From marathon to Oly

I’m only a few minutes in, looks decent. Stumbled on the YouTube vlog a year or two ago of Nick who put together this.

Hampton is definitely dialed & structured.

https://youtu.be/X5T02e2XBRg?si=hQWqScHd_Jc-tq2w

Really cool, thanks. I'll post full feedback after I've watched the whole thing.

I'm pissed off by the general public's expectations about how male bodies should respond to weight training. In my eyes, this dude is insanely muscular and looks like he's trained for a long ass time and questionably non-natty. But I'm sure if he went to da club, most non-lifters would assume this is possible naturally after like 6 months of bro-lifting and would find him unimpressive. I've been asked if I were a swimmer or basketball player by non-lifters and there are plenty of videos on youtube of college girls being shown cbum's offseason pictures and calling it a "dadbod". Another girl asked me "If you're a bodybuilder, why don't you have a six pack when you relax your stomach?"

LJL. Wling is hardmode when it comes to gaining social approval or social status. Some people claim these things don't matter to them and they are liars. High level WLers like this fella are telling the truth, however.

"yeah, I'd like to start weight training, but I don't want to get too big"

The soundtrack felt a bit misplaced, like I was watching a hallmark movie about a family losing their mother to cancer but then she recovers at the end or smth.

I felt there was a bit too much "confessional booth" speeches and too little wling training in the doc. The part where he says the biggest sacrifice is his social life... yep, because you spend your entire day obsessing about an obscure sport that probably less than 1% of the population knows.

Definitely not the image or presentation of what the average person thinks of when they think of an elite athlete, but this guy is certainly world class at a young age. If he were a 89 or heavier WLer, I'm sure he'd get a lot more hype and coverage. It's admittedly hard for even people in strength sports to get excited about lil' bros lifting weights that are big for them. The scene where he's getting the ice bath, jfc his back is so developed and dense. And then when he bends down to get in the snatch start position his erectors are so developed it looks like he's rounding his back even when he's totally extended. It was kinda cool to see he was putting a lot of effort into nutrition, underrated aspect of WLing training. I remember the american dudes that were popular when I was a wler really did not emphasize nutrition at all.

I loled my ****ing ass off at around 14:30 when he suggests that because they've optimized everything so well, the Chinese team might be natty. Fundamental misunderstanding of Chinese culture. 8 year olds are on dbol. Half the commercial gym males who are still on the verge of being DYEL on 500mgs of test per week and some mk677.

Max out session near the end was the best part. His snatch is so damn smooth, no wasted motion at all. Surprising he bombed out on snatch last comp. Kinda surprising his ratio is also fairly cj favored since his cj isn't quite as optimized, but that can happen for lifters who just have a **** ton of raw strength.

Cool doc overall, thanks for posting. Clarence and Seb are the only wling channels I follow these days but this guy's channel other videos are great too. The ones where he puts up huge lifts at commercial gyms full of 20 year olds are very satisfying. Maybe people don't give a **** about this sport overall, but there is definitely something irreplacable about seeing elite level wlers do their comp lifts in person... it's just mindblowing. I've seen several 700lb deadlifts in person and some 600+ low bar squats and a 500lb bench; it just isn't the same. Even average people do find the snatch and cj very flashy and interesting to watch. At least guys do, girls could give less of a **** if some dude weighing 80kg walked in and cjed 500lbs for a double. It might actually dry them out.

Just looking at the 61kg category WRs, there is 0 chance this guy is natural. I don't normally follow the lighter weight classes and when he was talking about records in the caption I assumed he was referring to jr. records rather than senior. Nobody looking that juicy while lifting a bit over sr. world records natty, even if he's actually 66-67kg in training. I hope he somehow evades detection and makes it to the olympics and slips into a medal position. Gave his instagram a follow.

God forbid I have a son instead of a daughter, but if this disaster strikes, I'll do my best to resist living vicariously through him and getting him into WLing before he's even toilet trained.

Wat? You're not gonna get your daughter into lifting? I'd find that hard to believe.

I think girls will naturally be more resistant to it so I'm not gonna try tbh. But I'd be delighted if she did of course. I'd be a bit upset if she wanted to do physique competitions of any form but I wouldn't try to forbid her either. Any strength or power sport like 100m, gymnastics, wling, strongwoman, pl, rock climbing, would all be great. I've developed a lot more respect for high level dancers too; they are athletes to be sure.

