I had another positive session today and even though I did not go quite so heavy, it was still productive. Germans was not there to spur me on, but Harry and Gillian were excellent training partners! As I will be away the next three days, like yesterday I had to change up the program a bit. Here is what I did:
Snatch--2x3@50 1x2@70, 90 1x1@95, 100, 104 xx--I was only supposed to go up to 100, but I got a little carried away. I had prepared mentally for 100 and as you will see on the video, it was fast enough.
Power Clean and Jerk--I did these instead of full Cleans because my soleus and calf muscles were sore from the last few days of lifting and squatting. I worked up with doubles with 70 and 90 and then singles with 100, 110, 115 and 120kg. They felt fast and powerful and my Jerk technique was far smoother than the last few days.
Front Squat--1x3@70, 1x2@100 1x1@120, 140, 150, 160, 165--This equalled my pb and it felt relatively comfortable. I have not gone heavy in the Front Squat in a long time so I know that pb will be smashed soon enough. More important is getting all the squatting volume in though.I must get stronger!
Have a look at the video and let me know what you think. I will have a full week to get my training in next week, so I am looking forward to setting my base standard and inching things up a little more.
Showing posts with label Jerk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jerk. Show all posts
Thursday 6 May 2010
Sunday 31 January 2010
Saturday's slip up
I ended up having a decent workout on Saturday despite indulging in some wishful weightlifting. I still had it in my head to get the jump from 100 to 110, but it was not to be in this session. I will get it very soon though...
I warmed up with the Jerk exercises again and I am finding these very beneficial. I do more light Jerks for repetitions more than the assistance exercises themselves, but I find they are getting me more and more comfortable in the Jerk position. I am trying to get how I rack the bar as relaxed as possible. I read in a forum where John Broz said that if you could rack the bar and take your hands away, clap them and then put your hands back onto the bar, you had a proper rack position. I am nowhere near that comfortable yet, but with more time and experimenting, I will get there. Another skill that I am trying to implement is to get my chest through rather than my head. This will keep my chin up and from diving my body through in the catch which is a habit I formed for a while.
I started off the Snatch with three doubles with 40kg getting Harry to try and force my back into position. I did doubles with 60, 80 and then singles with 100 and I missed 110 three times. I was happy to make the jump from 80 to 100 again, but it was not the wisest of moves in retrospect. It was a Saturday morning after a week's work and training the previous evening. But, there are worse traits than being too ambitious; I would rather be that way than the opposite.
I moved on into Power Clean and Jerks. I was supposed to do full Cleans but my calves/achilles/soleus were killing me, particularly my right one. I did 3 singles with 70, then a single with 90, 100, 110, 120 and after an ugly Clean with 130, I went back down to 127. I had to fight against my instinct for this last lift. I wanted to walk away and call it a day. I was tired and irritated with my misses. I had to swallow the pride and go get my 127 which was only a Clean and Jerk. I could not Power Clean the weight, but at least it was smooth.
Front Squats--6x6 @ 50kg. I did these as an active recovery and also a way to try and get my Front squat stance wider in order to open up my hips and get me used to getting my feet out in the catch in the Clean and the Snatch. In the first set, my hips were really stiff and tight, but as I got more reps and sets in, they loosened up and I was able to get deeper than parallel in a stance that is far wider than normal. I am really glad I did these because it shows me I can go wider and this will take the stress off my calves and achilles when I squat.
I warmed up with the Jerk exercises again and I am finding these very beneficial. I do more light Jerks for repetitions more than the assistance exercises themselves, but I find they are getting me more and more comfortable in the Jerk position. I am trying to get how I rack the bar as relaxed as possible. I read in a forum where John Broz said that if you could rack the bar and take your hands away, clap them and then put your hands back onto the bar, you had a proper rack position. I am nowhere near that comfortable yet, but with more time and experimenting, I will get there. Another skill that I am trying to implement is to get my chest through rather than my head. This will keep my chin up and from diving my body through in the catch which is a habit I formed for a while.
I started off the Snatch with three doubles with 40kg getting Harry to try and force my back into position. I did doubles with 60, 80 and then singles with 100 and I missed 110 three times. I was happy to make the jump from 80 to 100 again, but it was not the wisest of moves in retrospect. It was a Saturday morning after a week's work and training the previous evening. But, there are worse traits than being too ambitious; I would rather be that way than the opposite.
I moved on into Power Clean and Jerks. I was supposed to do full Cleans but my calves/achilles/soleus were killing me, particularly my right one. I did 3 singles with 70, then a single with 90, 100, 110, 120 and after an ugly Clean with 130, I went back down to 127. I had to fight against my instinct for this last lift. I wanted to walk away and call it a day. I was tired and irritated with my misses. I had to swallow the pride and go get my 127 which was only a Clean and Jerk. I could not Power Clean the weight, but at least it was smooth.
Front Squats--6x6 @ 50kg. I did these as an active recovery and also a way to try and get my Front squat stance wider in order to open up my hips and get me used to getting my feet out in the catch in the Clean and the Snatch. In the first set, my hips were really stiff and tight, but as I got more reps and sets in, they loosened up and I was able to get deeper than parallel in a stance that is far wider than normal. I am really glad I did these because it shows me I can go wider and this will take the stress off my calves and achilles when I squat.
Friday 25 December 2009
Wednesday’s wrap up for the Christmas break
Training was great fun on Wednesday. I knew that I would have to keep it light and I enjoyed myself anyway. I will now rest until training on the 29th, 30th and then take two days off before I go to London to train for five days with Zag, Paudie Roche and Cathal Byrd. My session finished with another hour of flexibility work and I could feel the benefits in my lifting. Emmett showed myself and Zag a way of releasing some tension in the lower back that leads into the hip flexors and I found this very helpful with keeping my back locked throughout the pull in the Snatch. Here was my workout:
Snatch—1x2@50, 50, 50 1x1@70, 80, 90, 100
Clean and Jerk—1x2@70, 70 1x1@80, 90, 100
Power Clean and as many Jerks as possible with 100kg—I did this a few months ago and I got seven Jerks. This was as tired as I have ever been practicing the sport of weightlifting. In my first set, I Power Cleaned 100 and got 5 Jerks. I knew I was being soft on myself and letting the fatigue mask my ambitions, so I rested five minutes and had another bash. I got the rest of the crew to encourage me and keep me going until I got my 8 reps. It was at around the fourth rep that I realised how tiring this was on the legs. I struggled to get the bar under control for my last rep, but I got my eight reps. My lungs were screaming at me and my legs felt like jelly. That was the end of my light squatting at the end.
We stretched at the end for an hour. It was intensely painful, but I felt great afterwards again. We worked primarily on the hip flexors and groin area and some soft tissue work for my glute meds. Alex and Emmett showed us a few acrobatic feats to cap things off for a fine session. As always, please give any constructive criticism that you think can help. Have a great Christmas everyone!
