Living with no regrets: 05/04/06

Thursday, May 04, 2006

People who live with passion Part 2 (Music is a universal language!)

Perhaps you have read my previous post where I mentioned that I was a prisoner in the world of computer science for all my University years. Part of the reason for that is that I had a bit of apprehension switching courses because IT is such a "sure fire, guaranteed job" kind of profession. Of course i got over that, but by that time it was too late to change without serious FINANCIAL consequences from the school. UGH.

But let me tell you guys about a friend of mine who was also in the computer sciences. He was wise and brave enough to change EARLY and follow his passion. Music.

I've known him for 8 years. He was good then. But hes fantastic now. When I hear him play the piano... its like a CD. He can take requests, he can play classics, he can play jazz...he can accompany singers... whoa. But its all because he wasnt afraid to leave the "lucrative" (nothing against CS guys, its just that i find no thrill in it) Comp science field and do what he loves. He ended up in the USA studying music. I look forward to cathing up with him. MSN messenger is just not the same:)

Here is the entry with the download. was having upload problems previously.

Learning the "hook" grip

"Hook Grip"

One of the most important components of lifting anything is grip. I have smallish, pudgy hands. The bigger the hand, the better the grip - Not a good thing for me. But so what... I have to work at it more thats all no excuse. I do static holds (just hold a heavy barbell 80kg or more in each hand for time) and wrist work. BUT the main thing that has helped my grip especially in the olympic lifts is a technique called the "hook" grip. As you can see in the picture above, the thumb goes UNDER the fingers, and the first and second finger press down on the thumb. This prevents the bar from "rolling" out of your hands. Thats GREAT news. The bad news is that it HURTS to do this. But with practice, the pain becomes normal and tolerable (took me 3 weeks of practice 3x a week to not notice the pain, but its 3 weeks well spent!).

Whats very helpful is chalk. I like the brand below I think its a rock climbing brand. Climbing/Lifting Chalk (not blackboard type) makes the fingers less slippery and the hook easier to perfrom. Be careful that you dont't leave a mess. Gyms are whiny about that.

Worlds cheapest "gold" $4 per block

With this grip the bar feels really tight and secure in the hands. I believe the body knows this and will allow you to control a heavier weight. I used to need lifting straps to do snatches but with the hook grip those are history!:)

85KG power snatch with hook grip @81kg bodyweight