Zachary Uzzell Thiel Fitness

CrossFit Coach & Specialist in training Olympic Lifting athletes

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Friends and family, most of you who know me know I don’t post on Facebook very often, but I wanted to share some things that have been happening in my life over the last few months with one major thing that happened this past Monday. After years of physical inactivity and being thoroughly disgusted with myself in how I felt, how much I weighed, and how tired I was all the time I decided to do something about it. My lovely wife Amy Boozer Franklin had been encouraging me for several months to try out CrossFit and do so at CrossFit Central because several of her friends and co-workers go to that gym and really like it. At the end of September I made the decision to check out CrossFit Central and enroll in their Elements Class which is comprised of three 1 hour sessions to go over exercises performed in class and assess the individuals fitness level. Well to say the least I was very unfit and couldn’t even complete the introductory Elements class…I showed up all 3 days but was physically unable to finish. Still I decided to enroll in the regular CrossFit classes. In the beginning I often asked myself, “What did you get yourself into and why did you sign up for this?”. But I kept pushing and kept showing up on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. CrossFit Central also holds monthly nutritional meetings and I decided to attend one where I was introduced to the Paleo Diet. I decided to give it a try since I knew my current eating habits were not good, not good at all (lots of eating out, eating too much, and drinking too many sodas). My CrossFit Central coach, Zachary Thiel, is awesome and always encouraging, but also pushes us to do our best and keep moving. He also introduced me to Advocare, which is a supplement company based in Plano, TX. I started on AdvoCare 24-Day Challenge. The combination of switching to a Paleo diet, taking the 24 day AdvoCare challenge and 2 days a week of CrossFit classes enabled me to lose between 10-15 pounds in the first month or so. I continue to take several Advocare supplements to aid in recovery from the workouts, provide an energy boost, and help with my weight loss. I now attend the 5:30am T/Th class. You read that right people, that’s AM not PM. You can pick yourselves up off the floor after passing out from the shock of me getting up that early. I actually get up between 4-4:30am so I can get ready and make the drive to the gym and stretch before class. Since mid-January I’ve added a 3rd day of CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting by joining a small group that my coach leads at noon on Fridays. Well since the last week of September, 2013 I’ve managed to lose 35 pounds, drop 2 pants sizes, and on Monday, March 3rd my doctor took me off blood pressure medication that I’ve been taking for the past 4 years. Getting off the blood pressure medication was one of the big motivations I had when I began this journey. My lovely, supportive wife and two cute, wonderful, and sweet children are the other huge motivators for me to keep headed down this life transformation. And lastly I really wanted to make this change for myself. I think it would be even more difficult than it is to make these changes and keep at it if I was only doing this for others and not myself too. I feel better than I have in a long time. I have more energy now than I did 6 months ago (helps me keep up with the kids) and am at a weight that I haven’t seen in over 20 years. I really enjoy the sport of CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting and would encourage anyone who’s thought about checking it out to find a good CrossFit gym and try it for yourself. And you don’t have to be in shape to try it…everything can be scaled to help you perform the exercises. For those of you who live in Austin, I highly recommend CrossFit Central. All of the coaches are great and are there to help you succeed in meeting your goals. I want to give a big shout out to Zachary Thiel at CrossFit Central…thanks coach! And thank you to Amy Franklin for being so supportive; and encouraging me to get off my lazy butt and try this out in the first place. I love you! CrossFit + Paleo + Advocare = BIG RESULTS -Jason

I am incredibly proud to coach Jason and love his dedications and drive. Goes to show when you have a purpose anything is possible! 

Way to go Jason!!

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I Will Act Now

“I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words each hour, each day, everyday, until the words become as much a habit as my breathing, and the action which follows becomes as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I can condition my mind to perform every action necessary for my success. I will act now. I will repeat these words again and again and again. I will walk where failures fear to walk. I will work when failures seek rest. I will act now for now is all I have. Tomorrow is the day reserved for the labor of the lazy. I am not lazy. Tomorrow is the day when the failure will succeed. I am not a failure. I will act now. Success will not wait. If I delay, success will become wed to another and lost to me forever. This is the time. This is the place. I am the person.” -Og Mandino

            If I don't read this from time to time I feel like I might explode with rage and reckless abandon. I have a burning desire in my heart to be great and spread light in the world, I just sometimes let the world get in my way........ I WILL ACT NOW!

