TMPHBITEU
Archive Article: Training Female Lifters
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Speaking of female lifters, has anyone seen the film 'Supergirl' about the world record holding 80-pound high school girl: Supergirl | Independent Lens | PBS. There was a link to it in an email I received today from PBS and I haven't had the chance to do anything but quickly scroll through it, but thought it might be of interest here. I was wondering where to post it and then this thread came up.
-RJP
TMPHBITEU
Impressive cover picture.
Member
Yeah, thought you would like that. From my browsing through, it doesn't get any better.Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
-RJP
✓ Member
I've watched the whole thing. I'm impressed at her results but technique is...well, let's say it's not the SS way. The full video is really focused on early teen development/angst/transitions with lifting as a thematic focus. It reminds me a lot of raising two daughters through puberty, lots of fun but high emotions and crash-n-burn moments.
✓ Member
For those who don't plan to watch it, here is a summary:
Young strong girl lifts with form that requires her to have full cervical extension when she squats and deadlifts. She is coached by her dad, competes in power lifting, sets some records, is growing but has stayed in the same weight class for years, and has Bat Mitzvah.
The girl ends up with constant cluster migraine headaches that prevent her from going to school, but what else is she going to do? Not train? She goes to see doctors about it who say "don't lift". She takes two weeks off and then at some point competes again and ends up with a hamstring tear. It takes her 5 months to recover from the tear, but she still has migraines. Her mother is certified as a "health coach" and fixes her daughters migraines with magnesium.
At the end of the documentary the young girl manages to move up a weight class and graduates from Jr. High. The final closing scene, there might be some hope given that she has learned a method of squatting that requires something less than full cervical extension.
oh yeah.. spoilers...
TMPHBITEU
The moral to the story: don't watch movies/news features/Youtube about high school kids lifting weights. It is seldom productive.
Member
I saw the thumbnail where she was squatting with her neck in overextension and knew what type of video it would be. Thanks for the synopsis, though. PBS won't play the video "due to right restrictions", which may as well be rewritten as "the right restrictions" to further drive home the point that I probably shouldn't waste my time on it. I second completely what Rip says, but then I wouldn't recommend watching YouTube videos for more than an hour a day at most. And a good thing the SS features are always under one hour long, too, or I'd have to be more Nuanced (trademark revoked, but application resent).
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She and/or her coach seemed to have learned at least a tiny bit as videos of her at the Nov 2017 USAPL show her squatting 130kg with that somewhat improved form and actual weightlifting shoes (incredibly, she was competing wearing what looked to be running shoes in the 'Supergirl' program).
-RJP
Member
For what it's worth, I liked the Supergirl documentary as the father of a same age girl from not too far away geographically. The documentarians obviously wanted to make the story a coming of age arc between an opening quote by Naomi who says when she lifts, she's "Supergirl" - different than her "real" self - and an ending quote where she gets that the lifter is just another part of her.
Other than father Ed, lifters are portrayed (accurately, I think) as positive human beings, being supportive and kind. The parents are shown as close to the supportive/pushy line, but never stage-mom class. I'm not sure whether the parents, the kid, or the doctors look the worst on her migranes, but the average viewer probably sees the docs as the usual infallable gods, despite failing to figure out what Alt-med mom manages to solve.
Her form IS terrible though.
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