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18.3.12
17.3.12
15.3.12
13.3.12
On Weightlifting: A Personal View
Chapter
4
ON
THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES
BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL
AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND
BY
DONNY SHANKLE CPT
“Familiarity
Breeds Contempt.” Anonymous
39
Wave Smashing
I realize I am probably going to
get a lot of shit for this one but what the hell. The exercises in
this chapter are personal favorites of mine which I believe have
given me success on the platform. Not all exercises which help you
need to be done in the gym, and certainly do not have to be only the
choices of past achievers. I cannot remember where I read it but,
“The people we look up to, and seek instruction from, may be our
leaders but they are not our masters.” I have always been someone
who is not afraid of trying something new. Wave Smashing is an
exercise I started doing in Hawaii and on occasion still catch myself
doing it living here in California. I have always been drawn to the
alluring Pacific. Nautical books like Moby Dick and Mutiny
On The Bounty are some of my favorites. When I get a chance to
relax I like to go to the beach. Great weightlifters however, even in
their downtime, will continue to find ways to train their body and
mind.
Wave smashing is an exercise
which strengthens your stability during a jerk.
The next time you are at the
beach try this. As you get into the water at about waist
level, wait for a nice wave to come in that goes over your head. (I
highly recommend you know how to swim for this one) Stand with your
feet at shoulder width apart and as the wave approaches take in a
deep breath and step into it with the lead leg you use on a jerk. It
is tough but your goal is not to let the water push you backwards, to
the side, or cause you to lose your footing at all. Use your powerful
muscles to maintain your balance and recover. Take in another breath
and prepare yourself for the next advancing wave.
The imagery behind this exercise
alone should be enough to excite you and make you feel strong.
Imagery when lifting is very important because it taps into your
emotions and your own personal experiences. Positive imagery of
accomplishment and overcoming what may have been hard in your life
will help you overcome anything on the platform. As insignificant as
man might be, in this quite often incomprehensible universe, he still
has the courage to stand up against one of the marvels of God's
creation. However, do not ever forget that you are the crown of Gods
creation. You are capable of fulfilling extraordinarily difficult
charges you set before yourself so long as you face them head on. The
next time you are in the gym and you have just stood up from a clean
remember this imagery. The weight on your shoulders will seem
insignificant when you realize you held your feet firm against a
force of nature. Your confidence will be brimming as you move into
your “dip and drive.” For lack of a more eloquent way to put it,
I guarantee you will jerk the fuck out of that weight.
There are no prime movers during
this exercise. Wave smashing is a great stabilization exercise
though. Anyone can tell you after being in the ocean for a while when
they get out their muscles are sore down to the deepest fibers. There
are no sets, reps, or advanced ways to do this exercise. Just get in
there and have a little fun. Place this exercise in your training occasionally on an off day and watch out for any sharks that may be
practicing the exercise with you.
12.3.12
10.3.12
On Weightlifting: A Personal View
Chapter 4
ON
THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES
BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL
AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND
BY
DONNY SHANKLE CPT
“Familiarity
Breeds Contempt.” Anonymous
38
Snatch No Hook No Feet
Snatching without using your
hook grip and keeping your feet in place eliminates the violent
“finish.” Doing so teaches you to consciously move under the bar
fast. No other subordinate exercise develops speed under the bar as
effectively as snatch no hook no feet. During a snatch their
is as coach Pendlay puts it, “A moment of decision.” If you
hesitate during this pivotal moment you will fail. Aside from moving
fast you must move confidently and without fear especially during
this exercise. The bar will begin to slip out of your hands more and
more as you add weight and get close to your personal best. Before
the bar gets the chance to separate from your hands get you ass down
and catch it resolutely.
When setting up for this
exercise it is important to begin by placing your feet in your
“receive” command. You have to start the pull with a wider base
since you are not allowed to move your feet. If you try and “receive”
the bar with your normal pulling stance you will leave the bar out in
front. If your heels come up during the “finish” this is OK just
try not to lift your feet completely off the platform. Grab the bar
with a normal grip and focus on moving quickly both during the pull
and when you change direction under the bar. For the most part you do
not need to go to maximum on this exercise but, I recommend you
periodically challenge yourself for fun. You should notice a
significant increase in your speed under the bar from the moment you
do this exercise. The next time you snatch remember this speed and
apply it. Attention to speed is rarely talked about enough. This is
surprising considering the weightlifter is the most powerful of
athletes. During your repetitions on this exercise if you are not
locking out your arms smoothly it is an indicator you are moving
slow. Drop the weight if you have to and make the correction.
REPS: 1-2
SETS: 6-8
ADVANCED WAY: N/A
DURATION: 5-25 minutes
PLACEMENT IN TRAINING: Use this
exercise the day prior you go to maximum with light weight to get you
moving quickly. You can also use the exercise as a warm-up to your
actual snatch. Periodically challenge yourself once a week by going
to maximum.
9.3.12
On Weightlifting: A Personal View
CHAPTER 8
ON
THE WISDOM FROM WARRIORS
Interviews
With Great Weightlifters
By Donny Shankle CPT
“Be a man. Do not follow me but follow yourself.”