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And the first meet of 2014 is in the books! I have a long way to go to get to where I want to be but I hit the numbers I wanted to hit. The final Clean & Jerk I attempted was actually a meet Clean PR and would have been a meet Clean & Jerk PR. Most of the strength I've lost has been in the overhead snatch position, but the strength seems to be coming back.

With my tender old age of thirty six I have had to train smarter and have learned that I do my best lifting after taking two days off before going for max lifts. I have also had to focus more on small technical glitches I have in the snatch and really need to focus on clean foot work. But I'm pumped to be competing again and I have laser focus for what I want to accomplish. Big thanks to Steve Galvan of 210 Crossfit for his support, hosting, coaching and warming me up. He is a good coach and guy.

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Training for my first weightlifting meet since May of 2013. Had hurt my shoulder pretty good training this past July and it has taken until now to feel good. Didn't start snatching again until January so I have lost strength but it seems to be coming back. I am going to open with 100kg so, here is my open snatch attempt. The meet is this Saturday at 210 Crossfit in S.A. Getting excited!

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First ever video blog! It should get better the more I do them...... I cover the hook grip here in hopes that more of you are willing to put it to use.

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So when I'm just focused on my weightlifting I'm real consistent and everything feels real strong. But when I do it an AMRAP it all falls apart..... Why? Aww, my favorite question. It's probably been discussed thousands and thousands of times on FaceBook, Twitter, blogs and social media. And it comes up even now with CrossFit Centrals competitive athletes. Why when the work is focused on two reps at a time I can hit it, when I go for speed at the same weight and movement it goes to crap?! I'd say the answer is your mentality and approach.

When you are training your Olympic lifts for strength and at a high percentage you are focused on that single lift at that moment. You don't rush it and you have to be on point in order to make that lift at that high percentage. If it's for doubles you slow it down and do the second lift with purpose....the same way you did the first. And most of the time you are going to have a good chance to hit the lifts. Well why would you change that mentality if the AMRAMP calls for the same movement. I'm here to propose that even if you are going to do a workout for max reps at say the snatch, with the same mentality as the doubles, you will actually do more reps with less misses. 

Why you ask? Because your focus is on the movement and not getting more work done. When you rush a lift doing singles and doubles the same mistakes are going to happen when you are doing the same movement for max reps for time. There is no difference in technique. Well I say that. If you are sufficient in the snatch, consistent with the movement at all loads then there can be some modifications made for lighter loads in an AMRAMP setting. But that's for the experienced. For the average CrossFitter, I would say a focus on technique for strength work and your workout must be the same. I promise in the long run it will pay in loads made and strength gained. AMRAP or not......

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Just in case you weren't aware I created Barbell Sport a little over a year ago. I wanted to expand the world of Olympic Weightlifting in CrossFit and do it with a brand I was proud of and expand with. Barbell Sport has never  been about me, and I wanted it to be a separate thing in and of it's self. I am proud of what it has become and the service it provides to CrossFiters and weightlifters alike.

One of the things to come out of Barbell Sport is Barbell 101. It was created to take your everyday CrossFiter who has never had formal instruction in the snatch or clean & jerk and teach them progression and drills to improve the lifts. Since Barbell 101s creation it has attracted non Crossfiters and people looking to become stronger and better weightlifters in general. 

The video above is just one example of the things that are taught in Barbell 101. Pride in technique and attention to detail is one of the main focuses taught to new lifters or people looking to hone their lifting skills. Everyone's ability and experience is taken in to consideration so the class can be taken by individuals from beginner to novice and is limited to eight athletes for quality. 

Barbell Sport is something I am very proud of and Barbell 101 is just and extension of that. New classes start up next Friday Oct. 18th and last 8 weeks. If you are looking to become a better CrossFiter and the Olympic lifts are holding you back this is the place for you. If you are curious about the Olympic lifts and have never done them with any instruction this is the class for you. Time to get Registered!

