News
State U15 and U17 and JME Club Comp
Coaching
We now have over 170 members at Cougars and some nights we have 60 people training at one time - this obviously makes it hard to give everybody the time I would like to give them.
On those nights my priorities are the U20 year old lifters and the people that are Australian Reps and especially the new U15 TID lifters that are learning the movements.
If anybody is not happy with the attention they are getting - PLEASE CONTACT ME - and I will try and work something out :)
Also if i forget your name or get it wrong please forgive me I struggled with remembering peoples names when we had 40 at the club - there is no hope for me now there are 170 ! :)
PB's
Everybody should be recording PB's for all lifts and assistance exercises for 5, 3,2,1 reps - this enables you to aim for new PB's even by 1 Kg and get something out of every session.
U15 and U17 Comp
James Norman U17 69Kg Class 118Kg
I was very pleased with the results in the comp - especially with James who started on his PB Clean and Jerk and pulled out an 8kg PB to beat Josh for best lifter
Harry - 50, 70 at 56Kg 12kg PB and Best U15 lifter
James - 78, 118 at 69 and Best U17 lifter with a huge 8Kg PB in the Jerk
Josh Mak - 62. 73 at 69 and an 8kg PB
James Catlow-Elliott 43, 56 at 56 - 6kg PB
Ethan Catlow-Elliott 39, 47 at 56
Josh Wu 79, 102 at 62 - recovering from injury
Full Results
http://www.awf.com.au/resultsrankings/rptcompresults.aspx?compid=283
JME Comp
It was great to see so many new lifters and new masters compete at the JME
and so many people come down and help and support.
It was nice to see Jett enjoying his first Comp
Harry pulled out a nice PB Snatch and just could not hold a new PB Clean and Jerk of 71 above his head
Josh did a great snatch of 64 and just pressed out 75 CJ
David did a huge PB of 35 on his total
Jo pulled out a great Clean and Jerk of 70 and its was good to see Danni get 6/6 in her first Comp.
The guys from Crossfit Desire overcame a case of the "I am not going to lift in a comp until I am good" fear and put in a great initial comp - and there is much more in them both.
The last session saw Andrea Miller (now lifting for NZ) get a NZ A grade and qualifying total for Commonwealth Championships in Penang of 70, 95 - 165 at 66kg bodyweight
This also saw her ranked 4th in the NZ female Sinclair rankings.
http://www.awf.com.au/resultsrankings/rptcompresults.aspx?compid=287
Andrea Miller 69Kg Class 95Kg
Start Position, Bars, Personal Coaching, Cougars Video, Nationals and Oceania's
Start Position
I see some people rush the start position and ruin the rest of their lift - check out this video of Ben to see how I would like all people to get set
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBQHJgAV198
Weightlifting bars
People often ask me whats the best value bar you can get for the money
We bought the Pendlay NexGen Bearing Olympic Bar for around $750 at the Cougars last year and apart from it looking rather worn its still working as well as the day we bought it
http://www.muscledriverau.com.au/20kg-Pendlay-NexGen-Bearing-Olympic-Bar--PRE-ORDER-SALE_p_9.html
Private coaching in small groups
I am now running more personal one on one coaching on Sat and Sun in groups of 4 people max for $40 per person for 1.5h - please contact me on 0403 283 810 or wydallm@gmail.com to book a spot
Friday Night at Cougars in 2min
with press photo shoot and a practice comp :)
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rof-ntfkY_U
2013 Oceania Championships & 2013 Australian Championships
Next week Brisbane is hosting the 2013 Oceania Championships & 2013 Australian Championships
and you will be able to see the best lifters in the Oceania region compete at the Sleeman Sports Complex in the A sessions
Full details are here
http://www.qwa.org/SingleNewsPage.aspx?NewsId=40
You can also see the event online here
Cougars weightlifting club is the training venue and will be open all week for club members
I will be coaching as normal on Mon 8th and Tues 9th however I will be with the Australian team from Wed to Sun and will return to coaching on the 15th
Rule Changes and Highlights
Rule Changes and Highlights
Presentation is at competition start time, when athletes return from presentation 10min clock is started that indicates when the first lifter must be called.
