Yeah, it does. It gets you a little credibility because you can’t…I don’t want to say can’t. I’m sure it’s possible that you can go through three Olympics. That’ll mean world championships and high-pressure situations and not have anything interesting to say or useful to say to another athlete. I’m sure it’s possible, but it’s really hard.
People know that you have something that you can contribute and lend to the development of another athlete who is inexperienced. It really does matter how well you know the fundamentals and the why. When I’m trying to figure things out, as long as I know why something happens, then I’m…You know what I mean?
Then you can apply. If you have an understanding of logic and how it works, if you have the fundamentals, you can then start filling in the blanks. If this is true, then this must also be true if we’re to believe that logic and reason apply…Again, things do get complex very quickly. We have a variety of varying techniques and controversies.
As an experienced weightlifter, putting in so many repetitions and understanding how it felt and what I know to be expected, for example, the internal versus the external rotation and the lockout overhead. I explained this to somebody. You can say internal, external all day long, and people still get confused. I still get confused.
Right now, David, I have my hand over my head trying to figure out how to explain this to everybody. You know when you get blood drawn, that vein in the pit of your elbow right where your elbow creases? I like that to be facing the ear, if possible. I don’t want those pits of the elbows facing forward. That’s what I mean when I refer to that overhead position.
I like the…I guess it’s external rotation overhead then where the inside of that elbow is facing the ear. That’s the external rotation. I prefer that overhead because I know if I’m stepped properly and that weight is over my head, my lat is engaged and my elbow is locked, I can almost relax.
Again, I’m a super heavyweight. I understand somebody who weighs 45 kilos is not going to be able to relax with 60 kilos over their head. Take that with a grain of salt, but I’m not using my arms. My shoulders are totally comfortable. I’ve never really had any shoulder problems to speak of at all, so I know how that feels versus the other way.
Now, when I go to internal rotation and try to support anything, it hurts. I know I’m not used to it. You can get used to really anything, but as far as the economical solutions to those sorts of things, I think at the end of the day, I can suss it out.
I understand that some athletes too, they get good at a certain technique and it worked for them. They try to apply that to other athletes, but I think those neutral positions, to me, that overhead position where the arms are externally rotated, that is neutral.
Anything outside of that, and most people are going to be somewhere in between. Having that whole body of experience to apply to the discussion, and being able to concede, I’m only a snob when it comes to the jerk.
Just because my percentage of made jerks just gives me enough license to be able to say, “OK, here are the fundamentals. Really, anything outside of this, you’re doing extra.” Other than the jerk, I’m willing to concede a lot of things and work with people. People are different.
When I worked in Hong Kong, I often would have to explain to people why it wasn’t necessarily the best process to mimic the Chinese national team because we’re all different people in different situations.
You’re a guy from the Netherlands. You don’t look like anybody on the Chinese team. We’re going to move a little bit differently, and these techniques are going to be different based on who you are, and how you move, and what your limitations are.
I’m trying to make you the best weightlifter you can be. You know what I mean? It’s a lot of troubleshooting. It’s a lot of problem-solving. That’s why I enjoy it. I worked with a lot of athletes with zero training age, with zero skill, inherent skill for lifting weights.
I love working with them. As long as their attitude’s OK, and I can hang out with you for two hours in the same room, I’m going to tell you everything I know. We’re going to try and figure it out together.
You have to be willing to do that. If you only want to work with people who already know what they’re doing, you’re never going to learn anything. Because, you’re going to have to…
[dog barks]
I’m sorry, this dog just barked.