Olympic Games Outfitting

In one of my first posts I remember discussing clothing but it was mainly about being a plus-sized athletes and the challenges that comes with it. Sometimes, regardless of your size, you forget about your size and you're just you. It's not a big deal until you do something and it almost feels impossible to fit in. I had a few of those moments in these past weeks of doing media summits and photo shoots.

Please don't interpret all I write as a complaint. It is merely a realization of the clothing in the fitness industry I feel need to be brought to light.

Before heading to NY for the P&G announcement, I had a photo shoot. We were supposed to wear white button up shirts. The woman's shirts that were provided were too small in the back and the shoulders. My only option was wearing a man's shirt. It was very ill fitting and I was feeling pretty self conscious about it. I hate not being able to wear a majority of woman's clothing. When I got to NY they had a different man's shirt for me to wear that was much better looking. I rolled the sleeves up and tried to look as feminine as possible.  My mother was the only mother there who hadn't a jacket like the other moms because there wasn't one provided in her size.

The following week I went to Dallas for a media summit. There were tons of interviews, photos, videos, and anything else media related you could think of. We were given a goodie bag with clothes we were supposed to wear. My team mate Holley and I both received woman's clothes in the largest sizes possible through Nike up to 3Xs as well as well as Ralph Lauren but their woman's clothes come only to an XL. We tried one shirt on after another with no success only to end up once again, in men's clothes.

In a previous shoot I did in Hollywood, I had the same issues but, I took a picture to show the difference between a men's XL and a woman's. Here lies a problem I see so frequently it's upsetting. How are both of these shirts an XL? What message are clothing companies saying to our women? Sometimes it feels like they are saying, "It's ok for men to be a certain size but, not you." Women are often forced to be in a certain size bracket or it's too bad so sad.

In Dallas, I remember meeting USAW's Nike rep and she said, "I specifically told them to put 3Xs in there for you guys." Well, they did but a woman's 3X is bogus. It's like a men's 1.5X almost a 2X.. I tried on a men's 2X jacket and it fit fine. Holley and I just wore men's clothes for our shoots.

There were two rooms at the media summit. A Nike room and a Ralph Lauren room. These rooms were basically there to give us a little preview of the clothes that were to be provided to us for the Games. Let me first say that, I am very thankful to be getting nice, new, clothes to represent the USA in. I mostly have concerns for what I am actually going to be able to wear.

In the Nike room, I saw a lot of clothes I would like to wear but, I know they will not have women's clothes in my size or if they are "my size" they will still be ill-fitting. Even though this is the case, I can still get away with wearing men's clothes and not feel too out of place.

In the Polo Ralph Lauren room, it was way more obvious to me the difficulties I will have. I was talking to a representative there and she ensured me that "Everything will fit. I promise. If it doesn't you can yell at me." If they do have women's clothes in sizes that will fit the plus sized women, I will be surprised and greatly pleased for them to have taken us into consideration.

If they don't however, have extended sizes, our options are extremely limited. The main reason is because the men's and women's clothes are very gender dominant. There are no unisex clothes or clothes that could work either way. A casual look they had for the women was a polo dress and the counter was a pair of men's shorts, and a sweater vest/shirt thing. If I can't fit into the dress, is my only option is the men's outfit? No thank you.

Even though, I have been promised to have clothes that fit, please notice the size differences between the men and women on their website for their Olympic Collection:

Polo Women's Sizes
VS.
Polo Men's Sizes

The women's sizes go up to an XL while the men's go to a 6X.

I am not alone in this. There are other larger women on the Olympic Team this year. There have been for many years now. I wish with that in mind, there would have been more consideration for us. All people who qualify for the Olympics and get outfitting should feel included, comfortable, and ready to shine. I am a woman. I want to look and feel like one. I want to fit in with my team mates.

Am I going to sit here and cry about it? No. What am I doing to make change? Every time I get to talk about body image or my blog, I jump on it even in interviews. I spoke with Nike and Polo representatives and mentioned the issues. If no one speaks up or just accepts what's been handed to them, positive change will not happen. I want future athletes to be happy, comfortable and included. I want the fashion industry to rethink their ideas of what a female athlete can look like.

I have entered Under Armour's, "What's Beautiful?" Contest. My goal is to redefine the female athlete by being the example. I want to show the fitness clothing industry that athletes come in all shapes and sizes. Women come in all shapes and sizes. Athletic clothes should be available to all of us.

 Please support me in my cause and follow me as I prove that "Beauty is Strength." Hopefully, If I am one of the finalists, or the winner, I can have an influence on Under Armour and other brands to rethink what they design and make is accessible to a broader range of women.

What's Beautiful Contest-My profile

Squatting to improve your clean

I was asked recently to do a post about how to use the squat to improve your clean.
There are two different squats weightlifters use: front and back. We all have out own reasons for doing either or both exercises.  Some lifters only do front and some just back squat.

