Virtualmeet.net

Our first weightlifting meet will go down on very short notice, much like our first powerlifting meet.  ;D Expect the calculator, rules and meet sign-up by the end of this week.

Rule-wise, there should be no surprises. Standard technical rules for the clean and jerk and the snatch, standard virtualmeet.net videotaping and clothing rules plus standard virtualmeet.net equipment rules (no bumper plates required, although they of course do make life easier). Scoring will happen based on Siff's weightlifting coefficients with age coefficients used for master lifters.

Meanwhile, all comments and questions are warmly welcome here.

Get ready.  :)

Count me in!   ( For the 4th - Saturday )

Excellent! :)

About 3-4 people here. I'll get them to register soon.

This is starting to sound good!

Do we have anyone who is interested/capable of judging the meet? I have a few sources I can ask from, but let's just say that there will be no judge fallback called Kris for this meet as this particular fellow does not have the needed experience for that job. ;)

I'll be lifting. Great to see this much interest so fast.

Kat got me interested.  Although that is the weekend Jim Schmitz is teaching a USAW certification clinic at my gym, I'll try to recover Sunday night and get some footage on Monday, the 5th. It will be a warm up for some upcoming meets I want to compete in.

Yessssss! Eggsellent. Count on Conrad to bring it.

Meanwhile, I've emailed Jim to see whether he'll judge... fingers crossed...

Whoa! Things are REALLY starting to move forward nicely now.

Welcome to Virtualmeet.net Chip!

Fingers crossed indeed, to have Jim Schmitz judge the meet would really be something else. :)

I got the relative strength calculator updated with the weightlifting scoring now, but it will need some more testing before I release it as I rewrote most of it. I will try to get the first weightlifting rules draft out and the registration process started within the next 24 hours. At that time, there will be a thread where everyone can post feedback or suggestions. Based on that, I will tweak the rules as needed.

This should be fun, enjoy being virtual weightlifting pioneers. :)

It is........ NOW! (http://virtualmeet.net/community/forum/announcements/251/0/)

I have started e-mailing out the lifter information which contains all the details on how to upload the attempts etc. after the meet. Kat, Alexander, Tsvetan and Lazar: you should have received mail. If not, please check your spam folder. Gmail has been known to dislike the meet information e-mails.

Four lifters are in now. Chip and Jamie: would you please also post your registration on the meet sign-up thread (http://virtualmeet.net/community/forum/meet-talk/249/0/) if you are still in please? This implies that you have read the rules etc.

Only one day left to sign-up!  :)

I have my e-mail right in my inbox.

My mistake - I have only the follow-up e-mail with the attached file. No other e-mail. Would you please send the first one again?

My bad. I have it right here.

Tsvetan, was it in your inbox or your spam folder? I did some small changes to the mail, but basically something in there triggers the gmail spam filters. I've been meaning to test it, but haven't had the time to get around to that yet.

Folks, 9 hours left to sign up if anyone is still thinking about it.

It was in my Spam folder, and I missed it because I have a couple of e-mail adresses forwarded to one.

Another funny thing: Google labels it
:o

Ah, thanks for that info. Then part of the issue is with the e-mail headers. I use a centralized mail server for several domains, and the headers probably shows that the mail is coming from a mail server in another domain. Suspect mail headers will raise the spam score and then when it also finds some phrases or keywords that frequently occur in spam it will push it above the spam threshold. Will fix.

FYI I got the same from my gmail - spam and the same warning message.

Yeah, all mail probably passes through the same filters so the odds that all gmail users will find the meet info email in their junk folder are rather high. The main thing now is that you are aware of the issue and know where to find it.

Anyone know anyone who would be interested in judging?

Waiting to hear back from two people... fingers crossed!

Update: Jamie Jamieson has verified that he has read the rules and is in the meet.

Another update: Ron Dysktra (http://virtualmeet.net/ron/) has agreed to judge. Many thanks Ron! Also, thanks to Kat (http://virtualmeet.net/mightykat/) for introducing him to the site. We also have some other pending inquiries and I'm fairly optimistic that we will be able to get the judges we need by the time the video is in.

Chip Conrad has confirmed that he is out of the meet due to a schedule conflict. This means that the final lifter count is five. This is quite ideal for a first meet as it let's us start out on a comfortable scale. I will soon update the registration thread with the final lifter line-up.

Two lifters have now completed their uploads. Tomorrow we should be done with the upload phase. :)

Three out of five lifters submitted their lifts. Jamie Jamieson and Lazar Radkov apparently dropped out, no word from either of them.

As soon as we locate the two outstanding judges I will move the meet forward to judging. I have been in contact with a few candidates, but have received very few answers. If anyone is interested or knows someone who is, please let me know. Remember, you don't have to be a real world judge, knowing a bad lift from a good lift is enough as you are able to replay each lift for as many times as you want before you give your call. :)

I'll keep you posted.

