FuBarbell @fubarbell - Tumblr Blog

View this post on Instagram

Austin has been blast. The people are kind, the barbecue is on point and you can even find a gym with a legit weightlifting set-up open for public use early on a Sunday morning! . Thanks to Ursula's (@texasbarbellclub) gym recommendation, I got a chance to move around a bit this morning before jumping on my flight back home to San Francisco. If you're ever in the Austin area and need a place to train, this facility has all the amenities of a globo, CrossFit AND weightlifting gym! -- Bonus Edit: For those of you who like picking up little tidbits, blocks are a great tool to use to train force production from the transition point of your second pull. You can push pretty hard and not have it take a heavy toll on the body. . Whereas 87kg would normally be a pretty (read extremely) heavy clean for me these days, pulling from the blocks allows me opportunity to work the timing of my leg drive and lat pull without beating myself up too much -- if at all. . My recent trip to China has allowed me to develop a stronger awareness and understanding of how/what it means to drive the legs into the bar while I continue to finesse the timing and control of the lats. And as Coach @wuchuanfu would say, "More movement. More lats!!" #FuBarbell (at Hyde Park Gym)

#fubarbell

AUSTIN, TX | AUGUST 19th at Iron Greenhouse. - I am super excited to announce that @CarlPaoli and I are coming together again to offer a 6 hour seminar filled with movement knowledge applied to weightlifting, fitness and life. - In this course you will learn Carl's Freestyle for understanding and applying the language of movement to your practice in addition to diving into my movement approach to weightlifting which is designed to help you understand how the barbell can help you develop athleticism and movement ability. - For more information and registration click the link in my bio. #FuBarbell #Freestyleweightlifting #Freestyleconnection #Freestyle

#freestyle #freestyleweightlifting #freestyleconnection #fubarbell

What do athletes in China eat? Well, what differed this year over last was that we lived onsite in the dorms and therefore ate at the cafeteria most days. Being onsite and eating with and what the athletes ate, gave us a very immersive experience. What I found interesting was the flavors and even types of food served was essentially identical to what/how I ate growing up. - As you swipe left, you'll see photos of the cafeteria where one side are the proteins and the other side are the vegetables. It's all buffet style eating. There's always some type of soup usually with a homemade bone broth base -- the Chinese believe bone broth and corn are great for helping the body recover from training. - Athletes are free to eat what and however much they want, but I found many didn't eat that much. A small bowl loaded with some proteins and vegetables. They might finish with some soup or a yogurt cup (last photo), but not eating much really surprised me. The last few photos showcase what my meals looked like; and if you take away a third to a half of the volume, that's basically how much the athletes themselves would eat. - The cafeterias are divided into levels where each of the teams can eat (swipe to the third photo). According to one of the athletes (Lisi), the higher up the level the better the variety and types of foods you get. So the best athletes get the most variety, they best kinds, the best quality of food available and even the best service. - Bonus Edit: All of the food that comes onto the base is inspected for quality. The meats they eat are locally sourced or raised onsite. They even have an area where they raise their own chickens, geese and grow various produce. - When they go offsite to eat, they will stick to only vegetables and seafood. This is because they are worried about any hormones that might be present in the meat and the potential of getting tested and then popped at a competition. Even the campus convenience store won't carry any meat products like jerky. - Lastly, China has my favorite coconut milk (second to last photo). My favorite OJ (not photoed). And, my favorite yogurt (last photo). That is all. #FuBarbell #Fuzhou #ChinaWeightlifting