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Man I gotta start posting more on my page! So before last week my training has been spotty due to injury. A little over a month ago I was doing heavy clean & jerks and on a jerk the weight crashed down on me. My shoulder felt like it rolled around in the joint and only now does it feel decent. And I mean just decent. There is still soreness around the joint but I am able to move through it. I started new programming last week leading up to the American Open in December and I am WEAK! Good thing the percentages are low. Look for more videos to come. 

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It's crazy to think, I haven't had a good training day in a little over a month. As a weightlifter you occasionally go through dry spells, slumps, droughts, call it whatever you want. Well, since my last weightlifting meet that has been me. As some of you know, I tweaked my hamstring last meet and training has been spotty at best since.

This past Saturday my weightlifting team met up for our monthly team training, and low and behold, I snatch a new PR. Now granted, it was only a 1kg PR but, considering how my training has been going it was a big PR for my confidence. And sometime confidence is the deal breaker when you are a competitive lifter.

My programming has me in a holding pattern right now where I am to maintain my strength and after nationals a new program will begin. So right now for the next three weeks I will be training in the 80 to 90% range and I am going to try and heal up some nagging injuries so I can go into the next training cycle healthy . Enjoy the video and notice the bar slam at the end. Bringing out my inner Jon North! 

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This may be one of the worst lifting days I have ever had...... The very last jerk attempt off the blocks pretty much sums it all up. I guess I can take some solace in the fact that I haven't lifted heavy in a month but this was all pretty much pathetic. I'm glad I have a short memory and get over things really quick and easy. I think I posted this for myself to get me fired up! The more I see it the more it's working. I also think it's good for people to see that little mistakes make a huge difference and will make or break a lift. On the snatches I am pulling my shoulders back to soon and that's why everything is out in front of me. I need to be more patient and stay over the bar longer. As far as the jerks are concerned I was pushing the bar out in front of me and I was being a BIG P**SY! Can't wait to train again and get this taste out of my mouth.   

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Here is video of my most recent weightlifting meet from two weeks ago in Van Alstyne, Tx. It was a great meet and I always like lifting at The Barn. There were a few first in this meet for me: 1. I dropped down to the 85kg weight class for the first time. 2. I injured my right hamstring.

I have never competed in the 85kg weight class, and for the first time I was the heavy guy. There are some big dudes competing in the 94kg class that made me look like a small fry! It took me two weeks of clean diet and a pretty intense cleanse to drop eleven pounds. I ended up weighing in at 84.9 kilos (186lbs). Needless to say, I was pretty pumped! With the new competing weight under my belt I was ready for action!

My opener at 104 was my heaviest opening attempt to date, and it felt good. I was shooting for a final lift at 112 for a meet PR and was setting it up with a 108 second attempt. Like you see in the video, I didn't quite finish my pull, and the attempt fell short out in front of me. It only made sense to try and hit it again since my second lift fell short. With an astounding FAIL, I couldn't put it all together. It's funny like that in weightlifting, half the lift is there on one attempt, and then the complete reversal on the next attempt. I'll take the new opener PR. Signs of progress.

The clean & jerk monster apparently has reappeared and is rearing it's ugly head again. After I hit consecutive clean PR's in my last meet (133kg) things seem to have regressed. While I did hit my opening clean (127) the jerk was rushed and sloppy and the clean didn't feel all too comfortable either. Not wanting to not total, my second attempt was a must and I made it look easy. 'Look' easy is the key word here. It again felt heavy but I fought through and hit the jerk guaranteeing a total at 85kg. My last attempt should be an easy make at 132, but again the clean was ugly and missed. Well, low and behold, the wrong weight was loaded onto the bar (133) and I had another attempt at the right weight of 132. Needles to say I wasn't riding high on confidence having just missed a makeable 133kg.

A little fatigued, I approached the bar with stubborn determination and felt like the pull off the ground was strong. I got my elbows around fast and thought, "I got this". As the weight pushed me down I felt a pop in my right lower hamstring and ditched the weight. I ended up with a 231 total and amazingly took first place in my weight class in the masters division. I felt like giving the metal back. Without sounding like a whinny bitch,  I think that the weight loss did have an effect on my cleans and I need to get stronger now.