Snatch—1x2@50, 50, 50 1x1@70, 80, 90, 100
Clean and Jerk—1x2@70, 70 1x1@80, 90, 100
Power Clean and as many Jerks as possible with 100kg—I did this a few months ago and I got seven Jerks. This was as tired as I have ever been practicing the sport of weightlifting. In my first set, I Power Cleaned 100 and got 5 Jerks. I knew I was being soft on myself and letting the fatigue mask my ambitions, so I rested five minutes and had another bash. I got the rest of the crew to encourage me and keep me going until I got my 8 reps. It was at around the fourth rep that I realised how tiring this was on the legs. I struggled to get the bar under control for my last rep, but I got my eight reps. My lungs were screaming at me and my legs felt like jelly. That was the end of my light squatting at the end.
We stretched at the end for an hour. It was intensely painful, but I felt great afterwards again. We worked primarily on the hip flexors and groin area and some soft tissue work for my glute meds. Alex and Emmett showed us a few acrobatic feats to cap things off for a fine session. As always, please give any constructive criticism that you think can help. Have a great Christmas everyone!
Monday 9 November 2009
Monday's marshalling of the cumulative fatigue
I had an enjoyable day's training today and I finally got that triple in the Front Squat with 150kg which I have not gotten since early on in the Summer. Again, it was a split session and I deviated from my usual Monday workout as I am competing on Saturday. Here is what I did:
Early afternoon:
A short warm up involving bodyweight movements and pre habs.
Front Squats--2x5@60 1x3@100, 120, 130, 140, 150
15 minutes partner flexibilty with Zag focusing on the hip flexors, groin, hamstrings and internal and external hip rotators.
Evening:
Warm up followed by the counter jump movement test on the computerised mat. I got 45.5 and Zag got 48.3, with our hands on our hips.
Power Snatch--1x3@40, 50 1x2@60, 70 1x1@80, 85, 90--I was happy with these: they were fast and locked in. Perhaps I could have finished my pull a bit more, but have a look at the video below and see if you can spot anything that needs to be changed.
Power Clean and Jerk--1x1@70, 70, 90, 100, 110, 115--I left it there as I did not have too much more in the tank.
I enjoyed training today and I think I may have turned a corner on the fatigue front--assuming I look after myself over the next few days and sleep really well. I will lift up to my last warm ups on Wednesday with as little volume and as big jumps that I can make. If things do not feel hunky dory, I will nip it in the bud and save it for Saturday.
Early afternoon:
A short warm up involving bodyweight movements and pre habs.
Front Squats--2x5@60 1x3@100, 120, 130, 140, 150
15 minutes partner flexibilty with Zag focusing on the hip flexors, groin, hamstrings and internal and external hip rotators.
Evening:
Warm up followed by the counter jump movement test on the computerised mat. I got 45.5 and Zag got 48.3, with our hands on our hips.
Power Snatch--1x3@40, 50 1x2@60, 70 1x1@80, 85, 90--I was happy with these: they were fast and locked in. Perhaps I could have finished my pull a bit more, but have a look at the video below and see if you can spot anything that needs to be changed.
Power Clean and Jerk--1x1@70, 70, 90, 100, 110, 115--I left it there as I did not have too much more in the tank.
I enjoyed training today and I think I may have turned a corner on the fatigue front--assuming I look after myself over the next few days and sleep really well. I will lift up to my last warm ups on Wednesday with as little volume and as big jumps that I can make. If things do not feel hunky dory, I will nip it in the bud and save it for Saturday.
Saturday 7 November 2009
Friday's frightfully inspired sessions
I split my session into two today and in the early afternoon I did my squats and pulls and in the evening I did my Snatches and Front Squat and Jerks. It went well considering it was a Friday. Aside form my tired legs not getting the triple with 150 in the Front Squat that I wanted, I was happy with with how the day went from a technique and strength view point. Here is what I did:
Afternoon:
Front Squat--1x5@60, 90 1x3@110, 120, 130, 140, 150--I only got a double in this and then a single. Next week, I will get a triple with this!
Snatch Pulls--1x3@60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 105, 110--I really tried to get my hips and shoulders to come up together and to stay over the bar while transfering the weight from my toes to my heels and back to my toes again. They felt good again today and transfered mostly into my Snatches later that day.
Evening:
Snatch--3x3@40 1x2@50, 50, 60, 70 1x1@80, 85, 85, 90 x, 90, 95 for three singles. I missed one rep with 90 because I did not finish my pull and I found that was the case for many of my Snatches tonight. I was making sure my first pull was accurate and it felt better, but not perfect of course. Have a look at the video and tell me if you see anything.
2 Front Squats and 1 Jerk--This is always tough after squatting earlier in the day but I was happy enough with how it went. I did this combination lift for singles with 60, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 125--I just missed the Jerk as you will see in the video below and I had ru out of time to give it another go, but I will get it next time.
I train tomorrow and I will see how I am feeling after working in the morning. Next week I compete in Belfast so I need to get as fresh as I can in a week so that I can lift bigger weights than I ever have before!
Afternoon:
Front Squat--1x5@60, 90 1x3@110, 120, 130, 140, 150--I only got a double in this and then a single. Next week, I will get a triple with this!
Snatch Pulls--1x3@60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 105, 110--I really tried to get my hips and shoulders to come up together and to stay over the bar while transfering the weight from my toes to my heels and back to my toes again. They felt good again today and transfered mostly into my Snatches later that day.
Evening:
Snatch--3x3@40 1x2@50, 50, 60, 70 1x1@80, 85, 85, 90 x, 90, 95 for three singles. I missed one rep with 90 because I did not finish my pull and I found that was the case for many of my Snatches tonight. I was making sure my first pull was accurate and it felt better, but not perfect of course. Have a look at the video and tell me if you see anything.
2 Front Squats and 1 Jerk--This is always tough after squatting earlier in the day but I was happy enough with how it went. I did this combination lift for singles with 60, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 125--I just missed the Jerk as you will see in the video below and I had ru out of time to give it another go, but I will get it next time.
I train tomorrow and I will see how I am feeling after working in the morning. Next week I compete in Belfast so I need to get as fresh as I can in a week so that I can lift bigger weights than I ever have before!
Monday 2 November 2009
Monday's magnum
I was pretty tired during training today and looking back, I set my sights too high. I needed to be a little more realistic considering my training volume last week as well as maxing out on Saturday's second session. That's alright though, this is supposed to be a learning process after all. Here is what I did tonight:
A fifteen minute warm up. I was very stiff and warming up took more effort than usual.
Reverse Pulls--1x2@40, 50, 60, 70, 82 1x1@92--I did these as part of the warm up which also worked on pulling skill and back lock.
Snatch--Because I was so stiff, it was hard to get locked into position.
1x3@40, 40 1x2@60 1x1@80, 90, 95--This was awful so I went back to 90 again for a swinging miss behind and then a decent, but slow Snatch. I left it there.
Snatch Pulls--1x2@90, 100, 105, 110, 115
Cleans--1x2@60, 60, 90, 100, 110 for three doubles. These had to be ground out, but each set got a little better.
Back Squats--1x2@110, 120, 130, 140--I was all done in by then so I left it there for a quick stretch.
Have a look at the video below of some of the lifting today from Zag and I:
A fifteen minute warm up. I was very stiff and warming up took more effort than usual.
Reverse Pulls--1x2@40, 50, 60, 70, 82 1x1@92--I did these as part of the warm up which also worked on pulling skill and back lock.
