Added: 1 year ago
From: cactuszachk
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  • Congrats, something like this doesn't happen every day. Good luck to you my friend.

  • Thanks for this video & cogratulations!

  • The accident actually made you stronger inside, and you could come back later stronger than ever! Congratulations! The fulfillment of a man's potential at the highest level!

  • Impressive!! It may seem gay but I allmost fell in love with you hehe :) Very nice video and you're a great athlete! I am going to the Olympics as a spectator to see the final in +105. Hope you'll reach the Olympics and would be nice if I'd see you there. Best regards, Einar

  • Now THAT is dedication and iron will!

  • Zach, I sprained my wrist falling back with 150kg in the bottom of the clean similar to how you fell back. I did not break anything, however the doctor diagnosed me with predynamic scapholunate instability and TFCC sprain. I injured it on 10/29/11 I was put in a cast on 12/14/11 and finally got it of on 02/01/12. It has been the most frustrating injury of my life. I can perform all daily activities with out a problem but I cannot clean the bar. Do you have any advice for rehabilitation?

  • @SweetDude1010 I'm sorry to hear that. I know that wrists are very difficult to understand, so I would make sure you saw a specialist. I had a friend receive a misdiagnosis on this type of injury, he was put in a cast but it never got better. He saw a specialist and it turned out he had an injury similar to mine, but it was too late, the bone was necrotic and had to be removed. Wrist pain can take a long to go away. I dont have much rehab advice. I still have pain, but it is getting better,

  • I dont see why anyone would want to compete at this, but everyones different i guess. Great job btw.

  • You are huge inspiration to me. I wanna start oly lifting now..

  • absolutely amazing man. good for you. I hope you do lift in the olympics one day.

  • i can't imagine what was going through your head when the doctor told you that you wouldn't lift more than 100 lbs overhead again but i bet i can imagine what was going through your mind after the last lift "haha stupid doctor i just quadrupled your expectations"..awesome video!!

  • unbelieveable !

    you remind me of Valentin Dikul

  • good for u brother... keep lifting :)

  • Inspiring video mate, I love your snatch technique! Good luck for the journey to London. I know you will do well

  • That's awesome, congrats on your progress after the injury!

  • Amazing

  • God damnit I dunno why but when I watched this vid a tear dripped down my eye.......

  • 5 dislikes? What is there to dislike in this video?

    

  • Really messed up my back in a competition over the past summer on a heavy snatch when I lost my grip and the barbell landed on me. You my friend truly are fearless to come back into the sport after that, as of right not im too afraid to return. I am still not fully recovered but hopefully one day if I can ever do oly lifts again I'll have the same courge you did.

  • I really dont understand how someone could dislike this video? Are some people really so pathetic that they cant be happy watching something so inspirational?

  • Is there a way I could get in contact with you?- I suffered a similar injury and also look to continue weightlifting in the future

  • i can understand your pain, i broke my wrists too..after one year i returned to lift..good luck bro

  • can't keep a good man down.... nice job brother!

  • Zach... happy for you my man..... awesome lifts and a very hectic injury...

    once again, it shows how little doctors know..... , glad you're healthy again and lifting strong.

  • Very Inspirational and some insane lifts!!

    I am from England, but If I see you in the Olympics I will 100% be behind you and supporting you!

  • what song is this playing in background?

  • awesome work brother. shows how when you love weightlifting this much. the hunger never dies!

  • inspiring dude. i just dislocated and fractured my ankle in several places and was told i will not be able to snow/skateboard again. i have told my doc that it will be a year, year and a half till I can again. and seeing this makes me feel like its much more achievable.

  • inspirational.... best of luck

  • Hi Zach, I'm an olympic lifter at Armstrong and my mom is friends with your brother and his wife. I'm a huge fan of yours and your recovery is very motivational! Will you be competing in the olympics?

  • @iKrackeD I hope to lift in the olympics, I wont know until May. Only one athlete will be able to go. How many athletes are lifting at armstrong?

  • @cactuszachk 7 athletes compete, but we have a few workout with us now and then. But I'll keep my prayers open to you, I hope you make it! god bless and keep it up!

  • Truly inspirational, good work man!!!!!

  • This guy is the next Tinytrip

  • That was incredible. Super inspiring.

