Need a Coach to Be a Successful OLer?

What if you already know the proper technique from watching instructional videos on youtube (or by simply reading some russian books?)? What exactly is the value of a coach? What if you already know how to manage volume, intensity, etc.?

…Why can’t I just post a video of my snatch/C&J and just let you guys (such as Invictica and Koing) to critique it?

You don’t know form from watching videos.

There’s so many little nuances that you can’t even begin to describe online. To be an ok lifter you could probably do it, but to be successful you’d need constant feedback.

Ever see someone miss 2 or 3 snatches in a row, go up 2-3kg and then make it?? It doesn’t just happen, its because they changed some minor aspect of their form. They’re either experienced enoguh to know that themselves, or their coach is.

Hanley’s spot on. You can of course become somewhat decent with videos and constant reinforcement of technique when you lift (and practice), but to be successful at Oly lifting, and to perfect technique, you need a coach. You need a coach to constantly tell you some mistake you did so you don’t repeat it, because when the weights get heavy and you screw up technique, you WILL miss the weight. They are also good for the mental side of it, because if you keep missing lifts they will usually help to keep you positive (at least from my experience).

[quote]PB Andy wrote:
Hanley’s spot on. You can of course become somewhat decent with videos and constant reinforcement of technique when you lift (and practice), but to be successful at Oly lifting, and to perfect technique, you need a coach. You need a coach to constantly tell you some mistake you did so you don’t repeat it, because when the weights get heavy and you screw up technique, you WILL miss the weight. They are also good for the mental side of it, because if you keep missing lifts they will usually help to keep you positive (at least from my experience).[/quote]

As far as correcting mistakes, there are alot of knowledgeable people in this forum like Hanley, Koing, and Invictica (Call me an asskisser if you want but it’s the truth.) who can help me improve by watching some of my vids.

And about Hanley’s comment, alot of times I miss all my warm up sets, and for some weird reason, my coordination just magically improves once the weights get heavier. (of course in my case, the weights are light cause I’m a weakling)

Don’t have much to add to Hanley’s and PB’s posts - agreed…

Posting some video would be a good start to having some experienced folks give some pointers…this can’t replace an on-site coach but it certainly won’t hurt.

Yes, knowledgeable O-lifters can definitely help in correcting your form here, but that will only help a little bit. You need a coach on site to immediately correct your lifting, because if you repeatedly make a technique flaw but in your head you think you are doing it correct, well that’s just setting you up for failure.

About missing warm-up sets: you just need to constantly reinforce proper technique, it really just takes time. As O-lifters say… your first warm-up set is no different than you 100% max. :slight_smile:

Everyone’s problems needs to be addressed differently with different methods.

Realtime coaching is invaluable. A session alone versus a session with a coach standing there its competely different.

First of all there is the mental aspect, you just pull more with coach there

Second of all, you are getting real time feedback and correct your mistakes on the next set as opposed to the workout.

Third of all, according to your problems, your training cycle may change to work on your weakness, this is the realm of a great coach, not a great olympic lifter.

But, to be honest, if you are merely lifting for yourself and not to compete, a coach is not a must. However, you can’t compete without a coach.

I think it depends on what you are doing it for. If you are interested in competing in olifting (or any sport for that matter) its not that you cant do it by yourself (there are plenty who have) but the learning curve will be much greater, much!

Now as an athlete you if you are striving to get better you want every possible advantage if you are serious about winning, and a coach is a huge one.

If you just workout for fun it is okay to do it alone. I believe everyone that wants to be top class in any sport could benefit from coaching. No matter how tough you are, there will be times when you are demotivated and need a kick in the ass.

No matter how skilled or good you are, a good coach will give you that extra dimension.

What if I wanna be a coach? Who would coach me?

[quote]TYPE2B wrote:
What if I wanna be a coach? Who would coach me?[/quote]

Go to a USWA/USWF certification class.

