Archive for May, 2015

Can abdominal exercise alone reduce belly fat?

Posted: May 20, 2015 in Strength and Conditioning for Health and Fitness
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burn-belly-fatNo. Spot reduction is a term used to describe a localized reduction of subcutaneous fat and this is considered a myth if done by exercise. There are exercise routines that are hyped and marketed with fancy terms and claims similar to “trim your belly fat in just 5 minutes of exercise a day” and many people are misinformed and end up wasting time and effort. Here are facts and an actual study about the effects of abdominal exercise on the abdominal region and its subcutaneous fat.

 

We all have washboard abdominals. But we do not see them because most of us have a thick amount of fat under our skin. This subcutaneous fat in the abdominal area covers the Rectus Abdominis or the muscles that make up the “washboard abs”. Pinch the skin on your tummy near the belly button. If you can pinch more than an inch thick, your “abs” are covered by fat and cannot be seen.Abdominal fat

 

High repetition abdominal exercises increases the tonus of the abdominal musculature and helps to deepen their separations which make them stand out. It improves their form and function but it does not strip off the fat that flat-stomach-pictures[1]covers the abdominal muscles. Doing abdominal exercises alone won’t reduce your belly fat. There was a study published in 2011 involving 24 healthy but sedentary individuals. The participants were of both gender, between 18 to 40 years old and were divided into two groups. One group performed abdominal exercises, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. The other group did not do any exercise. All participants did not increase or decrease their food intake during the period of study. Measurements showed was that there was no significant effect of abdominal exercises on body weight, body fat percentage, amount of fat in the belly region, abdominal circumference, and abdominal and suprailiac skinfold measurements. The only difference was that the group that did abdominal exercise performed significantly greater amount of curl-up repetitions compared to the group that did not exercises during the posttest. This study showed that 6 weeks of abdominal exercise training alone is not sufficient to reduce abdominal subcutaneous fat, total body fat, or body weight, but it can significantly improve abdominal muscular endurance.

 

The chiseled look of “6 packs” is achieved when a well toned rectus abdominis becomes noticeable because of a very thin subcutaneous fat in the abdominal area. This requires lowering our body fat and since we cannot selectively “trim off” body fat from a specific area of our body via exercise, we will have to reduce our total body fat. The fastest way to do this is to significantly increase our physical activity and decrease our food intake (eat less food than you need).

 

Read related post: Why lose weight?

 

Just 5 minutes of abdominal exercise a day is not enough to significantly increase energy expenditure but it does help in deepening the separation of the abdominal muscles. The “washboard abs” can only be seen once the percentage body fat is really low like approaching around 10 percent or even lower. The lower the body fat percentage, the more muscular striations can be seen.

 

An actual suggestion:

To effectively decrease belly fat, one needs to reduce total body fat. Make small objectives that are achievable and build momentum from them. Try using stairs instead of elevators and avoid drinking sugary drinks for a week. You can reward yourself at the end of the week if you did well but do not over indulge. Then take up a physical activity that challenges you and that you can do at least 2 to 3 times a week. Or take up different activities but spread them apart over the course of a week. Example: enroll in a boxing class on Friday evenings; run 8km every Tuesdays; do interval sprints every Wednesdays; or swim at least five 50 meter laps every Saturdays. Increase distance or total volume of your activities bit by bit every week while at the same time practice eating smaller meals and make better food choices like having fruits for snacks instead of chocolate bars. Your stomach will slowly adjust and its capacity will lessen a bit after some time so you won’t feel as hungry as you once felt a few weeks ago. Maintain or even slightly increase your physical activities and make it a point to do them on a regular basis. And drink enough water and have enough sleep. The energy from what you eat may now not be enough to for you to perform and to recover from all those activities. You are now in a negative energy balance and your body will now use its stored energy- your body fat. Soon your love handles will feel looser because the stored energy in the fat is being used up. Try pinching the skin near your belly button again. It should not be as thick as before. But this process will not make your stronger, in fact you may lose some strength. But your endurance will improve if you do a lot of endurance activities. Incorporating a strength training routine, like kettlebell lifting or barbell lifting, lets you improve your strength and still support the process of decreasing body fat. Try Strength Training one to times a week with your other activities of choice.

Read related post: The easiest way to trim off that belly fat… or is it?

