The Hero Times - Christopher Dear
This month, we are joined by local superhero and Thor ambassador Chris Dear.
Chris is a well established strength, conditioning and lifting coach, nutritionist and all round epic guy. See what he has to say on all hot topics:
How did you get into weightlifting?
Well I first started with Crossfit. I competed to fairly decent level both individually and as a team but mostly enjoyed the Olympic Weightlifting aspect of the sport. I found that I had more of a talent for Oly Lifting then Crossfit, so after the 2014 Crossfit Games Open I decided to drop Crossfit and concentrate on Weightlifting.
What is your sporting background?
As a kid I played football (not very well), I then took up Judo where I competed in a few competitions. Later in my teens I joined the gym with the view to becoming the next Arnold. Once I realised this wasn't going to happen (due to a number of different factors including not wanting to take drugs) my friend introduced me to Crossfit. I competed for a number of years at Crossfit before taking up Olympic Weightlifting.
What are your current numbers and weight class? Include Bench, squat, DL etc
I'd compete at the -89 category.
Snatch - 122.5kg
Clean - 155kg
Clean & Jerk - 152.5
Squat - 205kg
Front Squat - 180kg
Bench Press - 145kg
Deadlift - 260kg
Max Strict Ring Muscle Up - 12 Reps
Notable achievements?
2014 English Weightlifting Championships
2016 Super Team Cup (representing Crossfit Tonbridge)
2015-2016 - Strength In Depth (representing Crossfit Tonbridge)
Future goals, targets and plans?
Get back into competition and compete at the English & British Weightlifting Championships. Long term plans include Snatching 130kg & Clean & Jerking 160kg, Squatting 220kg.
What do you enjoy most about your job as a coach, PT and nutritionist?
The best thing about my job is educating people on optimising their lifestyle to suit their goal. I know it sounds cliche, but it is true. There is so much rubbish information out there that I seem to spend 90% of my time telling people what they've heard/read isn't right. Seeing people faces light up when they've achieved something is great!
What things have you helped your clients achieve?
I coach now and have coached:
GB Veteran Hockey Player - I coach his Strength & Conditioning and nutrition and Stefan has represented Great Britain twice already and is representing them again for the third time this year. I have also coached Stefan through a body composition, pictures and details are on my website.
GB Skeleton Athlete - After coaching Matt for Rugby performance and Olympic Weightlifting performance/competitions I sent Matt on a talent spotting weekend. GB Skeleton picked him up and after many assessments asked him to join the team. I coached Matts Strength & Conditioning for Rugby, then Olympic Weightlifting then Skeleton Performance before he moved to Bath to train with the GB team.
GB Judoka - I have coached the Strength & Conditioning and nutrition of two veteran Judo Athletes who were (and still are) preparing for the World Championships and Commonwealth Games (2017, 2018 and this year). They have won Bronze and Silver medals at both competitions.
European Regionals Crossfit Games Competitor - I was working with Alex in the run up to the 2013 European Regionals Crossfit Games to improve his mobility and movement efficiency. He asked me to support him in at the competition in Copenhagen, to help his warm ups/cool downs and technique.
GB Squat Development Weightlifer - I have coached Rowan for about half a year after she expressed interest in Olympic Weightlifting. Very quickly I noticed she had a natural talent for it and put her in for a youth competition where she won a gold medal in her category. She is 15 and has recently been asked to join the GB development team with the goal is being on the GB team in the future. At 15 years old and 53kg in weight, she boasts a 31kg Snatch (which was an easy power) and a 45kg Clean & Jerk, she has only been lifting for 5-6 months. A very bright future for this young lady.
Masters British Weightlifer - I coached Vicky to the Masters British Weightlifting Championships in 2016
I have also coached a number of athletes in a wide variety of sports to competiton including Marathon Runners, Iron Man athletes, Crossfitters and more.
What tips did you have for anyone looking to get into the sport?
3 main things really!
1) Learn the technique properly. Learn from a qualifed Olympic Weightlifting coach and practice them!
2) An efficient lifter can Snatch approx 60% and approx Clean & Jerk 75% of their max Back Squat. So technique is very important, but sometimes you just have to get stronger.
3) Understand periodisation/programming - or hire a coach who does
Where can we find you online? Where can we find you coaching / PTing?
My website is http://www.cdearperformance.com
I train/coach at a place called Elite Performance Labs - http://eliteperformancelabs.com/