Snatch--Because I was so stiff, it was hard to get locked into position.
1x3@40, 40 1x2@60 1x1@80, 90, 95--This was awful so I went back to 90 again for a swinging miss behind and then a decent, but slow Snatch. I left it there.
Snatch Pulls--1x2@90, 100, 105, 110, 115
Cleans--1x2@60, 60, 90, 100, 110 for three doubles. These had to be ground out, but each set got a little better.
Back Squats--1x2@110, 120, 130, 140--I was all done in by then so I left it there for a quick stretch.
Have a look at the video below of some of the lifting today from Zag and I:
Friday 16 October 2009
Friday's fountain of youth
I decided to train today instead of yesterday because I was pretty run down. Today was supposed to be a light session and I enjoyed it. There was a good atmosphere in the gym and Gillian and Karen are lifting well. Harry even did some Power Clean triples for a laugh.
I worked up to 80kg for Power Snatch doubles, focusing on extending up and letting the elbows break over the bar with a nice and snappy turnover. It felt nice lifting off the ground in the Snatch which I have not done since Cork.
I then did a few Power Cleans and Jerks and worked up to a Power Clean with 100 followed by 7 Jerks in a row. I wanted to see if i could beet 9 Jerks with 100 in Scotland, but I did that from the rack. I power Cleaned it this time. Have a look at the video:
I finished off with three triples with 130kg in the Back Squat and some band work for my mid traps and rhomboids. Well done to Sami and Cathal in Poland. You both did us all proud. Next week I will be back to training normally and I can get on with getting ready for the Northern Ireland Open.
I worked up to 80kg for Power Snatch doubles, focusing on extending up and letting the elbows break over the bar with a nice and snappy turnover. It felt nice lifting off the ground in the Snatch which I have not done since Cork.
I then did a few Power Cleans and Jerks and worked up to a Power Clean with 100 followed by 7 Jerks in a row. I wanted to see if i could beet 9 Jerks with 100 in Scotland, but I did that from the rack. I power Cleaned it this time. Have a look at the video:
I finished off with three triples with 130kg in the Back Squat and some band work for my mid traps and rhomboids. Well done to Sami and Cathal in Poland. You both did us all proud. Next week I will be back to training normally and I can get on with getting ready for the Northern Ireland Open.
Monday 28 September 2009
Monday's momentum
I had enjoyable session with Zag and Wayne Healy today. Wayne is a 69kg lifter and he decided to compete in Cork; he has been training once a week for the last four or five weeks, and as you will see in the video below, his lifting is still quality. His best lifts as a 62kg lifter were 112/137.5kg and he competed in several World and European Championships in the early years of this decade.
I kept it light and fast today and everything went relatively smoothly. I did a glute prehab and some Miyake Pulls to warm up.
Power Snatch--1x2@40, 40, 50, 60, 70 1x1@80, 90, 95--This last lift was caught at parallel. The back felt fine although as the video shows, I still have a bit more to go.
Power Clean and Jerk--1x1@70, 80, 90, 100, 110
I did a few light sets of squats with 110kg to get some blood flowing and keep the legs active. I finished the session off with some hanging ab work and later that evening, I had an ART session which focused on my sore left elbow, my two wrists and my hips. All in all, I feel pretty good today.
Have a look at the video and leave any comments or feedback. There is a bonus feature to tonight's video with some guest lifting from Nat Callaghan over in Scotland, so leave him any feedback that you see fit.
I kept it light and fast today and everything went relatively smoothly. I did a glute prehab and some Miyake Pulls to warm up.
Power Snatch--1x2@40, 40, 50, 60, 70 1x1@80, 90, 95--This last lift was caught at parallel. The back felt fine although as the video shows, I still have a bit more to go.
Power Clean and Jerk--1x1@70, 80, 90, 100, 110
I did a few light sets of squats with 110kg to get some blood flowing and keep the legs active. I finished the session off with some hanging ab work and later that evening, I had an ART session which focused on my sore left elbow, my two wrists and my hips. All in all, I feel pretty good today.
Have a look at the video and leave any comments or feedback. There is a bonus feature to tonight's video with some guest lifting from Nat Callaghan over in Scotland, so leave him any feedback that you see fit.
Monday 31 August 2009
Monday's mirthful slap in the face from my nervous system
I rested up for the last three days and I tried to train today. It was not to be. I felt fresh as a daisy all day and I had hoped to be able to train to a medium intenity, but my nervous system has clearly not yet recovered. Instead of training tomorrow and Thursday, I will train on Wednesday and have a flexibility and pre hab/core sessions tomorrow, Thursday and Friday. I reckon this should get me fresh enough so I can lift some decent weights on Saturday and enjoy myself in the process.
Even though I stretched in the warm up, my hips were very tight again. I simply need to continue doing my partner flexibility here and stay patient. I did not feel comfortable in the bottom position in the Snatch which is quite unusual for me. I worked up to three singles with 90kg in the Snatch and they were ugly as sin and felt just as awkward, but they needed to be done. I had begun my Snatch Pulls and everything felt like it shouldn't. It is very, very rare that I would skip my targeted exercises, but today was one of those occasions, so I went straight to a few sets of Back Squats to keep the legs thinking. I did around fifteen minutes of flexibility after this to finish up.
It was a frustrating workout, but it is clear to me that the nervous system needs a bit more time. I have had sessions were I was tired and sore, but with focus I could still lift well. This session and last Thursday were different though. No matter how much I focused, my body would not obey my mind. I just have to stay patient and I know by Saturday I will be raring to go.
Here is a short video showing two of Zag's girls lifting. They only train in the weightlifting movements twice a week and their talent is very obvious.
Here also is the third part of my inter with Charlie Hamilton:
Even though I stretched in the warm up, my hips were very tight again. I simply need to continue doing my partner flexibility here and stay patient. I did not feel comfortable in the bottom position in the Snatch which is quite unusual for me. I worked up to three singles with 90kg in the Snatch and they were ugly as sin and felt just as awkward, but they needed to be done. I had begun my Snatch Pulls and everything felt like it shouldn't. It is very, very rare that I would skip my targeted exercises, but today was one of those occasions, so I went straight to a few sets of Back Squats to keep the legs thinking. I did around fifteen minutes of flexibility after this to finish up.
It was a frustrating workout, but it is clear to me that the nervous system needs a bit more time. I have had sessions were I was tired and sore, but with focus I could still lift well. This session and last Thursday were different though. No matter how much I focused, my body would not obey my mind. I just have to stay patient and I know by Saturday I will be raring to go.
Here is a short video showing two of Zag's girls lifting. They only train in the weightlifting movements twice a week and their talent is very obvious.
Here also is the third part of my inter with Charlie Hamilton:
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Tuesday’s tramping around on a rainy morning
Session 1
Our first session was very early and we were warming up at 8.45AM. It turned out to an incredibly demanding session, but it was extremely worthwhile. The video below shows how our session was structured but here is what I did:
Bar work to warm up
Clean triples up to 85% for three sets—1x3@40, 40, 40, 60, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120 for three doubles. I missed my last Clean in the first set, got all three reps on my second set and on my third set that is on the video below, I missed the first rep by overpulling and I got the following two reps. This was very difficult because this was all happening around 9.15 am. None of us had ever trained this heavy this early.