Kris, If you need me as a judge, for the weightlifting meet. Let me know. I  watched enough Olympic style lifting as a youngster to know a good lift from a bad one.  Ron Villani

Ron, much appreciated, you're on. :) I'll send you the usual details once the meet is ready to judge.

One more needed.

I just emailed Krista again. She may come through.

I can't wait to see the result.
Weightlifting at the Olympics was really exciting to watch.

Yeah, right? I mean, why watch people wear themselves out running forever, when you can watch the lifts? If you saw them live, I'm envious!

Live like in live television.  :)

Hee hee

Update: the hunt for the last judge goes on behind the scene. We currently have several open inquiries, but again, if anyone here feels capable of judging don't hesitate to raise your arm o/.

GREAT NEWS! Brent Kim (http://virtualmeet.net/brentstayshungry/), winner of the first ever virtualmeet (http://virtualmeet.net/meets/200702pl/) in February 2007 and a competitive weightlifter, has agreed to judge. With Ron Dykstra (http://virtualmeet.net/ron/) and Ron Villani (http://virtualmeet.net/ironman50/) already on board, we have what we need and can move forward.

Update to follow on Sunday.

Yes!! Thanks everyone for pressing forward! That stone is starting to budge...

The meet has been passed to the judges. As usual, they have a full week to finish their judging. With only three participants in, it is of course possible that the meet will be done earlier. As usual, the judging progress can be followed in the box above this forum.

In other developments, I will post the 2009 meet schedule proposal tomorrow. I had planned to release it earlier, but first wanted to get a feel for how this first weightlifting meet is turning out.

Stay tuned!  :)

67% done. :)

Update: seems like the judging will be completed on Wednesday. I will then start preparing the meet for judging, probably on Thursday given the time difference between North America (where the judges are) and Finland (where I am). Since this is the first weightlifting meet, I expect that I will face some tinkering, but the results should be out well before the end of the this week.

The meet has now been judged. I will start working on getting the meet out tomorrow.

A HUGE THANKS to Ron Dykstra, Ron Villani and Brent Kim for taking the time to make this first virtual weightlifting meet get off the ground by judging. :)

not a problem

i've come to love watching the sport at almost all levels ... i like to see athletes challenge themselves

This old irondog enjoys helping out, when I can. Thanks,  Ron Villani

Had a busy weekend, but the meet has now been released (http://virtualmeet.net/meets/200810wl/) and the rankings (http://virtualmeet.net/rankings/) updated. The lift trackers have also been updated with the new logo, and for those who lifted in this meet, new lifts. Speaking of which, Kat's homepage (http://virtualmeet.net/mightykat/) is starting to look rather impressive with a full array of powerlifts and weightlifts.

It was a thrill to see the lifts, hopefully all you lifters enjoyed the experience. Again, big thanks to all lifters and judges for getting us off to a good start with virtual weightlifting. :) Time to get some sleep, I'll tune in tomorrow.

i liked the fight that kat showed on her third attempt snatch ... it was an exciting attempt, and it definitely seems like she's capable of completing the lift with three white lights with maybe a little overhead squatting ? her arms didn't unlock until she was on the way up, with a stronger overhead rack that weight would not be a question

her performance in the c+j was great, judging from the clean i thought she would have to fight extremely hard to make the jerk at 95lbs, and after a tired-looking dip-and-drive she came through with a really strong lockout under the bar. we as athletes and "theory lifters" can talk as much as we like about driving the bar up explosively in the jerk, or getting under the bar fast enough to catch it at lockout, but a hard, max-effort jerk will always come down to how hard and how aggressively you're willing to hold it in position overhead, and i think Kat's tenacity here exemplifies that

i thought mr. vasilev's opening attempts looked pretty sharp, but maybe his weight selections were a little too aggressive. 20% and 25% jumps are huge in technical movements like the snatch and c+j! but with a little more strength training and some more confidence, a 10k jump here and there shouldn't be as challenging as it was in that particular meet

alexander has a really explosive push press! with just a little practice in timing and getting used to moving underneath the bar, all of those jerks should look ridiculously easy. i thought his power cleans looked strong, too, limiting factor is obviously with the jerk.

pretty cool meet, was exciting to watch and judge

call me Ts :)

we learned the moves as we warmed up. Alexander has a great deadlift and a decent clean, but squatting under the weight is not his ambition. we sure will see him in the powerlifting, which is his sport of choice.

as for me - I just bombed out. no excuses. will kick ass some other time :)

the meet was a great experience. I'll meet again.

Thanks for the opportunity to judge the virtual meet. 

Kat, you showed guts and determination, as well as a very real technical understanding of the lifts.  The suggestion that you work on overhead squat was a good one.  There seems to be a bit of a timing issue with your second pull/jumping into the low position of the snatch.  Really concentrate on finishing the pull, and get tall with the weight, before you jump down.

