Or SS OTC for short.
Join Olympic Weightlifting coach Jim Moser and Starting Strength series author Mark Rippetoe for an intense weekend training experience in the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk, taught from the Bulgarian training perspective and with an emphasis on more efficient pulling mechanics. Designed for Olympic weightlifters active in the sport, this training camp will expose you to a training-hall atmosphere under the positive pressure to excel that only professional coaches and interested teammates can provide.
Athletes who attend will benefit from the different perspectives of Jim and Rip – the elite sports-psychology approach of Coach Moser and the biomechanical eye of coach Rippetoe. Through multiple heavy workouts, each lifter will be assessed, corrected, and encouraged by these two experienced coaches, with a combined 65+ years in Olympic weightlifting, in a competitive, encouraging team-style group of highly motivated athletes.
You will train to PR-level efforts a minimum of three times over the course of this long, intense exposure to high-stress training, while at the same time observing other athletes being coached in the same situation. Show up in good shape, with healthy hands, lots of tape, snatch straps, all your other equipment, and a notebook to record this valuable information.
Schedule:
Friday
5:00 pm – 7:30 Background material lecture
7:30 – 9:00 First workout, movement assessment
Saturday
8:00 am – 10:30 Group A workout
10:30 – 1:00 pm Group B workout
1:00 – 2:00 Break, training methodology lecture
2:00 – 4:30 Group A workout
4:30 – 7:00 Group B workout
Sunday
8:00 am – 10:30 Group B workout
10:30 – 1:00 pm Group A workout
1:00 – 3:00 Break, Q&A with the coaches
3:00 – 6:00 Controlled practice, all lifters
Notice that there is no lunch break provided in the schedule, to make best use of the time available. Bring food with you on Saturday and Sunday, and eat during the lectures and when you have time off the platform.
Who should attend:
Competitive Olympic weightlifters, athletes that have been training the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk at least twice/week for a minimum of 4 months, with the intent of competing in the sport.
Who should NOT attend:
Anyone who has not been training the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk for at least 4 months, casual exercisers or CrossFitters who have no competitive intentions, or those who intend to learn the lifts this weekend. This seminar is NOT an introduction to Olympic weightlifting. No refunds will be made if you cannot complete the workouts.
The Staff:
Teenage National Bench Press record holder
1980 Maryland Amateur Athlete of the Year
Olympic Festival Silver Medalist
1985 American Championships 1st Place and Best Lifter
Pan American Championship finalist
Personal Best Snatch 155kg, 100kg class
Personal Best Clean & jerk 197.5kg, 100kg class
Personal Best Power Clean 170kg for 3 reps
Personal Best front Squat 220kg for 3 reps
Olympic Training Center resident
Hawaii State Champion and state record holder
York Barbell Team member
Last nationally ranked weightlifter to train At York Barbell
Trained with Russian and Bulgarian national team members at 1978 World Championships, Atlantic City Record Makers and Allentown Record Makers
Studied Weightlifting Under
- Bill Starr
- Gancho Karouskov
- Bob Hise
- Dick “Smitty” Smith
- Tommy Kono
- Ken Patera
- Lee James
- Doctor Nelson Yogi
- Istvan Javorek
- Tommy Suggs
- Dr. John Gurgott
- Lou Demarco
- John Grimek
- Bob Bednarski
- Bobby Mitchell
- Rick Holbrook
- Wolfgang Schmidt
- Bill Kazmaier
Assistant Coach – Vernon Patao (2) Time Olympian
Coach – James Moser 105kg, Age 17, 165kg snatch and 190kg clean & jerk
Willy Moser – National Junior Olympic Champion at 8 years of age.
Head Coach, Queen Emma Weightlifting Club
Through his contacts in the International Weightlifting and Community, Jim is an authority on Bulgarian and Russian training systems. In 35 years of experience in Olympic Weightlifting he has taught thousands of people to snatch and clean & jerk. Jim has studied hypnosis and sports psychology under Doctor David Yanigarha and Doctor Craig Whitehead. For twenty five years Coach Moser has studied the mental aspect of sports performance and overcoming the fear of lifting heavy weights.
Rip has been doing the two lifts as a part of his training since 1979. He was a competitive powerlifter, but snatched and C&Jed as a part of training with Bill Starr, having snatched 82.5 and C&Jed 105 as lifts that were not his competitive sport. Rip has been coached by Bill Starr, Tommy Suggs, Jim Moser, Dr. Kilgore, Glenn Pendlay, Angel Spassov, Harvey Newton, Mike Conroy, John Thrush, and many fellow lifters. Rip has coached the lifts since 1984. He obtained his USWF Level III certification in 1988 at the OTC in Colorado Springs with Mike Stone, Harvey Newton, and Angel Spassov on faculty. He obtained his USAW Senior Coach certification in 1999 at the OTC with Lyn Jones, John Thrush, and Mike Conroy.
Rip was invited, as an Olympic weightlifting coach, to the Olympic Solidarity course at the OTC in 2000. Along with Dr. Lon Kilgore, he taught both the USAW Club Coach course and the Sports Performance Coach course from 1999 through 2005. He has served as the president of the North Texas Local Weightlifting Committee of USAW since 2004. Rip has coached and participated in the coaching of James Moser, Glenn Pendlay, Dr. Kilgore, Josh Wells (Junior World Team 2004), the national and international-level athletes of the collegiate team at Midwestern State University and Wichita Falls Weightlifting, which was hosted and coached in the Wichita Falls Athletic Club from its inception in 1999 through 2006. Rip still actively coaches the sport on a daily basis here at WFAC, and the power clean and power snatch at seminars around the country every month.
What people are saying about SSOWTC:
The Olympic Lifting Seminar at WFAC was the most inspirational, action packed weekend I have ever experienced as a lifter. The combination of expertise between coach Jim Moser & Mark Rippetoe was amazing. Not only did I learn a ton about technique, I also learned a ton about the mental aspect of Olympic Lifting. I would recommend taking this seminar to any lifter who wants to take their game to the next level!
Anthony Pomponio, 5th place, 85 kg. class, USAW Nationals 2011
The Olympic Weightlifting Training Camp at WFAC was a fantastic opportunity for me to refine my technique, evaluate my programming, and set ambitious training and competition goals. While lifting mechanics and programming were discussed, the bulk of the seminar happened on the platform. This was three days of intense training with a group of people who were all serious about taking their lifting to the next level. Rip and Jim emphasized a positive team atmosphere with lifters watching, critiquing and supporting each other.
Over the weekend, I set new personal records in the snatch, clean, and jerk. I left the seminar with well defined goals and a program and timeline for achieving those goals. While this was not a coaching seminar, I have already implemented much of what I learned over the weekend in my own gym. My lifters all set their own goals, and we discussed what it will take to reach those goals. This has already resulted in a shift in priorities, a more serious and competitive environment, and most importantly, a new round of personal records at the gym.
Tamara Cohen, masters weightlifting competitor, Big on the Internet
Overall: had a great weekend training at WFAC. I honestly don’t care about who has what to say about anyone – I went in telling myself to do what I was told and see how it worked for me. Snatched 90 six times over the course of 2 days, more than I probably have snatched 90 TOTAL since May. Everything Rip said made sense and I think some of his cues really helped with my jerk. Moser is a great coach as well, and we talked quite a bit about my training alone and how many great lifters train/trained completely alone. It was a great experience. Intensity was great with the lifters there, and I’m ready to tear up some weight now.
Hunter Henzler, collegiate competitor