08.04.09
Posted in General Colin McNulty Stuff, Olympic Weightlifting at 5:14 am by Colin McNulty
I’ve just realised that I never got round to posting up the picture of me and Giles Greenwood, one of the coaches at Bethnal Green. Well here it is:
If you don’t remember me mentioning him before, Giles is the British Record holder for the Snatch (180 kg / 396 lbs) and Clean & Jerk (207.5 kg / 456 lbs) in the 105+ weight category. As such, he’s lifted more than any other British person, since they reset all the records that is.
That photo is taken when he did both those lifts in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, he had less hair back then, though he’s since shaved it all off again. Giles took Gold in the Snatch, Bronze for the C&J and Silver over all. Along with Patrick Atteridge, he’s a dedicated and committed weightlifting coach, with a cutting and typical English sarcastic sense of humour.
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15.03.09
Posted in General Colin McNulty Stuff, Olympic Weightlifting at 1:16 pm by Colin McNulty
Yesterday was my best lifting event yet, by far. To say I’m extremely pleased, is a major understatement. The goal of the day was to lift the 175kg qualifying total, as much as anything, to justify my attendance there. (This is because they let me go, even though I hadn’t managed to lift the 175 qualifying weight before.)
To do this I needed something like a 75kg snatch and a 100kg clean and jerk. Considering my personal best for Snatch was 70kg and I’ve only ever got 100kg on the C&J once before, that was always going to be tough. My recent terrible form hasn’t helped (getting 70kg snatch only 3 times in the last 35ish attempts!) nor was doing my shoulder in last week. On top of that, apparently the rules are that you have to start within 10kg of the qualifying weight, so I had to start at 70kg and 95kg. It entered my mind that I might actually bomb out (miss all 3 lifts) of the snatch!
Still, fortune favours the bold and all that, so after getting up at 5am for the 3 hour drive up to Lilleshall National Sports centre, near Newport, Shropshire I arrived for the 8:30 weigh in and weighed in at 80.3kg. Bang in the middle of the 85kg category (77 – 85kg).
It was basically me and Mark Beck lifting together at the start, and we pretty much took it in turns. I warmed up to two 65kg snatches, and didn’t dare try a 70 in the warm up for fear of missing it and trashing my already shaky confidence. I wanted to go out at least having made all my warm up lifts. I was pleased with the fact that the warm up wasn’t bothering my shoulder at all, so whatever I’ve done to it (it hurts to press the buttons my car radio for example), it wasn’t weightlifting!
Cutting a long story short, I got the 70kg snatch fine, which was a major surprise to me. Sadly my remote control of the camera failed and I didn’t get it on tape. Whilst Mark was doing his 75kg snatch, I ran round to reset the camera and trotted back in time to go out for the big one, my 2nd lift and first go at the elusive 75kg, something I’ve missed twice before in competitions: at the Yorkshire and NE Counties Open, and at the Northern Masters.
I was nervous as hell for the 75kg snatch, but was determined and very pleased when it shot up no problem. New PB, woot! The issue for me has been getting the bar to stop in the right position over my head, so that it’s over my centre of gravity and I can stand up. This time it did and up I popped. I was very pleased. Suddenly however, I was being asked what my next weight was going to be…. I hadn’t given it any thought, the idea that I’d get both my first 2 opening lifts had never crossed my mind! I opted for 77kg, which seemed like the right thing to do.
I can’t wait to get the video uploaded, cos I can tell you, the 77kg was the best snatch I’ve ever done, it was perfect. The bar stopped in just the right place and I got extremely low under it. 77kg, another personal best, and a 10% jump to boot. 28 hours later, I’m still smiling!
After trying to sabotage myself in the warm up for the clean and jerk, by hitting myself in the neck with a 50kg bar, the C&Js actually went very well as well. My opening 95kg was sound and the big 100kg was really great to get up. I failed a 103, but I was past caring by then, I’d beaten my target of 175, instead getting 177kg and was (and am) very pleased with the day’s events. Sadly, the camera failed completely and I missed all the clean & jerks. I’m hoping to get some footage off other peoples flip videos next weekend.
In a final bonus, I was expecting to come 3rd of 3, in the face of competition from a Scottish champion and a Northern Ireland champ. As it turned out, the NI guy came in over weight and so was bumped up to the next category up. The Scottish guy (a very nice fella by the name of Ian Robertson) has been lifting since he was 14 (that’s 25 years) so it’s no real surprise that be won by a large margin. Still, it meant I was 2nd (out of 2, lol) and have another nice trophy to show for it. I’ll get whatever videos etc uploaded when I can.