For me, we believe in doing both squats. Front squats however, bother my shoulders for some reason so we mostly just do them when we start getting into more of doing full lifts in preparation for a competition. Most of the time I am back squatting.

I'm not going to give you some repetition scheme to follow but I will explain why each version is important and it'll be up to you and your coach to figure out what you'd like to do.

Front Squats:
Front Squats I believe are most important for position strength. If you can develop strength, power, and flexibility in this position your cleans will be better. If you can clean close to what you front squat, it demonstrates how efficient of a lifter you are. I am a terrible example of efficiency, so you all know. When I am not front squatting, I view my cleans as a way of front squatting. I am still moving through that position albeit not quite the same results. 

Back Squats:
I feel this generates overall strength. I focus a lot on back squats since I am pained occasionally from front squats. That way I am strong enough to handle the clean even if I haven't done front squats in a while. Some people are limited my their wrist/triceps flexibility so their only option is to back squat. However, if you can't front squat, your likelihood of performing a clean properly is slim.

Some people believe in only front squatting to develop strength, power, and efficiency in that position. Most usually combine the two. Typically a weightlifter can be doing at least 6 squat sessions a week with front squat in the mornings and back squat in the evenings.

One of my favorite ways to squat is to use the front squat as a warm up. First you squat up to a heavy triple, double or single as a front squat and after that, you get started on your back squats and work all the way up to your work sets. I think this is a great way to add variety to your squat regimen.

Whatever your needs are, work with your coach and discuss them with him/her and get squatting!

Happy Day!
Sarah Robles

NBC Nightly News Special

Just got done with some filming with NBC. Y'all are going to get to know me better whether you like it or not. Haha.

Here's a sample of some older work they've done:
 http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/35486528#35486528

I'm very thankful for the opportunity.

Technique Tuesday- Arm Lock out

Sometimes it's difficult for people to have the proper arm lock out in the overhead lifts. Today, I want to focus on the Snatch.

I believe the most important aspects of a successful lockout are:
Speed of turnover/Location of bar
Strength 
Flexibility

An ideal turnover to me means the elbows are facing the ceiling, the wrists are turned over, there is no press-out, and the bar is behind the ears.

The bar is straight over the body and behind the ears

The elbows are facing the ceiling, the arms are straight and the wrists are turned over

Speed of turnover: 
Your speed/timing of turn over or lack thereof will determine the location of the bar overhead. The turnover must be fast and deliberate. With just the right amount of speed and timing, and that bar is in the sweet spot.

Location of the bar: 
A.) Too passive of a turnover leaves the bar out in front of the athlete. This is caused by the athlete not putting enough "pop" into the second pull or doesn't "break" their arms. This results in a missed lift in front or causes the athlete to overcompensate by pulling the bar backwards. Pulling the bar back puts unnecessary stress on the upper back and other muscles of the shoulder girdle.

B.) An early turnover is when the athlete somehow manages to lock their arms out but, too soon. This is usually caused by the athlete being impatient and trying to get under the bar too soon instead of waiting for their second pull to be completed causing the same problems discussed in point "a"

C.) A delayed turnover, leaves the bar behind the athlete. This is caused sometimes by pushing their hips into the bar causing it to loop or a lack of understanding of timing.This results in a missed lift behind or causes the athlete to overcompensate by pulling the bar forward stressing the rotator cuff and the anterior muscles of the shoulder girdle.

Strength:
If the athlete simply does not have the strength or the stability to hold any weight overhead, the lock out will not be successful. Even with experienced athlete, this is something that can always be improved. Being stronger means being able to hold positions better and have a greater capacity to improve in the overhead lifts. 

Flexibility:
It has been said many times and is true: "The greatest limiting factor in weightlifting is 'flexibility.'" The athlete must be flexible enough to be able to have the bar overhead comfortably or else, overhead lifts can become extremely restricted. On the contrary, however rare it may be, hyper flexibility can be an issue. Some people are super flexible but need to be taught good timing and have the strength to be able to "put the brakes on" when they catch a Snatch. A good warm up and stretch as well as natural flexibility will help the athlete have a successful lock out.


Here's where it can get tricky. When an athlete misses the lift. Could be be flexibility, strength, timing, or a technical error earlier in the lift? The pictures under "B" and "C" could easily be seen as missing the lift from bad timing or they can be seen as flexibility or strength issues. An unsuccessful lockout can be caused by any of these problems or combination of problems. Always train under a knowledgeable coach so they can appropriately assess your issues.

Flexibility, strength, and speed/timing are determining factors of the location of the bar. When you are flexible and strong, you can hold the bar in the right place. If the appropriate amount of speed and timing is applied to the bar, the location will be perfect.

