How to Get Strong

Why are some people Olympic champions while others remain life-long beginners? Is it just training? Mentality? Genetics? Let's delve into what it is that makes you an Olympic Champion...
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[@WeightliftingHouse]

Watch the World Weightlifting Championships '22 www.weightliftinghouse.com/events/ Follow Evidence Strong evidencestrong.com/ www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts instagram.com/evidence_strong/

[@Kiido11]

The way the conclusion of the video segued into the World's announcement was simply the *chef's kiss*

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Magnifique!

[@dconvention8568]

Seb, man do you ever have a gift for writing!! You possess the rare ability to blend research with story. All of it topped off with your passion for this sport. I recall watching a W|H video a couple years ago (Tokyo Olympics?) in which you were only able to provide the play-by-play for each lift -- no video. Yet, you still conveyed the unfolding drama. Incredible! And in this video, you effortlessly weave together multiple disconnected strands into a captivating, wondrous whole. All the best from beautiful Vancouver, Canada.

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Thank you! It has to be said doing the play by play when I actually get to sit and watch and react live is a whole lot easier than what I was doing for Tokyo 😂

[@rather-reverend]

What a fascinating video! I'm a 50-year-old, ectomorphic, lifelong beginner. I was into tennis and mountain biking when I discovered crossfit when I was 35. I fell in love, quit my other sports, and I've been trying (i.e., failing) to git gud ever since. My bucket list goals are laughable for anyone who actually lifts - 100 kg C&J and 70 kg S - but if I ever achieve them, I'll be over the moon. I've tried so hard to follow soooo many different programs, and it's like ... EVERY time I start to put more volume into my training, my body breaks down, and I lose more than I gain. I follow OLY-WL as a sport because I train at the same crossfit gym as Scheila Meister, who'll be representing Switzerland in Bogota. Scheila didn't have a background in sports and kind of stumbled into crossfit in her LATE 20s (27 or 28, I think). And ... she just turned out to be, like, really good at slinging weights around. Basically, any time I stroll into the box with my dogs, Scheila will be over in her corner working on her stuff. Watching Scheila is TOTALLY inspirational - it certainly helps that she's such a generally kind, fun person (she let me interview her at church once!) and that she loves my dogs. But sometimes I wonder why I couldn't be as incredibly talented as she is. Only ... then I remember the period when Loredana was training at our gym. Loredana was ALSO super fun to be around, and her trainer loved my dogs - but I mean, somebody like Scheila can look at Loredana and ask the exact same questions I ask myself when I look at her! Life dealt us the cards we have. HOWEVER: If there's one thing that makes me sad, it's that Scheila wasn't discovered in her teens. When her age was in the "olympic sweetspot", she didn't even know what a snatch was ... What she has achieved at the age she has is amazing.

[@alexanderheyworth3242]

A 100 kg C&J and a 70 kg snatch are actually pretty good for a 50 year old. If you ever make it you should be proud.

[@elmosaarelainen9671]

100/70 seems like a nice goal man! If volume is killing you, try to look into decreasing intensity. Not sure how you're working out, but try to hit a lot of work at 70-80% max, preferably at the low range, and you'll probably get in a lot more in technical work and see more improvement with less injury than working at the 90%+ range

[@empiricus2211]

You are an inspiration my friend! I pray that you reach your goals :) All the best

[@cheeks7050]

Very good point about the positive feedback loop Seb. They try, they succeed, it incentivisises trying again.

[@jimbones155]

it's called athletic ability, hard work and doctor prescriptions.

[@aviationworld8939]

Thank you for another great Video! Please keep them coming...

[@jakedragon8753]

The easy answer is luck, there are so many factors that combine to make someone be able to be elite. The easiest way to tell is if one of your parents was high level since they could coach, know some nutrition, genetics, start you training young, know how to get "under the table supplements". All of those are major factors on if you can make it high level.

