My experiences going from powerlifting to olympic weightlifting

[Martin Brown]

Thanks for sharing - something I've always fancied but the work involved to get flexible enough has always scared me off

[hailtotheking]

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Thanks for sharing - something I've always fancied but the work involved to get flexible enough has always scared me off

Just work on doing overhead squats, front squat (oly grip), and poss. some snatch-grip deadlifts at some point in your routine and you will have all of the flexibility you need for oly lifting.

As sacrilegious as it is to say it, you can learn very basic oly lifting technique from videos, articles, and books. It will not be pretty, but it will be good enough for you not to hurt yourself (probably) and get some good gains from it if you stick with a weight that will let you do it with the best possible form you can manage. Even if you dont have the flexibility for the full lifts, you can work power clean / snatch, clean / snatch pulls ,etc. Some of the resources posted in the oly lifting Sticky would help.

[Waterfield]

Hey, just wondering how your training is going? Still enjoying the transition?

[hailtotheking]

Unfortunately i was in a car accident a few months back. Not only did it leave me with neck and shoulder problems for a few months, it also meant getting to CP weightlifting centre was no longer viable. My training has subsequently been restricted to callisthenics. I currently don't have the funds nor the inclination to get a new car, and in fact i am enjoying getting more time to read on public transport, and walk more.

[Waterfield]

Holy ****. I had no idea, hopefully you're recovering ok. Is the plan to get back into it or is it just too time consuming now with the longer journeys? It's good that you're still exercising, I know two people who've had pretty major accidents on their joints and given up on the exercise front. Again, I hope you're getting better.

[alhales66]

Sorry to hear about the injury!! Sounds savage!

Try as I did, I just couldn't nail the technique- I personally think it's too hard for amateur gym-goers. I am as flexible as a brick which doesn't lend itself well to this disciple!! I still utilise the clean in it's various forms as it's good to develop power in sports but as a discipline of sole-training I have given up. If it's your sport and passion and you put everything into learning technique and are naturally powerful then you'll reap the benefits. I'm sticking to powerlifting.

[hailtotheking]

Ta for the sentiments guys. Funnily enough the physio told me my neck, trap, and spinal muscle development + strength is what probably what stopped me getting more serious injuries.

TBh, i am really enjoying the freedom and simplicity, beauty, and total-body training effect of calisthenics, handbalancing, and gymnastics-style training. When you see what guys like Jim Bathurst, Al Kavadlo, Ido Portal, Max Shank, and may others are doing, you realise the possibilities with this style of training are almost limitless. The awareness you develop of your own body with this type of training is a unique experience to me, and it has done wonders for my posture (no more lordosis), dynamic stability / coordination, and flexibility (im even more flexible now than when i was weightlifting!) i cant see myself going back to any kind of weight training as a priority, and calisthenics will always be my core training style from now on. Basically, i'm not in a hurry o get back to the gym, because everywhere is a gym to me now!

I didn't start playing with oly lifting until last year at 32 year old, which is definitely considered 'past it' by weightlifting standards, but doing overhead squats, shoulder dislocates, and sitting in a deep squat position whenever the opportunity presented itself i developed reasonably good flexibility for the moves. I was also very lucky to have nearby a weightlifting centre, and a professional weightlifting coach, Keith Morgan, who helped me tremendously, along with the other lifters at CP, to learn some technique even at my 'old' age. I would say anyone could learn rudimentary weightlifting technique in a few months at any age with patience and dedication, but the older you get the more the requirement for a coach. One of the guys i used to see down there lost his leg in a terrible bike accident years ago, and went on to power clean and power snatch in excess of 110kg with refusal to quit, dedication, and some coaching. If a one legged guy can do that, then what excuses do the rest of you have!
If you guys are really serious you would need to seek one out and make the effort to do some sessions with them.

[Mart001]

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Ta for the sentiments guys. Funnily enough the physio told me my neck, trap, and spinal muscle development + strength is what probably what stopped me getting more serious injuries.

TBh, i am really enjoying the freedom and simplicity, beauty, and total-body training effect of calisthenics, handbalancing, and gymnastics-style training. When you see what guys like Jim Bathurst, Al Kavadlo, Ido Portal, Max Shank, and may others are doing, you realise the possibilities with this style of training are almost limitless. The awareness you develop of your own body with this type of training is a unique experience to me, and it has done wonders for my posture (no more lordosis), dynamic stability / coordination, and flexibility (im even more flexible now than when i was weightlifting!) i cant see myself going back to any kind of weight training as a priority, and calisthenics will always be my core training style from now on. Basically, i'm not in a hurry o get back to the gym, because everywhere is a gym to me now!

I didn't start playing with oly lifting until last year at 32 year old, which is definitely considered 'past it' by weightlifting standards, but doing overhead squats, shoulder dislocates, and sitting in a deep squat position whenever the opportunity presented itself i developed reasonably good flexibility for the moves. I was also very lucky to have nearby a weightlifting centre, and a professional weightlifting coach, Keith Morgan, who helped me tremendously, along with the other lifters at CP, to learn some technique even at my 'old' age. I would say anyone could learn rudimentary weightlifting technique in a few months at any age with patience and dedication, but the older you get the more the requirement for a coach. One of the guys i used to see down there lost his leg in a terrible bike accident years ago, and went on to power clean and power snatch in excess of 110kg with refusal to quit, dedication, and some coaching. If a one legged guy can do that, then what excuses do the rest of you have!
If you guys are really serious you would need to seek one out and make the effort to do some sessions with them.

good luck, at 32 your've got another 25 years... at least

[Elvis]

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b) I have always preferred squatting like a weightlifter rather than a powerlifter

so it's not just me :-)