The length of this process depends on how much physical activity you actually do, the intensity of how you do them, your food choices, and how less is your total caloric intake. Take note that very low caloric intake with very high activity levels will not be sustainable. So do what you are able to consistently do for many months ahead. Usually, it may take around two weeks of some sacrifice until you have small but perceptible changes like a slightly thinner pinch on your abdominal area. Persist for 2 more weeks and more changes will happen. Persist long enough until you have established healthy habits, which may take around 2 months or more. Do not expect big changes in a short period. Tell yourself that the time, effort, and money that you invested will make you enjoy your life more. Enjoy what you are doing and try to learn more about them, and hopefully by this time, you have a lifestyle that supports a healthy body.  Train to look great but most importantly, Train Better, Live Better!

Reference:

The Effect of Abdominal Exercise on Abdominal Fat. Vispute, Sachin, Smith, John; LeCheminant, James; Hurley, Kimberly; Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: September 2011 – Volume 25 – Issue 9 – pp 2559-2564

6 principles that will surely improve your fitness

Posted: May 14, 2015 in Strength and Conditioning for Health and Fitness
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“That which does not kill us makes us strong”

Strong-Woman-2

Strength training is based on normal biological processes. It is better to understand the principles rather than looking for the “perfect” training program since that is as elusive as a unicorn. The Overload Principle describes a living organism’s reaction to a sub-lethal stress that is beyond the usual stress that an organism is used to. When applied to us who exercise and lift, it simply means when we lift something heavier than what we can easily lift, but not too heavy that it injures us, our bodies adapt when given time to recover. The adaptation process makes our body “overcompensate” a bit to enable it to deal with a very similar stress in the near future. This means we gain a bit of strength after we recover. Our body may be sore for a few days (see related post) but if we do it for a few more training sessions with regular intervals our body will respond. And when we lift the same load again, it may not feel as heavy as it used to be and we are able to do a few more repetitions if we wanted to. If, previously, we were able to lift a certain amount of load “Z” in a certain exercise for “X” repetitions, after a few sessions  of training, we should be able to lift “Z” for more than “X” times. The initial load now becomes “too light” that it does not stimulate further adaptations for strength. To continue becoming stronger, we add a few more kilos to the same lift and repeat the process.

 

Let’s give an example: Let’s say in the Squat exercise we were able to squat 30 kgs for 10 repetitions for 3 sets with 2 minutes rest between sets. After a day we have sore thighs and butt. We rest for 1 more day, and train with the same exercise, same load, same set-rep-rest combination. The next day we may not be so sore anymore- a sign of positive adaptation. After 2 days rest, we repeat the same exercise with the same load. But on the first set we may notice that it feels easier. So we try 35 kilos and do 2 more sets of 10 reps each set. We feel just a bit sore but we rest for 2 days and train again. This time we do 35kg on the first set but we are more confident that we try 40kg on the 2nd set. We were able to do it well since we are also more confident in our squat technique. So we try 45kg on the 3rd and last set, which we are able to finish with full effort. We repeat this process for a few more weeks and we find ourselves squatting 10kg more than our body weight. We feel good about our hard work. We feel more powerful strides when we run, and our butt is firmer and rounder. We are experiencing signs of positive adaptation. That is an example of the Overload Principle in weight training.

 

(Read about the General Adaptation Syndrome in order to have a better comprehension of what is the expected reaction when we “overload”).

 

24009_389657031274_634451274_4381304_2792879_nThe Overload Principle was observed since the ancient times, it is not something new. Biological processes do not need to be discovered in order to occur anyway. Nature will work with or without man’s documentation. Probably the earliest recorded training method that utilized the Overload Principle is about the story of Milo of Croton in early Greek history. Although they did not call it Overload Principle before and probably just called it work. Milo was a champion wrestler during his time. He is known for his superior physical strength which enabled him to defeat his opponents and be the champion. Milo was said to have developed his extraordinary strength from lifting. A story of what he lifted and how he lifted provides us a template on how to approach training. Where Milo lived was a cow that gave birth to a calf. But the calf had a defective leg that prevents it from walking and following the herd in crossing the river to graze on the meadow. Taking pity on the calf, Milo decided to carry it to wards the meadow so it can graze. The calf is able to eat, but it can not walk far nor run. If he left it there, the wolves would feast on it. So Milo had to carry it back to the safety of the pen. Milo had to carry the calf on his back in the morning, probably cross the river, and go up the meadow where he would let it graze. In the afternoon he would carry the calf across the river and back to the manger. He did this every day as the calf was growing. Days passed and Milo dutifully carried the calf which grew and as it grew, Milo’s strength also increased. Time passed until after four years, Milo was carrying a now fully grown bull. Try to estimate the weight of a fully grown bull and you would have an idea of Milo’s strength. Think about it too, and you would have an idea of the effort, perseverance, and dedication that it takes to change from a regular guy or gal, to someone extra ordinary that lifting a fully grown bull is just a daily task.

