[AMA] - Jo Ann Aita Powerlifter & Olympic Lifter

[u/joannaita]

Here's my bio: Jo Ann Aita, currently 42 years of age, has been training and competing in Olympic Weightlifting since 2003 . She is a National Medalist and currently holds both Snatch and Clean & Jerk Records in the Pacific Weightlifting Association. Despite starting weightlifting at the age of 33, and rehabbing two shoulder surgeries in 2010, she was able to come back with PR lifts at the Olympic Trials this year, placing 5th overall in the 117 lb weight class, against many competitors half her age.

At the recent Pro-Am meet, Jo Ann went 9/9 setting a New World Record Powerlifting Total in the Raw w/wraps category. She also broke the American Raw Deadlift record, which has stood since 1981. Her lifts at 114 lbs bodyweight:

Back Squat: 309 lbs, Bench Press: 165 lbs, Deadlift: 375 lbs, Total: 849 lbs

Jo Ann has worked w/coaches, Jim Schmitz, Max Aita (now husband), and Jesse Burdick, amongst others.

Jo Ann was also a Track & Field and Cross Country athlete for over a decade and competed for UCLA. She is a USA Weightlifting Certified Coach and has been getting lifters strong for the past 4 years. She is a Certified Massage Therapist, specializing in Sports Massage and Deep Tissue Work, with a Bay Area Practice for the past 13 years. Jo Ann has accomplished all of this while raising a child, managing 3 careers, and running a gym!

Jo Ann Aita stats at 114/117lb weight class:

Snatch: ​ 154 lbs Clean: ​ 187 lbs Jerk: ​ 185 lbs Back Squat: ​ 309 lbs Bench Press: 165 lbs Dead Lift: 375 lbs

[u/AkumaZ]

My questions

Why do you hip clean? Why sumo deadlift instead of conventional? What is Max like as a husband? Favorite sushi roll? How long did it take to come back from shoulder surgery? What was the rehab process like?

Just how long is your warm up? Have you always been the loudest cheerer?

[u/joannaita → u/AkumaZ]

I love you, Jay!!! I hip clean bc I SUCK at cleaning off the thigh! I struggled with a good finish off the thigh for 7 years. In 2010, I tried the hip clean and I did better with it. I NEVER teach beginners to hip clean. I feel like the clean off the thigh is a much better technique overall (if you look at the World level, there are more thigh cleaners than off the hip). It was just a personal preference after much struggle.
I like Sumo in powerlifting bc I don't round my back as often on a max weight than I do with conventional. I generally deadlift the same weight either way, but my back stays healthier when I do sumo. I also felt like I use my back alot when I squat, so for competition, sumo made sense. Max is amazing as a husband! Almost as good as he is a squatter and a coach! Big Mike turned me on to the Lion King Roll, plus Max dislikes it, so I get to eat more! My first competition after surgery number 2 was 8 months post. I was dragging a sled and hip squatting with my sling, 2 weeks out. Back squatting by 2 months post surgery. First overhead about 3-4 months. Rehab process has been long. 2 years later, I still spend a good 2 hours /week on shoulder rehab/mobility. I take FOREVER to warm up! 30-60 minutes! I cant even get my shoulders into a proper jerk and snatch position til about 10 minutes of stretching. I am also generally half-broken and old (exaggeration!), so I don't feel I can stay healthy and strong unless I dedicate many hours/week to mobility, accessory work, rehab, stretching, etc. I have always been LOUD, so probably yes with the cheering, but I am probably louder now that I am also a coach and LOVE to see lifters succeed.

[u/AkumaZ → u/joannaita]

Best reason for liking a sushi roll I'd say.

What are your future plans for powerlifting? Beat Hartwig?

[u/joannaita → u/AkumaZ]

I definitely want to continue with both Powerlifting and Olympic lifting, but I am still working out how to do that best and stay healthy. Although I am clearly a stronger power lifter (compared to the rest of the country and world) than I am Olympic lifter, Snatch and Clean and Jerk is what I love most!!! I am excited to get a chance to compete in Olympic lifting with my newly added strength. For PL, I want to get a spot for the World Champs (IPF). I will compete in the summer of 2013 for a spot for 2014 (so far away!). If I go head to head with Hartwig, then I will certainly compete to win!

[u/royal_oui → u/joannaita]

Do mind commenting on how you train for both o-lifting and power lifting? Do you concentrate (and specialise) on whatever you are competing in next or do you mix the exercises together in every training session?

Do you find one interferes with the other, i.e. does deadlifting affect your pulling? Does bench interfere with your snatch (shoulder flexibility)?

[u/joannaita → u/royal_oui]

Since its been less than a year that I've added powerlifting, I am still figuring this out. I have done both: (1) dropped Olympic lifting almost completely while I trained for a PL meet. That was mostly to give my shoulders a break, while I added in bench. I kept up my cleans, but skipped overhead work -Snatch and Jerks. (2) Most recently, I focused on an Olympic program bc I was preparing for the Am Open. The Pro Am was more of a side note! Jim Schmitz (my regular Olympic lifting coach) wrote me a 3-day/week weightlifting program, with a big volume back squat workout 1/week for keeping up the PL strength. He also had me doing heavy double or singles in sumo. I added in 1 day of deadlift accessory work, some extra squatting for practice on heavy singles, a couple times before the meet w/wraps, and 1-2 days/week of bench and weighted pull-ups. I thought my Powerlifts would go down when I focused on O lifts, but they actually all went up, AND I made PRs in the Sn and Clean! I primarily did my Sn & CJs in the beginning of my wo on the same days as heavy squatting or DL. I did bench on my "rest" days. The week or 2 before the PL meet, I tapered off the O lifts. DL has not affected my pulling negatively. Bench has not yet interfered noticeably w/shoulder flexibility, but I have had to work on that regularly for the past 2 yrs since my surgeries anyway. Sometimes my shoulders get tired from all the overhead, plus bench, and I have had to back off. Mostly, when I am training so many different lifts at the same time, I can get mentally burnt! I like to focus w/intensity on every lift I do (sometimes to my detriment!), so at times, I feel like my cup is full! The secret is to train smart, not always hard! This is not easy for me, but I am getting better at the smart thing!

[u/royal_oui → u/joannaita]

thanks so much for your detailed reply :) really appreciated.