“You have to know where you are and know what your issues are in order to get to where you want to be.”
- Kendrick Farris
Credit: Chris Bruno
Arguably, there are few better ways to train and practice Olympic lifting technique than to work with a two-time U.S. Olympic team weightlifter.
On Dec. 8 and 9, Kendrick Farris stopped at Shoreline CrossFit in Connecticut as part of his Bless the Gym tour, an Olympic lifting seminar that focuses on perfecting the fundamentals of the snatch and the clean and jerk. Farris was the only U.S. male to qualify for the Olympics this year in London.
Nearly 20 Shoreline athletes forked over $200 a piece to participate in the seminar for five hours.
Farris worked with groups of three to four people, breaking down both lifts. He rotated among the groups and worked with some athletes on an individual basis when needed. Athletes used PVC pipes as Farris showed them the proper positions of each lift. The first three hours of the seminar focused on technique, with little use of loaded barbells, Shoreline member Dylan Minter says.
Minter organized the event.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring him in because he’s a really positive guy, he’s incredibly motivational and, obviously, he’s a big name,” Minter adds.
“I knew that our Olympic lifters would love it, but (the snatch and clean and jerk) are common ground for all CrossFit athletes. (Farris) also has a great message and I thought that would have a lot of value for our members.”
Farris’ message: Keep it simple.
“One of the best parts of the seminar was that Kendrick didn’t get too technical,” Minter says. “He focused on the athlete. (Farris) is an athlete, not a coach, so he knew how to share his techniques with a personal approach.”
After the seminar, Matt Murphy, member of Shoreline CrossFit since it opened in 2009, says he’s made changes in the way he mentally approaches Olympic lifting.
“I assumed that we were going to spend most of the time moving a lot of weight, but it was really the opposite,” he explains. “Kendrick showed us how to move more efficiently and not to overthink the movement. He said just to let it happen and let my body take over. Now I feel like a completely different athlete.”
In addition to technique, Farris also talked about goal setting. In a question-and-answer session at the end of the seminar, Farris shared his ideas on how to get to the next level as an athlete.
“I tell people to keep things simple and be honest with themselves,” he says. “You have to know where you are and know what your issues are in order to get to where you want to be.”
Despite the hefty price, Minter says he feels Shoreline members got their money’s worth from the seminar with the Olympian.
“As long as members benefited — and based on the buzz at the gym and the Internet, I think they did,” he says, “that’s enough for me.”