The take home lesson? Go lift a calf twice a day until it has grown into a bull! Take selfies along the way too! Can’t do that?Well here are the reasons why Milo’s training is a perfect example of the Overload Principle and five things that we can apply to our own training. The story has been digested for you. Absorb the lessons and apply them:

little boy try lift up the barbell in the park

1. Start with a load you can handle. Milo started with a load that is easily manageable- that of a calf. If Milo started carrying a full grown bull from the start, he would have failed miserably. He could have badly strained himself or worst, he could have had a herniated Inter-vertebral Disk which would have ended his athletic career.

untitledi-500x500

2. Gradually increase your load over time. The weight that Milo lifted changed gradually and it was progressive.  The load that he carried gradually increased from a little calf to that of a fully grown bull. The process of adding weight was not rushed since the calf grew just a little bit heavier each day. This gave Milo the chance to recover and adapt by becoming stronger. It also means he did not over-overload because it would not be possible for the calf to gain 20kg in one day. It was a long process too- 4 years. Surely, someone who is impatient and undisciplined will not survive the process.

3. Train consistently and regularly. Milo lifted the calf consistently and regularly, or else the calf would not be able to graze and die.  He did it twice on a daily basis. It is better to train this way. Be patient, be consistent in the long term. stay-consistent

4. Train with sufficient volume. Milo carried his load not just for a few lifts. He carried and walked with the load at least twice a day. This describes his training volume. Mental strength is always required if you are to improve.pull-ups

Consistent-training-equals-results5. Train with enough duration to be able to notice positive changes. Milo was said to have carried the calf for four years until it was a fully grown bull. Training duration was long enough to have observable and lasting results. This also means training has to be progressive through time. This gradual and consistent training changed his body. It undoubtedly increased his confidence too.

6. Train not only for yourself. Others depend on you to be fit and strong. This is not a training technique but is more of a way of looking at thing differently. The calf was actually depending on Milo for its survival. Milo has to lift the calf all the way to the meadow so that it can eat. And at the end of the day he has to carry it back to the pen so that wolves will not kill it. Who knows, he lifted the calf just to help it and along the way, he gained tremendous strength. This did not come easily. He exerted a lot of effort on a daily basis. But he was doing it to help another creature. If he did it only for himself, he might have given up when things did not go smoothly. But he was able to persist because it is not only for him. People now are so self centered that their efforts are directed only for themselves. Why not do something for other people or other creatures without having to be praised for it?

Understanding how our body reacts to training helps us a lot by making us aware of what to expect. They serve as guidelines and templates. The story about Milo can also serve as a reference point. Another thing to consider is that each person would respond to a particular training by following the same natural processes but results can be different. Results vary for each person because the magnitude of response is not the same for each person. Some adapt quickly while some take longer time. Learning about these processes helps us to Train Better, Live Better!

The easiest way to trim off that belly fat… or is it?

Posted: May 10, 2015 in From my vantage point
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People want to improve themselves. We always should strive to be better. A very common goal flat-stomach-pictures[1] is to lose weight (See related post). To be more specific, people want to trim off excess body fat. And majority would want to shed off the excess fat on the abdominal area. Removing the excess fat weight improves one’s quality of life. You feel lighter, move easier, and the best part for most is that they will look sexier and more beautiful. Which is fine.

 

What is the easiest way to shed off excess abdominal fat then? You do not have to buy the answer, read it here for free.It is not a secret. The answer is very simple:

 

hike

Photo courtesy of Ms. K. Taguiling

Do a physical activity that you love. Do it more often and with gradually increasing intensity to a certain point. Do this without increasing food intake. Do it regularly and consistently long enough until you notice positive changes. Persist at it until it becomes a part of your lifestyle. Involve your husband or wife or partner. This would make it easier for the both of you. Or try to do it with a group. It is fun this way. After a few weeks try reducing your consumption of sugary drinks. Instead of drinking soda every day, try drinking it twice a week or less or not at all. Replace it with water. Start being aware of oily foods too and try not to include them in your food list or if you do, eat only a small serving of it. Make this a habit when eating.