It was also great to see Pat Atteridge again, as well as the 4 very impressive lifters from his London weightlifting club at Bethnal Green. And last bu not least, it was a pleasure to lift with Mark and see him qualify for the British Seniors, an immensely impressive performance for a 39 year old!
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04.11.08
Posted in General Colin McNulty Stuff, Olympic Weightlifting at 10:30 pm by Colin McNulty
I was ecstatic last Wednesday at getting a 100kg Clean. It’s a land mark point and as Giles Greenwood said: “You never forget get your first 100!” Ok, I didn’t get the jerk, but I was just concentrating on the cleans. And I dropped it a couple of times first, but I got it.
I’m particularly pleased for 3 reasons:
Today I was back at Bethnal Green and I resolved to work on my Snatch technique. No complicated routine, no rush, I just had a simple plan: do a pair of Snatches every 5 mins. Starting at 50kg I wouldn’t move up in weight until I’d done 2 pairs with good form. So how did it go?
50kg was good. 55kg was ok. 60kg was not going well! At 60kg every lift was different, power snatches were popping up by accident as often as not, and I was dropping every third lift. Things were not looking good! Then the break through, in the form of 45 minutes of 1 on 1 from World Masters Champion lifter Patrick Atteridge:
Pat Atteridge and me at Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club
The night was quiet towards the end and I was very lucky to get Pat’s undivided attention, there were several bits of advice that Pat gave me. First, and contrary to what I had been doing, was to relax my arms. I had been tensing everything that I could before the snatch, but Pat explained that you should only tense the muscles that are needed, and everything else should be relaxed. If you’re too tense, you can’t move fast and the snatch is all about speed. Doing this did seem to make a small improvement.
Second was to keep looking up (at about a 30 degree angle) fix a spot on the wall and stare at it. This keeps the chest up and helps prevents shoulders drooping at the catch. At first this decimated my snatch and I dropped 3 in a row, but after 20 minutes I was getting it and was doing better.
The third tip was a total focus on speed, realised by concentrating on catching the snatch in the lowest possible squat. Pat said: “Catching 3 inches lower will add 10kg to your max snatch.” It took me half a dozen goes to really get a deep landing and I was getting under it, but kept dropping the bar forward.
Finally Pat told me to really punch my arms and shoulders up and back at the bottom of catch. That was the key ingredient. It took a few goes to get everything coordinated, and I dropped at this point to singles, but 15 minutes later I was nailing a fast and deep landing. The snatch has never felt so easy!
The 60’s were shooting up, so I jumped to 65, which is an equal PB lift, and I got it comfortably first time. With only 10 minute left till the gym shut I quickly moved to a PB attempt at 67.5 Something went wrong in my head and the first attempt went no where. However the 2nd went up nicely and I nailed the landing. A new 67.5kg PB, woot! I had a couple of goes at 70 in the dying minutes but couldn’t quite get under it properly and lost my balance. Another 10 minutes and I reckon I’d have got that too. Well, that’s something to aim for next time.
Now if I can just get my jerk up to 95kg tomorrow, I’ll be well pleased…
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29.10.08
Posted in Crossfit Workout & Exercises, General Colin McNulty Stuff, Olympic Weightlifting at 1:16 pm by Colin McNulty
I thought it was about time I uploaded the couple of photo’s I took of the Weightlifting Club I go to at Bethnal Green, London. This club has been in existence a massive 80 years, since 1928 and has produced literally hundreds of Olympic Weight Lifting champions over the years. It’s located at 229 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6AB:
View Larger Map
The power lifting side is well coached by Marting and Ron, and the Olympic lifting side is coached by Giles Greenwood and Patrick Atteridge, both of whom are British champions and more. Pat is European and World masters champion and Giles not only has a Gold medal from the Commonwealth Games, but he holds the British records for Snatch and Clean & Jerk in the heaviest category. That means Giles has lifted more than any other British man ever! I am truly privileged to be taught by such calibre of coaches.
You can see the 3 lifting platforms here and the bulk of the all Eleiko kit they have
Typically you can get 2-3 people per lifting platform, so it does get busy during peak times, but they are normally able to cope. It’s not like a normal gym, you actually have to sign up for an Adult learning course at Bethnal Green Adult Education Centre. It’s a bit tricky to do this I found, but here’s what you need to do, search the Learning Ladder site for Weight and Power Lifting Courses Sadly their website is rubbish and you have to go through each entry to work out what day and when it’s on. In the evenings it’s also only open from 5pm – 8pm. Still if you can manage it, here is where you’ll end up:
This is the main free weights area where the powerlifting goes on. That's Giles Goodwood darting out of the shot.
Tee hee, Giles wasn’t fast enough! You can see at the far end, there’s an area there which is often used as an overspill for the Olympic lifting, and in the bottom right corner is the rest of the smaller weight Eleiko plates.
