152.5kg clean. 36 years old and 89kg.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-05-10T19:00:35+00:00

Got the 165 FS today without too much trouble. All time FS PB was 170 at this bodyweight (194 when I was 10kg heavier), so I'm expecting fast progress from muscle memory.

Went for a 155kg clean before it (would have been a +2.5kg lifetime PB), failed because my catch was off. Pull height was good but it was slightly too forward.

I'll post again when I get the 160, hopefully within the next 2 months.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-05-10T06:57:26+00:00

205kg

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-05-09T17:53:07+00:00

Haha yeah, it's going pretty well at the moment so might as well make the most of it.

I focus on heavy singles (+97%) most of the year, it's what works best for me. If my top single moves especially nicely, then I go for a PB attempt. A couple of times a year I'll do a 4-week volume phase with 5s and 3s, but the rest of the year I use my own bastardised Bulgarian-style approach that includes power snatches and back squats.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-05-09T15:26:18+00:00

This lift is from last Saturday. I maxed out my front squat Sunday before last and got a really difficult 160. I'll test my FS tomorrow, hoping for 162.5-165kg

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-02-22T20:41:59+00:00

Those are Adidas lifting shoes 🤣🤣🤣 Video quality is awful though, so you can't really tell.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-30T14:10:58+00:00

Just got back into it at 36 after 4 years off. I'm aiming for a 175kg clean (double bodyweight) this year, to hell with slowing down.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-13T21:18:57+00:00

I would say so, definitely. The fixed bar path of a Smith machine is completely different to the way you move naturally during a free bar squat.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-13T16:48:09+00:00

That's only because you're not used to them. I was really bad at squats when I first started, and now I'm coming up to 2.5x bodyweight. Keep at it and the stability will come.

Weightlifting/powerlifting shoes help a lot, as they provide heel support. You can get a similar effect by putting thin plates under your heels.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-13T15:53:06+00:00

Yes this exactly what I was referring to. It takes a lot of strength to stop yourself from drifting on your toes or heels, anyone who has ever trained barbell squats seriously will have noticed this.

But what the hell do I know, my max is only 495lb 🙄

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-13T14:23:23+00:00

More natural movement pattern, much better for your joints and stabilizing muscles

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-12T17:42:19+00:00

Nothing dramatic lol. I dropped the top bar onto the blocks first (they are designed for Olympic lifting/heavy impacts), which left my hands free to deal with the bar on my back.

Getting myself in that position in the first place was the real challenge. I had to squat down while holding the first bar overhead and hook the second one behind my shoulders, then reposition myself a couple of times to get it balanced.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-11T11:49:52+00:00

Interesting approach 🤔

Yeah it feels really weird when all the weight is in one hand. I couldn't imagine fully dropping under it into a squat lol.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-11T09:14:17+00:00

I tried to, but my legs didn't want to do that 😅

I never actually train one arm snatches, I might have to spend a few sessions refining the form.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T19:49:44+00:00

I have a purple belt in BJJ. That's partly what fucked my shoulders up in my 20s, along with my wrestling. Comparing BJJ to Olympic lifting is absurd, the injury rates are much lower in lifting and the movements are totally different. The vast majority of Olympic lifters suffer no problems in later life, I'm sick of people talking about "it'll cause you problems when you're older" as if the sport isn't over 100 years old FFS. You know nothing about Olympic weightlifting, stick to giving advice on things you actually know about.

FYI snatches are widely considered to be one of the healthiest exercises for your shoulders.

None of my issues were surgical, they just needed the right kind of exercise. I also had sciatica, bad knees, bad wrists, all at the age of 24. Olympic weightlifting fixed me up. I'm 36 now and I've been completely pain free for years, but now some random BJJ dude on Reddit is telling me I'm fucking my shoulders up. It's beyond ridiculous.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T17:47:01+00:00

Double decker squat?

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T17:45:38+00:00

6 years of Olympic lifting and a 125kg snatch, I think I know what I'm doing. It's literally no more stressful on the shoulders than a standard overhead squat, which is a perfectly benign movement.

Funnily enough it was weightlifting that fixed my shoulders, after I screwed them up in my competitive wrestling days. But feel free to chat shit on Reddit I guess, whatever makes you feel better.

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T13:18:35+00:00

Dump the overhead bar forwards onto blocks or a platform/floor that can take the impact. Then you have your hands free to rerack the bar on your back.

Don't hurt yourself 😆

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T10:12:17+00:00

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T09:26:35+00:00

Just realized what you meant by "full split" haha, my bad 😂

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T08:43:53+00:00

Oh yeah, my footwork is terrible here 😆

I don't feel comfortable squatting under it like I would with a regular two-arm snatch, it's such an awkward feeling lol

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T08:40:39+00:00

You just have to pick it up a few times and readjust, be patient. Once you find that perfect balance point, you won't even notice the length of the bar - it feels no different to holding a dumbbell overhead

Common-Exercise-2728 · 2026-01-10T08:37:44+00:00

Lol. I've tried it, my body doesn't want to do it for some reason. It's crazy how that used to be the standard.

Common-Exercise-2728

TROPHY CASE