#chinaweightlifting #fuzhou #fubarbell

We noticed that many of the lifters had well manicured hands except they liked growing the nail longer on the thumb -- some more so than others. I took the opportunity and asked our new friend 85kg senior lifter Zhao Yongchao why this was so and this is what he had to say. - According to Zhao Yongchao, there's a callus that gets formed on the middle finger from the usage of the hook grip. . [pausing as you all examine your hands] . This area on the middle finger is typically where the thumb will contact with the middle finger and create a lock so the barbell won't rotate and fly out of your hands during the lift. By growing the thumb nail out, it's like having a longer lever in which to lock against the callus. With this, you can have a stronger, firmer yet more relaxed grip on the bar. - Bonus Edit: Since the start of this trip, @jonsontan, @cheahjohn and a few other of our boys (Larry and Kenny) have become BFFs with Zhao Yongchao. He's a super nice dude and fun to hang around with and watch lift. Here are some fun facts they have found out about him: 1. He was a chubby kid and so his parents sent him to a sports school at the age of 12 to help him lose some weight. 2. Athletes that take home a gold medal at the Olympics get paid 4 million RMB (that's a little over a half million USD). When asked, how much athletes get for silver and bronze, his answer was, "it doesn't matter, I'm going to win gold." He said this in the most humble manner possible. 3. During the Asian champs, he watched a 94kg Uzbek guy snatching 175kg. His technique didn't look good (not the right power transfer position) but somehow he still managed to lift that weight up. Then he suggested that China should sent their coaches abroad to learn more about their training methods in the higher weight classes because he felt that their technique is inferior to his but somehow they still can lift the weights up. 4. And lastly, this is my favorite and my own personal addition, he is very curious to how he looks when we take photos with and of him. He always asks, "How do I look? Do I look tall?" #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #ChinaWeightlifting (at Mawei)

#fubarbell #fuzhouwlcamp #chinaweightlifting

China is a wrap! It's been an epic 2 weeks, and I will continue to share my thoughts and experiences in the days to come. I am grateful for reconnecting with old friends and making new ones on this trip. - For those of you who have commented, DM, or have talked to me in person showing interest in joining us next year as we visit our next training base here in China, mark your calendars for around the same time next year. Coach @wuchuanfu will most likely be making 2018 plans towards the end of this year. - Bonus Edit: We ended up playing badminton, tennis and basketball with some of the athletes here at the base after our PM training session. I learned that I've lost my overhand and can't direct the birdie to save my life. Good thing I'm keeping the day job. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #ChinaWeightlifting (at Mawei)

#chinaweightlifting #fuzhouwlcamp #fubarbell

View this post on Instagram

Got hops? Thursdays are active recovery days at the training base where it can range from a full rest to playing sports, practicing drills, mobility and the such. The girls today are playing around with some plyometrics and speed drills this morning. This young athlete videoed here is 19 years old and 5'2" with BW 55kg, 95kg SN and 121kg CNJ) jumping a 28 plate stack. NBD. - Bonus Edit: the girls this morning did some plyometrics, then they go for a light jog, work mobility and take it easy for the rest of the day. I made friends with one of the girls today Li Si and I learned a lot of the athlete lifestyle which I will share more of in a later post. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #ChinaWeightlifting (at Mawei)

#fuzhouwlcamp #chinaweightlifting #fubarbell

View this post on Instagram

#chinaweightlifting #fubarbell #fuzhouwlcamp

Like I said, so many Olympic, World and Asian champions training here at this base, it's a little hard to keep track of them all. Fortunately my good friend @iamjwjw is much better at this than I am and has put together a list for us. - #Repost @iamjwjw ・・・ I see champions everywhere. • During the past week and a half at the Fujian Base of National Weightlifting in China, we've been fortunate to be training together with an elite group of athletes. With reference to an earlier post by @dianefu , these champions have been absolutely amazing to watch in action(and they are friendly too!). • As pictured above(from left to right): Row 1: - Zhang Jie: 62kg 2011 World Champion, 2011 & 2008 Asian Champion - Wu Jingbiao: 56kg 2011 & 2010 World Champion, 2012 Olympic Silver - Li Fabin: 56kg 2012 Asian Champion Row 2: - Yuan Chengfei: 77kg 2017 Asian Champion - Deng Wei: 63kg 2016 Olympic Champion, 2015 & 2014 World Champion - Huang Gaoming: 56kg 2016 World Youth Champion Row 3: - Zhao Yongchao: 85kg 2017 Asian Champ - Lin Qinfeng: 69kg 2012 Olympic Champion, 2014 Asian Games Champion, 2011 Asian Champion - Ding Jianjun: 62kg 2009 World Champion, 2015 Asian Champion • And I may have possibly missed a few 😅. But as Coach @wuchuanfu mentioned, it really showcases how the Fujian province has some of the best lifters in China and the world. • #FuzhouWLcamp #ChinaWeightlifting #FuBarbell (at Mawei)