  • honestly one of my favorite videos on youtube. Unbelievable. You're a damn inspiration.

  • Those are some serious quads, man! Keep lifting!

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  • good job bro

  • very happy for you , honestly , watching the weights go up was a joyous experience for me.

  • i broke my pectoral tendon jus weeks b4 commonwealth games 2010 was so heart broken and disapponted but thanks god m recoverd now and back in training gona comepete in olympic qualify next year, i can totally understand what you must have felt, and now after watching this video gona even train harder thanks for motivating me and many others i

    believe and congrats on ur achivment and gud luck in future brother ; )

  • beast mate, nice to see ur recovery

  • you're a freakn legend dude.

  • i couldn't help buy smile like an idiot through this entire video, congratulations you're an incredible inspiration

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  • Amazing!! Good luck in Paris!!

  • Damn, i gotta train harder. inspiration bro

  • This is truly amazing

  • amazing story, you are an inspiration sir ! :)

  • How many hours a week did you spend on recovery/training to reach this goal? Just training, not including diet prep etc.

  • Impressive and motivating video!! :)

  • Mad props to you, you're a true inspiration, to everyone, not only people who lift or even just those who got injured and want to get back in the game.

    Also, you got some serious air at 5:17 :)

  • An epic video bro, good luck in all your training, your an inspiration to us all...

  • You are the very definition of "Harden The Fuck Up"

  • This video is awesome. BUT mute the sound, and put on Honor - Hans Zimmer followed by Autobots - Steve Jablonsky and it becomes LEGENDARY!

  • Truly amazing man. Very inspirational. I wish you all the best!

  • respect!!! I do bodybuilding, but I had an injury, a Diastasis recti and a hernia.

    I was so depressive!!! But 2 months ago I started to workout again.... after this video start to believe in myself again!!!! I wish you all the best man....

  • Who is that blonde? Is she a competitive oly lifter as well? She's always at the same station...

  • this was really motivational. I am dealing with a fresh back injury due to a weightlifting accident and seeing you come back from this really lifts my spirits. thank you

  • damn that sucks its always great too see comebacks like this though good stuff!

  • @cactuszachk

    Hey bud, could you make some instructional videos?.. I've been having trouble figuring out how to do most of the Olympic lifts, I've been training for close to 6 months, and I got very discouraged once I figured out I was lifting wrong.

  • You're amazing . . awesome video . . this just goes to show there is no excuse when you want something bad enough . . warrior spirit. 

  • Truly inspiring. This proves that anything is possible. Even when it seems all is lost.

  • I got chills down my spine watching your 150 snatch after considering the prognosis of your injury. You truly are an amazing human being, thank you for sharing this.

  • congrats you earned it all.....

  • Brilliant inspirational video, you are a credit to all who train hard, get injured but dont moan and just get in with it...........brilliant...:-)

    There is one thing worse than failing, and that is giving up.......

  • Hi Zach,

    Saw you lift at Collegiate Nationals a few yrs ago. Glad to see you were able to recover from this setback. I and my lifter Brett Hagmann, who competed at that met in Reno, both have shoulder injuries from a meet in Feb. Your video gives us inspiration that we can recover and surpass our previous efforts. Best of luck to you.

    Randy Long

    Reality Workouts

    YouTube Channel: realityworkoutsnc

  • Incredible! Inspiring! Zach, I watched you lift at my very first lifting meet and didn't know the whole story. Now that I do, I am even more amazed! Best of luck in your continued training!

  • The two dislikes are his wrists........

  • @enormousmaggot haha, so true.

  • @enormousmaggot ... or people who has to compete against him :)

  • glad you got better brah

  • injured my lower back a couple of weeks ago olympic lifting. this video gives me hope that I can recover and get back at it!

  • Really? Yes, God did this for you, it had nothing to do with your own human capacity to be strong and willful. Fucking brainwashed freaks.

  • @FUZZYisBIG Also god broke his wrists

  • @FUZZYisBIG Why are you such a dick about it? Doctors said he'd never press 100lbs again and he's snatching 330 or whatever. Pretty miraculous if you ask me.

  • @killyou45 These are the same doctors that tell us squats will blow out spines. Also the same doctors that tell many people with injuries they will never be able to do anything again. I personally know a guy who broke his back and is now squatting just shy of 800lbs raw. He did this at a national PL event. Wasn't God that did it, it was him, and the doctors told him he would never walk.

