Platform: Coaching the Clean & Jerk with Tommy Suggs

[toddmr]

2. As the weights get heavy the savvy coach does less coaching and more motivating. You have at the most 3 to 4 warmup sets to make coaching corrections after that the less cues the better. As the weights get heavier the coaches main job is that of a motivator. A heavy clean happens in a split second there is very little time for thinking, you want your athlete reacting. Nobody has ever set a world record by thinking the weight overhead. When the weights get heavy your body will know what to do and you will either make or miss the weight. Can you imagine trying to hit a 90 mile an hour fast ball with a coach yelling out the mechanics of hitting when the batter is at the plate. The experienced coach wants his athlete thinking of one thing, making the lift. I really liked when Rip kept repeating to the athlete, "Do what you have to do to make the weight". It is much easier to move your body where the weight is, then to move the weight to where your body goes.

That's some of the best advice on how to coach that I've ever read. One thing I often see in novice/amateur coaches is over-coaching and over-cueing. Most people can think about one thing at a time, especially if they're under several hundred pounds or have a ball flying at them.

[Ryan Long]

That was pure awesome! If that video doesn't convince everyone to make the pilgrimage to WFAC I don't know what will. I loved Tommy's coaching, I loved how coachable Tom was. I'm curious to hear from Rip about coaching his athlete while Tommy was there.

[RobCor]

Out of curiosity, what is the crackling sound we hear when Tom squats the weight up on the pull at 13:40 or so?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Probably his knee cartilage disintegrating under the load.

[RobCor]

Can't tell if you're serious.

[spiderman]

Out of curiosity, what is the crackling sound we hear when Tom squats the weight up on the pull at 13:40 or so?

I don't hear anything at all.

[Mark Rippetoe]

It's there, but it's quiet.

[Tristan]

Great video and coaching. Tom has some guts. Any ideas on how much he weighs? I'm thinking around 180?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yes, about 180.

[Tristan]

Getting close to a 2x bw clean and jerk! That's quite an accomplishment!