Sacramento was about an hour and a half away and we were all looking forward to the competition. The gym was amazingly awesome and the competition was a small one for American standards, but still had over 70/80 people competing in it. The organisers were really efficient and everything ran very smoothly. The MC's in particular were instrumental in keeping the action moving and in getting the crowd involved before and after. The only Irish person who could possibly compare would be if Paudie Roche took the mike in a competition.
Donny and Rob both lifted very well and hit total pr's; Rob hit 127/153 and Donny hit 166/203, but he narrowly missed 210kg. Jon hit 152/185kg and Spenser hit 155/195kg. These were big numbers and the Cal Strength team took the overall medals. Two female lifters Joanne and Jenny bot qualified for nationals. Sami ended up with 100/126kg and lifted three out of six.
The gym has a powerlifting club, a crossfit club and a weightlifting club. It has absolutely everything a gym can want and it is all contained in what looks like an outdoor shed/warehouse. It was very hot that day and even when we were in the shade, we were effectively outdoors. We Irish boys were not quite used to that.
When we got there, we registered and ended up weighing in and waiting around for a few hours to lift. I was very stiff by the time that I started warming up, so it was a relief to get a bar in my hands at last. The plan was to open with 115/140. I warmed up in the usual manner and ended up missing 110, which was supposed to be my last warm up. I asked Glenn to put me up to 116kg as an opener so I could actually make 110 in the warm up room. For my opener, I only high pulled the bar. I then missed it out front and I ended up making the lift on my third attempt. The relief was enormous and it was not nice staring down the barrel of bombing out. This did not go as planned, but what can you do?
I had a good rest for the Clean and Jerks and I warmed up to 137kg. I asked Glenn to bump up my opener to 142 and after I hit that, I ended up only high pulling 148kg twice. This was extremely humiliating, but there is no choice but to simply get on with it. I wanted to hit this lift very badly, but fear clearly won the day. Frustrating, yes, but this will be one hell of a challenge to overcome and it will make me a stronger person when I do overcome it.
After the competition, I felt just like every single one of you reading this blog have felt when something you want really bad does not come out the way you have worked so hard to achieve. Everyone feels disappointment, but not everyone reacts in a positive way. Which am I? This is what I feel like:
Here is another cool video:
Showing posts with label competition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label competition. Show all posts
Monday 20 June 2011
Sunday 8 May 2011
Nationals' nightmare
Yep, I had a shocker. I wanted 122/150. I got 118/143. Embarrassing and gutting, but there are a few lessons to learn here. I weighed in at 94.3kg and I cut almost two and a half kilos, just missing the 94kg bodyweight. Hindsight being as it is, this said a lot about the day.
The most important thing was that the competition was a resounding success. There were 43 lifters which is the biggest competition Irish weightlifting has had since the 60's. Most people lifted really well and I think it is safe to say the Jordanstown University is the best competition venue in the country. Irish weightlifting is really improving and our overall standard is gradually going progressing.
On to my report. I arrived for the weigh in at around 10.30am and I lifted at around 5pm. It was a long wait, but the 94kg and upwards lifters all had to wait the same amount. I did a quick warm up session to wake myself up after waiting around for so long. I did two doubles with 50 and then did Power Snatch singles with 70, 80, 90 and 100kg. Maybe 30 or 35 minutes later I started my proper warm up. I did a few doubles with 50 and 70kg. I then did singles with 80, 90, 100, 105 and 110kg. I felt the strongest I have ever felt pre competition and I was 100% confident that I would hit 122.
Wayne had me open with 114kg and it was a joke. I went on to smoke 118 and actually pulled back on it slightly, which made the recovery tricky because the bar was pretty far back. It felt stupidly light though and I was ready for why I was there in the first place. I gave 122 everything I had but the bar was out front and I missed it. The bar was high enough and I was low enough, but I could not fix her overhead. I was genuinely surprised I missed it.
I then chilled out for 15 minutes and refuelled. I did a bit of bar work and did a few doubles with 70. I then warmed up with singles with 90, 100, 110 and I power cleaned 120 and 130 before I jerked it. In hindsight this was a mistake, but I wanted to really finish the pull and use my hips. I then hit 137 as my last warm up and Wayne had me open with 143kg. I was feeling a bit light headed but I knew what I had to do. I cleaned it easier than I have ever Cleaned 143 and somehow contrived to miss the Jerk. This very very rarely happens and I simply just took the Jerk for granted. Stupid is as stupid does. I then hit it again and got the lift, but the Jerk was tough. Wayne bumped me up to 148 and I pulled too far back on the Clean and ended up not even being able to rack it. I felt heartbroken and extremely disappointed. I went upstairs and finally got that Front squat with 160 after missing it the last four times I went for it.
Lessons learned:
1. I did not prepare properly: I don't actually need to go back to the drawing board, I simply needed to give the original drawing board a proper go. I put the effort into the training, but it was in the preparation outside of the actual training itself where I let myself down. My training has not been as productive as it should have been because of general fatigue. I am fatigued because I am not sleeping enough to recover from my demanding lifestyle. I am only training three times a week, so I am not tired from training. It is life outside training that causes fatigue and I am not sleeping enough because I am idling what spare time I have away online. The perfect embodiment of my lack of preparation was in how I did not make weight. In and of itself, this is not important but it speaks volumes on how I was not organising myself accordingly. My behaviours are simply not matching my goals and this has to change. If I want to qualify for the European Championships, and I am so staggeringly close already, I simply need to sleep far more.
2. Conservation of energy: I need to be more disciplined about internalising my energy, particularly when I am waiting so long to lift. I made an effort to contain my enthusiasm, but the simple thing to do is to organise somewhere else to go. I went to Tesco for an hour with German and Oleg, but walking around a supermarket is not an ideal resting place during a seven hour wait. Doing something else not only conserves my energy, but also keeps me from brooding on what is to come. This allows me to stay more relaxed and conserve more physical and mental energy.
3. The Ulster Open in June is going to be awesome: Myself and Byrdie have some unfinished business with Jordanstown and this will occur on June 11th. I will be more prepared and I will have my squats and training lifts at a higher intensity. Weightlifting is simple but it sure isn't easy.
The most important thing was that the competition was a resounding success. There were 43 lifters which is the biggest competition Irish weightlifting has had since the 60's. Most people lifted really well and I think it is safe to say the Jordanstown University is the best competition venue in the country. Irish weightlifting is really improving and our overall standard is gradually going progressing.
