I am a thinker. I ask “why” and “why not” about anything and everything all day every day.
Why do many athletes that perform the Olympic lifts on a regular basis not do any of their squats to an extreme depth in preparation for those lifts that are demanding in that regard?
Why do some athletes and coaches think that technique matters and others are ok with more of a muscled movement, generally getting the bar from ground to overhead however they can?
Why is it that the level of the priceless characteristic of laziness (or rather efficiency in daily life) that any serious lifter should have, tends to be more natural and increase with athletes in greater body weight categories (come on now, observe your local “Super”)?
Why is there not a USA Weightlifting Podcast that might consider, discuss, and debate very important topics such as the ones mentioned above?
All images courtesy Richwell Correa Studios
So my thoughts are all about weightlifting as you can see, and in my years of dwelling on these mysteries I have not been able to inch any closer to the understanding that I seek. This is a big reason why I’m so determined to be a voice in the community. I strive to be one that helps deliver what I feel are critical messages such as matching someones squat to the goals that they have, or leading someone toward understanding just how much technique matters. I want to be a representative for the health and longevity that quality weightlifting can provide. I’m certainly not alone in this pursuit, but I’m here to tell you that we need more of these voices and examples in this growing weightlifting community!
It was an incredible privilege to reconnect with Cheryl Haworth, one of my Olympic teammates, at the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships, where we had the opportunity to do a little commentating together. It didn’t take but a few moments to tap into that bond that was developed from being on many international teams together, and to realize that she as well had a strong passion to be heard, with plenty to say that people needed and and would want to listen to.
As a commentator/speaker, Cheryl is peppy, fun loving, and easy to listen to. She has a very large and quickly accessible knowledge base on all things weightlifting and an incredible ability to deliver golden “bombs” with simplicity, (On the other hand, while partnering with Cheryl I just sit in the “bullpen” waiting for those brief moments she allows me to talk and doing my best to keep up; um, excuse me?)
Since Worlds we have worked together to seek out and push for opportunities that would allow us to once again become more deeply involved with the sport, as well as support our USA Weightlifting family in this specific way. We’re ready to be joined by our former teammates and coaches in striving to share knowledge and provide examples as we work to reach as much of the weightlifting community as possible.
For these reasons, an official USA Weightlifting Podcast HAS been created! I am so excited to announce that it will be launching soon, and the first episodes are scheduled to be released on Monday, May 21st. Cheryl and I are beyond honored to be a part of this much needed “platform” as your hosts and the opportunity to get back on the “bar.”
Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise noted on special editorial projects (like this one). BarBend is proud to support the USA Weightlifting podcast.
We’ll be taking you back in time with some of our “glory days” friends, and living vicariously through the escapades of our current lifters and coaches. We’re confident you’ll be able to draw inspiration and motivation from the collective, personal stories and experiences, as well as always leave with at least a few immediately applicable tips from content that will range from training to technique to competition readiness and strategies.
Please know that this podcast is for YOU, and we want you to be a part of it! We will always welcome and encourage any feedback on how we can make the show better, who you want to hear from, or what you’d like us to talk about.
In fact, we’d like to get you involved NOW! We will be doing a number of Q&A episodes and we need your questions. These can be anything from topics such as the Olympics in general or other competitions (local, national, or international), training, technique, recovery (perhaps how to be a little more “lazy”, that always helps), or even a personal question or two for Cheryl or myself (we have nothing to hide and we are ready to give you all the dirt, so please don’t hold back).
On behalf of USA Weightlifting, we are very excited to provide this to the weightlifting community and other interested parties, and we are thankful for the opportunity to further support the sport that we all love! We hope you will listen in and enjoy!
Have a question for the upcoming USA Weightlifting Podcast? Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll pass along to the hosts?