Clean singles to max—I got a single with 125, missed 130 and then got it. This was demanding because my brain was telling me it was too early. At no stage of the pull or catch did I feel in any way fluid, but we had to go through with the Cleans anyway and improve our mental strength and our ability to switch off the negative sides of our brains. I then did a single with 135 and I was unable to focus enough in order to Clean 140.
Power Clean and 3 Jerks—Myself and Byrdie worked up to 110kg. Again, it was the co-ordination—or lack of it—that made the exercise tricky. I really focused on driving under the weight and moving as quickly as I could. Because the weight was light, it meant my split was very close, but I could really feel myself getting under the bar. It is quite strange that when we did the max Jerks with 100kg the previous day, it was the 6th, 7th and 8th Jerks that were my best and the first real time that I drove myself under the bar in the split Jerk.
Power Cleans—We did three or four singles with 110kg to work on keeping the bar as close as possible by focusing on the top of the pull.
Session two—7 pm
Snatch—I did doubles up until 90kg and then went onto singles. Throughout the warm up and all my Snatches, I tried to make my lifts as fast as I possibly could and to finish the pulls. This is very tricky with 60kg, but I have to learn to do it.
1x1@95, 100, 105—The 100/105 felt very smooth and close to the body, but there was no pop in the pull in order for a fast finish. I then missed 110 three times which was very frustrating as the bar was high enough, but I lacked the final zip in the finish of the pull and my hips were not opening up enough to get down at rock bottom. I have a good bit of flexibility work to do over the next few weeks. My hip flexibility really improved but since I have been away for the last month, it has gone to the dogs.
Snatch 80% for five reps in a row—Murph and Byrdie were able to get their five singles, but I could only get four. Like out earlier session, Chick was really trying to change the way our mind works and shake it out of our comfort zones. This set felt like an equivalent of a weightlifting brawl and I got knocked out in the final round.
Back Squat—We worked up to a max triple. Murph got 140, I got 160 and Byrdie got 168. Chick really emphasised having your foot spacing and back angle in the same position as you would the Clean receiving position.
That was it. A tough, but exhilarating day’s training where we really pushed the limits of what we were used to, and comfortable doing also. We can always do more than the mind tells us. Peter Kirkbride came into the gym around 8pm and was clearly shattered form a day working on a building site. He was still able to lift some outrageous weights that were very close to his max lifts. This shows how mentally strong he is and how Chick coaches lifters to ignore the mind and to trust his coaching awareness that he has developed over the years. When I come into the gym after a tough day’s work, my mind tells me to take it easy and have a light session. This is fine if one does not want to improve, but rather stagnate. Sometimes one is forced to rest, but there are also times when one has to transcend their previous limits and put everything they have and more than they think they have into a session. This is the biggest thing I have learned off Chick that goes beyond the technical details. I have more mental strength in me than I realise and I need to work on building up this strength and it will come into play on the days were in a tough session or in a competition, I can compose myself, ignore the doubts and simply grip and rip. Here is the video below. I have only included myself, Muprh’s and Cathal’s lifts and in a few days I will publish some videos of Chick’s younger lifters and Peter that will bring a tear to the eye. I also got a great interview with Chick that I will post when I am able. Comment on any aspect of the video that interests you or include any constructive criticism you may have.
As a bonus feature for this post, I have added the third part of Jim Schmitz's interview. It is on how he structures his programmes and also on competition strategy, so enjoy.
Our first session was very early and we were warming up at 8.45AM. It turned out to an incredibly demanding session, but it was extremely worthwhile. The video below shows how our session was structured but here is what I did:
Bar work to warm up
Clean triples up to 85% for three sets—1x3@40, 40, 40, 60, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120 for three doubles. I missed my last Clean in the first set, got all three reps on my second set and on my third set that is on the video below, I missed the first rep by overpulling and I got the following two reps. This was very difficult because this was all happening around 9.15 am. None of us had ever trained this heavy this early.
Clean singles to max—I got a single with 125, missed 130 and then got it. This was demanding because my brain was telling me it was too early. At no stage of the pull or catch did I feel in any way fluid, but we had to go through with the Cleans anyway and improve our mental strength and our ability to switch off the negative sides of our brains. I then did a single with 135 and I was unable to focus enough in order to Clean 140.
Power Clean and 3 Jerks—Myself and Byrdie worked up to 110kg. Again, it was the co-ordination—or lack of it—that made the exercise tricky. I really focused on driving under the weight and moving as quickly as I could. Because the weight was light, it meant my split was very close, but I could really feel myself getting under the bar. It is quite strange that when we did the max Jerks with 100kg the previous day, it was the 6th, 7th and 8th Jerks that were my best and the first real time that I drove myself under the bar in the split Jerk.
Power Cleans—We did three or four singles with 110kg to work on keeping the bar as close as possible by focusing on the top of the pull.
Session two—7 pm
Snatch—I did doubles up until 90kg and then went onto singles. Throughout the warm up and all my Snatches, I tried to make my lifts as fast as I possibly could and to finish the pulls. This is very tricky with 60kg, but I have to learn to do it.
1x1@95, 100, 105—The 100/105 felt very smooth and close to the body, but there was no pop in the pull in order for a fast finish. I then missed 110 three times which was very frustrating as the bar was high enough, but I lacked the final zip in the finish of the pull and my hips were not opening up enough to get down at rock bottom. I have a good bit of flexibility work to do over the next few weeks. My hip flexibility really improved but since I have been away for the last month, it has gone to the dogs.
Snatch 80% for five reps in a row—Murph and Byrdie were able to get their five singles, but I could only get four. Like out earlier session, Chick was really trying to change the way our mind works and shake it out of our comfort zones. This set felt like an equivalent of a weightlifting brawl and I got knocked out in the final round.
Back Squat—We worked up to a max triple. Murph got 140, I got 160 and Byrdie got 168. Chick really emphasised having your foot spacing and back angle in the same position as you would the Clean receiving position.
That was it. A tough, but exhilarating day’s training where we really pushed the limits of what we were used to, and comfortable doing also. We can always do more than the mind tells us. Peter Kirkbride came into the gym around 8pm and was clearly shattered form a day working on a building site. He was still able to lift some outrageous weights that were very close to his max lifts. This shows how mentally strong he is and how Chick coaches lifters to ignore the mind and to trust his coaching awareness that he has developed over the years. When I come into the gym after a tough day’s work, my mind tells me to take it easy and have a light session. This is fine if one does not want to improve, but rather stagnate. Sometimes one is forced to rest, but there are also times when one has to transcend their previous limits and put everything they have and more than they think they have into a session. This is the biggest thing I have learned off Chick that goes beyond the technical details. I have more mental strength in me than I realise and I need to work on building up this strength and it will come into play on the days were in a tough session or in a competition, I can compose myself, ignore the doubts and simply grip and rip. Here is the video below. I have only included myself, Muprh’s and Cathal’s lifts and in a few days I will publish some videos of Chick’s younger lifters and Peter that will bring a tear to the eye. I also got a great interview with Chick that I will post when I am able. Comment on any aspect of the video that interests you or include any constructive criticism you may have.
