Carolina Fitness Magazine - The Christmas Abbott Issue Fall 2015 | Page 20

Like many contemporary Weightlifters, I was introduced

to Weightlifting through CrossFit and USA Weightlifting
(USAW). However, after a few years in the sport I have
drifted away from coaching and practicing many of those
early Weightlifting concepts. For instance, I coach the
clean and snatch in the opposite direction, teaching from
the bottom up, or from the setup to the receiving position.
I haven’t made this switch because the views regarding
Weightlifting have shifted in CrossFit and USAW circles.
The fact is many very successful and popular Weightlifting
coaches still teach a progression that works from the top
down, focusing on developing lifts from the high hang and
receiving position. I never set out to be different because
it was a popular thing to do, or to simply be different. My
current coaching philosophies and progressions are the
product of my learning experiences in the sport.
In 2013, with a CrossFit Games appearance behind me and
wanting little to do with a metcon ever again, I stumbled
upon Coach Stephen Powell of Kore Weightlifting. Coach
Powell introduced me to “Chinese Style” Weightlifting.
The concepts were completely opposite of everything I
had learned to do with a barbell yet eerily similar to my
experiences as a young athlete. The different approach
helped me bust through an 1 [۝Y