Category Archives: training

Olympic Lifting & Beyond: High Performance and “The Hard Deck”

The title here is an unabashed Top Gun Maverick reference. The hard deck is the zone below 10,000-5,000 feet at which a pilot is flying close if not fatally close to the ground. I’m using the hard deck here for some humorous hyperbole, comparing this with pushing oneself in athletic performance past previous limits orContinue reading “Olympic Lifting & Beyond: High Performance and “The Hard Deck””

Olympic Lifting & Beyond: How I Boost Muscle Recovery In Training

1. Sleep Generous amounts of it and even the occasional unabashed hibernation! This is a vital means of regeneration and recovery. I do best with a more traditional rhythm, when I’m more or less following the sun. And remember, the mental rest is just as important. By now you may have heard that nervous systemContinue reading “Olympic Lifting & Beyond: How I Boost Muscle Recovery In Training”

Olympic Lifting: How Do I Squat? Let Me Count The Ways

It’s been well established that the Barbell Back Squat is one of the best exercises for developing full body strength. However, when it comes to the world of Olympic Weightlifting, one has to be able to perform all the squats, and impeccably — particularly the Front Squat and the Overhead Squat. Neither the Clean &Continue reading “Olympic Lifting: How Do I Squat? Let Me Count The Ways”

Olympic Lifting & Beyond: Preventing Plantar Fasciitis

Like any other part of the body, the feet are multilayer and complex, functioning as systems inside systems; not in isolation — They’re comprised of bones, nerves, muscles and blood vessels. Holding and transporting the weight of the body and then some, feet are especially significant and biomechanically complex, with 26 bones and 33 joints.Continue reading “Olympic Lifting & Beyond: Preventing Plantar Fasciitis”

Essay: What Makes A Champion?

One can examine an athlete’s technical specifications such as path of travel or velocity, and those are important for analysis, yet when considering what makes the champion athletes, their qualities often defy convention. Highly decorated Olympic track star and 36 year old mother Allyson Felix is a perfect example. Lü Xiaojun, 37, just claimed weightliftingContinue reading “Essay: What Makes A Champion?”

Olympic Weightlifting: Competition Behavioral Strategy Notes

My recent competition experience at National Masters in Reno reminded me of just how challenging Competition or Performance in general can be. In addition to potential obstacles, the experience also underscored what’s important and how one’s process can flow more smoothly. Competing is a skill. You have to practice it in order to optimize it.Continue reading “Olympic Weightlifting: Competition Behavioral Strategy Notes”

Power Plants: Spooky Adaptogenic Tea + Supernatural Joint Paste

The Tea = Moringa + Holy Basil • Moringa benefits include extremely high nutrient content that helps the body heal and build muscle. • Holy Basil benefits include being a potent adaptogen that helps soothe stress. The Extracts in The Tea = Chlorophyll/Peppermint Oil + Ashwagandha/Reishi • Benefits of Chlorophyll include neutralizing toxins, healing damagedContinue reading “Power Plants: Spooky Adaptogenic Tea + Supernatural Joint Paste”