Mohamed Ihab Youssef is certainly a weightlifter to watch closely heading into the Rio Olympics. The 25 year old Egyptian lifter placed second in the 69kg category at the 2014 World Weightlifting Championships in Almaty, and he followed that up with a third place finish at 77kg at the 2015 Championships in Houston.
As a 77kg lifter, he seems to still be improving, as evidenced by this 165kg PR snatch in training camp. But internationally-elite snatches and clean & jerks are hardly the best things about Ihab’s Instagram profile.
No, the best part of following Ihab on social is witnessing his…innovative training techniques, which we’re pretty sure are a mix of just-for-fun and maybe-actually-sorta-useful.
In the first category, we have his “3D jerk,” a training movement for when one barbell overhead just isn’t enough.
Next, Ihab demonstrates a mobility pose only for professionals.
There’s also his innovative take on partner-assisted mobility. It’s like ROMWOD, but with two people who are very comfortable getting uncomfortable with each other.
And if you’re looking to improve your overhead squat, there is one move that stands above all else: Ihab’s “The Skyscraper.
Mohamed Ihab also likes to concentrate on building up strength in his smaller muscles. Snatch PRs are great, but when’s the last time you set a personal record in the tongue lift? One kilo here can make all the difference when it comes to the big lifts on stage.
And it’s not enough for the two-time IWF World Championship medalist to just chronicle his own training. Here he is demonstrating techniques to the next generation of aspiring international lifters, ensuring Ihab’s reputation as a coach long after his competitive lifting days are over.
You keep doing you, Mohamed. You do you.