On to my report. I arrived for the weigh in at around 10.30am and I lifted at around 5pm. It was a long wait, but the 94kg and upwards lifters all had to wait the same amount. I did a quick warm up session to wake myself up after waiting around for so long. I did two doubles with 50 and then did Power Snatch singles with 70, 80, 90 and 100kg. Maybe 30 or 35 minutes later I started my proper warm up. I did a few doubles with 50 and 70kg. I then did singles with 80, 90, 100, 105 and 110kg. I felt the strongest I have ever felt pre competition and I was 100% confident that I would hit 122.
Wayne had me open with 114kg and it was a joke. I went on to smoke 118 and actually pulled back on it slightly, which made the recovery tricky because the bar was pretty far back. It felt stupidly light though and I was ready for why I was there in the first place. I gave 122 everything I had but the bar was out front and I missed it. The bar was high enough and I was low enough, but I could not fix her overhead. I was genuinely surprised I missed it.
I then chilled out for 15 minutes and refuelled. I did a bit of bar work and did a few doubles with 70. I then warmed up with singles with 90, 100, 110 and I power cleaned 120 and 130 before I jerked it. In hindsight this was a mistake, but I wanted to really finish the pull and use my hips. I then hit 137 as my last warm up and Wayne had me open with 143kg. I was feeling a bit light headed but I knew what I had to do. I cleaned it easier than I have ever Cleaned 143 and somehow contrived to miss the Jerk. This very very rarely happens and I simply just took the Jerk for granted. Stupid is as stupid does. I then hit it again and got the lift, but the Jerk was tough. Wayne bumped me up to 148 and I pulled too far back on the Clean and ended up not even being able to rack it. I felt heartbroken and extremely disappointed. I went upstairs and finally got that Front squat with 160 after missing it the last four times I went for it.
Lessons learned:
1. I did not prepare properly: I don't actually need to go back to the drawing board, I simply needed to give the original drawing board a proper go. I put the effort into the training, but it was in the preparation outside of the actual training itself where I let myself down. My training has not been as productive as it should have been because of general fatigue. I am fatigued because I am not sleeping enough to recover from my demanding lifestyle. I am only training three times a week, so I am not tired from training. It is life outside training that causes fatigue and I am not sleeping enough because I am idling what spare time I have away online. The perfect embodiment of my lack of preparation was in how I did not make weight. In and of itself, this is not important but it speaks volumes on how I was not organising myself accordingly. My behaviours are simply not matching my goals and this has to change. If I want to qualify for the European Championships, and I am so staggeringly close already, I simply need to sleep far more.
2. Conservation of energy: I need to be more disciplined about internalising my energy, particularly when I am waiting so long to lift. I made an effort to contain my enthusiasm, but the simple thing to do is to organise somewhere else to go. I went to Tesco for an hour with German and Oleg, but walking around a supermarket is not an ideal resting place during a seven hour wait. Doing something else not only conserves my energy, but also keeps me from brooding on what is to come. This allows me to stay more relaxed and conserve more physical and mental energy.
3. The Ulster Open in June is going to be awesome: Myself and Byrdie have some unfinished business with Jordanstown and this will occur on June 11th. I will be more prepared and I will have my squats and training lifts at a higher intensity. Weightlifting is simple but it sure isn't easy.
Sunday 10 April 2011
DCU dichotomy
I competed yesterday as a guest lifter at the University and College Championships. I am one month out from the nationals on May 7th and the goal was to hit 120 again and go for 148kg in the Clean and Jerk. I did not hit my 120 and I did not hit my 148. I did, however, learn some vital lessons and got a timely reminder coming up to Nationals.
I weighed in at 96kg and I had to wait around four and a half or five hours before I was lifting. I coached Sami who hit an awesome 105kg Snatch and I know he will hit 107 in Nationals. His Jerk did not go so well , but he will be strong and ready for nationals. Lots of people lifted really well and there were a good few in the first competition. It was a great competition and I really enjoyed it. Byrdie hit a nice 116/150 and like Murph, who hit a solid 100, there is a lot more to come.
I was delighted to start warming up after a very long wait. I went up to 106 in the warm up and then opened with an easy 110. This is now too light weight for me to open up on and I took it too easily and cut my pull far too short. My 116 was faster, but I lost my position; I got the lift but it was out front. My third attempt with 120 was so close, I thought I got it. I was lacking that 100% commitment though; the weight felt far lighter than when I hit it last time and I was genuinely surprised to miss it.
I warmed up for the Clean and Jerk and went up to 136kg. I opened up on 140 just to get that monkey off my back and then I jumped to 145 for my second. I got it but I rushed my Jerk and it was a little shaky. I then went up to 148 for my third and I got under it but could not get past the sticking point, which really frustrated and surprised me. This was the most I have Clean and Jerked since November though so although I am a little gutted, I know Nationals will bring more.
So, what did I learn:
1. I have learned this before, but I did not realise how long the wait would be. Get out of the competition hall before you compete! It wastes nervous energy and leaves one frustrated.
2. My Front Squat numbers need to go back up to 165/170. I should have squatted 148 up. It was embarrassing.
3. I am far stronger than my mind tells me. I am capable of hitting my 122/150 right now. Once I get my front squat back up over the next few weeks, that should do the trick, as will continuing doing those Clean pulls to work on strength off the ground.
Have a look at the video and let me know what you think.
I weighed in at 96kg and I had to wait around four and a half or five hours before I was lifting. I coached Sami who hit an awesome 105kg Snatch and I know he will hit 107 in Nationals. His Jerk did not go so well , but he will be strong and ready for nationals. Lots of people lifted really well and there were a good few in the first competition. It was a great competition and I really enjoyed it. Byrdie hit a nice 116/150 and like Murph, who hit a solid 100, there is a lot more to come.
I was delighted to start warming up after a very long wait. I went up to 106 in the warm up and then opened with an easy 110. This is now too light weight for me to open up on and I took it too easily and cut my pull far too short. My 116 was faster, but I lost my position; I got the lift but it was out front. My third attempt with 120 was so close, I thought I got it. I was lacking that 100% commitment though; the weight felt far lighter than when I hit it last time and I was genuinely surprised to miss it.