In my experience, kids who have parents that give them expectations the kids don't have any desire to meet end up in a lot of emotional pain. I know because I'm literally surrounded by them 5x/wk 9 hours/day lol.


On a related note:




I enjoy the hell out of this guy's video essays. HC/academic/formal, but still entertaining. His whole rant on education/career in Asia is spot on; it's ****ing depressing for these people. I'd like to think I'm working against the problem by working at institutions that serve as alternatives to the inhumane high school system in China but that's fantasy because only mega-elites can afford this.

Is he gonna make it and medal? Sounds like probably not?

I finished the doc yesterday - he bombed snatch in next meet, fell from 7 to 11 in rankings. he has one more meet and if he does well and gets in the top 10 he may qualify for Paris is what the documentaries said.

I remember KC used to often read a blog called irongangster which was latter renamed to nattyornot.com

It was exactly what it sounds like. Basically crapping on barbell 5s training and lamenting the lies of the natural bodybuilding industry and hating on roid users and doing nattyornots.

Over the years his blog has evolved considerably and he has some truly excellent writing on there. But he also seems like the most depressed person ever and I don't think I could hang out with him.

man... why the **** doesn't olympic lifting just follow 10kg increments for weight classes from 60kg to 110kg and then over 110kg for shw? That'd be so incredibly simple and easy. They set it up in such bizarre complicated ways and then constantly mess around with it.

I play poker with a former Australian Olympic weightlifter and now coach. He told me that the IOC has cut the number of weight divisions drastically…eg 12 to 6 or Sth, in response to all the doping of the last 10 years

But you’re right, even before then it seemed to change all the time. My boy Ilya Ilyn seemed to compete in different divisions every year, even when he wasn’t moving up in weight

Is oly going to survive after its inevitably purged post olympics 2024? I actually think there's enough passion for it in western countries that the answer is "yes". It'll probably be smaller than powerlifting but I'm sure some untested feds will get set up and the concept of "professional olympic lifter" will exist in the same sense that John Haack is a professional powerlifter. MAybe there will even be some sort of IPF style world championships.

I can see it ultimately being a good thing for the sport overall, but it will drastically shift the action away from the small dick energy countries who try to prove their greatness through sport by picking kids when they're 8 and pumping them full of dbol and keeping them in a training hall for 11 hours a day.

The low accessibility, equipment requirements, and high skill barrier to entry relative to powerlifting could be big problems for its continuation though. Time will tell, but I'm optimistic.

I read the book.

He covers the main causes of disease (heart disease, cancer, metabolic disorder such as diabetes, and dementia). He covers the changes one make to diet, exercise, sleep to maximise one's healthy lifespan.

The advise is fairly generic. The lifting advice struck me as strange; he suggests absolutely perfect form before putting any weight on the bar.


There is a section on mental health, which is way beyond my experience and knowledge so I have no opinion on.

The book was OK; I don't think I gained much from it I didn't know already.

I've somehow started receiving an occasional fitness email from a guy called Dan Go. 'celebrity trainer, working with CEOs to get them in the best shape of their life' etc

His latest email had a '5 tests to see how long you'll live'. Ignoring the hyperbole and ridiculousness of none of the tests having any links to cholesterol, organs, cancer likelihood etc, I thought they were 5 fairly random things too.

Thoughts? The last one seems ridiculously difficult to me.

5 fitness standards to test your longevity

#1 - VO2 Max test
Female and Male Standards - 75th percentile (use chart)

VO2 max is the maximum rate your body is able to take in oxygen. Over the past decade, several scientific studies have shown that it is a key predictor of longevity.
The higher the VO2 Max number correlates with a higher chance of living longer.
The best way to test this is through a laboratory with a doctor. But that can be somewhat expensive and inaccessible to most people.
The next best way is test your V02 max is through a Cooper Test:
Depending on your level this is either a walk, jog, or run. You simply run for 12 minutes straight to see how far you go. Ideally, you want to do this on a track.
If you do this on a treadmill you want to raise the incline to 1 degree to simulate outdoor running conditions. Use this chart to test your VO2 max using the Cooper Test.


#2 - The Air Squat Hold

Female and Male Standard - 2 Minutes
The squat is a fundamental human movement that's essential for everyday activities like getting up from a chair, walking, and climbing the stairs.

The air squat hold is an isometric exercise that tests your lower body strength and endurance.