[@faustoespinosa9522]

Always with incredible content, and it is the first time I heard about alleles positively correlated with elite weightlifters 🤯. You work a lot in your videos thank you so much folk. Congralutions 👏👏 Greetings from Quito, Ecuador

[@abadran8174]

The humility that comes with this kind of knowledge would also help so many young athletes win against their stinking ego that often gets in the way of excellence.

[@ConnoisseurOfExistence]

Nice video. There are definitely many more people with good genetics for weightlifting, who simply do something else in their life. My younger brother was going to a sport school (we have these) in Bulgaria with weightlifting, and he was progressing well, but he's got a serious injury on his leg (it looks a bit deformed even today, 10 years later) and he lost motivation and started focusing on other things. I love weightlifting ever since I've heard of it as kid, but for me there are more interesting things in life, like science and stuff, that's why I didn't follow a sports path. Taught myself to snatch and c&j though in my 30s (38 now). Always been good in strength as a regular gym goer, max bench 170 kg. It would be also interesting to know the percentage of fast twitch fibres in high jumpers, long jumpers, fighters and wrestlers, short distance swimmers and shot putters, for example :)

[@jeungbou]

Great video. I used to train with Alex in the same gym when she lived in Tokyo.

[@DredFulProductions]

Love these mini documentaries!

[@healthyyou9887]

Thanks for the worthy information ...big respect ...🔥🔥💪

[@hamm0155]

Excellent video. Really terrific.

[@evidencestrong]

Thanks for the shout-out, Seb!!! Great video!

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Go follow evidence strong everyone!

[@lexlivingyyc]

Can we talk about Seb’s writing. This video was absolutely beautiful and written so well. His transitions are chefs kiss.

[@MerlinDeLyon]

Start training as young as possible, as consistently as possible, take buckets of PEDs, be lucky enough to have the right combination of genetics, and BANG, there's your gold medal. Good vidéo!

[@fmls8266]

You also need the luck to be born in the right Nation, with the right coaches, and the right supportive environment. Also the luck to not be/get sick, or injure and so on.

[@hjarnansjarn5969]

@@fmls8266 It's alot

[@GladysAmelia]

Great video. Thanks for providing some consolation to this lifelong beginner.

[@Chance-ry1hq]

I’m definitely a lifelong beginner. I’ve lifted for 50+ years. Light weights with lots of reps for me. But, I still find these people amazing.

[@nuperer]

2:54 😂

[@saphna2095]

the style of this vid, the way you talk, the background music etc. reminds me much of the way Clarence makes his videos recently

[@saphna2095]

which I'm not mad at, just noticing😄

[@therealforestelf]

this was so well written, makes me feel pretty alright about myself now :)

[@millermark445]

Good insight into the minutiae of what makes an elite weightlifter. Of course, you can apply some of these things to any sport. Elite endurance athletes have a VO2 max way above the average person. Katelyn Tuohy is the hottest young distance runner around today. She just won the 2022 NCAA Cross-Country championships. On the surface, in basic body type, she looks no different than her competitors. Per what you said, success begets greater motivation, harder work and thus continued success.

[@Ckjohn77kg]

2:03 elbow of steel

[@johnrussell519]

I hate to say it but in weightlifting since the beginning of the sport. Certain individuals have access to and respond very well to drugs they are taking. Drugs have undoubtedly defined a huge amount of professional "elite" weightlifters. Even with all the slimy grit in the world for many including the elite, drugs are the defining step to great success.

[@noahharmer8288]

Wow this video was a banger

[@pipozZz]

Fantastic commentary. I did like how you tied in the psychological aspect of gifted athletes (falsely) attributing their success to religion.

[@trainershatehim]

Although this is a sobering video, it's good to see this talked about. Beginners and intermediates are inspired by the work ethic and abilities of the elite, but unfortunately our capacity to become great does greatly depend on genetics, and the things you mentioned ARE backed by scientific evidence. Thanks for the video!

[@PhilosophicalWeightlifting]

Nice video.

[@eloiishya]

2:54 best part of this video. Nothing like those vastus lateralis insertions. 😂😂😂

[@abkonk]

Type IIa fibers are the more middle of the road fibers than IIb, which sprinters and bodybuilders both have more of. That's interesting!