#repost #chinaweightlifting #fubarbell #fuzhouwlcamp

Yuan Chengfei (77kg BW, 2017 Asian Champ -- SN 160kg & CJ 195kg at that comp) hitting 150kg and missed 155kg behind (swipe left). - The Chinese emphasize driving the quads into the bar and using the legs to push the bar up. This can be conceptualized by imagining yourself preparing to do a broad jump as the bar is crossing the knees. You are obviously not trying to jump forward but instead you are trying to drive by pushing the bar up. - I've done an edit by first playing it in real time and then slowing the video down in the second repeat. You can see as the barbell is passing the knees that the legs and seat of the hips start moving forward towards the bar. If that is not obvious, look down at his feet and notice how the heels start breaking off the floor. This is a symptom of the legs and hips driving through under heavy load. - This post is to showcase what is taught at the schools I have been visiting and the concepts they use to teach the technical foundations of their movements. If you are to try this on your own, your aim is not to try and consciously lift your heels up or lift through the forefoot. What's happening in the video is unconscious and happens naturally as the athlete tries to bring the bar to the power position to initiate the final extension. - Bonus Edit: There are so many Olympic, World and Asian champions here that it is seriously getting hard for me to keep track. Thank Buddha for @iamjwjw for being my Asian elite athlete Wikipedia. He's gonna put together a list of all the champs training at this location so you guys can see just how stacked this place really is. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Mawei)

#fubarbell #chineseweightlifting #fuzhouwlcamp

View this post on Instagram

Wu Jingbiao (56kg BW) jerking 160kg. That's just about 3 times bodyweight. His best is 170kg CNJ. My preference is watching the lighter weight classes. I feel their technique often times feels much sharper to witness. - Bonus Edit: the question was asked why squat stools instead of squat racks. It seems the general preference here are stools over racks. Coach Wu from Zuhai last year was saying they prefer the larger surface area in which to rerack the bars. If you watch until the very end of this video, that scenario is played out very clearly. That is how all the boys here reracked a heavily weighted bar with their teammates. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Mawei)

#chineseweightlifting #fuzhouwlcamp #fubarbell

View this post on Instagram

2016 Olympic Champion Deng Wei smoking 120kg on the hang snatch like it's a toy. You can't see all weights loaded on the bar from this angle; but for those of you who can speak Mandarin, you can hear her coach saying it's 120kg in the background. - Deng Wei currently holds the world record in the CNJ at 147kg in the 63kg BW category and also in the total at 262kg. Her personal best in the snatch is currently 115kg. And yes, she did do more in this video. - Bonus Edit: it's not uncommon for the professional athletes to snatch and clean more from the hang than from the floor. From this high/tall position, the pull is more direct and it's easier to maintain proper angles for the best power transfer. There's also a loading component where the bar can get a little bit of momentum lowering down from the top. If timed correctly, it can help the athlete generate more speed during the turn around over coming off the ground from a dead stop. - If you are someone who can move more from the ground than you can from the hang, one reasoning could be that you are counting on the momentum/speed coming off the floor rather than power transferring from the legs to drive height on the bar. This method may seem to have its merits for a newer lifter until the weight becomes truly significant for their capabilities and then they will find themselves stuck at the same numbers until the problem is resolved. Alright folks, it's nearly midnight in China and I'm about to turn into a pumpkin. See you all in the morning! #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Mawei)

#fuzhouwlcamp #fubarbell #chineseweightlifting

View this post on Instagram

Coach @wuchuanfu droppin' 130kg like it's hot in his yeezys and fancy crabby-lobster-fish pants. - Bonus Edit: Coach Wu says athletes that came out of the Nanping area have very good support strength. As a youth (look back a few posts to the 11-13 year olds), they were required as part of their training to handstand walk 60m without falling down. They would walk 30m and then turn around to walk back. Because of all of the foundational work, Coach Wu really doesn't have to train much to maintain a very strong overhead support position. Case in point? Insert quote/metaphor here about laying a strong foundation and building a big house. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Mawei)

#fubarbell #chineseweightlifting #fuzhouwlcamp

View this post on Instagram

Accessory work is imperative to creating and maintaining a balanced and healthy system. Just purely performing the snatch, clean and jerk is too specific and can lead to overuse strains in the muscles and joints of the body. - The Chinese call this "small muscle training" because it develops the smaller muscles to support the bigger ones and it starts at a young age all the way up to the senior level. Younger athletes perform sets of 6-8 while the seniors do anywhere from 4-6 depending on exact age and rep scheme. - The next time you think about skipping your accessory work because you're limited on time or because you left it all on the platform, feel free to use this video as inspiration. Here are some 11 year old girls knocking out kipping pull-ups and dips like a boss! - Bonus Edit: I will never complain about a pull-up bar being "too high" for me and needing to pull out a box to jump up ever again. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Nanpinghsien, Fujian, China)

