Mikhail Koklyaev Kirill Sarychev “Power in Meat” Notes

Mikhail Koklyaev and Kirill Sarychev recently gave an interview. It was titled “Power in Meat” 🙂

Thanks to Sergiy Turchyn we get a translation.

More: Misha on Breaking Plateaus and Recovering from Inflamed Elbows.

Translation

• Misha is trying to make Kirill do strongman. He believes Kirill can beat the world record in log lift (227kg) one season from now and will help as much as he can. [For those who don’t know Kirill, he benches 326 kg raw]
• Dmitry Klokov invited Misha to compete in Klokov Fitness Open Weekend [I think he meant Klokov Power Weekend]. There will be competitions in Hang Snatch (below the knee), pause Front Squat, and BTN Jerk.
• Misha thinks there are too many videos of him currently (“True Gym” project, “Koklyaev responds” project, and “[Powerlifting] Gear” project)
• They both think that powerlifting gear does not decrease injury risk.
• Regarding Supercup of Titans (equipped powerlifting competition). Misha wanted to compete raw just to set a deadlift record, but they told that gear is mandatory.
• Misha advocates lower percentages in the deadlift in training. Better to do 80%x3 than 90%x1. Thinks people often push themselves too much. Especially by training when injured.
• Thinks people often push themselves too much. Especially by training when injured. “First heal, then train”
• Misha obviously has a ton of back problems. Just like Dmitry, he said that it hurts when he doesn’t exercise enough. If it hurts, do more back extensions.

A little Bio: Weightlifting saved Misha from the streets. When he was young, he even robbed a library where he took 3 Lenin books because they looked cool. After a few similar cases and some trouble with police, Misha’s brother signed him up for weightlifting. Then Misha improved his academics, got to 100 kg in 10th grade, and became alpha at school.

At 23 years old, when his first child was born, Misha started realizing that weightlifting money is not enough. He needed to support the family and all the money went for drugs and other preparation stuff. He did have sponsors, but not serious. Sometimes he didn’t even have money for cinema. That’s when Misha first started thinking about quitting weightlifting. However, his wife made him stay and achieve better results that got them an apartment.

Then Misha started dreaming about fair sport without corruption. Where those who win compete at higher level. After Misha didn’t go to 2004 Olympics, strongman gained popularity and Misha found himself in a new sport. He could work for himself without asking anybody to take him to training camps or competitions. He didn’t have anybody above himself.

• Regarding Olympics: Rigert has much more achievements in the sport that give him authority. People are more likely to trust him than Misha. So, Misha doesn’t want to look bad and tells that it was his entire fault. He should have been a different person to go to the Olympics (he doesn’t know what kind of different). Even if Olympics happened, no one knows whether it would work out like Klokov or Chigishev.
• Kirill’s life story.

Got into the gym around 15 years old. All his friends were alcoholics or drug addicts. Was 187cm tall and 75kg. In a year he was 162kg and 195cm tall without drugs (that happened two years after start). On the first day squatted 60 kg and benched 90 kg once.

• Kirill squats 325×2, 330×1 raw.
• Misha served in SOBR in May 2008-Fall 2009.