Anonymous
Jessica Salvaggio
- Do you find joy being a weightlifter? Why? Being a weightlifter brings me more than joy when I do well in the gym It can totally change my day. I think most weightlifters are good people with good hearts and give support to everyone. When I come in the gym and feel tired and beat down and forget why I love the sport the people around me lift me back up.
- What is something weightlifting has taught you which you apply to everyday life? Lifting has taught me to never quit. I don't give up on things and I don't walk away. I'm a tough person now and I never was before.
- Can you share any unforgettable moments on the platform? Honestly, I'm still praying for my epic unforgettable moment. I have a few moments of other lifters I hold on to that remind me how beautiful our sport really is. My favorite is Olympic Trials 2008 when Casey Burgener made the Olympic Team and his family and him collapsed on the platform together with tears of joy. Another wasn't as big as making an Olympic Team but a girl named Meredith Hamill was 14 years old at Junior National Championship. She was a great competitor in her age group but no one expected her to attempt lifts she had never even picked up off the ground and make the junior world team over 20 year old women.
- What is your favorite food and can you give us the recipe? My favorite food (to cook) is stuffed cabbage. Its a really super long recipe so ill have to write my own book for that one.
- If you could have a conversation with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be? Why? If I could have a conversation with anyone it would be either Taylor Swift or Ellen Degeneres. Why? Well have you even seen Taylor's 'thug story' music video? If you haven't that's probably why she wasn't on your list. Why Ellen? She's the funniest person with the biggest heart I've ever watched on TV. Plus, read her book 'seriously..I'm kidding'.
- Do you ever get scared of going under the bar? If you do, how do you overcome that fear? If you do not, why? I do get scared to get under the bar sometimes. I can get over it if I don't think about how much weight is on the bar. If I walk away calm down and think about the movement instead- finish my pull, push up underneath, stay tight.
2009 first place snatch junior
nationals
2009 second place collegiate nationals
2009 second place junior quebec championships
2011 third place CJ national championships
2009 second place collegiate nationals
2009 second place junior quebec championships
2011 third place CJ national championships
8.3.12
No Comfort Zones Key Chain
There are two types of weightlifters who compete. Those who push through
"comfort zones" and later become champions, and those who are to afraid
to see what they are truly capable of. Someone once asked me, "Donny
what is the secret to being a great weightlifter?" The only response I
had for him was, "Work hard everyday and accept no comfort zones." This
mantra does not just apply to weightlifters. Pushing through "the hard"
in order to succeed goes for everyone in every walk of life. When you
start your car before you leave for the gym look down at this key chain
and vow to yourself that you will accept "NO COMFORT ZONES." Artwork
drawn by local weightlifter Ben Claridad. Product ships between 5-7
business days.
TO ORDER YOUR OWN CLICK HERE.
A big thank you to the Combat Sports Academy in Dublin California for the fundraiser they held for me.
7.3.12
On Weightlifting: A Personal View
Chapter 4
ON
THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES
BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL
AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND
BY
DONNY SHANKLE CPT
“Familiarity
Breeds Contempt.” Anonymous
37
Chinese Row
I picked this one up from coach
Pendlay. Chinese rowing is a muscle builder for the upper back. Like
I have said before, I am a big believer in doing as many back
exercises as possible throughout your training to keep your back
healthy and strong. A weightlifters back is more powerful than any
other athlete and must be conditioned to take the constant stress of
daily training. Chinese rowing is just another little exercise you
can do to help you do this.
END OF ECCENTRIC
Set up for the exercise by bracing your hand against something. A dumbbell rack works fine. Grab on to a pretty heavy dumbbell and bring your torso up to a 45 degree angle to the floor. Let your arm relax and keep your head up with your eyes looking straight ahead. This position puts you at the end of the eccentric phase. From here pull the dumbbell up as high as possible. Try not to twist at the waist. Keep your body stable and use the muscles in your back to pull. Once the dumbbell is brought all the way up you are at the end of the concentric phase. Bring the dumbbell back down and repeat. The prime movers during this exercise are your trapezius muscles. You should not feel this exercise much in your arms. If you do drop the weight and focus more on your back muscles doing the work. The rack offers most of the stabilization you need but your abdominals are also stabilizing you. A little cheating during this exercise is OK to help you get the dumbbell up just try not to drop your chest at the top.
END OF CONCENTRIC
REPS: 5
SETS: 4
ADVANCED WAY: N/A
DURATION: 10 minutes
PLACEMEMNT IN TRAINING: Towards
the end of your session after snatch and clean & jerk.
On Weightlifting: A Personal View
Chapter
4
ON
THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES
BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL
AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND
BY
DONNY SHANKLE CPT
“Familiarity
Breeds Contempt.” Anonymous
36
Medicine Ball Chest Pass
Medicine ball passes get your
arms moving fast during a jerk. The “dip and drive” in your legs
is what moves the bar powerfully during a jerk. Combining an athletic
“dip and drive” with an understanding of bar oscillation (feeling
the bar whip against you) is 99% of the battle for the jerk. However,
the other important details during a jerk which account for the other
1% are enough to cause you to miss the lift if they are done
incorrectly. Things like staying on your heels, dipping straight and
driving straight, and keeping your elbows up are all paramount.