As a bonus feature for this post, I have added the third part of Jim Schmitz's interview. It is on how he structures his programmes and also on competition strategy, so enjoy.
Friday 14 August 2009
Friday’s fruitful fun
Friday’s fruitful fun
We had our first session at 9.15am and it focused on the Clean movement, the pull in particular. We all adapted how we pull, just like with the Snatch last night. It took a while for us to wake up and get the body moving faster, but that was that the warm up sets were for. Here is what we did:
Session 1
1. Power Clean + 2 Hang Power Cleans—1x3@ 40, 40, 40, 60, 80, 90, 100 for three triples. We focused on keeping the bar close, getting a shrug at the top of the pull and also to catch the bar as high as possible while resisting being driven down by the weight. This last coaching point was tricky with the top end weights in the next exercise when we went to singles because our minds are used to accepting our limits as to what we can Power Clean.
2. Power Clean and 2 Jerks—1+2@ 60, 60, 80, 90, 100 for three sets. We then did single Power Clean and Jerks with 110, 115, 120 and 125. I missed the Power Clean with 125 because my elbows were slow—despite the fact that the bar was really high. I will show this in the video. In this movement my feet were again put out in my starting position, and I was really trying to engage the traps like last night. Each set got smoother—the opening sets were really rough. The idea is to get the positioning and pull right and then the speed will come. Murph got an easy Power Clean and Jerk with 111kg for a pb and his lifting was really sharp this morning.
3. Clean Pulls with shrug—1x3@100, 110, 120 for three triples with this. Like last night, Charlie had us try to hold the shrug at the top of the pull while on the toes. I was creeping forward a bit on these which means I was hitting it out a bit.
4. Clean deadlift with shrug—The same idea as Jim Schmitz’s reasons for using the movement. A slow pull with an isometric hold at the top of the pull. Myself and Cathal did triples with 120, 130, 140 and 150. My back lock abandoned me after the first rep at my top set which tells me I need to strengthen my lower back and hamstrings which leads into...
5. 45 degree back extensions—3x20—These burned my lower back like there was no tomorrow. I obviously need to do more of this movement.
To summarise, the main coaching points from this morning’s session were:
- Keeping the back locked and as flat as possible throughout the pull
- Using the traps at the top of the pull in order to guide the bar and pull the bar as high as possible
- Pushing the elbows though in the catch position as fast as possible
- Catching the bar in as solid a manner as possible, as high as possible while pushing up against the bar in order to resist the heavier weights pushing you down into a full squat clean
Session two: 5pm
1. Power Snatch—3x3@70-% of best Power Snatch--These were tough because my scooping point was sore to touch and I was pretty tired after all the pulls earlier. I also found it tough because I knew this would be an easy session and I was probably conserving my energy for tomorrow.
2. Snatch Pulls—3x3@ 10kg heavier than Power Snatches—Each set got better with the Snatches and the Pulls, but that was it for the second session. Short and sweet so that we can all go heavy tomorrow.
We had our first session at 9.15am and it focused on the Clean movement, the pull in particular. We all adapted how we pull, just like with the Snatch last night. It took a while for us to wake up and get the body moving faster, but that was that the warm up sets were for. Here is what we did:
Session 1
1. Power Clean + 2 Hang Power Cleans—1x3@ 40, 40, 40, 60, 80, 90, 100 for three triples. We focused on keeping the bar close, getting a shrug at the top of the pull and also to catch the bar as high as possible while resisting being driven down by the weight. This last coaching point was tricky with the top end weights in the next exercise when we went to singles because our minds are used to accepting our limits as to what we can Power Clean.
2. Power Clean and 2 Jerks—1+2@ 60, 60, 80, 90, 100 for three sets. We then did single Power Clean and Jerks with 110, 115, 120 and 125. I missed the Power Clean with 125 because my elbows were slow—despite the fact that the bar was really high. I will show this in the video. In this movement my feet were again put out in my starting position, and I was really trying to engage the traps like last night. Each set got smoother—the opening sets were really rough. The idea is to get the positioning and pull right and then the speed will come. Murph got an easy Power Clean and Jerk with 111kg for a pb and his lifting was really sharp this morning.
3. Clean Pulls with shrug—1x3@100, 110, 120 for three triples with this. Like last night, Charlie had us try to hold the shrug at the top of the pull while on the toes. I was creeping forward a bit on these which means I was hitting it out a bit.
4. Clean deadlift with shrug—The same idea as Jim Schmitz’s reasons for using the movement. A slow pull with an isometric hold at the top of the pull. Myself and Cathal did triples with 120, 130, 140 and 150. My back lock abandoned me after the first rep at my top set which tells me I need to strengthen my lower back and hamstrings which leads into...
5. 45 degree back extensions—3x20—These burned my lower back like there was no tomorrow. I obviously need to do more of this movement.
To summarise, the main coaching points from this morning’s session were:
- Keeping the back locked and as flat as possible throughout the pull
- Using the traps at the top of the pull in order to guide the bar and pull the bar as high as possible
- Pushing the elbows though in the catch position as fast as possible
- Catching the bar in as solid a manner as possible, as high as possible while pushing up against the bar in order to resist the heavier weights pushing you down into a full squat clean
Session two: 5pm
1. Power Snatch—3x3@70-% of best Power Snatch--These were tough because my scooping point was sore to touch and I was pretty tired after all the pulls earlier. I also found it tough because I knew this would be an easy session and I was probably conserving my energy for tomorrow.
2. Snatch Pulls—3x3@ 10kg heavier than Power Snatches—Each set got better with the Snatches and the Pulls, but that was it for the second session. Short and sweet so that we can all go heavy tomorrow.
Tuesday 11 August 2009
Tuesday's think tank
I was going to have a session comprising on bar work and flexibility, but after arriving home yesterday, my body clock has not quite recovered yet, so I watched Sami train instead. I am off to Scotland tomorrow evening to train with Charlie Hamilton and his boys for six days in Kilmarnock and Andy Murphy and Cathal Byrd will be going also. Of course, I will update the blog as much as possible and hopefully I can sneak in an interview with Charlie, whom many regard as the best coach in Great Britain. There are some tremendous lifters in his gym so I might be able to take some videos of them also.
As promised, here is the part two of my interview with Jim Schmitz and it deals with weightlifting technique across the board. Here and here are my two posts regarding my training in the Sports' Palace. Thanks again to Jim for giving the interview and hopefully you will be as interested in what he says as I am. I will close this post with the great advice that he gave me in an email today:
Barry,
It was a pleasure meeting you and having you workout with me. And a big thanks for the interview you posted, I have received many very positive comments about it. So, get those legs really strong and your technique more consistent and efficient and I think you will lift some big weights. However, watch out for "paralysis due to analysis", don't think too much, especially when you grab the bar, if you pull as hard as you can and move as fast as you can you have a good chance for success.
Weightlifting is Fun, Lifting More Weight is More Fun, So Lift a Lot of Weight and Have a Lot of Fun!