 

Is it that simple and easy? Yes, it is that simple. Is it effective? As long as done in a regular and consistent basis with enough intensity to cause positive adaptation (See related post). Will its effect be noticed immediately… Well… Probably NO for most people. Since it can be done easily, the intensity may not be that high to cause fast and significant change. And once there is a small change, you would need to put in more effort to cause further change.

 

Others are given a hard road to travel. Some individuals are genetically predisposed to be endomorphic- that is their default body would have higher fat percentage and higher tendency to lean towards the obese side. They need to exert a lot more effort to keep off the excess weight. But it helps a lot to for them to aim for health goals rather than aiming to be thin like what most fashion models portray. It would be better to aim to have a healthier body fat percentage for them. This is more pragmatic and attainable. For ectomorphic individuals, they may not have excess fat to worry about but they should still have regular physical activities to be healthy.

 

icebergFor individuals who were once “thin” but are now “fat”, be patient. How long did it take you to put on that extra unwanted weight? It probably took a few years. It was a slow change that you almost did not notice until one day you had a hard time bending over to tie your shoe lace. It takes some lifestyle change to cause some changes in our body. It takes patience and perseverance. Some can tolerate hard work and can persevere. They would be able to train at higher intensities regularly and even reduce caloric consumption. The result is a fast change. They can trim off bulging belly fat fast. But the question is: is it easy? Definitely NO! It is punishing. It is difficult. This is what a lot of people do not realize. They see the rewards but not the big effort behind. This is not to discourage people to trim off their excess bulge, rather, it is to inform so that there expectations will be appropriate for the effort given.

 

The bottom line is, if we want an easy way to trim off that belly bulge, expect the process to be long. And if people do not see positive results immediately, they easily give up. If we want fast results, put in a lot more effort and expect the process to be hard. That is why start with a physical activity that you love. Better if you do it with your significant other to motivate you to do it regularly. The faster you want the result, the more effort is required. Drastic change require drastic measures. This means stepping out of our comfort zone. Caloric restriction or diet modification will make the process a lot faster but also more uncomfortable. If you can keep up with that, then start now! Do not expect easy and fast. It is just like any product, do not expect high quality services to be cheap nor fast.

 

Something for us to think about. Train Better, Live Better!

Kettlebell training from the point of view of a Strength and Conditioning Coach

Posted: May 6, 2015 in Strength and Conditioning for Health and Fitness
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09Jan2015 014The sporting world is getting more and more competitive, one evidence is the emergence of specialised coaches like Strength and Conditioning Coaches. Training methodologies too are becoming more and more results oriented and it makes sense that a lot are patterned after training methodologies from sports that train with weights. These “weight training” sports embody the result of their particular training methods.

Weightlifters are known for their explosive power, bodybuilders for their muscular development, and powerlifters for their strength. Explosive power is very vital for a lot of sports events like 100 meter sprints, boxing, swimming, and any other sport that demands explosive power. That is why the Olympic lifts and their variants are used to train athletes by their Strength and Conditioning Coaches. Moving up in a weight category is better attained by increasing muscle mass rather than by increasing fat mass, and when you think of muscle mass, the bodybuilding routines come to mind.

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Now, kettlebells and Kettlebell Sport are becoming popular. Is there something that Kettlebell Training will offer to athletes of other sports? Or is athletic training already well covered by the lifts and exercises using barbells and dumbells?

Related: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes, is it worth it?

Related: Will Endurance Training help in the performance of strength and power athletes?

A quick look in Kettlebell Sport:

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Kettlebell sport demands the following fitness components: a good strength foundation, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory endurance, some degree of flexibility, and a good deal of mobility. In competition, an athlete has to perform as many good repetitions as possible in the long cycle event or in the biathlon. Time limit is 10 minutes. Load lifted for men can be a pair of the following kettlebells: 16kg, 20kg, 24kg, & 32kg. For women it would be 12kg, 16kg, and 20kg. There may be some other kettlebell weights used and some other lifting events. Good kettlebell athletes are able to perform good technique from the first repetition until the last moment of the 10 minute time limit. The winner is the athlete who is able to do the most number of good repetitions within his/her weight class and KB category. What is good about Kettlebell Sports is that there is also an international ranking system.