  • @FUZZYisBIG It was definitely God helping him though. You don't achieve anything without him, No matter who you are.

  • @FUZZYisBIG then how did the broncos beat the steelers retard game. set. match.

  • @vanwall420 Lmfao. The same way 200 other teams beat 200 other teams. "God" has nothing to do with upsets.

  • @RandomStevie mad atheist is mad. Whats bigger Gods love for his children or your ego? LOL

  • @vanwall420 I ALMOST gotmad and replied. Nice troll, bro.

  • @FUZZYisBIG

    People are starving in Africa and he thinks God has nothing better to do than helping him with his lift?

    Ridiculous.

  • @nokia3210fuck - God doesnt do... as He is not temporal... ....

    poor people in africa do not change the possibility that God did or didnt help him with his wrists....

    if you never ask God for anything, you'll probably never get anything..... have experience miraculous healings and being a physicist, I have some experience with this.... what you've got are whiney comments on youtube.

    God cares about africa, and his wrists, enough said

  • @FUZZYisBIG - brainwashed? and what do you believe? m-tv? hollywood? youtube? ... no way, money? society? politics? sport? the weather? global warming?

    you believe the entire universe came from a singularity of absolutely nothing , and not from a Creator.....

    do you know how lacking in science that is? nothing became everything by pure chance and total randomness.

    A scientist named Steve

  • @steven288 And where did your "creator" come from, a singularity of absolutely nothing?

    Oh it makes perfect sense now.

  • @FUZZYisBIG thanks for your inspirational comment. O, wait... you're just a troll.

  • @FUZZYisBIG Of course coming back took work and effort, but I am still grateful to God for allowing me to lift again. He did not need to be so merciful to me. Are you not thankful for anything?

  • Name of song?

  • @CobberNZ It's in the credits at the end,

  • You are a hero.

  • VERY GOOD MAN!:)

  • Very inspiring video man, and glad to see you not only made a full recovery, but also improved significantly! Even to an intermediate, still very inspiring.

  • Inspiring video bro.

    My erector spinae cramped a while ago and got thoracle blockade while deadlifting. This video really wants me to get me lifting again as soon as possible.

  • What part did the straps have in the accident?

  • @Apjooz I like to say that they where necessary but not sufficient. They caused me to not be able to drop the bar forward which made me panic since I was trapped, but it was my fault that I pushed my elbows down.

  • @cactuszachk

    Ok, thanks. :)

  • @cactuszachk hey i gotta question whats the most you ever squatted benched or deadlifted and i didnt injure my wrist is bad as yours but it still hurts like hell did your wrist even hurt when you pushed yourself through your heavy overhead movements

  • @walksonffire The most I've back squatted is 255kg or 565lbs, which is a full butt to calf squat. I've never really bench pressed much because it doesn't do a lot for olympic lifting, but I did bench 300lbs after 1 month of trying. I haven't maxed out in the deadlift (sorry). I mostly do clean pulls instead. I remember deadlifting 230kg or 506lbs pretty easy. Overhead is what hurts the most, especially the snatch. It still hurts my left wrist.

  • @cactuszachk okay thats impressive i messed my wrist up to only my left arm which is my dominant wrsit i like doing powerful presses like you can give me some advice to speed up my recovery i took two weeks off from the gym and that killing me i can see you made a major recovery in a short amount of time

  • Amazing.

    100lbs my ass.

    Good work that man !

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  • With Christ anything is possible. Thank you for your amazing story. God bless you!

  • I watch this video every time before I go lift. Get's me motivated and pumped!

    Thanks dude

  • Dont believe in this jesus fagot christ , you´ve done this all by your self my friend!

  • Just awesome

  • @jaytibbs Thanks, I am glad my story helped you get more serious about God. Nothing is more important that following Jesus! I get hungry when I Olympic Lift also, but i lift for 2-3 hours. What I do is drink a protein carbohydrate mix during my workout (Shaklee's Physique), and immediately after. It not only keeps me from getting hungry, but it gives my body what it needs to have the best recovery possible. Because you are 14 you will always be hungry, that will change. Take care

  • holy fuck!!! this is.... pretty amazing!

    to be honest,im an atheist, as as much as ive tried i just cant believe in an existance of a god. but you know what? seing how this belive give someone this power of will makes me incredibly jeluos of this guys faith.

    im amazed.

