The 2nd Pull Interview Series
Today on the 2nd pull we are starting a new blog entry. I am going to interview via email prominent people in the strength and conditioning world.
The first entry is in my opinion the BOSS. He is a former division I-AA football player, a World Champion powerlifter, who broke Ed Coan’s all time total record, and a former Olympic weightlifting hopeful who trained at the Olympic Training Center. Today he is a resident of the greater Charlotte, NC area where he owns his own training facility and trains athletes and weekend warriors at Mash Elite Performance. Travis Mash is the first entry in the 2nd Pull Interview series, enjoy his knowledge bombs.
2nd Pull: What are the benefits of going from powerlifting to weightlifting?
TM: The only benefit would be the obvious strength. Shane Hammons showed the world what strength alone is capable of doing. However the best situation is to start out from an early age at least practicing the lifts at some level.
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> 2nd Pull: When are you and Jon North going to host a weightlifting meet?
TM: Soon I hope. We are both very busy, but we both share the same passion for Olympic Weightlifting. Part of that passion for the both of us is to put on meets here in North Carolina. We want to grow this beloved sport of ours, and introduce it to as many people as possible.
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> 2nd Pull: What advice do you have for someone who trains alone?
TM: First learn to miss the squats properly! Personally I would find an online coach that could look at my videos to tell me if I am on the right path. A lot of times we think that we are performing the movement properly, but in reality we are not even close. I would also seek out an expert to help with my programming. I was blessed to have two time Olympian Wes Barnett as my first coach.
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> 2nd Pull: What is the best and worst advice you have gotten pertaining to weightlifting?
TM: The best advice was to think stand up tall through the heals rather than think jump when performing either lift. Standing up tall, fast, and explosively puts one in the proper positions throughout the Clean or Snatch. The worst advice was to squat then squat more! A great coach knows that if someone can Front Squat way more than they Clean, then this person needs more volume and time in the lift. If someone can Front Squat 200k and Cleans 195k, then squat and squat some more.
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> 2nd Pull: If given a choice would you rather have a trainer/coach with more book knowledge or more under the bar knowledge?
TM: Definitely more under the bar knowledge! I don't know what books they are reading, but someone who has been there knows the trials and struggles. Obviously in a perfect world it's good to find a coach who has both.
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> 2nd Pull: Is the lack of assistance work in most weightlifting programs a limiting factor in increasing lifts?
TM: I believe the Russians and Chinese have showed the world that assistance work has its place. If nothing else, a lifter should be preventing injuries with their assistance work. Weightlifters perform an enormous amount of pressing overhead, but very little pulling. This causes a major imbalance. If a lifter would add pull-ups alone, shoulder injuries could be minimized. The longer that a lifter can practice without a major injury the more chance of success.
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> 2nd Pull: How do you approach teaching the snatch and clean and jerk? Do you go from the top down like Pendlay or something else?
TM: I'm a Pendlay guy, so top down it is. I prefer that a lifter can Front Squat, Overhead Squat, and can press from the Jerk Position properly before getting into the performance of the lifts. If they can't, then I handle whatever issue they might have first.
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> 2nd Pull: How have you found inner peace?
TM: That's easy man! Christ! I spent most of my life trying to prove to the world that I am something special or different. Now I spend my time trying to show the world that Christ is Everything. That's a much easier task my friend. I still want to do great things while on this earth, but now I have different motivations. I want to help others in as many ways as possible, and I want to show the world God's love. Inner Peace is a promise that God makes to us several times in the bible Galatians 5:22-23.
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2nd Pull: What do you do to remain positive everyday?
TM: I am blessed beyond understanding, and I realize this. I get to do exactly what I love doing, so I really never have to work. I go to my facility to hang out with my Mash Elite Family, and I go to the Attitude Nation and hang out with my adopted family. I spend all of my time trying to help and love others, so at the end of the day I realize I am doing exactly what God put me on this earth to do. When I look back at my life, I laugh thinking just how the Hand of God was on my life leading me to this exact moment in time. I don't believe that there are any accidents, so my advice is to enjoy the ride that God has planned for you and love as many people along the way
Travis Mash can be found at www.masheliteperformance.com and he can be heard on Tuesdays and Wednesdays on the podcast Weightlifting Talk.
