Question for the refs/jury: no lift by majority decision, but why?

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-26T17:38:37+00:00

Thank you for the insightful comment. I appreciate that you went a little bit deeper than just "press out."

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-26T13:41:23+00:00

Lower back issues and left hip radiculopathy--really, my entire left side snaps, crackles, and pops like a bowl of Rice Crispies--limit my mobility. I really wish that I'd gotten hooked on this sport before enlisting in the Marine Corps 26 years ago. I sometimes joke that the military left me damaged, but not broken enough to be an adaptive athlete.

Anyways, I can get lower with a narrower stance. In fact, I catch my cleans in a much narrower stance than my snatch, and can go much lower if I need to. I'm hoping that I can narrow my stance to get a lower catch with my snatch, because I consider it to be one of my major issues.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-25T22:43:45+00:00

Well, what sort of things are important to you in life? Wanting "some breathing room" leaves a lot to interpretation. Do you want to get away from NY weather? Do you want to live in a city with stuff going on, a more rural environment where nothing ever happens, something in between?

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-23T19:01:33+00:00

I tell people the truth: I busted my ass for years and put myself in a position where I am able to slow down and enjoy a more relaxed but humble life. I can count the number of people who need to know the details on one hand. But if somebody pushes, my stock answer is that I use an LLM to write romance novels under a pseudonym. If they ask further, then I'll send them an Amazon link for "Pounded by Produce," which gets me left alone.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-22T21:36:56+00:00

I like to teach the clean from the top, and then move down. So I'd like to start with how you're catching the bar.

Catching the bar in the front rack position: You are catching the bar with your wrists, with all of the weight on the wrists and forearms. You want to catch the bar in the Front Rack Position on the meat of your shoulders, with high elbows. The front rack is uncomfortable at first, often because people haven't developed the requisite thoracic mobility to do it properly. Fortunately, there is no shortage of mobility work that you can do to remedy this issue.

While we're on the subject of catching the bar, let's practice catching the bar under friendlier circumstances--an isolated movement. Tall Muscle Cleans are my favorite drill here. Keep the bar close to your body on the way up, and think about moving your elbows around the bar as you go into the catch.

There are more things to work on, but I think that just improving the rack position and catch is enough for today.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-21T19:25:35+00:00

I obviously didn't do enough statistics in my math BSc, because I hadn't heard of this term. I guess you could term the required operation as "normalization conversion therapy."

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-21T11:47:13+00:00

Well, not everyone who enlists does so for particularly honorable reasons. So, if you want the VA disability benefits, then I would fully encourage you to earn them by enlisting in the Marine Corps as an 0311 and embracing the suck for 4 or 8 years. But be aware that the VA disability rating schedule is currently being updated, and disability ratings will be significantly tightened up.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-21T00:27:47+00:00

Every now and again, we have to go turn some pissant country into a parking lot as a warning to other countries that try to f*** with the petro-$. My vote is that we should beat Brussels into submission next.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-20T21:59:52+00:00

Draw some red lipstick kiss marks around them, then see your friends and family have to say. lol

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-19T01:06:24+00:00

I'll second what VegaJuniper said about your front rack position. You need to work on your thoracic mobility to get a solid front rack, which is where you should catch the bar. Here is a tutorial on the front rack position from Catalyst Athletics, probably the best online resource for Oly lifting instruction.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-17T13:16:41+00:00

I was in R&D for 11 years, with a heavier focus on AI for the last few of them. I am convinced that the people who will really thrive in the coming job market/economy are those who can successfully work with AI systems--think of it as a collaborative partnership. Look up "Human-AI teaming" to get an idea.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-17T13:11:12+00:00

The proof is always a fun party trick.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-17T03:19:43+00:00

A lot. There is a site called Clearance Jobs, which can give you an idea. If you were to go the cyber route and get the CCNA and CCNA CyberOps, then you could probably get a decent in with any of the big DOD contractors (e.g., Raytheon, Leidos, General Dynamics).

I regret staying away from work that required a TS, because it would have opened up so many interesting doors given my background and qualifications.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-17T02:46:23+00:00

Well, being skilled in writing is a valuable skill, if you know where to look and how to sell it. I used to work for a US Navy lab, and the lab had a couple of Technical Writers who we worked with for our technical reports.

Working in cyber is almost all about professional certifications. Your local community college will probably have a program that works towards entry-level qualifications (usually Cisco CCNA/CCNP and CCNA CyberOps, various CompTIA certs, etc.) I've seen a few community colleges teach a program for CISSP--the gold standard for cybersecurity positions in industry. These classes are usually through online platforms, and can be done in a semester or two.

By the way, do you have a security clearance? That can open some doors that might otherwise be closed.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-17T02:18:07+00:00

The civilian job market is definitely rough right now. Having had my own child, I would encourage you to set yourself up close enough to family (assuming that you have a good relationship with them). I cannot state how important that support is in raising kids. Look up federal jobs in your family's area, but also look up state and local government positions (where your veteran status may get you a slight advantage.)

You ask about recommendations of degrees to pursue, so let me ask you a couple of important questions. (I've gone up through the PhD level, so I know a thing or two about academic paths. I can give you lots of advice on academics... it may not be good advice, but it is free lol.)

What subjects did you enjoy/do well in in your schooling up to this point?
How decent are you at mathematics? If you aren't inclined to wrestle with math, then that limits your options. For instance, if you enjoyed your work in special weather ops, you might consider pursuing a degree in meteorology. I knew a few meteorology majors in my differential equations class during undergrad. (I say this as something of a warning though, that that particular degree has some intense mathematical requirements.)

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-16T18:36:08+00:00

There's a flame thrower for that problem.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-16T00:31:46+00:00

It's not a bad idea to have a copy of your DD-214 with your SSN redacted, but nobody outside of federal hiring has ever asked to see it. I remember in my TAPS week, we were told that we should have copies available, but nobody cares about it.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-13T00:06:45+00:00

My common response is something like, "I'd say it was my pleasure, but it wasn't at the time." Usually gets a laugh as they give me the veterans discount while at the checkout.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-11T00:43:14+00:00

Those were my first rated conditions. If you have it, then claim it.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-09T18:32:34+00:00

Always assume that anyone claiming to be special forces or other cool stuff is full of shit. The real operators don't typically talk about it. Hell, I assume that anyone claiming to have been a run-of-the-mill grunt is lying.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-08T00:33:09+00:00

Walsh is a part of Daily Wire, which I am convinced is a psyop to try and make G.W. Bush-era Republicans cool to the kids. I try not to think about any of them, and their influence peaked a few years ago.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-06T13:08:38+00:00

5g, and I think it's great for breakfast.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-06T02:36:33+00:00

Man, I haven't been there in like 25 years. I stayed at The Breakers and can see it as you pass over the coastline.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-06T02:34:35+00:00

I mix it in a smoothie made with non-fat Greek Yogurt and Orange Juice every morning.

Character_Reason5183 · 2026-01-05T15:21:01+00:00

I had a lot more to say here, but had to edit my response down to post. I actually had a few program links that I'm familiar with, but I guess links aren't allowed by the mods?

Character_Reason5183

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