The basic (anatomical and physiologic) requirements:

A good technique in the jerk and in the snatch requires good flexibility of the shoulder girdle as well as sufficient stability to hold the kettlebell in a stable position for a moment before starting the next repetition. valstrengthtraining.comThe torso should also be able “yield” enough when needed but should not “collapse” as the lifter holds the bells overhead or in the rack position. The hips, knees, and ankles move in a coordinated manner. The elbows should be able to be “locked” straight when the bells are in the overhead position. Try holding both arms overhead, elbows straight and touch your ears with your biceps. It is easier said than done. Now, try it with a pair of kettlebells. Now you can feel your torso musculature, (commonly referred to as “core”), work to be able to support the shoulder girdles, so that they in turn can support the arms in a straight position overhead while supporting a kettlebell with each hand.

 

Strength:

Sergey RachinskiyTo be able to lift two pieces of kettlebells or to snatch one overhead requires some strength. Two 24kg kettlebells is only 48kg right? Not that heavy as compared to what a regular gym rat would deadlift or press, but try jerking it overhead in good form for at least 5 minutes. Then you get to understand why strength development is important in kettlebell sport. Good Kettlebell Sport Athletes do 10 minutes, to be followed by snatching one Kettlebell for a total of 10 minutes in the biathlon. Then you get to realize that a good strength foundation enhances endurance.

 

Endurance:

Kettlebell Sport is an endurance sport and it is cyclic in nature. The key is to be able to sustain the movement (repetitions) as much as possible for ten minutes. The limiting factor is the time, but do as many good repetitions as possible, as opposed to some sports wherein distance is covered in the shortest possible time. Since the kettlebells are lifted overhead and it is not that light, expect the blood lactate levels to increase. Good Kettlebell athletes then should have the ability to tolerate high blood lactate levels or be able to do the lifts without increasing lactate levels to a relatively high level. A strong cardio-respiratory system supports the sustained effort of the muscolo-skeletal system.

Sufficient flexibility, mobility, and stability are important in kettlebell lifting. These qualities are enhanced through kettlebell training.

Somebody training with Olympic Weightlifting has the required strength, flexibility, mobility, and stability but probably not the endurance of a kettlebell athlete. A middle distance runner may be able to tolerate the high blood lactate levels when needed, but probably does not have the required mobility. In short, training for Kettlebell Sport provides a unique combination of fitness and performance related components which may not be developed by any single training method aside from kettlebell training itself. This is then a good window of opportunity. It creates another training option.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAA knowledgeable Strength and Conditioning Coach would be able to train athletes of other sports using kettlebell lifts so as to make them better at what they do. Since kettlebells can be used unilaterally, the torso musculature receives a very good stimulus to be stronger and be more stable. It also creates tension in the sagittal axis which may not be emphasized in bilateral symmetrical lifts. Another big factor in the effectivity of any training system is the knowledge and skills of the coach in implementing the training program. A basic qualification is that these coaches should be recognized by leading international bodies. And what is more important is that they have actual coaching experience, and not just any so-so coaching.

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Kettlebells provide a very good training tool and methodology for the athletic and the general population. Its effectivity also depends on how well the coach works with a particular individual. And the best way how to find out is to actually try it for yourself and find someone who knows how to teach you. Use it to Train Better, Live Better!

Your comments would be highly appreciated. Leave them below!

Is it really necessary to clutter and smash the floor?