  • I just turned 19 and am just "properly" starting to weightlift, and by and large the greatest difficulty I'm having is eating enough. I've been stuck at 165 lbs for 4 months, despite increases in my lifts (I'm squatting just over 400lbs), but now I'm starting to get stuck, which I suspect is due to not eating enough.

    So, how the hell do you do it, and what do you eat? I'm trying a gallon a milk a day right now, but it makes me feel bloated and what comes out the other end is ungodly. Any tips?

  • @RobLikesBrunch Personally, I am not a big fan of people stuffing themselves to try and force their body to gain weight. I have seen several people do it, and all of them end up gaining a lot of fat, which they never loose, even though the said they would. You can eat a lot if you want to get bigger, but eat healthy and several times through out the day. One of the big problems we have in our US lifters is not enough of them will do the hard work of getting down to a low bod fat (6-8%).

  • @RobLikesBrunch I would recommend doing higher reps (5-10) in things like squats, RDL's, presses, etc. along with drinking protein/carbs during and immediately after training. You only want to eat an extra 300-500 calories a day if you want to only put on muscle. Nuts, avocado, and cooking with olive oil are ways to get more calories without feeling stuffed.

  • @cactuszachk Thanks for the reply! I've tried modifying according to your recommendations (especially drinking protein shakes during training) and it's helped quite a bit and I'm going up in my lifts (and no bloating!). Right now I'm focusing on getting strong (I'm doing Rippetoe's Starting Strength program), and am only doing light Olympic lifts to work on form. Out of curiosity, what does your lifting programming look like? Did you create your own program/base it off something else?

  • @cactuszachk And one more thing--can you recommend any good books on the Olympic lifts, or anything that would help my familiarity with the lifts. I briefly had a USAW coach instruct me, but he wasn't that good (I'm switching colleges, so I plan to seek out a new coach soon). So basically, as a very successful lifter, do you have any tips or insider knowledge?

  • @RobLikesBrunch I haven't read many lifting books, but I know there are several good ones out there. Such as the weightlifting encyclopedia by arthur drechsler. Technique is just as important, if not more important, than strength, so definitely keep learning. I've always had a coach and i follow their program. It varies a lot, but we are always doing some form of snatch clean or jerk during training. You need to practice the lifts multiple times a week, once or twice wont cut it.

  • this is a great story, i wish you great luck in the future!

  • This is really inspirational wow. Thanks buddy!

  • I like how those people (who seem not to know you) all congregate just to help you. Just gives me a little more hope in people.

  • 2:10 the girl doesn't know that history is written, right behind here back.

  • Thankyou for this video. Congratulations.

  • Awesome video, when did you originally start training? Would like to get into the competitive aspect of lifting but am a relative newcomer and I feel like I have started too late to compete at a high level. Would super appreciate a response.

    (18 Years old for the record, started lifting properly a few months back, just after my birthday)

  • @TheTarpz It Not too late! I started when I was 16, a juinor in highschool. Once I started I began traning 6 days a week, twice on Mon Wed and Fri. The thing that set me back the most was technique. Make sure you lear proper Sn and C+J technique before you start going heavy. You have plenty of time to get strong, but it is hard to change bad technique.

  • @cactuszachk Thanks a lot for the response! Very much appreciate the advice, nice to hear the opportunity is still there. :)

  • Really inspiring video!

  • Great work!

  • i got goosebumps watching this. Inspiration right here! and you never know what you can do until you try. no matter what people tell you.

  • You can't dislike this video, and there's proof!

  • i think i teared at 2:50. man... i cannot imagine the mental fortitude...

  • Awesome...I really have no other words to describe how inspirational that is.

  • Awesome...I really have no other words to describe how inspirational that is.

  • I have watched this video at least 30 times now, and I keep coming back for more, truly amazing.

    God bless you Zach.

  • I hope this video never gets a dislike.

  • Holy shit... I'm almost in tears. 

  • HELL YES!

  • Next time someone tells me something is to hard, I'm going to make them watch this video, slap them across the face and tell them to harden the f*ck up

  • @Grummski haha, hilarious.