Plus, it seems as if you are making the stomp maybe a little more important than it is (opinions vary on this).  Coach Mike Burgener suggests that simply skimming the feet out to the width you need for the squat is more efficient than doing a big jump up and stomp.  Give that a try, if you want.  Nice jerk, by the way.

I thought that people in Bulgaria grew up doing the O-lifts, so Ts's comment that they learned the lifts while warming up was an eye opener for me!  If that is the case, then simply try to lift with more accomplished lifters, guys, and you will see the speed, accuracy and technique that you should emulate.  Even watching videos can help a lot with this.  Get those elbows up!  Way up!  Whip the elbows underneath the bar, and keep the elbows and shoulders high before the jerk.

A lot more aggression in the jerks, and you should see the bar flying up, and get a few more white lights.  If you are going to power jerk, still try to dip under the bar.  A fast press is not the same as a jerk.  The bar needs to fly to arm's length.

Thanks again for the opportunity to judge the lifts.  I hope this will give more people the chance to learn and contest the lifts.  Kudos to all of Kris's work setting this up.  Very cool.

Ron D

Yeah, hats off to Tsvetan and Alexander for jumping right in. Never even tried the Olympic lift with a broom stick in my life (although I have read Milo (http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/ironmind/MILO/Journal_Home.html) for a few years), but I'm starting to feel a very real itch to learn the lifts. Think I have a weightlifting meet upcoming soon... If anyone else is up for a bit of what-the-heck-let's-do-it spirit we could pick a meet to target (the April meet?) and start a thread for helping and motivating each other. Anyone up for the challenge? :)

I'm also starting to see a real need for a video upload feature so people could upload training clips for technique review without having to go all the way with YouTube.

This kind of detailed feedback is so valuable. Thanks for taking the time to post it! Thanks both for being so encouraging.

When my snatch is off, I find the bar is too far in front of me when I'm at the bottom of the squat - input welcome. My snatches aren't always such trainwrecks; I suspect pulling from the floor with my lil' plates threw me off, since I hadn't done that before the meet (I usually elevate the bar to standard height) but yes, the overhead squat is the most challenging component for me to execute in my day-to-day training, and I know it's a technique issue first.

I was surprised to see the variations on the C&J performed in our meet. I was also surprised to see we're all similar phenotypes. 

Thanks everyone who participated. The stone is laid, now we can build.

Kat,

re: bar being in front of you at the bottom of the snatch

Ron's technical comment:

There seems to be a bit of a timing issue with your second pull/jumping into the low position of the snatch.  Really concentrate on finishing the pull, and get tall with the weight, before you jump down. (emphasis mine)

generally, if the bar is forward, you almost always assume that you cut the pull short

"stand tall" is exactly the cue that i use on a repeat attempt when i dump a snatch in front

and the smaller plates probably did throw you off quite a bit, anyway, that's a long first pull to get past and maneuver your knees around

i think one of the best drills to use early on - and in general - is 1 snatch + 1 overhead squat ... i still sometimes do this on a weekly basis on medium or heavy days. i think you would benefit a lot from this particular complex, if you're not doing this already

Now that's news I can use. Thank you sincerely.

Come on people! It's Eastern Europe, not gladiator school. If you go to a specialised sports school, you'll start weightlifting at the age of 12. If not - there's very little chance to lear the lifts correctly.

Yesterday I had a training session with a former Oly lifter. Know what we did? 10 sets of dips supersetted with flyes, both 12 reps per set.
Weightlifters here start at an early age and get a lot of practice.

We'll have some home schooling for the next meet, and I really hope to do better! We/I have a great lot of ideas for the lifts, and the rest is practice.

Thanks for the feedback. I sure will be glad if someday you could comment on some training videos.

Great job all participants and judges and of course Kris for making this happen.

Tsvetan, you guys have an awesome gym to lift in(although a bit loud :-) ). Is this in Sofia?

I want to thank everybody here for the meet!
Thanks to the judges for the clues and comments.

I'll see you again in December :)

Cheers

P.S. Would be really nice if it is possible to upload training videos here for comments and advices.

BWAHAHAHAHA!!! This is awesome. It's true, we think you're all doing these all the time. Every streetcorner, every cafe, full of weightlifting huge weight....

Sofia, yes. One of the most hard-core gyms - The Sports Club of Bodybuilding at the Central Sports Club of the Army. (http://www.fitness-cska.com/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=76&catid=4) The only free access gym with a weightlifting platform.

Thanks. Prices seem fairly reasonable too.

Reiterating the obvious, this thread is among the best things that have happened here to date. With all the generous and helpful feedback (plus other funny and interesting tidbits like the gladiator school metaphor :D), I think the ability to upload training clips for feedback would be a timely and valuable addition to the site. I will get on it as soon as possible, still have a few more urgent tasks to complete for the site first. If anyone has any suggestions for how this could work, let me know.

And Alexander: happy to hear that you already have your sight set on the December powerlifting meet.  :)