1/20/21
I go outside, and with my empty barbell clean grip whip hang power snatch a few sets of 10.
Reading of Jon Andersen (deep water) going 35x253lbs on cgps has me mentally into doing the movement when I’m not going to pf.
I’ve started with the most upper back intensive variation – from a high deadhang, whip style (no loading, drop, immediately repull).
As the weights increase I’ll work towards starting from the floor.
After the snatches I do one set of 20 overhead squats.
Calisthenics primarily with a little bit of barbell work is a great way to train.
You can make the empty barbell work.
Eventually the snatches get done one handed, you do more reps and more sets.
The overhead squats are the best light leg exercise I’ve found besides long walking swamp lunges.
When you’ve weightlifted simply end with overhead squats at whatever weight you were using for the olys.
A memory from 2015 had popped up just before lifting, in fact the recollection inspiring me to do so.
At the mail boxes I spoke with this big teenager who lived a few doors down from me.
I’d seen some balloons outside his door, and asked “who’s birthday”.
“Mine” he answered sullenly.
“Happy birthday dude, you’re an adult now.”
He looks at me funny, “you think I’m 18?”
“I would’ve guessed older, close to my age, but I know you’re a high schooler. I’ve seen you get off the bus before.”
“Dude, I’m not a senior. Today is my 15th birthday. I still have three more years to go” he still sounds all sad.
“Damn dude! You’re a giant. You playing football, lifting weights?”
“No. I just go to school, come home, play playstation, keep to myself.”
Now this kid is friendly enough, but always seems sad. He’s a big dude probably 6’4″, around 300, only a little bit fat, very wide shoulders, big shoes, etc, and only 15.
I’d always been friendly in passing to him, his mother. We’d cross paths in the parking lot their door being near my spot.
Single mother. Young looking for her age of mid 30s to maybe 40. Fairly pretty, an almost petite blonde – a hilarious contrast to her giant brown haired son, but damn did their faces look alike. You saw that resemblance.
Kid must’ve got his mom’s face, and dad’s build.
It’s his birthday, he’s all sullen, like he always seems to be. The kid is 6’4″ but makes himself closer to 5’8″ walking around slouched over, looking at his shuffling feet.
You just know he doesn’t have a father figure.
I decide to build him up.
“You’re only a freshman. That means you’ve got time. Start lifting weights, I guarantee with your build you’re already wicked strong. Get stronger. Play football, you have the bone structure that a few years of effort, which you have, you could be going to college for free playing defensive – no offensive lineman.”
“You really think so?” He sounds a bit higher in life already.
“Yeah dude. You have that potential.”
He asked me something about having the confidence to strike up a conversation, and I remember quickly showing him head up, shoulders back, a quick lesson on better posture.
I showed him victory pose, told him how it helped me, and told him to do it daily.
“The confidence will come, but you’ve gotta work for it.”
He walked tall as we walked back from the mail boxes continuing to chat.
Him dwarfing me (6’4″ 300 with a bigger frame vs 6′ 215) since for the first time he was standing fully, like a man must.
No looking at his feet! Walking, no shuffling!
I realized that I was 20/21 when I had this conversation, and realized he’d be 20/21 now.
I wondered if my words took. If he stayed lonely and sad playing video games, or if he got to the weight room, went out for sports, and if so where he went with them.
If football didn’t go past high school, or he didn’t choose that route he had the frame at 15 for growing past the 308lb powerlifting weight class.
Always build others up.
Persistence & Tenacity