  • massive props to you.

    inspirational no matter what sport you compete in.

    Im a bodybuilder, this just great.

    hope your still lifting heavier and heavier.

    YOU FREAK!

  • Truly inspirede by your vid.

    You kick a**!!!!

  • had chills throughout the whole thing man, but when you hit the weight that injured you i literally felt something out of this world. i'm struggling with my faith myself but I know there is somethin bigger than the weights we lift-- it's just our medium in how we show that it does. keep up the good work bub

  • i have a great respect for heroes like you man, i was so happy when i've seen you beating your records, great job bro

  • Fantastic!

  • Fuck yea kid your a beast. Whenever in life you feel lost just look back at this video and you'll be able to conquer anything that comes your way. Best of luck with your lifting in the future.

  • Your an inspiration, congrats man.

  • Fantastic video, really inspirational. I think everybody somehow involved in weightlifting has gone through periods of injury. I couldn't train the lifts for a year and I am so happy to do it again. How you went through that difficult time and came out stronger is really motivating to see. I only wished you would realize that it is you who was strong and not some kind of god, but hey, if it helps you to reach your goals :-) keep on training

  • I had to cry when i saw this.

  • awesome video. very inspiring.

  • Strong outside and strong inside!!! Great man...great athlete!

  • Wow, fighting back the tears at the end. You showed unbelievable desire to comeback from such a massive setback. Most people would never have had the courage or faith that you have shown. You're obviously very humble but at the same time you have surpassed what most people have endured and overcome.

    Congratulations.

  • really inspirational video thank you so much for making this!

  • Very Inspiring. I showed this vid to my young sons, and have watched it several times now. Your challenges, the music, and the path all seem to be captured here.

    It takes VERY special people to compete at this level, much less through the physical and emotional issues such as yours.

    As far as our God goes - this may not have been YOUR lesson, but for someone else to see. I read some of the remarks here. You are an ambassador for Christ and the lifting community.

    God Bless!

  • I don't care what religion or god you follow .. you're my new hero.

    guys like you just show how little conventional medicine knows about the human body., you defied science..

    the credit is all yours buddy

  • Very inspirational. Not much else to say, absolutely amazing.

  • Wonderful.

    Much respect from the agnostic end of the Christian spectrum.

  • Well, at least you do not believe this recovery was because some invisible sky fairy magically healed you. Oh... Wait...

  • Would have been easier in the first place if Jesus hadn't snapped both your wrists for the lols.

  • What a comeback. It must have been so frustrating to not been able to lift and coming back from zero (I guess the squats helped keep you sane) . On the upside you they must have had you on some pretty amazing drugs at 0:35

  • I saw this video posted at stronglifts and wanted to say it's really amazing. You're giving a lot of injured lifters motivation!

  • wow

  • it is rather odd that someone so physically and mentally disciplined would subscribe to religion and/or a "god(s)", something meant for the weak and desperate.

    it's almost depressing...

  • ragagaga I agree that some people use "faith" or the idea of god(s) only to get what they want, such as a feeling of comfort (I think some use atheism this way too). But I find following Jesus Christ to be the most difficult, humbling, scary, and exciting thing I have ever done, way more than this comeback. I have become convinced Jesus is God through reason and logic, and also through experiencing Him. At the same time, I am weak and desperate for God, and He is my comfort.

  • @cactuszachk - said so perfectly. The most amazing and terrifying road you can take. Thank you for listing the music as well. Will be buying the CD today.

  • @cactuszachk well said

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  • dude loved the video and have a lot of respect for you but i don't understand why you would credit "god" with something you achieved? You are the one who made this heroic recovery and you are the one who deserves respect and praise. If god is so great why did he let you get injured in the first place? Have some well earnt self resepct dude and congratulate yourself for your remarkable determination and success not an invisible man.

  • @ragagaga "something meant for the weak and desperate" May I remind you that by far most of world's people, both now and in history were religious. Surely, you don't want to say that only the atheists (of today) are disciplined and strong?

  • @ragagaga what's it matter what he beliefs in a sport like weight lifting? he got that weight above his head, whats religion and faith have to do with any of it? weight lifting is science and determination and this video is CLEAR EVIDENCE he knows that

  • @ragagaga

    shut your mouth dickhead, ever wondered why pretty much every great person in mankind was religous