So, like i said at the top, this was two weeks ago and I have been getting regular ART work done and was informed just today that it seems to be a small tear in my hamstring and that I should stay off it for another week or two. Not what I wanted to hear! I have keep the weight off and want to actually start training at 85kg and get strong as F*ck! But I have also strained a hamstring before and rushed back to training too early only to reinjure it. Not this time! I'm eating clean, getting treatment and can not wait to get back at it!

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A Coach, Find One and Trust'em

This whole "you need a coach" stuff has been written about so many times I'm not going to bore you with it. YES! If you want to be good at crossfit you need a coach. YES! If you want to be a good weightlifter you need a coach. YES! If you want to be good at gymnastics you need a coach. You all get it right?

So what is the point of what I am writing you ask.... As a weightlifting coach I coach a certain way. I was taught this way, I have seen huge gains from the way I was coached, and I trust and am loyal to my coach. I will take advice from another coach, and I appreciate another eye on my technique when I am not lifting with my coach, but I do what my coach says and I stick with her style of coaching. I am just like a loyal dog in that sense. When you have a designated coach for crossfit, he/she coaches you in crossfit. You trust that coach and you listen to them. When you have a weightlifting coach, you listen to them and you apply what they have taught you. You as an athlete have intrusted that person to coach you in what ever expertise they have. So with that said, why would you as an athlete get crossfit advice from one coach, and then go over to another coach and get advice from that coach and etc. etc. etc. How confusing would that be for the athlete and how frustrating for your main coach that has taught you a certain way and you come back to them doing something different and they are thinking what the heck!

I don't know how many times I have coached an athlete weightlifting, they go to another coach and that coach has taught them something different. The athlete then comes back to me, I have to go back and correct or change back the way I had the athlete lifting before they went to another coach. Now the athlete is confused and I'm thinking what the heck. Just pick which style works for you and stick to it. It doesn't serve you the athlete to have three different voices all trying to coach a certain sport. It causes the athlete to be confused and as a coach it is frustrating. 

Have your coach, be it crossfit, weightlifting or gymnastics and trust them and be loyal to them, but don't whore yourself out to three different coaches that coach the same sport and expect to not get confused. I don't know how many times I've heard it. Loyalty and trust. Find someone to coach you that you can be loyal to and trust. Do your research, find the best coach in your area that coaches the sport you want to learn and trust them to coach you. Take advice from other coaches but know you have one coach for your given sport. Even if another well respected weightlifting coach came to me, wanted to change something about one of my lifts, I would listen but stick to my coach's way of doing things. Again just me being a loyal dog. 

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Barbell Sport Weightlifting Seminar

On April 20th myself and Coach Michael Winchester will be hosting the first Barbell Sport lifting seminar at Crossfit Central's down town location.We wanted to host the seminar because we understand the importance of being proficient at the Olympic lifts as it pertains to CrossFit. We also understand that being proficient at the Olympic lifts will enhance your power and speed at any sport you perform in.

The focus of the seminar will naturally be on the snatch, and the clean & jerk. We will also focus on different exercises that compliment and improve these lifts. Along with that, we will help you find the proper hand placement on the bar, proper foot placement and starting position off the ground. The seminar will compliment the beginner and will improve the person that has some lifting experience. I have had the privilege of being coached by some of the best coaches and it is an honor to be able to pass it on to others. 

The only issue is that there are only six spots remaining! If you have a desire to improve the your Olympic lifts, you NEED to sign up for this. CrossFit has become a competitive sport and the Olympic lifts have become an important part of the sport of CrossFit. Don't get left out! Sign up HERE

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First meet in six months and I was long over due for a competition! My nerves were so bad before the meet I almost got sick. I don't think I can go this long again without competing. BUT! my training has been going well I feel stronger and it showed in the meet. I have been saying and wanting to compete in the 85kg weight class and I was 4kg shy of hitting that. I fully expect my next meet I will be in at 85kg.

For the first time in a looong time I went 3 for 3 in the snatch. But if you look at the second snatch my left elbow bent and I got the red light. Didn't matter, added 3 kilos and hit a meet PR in the snatch at 110kg. All of my snatches felt good and strong. My turnover getting under the bar was sharp and I felt fast. 115kg right around the corner!