#fuzhouwlcamp #chineseweightlifting #fubarbell

View this post on Instagram

Coach Wu teaching how to properly extend through the legs. First cue is to relax the low back to center the weight into the legs followed by pushing the glutes forward and up so the crease of the upper quads/groin area can power transfer and push the bar up. - Bonus Edit: the elbows follow through up and back to continue staying connected to the barbell. If done correctly, you should feel the momentum of the bar assisting in pushing the elbows in that direction versus a forceful pull up and back which means the legs did not do a great job transferring power to the bar. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Mawei)

#fubarbell #fuzhouwlcamp #chineseweightlifting

View this post on Instagram

Coach @wuchuanfu demonstrating how to use the legs to finish the pull. The challenge Filip (and myself and many athletes with a shorter torso to femur ratio) exhibit is that our low backs tend to kick in easily due to the stronger (or you can see it as lack of ability to have this subtle control over) lever of the shorter torso. The challenge this exhibits is that as soon as the low back kicks in, it cuts off the ability for the athlete to drive through and power transfer well through the legs. What might look like a nice movement ends up lacking luster in overall power output. - For the legs to be able to drive the motion well, the low back must be relaxed but stable. Here you can see Coach Wu demonstrating the snatch high pull using just leg drive to move the bar. And while Filip performs well on overall rhythm, most of the pulling power comes from the arms and shoulders. - This may seem nuanced to many of you, and many more of you may not even be able to tell the difference between the two but this is the level of detail the coaches here in China have with their athletes. What we are doing here at this camp is the fundamentals the kids at the primary school are learning, but picking up at a much faster rate. - Bonus Edit: Filip (@fitfille) is concerned that he will become an overnight Instagram sensation. Please do not all go following him at once. Please and thank you. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Mawei)

#fuzhouwlcamp #chineseweightlifting #fubarbell

The handstand push-ups were a popular one from the last post so here they are performing them up front and personal. They were rotating doing sets of 5; and if you swipe left, you'll see the seniors knocking them out in sets of 10. Again, counting for each other is mandated and sets of 6 seem to be the magic number for accessory movements. - Bonus Edit: the little dudes were really cute as they were rotating through their pods. The second boy that went had difficulty jumping up into position and performing the movement. After 3 reps, he had to come down to reset. When he finally got back up, his pod started the count over at 1 again and his response was, "What?! I'm at 4!" They kept counting forcing him to finish a new set anyways. - Coaches always has eyes on their athletes. One of the boys got caught pulling his teammate up. She yelled at him saying, "What are you doing?! Stop pulling him up!" His only response was this sheepish grin. Adorbs. #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Nanpinghsien, Fujian, China)

#fubarbell #fuzhouwlcamp #chineseweightlifting

Another example of how things that can be done, often are done using momentum. The other day I posted a senior lifter performing Chinese lat rows using a 50kg dumbbell. Here are the juniors performing the same exercise ages 11 and 13 with the 11 year olds using the 10kg and 15kg weights while the 13 year olds used the 25kg and 35kg weights. - These Chinese lat rows are great at not only building cobra hoods on your back but they also teach athletes how to be aggressive, pull through the movement and develop awareness for using the lats. This can also be seen as getting jacked and learning how to stay connected to the bar while following through with transferring power to the barbell. - You can see in the third video (swipe left) where the coach is cueing the boy to pull through more and to place his focus on using the lats more aggressively. This type of aggression can also be seen when these athletes perform their high pulls and panda pulls. Program scheme for these dudes were 15-20 reps for 6 sets and they're typically done post training as part of their bodybuilding circuit. Athletes are required to count the reps out for each other as motivation to work/move through the sets. - Bonus Edit: Since we've been hanging out at the base, some of the other coaches have taken a fancy at throwing out some coaching tips/advice to some of us in the group. One of the coaches was watching us and saying to @jonsontan that he should try doing more weighted behind the neck pull-ups, dips, etc. to help him build up the lats. As a start, go "light" and use maybe 35kg. I'm not sure how many of you can high rep 77lbs for multiple sets; but after watching the 13 year old boys toss a 35kg kettlebell around like a toy, we now understand how these baselines were set! #FuBarbell #FuzhouWLcamp #Chineseweightlifting (at Nanpinghsien, Fujian, China)

#fuzhouwlcamp #chineseweightlifting #fubarbell

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

FuBarbell