Bandages and Tape are now allowed everywhere apart from elbows - so if you want you can put a bandage or tape all the way round if get a cut on your shin
Also can put bandages/tape under knee guards.
You no longer need to have a gap between costume and knee wraps at knee.
If bar touches hair or anything on head - failed lift.
Belt must be no more that 12 cm wide - Please check your belts !
An athlete is only granted 1min if when taking two lifts in succession the calling order changes AND the clock starts for another athlete - watch you do get get caught out !
The bar must not be dropped from above the shoulders
An athlete, who, for any reason, cannot fully extend the elbow(s), must report/display
this fact to all on-duty Referees as well as the Jury prior to the start of each lift. This is the sole responsibility of the athlete.
Athletes may be weighed in either completely undressed or in undergarments (articles
of the athlete outfit: costume, unitard, shorts and T-shirt are not considered as
undergarments). Athletes must not wear shoes or socks or any other footwear during
weigh-in.
Athletes are entitled to wear jewellery, hair adornments and religious head gear
during weigh-in. Athletes must not wear watches during weigh-in.
Passport Copy needed at verification of Final Entries for internationals
Damo's Weightlifting Blog
Great Blog from Damo - giving an insight into the mind of a elite lifter on his buildup to the games
I recommend that you subscribe to this - http://worththeweight2014.blogspot.com.au/
(You can subscribe using a pop out menu (in grey) on the right edge of the screen )
An Interview with Robert Kabbas
From Wikipedia -
Robert Kabbas (born 15 March 1955 in Alexandria, Egypt) is a retired weightlifter from Australia, who won the silver medal in the Lightheavyweight (82.5 kg) category at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Kabbas has been one of the most successful weightlifters to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games. He went to three Olympic Games: Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984. He was the first of only two Australian weightlifters to compete at three Olympics. The LA Olympics were one of the highlights of Kabbas’ career as he lifted a personal best of 342.5 kg and set a Commonwealth record.
Winning medals at three Commonwealth Games: Edmonton 1978 (Gold Medal), Brisbane 1982 (Gold Medal) and Edinburgh 1986 (Silver Medal), he was also the best weightlifter across all weight classes at Edmonton. Kabbas remains in the sport, still coaching and developing athletes.
Kabbas became president of the Australian weightlifting federation in October 2007
Can you give me some details on your achievements for people that do not know you
Olympic Games 1976, 1980, 1984 (Silver medal). Commonwealth Games 1978 (Gold), 1982 (Gold), 1986 (Silver). Australian champion 1975,76,77,78,82,83.
How did you get involved and why did you start
My father and three uncles practised weightlifting in Egypt, where I was born. I grew up around weightlifters and heard many stories about Egyptian world champions which fired my imagination.
Who was your most influential coach
I only had one coach throughout my career - my uncle, William "Bill" Kabbas. He was by far the best coach of technique that I have ever seen.
What was your strengths and weakness as an athlete
Probably something for others to judge. Concerning technique and physical ability, we always worked on any perceived weakness so that changed throughout my career. Initially I was a better performer at the snatch, breaking the Australian senior record at 17 years of age but my first Commonwealth record was in the clean and jerk.
Did you have any moments you thought about leaving the sport as a lifter
I can honestly say that until I retired from competition, I never considered leaving the sport. I loved it too much and always had faith that I could get through the hard times and injuries.
What was your most enjoyable moment in weightlifting and why.
I love the sport itself so I gained enjoyment through my total involvement, whether it be during training or competition. I also made some great friends who I still count as my best friends today.
