I came, I saw, I snatched

[Footsore Rambler]

I spent a long time wanting to do Olympic lifts, with no one to teach me.  I've always been afraid that if I tried on my own, I would build bad habits and injure myself.  Well, a few months back, I decided that bad habits were better than no habits, and as long as I kept the weights light, why not just start learning to clean, and see where it gets me?

 

So I did.  I have no guidance but the internet, but I am learning.  Maybe I'd do awful in a competition, but power cleans have given me so much functional strength that I am glad every day that I started them.  And lately, there's a part of my brain that keeps whispering 'Snaaaaaaatch. You know you want to.'  But I'd also envision dropping weights onto my head or falling over backward, and so I figured I'd work my way up to it.   I've got weak shoulders and nerve damage, plus there is the awkwardness of trying new things in the gym with everyone staring.

 

So I watched some videos.  I started doing one-armed dumbbell snatches and overhead squats.  The other day I was flinging 30# dumbbells over my head, and having loads of fun.  There was a 25# bar next to me.  I thought, 'I should snatch this!  It's light enough that I have no worries about my strength, plus I already look like a dork* with the dumbbells!'  So I did.  And now I can cross 'snatch' off of my list, and work on 'snatch well'.

 

* by 'dork', I mean, of course, 'badass'.

 

 

 

 

 

[Footsore Rambler]

Here's where I'm at right now.  For reference, I'm a 130#-ish woman, and recovering from medical issues:

 

deadlift - 165#

squat - 105#

power clean - 60#

row - 65#

ohp - 45#

 

I don't bench for shoulder reasons.  I only recently started doing weighted rows and OHP, for the same reason.  I was doing bodyweight stuff before.  I have done a couple of different beginner programs before, and my current routine is my own synthesis, based on prior experience and medical advice.

[DJtrippyT]

The title alone for this is genius. Good work!