I warmed up for the Clean and Jerk and went up to 136kg. I opened up on 140 just to get that monkey off my back and then I jumped to 145 for my second. I got it but I rushed my Jerk and it was a little shaky. I then went up to 148 for my third and I got under it but could not get past the sticking point, which really frustrated and surprised me. This was the most I have Clean and Jerked since November though so although I am a little gutted, I know Nationals will bring more.
So, what did I learn:
1. I have learned this before, but I did not realise how long the wait would be. Get out of the competition hall before you compete! It wastes nervous energy and leaves one frustrated.
2. My Front Squat numbers need to go back up to 165/170. I should have squatted 148 up. It was embarrassing.
3. I am far stronger than my mind tells me. I am capable of hitting my 122/150 right now. Once I get my front squat back up over the next few weeks, that should do the trick, as will continuing doing those Clean pulls to work on strength off the ground.
Have a look at the video and let me know what you think.
Sunday 20 February 2011
Coolmine Clearwater Revival
Well done to everyone on the weekend. Every member of ECB lifted pr's and we had Richie Pedreschi lifting in his first competition. Here is a video of the competition as a while that Stephen Kinsella (who also lifted pb's of course!)made:
Well, I suppose I ought to start my good news. On Saturday I competed in the Dublin Open in Coolmine and I Snatched 120kg. This lift has been two frustrating years in the making and when I finally got it on the platform having never even attempted it before, the elation and sheer exhiliration was something I have never felt before in this sport that I love so much. I have experienced this in rugby a few times, but never in weightlifting. I am still off the 272kg total I need to qualify for the European Championships, but I know I will Clean and Jerk 150kg soon. I may have gotten my ass handed to me by a 17 year old 79kg lifter in his second competition, but I still enjoyed myself immensely. Clarence is the best talent Irish weightlifting has ever had and I hope to see him progress like the mutant that he is!
First off, here is my third attempt Snatch:
I will start at the beginning. My previous week was one of the hardest I have experienced in a long time. My lower back was still extremely stiff and sore from learning how to contract it for the first time and I had to take a download week to let it heal. This week also proved to be incredibly demanding in both work and also in ECB and by the end of it, I was in an absolute heap.
I still wanted to compete in the Dublin Open so I decided to train on Monday and Wednesday and have two days to rest up before the competition. On the Monday, I Snatched up to a single of 108kg which was really my max for the day. It was strong and decent technically, but very slow because I was still knackered. I went back down to singles with 90, 95 and 100 to get some speed back into my lifting. I then skipped my RDLS's because my back was still recovering and made a 2.5kg increase in my 5x5 squats.
On the Wednesday, I worked up to one triple with 90kg in the Hang Snatch. I would usually do three, but I was still very tired and I needed a bigger single in the Jerk so I went straight onto the Clean and Jerk where I worked up to singles with 130 and 135kg which felt pretty hard, particularly mid week. I only did one triple with 130 in the Front Squat. Three triples is what I would usually do for my recovery squat workout, but I was knackered so I left it at one. My right shoulder was too sore to do my presses so I worked up to five reps with 92.5kg in the Pendlay Row and left it there. I did some soft tissue work on my IT bands and quads in particular and some joint mobility and flexibility work. When I finished up in the gym, I did some hot/cold contrast work in the sauna and cold shower.
By the time Saturday came around I was feeling pretty good. I weighed in at 96.5kg--I was not willing to cut weight for a small competition--after eating quite liberally in the preceding days. I chilled out for a few hours and when I started my warm up, I did an initial 20 minute warm up and then relaxed for fifteen or twenty minutes. I wanted to do this earlier but there was not enough room to do it. I started off some bar work and then with two doubles at 50kg. I did singles with 70, 80, 90 in the Power Snatch and then I Snatched 100 powerfully, but it was not a Power Snatch. I went outside and relaxed for fifteen minutes or so and then came back again. I did two doubles with 50 and did singles with 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and then 105kg, calling 110 as my opener.
I hit my opener of 110kg quite easily, but for some reason I have a habit of underpulling my first attempts every time. I am not sure if this is simply due to complacency, but it is what it is. All I can do is try and improve it I guess. Wayne called for 115kg for my second attempt and in my mind I knew that if I got this, 120 was on. This was probably my best Snatch of the day technically, or at least it felt like it. It shot up and Wayne asked me if I wanted 118kg (this was my pb) to which I replied "f*%k 118, you know exactly what I want." We called it and I had two minutes to get myself ready. I slowed down my breathing and tried to focus and visualise a solid catch position. I went out, got the lift and went a little mad with sheer relief and joy.
It took me a while to calm down and relax before warming up for the Clean and Jerks. There was a five minute break so I chilled out for ten minutes maybe. I warmed up with 60kg for a few singles and hit 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, and 130 as my last warm up. I had between ten and fifteen minutes to wait and in retrospect, I probably should have lifted 135 in the warm up and put my opener up.
I opened up with 137kg and I actually felt like I pressed out the Jerk. It was shaky, but I thought I was just a little cold from waiting. I went up to 142kg and this felt pretty rough also. I knew I did not have 150 in me on the day so I asked Wayne to call for 148 which would be a one kg pb but I did not go under the Clean. I rushed it off the ground and completely lost my position. Embarrasing, but I will learn from it and get on with it. I will Clean and Jerk 150kg very soon.
Well, I suppose I ought to start my good news. On Saturday I competed in the Dublin Open in Coolmine and I Snatched 120kg. This lift has been two frustrating years in the making and when I finally got it on the platform having never even attempted it before, the elation and sheer exhiliration was something I have never felt before in this sport that I love so much. I have experienced this in rugby a few times, but never in weightlifting. I am still off the 272kg total I need to qualify for the European Championships, but I know I will Clean and Jerk 150kg soon. I may have gotten my ass handed to me by a 17 year old 79kg lifter in his second competition, but I still enjoyed myself immensely. Clarence is the best talent Irish weightlifting has ever had and I hope to see him progress like the mutant that he is!
First off, here is my third attempt Snatch:
I will start at the beginning. My previous week was one of the hardest I have experienced in a long time. My lower back was still extremely stiff and sore from learning how to contract it for the first time and I had to take a download week to let it heal. This week also proved to be incredibly demanding in both work and also in ECB and by the end of it, I was in an absolute heap.