Jim
As promised, here is the part two of my interview with Jim Schmitz and it deals with weightlifting technique across the board. Here and here are my two posts regarding my training in the Sports' Palace. Thanks again to Jim for giving the interview and hopefully you will be as interested in what he says as I am. I will close this post with the great advice that he gave me in an email today:
Barry,
It was a pleasure meeting you and having you workout with me. And a big thanks for the interview you posted, I have received many very positive comments about it. So, get those legs really strong and your technique more consistent and efficient and I think you will lift some big weights. However, watch out for "paralysis due to analysis", don't think too much, especially when you grab the bar, if you pull as hard as you can and move as fast as you can you have a good chance for success.
Weightlifting is Fun, Lifting More Weight is More Fun, So Lift a Lot of Weight and Have a Lot of Fun!
Jim
Friday 7 August 2009
Wednesday's worhipping at the Sports' Palace
I had no idea what to expect when I arrived into the gym where Jim Schmitz trains his lifters in San Francisco. The usual training area was being refurbished so it was a makeshift gym in a different part of the gym that I trained in. I met Jim and a few of his lifters that were preparing themselves for a competition in Sacramento on Saturday.
I did a quick warm up with the bar and then I asked Jim what I should do. He got me to Snatch and Clean and Jerk up to a comfortable 90% or so so that he could observe my lifting and take it from there.
Snatch--I began with 2 Power Snatches and one Squat Snatch with 40, 50, 60 and 70kgs. I was then told to Squat Snatch 80 and 90 and then I Snatched 100. None of these felt particularly good, with 100 feeling far heavier than usual. I then missed 105 twice and then missed 100 again. I was not finishing my pull and I felt very flat. The driving up the coast of California was beautiful but it was not particularly conducive to lifting I am afraid. My Snatch has been feeling very fast lately so I was a little annoyed I was not at the races in that regard, although I do realise I am on holidays!
Clean and Jerk--I started off with one Power Clean, one Squat Clean and one Jerk with 60, then 90, then 100 and then 110. Then it was a straight Clean and Jerk with 120, 130 and a solid 135 which was fast, but was what Jim called a "wet bag jerk" meaning that I was too soft in the recieving position. I left it there; the Cleans also felt far heavier than they should have.
An interesting thing that Jim repeated a few times was that when I finish any lift, I need to stabilise the bar at the top of the Snatch or Jerk in order to both create the habit of finishing the lift properly and also to strengthen the stabilising muscles isometrically. Harry has tried to get me to do the same thing but Jim's explanation sounded much cooler.
Miyake High Pulls--This is a Snatch assistance exercise that is used to improve the transition from the first pull to the scooping point. The High Pull added into the end helps put the movement in place. Jim got this exercise from the man it is named after and upon looking at the video below, my back needs a tighter arch throughout the pull. The exercise begins with a Snatch first pull from the ground up to the scoop point, then the bar is brought down below the knees and back up to the scoop point and then the bar is brought back down to below to knee and the lifter extend up into a high pull. I worked up to two sets with 90kg in this exercise.
Front Squats with a Jerk--I began with 5 squats with 60 with a Jerk at the end. Then I went up to 90kg for 4 squat and one Jerk. Then I went to 110kg for 4 squats and one Jerk followed by 125kg for 2 squats and one Jerk. I really enjoyed these and it is a great way to work on the Jerk while getting your lighter squats in. I then went up to 140 for a Front Squat double followed by a very hard 150 for a double. My legs are still feeling a bit weak I am afraid. I would highly recommend adding a Jerk to your Squats because it reinforces skill as well as forcing you to Jerk when your legs may be fatigued.
The Sultan Rakhmanov exercise--This was something I have never seen before and Jim uses it to strengthen the posterior chain as well as to teach the body how to bring the hips through and extend when the hamstrings are stretched like in a lift. The exercise is in the video below and Jim got it from the famous Russian lifter who it is named after. I had no idea how, but I tweaked my hip, so I could not perform the movement the way I wanted to. You position yourself like in a Back Squat and descend into a good morning, and when at the bottom of the good morning, you bring your hips through and scoop under and extend up. It is very interesting and like some of the exercises I learned in Holland, could help me get that back locked.
All in all, it was a great first session. I should have a good interview for the next post and a few videos to boot.
I did a quick warm up with the bar and then I asked Jim what I should do. He got me to Snatch and Clean and Jerk up to a comfortable 90% or so so that he could observe my lifting and take it from there.
Snatch--I began with 2 Power Snatches and one Squat Snatch with 40, 50, 60 and 70kgs. I was then told to Squat Snatch 80 and 90 and then I Snatched 100. None of these felt particularly good, with 100 feeling far heavier than usual. I then missed 105 twice and then missed 100 again. I was not finishing my pull and I felt very flat. The driving up the coast of California was beautiful but it was not particularly conducive to lifting I am afraid. My Snatch has been feeling very fast lately so I was a little annoyed I was not at the races in that regard, although I do realise I am on holidays!
Clean and Jerk--I started off with one Power Clean, one Squat Clean and one Jerk with 60, then 90, then 100 and then 110. Then it was a straight Clean and Jerk with 120, 130 and a solid 135 which was fast, but was what Jim called a "wet bag jerk" meaning that I was too soft in the recieving position. I left it there; the Cleans also felt far heavier than they should have.
An interesting thing that Jim repeated a few times was that when I finish any lift, I need to stabilise the bar at the top of the Snatch or Jerk in order to both create the habit of finishing the lift properly and also to strengthen the stabilising muscles isometrically. Harry has tried to get me to do the same thing but Jim's explanation sounded much cooler.
Miyake High Pulls--This is a Snatch assistance exercise that is used to improve the transition from the first pull to the scooping point. The High Pull added into the end helps put the movement in place. Jim got this exercise from the man it is named after and upon looking at the video below, my back needs a tighter arch throughout the pull. The exercise begins with a Snatch first pull from the ground up to the scoop point, then the bar is brought down below the knees and back up to the scoop point and then the bar is brought back down to below to knee and the lifter extend up into a high pull. I worked up to two sets with 90kg in this exercise.
Front Squats with a Jerk--I began with 5 squats with 60 with a Jerk at the end. Then I went up to 90kg for 4 squat and one Jerk. Then I went to 110kg for 4 squats and one Jerk followed by 125kg for 2 squats and one Jerk. I really enjoyed these and it is a great way to work on the Jerk while getting your lighter squats in. I then went up to 140 for a Front Squat double followed by a very hard 150 for a double. My legs are still feeling a bit weak I am afraid. I would highly recommend adding a Jerk to your Squats because it reinforces skill as well as forcing you to Jerk when your legs may be fatigued.
The Sultan Rakhmanov exercise--This was something I have never seen before and Jim uses it to strengthen the posterior chain as well as to teach the body how to bring the hips through and extend when the hamstrings are stretched like in a lift. The exercise is in the video below and Jim got it from the famous Russian lifter who it is named after. I had no idea how, but I tweaked my hip, so I could not perform the movement the way I wanted to. You position yourself like in a Back Squat and descend into a good morning, and when at the bottom of the good morning, you bring your hips through and scoop under and extend up. It is very interesting and like some of the exercises I learned in Holland, could help me get that back locked.