As far as Crossfit goes, it’s possible to do some Crossfit Workouts if it’s quiet enough, which usually means in the last 1/2 hour before they shut at 8pm. There are 2 rowers but only 1 has the counter working. There’s only 1 pull up station too and it doesn’t lend itself to kipping pull ups due to various sticky out bits, but it’s possible. I’ve done some Crossfit workouts down there, and the coaches and denizens are politely tolerant. Mostly they are happy to see another group of people interesting in Olympic lifting.
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30.09.08
Posted in General Colin McNulty Stuff, Olympic Weightlifting at 9:40 pm by Colin McNulty
A few months ago I went to my first Olympic Weightlifting competition at West Wythenshawe and on Sunday there’s another one, which I was really looking forward to. I don’t know if the BWLA guys will be there again, I hope so. The thing is, I don’t feel ready for it at all.
Having done the gladiators trial last week, I didn’t go to Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club as I would have normally done. Then having come away from the gladiators tryout with various bumps and bruises and a sprained wrist and ankle, I decided to take the week off doing any Crossfit workouts too. So today I went back to Bethnal Green, having done very little exercise for 10 days. I’ve also not been eating too well this last week if I’m honest.
Worse than that, having watched the Snatch and Clean & Jerk DVDs I bought last week, I find myself wanting to change my style, particularly with the Snatch. The big thing I was doing wrong, which to be fair I knew about already, is impacting the bar with my thighs, rather than above the family jewels if you know what I mean, specifically above the pubis bone (about the top of your zipper).
So I was trying it tonight and of course, when you change any style in a sport, things get worse before it gets better. So tonight I struggled to snatch just 50kg which I dropped 3 times before doing a ropey power snatch to finish. Not a good situation to be in 5 days before a competition! Further the 6 pairs of clean and jerk practice at 75kg felt heavy and not at all a formality, but then I suppose that’s a good thing, 75kg IS heavy after all!
I’m intending to go back again tomorrow, hopefully I’ll feel better then. Oh and I’ve decided to stop being a wuss and taking the bus, so I ran the 2 miles to the gym tonight. Well I actually managed about 75% of the way, that was with a backpack with weightlifting shoes, water bottle and jumper, and walking the last bit was a good idea to recover before I arrived.
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26.08.08
Posted in Crossfit Workout & Exercises, General Colin McNulty Stuff at 10:29 pm by Colin McNulty
Since I started working in London, I’ve been hunting for a good Gym. I define a “good” as:
- one which has some Olympic Weightlifting bars
- the space and the will to let people use them for Olympic lifting (Snatch and Clean & Jerk)
- has Crossfit style equipment: rower, dumbbells, kettlebells, pull up stations
- close to my flat, i.e. around Farringdon, Clerkenwell, Islington, Euston or the City
- Not exorbitantly expensive.
After spending some time scouring the web, I collated the following list of gyms. It’s included here along with my notes on the ones I visited, over 2 sodden nights pacing the streets of London in the evenings. Obviously the prices were what were given to me at the time:
A. UCL Bloomsbury Fitness Centre http://www.uclunion.org/leisure-fitness/bloomsbury/index.php 020 7679 7221
3rd Floor, 15 Gordon Street
£255 for annual offer anytime membership or 3 months for £115
£200 for off peak offer anytime (excludes 11am – 7pm Mon-Fri) or 3 months for £85
Free induction. “Baz: we have rubber dumbbells ranging from 2kg-40kg and 2 Olympic bars with range of discs on a squat rack and bench press. Unfortunately we do not have kettle bells.”
B. City University, http://www.city.ac.uk/studentcentre/saddlers/join/prices.html
No Oly bars “Free weights to 48kg”
Annual: £370.00 Monthly: £37.50 Direct Debit: £32.50 £6.00 single visit
5 free weight stations. Pull up station. 3 rowers, some bars but narrow, not full length.
C. MAXIMUMS GYM LTD 82 ST JOHN STREET ISLINGTON LONDON EC1M4JN
Wasn’t there !
D. Juno, 61 Turnmill Street, London, EC1M 5PT. 020 7250 3489
Was women’s only Gym, but now appears to have closed.
E. THE CURZONS GYM 55 GRACECHURCH STREET CITY OF LONDON LONDON EC3V0EE – 020 7621 0911
Didn’t visit
F. The Fitness Exchange, 9 Devonshire Sq, London, EC2M 4WY. 020 7626 3161
Didn’t visit
G. Vie Health Club, 122 Clerkenwell Rd, London, EC1R 5DL 020 72788070, viehealthclubs.co.uk “comprehensive free weights area”.