I still wanted to compete in the Dublin Open so I decided to train on Monday and Wednesday and have two days to rest up before the competition. On the Monday, I Snatched up to a single of 108kg which was really my max for the day. It was strong and decent technically, but very slow because I was still knackered. I went back down to singles with 90, 95 and 100 to get some speed back into my lifting. I then skipped my RDLS's because my back was still recovering and made a 2.5kg increase in my 5x5 squats.
On the Wednesday, I worked up to one triple with 90kg in the Hang Snatch. I would usually do three, but I was still very tired and I needed a bigger single in the Jerk so I went straight onto the Clean and Jerk where I worked up to singles with 130 and 135kg which felt pretty hard, particularly mid week. I only did one triple with 130 in the Front Squat. Three triples is what I would usually do for my recovery squat workout, but I was knackered so I left it at one. My right shoulder was too sore to do my presses so I worked up to five reps with 92.5kg in the Pendlay Row and left it there. I did some soft tissue work on my IT bands and quads in particular and some joint mobility and flexibility work. When I finished up in the gym, I did some hot/cold contrast work in the sauna and cold shower.
By the time Saturday came around I was feeling pretty good. I weighed in at 96.5kg--I was not willing to cut weight for a small competition--after eating quite liberally in the preceding days. I chilled out for a few hours and when I started my warm up, I did an initial 20 minute warm up and then relaxed for fifteen or twenty minutes. I wanted to do this earlier but there was not enough room to do it. I started off some bar work and then with two doubles at 50kg. I did singles with 70, 80, 90 in the Power Snatch and then I Snatched 100 powerfully, but it was not a Power Snatch. I went outside and relaxed for fifteen minutes or so and then came back again. I did two doubles with 50 and did singles with 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 and then 105kg, calling 110 as my opener.
I hit my opener of 110kg quite easily, but for some reason I have a habit of underpulling my first attempts every time. I am not sure if this is simply due to complacency, but it is what it is. All I can do is try and improve it I guess. Wayne called for 115kg for my second attempt and in my mind I knew that if I got this, 120 was on. This was probably my best Snatch of the day technically, or at least it felt like it. It shot up and Wayne asked me if I wanted 118kg (this was my pb) to which I replied "f*%k 118, you know exactly what I want." We called it and I had two minutes to get myself ready. I slowed down my breathing and tried to focus and visualise a solid catch position. I went out, got the lift and went a little mad with sheer relief and joy.
It took me a while to calm down and relax before warming up for the Clean and Jerks. There was a five minute break so I chilled out for ten minutes maybe. I warmed up with 60kg for a few singles and hit 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, and 130 as my last warm up. I had between ten and fifteen minutes to wait and in retrospect, I probably should have lifted 135 in the warm up and put my opener up.
I opened up with 137kg and I actually felt like I pressed out the Jerk. It was shaky, but I thought I was just a little cold from waiting. I went up to 142kg and this felt pretty rough also. I knew I did not have 150 in me on the day so I asked Wayne to call for 148 which would be a one kg pb but I did not go under the Clean. I rushed it off the ground and completely lost my position. Embarrasing, but I will learn from it and get on with it. I will Clean and Jerk 150kg very soon.
Saturday 22 January 2011
Limerick lechery
I was really looking forward to my first competition of the year and it did not disappoint. It was a very small affair with only ten lifters, but everyone enjoyed it and generally lifted well for the time of year.
Sami came down to coach for two reasons: the competition did not fit into his training schedule and he also had to coach four lifters through the competition--I was one of them. There were some great performances: Byrdie hit a big pr total with 114/152 at 81kg bodyweight. Sinead Ryan hit 50/70 in a great six for six performance and Gillian Roddie hit three sweet Snatches with 52/55/57, but still felt the after effects of the Irish women's training camp, succeeding with an easy 70kg Clean and Jerk. The Reverend hit 95/115 weighing in at a svelt 73kg and this competition coincided with the end of his general preparation phase, so there is far more to come from him. Stephen Kinsella got fantastic pr's with 73/98 in only his second competition. He is rapidly improving in strength and skill and his work ethic is an example for others to follow. Paudie Roche also competed well considering he is coming back from a hip injury.
As for my own lifting, I am relatively happy with my five out of six performance. I had a quick twenty minute warm up after the weigh in--I was 96.2kg--in order to get the car journey out of my system. I worked up to a double with 80kg in Snatch and left it there. This was badly needed and meant that when I began my actual competition warm up forty five minutes later I was already feeling loose and ready to go. I did two doubles with 50 and a double with 60 and 70. I then hit singles with 80, 90, 100 and 105kg.
All my warm ups felt pretty good, so out I went with 108kg as my opener. It flew up and the lift was successful, but I made it harder than it should have been because I underpulled it quite a bit. I then went to 111kg and this was a far better lift and felt great. Sami then made the call for me to stick to 114kg for my final attempt and even though I could feel that I messed up my first pull, I just cranked that bit harder and got it overhead. Sami made the right call staying conservative, because it is the first competition of the season and I have not Snatched this much since last May when I hit 118kg. I also had a month of lifting 20 reps in 20 minutes in both the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk which is not that conducive to max single attempts. I am capable of lifting more but I need to be patient in my build up.
I chilled out for ten or fifteen minutes and then started my warm up for the Clean and Jerk. I felt great and my final two warm ups were a Power Clean and Jerk with 120kg and a single Clean and Jerk with 130kg. These all felt very easy and in the groove so I opened up with 138kg which I made. My balance on the platform felt quite strange though and something felt different. With my second attempt, I went up to 143kg and my left foot slipped back a few inches, which was weird. I ended up not pulling the weight over my waist. I retook it and got a shaky final lift. It felt like I massively overpulled it and the weight fell down on me, causing me to stall in the bottom of the Clean. All my Jerks felt very solid though and I knew I would not miss them.
I finished off with a nice stretch and after helping Murph and Byrdie clear away the platforms and weights, myself and Murph had a short swim and sauna; I felt far better after this and it will definitely help speed up my recovery. I am still focusing on improving my hip flexibility but instead of doing what I usually do, I am working on one stretch and that is it. This stretch is my nemesis and my number one weakness, so I work on it everday on at least five seperate occasions. Here is one example of how I stretch my piriformus out; I actually use a variety of surfaces:
As a result, my flexibility is improving rapidly like never before and even though I am still pathetic in the stretch, I am now able to get into this pathetic position when before I was unable. I have been stretching like this for the last three weeks and I have seen major improvements so when I get my flexibility in that position to a decent standard, I will focus on my next weakest area while maintaining the previous one.
