Mel on Mickey D's Cups
Has there ever been a US weightlifter on a Wheaties box? Not yet.Strength: Overcoming Tradition & Assumptions
The term "strength" comes with many images and stereotypes. The most common stereotype usually includes intimidating men who look like action figures, in spaces that look like iron jungles. Strength is associated with mass gain, limb girth increases, muscle hypertrophy and maximal force production against an external load. With regard to lower body strength, we speak in terms of multiples of bodyweight (BW), with the ratio of 2x BW historically viewed as necessary and desirable. We have historically trained in terms of 1 RM. There has been a trend recently to adopt a VBT (velocity based training) approach, as we know 1 RM changes on a daily basis and technology now allows us to more finely tune things with velocity as the target within each set. These things can be helpful as we initially learn to measure and document progress. But I think it is important to step back from this narrow outlook, because this view of strength does not serve all of us well, in either the rehab or...
Comments
I'd hate for some young person to make a connection between drinking soda from a McDonald's cup to being Olympic in nature ("eat and drink McDonald's food and you can be just like her!").
I'm wishing Melanie the best! Good luck!
Alex
This is a financial opportunity of a lifetime few weightlifters get. The $500 a month they get from USAW is a drop in the bucket to the training, travel, coaching and medical care expenses they incur, if they are not resident athletes at the OTC.
Now, also think about child care (3 kids under 7)--to have a few hours a week to yourself to keep your marriage together--and the thousands of dollars in one-on-one therapy and support services a special needs child may need for the rest of his adult life.
An apt in Beijing for the family to accompany an athlete runs up to $500 per day during the Olympics; airfare is $1300-$1800 each for mom, mother-in-law, son, husband, personal coach. Plus you have to pay for the room and board for your personal coach for the two week training camp prior to the competition as USAW is only paying for 5 days.
Every penny helps. And this athlete relishes every opportunity to break the stereotype of the female weightlifter. So, she takes the good with the less than optimal and does the best she can with it.