6 free weights areas, some detachable bars, £63/month + joining free of zero to £100 depending on how they’re doing.
H. Aquaterra Premier Gyms, 1-11 Ironmonger Row, London, EC1V 3QF 020 7253 4011
Big swimming pool but small gym, only 2 free weight stations.
I. Slim Jims, 1 Finsbury Avenue, London, EC2M 2PF. 020 7247 9982
Didn’t visit
J. The Health Studio, 1 Pardon St, London, EC1V 0LR. 020 72531223
Actually called Drakes. Personal Training only. Very small place.
K. Chariots, Fairchild Street, London, EC2A 3NS. 020 7247 5333,
Didn’t visit
L. CUTLERS SQUASH & GYM CLUB LTD, 020 7614 4275, LAMBS CLUB, 1 LAMBS PASSAGE, ISLINGTON
LONDON EC1Y8LE – 020 7614 4275
Didn’t visit
M. CHAMBERLIN & GRANT LTD 1 FINSBURY AVENUE CITY OF LONDON LONDON EC2M2PF – 020 7247 9982
Didn’t visit
N. KINDER GYM (UK) LTD 20 LINCOLNS INN FIELDS CAMDEN LONDON WC2A3ED
Didn’t visit, suspected it’s a kids gym
O. Citypoint Club, Citypoint, 1 Ropemaker Street, London, EC2Y 9AW. 020 7920 6200
Didn’t visit
P. Body Reform, Cousin Lane, London, EC4R 3TE. 020 7283 3728,
Didn’t visit
Q. Fitness First Plc, 60-63 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8QD, 020 7490 3555
Wouldn’t let me in to see the place as there were “no membership consultants available”.
R. Holmes Place Plc, 33 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8LP, 020 7448 5454
Now Virgin Active. 2 Oly bars with possibly the room to use them, however rather light on available weights to use them. Don’t think there was enough for a decent dead lift for example, not without using every weight in the place!
£83/month for a 12 month contract.
£89/month with no contract, but can use any Virgin Gym (bar a few exceptions).
£40 joining fee
S. LA Fitness. 20 Little Britain, St Pauls, London, EC1A 7DH. 020 7600 0900 http://www.lafitness.co.uk/
Swimming pool, some free weights but all metal plates. 10 rowing machines.Club Peak (12 month) RRP: £46 / month
Web offer: £40 / month (12 month contract)
Pushed a “Quick Start” booklet at £30
T. Virgin Active, 333 Goswell Road, London, EC1V 7DG, 020 7014 9700
Didn’t visit
U. VIRGIN GYMS LTD, 9 CHEAPSIDE, CITY OF LONDON, LONDON EC2V6AT
Didn’t visit
V. 121 GYM 160 CITY ROAD LONDON EC1V2NP, 020 7336 0466
As their name suggests the 121 Gym offers a personal trainer service for its members. Appointments must be booked in advance and each session costs £40. They are located within the Complete Health Care Centre.
You may notice that the first 2 gyms are University gyms. This is a great tip as many people don’t realise that University gyms are typically open to the public too. Not only are they generally cheaper than “normal” gyms, their off-peak times are the wrong way round too. Given that students are typically in the gym during the day, when they should be in lectures(!) and in the bar in the evening, their off peak time is evenings and weekends, which makes them even cheaper. UCL for example is currently £200 for a years off peak membership!
However, on Thursday last week, I found the hidden gem: Bethnal Green Weight Lifting Club, which is less than 2 miles away from Farringdon. Not only do they have 3 pukka weight lifting platforms, 10 Eleiko Oly bars, loads of Eleiko weights, plus they have rowing machines, about 10 power lifting stations, loads of dumbbells. I need to confirm it, but I understand the cost will be £40 for a 13 week term at 1 night per week. That’s a bargain!
But even that’s not the best bit, I went this Tuesday evening and was coached in my lifting by the current British Olympic weightlifting record holder in the Snatch and Clean and Jerk and the 2002 Commonwealth Snatch gold medal winner: Giles Greenwood. His over 105kg weight record is 180kg (396lb) Snatch and 207.5kg (456lb) C&J. Just to put that in perspective, I can’t even lift 180kg off the floor, let alone throw it over my head!
On top of that, I also met Patrick Atteridge, a former British, European and World Masters Weightlifting champion and Masters Olympian. For example, again in 2002 Pat won Gold at the World championsips. Pat was telling me that Bethnal Green Weightlifting club has produced 241 champions in the 80 years it’s been open!
So basically, I’m as happy as Larry. 
I can do all the weightlifting I want, coached by champions, on my doorstep, it’s cheap as chips and I may get to introduce some of them to Crossfit too, you never know. 
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