I have another competition in four weeks time and one a month after that. This suits me really well because I know that in each competition I will raise my game and continue lifting heavier weights. My training is going well and the next few months is vital: I need to stay focused on getting stronger and more consistent with my lifts. That is all I need to in order to get my 272kg total.
Sami came down to coach for two reasons: the competition did not fit into his training schedule and he also had to coach four lifters through the competition--I was one of them. There were some great performances: Byrdie hit a big pr total with 114/152 at 81kg bodyweight. Sinead Ryan hit 50/70 in a great six for six performance and Gillian Roddie hit three sweet Snatches with 52/55/57, but still felt the after effects of the Irish women's training camp, succeeding with an easy 70kg Clean and Jerk. The Reverend hit 95/115 weighing in at a svelt 73kg and this competition coincided with the end of his general preparation phase, so there is far more to come from him. Stephen Kinsella got fantastic pr's with 73/98 in only his second competition. He is rapidly improving in strength and skill and his work ethic is an example for others to follow. Paudie Roche also competed well considering he is coming back from a hip injury.
As for my own lifting, I am relatively happy with my five out of six performance. I had a quick twenty minute warm up after the weigh in--I was 96.2kg--in order to get the car journey out of my system. I worked up to a double with 80kg in Snatch and left it there. This was badly needed and meant that when I began my actual competition warm up forty five minutes later I was already feeling loose and ready to go. I did two doubles with 50 and a double with 60 and 70. I then hit singles with 80, 90, 100 and 105kg.
All my warm ups felt pretty good, so out I went with 108kg as my opener. It flew up and the lift was successful, but I made it harder than it should have been because I underpulled it quite a bit. I then went to 111kg and this was a far better lift and felt great. Sami then made the call for me to stick to 114kg for my final attempt and even though I could feel that I messed up my first pull, I just cranked that bit harder and got it overhead. Sami made the right call staying conservative, because it is the first competition of the season and I have not Snatched this much since last May when I hit 118kg. I also had a month of lifting 20 reps in 20 minutes in both the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk which is not that conducive to max single attempts. I am capable of lifting more but I need to be patient in my build up.
I chilled out for ten or fifteen minutes and then started my warm up for the Clean and Jerk. I felt great and my final two warm ups were a Power Clean and Jerk with 120kg and a single Clean and Jerk with 130kg. These all felt very easy and in the groove so I opened up with 138kg which I made. My balance on the platform felt quite strange though and something felt different. With my second attempt, I went up to 143kg and my left foot slipped back a few inches, which was weird. I ended up not pulling the weight over my waist. I retook it and got a shaky final lift. It felt like I massively overpulled it and the weight fell down on me, causing me to stall in the bottom of the Clean. All my Jerks felt very solid though and I knew I would not miss them.
I finished off with a nice stretch and after helping Murph and Byrdie clear away the platforms and weights, myself and Murph had a short swim and sauna; I felt far better after this and it will definitely help speed up my recovery. I am still focusing on improving my hip flexibility but instead of doing what I usually do, I am working on one stretch and that is it. This stretch is my nemesis and my number one weakness, so I work on it everday on at least five seperate occasions. Here is one example of how I stretch my piriformus out; I actually use a variety of surfaces:
As a result, my flexibility is improving rapidly like never before and even though I am still pathetic in the stretch, I am now able to get into this pathetic position when before I was unable. I have been stretching like this for the last three weeks and I have seen major improvements so when I get my flexibility in that position to a decent standard, I will focus on my next weakest area while maintaining the previous one.
I have another competition in four weeks time and one a month after that. This suits me really well because I know that in each competition I will raise my game and continue lifting heavier weights. My training is going well and the next few months is vital: I need to stay focused on getting stronger and more consistent with my lifts. That is all I need to in order to get my 272kg total.
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Tuesday's turnpike
I enjoyed the competition up in Belfast on Saturday. As usual, it was very well organised and it was refreshing to have so much space to warm up and relax in. This is by far and away the best venue in the country and I heard that the Irish Seniors will be held there in April, so hopefully that goes ahead.
As far as my own performance went, I lifted relatively well and more importantly I enjoyed it. Gillian lifted really well and once she was finished lifting, I was able to relax and chill out for a while. I made sure that I ate foods that would not be too heavy on the stomach and that I had enough energy for the day. My warm up went relatively well and I Snatched up to 100kg and went out to the platform. I deliberately left my warm up as late as possible so that I could use my scant nervous energy in the competition platform. I almost left my warm up too late for the Clean and Jerk, but I woul rather be too rushed than too tired! Here is a video of my lifts. My Snatches were 106kg, 111kg, and 113kg. My Clean and Jerks were 135, 140 and 145kg.
I was happy with my performance here because it was another small step up from my last two competitions. I am not exactly where I should be right now, but I have no choice other to to get on with it. I felt strong, but quite slow in general. These are the heaviest weights I have hit since May and I know I am getting back on track. London is in two and a half weeks and I know I will have another step up again. I have an intense week this week followed by a lighter week with a heavy session the week before. The week of the competition will be a get as fresh as possible week so that I rip it up as much as possible in London.
As far as my own performance went, I lifted relatively well and more importantly I enjoyed it. Gillian lifted really well and once she was finished lifting, I was able to relax and chill out for a while. I made sure that I ate foods that would not be too heavy on the stomach and that I had enough energy for the day. My warm up went relatively well and I Snatched up to 100kg and went out to the platform. I deliberately left my warm up as late as possible so that I could use my scant nervous energy in the competition platform. I almost left my warm up too late for the Clean and Jerk, but I woul rather be too rushed than too tired! Here is a video of my lifts. My Snatches were 106kg, 111kg, and 113kg. My Clean and Jerks were 135, 140 and 145kg.
I was happy with my performance here because it was another small step up from my last two competitions. I am not exactly where I should be right now, but I have no choice other to to get on with it. I felt strong, but quite slow in general. These are the heaviest weights I have hit since May and I know I am getting back on track. London is in two and a half weeks and I know I will have another step up again. I have an intense week this week followed by a lighter week with a heavy session the week before. The week of the competition will be a get as fresh as possible week so that I rip it up as much as possible in London.