Lift big and lock out,

Sarah Robles

2012 Olympian Sarah Robles: Breakfast

I know this video is pretty terrible but, hopefully with some practice, they'll get better. I want to share some of the daily activities I do so you all can get to know me better.

Sarah!

Channel 12 News Story

I was on the news recently. Check out the story. Stay Strong

http://www.usatoday.com/video/mesa-weightlifter-makes-us-olympic-team/1493017952001

Olympic Trials

I'm going to start out with saying, we qualified for the Olympics!!!! I would say I, but my coach and I are a team. His successes are mine and mine his. "It's you and me against the world kid." It's also a "we" because of all of the hard work, sacrifices, financial dents, love, and pity, were all put in by all of my friends, family, coaches, and strangers to get me to this point. It's our time and our glory.

I would like to also congratulate all of the other lifters! Thank you for being great competition and more importantly great friends. We all push each other and want the best for each other and even though, we all fought for the same goal, we will still be friends afterwards. That's great sportsmanship.

I have a few important "thank yous."
1.) Heavenly Father: For answering our prayers and making this opportunity possible. For creating this body and attitude I have to glorify You and help other people in the world.
2.) My mom: The woman who has always told me to do my best and have fun. Who sacrificed everything in her life to make anyone happy. Who will love me no matter what my faults are.
3.) My coach: My coach, is one of the best men I know. He will always do what's right. Even when people have bad things to say or when it's not popular. He's a father figure I really need in my life. A great leader. Most importantly, he dealt with me every single day. Trying to become an Olympian can make you a real crazy person. So being able to still want to coach me after all that, you can do anything! Haha.
4.) Family: My family has donated so much of their money and time to me. They've tried to come and support me at my various competitions. Sending me little cards just telling me good luck or that they love me, really helped keep me going.
5.) Friends and Strangers: Your time, money, friendship, and donations have really helped. "Good lucks" "Good jobs" "Thank yous" are greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping get to different competitions to get experience to make the team.
6.)Teammates: These people are my brothers and sisters and best friends. We all push each other, call each other out, keep each other humble, and bring out the best in each other. To have people that just "get it" really helps. They are a great comfort to me. My team mate Craig says he wants to have the same training cycle as me so we can peak at the same time and push each other going into the Olympics.
6.) Power Bar: Thank you for the products and gear. I really needed the sound nutrition, great tasting snacks, and products with quality ingredient to keep me going through the hard training needed to make the Olympic Team.

We stayed at the Hampton across the street from the venue which was VERY convenient for us. I am thankful that the Trials participants had their room and flights paid for. That helped save us a huge expense!

I liked that the competition venue faced out and that it was welcoming to so many people to spectate. It was probably the largest group I've performed in front of nationally. I really enjoyed watching lifting. Especially the men because I love competition and watching everyone battle in mortal kombat to make the Pan Am team which is the last opportunity for them to qualify for one Olympic Slot.

The warm up area was pretty small, not allowing much room for coaches to walk around but other than that, it was quiet and we weren't distracted by what was going on on the competition platform. I mostly kept my head down and focused on myself. After watching the supers the day before, I was clenching my fists and gritting me teeth. I was thinking, "I want to lift the HECK out of some WEIGHTS!!!!"

When I was warming up, I was trying to remember that feeling. I had a couple of shakey warm ups but, for the most part, they were good. I opened with 110 and made it easy. Went out for 114, made that easy.

114 Snatch

We opted to got for a competition pr at 117 but I was so excited that I over pulled the weight and missed it behind. (lesson learned: don't yell like a complete idiot and miss the weight)

117 Snatch- Miss

We had a 4 kgs lead after snatches and our plan was to make the Olympic Team and win Nationals. We wanted a 260 total knowing, that it would be very difficult for anyone to knock me out of my number one spot. I opened with 140, made that pretty easy. I don't think I have ever been that nervous during a lift my whole life. I felt butterflies in my whole body!

140 Clean and jerk

The second attempt was at 144. I made a rookie mistake and rushed the lift so much that I pushed it too far forward and had to dump it. This looked like more of a mental thing than it really was.

144 Clean and Jerk-Miss

I sat down real quick knowing I had to follow myself. I had to make this lift in order to make the Olympic Team. I said a quick prayer, "God please give me the strength and courage I need to make this lift. I need this lift to make the team." I went out to clean the weight and I got it to mid shin and was worried I wasn't going to make it. It felt soooo slow. But somehow, I compensated and made the clean and had a good jerk. I secured my number one slot on the Olympic team, and won my fourth consecutive National Championship title.

144 Clean and Jerk

One of the cool things about this meet was that Eleiko wanted to award the winners of all of the weight classes a barbell. Barbells are super expensive and Eleiko bars will last years and years. They are also going to give out cash bonuses to the two women who make the Olympic Team. So I can look forward to some cash and we have another barbell to lift on. So helpful.