How to do the air squat hold
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Engage your core and keep your back straight.(lumbar curve maintained)
3. Lower your body down by bending your knees and pushing your hips back keeping your heels on the floor.
4. Continue lowering your body until you reach your full range of motion.
5. Hold the position for as long as you can.
When doing this exercise avoid rounding the back as that puts pressure on your spine.
Also, make sure to brace your core (push out your abs) and squeeze your glutes.


#3 - Deadlift

Female and Male Standards - 10 reps at your bodyweight ex. 180 lbs man doing 10 reps of 180 lbs.
The deadlift is another fundamental exercise that tests your ability to pick up things from the ground. For most people, I would avoid doing this on a barbell as the risk to reward is too high.
Instead, I'd use a trap bar to test this out as it puts your body in a safer position.
How to do a deadlift:
1. Sit your hips back, bend your knees slightly, and lean your torso forward, maintaining a tight core and flat back.
2. Grab the bar, placing your hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing in toward your body.
3. Before lifting brace your core by pushing your abs out.
4. Push your feet into the floor and stand up tall, pulling the weight with you and keeping your arms straight.
Note: If you have a pre-existing lower back or chronic lower back pain I'd stay away from this exercise.


#4 - Farmers Walk

Female and Male Standards - 50% of your bodyweight in your hands for 2 minutes ex. A 150 lbs female carrying 75 lbs for 2 minutes.

Farmer walks are a test of grip strength as well as your body's ability to handle loads over time.

How to do Farmer's Walks
1. Grip the weights firmly to increase the contraction in your core and lats (back muscles).
2. Make sure to hold the weights slightly away from your body and slightly externally rotate your shoulders so they don't bump your sides.
3. Pull your ribcage down so that you don't arch your back.
4. Brace your core and start walking.


#5 - Dead Hangs
Male standard - 2 minute hang
Female standard - 1 minute and 30 second hang

As you age, grip strength is a sign of both physical and mental function.
Dead Hangs are also a great exercise to decompress the spine and replace the space that's been lost between your bones, joints, and discs in your back.

How to do bar hangs:
1. Find a bar to hang from suitable.
2. Hold the bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip.
3. With your arms straight hang from the bar with your body straight and your feet off the floor.
4. Remain motionless - no swinging or twisting - for the duration of your set.
If you can't hang from a bar use a support at the bottom to place your feet on.

Those standards are adequate for being a real human being who is taking care of their body. They don't indicate a particularly good or elite level of fitness but like "If my son or daughter were at least this strong and fit, I haven't failed as a parent"

Yeah I think they’re all fine. Although I do think the hang one is disproportionately difficult. I’d guess 10x more people can deadlift their body weight 10 times than hang for 2 mins

And two of the five tests are really both testing grip strength.

Yeah that's steep, especially for heavier/taller guys. I can do that and its just under max effort for me. but for 5'10 sub 200lbs that should be ez

Every guy who's on the spectrum has a few things they are obsessed with that most normal people find utterly mundane and this is one of those topics for me. Academic/HC, not incel ranting

There are longevity studies and they showed grip strength and vo2max were associated with longer higher quality lifespan. Pretty sure vo2max was much stronger though.

I wouldn't ever directly work on my grip though, it just correlates with overall body strength. So full body workouts have you covered. Don't have to hang from a bar for two minutes, lol. Just do some pull-ups you fatty and deadlift double over.

idk if it was bullshit, but I remember reading somewhere that the grip strength thing is both because it correlates with overall body strength but also because a lot of old people die from falling down and if you have stronger grip its easier to grab onto something nearby and prevent an otherwise fatal fall.

Either way, i totally stopped using straps on back day. Idk if it's realistic to try to stop using them when doing SLDLS and go double overhand no hook, but I'm gonna try regardless. I'm 34 and not that worried about dying anytime soon but I always had elbow problems if the bottom part of my forearm wasn't getting enough work and I think having really vascular hands looks kinda badass and I'd rather sacrifice a bit of back size I could have gained using straps to get stronger more aesthetic hands and better grip/forearms.

I'm calling bs on the last part of this. I guess I don't know for sure, but I'd bet for olds, the dominant factor is reaction time. Most of the time they probably can't react fast enough to grab anything. I'm sure what you suggest has happened at some point in the history of the universe, but I suspect that it accounts for a very small percentage of the morbidity caused by olds falling.

Grip strength is just a good easy to measure proxy for overall strength in normal people. If you are partaking of normal daily life activities, your grip strength (and overall strength) will be fine. If you spend all of your time lying around (due to laziness or disease), it won't be.

If they started recommending total inactivity other than some seated wrist curls, the correlation would drop.