Today I had a diagnose by my neurologist that has made my decision to withdraw from competing in 2015 final. I attempted to accomplish some things in Brazil that faced serious opposition by forces that benefitted from the way things were (basically, delinquent). The reactions didn’t come as rational discussions, but rather systematic attacks, sabotage, […]
Withdrawing from competition for the rest of 2015 Read More »
Late on August 2015, Johnny Vasquez, Powerlifting Watch (PLW) owner, approached me with a proposal: help him with creating content for PLW. He is getting busier and busier with record keeping, ranking systems and other services that PLW provides to the community. Fishing for lifting news was consuming his non-existent spare time. He was very
There is treasure everywhere Read More »
This is another of those potentially boring articles based on reason, as opposed to passion. Beliefs concerning the superiority of one form of lifting over the other have been addressed by various authors. The idea that raw lifting is a return to the roots of the sport has been debunked, as historians of the
When raw or equipped are not really choices, but health decisions Read More »
After all, does a soft, neoprene knee sleeve have any effect over a squat, a snatch or a clean and jerk? A good orthopedist will positively tell you: from a mechanical point of view, NO. A knee sleeve offers no mechanical support. This is why it is allowed in raw (or unequipped) powerlifting competitions. A
Knee sleeves: what we know and what we don’t Read More »
I have just been asked a question about the lifting belt: Daniel – Thank you Marilia! I am essentially asking what is a reasonable point at which to begin using a lifting belt for squats and deadlifts. I have observed a lot of people using a lifting belt with very small weights and I
A question about the lifting belt: will using it make you weaker? Read More »
Nowhere is home. After a while, it doesn’t matter anymore. Home materializes and then vanishes. Home is a transient state of recognition, of self-recognition and of remembrance. I was at home in Detroit but I wasn’t exactly in Detroit. I was at a Marriott hotel, far from downtown, where usually pilots and airlines personnel are
There are a couple of things that really bother me in the strength training blogosphere. The most annoying and dangerous is the habit of generalizing statements and making universal claims like “you should drink at least a gallon of milk every two days”, “accessory work is unnecessary for powerlifting”, “do military press if you want
Why I don’t do crossfit: the rhetoric and the argument Read More »
Many physicians are skeptical as to the alleged effect of elastic therapeutic tapes on injury treatment or athletic performance. The scientific literature supports both skepticism and effectiveness, suggesting a condition of technical and scientific controversy many new treatments go through.
Are elastic therapeutic bands actually effective or just another fad? Read More »
It has been 69 days since I was released from the hospital with the prediction that I would never lift again and prescriptions to wear a rigid corset for six months, in total immobilization, no bending of the torso and obviously no lifting or exercising at all. As is well known, I benched 5 days
The little things and the big things: the hand break and the three digit kilo squat Read More »
The deal I made with myself was to record, every day, the things and events that I could see as having benefitted me. It was a conscious attempt to confront unproductive and/or destructive mental habits. After so many recent ordeals, I thought I had found an elegant system to avoid self-victimization. I blew it: many