Monday 8 November 2010
Saturday’s stellar showdown
It was a long, long day and despite the obstacles, we made a success of the first inaugural joint Ireland and Scotland team versus a combined California team. Fun was had by all and it is definitely satisfying being part of something new in the sport of weightlifting. There has never been a competition like this before and it definitely opens up the possibility of greater communication with other weightlifting nations and can undoubtedly help Irish weightlifting.
We had an early start in the morning and after meeting up with the legend that is Charlie Hamilton, we ate breakfast and chilled out for a while. We were lifting at 6pm which is far later than any of us was used to, but all was well. Each lifter in our team had their own particular circumstances: Peter Kirkbride was getting sick all day and had was quite ill—he still lifted though and hit 140/170 and Power Jerked because his lower back was sore. Graeme Kane was a last minute arrival and rocked up after his shift as a fireman. He had less than ten minutes to warm up and he still Snatched 112kg on his third attempt and hit 140kg, also Power Jerking because of a sore back. The Irish boys were a little tired from the flight and long day, but Byrdie Clean and Jerked 150kg which made my day.
Sami ended up Snatching well hitting 95kg, 99kg, narrowly missed 103kg and hit 125kg in the Jerk. Byrdie hit 105kg on his second attempt and missed 108kg, but nailed 150kg in the Jerk. Kevin hit 110kg, missed 115kg and after getting it, Jerked 140kg. I missed my opener with 106kg and then hit it and followed it with 110kg. Craig Carfray hit 95 and 127 and missed 100kg and 130kg. Dale Cree ended up with an awesome 110kg and 132kg. Kyle Pearson ended up with 108kg and 145kg. Like I said earlier, Kirkbride hit 140/170 and Kane 112/140.
My warm up was negligible, because everything that we needed to host our part of the live feed was not there. A lot of time was spent starting up the whole process all over again as I frantically found a different laptop to use and when it was finally done, it was a major relief. We were forced to start a little late, but the crisis was averted and all was ready to go. I knew from my first five minutes with the bar and with 40kg that today would not be my greatest day. I was due to open with 105kg, but had to push it up to 106kg because I needed a bit more time in my warm up because of the rush. I missed my opener, but then got it and was also successful with 110kg on my third attempt. 60kg felt pretty heavy in the Clean and Jerk warm ups and it was only in my first attempt with 135kg that I felt comfortable. I then hit 140kg and missed the Clean with 142kg.
Pretty much everything I have been working on in training went out the window and I had to simply get the weights up overhead. The fact that I can hit 110/140 in this condition is a good sign because a year ago if I was in bad form, I could not have hit those weights. As lifts in themselves, they are very disappointing, but considering the conditions, I have to accept it and be realistic: I actually did ok. Four out of six is not bad.
I have a download week coming up and I need this badly to recover. The strength is there to get what I need and so is the technique. Now I need to be fresh enough so that I can express my proper potential and focus on myself as a lifter, not in any other role.
Thanks so much to Glenn, Dave Corbin and Matt Johnson for setting this competition up and even though it did not go entirely as planned; all the lifters and some of the online viewers really enjoyed the competition.
Friday 5 November 2010
Friday's fringe benefits
Irish weightlifting and East Coast Barbell are going global, ladies and gentlemen. Have a read about the inaugral Ireland/Scotland vs California event on the IWF website; we are the third or fourth story down.
It has taken time and effort for myself, Glenn Pendlay and Matt Johnson from California Strength to set this gig up, but it finally happening tomorrow evening. We have also set up a live feed that will show the competition from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and here is the link. This is a first in international weightlifting and has hopefully set up new possibilities for cross-cultural links in weightlifting and sporting countries. The idea is to create more awareness of the sport of weightlifting in general and specifically Irish weightlifting. I know East Coast Barbell can help lead this charge and this is one of the main reasons that I am thankful of all the support the IAWA continues to give us and also Colin Buckley for helping us get recognised by the IWF and EWF.
Here is the Irish/Scottish team with their weight class and lifts:
Scotland:
Craig Carfray: 69kg class: 98/128--17 years old
Dale Cree: 85kg class: 105/130--17 years old
Peter Kirkbride: 94kg class: 146/186--23 years old
Kyle Pearson: 105kg class--107/145--19 years old
Ireland:
C. Byrd: 77kg class--114/147--23 years old
Sami Dowling: 85kg class--101/128--23 years old
Kevin D'Arcy begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting: 94kg class--130/160--25 years old--returning from injury
Barry Kinsella: 105kg class, I will weigh in around 95kg--118/147
Here are the rules of the competition according to the gospel of Pendlay written by the man himself--even if he is a red necked, slack jawed yokel from Kansas:
Rules of Engagement
Other than the following, all normal weightlifting rules apply.
Each team is allowed 8 men of any weight class. Each team lifts as in a normal weightlifting session, with the bar starting at the lightest lift and progressing to the heaviest.
Lifts from each team alternate in the following manner, Team A takes first attempt, Team B takes first attempt, Team A takes second attempt, Team B takes second attempt, Team A takes third attempt, and so on, till all 24 attempts for each team have been taken. Each 1 minute clock will start when the preceding lift from the opposite team has been judged. There will be no 2 minute clocks.
The contest will be scored with 5, 3, 2, and 1 points for places 1st through 4th. Any lifter placing below 4th in a weight class will score no points. Highest score wins. In the case of a tie, the team with the lifter that has the highest sinclair formula wins.
If that doesnt break the tie, then internet viewers of the opposite sex of the lifters will vote on the single most attractive participant, and the team he or she is on will be the winner. That seems fair.
So, I am off to Kilmarnock where we will lift in Charlie Hamilton's gym--some of you may remember the training camp we organised for myself, Byrdie and Andy Murphy last year and all our other Scottish experiences-- tomorrow morning very early. We will lift at 6pm our time and 10am Californian time and I am really looking forward to it. I have this competition, where I know I will improve on the 108/137 in my last competition and then I have the Northern Ireland Open in which I will be a little fresher; then I have the big one in London three weeks after and boy, I am looking forward to that one. Each competition and week's training will build on the last and I know I can get my 272kg total in London. Bring it on!
