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hey all, loving this paleo thing, and want to start crossfit (as crossfit is what introduced me to this whole life saving scene) at the end of the year. still working on getting my black belt in krav maga so kinda busy as you would guess. regardless, want to start doing some olympic style lifting to gear up for crossfit. looking for a book if possible to help, as i am a super book nerd. thanks peeps.

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7 Answers

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I see people have already recommended Everett's book and Pendlay's videos. They're great and will definitely help you.

but...

O-lifting is a deep skill. You really need a skilled coach to work with you. I say this not as a skilled coach but as a guy who's been working on his sub-par o-lifts for a long time - and has only made progress thanks to some solid coaching.

Imagine trying to learn your martial arts all by yourself and just by watching Youtube videos. You'd miss out on nearly everything, right? Same deal here.

By all means get Everett's book and watch Pendlay's videos - you'll learn a lot. But as soon as possible try to find a knowledgeable coach to work with you directly.

Good luck with your training!

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i'm hoping the peeps at my nearest CROSSFIT gym would be willing/able. I got a buddy who used to be a trainer but his "o" lifing knowledge isn't great. hope books/video will give me a good background and i'll find someone when I really start – ReformedVEGAN Jan 20 2011 at 17:25
Great answer. My O lifts aren't great either but I've gotten to where I'm at only due to finally good coaching. On your own you are screwed with the O lifts. – ben61820 Apr 27 2011 at 1:52
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This is a completely AWESOME book, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches by Greg Everett. I have never seen such a detailed description of how to do things. Step by step on grip, stance, fantastic tips for beginners and great reminders for people that know what they are doing.

http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Weightlifting-Complete-Athletes-Coaches/dp/0980011116/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295486155&sr=1-2-spell

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Great book and Greg runs an awesome site cathletics.com for programming. – malac Jan 20 2011 at 3:54
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"Beyond Brawn" by Stuart McRobert is a fantastic resource.

Here

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Not crossfit, but invaluable – Todd Jan 20 2011 at 0:47
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Be careful with CrossFit. It's really easy to get injured!

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I feel you there, jbone. Although I haven't really tried it whole hog with a trainer, I have incorporated some CF exercises into my very random training inside the gym. I'm an endurance athlete: long distance trail runner_ and I saw the CrossFit Games and I thought to myself,'That's AWESOME!!! I'm NEVER doing that!'The risk of blowing something out and not being able to run in training suggested to me that extreme CF is probably at cross purposes with endurance training BUT incorporating some of the exercises have added another dimension and some fun into my regular routine. – polynesian_metal Jul 29 at 17:05
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Glen Pendlay has some most excellent videos on o-lifts:

http://www.californiastrength.com/olwete.html

Also, here's a youtube series on powercleans that I found very useful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSc3B7ssfps

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'FilthApe' is right. I watched countless videos and got tips from other 'lifters' on technique and thought I understood, but my lifts were still lacking. I got really discouraged until I started lifting with a coach. He pinpointed small things that were seriously holding me back. I'm just now beginning to understand the intricacies of more complex lifts(that doesn't mean I can execute them yet) after 3 months of CrossFit.

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I just came across this thread and even though it's a little dated, I would like to add my opinion. I agree that it's best to have a coach, however (in the U.S. at least) there are a dearth of Olympic Style coaches, depending on where you live.

As somebody mentioned, go to the Pendlay site and check out his videos. A really great book to get is Tommy Kono's "Weightlifting Olympic Style". The "Weightlifting Encyclopedia" is another book that is often recommended. It's a great book, but has almost too much information, especially for the beginner. However, there is a companion DVD called, "The Weightlifting Encyclopedia Companion DVD" that I highly recommend.

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