All in all, it was a great first session. I should have a good interview for the next post and a few videos to boot.
Thursday 2 July 2009
Thursday’s tempest—at least for how I lift.
This is a short reflective article on my 8 day training camp in the Netherlands. I have a training report from each day with videos either below this post or you can also get them from the archive on the right hand side of each page.
I learned many things in my 8 days training in Holland with Tom Bruijen. In this post I will deal with some of the technical aspects of weightlifting that I not only learnt, but more importantly, felt in a kinaesthetic and physical manner. Of course, these are all relevant to me and are all very obvious, but like I said, you have to FEEL it.
1. I have learned for the first time what it feels like to lift with a flat and arched back. This transforms the entire feeling of a lift and how you experience the movement. I am able to fully use the power in my legs and hips and not rely on my mid/upper back so much, in the Snatch in particular. On Monday I was not able to maintain this back arch past 100kg despite getting the lifts, but that is up to me to ingrain the altered starting position into my automatic technique through focused repetitions, rather than mindless warm up. If I am unable to maintain concentration on form throughout the warm up I do not deserve to improve on my total.
2. The assistance exercises Harry and I choose to include in my program have to work on both the improvement of technique as well as specifically activating and strengthening the relevant muscle groups. For me, the muscles all long my spine are not used to being properly activated and employed for optimal technique, the lower back in particular.
3. In both the Snatch and the Clean in particular, I simply do not extend and finish my pull enough. This is something that Harry, Tommy Hayden and Wayne Healy have commented on; like the new starting position, I must ingrain how this feels and form a habit of extending fully with the lighter weights so that it carries through when the intensity ramps up.
4. In the Jerk, it all starts with the Jerk Dip. If this is not fluid and does not hit the right position, everything else will more than likely go to the doldrums. The habit of staying on the heels in the dip is just about there, but I still need to be concentrate on it until it is second nature.
5. How I rack the bar in the Jerk controls how I extend in the Jerk drive and how much power of the hips and legs can be utilised. I was made aware of this for the first time in Bucharest when Kevin D’Arcy and Cathal Byrd pointed out how my shoulder girdle was slightly caved in when in the rack position. I worked on this a bit with Harry in the training camp at the start of June, but it only started to feel comfortable this week because I made my grip wider in the Clean which made it wider in the Jerk and easier to ‘open up’ the shoulder girle and upper back. Now that this position and the Jerk Dip are far more comfortable, I can focus on how I drive in my extension and then drive myself under the bar with a secure lock.
6. When squatting, it is imperative that I keep my back lock all the way down and up—again building this habit with the lighter weights first. I must also gradually get my feet a bit wider when squatting so that it mirrors my catch position in the Snatch and clean comfortably.
7. My flexibility is improving at a snail’s pace, but I have to continue working on it—focusing, as always, on the hips, groin, hamstrings and back.
These are the main things I learned training with Tom, but the seeds of many of these aspects were sown months ago. A training week like this gives one the time to focus on these kinds of issues and with few distractions, also the energy. It also goes to show how more than one coach can help one’s technique and lifting as well as many of your lifting peers. These are all basic points that most of you probably already know, but in my opinion you must get the physical ‘feel’ of an aspect of technique before you can truly understand it and begin to adapt. It is not enough to comprehend the concept; kinaesthetic awareness is the fulcrum from which you can begin to adapt. These are only my opinions; feel free to agree or disagree. If anyone has any tips that they learned in a similar or different way, please leave a comment.
I learned many things in my 8 days training in Holland with Tom Bruijen. In this post I will deal with some of the technical aspects of weightlifting that I not only learnt, but more importantly, felt in a kinaesthetic and physical manner. Of course, these are all relevant to me and are all very obvious, but like I said, you have to FEEL it.
1. I have learned for the first time what it feels like to lift with a flat and arched back. This transforms the entire feeling of a lift and how you experience the movement. I am able to fully use the power in my legs and hips and not rely on my mid/upper back so much, in the Snatch in particular. On Monday I was not able to maintain this back arch past 100kg despite getting the lifts, but that is up to me to ingrain the altered starting position into my automatic technique through focused repetitions, rather than mindless warm up. If I am unable to maintain concentration on form throughout the warm up I do not deserve to improve on my total.
2. The assistance exercises Harry and I choose to include in my program have to work on both the improvement of technique as well as specifically activating and strengthening the relevant muscle groups. For me, the muscles all long my spine are not used to being properly activated and employed for optimal technique, the lower back in particular.
3. In both the Snatch and the Clean in particular, I simply do not extend and finish my pull enough. This is something that Harry, Tommy Hayden and Wayne Healy have commented on; like the new starting position, I must ingrain how this feels and form a habit of extending fully with the lighter weights so that it carries through when the intensity ramps up.
4. In the Jerk, it all starts with the Jerk Dip. If this is not fluid and does not hit the right position, everything else will more than likely go to the doldrums. The habit of staying on the heels in the dip is just about there, but I still need to be concentrate on it until it is second nature.
5. How I rack the bar in the Jerk controls how I extend in the Jerk drive and how much power of the hips and legs can be utilised. I was made aware of this for the first time in Bucharest when Kevin D’Arcy and Cathal Byrd pointed out how my shoulder girdle was slightly caved in when in the rack position. I worked on this a bit with Harry in the training camp at the start of June, but it only started to feel comfortable this week because I made my grip wider in the Clean which made it wider in the Jerk and easier to ‘open up’ the shoulder girle and upper back. Now that this position and the Jerk Dip are far more comfortable, I can focus on how I drive in my extension and then drive myself under the bar with a secure lock.
6. When squatting, it is imperative that I keep my back lock all the way down and up—again building this habit with the lighter weights first. I must also gradually get my feet a bit wider when squatting so that it mirrors my catch position in the Snatch and clean comfortably.
7. My flexibility is improving at a snail’s pace, but I have to continue working on it—focusing, as always, on the hips, groin, hamstrings and back.
These are the main things I learned training with Tom, but the seeds of many of these aspects were sown months ago. A training week like this gives one the time to focus on these kinds of issues and with few distractions, also the energy. It also goes to show how more than one coach can help one’s technique and lifting as well as many of your lifting peers. These are all basic points that most of you probably already know, but in my opinion you must get the physical ‘feel’ of an aspect of technique before you can truly understand it and begin to adapt. It is not enough to comprehend the concept; kinaesthetic awareness is the fulcrum from which you can begin to adapt. These are only my opinions; feel free to agree or disagree. If anyone has any tips that they learned in a similar or different way, please leave a comment.
Saturday 31 January 2009
Friday's funny moments
When your coach is trying to get your mind in the right place for a sesion and he says he just joined the "That's what she said" International festival group on Facebook, you know it is going to be a fun session. I was irritated with my Snatch yesterday so I changed my usual warm up and routine. Harry wanted me to have a pretty light day but I was feeling pretty good and I purposely did not tire myself out with my usual warm up because I wanted to be fresh for the Snatch. Here is what I did:
Overhead Squats--6x5--I was doing lots of dynamic and static flexibility between most of my sets.
Drop Snatch--2 sets with the bar.