The only major disappointing part of the entire meet was how the Olympic Team was presented. I can't speak for Holley, but I felt like I was an afterthought. Making the Olympics is a really, big, freaking deal. I don't need to be showered with gifts or need a parade, but seriously, at least have a separate announcement, or plaques, or flowers, or something to indicate that this was a special moment in our lives.

It should be a moment that is never, ever forgotten. It comes around every four years but, for most, once in a lifetime. Hopefully, our glory day will be when one of us comes home from London with a medal around our neck.

Random Assortment

Just wanted to get in another quick post before I leave for the Olympic Trials.

Here's a random collection of great things that are happening out there!

I was on the news live today click on the  video that says "gilbert woman"

http://www.azcentral.com/12news/

I came up with a new complex to get warmed up for clean and jerk

Katie Uhlaender, a Skeleton Athlete, also competes in weightlifting and will be competing this weekend at the Olympic trials

Here's a preview of the Olympic Trials this weekend

http://weightlifting.teamusa.org/news/2012/02/16/2012-u-s-olympic-team-trials-press-release/46691?ngb_id=34

Nationals and Olympic Trials are going to be webcasted live

http://weightlifting.teamusa.org/news/2012/02/13/national-olympic-trials-webcast-info/46625?ngb_id=34

I would like to thank you all for your support in all of our efforts to try and qualify for the Olympic Team. 

London 2012 or BUST!

Training Tip Tuesday: Shoulder Flexibility

The Olympic Lifts require a certain amount of flexibility to execute properly. If you aren't flexible, I'd like to share a couple of shoulder stretching warm ups to incorporate into your program. If you are flexible, it doesn't hurt to try something new.

I am a former thrower so a lot of these mobility drills I have grown to learn and love. I think any athlete, especially weightlifters or anyone trying to learn the Olympic Lifts, should make fervent efforts to become more flexible. Flexibility equals better technique. Better technique equals less injuries. 

Olympic Trials: One Month Out

Training for the Olympics has been a long, hard, journey. It has had a lot of positives too. Being that there are four weeks left to the Olympic Trials, I thought I'd tell you all a little about what's been going on with with me and tell you how things are going with my preparations.

The last two big competitions I had were very disappointing to say the least. It was difficult to come back after a bomb out at the Pan Am Games. Two weeks later, I had to compete at the World Championships. My Snatches went well, then, I only made my opening clean and jerk.  Weeks later, I admitted, "It's really hard to shake off my performance from Pan Ams." You know what? If you put your shoulder to the wheel, you can move past those bad moments. I told my coach, "I'm going to train and lift at Trials like it's the last meet of my life. No regrets."

Whenever you try to do something good it seems like there's something or someone there trying to stop you. If it's not one thing, it's another.  I've dealt with some health issues with my thyroid, back, wrists, sinus infection, you name it! I've struggled financially too. Man, it's been rough! Like Rocky said in one of his 1,000 movies "It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can hit and keep moving forward. If you know what you're worth, go out and get it. But you have to be willing to take the hit."

Those sound like excuses, yeah, I know. The point is, I struggle too. Like many of you. But, to be successful we all have to endure these things and keep pushing forward setting new goals for the day, week, and cycle getting ready for whatever our ultimate goals are.

Despite these challenges, this training cycle is the heaviest I have ever had. I've been more consistent and training heavier more frequently than I did before I broke the Collegiate National record in clean and jerk and before I attempted the 150 at Nationals. I am more and more confident as I hit bigger weights. Even if I miss bigger weights, the fact that I am attempting those weights is a positive. 

The Olympic Trials is going to be the biggest determining factor in what I do with the rest of my life. It may sound extreme to those who don't understand athletics but, I, as well as so many of my friends, family, and generous supporters, have sacrificed so much and have worked hard for so many years for me to make our dreams come true. Becoming an Olympian is something bigger than I can comprehend right now. A moment and feeling I could never forget for the rest of my life.

Am I nervous? Heck yeah!  This is the hardest thing I've done or quite possibly will do, in my life. At the same time though, I am super excited. I am training and trying to do everything I can outside of the gym to get better. I want this Trials to be the best meet of my life. I want to showcase my talents. I want this meet to show that it can be done. I may never be able to repay you all for what you have given me but, I hope my performance can be the biggest display of gratitude.

Here are some interesting happenings:
I am going to be on a Topps Trading Card for the 2012 Olympics

I am now sponsored by Power Bar

Yum!

I competed at the American Record Makers meet in California as my final tune up before the Olympic Trials

Me and the other medalists

100 kgs second attempt Snatch

Me and all the competitors

My family came out to support me. Love them <3