It has taken time and effort for myself, Glenn Pendlay and Matt Johnson from California Strength to set this gig up, but it finally happening tomorrow evening. We have also set up a live feed that will show the competition from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and here is the link. This is a first in international weightlifting and has hopefully set up new possibilities for cross-cultural links in weightlifting and sporting countries. The idea is to create more awareness of the sport of weightlifting in general and specifically Irish weightlifting. I know East Coast Barbell can help lead this charge and this is one of the main reasons that I am thankful of all the support the IAWA continues to give us and also Colin Buckley for helping us get recognised by the IWF and EWF.
Here is the Irish/Scottish team with their weight class and lifts:
Scotland:
Craig Carfray: 69kg class: 98/128--17 years old
Dale Cree: 85kg class: 105/130--17 years old
Peter Kirkbride: 94kg class: 146/186--23 years old
Kyle Pearson: 105kg class--107/145--19 years old
Ireland:
C. Byrd: 77kg class--114/147--23 years old
Sami Dowling: 85kg class--101/128--23 years old
Kevin D'Arcy begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting: 94kg class--130/160--25 years old--returning from injury
Barry Kinsella: 105kg class, I will weigh in around 95kg--118/147
Here are the rules of the competition according to the gospel of Pendlay written by the man himself--even if he is a red necked, slack jawed yokel from Kansas:
Rules of Engagement
Other than the following, all normal weightlifting rules apply.
Each team is allowed 8 men of any weight class. Each team lifts as in a normal weightlifting session, with the bar starting at the lightest lift and progressing to the heaviest.
Lifts from each team alternate in the following manner, Team A takes first attempt, Team B takes first attempt, Team A takes second attempt, Team B takes second attempt, Team A takes third attempt, and so on, till all 24 attempts for each team have been taken. Each 1 minute clock will start when the preceding lift from the opposite team has been judged. There will be no 2 minute clocks.
The contest will be scored with 5, 3, 2, and 1 points for places 1st through 4th. Any lifter placing below 4th in a weight class will score no points. Highest score wins. In the case of a tie, the team with the lifter that has the highest sinclair formula wins.
If that doesnt break the tie, then internet viewers of the opposite sex of the lifters will vote on the single most attractive participant, and the team he or she is on will be the winner. That seems fair.
So, I am off to Kilmarnock where we will lift in Charlie Hamilton's gym--some of you may remember the training camp we organised for myself, Byrdie and Andy Murphy last year and all our other Scottish experiences-- tomorrow morning very early. We will lift at 6pm our time and 10am Californian time and I am really looking forward to it. I have this competition, where I know I will improve on the 108/137 in my last competition and then I have the Northern Ireland Open in which I will be a little fresher; then I have the big one in London three weeks after and boy, I am looking forward to that one. Each competition and week's training will build on the last and I know I can get my 272kg total in London. Bring it on!
Sunday 17 October 2010
Sunday's statistics
I had my competition yesterday and I enjoyed it immensely. I was not in a great state to compete, but I enjoyed it none-the-less. Looking back, I am pleased with how I did but at the time I was quite embarrassed. I weighed in at 95.6kg after a breakfast and ample feed the night before.
I opened with 105kg in the Snatch and actually missed it, but got it on the second attempt and then hit 108kg in my third attempt and it was by far and away, my best Snatch of the day despite it being quite rough in reality. In the Clean and Jerk, I opened with 132kg and went on to hit 137kg and I then sailed 150kg which we thought we needed to win the Club Championships. I didn't even go under it. Embarrassing. We actually won the Club Championship though, so all is well. Here are some of my lifts:
The day started out well; I was coaching Gillian who lifted really well considering it was her first competition in a year. This meant I was in the venue from 10 in the morning up until when I competed at three in the afternoon, which was not ideal, but what can you do. Ideally I could have gone somewhere and slept after the weigh in but that was not to be. It was worth it though because Gillian hit a 4kg competition pb in her Clean and Jerk.
Zag came out and lifted really well on the spur of the moment because he was not going to lift at all. He is going on holidays today and his training, like mine, has been stuttering because of his double jobbing. He Snatched a competition pb with 101kg and Clean and Jerked 125kg and his 101kg was pretty much a Power Snatch.
By the time I was lifting in the fourth group, I felt pretty drained and found it very hard to get myself going in my warm up. My Snatch warm up was dreadful and after hitting 100 for two singles before going out, I missed 105kg in my opener which was very, very silly. I hit it in my second attempt, but the lift was as ugly as the face of a bulldog chewing on a wasp. Wayne told me that my hips were shooting up far too early and that I needed to get my hips into the pull straight from teh ground and I focused on this. My 108kg was still didgy, but a far better lift and I hit it when I felt as rough as a badger's a%s*. My legs felt drained and very tight and I had that feeling you get when you stay up too late when you are already tired.
After the snatches finished I started to feel more like myself and like I had woken up. My Clean and Jerk warm up went relatively well, so I put up my opener to 132 instead of 130. Very low figures, but I felt very low. I hit 132kg very easily and then hit 137kg nicely also. We waited out to see what I would have to lift, but we were never told by the person in charge. thinking we would need something big, Harry and Sami put 150kg on the bar and I did a nice high pull and completely sailed out of it. At least I know how it feels now and maybe next time I will borrow someone else's balls if mine disappear like that again.
All in all, I am really happy that my current phase of training is now over and that I got my first warm up competition out of the way. Onwards and upwards! These were the heaviest weights I have hit since the end of July when I first got my hip injury. I will get my 272kg total in the London Open on December 4th.
I opened with 105kg in the Snatch and actually missed it, but got it on the second attempt and then hit 108kg in my third attempt and it was by far and away, my best Snatch of the day despite it being quite rough in reality. In the Clean and Jerk, I opened with 132kg and went on to hit 137kg and I then sailed 150kg which we thought we needed to win the Club Championships. I didn't even go under it. Embarrassing. We actually won the Club Championship though, so all is well. Here are some of my lifts:
The day started out well; I was coaching Gillian who lifted really well considering it was her first competition in a year. This meant I was in the venue from 10 in the morning up until when I competed at three in the afternoon, which was not ideal, but what can you do. Ideally I could have gone somewhere and slept after the weigh in but that was not to be. It was worth it though because Gillian hit a 4kg competition pb in her Clean and Jerk.
