jon’s demonstration. We get a few final points from the coach, then we watch as a group of participants work on his instructions. Throughout the workout segments the camera follows Glenn, and we see his coaching techniques, hear the questions and learn how a top Olympic lifting coach would address these questions with his athletes.

Disk two

This session builds on the work of disk one as Glenn uses those bar positions from the snatch and moves to teach the clean & jerk. We see—

• An introduction to the clean
• 2 superb rack and squat stretches
• Cleans from the high hang and from the floor
• Jon North’s  c&j workout
• The jerk instruction and demonstration

And then we get a final review of the day’s efforts. Throughout the workshop, Glenn answers questions for the group, so you’ll finish watching with a satisfied feeling that you know what you need to know, and it’s up to you and your practice to make things happen. If you’re a coach or personal trainer, these are same questions your athletes have, and you’ll have a new level of confidence in your answers to their queries.

Individuals eager to learn the lifts at home will begin to hone their technique, and coaches who work with athletes will gain countless simple coaching tips to help clarify the most common and most unusual lifting errors.

You’ll learn–

• A simple, top down teaching progression that will take you from zero to full squat snatches and clean as quickly as possible
• The most effective stretches to develop the flexibility needed for the positions of Olympic weightlifting.
• Hints, tips, and error correction strategies picked up over 20 years of lifting and coaching.

This is a two-dvd set. Disk one covers the snatch, at 67 minutes, and disk two covers the clean & jerk, 55 minutes.  Included on the DVD are valuable slides and a printable tip sheet of the important points Glenn covered in the session.

Glenn Pendlay is a top US Olympic weightlifting coach who has produced national champions at every level of the sport, from the Junior Olympics through Masters and Senior Nationals — over 100 national championships in all. This is the level of experience he shares in this live workshop DVD. You can order that here, $44.50.

Dave Draper

Peace and joy and good will claim our attention. Yet, I feel compelled to remind you of the subtle and pervasive pitfalls concealed before us.

It starts. You go to a small party… big deal! And eat a little more than usual—so? And drink a little. Eh!

Trixie brings homemade cookies to work and Biff brings his special eggnog. Good stuff and ‘ya can’t say no. Oops! You miss your classic midweek workout. And Friday—shoulders and arms—gives way to another party… Aunt Sue and Uncle Bob and the kids. Real good people, but they sure can pack it in.

A thin crack in your cool discipline appears. You gain weight, few pounds. Hmpff! Saturday your favorite morning workout is replaced with gift shopping and groceries for your Christmas party. Bring your own booze. Two am, as you clean up the party mess, you vaguely recall devouring a loaf of garlic bread and a bottle of vino with big Tony and big Angella. Those two should exercise.

“How quickly we gain weight,” you muse as you gingerly mount the scale on Monday morning before heading to work. You feel puffy and achy and grumpy. Not enough sleep these days. No way can you go to the gym feeling like a slug. Me llama es El Piggo. “Wednesday I’ll blast it,” you vow. The crack is now a gap and growing.

You eat and eat, forget the Wednesday blasting session and eat again. You feel guilty and fat—bad combination. Somebody from the gym asks where you’ve been and you tell him to mind his own business. Who does he think he is? The jerk! You’re a little high strung.

Now your pants don’t fit. Party, party, I love champagne. You hyperventilate. Who needs protein, pass the pie. Your sneakers don’t fit. What gym? Where?

You’ve contracted bulgebellious miserabeles. Your friends don’t recognize you. Your training gap has become the Grand Canyon. It has a life of its own like a slobbering alien from Krypton Three. Is this a hideous nightmare? Tell me I’m dreaming! How do I get outta here? Hellllppp meee!

Does this sound familiar, Bunky? Don’t let this happen to you.

Don’t miss your workouts. Cut them in half… and don’t eat too much. Cut it in half. Don’t let things get out of hand, 15-30 minutes in the gym 2-3 times a week is far, far better than saying “why bother.” These make all the difference in the world to keep you mentally and physically and emotionally together. They keep you connected, in control, toned, confident, strong, alert, disciplined, cute and charming. You’ll be so pleased with yourself, instead of displeased with yourself, a big dif.

You’ll smile instead of pretending to smile, you’ll laugh, you’ll love.

The gym is always a friendly diversion, and especially so around this peculiar time of the year. Let’s face it. December gets weird—the job, the markets, the malls, construction, shopping, shipping, receiving, the highways and byways. The gym with its mutually enthusiastic faces is a refuge, the only sane place in the nutty world. Peaceful, it’s your world—orderly, safe, stress free, productive, happy.

Don’t wander too far… don’t get lost.

Dave