Clean and jerk was not as clean as the snatch and I didn't meet my goal of 137. My opener at 127 felt strong and I felt like today was when I was gonna finally make a move in to 300lbs club in a meet. For some reason my second attempt at 132 didn't make the cut, but I assure you it was a miss. The clean was strong but once I stood it up I started to see starts and just basically ditched the weight. To avoid following myself my coach made the decision to bump my next attempt to 133 and you can see what happened above. The clean felt strong and is actually a meet PR, but I wanted to throw that weight up hard and just didn't meet it in the right place overhead and it crashed on me.

It was a good meet, it was good to compete, it was good to have a good performance. 237kg was a meet total PR and good enough to win the masters division so I'm happy. Until next time!

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New training video post hamstring strain and feeling pretty good! Power snatched 107kg off the blocks last Friday and snatch 100kg for four singles this past Monday. Before last Friday I hadn't lifted in ten days and the rest did the body good. Let me know what you think of the video and be sure to go and subscribe to my YouTube page.

I also competed in my first Crossfit Games Open WOD in two years. 13.1 was partially in my wheel house and then way on the other end of things!  Burpees are not my friend! But still, I scored 121 and hadn't done a Crossfit workout in at least a month. So in hindsight......not too bad. Onward I march! 

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Happy Birthday Texas! Oh.... and Go Weightlifting!

Two of some of my most favorite things in the world! Texas and weightlifting! Happy Birthday Texas and may your glory not be too polluted by all the yankees and Californians moving here.

Plus! I have to share some weightlifting misses. I have been fighting a nagging hamstring strain over the past two and a half weeks and haven't picked up a barbell in ten days until Friday. I power snatched 107kg of the blocks for a PR and like you see in the video, I missed 109kg several time before I threw in the towel. I guess I needed some rest anyways.

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How To Approach This?

So Crossfit is obviously huge now days, and with the start of the Open it is on every one's mind. My gym, Crossfit Central will be having all of our classes participate in the Open during the Th/Fri classes. With the growth of Crossfit, my sport, Olympic Weightlifting has grown as well. Crossfit has adopted a heavy dose of Olympic weightlifting in recent years and with folks like Rudy Nelson and The Outlaw Way, it has become a major part of people's programing. I appreciate the growth and influx of people into Olympic Weightlifting and can directly thank Crossfit and Outlaw Way for it.

With the growth of both sports and the Olympic lifts becoming more recognized there is a push for people wanting coaching in the Olympic lifts and needing it. My approach to the people that come to me seeking coaching is to coach them like any new person that is wanting to learn the lifts. We start as if the person has never lifted and start with basic drills that will lead them in the right direction; the way I was taught. My attitude is to learn it the right way from the start and break things down, even for someone that has competed at Crossfit for a while. If we have to take two steps back to take four steps forward I say do it.

Although, sometimes I sense that people want to approach Olympic lifting in a Crossfit way. What the hell does that even mean? Question? Wouldn't you want to learn how to lift like a lifter, hit all the right points of the snatch as if you were trying for a PR? Wouldn't you want to be proficient and consistent at snatching ,whether it be 75lbs or 210lbs? I guess I am behind the times here, but I am seeing Crossfiters like Rich Froning snatch 300lbs. I promise you he has a lifting coach, and I can promise you he is doing drills and exercises just like any competitive lifter out there. His 300lbs snatch probably looks just like his 135lbs snatch.

I guess what I am saying here, or asking is, does it matter if you are learning to lift in a traditional weightlifting manner? Should I change my approach in teaching a Crossfiter how to lift over someone that wants to be a competitive weightlifter? I know before I had a weightlifting coach and was just Crossfiting I could barley snatch 195lbs. Now after having my lifts broken down and starting from scratch I can now snatch 245lbs. And when I step into twice a week Crossfit classes I am more efficient and move lighter weight exactly the same way I move my heavier lifts.

I have my own opinions, and they are just that, my own opinions. Am I missing something here? Should I change my lifting classes to a lifting class with a Crossfit twist? This is something I've been thinking about. Why wouldn't I spend and hour and a half teaching a person the proper way to snatch and do strength work and drills for that lift. Then when we do a Crossfit workout see how they perform with the lifts in the workout. Just my thoughts as a coach and questions I have for y'all. First world problems......