Moving like molasses in the winter is what usually causes a
weightlifter to miss a jerk in competition or training which he was
easily capable of doing. Moving both your arms and feet fast, and in
unison, is the finishing touch you need for something beautiful to
take place. The moment your arms lock during a jerk must be timed
perfectly with your lead foot slapping violently against the
platform.
Believe it or not as a kid I was
a fast son-of-a-gun. I used to run down my neighbor on his bicycle
barefooted. My little T-Rex arms could also chest pass a basket ball
against a wall 60 times in 30 seconds. Much of speed and strength for
a weightlifter and any athlete is determined by their coordination.
Coordination is vastly improved through years of repetition. I
remember as a boy having great hand and eye coordination for some
reason. It must have been all that climbing I did up and down the
magnolia tree in my backyard. Perhaps it was all the waxing my father
made me do on his car each week. In the Marine Corps I could easily
disassemble and reassemble my rifle faster than anyone else in my
platoon. Whatever it was, I always had a good feel where to put
something with my hands, and how to precisely and powerfully get it
there. Medicine ball chest passes will help to build that power you
need to move quickly during a jerk and build some coordination with
your arms and hands. Timing this coordination with your “split”
during a jerk is tough for some but you can do it. With practice you
will do it easily.
 |
| T-Rex would have made a good weightlifter. |
To set up for this exercise face
a wall in your “split” command. You should be about 4-5 feet from
the wall. Remember to keep your back knee down. Using a light
medicine ball pass the ball from your chest hard against the wall.
With each pass hold your “split” command strictly. As the ball
bounces back to you quickly perform another repetition. The harder
you throw it the better so get some frustration out. Focus on moving
your arms as fast as possible and lock your arms out with each rep
the same way you would for a jerk. Keep your eyes on the ball and
have a little fun with this one.
REPS: As many as possible
SETS: 2
ADVANCED WAY: N/A
DURATION: 30 seconds per set
PLACEMENT IN TRAINING: Directly
after you jerk from the blocks towards the end of a weeks training.
3.3.12
2012 National Weightlifting Championships 105k Class
1st Place - Donny Shankle
2nd Place - David Garcia
3rd Place - Yahsa Kahn
1.3.12
On Weightlifting: A Personal View
Chapter
4
ON
THE BENEFITS OF SUBORDINATE EXERCISES
BOTH IN REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BODY AS WELL
AS THE WELL-BEING OF THE MIND
BY
DONNY SHANKLE CPT
“Familiarity
Breeds Contempt.” Anonymous
35
Race Cleans
I picked this fun little
exercise up training in Hawaii under Jim Moser. After a violent
finish you must train both your body to move under the bar fast and
your mind to react without hesitation. Race cleans help teach you
this. When you do them find someone who is quick at getting under the bar.
The two of you racing each other will help you not think so much and
get your ass moving. Throughout all my training journals I have kept,
I have noticed their seems to be a running theme wherever I go. In
the margins of nearly every page I wrote, “You gotta move faster
Donny!”
Strength has never been an
issue for me on the platform. I know I am the strongest. Becoming a
great weightlifter, however, is not just about strength. Mastering
the skill necessary to lift record breaking weights takes time. Being
strong is great. Being strong will help you to move faster, avoid
injury, and if you happen to be in a competition where your
competitor is just as efficient as you then the strongest man will
prevail. Above all these mentioned criteria for being a great
weightlifter it is reacting without thought and being confident when
going under the bar which gives you the chance to break free of
comfort zones. The only way to achieve this is by repetition and
accepting this is what you want to be and what you want to do. Race
cleans allow you to use a light weight and practice this repetition
which gets you to move.
After you have found a training
partner who is just as fast as you. Stand back to back facing away
from each other with a loaded bar in front the both of you. Facing
away from each other will help you to stay focused on what you
need to do and not worry about the other guy. (Another important
factor when competing) The weight on the bar should not be very
heavy. You should be lifting heavy weights or near your personal best
almost everyday in training. Use this exercise at the end of the week
to get your attention back on moving quickly. Moving fast can be
hellish especially after a back-breaking week of training. You must
take some time, however, to overcome this feeling. Using light
weights in training occasionally does not make you a pussy. It means
you are being smart and training like a champion. During race cleans
the objective is to perform 3-5 hang repetitions in a row from right
above the knee or at the hip. Each clean should go all the down and be stood all
the way back up. Avoid power cleaning the weight. Power cleaning for
this many repetitions will teach you bad habits. Also, you waste the
opportunity to train the important stretch reflex which helps you to
“stand.” After the both of you have picked the bar up to your
waist wait for your coach to say go and begin.
REPS: 3-5
SETS: 1
ADVANCED WAY: N/A
DURATION: As fast as it takes
you to beat the other guy.
PLACEMENT IN TRAINING: End of
the week on the day after you have gone to maximum.
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