What was your worst moment in the sport
Nothing stands out as a real dark moment which deeply affected me then or had any lasting effect. I experienced a number of lows that most athletes encounter if they have a career of any length. I had a run of no totals in 1980 which included the State titles, Olympic Games, Australian championships and Club championships in succession. Tearing a hamstring at the 1984 Olympic trials was a testing time but it turned out OK despite some people's efforts to keep me out of the team.
What was the best advice you were given
I'm not a good listener when it comes to most advice but I did listen to people that I respected and/or if the advice made sense to me. When I started training, I received great advice on technique and approach from my uncle and I am forever grateful for the time he spent with me. I still use some of his expressions in my coaching today although I don't profess to be as good a coach, especially of technique, as he was. Les Martyn (former AWF president) did give me one piece of useful advice when he suggested that I move up a weight category to get my career moving again after it had stalled for a couple of years.My coach agreed and we got the desired results with Commonwealth records in the 90kg category (my normal category was 82.5kg).
Where/ Who did you draw your inspiration from
There was no shortage of sources of inspiration throughout my career. Initially it was through stories of Egypt's world champions, told to me through my father's and uncles' personal experiences. Louis Martin (GBR) was another early inspiration, as a Commonwealth lifter who beat the Russians and other Eastern European athletes to win four world titles. Nick Ciancio stood out as Australia's premier athlete and he raised local lifters' perception of what could be achieved by Australian lifters in international competition.
Did you ever have a breakthrough and what was it
There wasn't a single event or moment which could be considered as a breakthrough. I believe my career was built on persistence and constant commitment. I was also lucky to have come through with a group of like-minded lifters of a similar age, keen to improve and make our mark. Other than my personal coach, Hawthorn club coach Paul Coffa was a young, driven coach who organised an international tour for our club's junior team that took in four countries and included five competitions in three weeks, something unheard of forty years ago. That was a significant event in my career as well as a number of others in that team.
What advice would you like to pass onto today's lifters
To know where you're going, you must know where you've been. Not many of today's lifters have any idea about Australia's weightlifting history and what has been achieved by Australian lifters. Too many set goals based on current local standards rather than setting their sights at a higher level.
If you had your time again what would you do different
I'm not sure I would do anything differently. You can only make decisions based on your thoughts and circumstances at the time. No one gets to have their time again!
How is the sport different nowadays to when you were a lifter
The sport enjoyed a higher public profile when I lifted, with national championships often televised, regular press articles and large attendances at major events, including State titles.
I believe that, generally speaking, today's lifters have superior technique but apart from a few at the very top, are softer physically and mentally.
Society is different these days so naturally, sport is also going to be different. It's a world of instant gratification, people expect almost instant results so, therefore, fewer lifters have as long a career as they previously did. As a consequence, they do not reach their potential and the standard of the sport suffers.
Who was your favourite lifter to watch
David Rigert (USSR) was everyone's favourite. Those who don't know him can "You Tube" him but the videos won't convey the electricity he generated on the platform.
Who is your favourite modern day lifter in Australia to watch.
Coaching these days, I mainly get to watch my own lifters and it's more nerve racking than enjoyable. Other than my lifters, I don't have any particular favourites. I like to see good lifts regardless of who is doing the lifting.
Old Training Videos
Ben 220Kg Back Squat
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKqOxjqKEPQ
Damo 250Kg Front
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC3tilBP7EI
Ben 180Kg Clean and Jerk - love the speed
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucj5IG3Cqlc
Damo does Grace - 30 CJ at 60Kg
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKeLjkeMWdM
News
New Stock of Weightlifting Shoes now at QWA
The QWA has a new stock of good quality lifting shoes available for $100 when picked up from the QWA office next to the gym
JME Comp
The JME competition is on this coming Saturday Morning - everybody is welcome to have a lift in the competition - please put your name on the list on the kitchen door
Detailed Lifter Stats
Check out the AWF website to get very detailed lifter Statistics by clicking on any lifters name