[@jorcymeng]

So what test we could do to see if we have any possiblity to add more kilos in our lifts so we keep training hard for that or if we reached our limit of our mucles/genetics

[@hasanucar5456]

I suppose being strong helps oh and doing the right things all help. So no secret is it.

[@jakejakejak]

Good video

[@project_mythology]

BRILLIANT 👏

[@AThakurLifts]

I need to master this science

[@32srt32]

i live for snowboarding skateboarding and surfing! but love weightlifting! i want to get strong and ride a board!

[@oscargibbons9419]

im just trying to learn how to weighlift. i do body building so I think I would do fine, but yeah, I'm from chile and weightlifting gym, non commercial gyms, are rare.

[@HudsonHandel]

This video is fucking brilliant.

[@yuur110]

You forgot to mention the number of elite athletes on PEDs. That's a good 10-15% increase on performance according to Clarence.

[@traaaaan]

Where the matlock music at?

[@budgetlifter]

0:10 bro is right i'm on the spectrum

[@prajwalpant]

true

[@Maksym_Fedenko]

It's definitely all important, that you mentioned, but you forgot to mention pharmacology :)

[@kinggriffith386]

All three

[@JAGValiant]

Love the tie-in of faith, great touch. 👌

[@MathiasD4hL]

It's talent, drugs and hard work. Simple as that

[@AoiZassoOFCL]

It's also very much a cultural thing; for a lot of strong children/teenagers in North America, many of which may have better genetics for weightlifting than elite weightlifters today, they're more encouraged to take up American football or powerlifting. Even if they try it, are good at it and have the resources to make a career out of it, the culture around them will still pull them towards more locally popular sports (or selling their souls to CrossFit).

[@feliciacoffey6832]

Crossfit is how a lot of athletes find and fall in love with proper weightlifting. It's done a huge service to the increasing popularity of the sport.

[@germanwolf9212]

I have a feeling that this point gets over stressed a lot. I believe North Americans are lagging behind due to a multitude of reasons, not just culture. Same goes for the genetics argument. I mean, even in countries which have a long and succesful weightlifting history, weightlifting usually ranks rather low in popularity. You won't fill a football stadium in Bulgaria with weightlifting for example.

[@AoiZassoOFCL]

@@feliciacoffey6832 and yet there's only two elite level lifters for team USA, both of which are on the women's side

[@AoiZassoOFCL]

@@germanwolf9212 strength sports in general are pretty niche since they don't pay that much, it's just that in north america it's ESPECIALLY niche

[@scottessery100]

5:25 born to lift No pass me the trenboloni sandwiches

[@UB958]

The Type IIa muscle fibres are not the fastest tho? For sprinters it makes sense that they have more Type IIx fibres

[@PhilosophicalWeightlifting]

With training this becomes the dominate fiber type. On the other hand, llx fibers seem to be very rare.

[@gregorybuttari8651]

It's .. genetic, talents ... I don't compete .. started Bench pressing 3 years ago . Started base weight was 225 .. next year 330.. then 405 and that was consistent training ... Wasn't eating well nutrition wasn't really good and and working night shift .. the mental side and physical... I was lucky . I believe if all you do is lift, eat,sleep, and have a really good support structure...

[@user-ns1kx2wl4x]

Where is Aramnav?

[@cheapR1]

I wonder how their fast twitch percentage compares to elite gridiron football players and even baseball players. 100m still has an endurance component to it so not surprised weightlifters would have higher percentages. Actually gridiron football does present the question since i do think here in the states their best competitors among the men would be NFL rejects

[@liamfrost1037]

You forgot the all important.. "how well can you cycle"

[@alexsveles343]

Why have Iceland And Russia produced so many incredible weightlifters It's not just muscles it's also bone density Succes Canot be predicted,Circumstances shape a individual

[@WeightliftingHouse]

I don’t think Iceland has ever produced any elite weightlifters, or none that I know of. Presumably you mean strongmen/women. Location of birth influences genetics.

