This last year has been a substantial one in the life of the Iron Samurai. The blog has gone from being a rather obscure one to being one of the most widely read blogs in the English speaking world on the subject of Olympic weightlifting, as well as being a platform for articles on (what… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Samurai Strength Video Series
Episode 009 – How to Snatch, Part 3: Floor to Knee
This is the last of a 3-part series on how to snatch – more specifically on how to move from one position to the next during the snatch. (See part 1 here, and part 2 here.) Todays lesson has you moving from the Floor/Start Position to the Knee Position. This movement is probably the easiest… Continue Reading
Episode 8: How to Snatch, Part 2 – The Romanian Snatch Deadlift
This is the second of three episodes of Samurai Strength on How To Snatch. Today, I’m covering how to go from the Knee Position to the Hip Position. – PART 1 HERE – PART 3 HERE You’ll be doing an exercise that is very similar to a Romanian Deadlift (RDL), but just a touch different…. Continue Reading
Episode 7 – How To Snatch, Part 1: Catch It And Ride It Down
[Video below] This is the first of three episodes of Samurai Strength on how to snatch. See Part 2 here. The way I teach the snatch is by using what you could call the “key frames” concept. In computer animation, you don’t bother drawing out every single frame. You draw only the most important frames,… Continue Reading
Samurai Strength Episode 6 – How to Jerk, Part 2: The Agony Of Da Feet
This is the second of a 2-part “How to Jerk” series, make sure you watch my first Jerk Technique Video before you watch this one. What I teach you there is more important, and comes first. The stuff I’m going over today will often happen naturally so long as you’ve gotten all of that first… Continue Reading
Samurai Strength Episode 5: How to Jerk, Part 1: Dip and Drive!
See part 2 here. You can think about the Olympic weightlifting movements like three sisters. If they were siblings the Snatch would be the sexy and smart one, good at math, a sweet talker, keen on using finesse to solve all problems. The Clean would be the burly one who went out for Rugby, didn’t… Continue Reading
Samurai Strength Episode 4: Hip Thrusts for Olympic Weightlifting
The Hip Thrust isn’t exactly the best known exercise in most gyms. And that is doubly true in weightlifting and CrossFit clubs. But, don’t think that its lack of popularity is based on some inherent ineptitude on its part. Sometimes good things just can’t get popular without a lot of heavy promotion. Bret Contreras has… Continue Reading
Samurai Strength Episode 3: Spring-load and Explode! OR, Get Your Knees Back
I’ve got another snatch drill for you today. The idea is the same as before in that you will do twice the thing you are trying to work on. Today that something is getting your knees back as you move from the floor to the knee position. While in the beginning I prefer a lifter… Continue Reading
Samurai Strength Episode 2: How to Rack a Front Squat Like a Pro NOT a Bro
Getting a good rack on a front squat took me an entire month when I first started weightlifting. I’m not alone, many many dudes (ladies usually get it right the first time they try it!) have a problem with wrist flexibility. But, beyond flexibility issues, if you don’t actually place the bar correctly across your… Continue Reading
Samurai Strength Episode 001: The Fab-5 Snatch Drill
Ask and ye shall recieve!! Last week I asked my readers to lay down some of their biggest pressing questions about Olympic lifting and I got a TON of great stuff posted in the comments section, via email, twitter, etc. If you were someone who posted a comment, thank you! If you haven’t asked me… Continue Reading
