Wednesday's winning long jump glory

Today's training was hard, but again, very enjoyable. For the start of the second session my legs were about to fall off, but like most things, you get on with it and you surprise yourself. Before I go any further, here is the summary of ART that Shane gave me and here is a link to his treatment centre:

Active release (ART) is a soft tissue technique used to treat injuries involving muscle, fascia, ligament and tendon structures. It is based on a simple principle whereby the structure (e.g. Biceps Muscle) is placed in a shortened position then slowly lengthened while tension is applied to the muscle. This will result in the breakup of scar tissue and any adhesions in the structure thus causing tissue
remodelling leading to a much faster recovery process.

ART is well suited for the treatment of weightlifting injuries due to the repetitive nature of the sport and chronic overuse of the muscles involved. The technique is also invaluable in injury prevention and facilities quicker rehabilitation.

Now, I have had five or six appointments with Shane, and although my hips/hip flexors still bug me, my hip flexibility and mobility is definitely improving. My right hip flexor is still bothering me although today and yesterday it was actually at the top of my right IT band. Anyway, here is what I did today:

1. Snatch Pull: Work up to 120kg for one double--I was really happy with this and there is a video of this set below. I did this exercise before the Snatch because I wanted to leave my Snatch till the second session.

2. Power Jerk: Work up to 105kg for 3 sets of 3--I only actually got one triple with this and on my second set I could only get one rep. I was empty at this stage because I did not eat properly before the session because I was busy with other stuff. This exercise kicked my ass.

45 minute break--I ate and drank a lot to make up for my idiocy.

3. Snatch: Work up to 95kg for 6 singles--I missed the second attempt due to over-analysis. My other reps were not pretty but I had to get them when I was a bit fatigued.

4. Back Squat: Work up to 150kg for 3 sets of 3--These were tough and they were my third time squatting very close to as heavy as I could. My legs were thankfully beyond feeling it.

We all finished off our session with an impromtu double long jump off, a bicep curl and a handstand pushup contest. We were pathetic in all, but they were a laugh and a fun way to end the day. Here is my 120 Snach pull double. Harry said I needed to extend more, but I was really focusing on keeping a locked back.