Posted: May 4, 2015 in From my vantage point
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No, not returning the dumbells, barbells, kettlebells, or any equipment back to their proper place after using them is not necessary and is not a good habit. It shows poor breeding on the part of the user. Strength Coaches would instruct users about proper gym behavior but they are not their to clean after the trainees. It is actually a part of training to put back equipment to their proper place. When it comes to dropping dumbells on the floor, it is also not necessary. Decades ago, when I had the privilege of helping out as an attendant in the gym of an esteemed bodybuilder, I noticed that rerack-weightspeople would treat the equipment in his gym with care. As I looked deeper, I realized that those who treat the gym with respect, respect themselves. They want to improve, and they are there not to show off. It shows on how they train. They do their training more efficiently and after their set, they put the dumbells and barbells back to their rack. It is usually the teenaged newbies who are noisy and busy looking at themselves in the mirror. There were no smartphones at that time so no selfies then. The big and strong guys are usually resting after squeezing out every rep of their last set, preparing for another set. And even if they are exhausted, they would still put things back to where they found them. When I was studying in university, I trained in a few other gyms. I observed that each particular gym had its own aura and the people in it displayed a common attitude, but of course there are always those who stand out both in the bad and good sense. But what I noticed is that those who are rowdy, those who annoy, and those who do not put things back from where they got them, have some insecurities. Those who treat the equipment and facilities with respect are more at peace with themselves. They do not seem to be bothered too much with trivial matters.   Fast forward to a around four to five years ago. I saw a video on Youtube of a world famous athlete doing his weight lance-liftstraining. He was well known for his track record of winning several titles in cycling. Now he is well known for admitting to cheating by doping but with Performance Enhancing Substances or not, he must have trained harder than most athletes in his sport. In the video, he was training hard in the weights room. It looks like a garage gym. The video describes his weight training routine and naturally, a lot of people would copy how a great athlete trains. It is a good video especially if you know what to look for to emulate and what not to. There was a small part wherein he intentionally dropped the dumbell to shift to his other side. And after the exercise he threw the dumbell to the area where it seems to be kept. Considering that the gym is probably his, it is in a ground floor, no harm was done in that small bit. And then it happened- a few days after I saw the videos, I noticed some of the athletes training in the gym, where I work, drop the dumbell after their set. After a few warnings, it happens again. And again. They seem to think it is cool. Hey, if a world class superstar athlete trains like that, it might just work for them right?? Well, first, you have to train with such focus and intensity blocking out distractions. The intensity is that high that only the elite guys are willing and are able to tolerate the punishing routine. It is not in dropping the dumbells that made him superhuman. It is in the uncomfortable, painful, harsh but systematic and efficient training. What the nobs think is that it is cool to thrash things around, make noise and be heard, be seen training really hard with those, uh… 10lb dumbells, oh… sorry, 20lbs… They seek attention. But since it is painfully difficult to train with discipline so as to excel in competitions, they would rather gain instant attention by making loud noise by intentionally dropping dumbells after each set. As if to say the louder the heavier they lifted, hang medals on their neck and giant trophies on each hand. That would make them feel so smug. But is it the right thing to do? Would it make them better athletes? Would it make them better, respectable persons? Chen-Xiexia-WeightliftingThere is an area in gym where dropping weights is allowed and that is the lifting platform. And again, dropping weights here is being misused. The lifting platform is there to minimize damage to the plates, the bar, and the floor when the bar is dropped. Are you supposed to drop the bar? When practicing the cleans, snatches, and their variants, it is important for the lifter to know how and when to release the bar and let it drop. When a lift is missed, then the lifter should escape from being crushed by the falling bar. This is done by releasing the grip and letting the loaded bar drop to the platform. Of course, the platform should be clear from plates, collars, phones, other other lifters so that the plates won’t bounce at an angle and turn into a heavy projectile. So make it a good habit to keep the lifting area neat. It minimizes injuries due to carelessness.   Another way to look at it is think that the gym is yours and you worked really hard to be able to buy all the equipment, you would maximize the lifespan of the equipment as well as their use.   Some lifters drop the loaded bar after every rep. Even if they are doing sets of 5 reps or more. This is not needed. A five rep set means that the lifter still has a lot of strength to hold on to the bar, well at least after the first rep. Personally, I would prefer to try to not to drop the bar not unless I am about to miss a lift or is unable to safely control its descent. And its better to train to have successful lifts, not missed lifts. This develops better grip as well as mental strength. crossfit-horrible-form-246x300 For explosive lifts like barbell cleans, barbell snatches, and also heavy overhead lifts, good technique is emphasized rather than load. This is for safety reasons. It the lifter is attempting a new personal best, better do it on a platform clear of any clutter so that if needed, the barbell can be released safely. Forcing these lifts to the point of failure increases risks. It is not very productive to try to do more than 8 reps of a very heavy load but dropping the bar to avoid the eccentric part of a clean or jerk or snatch just to delay fatigue and squeeze out a few more reps. It would be better to train with very heavy load, do with the best technique that you can, and when your technique is not as good as it should be before you reach your target rep, better lower the bar and rest. Very heavy load means you can do probably from 1 to 5 reps. Broken-liftA lot would probably not agree with me about my opinion. They have their own opinion and I have mine. What matters is that is it based on something useful, positive, creative, and helpful? Or is it just to feed an ego that is out of place? Training the body has to have the right mindset. Training the body with proper outlook and discipline also strengthens the mind and character. When doing something, always ask yourself why. Continue doing it if it helps you to Train Better, Live Better!