The California Strength team is excited to have the former Oregon Duck Jeff Maehl and Nebraska’s Mike Smith join the 2011 NFL Combine team. Here is a video of Jeff, Mike, and the rest of the guys working through some drills.

At the Olympic Weightlifting Team training the guys where absolutely smoked by end of day today, absolutely smoked…  

     

Today during olympic weightlifting team training we did hang snatches, power cleans, and jerks from the rack.  Highlight of the day was Jarod jerking 170kg for 5 reps.  Lots of solid snatches also.  Check it out…

Lots of good stuff today during olympic weightlifting team training.  Rob actually stood up with a 130kg snatch before losing it behind.  Anthony made a 4kg PR in the clean and jerk with a great looking 115kg effort.  Rob, Spencer, John, and Jared all trained hard.  Lot’s more to do in the next couple of months though…

A video compilation of some of the training going on with Ryan Whalen, Willie Glasper, Sifa Etu, Cameron Colvin, Brennan Marion and Victor James.

Here is a neat compilation of some of the Olympic Weightlifting training that went on at CalStrength today.  It was supposed to be a 70 to 80% day but a couple of guys got carried away, you can see who they are!

By Donny Shankle CPT

3lb Tri-Tip Beef Roast (organic)

Provolone Cheese (sliced)

Organic Baby Spinach (raw & stems removed)

French Bread Loaf

Butter

6 Plum Tomatoes (peeled)

3 Cloves Minced Garlic

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Lime

1 Handful Chopped Basil

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

12 Okra Spears

1 Egg

Flour

Cayenne Pepper

1 Quart Canola Oil

I served up these babies at last years Don Wilson Classic. I had planned on serving them both days of a two day event but sold out quickly in one. Tri-Tip is a popular cut of beef out here in California and there are so many different ways to prepare it. This dish is just one of many coming to help you build strong muscles this year and for every one of these sandwiches you put down is a guaranteed 3 kilos added on your total.

First things first set your oven to 450 degrees and make sure your roast is at room temperature. Fill a mixing bowl with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 3 pinches salt, and 3 pinches black pepper. Roll your tri-tip in the mixing bowl until evenly coated on all sides and transfer to a baking dish. Put your tri-tip into the oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes and then turn the temperature down to 350 and let cook for another 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 150 degrees. Let your roast sit for an hour before you slice.

To prepare your bruschetta topping finely chop your tomatoes and basil. Mix them both in a bowl with your garlic and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and a squeeze of lime. Toss in a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Cut your french loaf into sandwich size servings and toast each side spreading with butter as soon as you pull it off the stove top grill.

When you slice your tri-tip be patient and get your slices as thinly cut as possible. It helps here if you have a deli-slicer so try to ask your butcher if he will do it for you. All weightlifters should have a good relationship with their butcher but if you don’t no worries. Just take your time cutting and lay out your slices on top your bread along with your slices of provolone. Assemble the rest of your sandwich with your spinach and bruschetta topping and fold both ends gently together.

Lastly give your okra an egg wash bath and coat generously with flour seasoned with cayenne. Drop your spears into canola oil that is at 360 degrees and give them a minute or two until they are golden brown. Take them out of the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Toss on one more pinch of salt and serve with your tri-tip sandwich. Enjoy.

We had a very hard day of olympic weighlifting training today.  All the boys worked up 3 different times between 10am and 4pm.  In my opinion, Rob was the winner today, getting up to his max snatch once, 2kg below it another time, and coming within 7kg of his max clean and jerk all 3 times.  That’s a lot of work in one day.  And he wanted to do more.  Admit it, Rob Blackwell works harder than you do.

We had a heck of a day training today.  12 new personal records on the olympic weighlifting lifts.  It was a “once in a year” type of day, everyone picking up barbells did something special.  I mostly shut my mouth and sat down.  A few videos are up on my facebook page or on the CaliforniaStrength youtube channel.  Spencer Mormon has now officially begun his preparation for Junior Worlds, and, records are gonna fall.  His snatch record today will be the first of many.

By Cedric Unholz www.cedricunholz.com

(AGAIN I RECOMMEND CLICKING THE LINK FOR THIS INTERVIEW AS CEDRIC DID ANOTHER AMAZING JOB.)

Part 2 of 2

How do you implement strength and power training during a team sport athlete’s in-season period?

As a weightlifter this is not my area of expertise but the guidelines would be similar for a weightlifter getting ready for competition. Please ask this question again on the California Strength forum coming soon.

A cohesive working team is one where everyone plays their part to perfection. If you focus on placing the job of each individual to become stronger as well as having a thorough understanding of their part to play then the team functions on a winning scale. The word team is a juiced up word meant to bring attention to those who did nothing for the team. Each man to the best of his ability will shape men who work together like a well oiled machine.

This being said, the closer a team of athletes or athlete gets to competition or a game it is important to implement a period of rest in their training (backing off) and develop the hunger to want to get back on the field, platform, court, ice or what have you. The training has established all the interconnectivity they need to perform well so all that is left is making sure they stay positive, fed, and have the conviction in their dreams and waking hours not to lose. During this time the body and mind will become balanced and tempered as all functioning organs and muscles recuperate getting ready for competition.

IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO NOT CHANGE THE ADAPTATION RIGHT BEFORE COMPETEING! Do not implement new exercises, alter the diet, disrupt nightly routines even if this means the weightlifter or athlete is used to nightly sexual activity. All facets of training must be unchanged right before hand giving special attention only to rest. Any disturbance from the regularity of methodical training before competing will potentially leave things in chaos.

HUNGER TO DO BATTLE is what is important at this time. Keep your athlete or team away from their discipline by holding them back if you must like a caged animal. Then once they have rested enough let them go and rip some fucking heads off.

Who have been your biggest influences as an athlete, coach and person?

I would love to have a chat with Coach Sean Peyton of the New Orleans Saints. How this man was able to turn around and inspire an organization in 4 years time to become world champions is very admirable. I am originally from Louisiana and have been a Saints fan since Morten Anderson was knocking em’ through at 60 + yards. The black and gold are my team and I always said New Orleans would come off the map if they went and won the Superbowl. I was in tears when they actually did it. The fact that this group of men did it for the wonderful people of my home town right after Katrina makes it even more special.

“Corrective exercise” and various assessment/screening protocols are current discussion topics within the Strength and Conditioning field, with plenty of different opinions going around. Where in your opinion does corrective exercise fit in the training process and how do you go about incorporating assessment protocols/corrective exercises into your programs?

Corrective exercise is crucial in a training program because it keeps the athlete healthy and able to train. When a client complains of hip pain for example, which is prevalent in this sport, I immediately grab my foam roller and make them perform self-myofasial release. This is followed immediately by a stretch. Isolated strengthening exercises are then incorporated into their program to help the weaker muscles that are contributing to any muscular imbalances. My coaching is a constant assessment and as such the training program is always adjusting to keep my athletes at the peak of their performance. Corrective exercise is the buzz because it works.

What are your all-time favourite educational resources for:

Strength Training

Larger than Life – Documentary of Jon Pall Sigmarsson

Weightlifting, Olympic Style – Tommy Kono

School of Champions – Bulgarian Weightlifting Documentary

Super Squats – Randall Strossen

Starting Strength – Mark Rippetoe & Lon Kilgore

Rehabilitation

National Academy of Sports Medicine – (CES) Corrective Exercise Specialist Certificate Program

Greys Anatomy – Henry Grey & Henry Carter

Nutrition

The “28 Days to Health” program, a comprehensive plan that helps you lose weight and balance your hormones.

Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications Fourth Edition – George A. Brooks, Thomas D. Fahey, Kenneth M. Baldwin (Chapters 28 & 29)

American College of Sports Medicine Journal

Business

The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand

The Prince – Machiavelli

Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith

Art of War – Sun Tzu

The Objective Standard

Random/recreational

I enjoy reading biographies about Walt Disney. Anything by Ayn Rand, Desmond Morris, George Orwell or subjects dealing with history, psychology, zoology, behaviour, and economics are also favourites of mine. I have a voracious appetite for the classics and Monday through Saturday I like to study and practice positions from the Kama Sutra. On Sundays I like to keep up with the Good Book and have currently finished reading it aloud on MP3. If anyone would like a copy of either the entire book or just certain books just contact me.

If you had to choose one thing that you think people should be including in their training, what would that be?

A hobby you are just as passionate about as weightlifting. A recurring worry by many weightlifters is whether or not they are recovering properly or enough. Finding another activity you place great value in whether that’s being a good cook, a loving father, or collecting stamps it doesn’t matter. Ardent focus on something else you enjoy will distract your mind from any immediate aches and pains you think you may be feeling and have to find some special means to recover from.

What advice would you give young coaches like me who are getting into the field?

Any weightlifter you coach will be very appreciative if you can explain to them a drill they can easily understand in order to correct technique deficiencies and get them lifting better quickly. Learn the specific drills needed to correct any mistakes your athlete is doing and if you need help on learning drills then look for my book coming soon. For starters always put the weightlifter in the position they are doing incorrectly initially and have them move from there until they get it right.

For example: A very common mistake for weightlifters who are beginners is to miss having the bar come off the hips entirely while they move into the top of the finish. Have the weightlifter start at the hips repeatedly until the action is corrected.

Always having a drill to correct technical problems quickly will give confidence to the weightlifter that you know what you are doing. Aside from that just encourage your athlete that getting stronger is a gradual process. Rome was not built in a day.

Donny, thank you so much for your time. Where can my readers find out more about you, and any projects that you may have coming up or are currently involved in?

I can be found at donnyshankle@californiastrength.com and I keep an entry of blogs on the website www.californiastrength.com. California Strength will also be hosting a forum dedicated to Olympic weightlifting, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition and even a miscellaneous section if you feel like talking to someone who has been there before or just maybe hear some motivation.

Currently I am in the process of writing a book dedicated to the weightlifter. I have been working diligently to offer people a video analysis of their technique and on how to become a great weightlifter through personalized Skype sessions on the internet. Also, I sell a line of products I find to be highly advantageous for certain people in their training and I am scheduled to work for another gym located in the bay area teaching weightlifting and offering personal training.

Thank you for the interview I was flattered to share my experience. Before I go I would like to leave you with a mantra I have tattooed on my back. “AI EN ARISTEUEIN,” no matter what you apply yourself to in life apply yourself this way and this way only. Thank you.