[quote]TYPE2B wrote:
What if I wanna be a coach? Who would coach me?[/quote]

Here’s the thing… knowing what proper form should be (and honestly, you won’t from a few videos online) and being able to mirror it are two very different things. I could look at your video and point something out specifically, and even make recommendations as to how you can fix it. But without standing there giving you cues and letting you know whether or not you are moving forward, your progress will go at a snail’s pace. I’ve often times felt like I was fixing a flaw and was not, and I’ve seen it in lots of other lifters too.

You said that often times you feel like you are lifting shitty until you get to heavier weight. That is not magic. Either you aren’t warming up properly, or you aren’t focusing properly on your warmup lifts, or, honestly, 1 of about 10 other things are going wrong. It’ll take you a much longer time to figure it out on your own or with the help of internet people than it would a good coach.

Coaches are there to expedite your process. You don’t have 40 years to be competitive in the sport. Its possible teach yourself great technique, but why not get help? If its your ego, you shouldn’t be in the sport in the first place - that has got to be the dumbest reason ever not to be better or stronger.

You could develop a good power snatch. power jerk. power clean, but that leaves you at around 80% of your possible potential.

In throwing there is a saying that for every wrong move it takes 10 correct ones to fix it. If a coach is not fixing you progressively as you develop, you will significantly retard your potential.

As for internet coaching, as I have said before and this is no offense to many on this thread, but the internet just gets dumber and dumber.

Coaches are there to correct problems on the spot (as said earlier) and they do (or should) know a lot more about Oly lifting than you. Not the be an asshole, but your other thread about ‘how Oly lifting is not that complicated’ implies that you don’t know a lot about it. I don’t want to sound like a dick, I’m just being honest.

And about the missing warm-ups and making heavier weights could be a concentration due to aggression situation. When the weight gets heavier you know that you are going to have to try harder to get the lift so your adrenaline increases, your mind sharpens, and your concentration makes the lift more precise than your warm up lift, which didn’t require the amount of strength (adrenaline) as the heavier lift did. This is just a theory, though.

You won’t really know the value of an OL coach until you have one. I tried to teach myself how to lift while posting videos for others to critique before I was able to get a coach. In two years with a coach however, I have put 28kg on my snatch and 23kg on my C&J. When you lift my yourself, if you miss a lift, you probably aren’t going to know why/how to correct it when you are approaching limit attempts.

What if you decide to compete? It is not going to be easy warming yourself up alone at your first meet.

Can someone here please tell me exactly ALL the phases of the olympic lifts? The more comprehensive, the better.

Thank you all! You guys have been very helpful.

How about this:

Here’s what I found at wiki:

Approach the bar and with back straight, crouch low and grasp the bar with it positioned over the balls of your feet. Legs should be bent with the buttocks close to the heels. Any kind of grip may be used, however it is standard to use a wide grip, with the hands near the ends of bar. A hook grip is normally used in competition. The chest should be puffed out and the shoulders slightly forward of the bar.

Begin lifting. The hips, shoulders and bar should move at the same pace. Push from the toes and slowly transition the weight into the mid-foot as you lift. The angle of the torso relative to the ground should remain constant,
Keep the bar close to your legs as you lift - this ensures proper alignment of the body. The bar should brush your legs a little on the way up.

When the weight is at mid-thigh, accelerate the bar upward by powerfully extending the knees and hips ( and to some degree the ankles) until the body is fully erect. At the same time, shrug the shoulders. This part of the lift is known as the ‘scoop’ or ‘second pull’. Often, a lifter will bend the knees slightly and bring their torso to vertical before the second pull. This is called the ‘double knee bend’ style of lifting.

At the apex of the bar’s height, pull your body underneath the bar, catching it with locked arms overhead while squatting. This part of the motion requires a developed sense of timing and coordination, and is the crux of the entire lift.
Lock your arms with the weight overhead and stand up from the squat position.

The double knee bend is almost invisible. I’ve seen a video or Zakharevitch doing it. The only time I saw it was when they put the vid on slo mo.

[quote]TYPE2B wrote:
Can someone here please tell me exactly ALL the phases of the olympic lifts? The more comprehensive, the better.

Thank you all! You guys have been very helpful.[/quote]

I don’t understand why you are looking for this. Everyone here has just said that you need a coach. Memorizing the phases is not going to make you a better lifter.