“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”

So I was reading a bunch of articles by Jim Schmitz on Olympic Weightlifting, here are some interesting excerpts:

*When I start a beginner, I don't have him hook grip or use straps for his lifts and pulls for one to two months. There are a couple reasons for this: 1) I want to develop his grip, and 2) his grip will give out before his low back.

*(picking lift weights for meets)Misses may build character, but they don't build champions. A little success is better than a big failure. Little bits add up to a whole lot. So train on success, compete on success, and you will be as successful as you can be

*Take care of and strengthen your hands; don’t neglect them.

*I ask people, do you know how you can tell if you are really a dedicated and addicted weightlifter? If you carry your briefcase or gym bag with a hook grip, and if you hook-grip your steering wheel when driving, then I'd say you're "hooked" on weightlifting!

All articles can be found at: http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Lifts/index.html
Jim Schmitz
U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team Coach 1980, 1988 & 1992