Tommy Kono's Weightlifting Book

Tommy Kono was arguably the greatest Olympic weightlifter the world has ever seen. And now, he’s written a clear, easy-to-understand book revealing how he worked his way to the top and stayed there for eight consecutive years. Unlike many champion athletes, Kono knows how he did it. What’s more, he can explain it in a manner that’s relevant and meaningful to lifters and non-lifters alike – anyone interested in becoming bigger, stronger and more athletic.

Most importantly, Tommy tells what he learned from that competition. That’s really what the book is about. Tommy was not one to make the same mistake twice; he learned from his experiences, good and bad, and became a better and more formidable competitor with each passing year. As Arthur Drechsler writes in the foreword, "During the 1950s, from the time he won his first Olympics in 1952, Tommy was invincible."

If you’re expecting hard-to-follow explanations of complicated lifting techniques, and training plans full of confusing percentages and complex cycles, you’re in for a surprise. If you’re looking for all day, every day European-style workouts, look elsewhere. However, if you want straightforward explanations and training plans born of long experience and common sense, Tommy’s book is just your cup of tea. That’s not to suggest that important details are omitted, because it’s all there, but in plain, simple language that only comes from a clear and complete understanding by the author.

Basics

Characteristically, Kono begins with the "ABCs of Olympic lifting." For example, this section includes the simplest and best instructions I’ve seen on how to achieve the strong back arch essential for proper performance of the Olympic lifts -- and all movements using "the seat of power." The seat of power, Tommy explains, resides in the hips, buttocks, thighs and lower back. In addition to the snatch and clean & jerk, this includes basic exercises such as the squat, power clean, bent-over row and many others exercises commonly practiced by weight trainers. As I indicated earlier, the principles taught in this book have application far beyond Olympic lifting.

After laying the foundation, Kono moves to the correct performance of the Snatch, the Clean and the Jerk, which, of course, comprise the Olympic lifts. Next comes the "Training Plan," which includes some refreshing revelations. For example, according to Kono, there’s no need to spend 30 hours a week in the gym. "You must tax the muscles," he writes, "but, at the same time, give the muscles ample rest time to recover. Kono emphasizes quality over quantity; he calls it "Quality Training" or QT.

You can train 2 or 3 times a day, 5-6 days a week like the Europeans, says Kono, "but it doesn’t necessarily mean you will improve that much faster." Moreover, he opines, it may lead to overtraining, injury and bad habits that come from lifting tired. Says Kono, "Training three times a week tends to create more enthusiasm, and because you enjoy the training, you put more heart and soul into it and reap the benefit of improving faster."

Speaking His Mind

If that's the case, Kono asks rhetorically, "Why have most [Olympic lifting] coaches picked up the idea that ‘more [training] would be better?’ Why not train harder and longer?" Then, in the outspoken style found throughout the book, he asks readers to ponder several more pointed questions: "If you have 10,15, 20 lifters under your charge as a coach and they have all the time in the world to train (as they do in some countries), what would you do to keep them occupied? If these are 16 to 21 year old athletes, what can you do to keep their mind focused on weightlifting? And how would many of the coaches justify their full-time jobs?" Enough said.

Stories form the Past

The most fascinating sections are those where Tommy relates his weightlifting experiences and tells wonderful stories illustrating the supreme importance of "The State of Mind."

In addition to the 1953 national championship, which I mentioned earlier, Kono describes nine other competitions, starting with his first contest and ending with the 1963 nationals where he decided to retire, and explains in engaging detail the take-home lesson from each experience. This section alone is worth the price of the book, but he’s not done yet.

To get your copy send a check or money order made payable to Tommy Kono (no credit cards or COD) in the amount of $34.50 (includes shipping and handling) to Hawaii Kono Company, P.O. Box 2192, Aiea, HI 96701. Don’t delay; only a limited number have been printed.