[@TsanW]

6:42 Elden Ring

[@Saviour117]

Heh I just came to comments to say that too! 😂

[@3pacz]

where does lasha fit inot this

[@Siritos]

The attributes you describe that offer these athletes their advantages have parity with the attributes you posses when writing and narrating so beautifully. I'm more impressed by your writing than these athlete's lifts.

[@scottessery100]

3:17 wouldnt lifters be better sprinters ? Is it causation or correlation Clarence must be 90% 😊

[@AoiZassoOFCL]

Not really, power in sprint has a lot more to do with maintaining a low mass and having strong achilles tendons

[@trtnec]

​@@AoiZassoOFCL It's also about having extremely powerful glutes/hamstrings. Elite 100m/60m sprinters should have the most fast-twitch fibers, at least as much as weightlifters I'd expect. "Sprinters" I feel is too general of a category and I'm not sure what types of sprinters were studied in the data Seb cited (how elite and/or how many longer distance sprinters such as 200/400m).

[@ZachGatesHere]

"Talent, hard work, or luck?" Answer: yes

[@KYRsm00ve]

Do you know how they defined and tested mental toughness? Did they go through something like B.U.D.S or just get asked questions. That would be nice to know.

[@evidencestrong]

They used a questionnaire

[@KYRsm00ve]

@@evidencestrong do you have the questionnaire? I am really confused how they determine mental toughness through questions.

[@evidencestrong]

@@KYRsm00ve The researchers used 18-question-MTQ from this reference: Cherry HL. Psychometric analysis of an inventory assessing mental toughness. Master Thesis, University of Tennessee - Knoxville, 2005

[@rohitf117]

One missed point ... individual response to ( banned) Supplements ...you know what i mean ;-)

[@ryanrogers8211]

that's the biggest point

[@jgarcenila1982]

That's like saying, I played basketball so I should be like MJ

[@igordimitrov281]

Non of this lifters won't lift the weights that they are lifting without using of PED's at certain point of their life. Everything else is relative, because someone with good genetic may not be ready to sacrifice all to the point to become invalid for the rest of his life in the name of the win. That's the bottom line. That's why we see very successful lifters from 2nd and 3rd world countries and very less from countries with high standard of life.

[@scottessery100]

Having fibromyalgia isn’t good for lifting 🥺

[@rogerrivera1996]

Roids, that's the way to get great at every sport. Just say it dont be afraid

[@Peepsikoala]

Maybe it’s power, maybe it’s steroids, maybe it’s maybelline

[@manomantax]

It’s genetics and drugs. Duh.

[@nova68nova]

This is a great video and your writing is very good. But the line about why elite lifters tend to believe in God comes across a little reductive and fedora-tipping.

[@AlejandroSanchez-pl6jw]

Basically God made Lasha

[@ryanrogers8211]

God knit all of us together in our mothers womb.

[@emma_freerider]

lots of steroids and of course all the other things you said.

[@smolboyi]

Lol weak little mindset there

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Nice

[@nelocarbon3284]

4:50 Is why "you" don't succeed. They don't just wish. They PRAY and God gives them strength

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Who says I don't pray?

[@nelocarbon3284]

@@WeightliftingHouse that's why I put "you" in " " because it was more like a general plural "you". Didn't want to attack you. I'm sorry. Just wanted to point out that God gives us strength and it's not some placebo

[@fmls8266]

@@nelocarbon3284 God doesn't exist, and certainly wouldn't turn anyone into an elite lifter, no matter how much you pray.

[@WeightliftingHouse]

Tbf I don’t, I just felt like I should say that. No hard feelings, have a great day!

[@nelocarbon3284]

​@@fmls8266I'll pray for you regardless

[@razrramon2256]

And abit of sauce

[@ryanrogers8211]

a bit?

[@weightliftinghobbyist1707]

I'm genetically pre-disposed to be a lifetime intermediate. You heard it here first.

[@kardiminic]

*cries in long femurs and probably average genetics and work-ethic*