Snatch--1x2@60, 70
1x1@75, 80, 85, 90, 94--I missed the first rep because I did not finish the pull and dived down too early. I was thinking about technique rather than simply lifting the weight quickly. Anyway, that taught me my lesson so I nailed 94 easily and then got 96. The lifts were far easier when I shut down my mind and focused on speed of lift rather than technique.
Clean Grip PNF--1 set--I am going to make a video about this simple technique next week.
Jerk Skill with 60
Power Clean and Jerk--1x2@60 1x1@80, 90, 100, 110, 114, 117--The last rep was more of a squat clean. With the Jerk I was really focusing on getting the feel of pushing myself under the bar. Even though I was driving the bar slightly forward, I was very locked in because I was pushing under and through the bar. Usually if I drive the bar out it feels precarious, but it was locked in here.
Front Squat--1x2@90, 110, 120, 130, 140, 145--This is the most I have done for a double and it was not too hard, so I was happy.
We are now finished our four week block of training. I am now doing five sessions a week and more volume in each session. Before Christmas, I was doing four sessions and not squatting as much. Over this last week, the second half in particular, my legs were feeling the heat, but overall, this is the best training perios I have ever had. Well done to Gillian and Laura for getting their prs this week and roll on UL!
Overhead Squats--6x5--I was doing lots of dynamic and static flexibility between most of my sets.
Drop Snatch--2 sets with the bar.
Snatch--1x2@60, 70
1x1@75, 80, 85, 90, 94--I missed the first rep because I did not finish the pull and dived down too early. I was thinking about technique rather than simply lifting the weight quickly. Anyway, that taught me my lesson so I nailed 94 easily and then got 96. The lifts were far easier when I shut down my mind and focused on speed of lift rather than technique.
Clean Grip PNF--1 set--I am going to make a video about this simple technique next week.
Jerk Skill with 60
Power Clean and Jerk--1x2@60 1x1@80, 90, 100, 110, 114, 117--The last rep was more of a squat clean. With the Jerk I was really focusing on getting the feel of pushing myself under the bar. Even though I was driving the bar slightly forward, I was very locked in because I was pushing under and through the bar. Usually if I drive the bar out it feels precarious, but it was locked in here.
Front Squat--1x2@90, 110, 120, 130, 140, 145--This is the most I have done for a double and it was not too hard, so I was happy.
We are now finished our four week block of training. I am now doing five sessions a week and more volume in each session. Before Christmas, I was doing four sessions and not squatting as much. Over this last week, the second half in particular, my legs were feeling the heat, but overall, this is the best training perios I have ever had. Well done to Gillian and Laura for getting their prs this week and roll on UL!
Thursday 29 January 2009
Thursday's trojans
After receiving all the advice about mental focus and preparation, I rocked up to training tonight with stars in my eyes. As has been the same for the last few weeks, my nutrition demands were sorted and today I was neither tired nor particularly fresh. My warm up was sharp and I enjoyed it. I also had an epiphany that I shall share later in the post. Here is what I did:
Jerk Skill with the bar
Power Clean and Jerk--1x2@60 1x1@70, 80, 90
Overhead Squats--5x5--Again, I did a lot of dynamic flexibility for the hip girdle and legs in between all the different warm up exercises. I see my warm ups as a physical preparation but also as a chance to improve my skill in the drills themselves which will hopefully carry over to the main lifts.
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40, 50, 60--I read in a Bill Starr article that I should go up on my toes slightly in the jerk in order to enhance foot speed. This helped in the drop snatches because my feet were fast and they banged less on the floor, which is something that several people told me to improve on.
Snatch--1x2@65, 70 1x1@78, 85, 90, 94--I missed the first rep and nailed the second. I then did three singles on 96, but I missed the second and third reps. The strength was there but the speed and timing was off. I was hitting the bar out and dropping back also, rather than dropping straight down. It was disappointing, but it is the first time I have missed more than one lift in the Snatch for ages, so it had to happen. This is 91% of my 1RM and the second half of my third week of increasing the volume, which is something I have never done. I have to be realistic, but at the same time optimistic.
Cleans--I did two pnf clean grip exercises first and these have helped my rack position immensely.
1x1@80, 90, 100, 110, 115, 120, 124, 127--These cleans were strong but slower than usual and not as smooth as they usually would be. They felt very similar to my Snatches. 127 is 94% of my top Clean and Jerk.
Back Squats--I was in a rush tonight and my legs were also in tatters, so I did a quick few sets and had to leave.
1x3@100, 120, 130, 140--This last set is around 82.5% of my best Back Squat.
As for epiphany, it was very simple. I have been told it several times and I have read it several times, but today was the first time I ever truly felt the movement of pushing myself under the bar in the jerk. Just before my warm up I was thinking about things I have read and I decided that today I would go out of way in the warm up and teach my body what it felt like to push my body under the bar rather than jerk the barbell up. Laura did not notice any difference in the appearance of my technique, but it felt different to me. By pushing myself under, it got my body locked in and through the jerk and also got my under the bar, which is something I have struggled with. Now all I have to do is the x amount of repetitions so that my body becomes fluent in the movement. Easy, eh?
Jerk Skill with the bar
Power Clean and Jerk--1x2@60 1x1@70, 80, 90
Overhead Squats--5x5--Again, I did a lot of dynamic flexibility for the hip girdle and legs in between all the different warm up exercises. I see my warm ups as a physical preparation but also as a chance to improve my skill in the drills themselves which will hopefully carry over to the main lifts.
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40, 50, 60--I read in a Bill Starr article that I should go up on my toes slightly in the jerk in order to enhance foot speed. This helped in the drop snatches because my feet were fast and they banged less on the floor, which is something that several people told me to improve on.
Snatch--1x2@65, 70 1x1@78, 85, 90, 94--I missed the first rep and nailed the second. I then did three singles on 96, but I missed the second and third reps. The strength was there but the speed and timing was off. I was hitting the bar out and dropping back also, rather than dropping straight down. It was disappointing, but it is the first time I have missed more than one lift in the Snatch for ages, so it had to happen. This is 91% of my 1RM and the second half of my third week of increasing the volume, which is something I have never done. I have to be realistic, but at the same time optimistic.
Cleans--I did two pnf clean grip exercises first and these have helped my rack position immensely.
1x1@80, 90, 100, 110, 115, 120, 124, 127--These cleans were strong but slower than usual and not as smooth as they usually would be. They felt very similar to my Snatches. 127 is 94% of my top Clean and Jerk.
Back Squats--I was in a rush tonight and my legs were also in tatters, so I did a quick few sets and had to leave.
1x3@100, 120, 130, 140--This last set is around 82.5% of my best Back Squat.
As for epiphany, it was very simple. I have been told it several times and I have read it several times, but today was the first time I ever truly felt the movement of pushing myself under the bar in the jerk. Just before my warm up I was thinking about things I have read and I decided that today I would go out of way in the warm up and teach my body what it felt like to push my body under the bar rather than jerk the barbell up. Laura did not notice any difference in the appearance of my technique, but it felt different to me. By pushing myself under, it got my body locked in and through the jerk and also got my under the bar, which is something I have struggled with. Now all I have to do is the x amount of repetitions so that my body becomes fluent in the movement. Easy, eh?
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