Zag came out and lifted really well on the spur of the moment because he was not going to lift at all. He is going on holidays today and his training, like mine, has been stuttering because of his double jobbing. He Snatched a competition pb with 101kg and Clean and Jerked 125kg and his 101kg was pretty much a Power Snatch.
By the time I was lifting in the fourth group, I felt pretty drained and found it very hard to get myself going in my warm up. My Snatch warm up was dreadful and after hitting 100 for two singles before going out, I missed 105kg in my opener which was very, very silly. I hit it in my second attempt, but the lift was as ugly as the face of a bulldog chewing on a wasp. Wayne told me that my hips were shooting up far too early and that I needed to get my hips into the pull straight from teh ground and I focused on this. My 108kg was still didgy, but a far better lift and I hit it when I felt as rough as a badger's a%s*. My legs felt drained and very tight and I had that feeling you get when you stay up too late when you are already tired.
After the snatches finished I started to feel more like myself and like I had woken up. My Clean and Jerk warm up went relatively well, so I put up my opener to 132 instead of 130. Very low figures, but I felt very low. I hit 132kg very easily and then hit 137kg nicely also. We waited out to see what I would have to lift, but we were never told by the person in charge. thinking we would need something big, Harry and Sami put 150kg on the bar and I did a nice high pull and completely sailed out of it. At least I know how it feels now and maybe next time I will borrow someone else's balls if mine disappear like that again.
All in all, I am really happy that my current phase of training is now over and that I got my first warm up competition out of the way. Onwards and upwards! These were the heaviest weights I have hit since the end of July when I first got my hip injury. I will get my 272kg total in the London Open on December 4th.
Sunday 30 May 2010
Ulster Open opulence
I drove up the night before and after a good night's sleep, I did not feel as drained as I felt all week. I think Jordanstown is the best competition and training venue in the country and all the lifters loved being there. There was space to move about and warm up at your leisure. That morning I had a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast with a bit of fruit. I had a little under a pint of water and weighed in around half ten at 93kg on the dot. I did not realise I would weigh that light, but I felt pretty good so I didn't mind.
In the first session the two ladies lifted very well. Byrdie got 112 and got called for a pressout with a very smooth looking 114kg. He then Clean and Jerked an impressive 147kg for a 1kg pb. Zag was treating this one as a training session and Murph hit 98/115, narrowly missing 122 in the Jerk twice. Germans hit 117/148 in the 85kg class and Alex hit 117/145. Cillian hit 90/102 and narrowly missed 106 twice. Here's how I did:
I had the luxury of time and space to warm up fully. I had a lovely twenty minute stretch followed by some mobility work and then some bar work. This was followed by a 15 minute rest. Around half an hour later I had another little stretch and got going with the bar again. I worked up to a single with 90 and realised I was warming up too quickly, so I took a break for around 8 minutes. I then went back to 80kg and then I missed 90kg despite the fact that I was feeling awesome. I then Snatched 90 and 95kg and in order to make sure I was finishing my pull, I power Snatched 100 and 105 for a new Power Snatch pb. Even though I was only 93kg, I felt very strong and almost like I was 100kg again.
In the competition I opened up with 110kg in what felt like the easiest 110 I have ever made. 114kg was then a better lift because it was faster. I then went up to 118kg and made it. I felt very strong in the Snatch, but this felt like the most I could get on the day. The catch was the type you feel on a max weight where it wobbles without pressing out. I enjoyed the lifts though and there was a great atmosphere with the rest of the lifters.
I chilled out for ten minutes and got going on the Clean and Jerk warm up. I did a bit of bar work for a few minutes and did two doubles with 70kg. I then did singles with 100, 110, 120, 130 and 135 in the warm up room. None of them felt great, but I got them all anyway. This was the most I have Cleaned in three and a half weeks and I felt a hell of a lot better than over that time period.
I opened up with 140kg which went pretty smoothly. I then went up to 145kg which felt ridiculously heavy and I was happy to get it. Because this was such a struggle--the video makes it look a lot easier than it felt--I went up to 148kg instead of the projected 150kg. Instead of following my regular routine, I psyched myself up and got far more aggressive than I usually would have. I think that because my Cleans have been so bad over the last month or so, I was lacking the confidence I would normally have. I ended up deadlifting the weight and it caught me as much in surprise as it did everyone else. Lesson learned: follow your routine, particularly when you are going heavier than you ever have before!
That was it. I really enjoyed the competition and as always, the venue and organisation was brilliant. It was great watching Byrdie and Neil Dougan hit pb's in the Clean and Jerk and five out of six was not bad for myself considering my state of affairs over the last few weeks. Have a look at the videos and leave any constructive criticisms you may have.
110
114
118
140
145
Byrdie's 147
In the first session the two ladies lifted very well. Byrdie got 112 and got called for a pressout with a very smooth looking 114kg. He then Clean and Jerked an impressive 147kg for a 1kg pb. Zag was treating this one as a training session and Murph hit 98/115, narrowly missing 122 in the Jerk twice. Germans hit 117/148 in the 85kg class and Alex hit 117/145. Cillian hit 90/102 and narrowly missed 106 twice. Here's how I did:
I had the luxury of time and space to warm up fully. I had a lovely twenty minute stretch followed by some mobility work and then some bar work. This was followed by a 15 minute rest. Around half an hour later I had another little stretch and got going with the bar again. I worked up to a single with 90 and realised I was warming up too quickly, so I took a break for around 8 minutes. I then went back to 80kg and then I missed 90kg despite the fact that I was feeling awesome. I then Snatched 90 and 95kg and in order to make sure I was finishing my pull, I power Snatched 100 and 105 for a new Power Snatch pb. Even though I was only 93kg, I felt very strong and almost like I was 100kg again.
In the competition I opened up with 110kg in what felt like the easiest 110 I have ever made. 114kg was then a better lift because it was faster. I then went up to 118kg and made it. I felt very strong in the Snatch, but this felt like the most I could get on the day. The catch was the type you feel on a max weight where it wobbles without pressing out. I enjoyed the lifts though and there was a great atmosphere with the rest of the lifters.
I chilled out for ten minutes and got going on the Clean and Jerk warm up. I did a bit of bar work for a few minutes and did two doubles with 70kg. I then did singles with 100, 110, 120, 130 and 135 in the warm up room. None of them felt great, but I got them all anyway. This was the most I have Cleaned in three and a half weeks and I felt a hell of a lot better than over that time period.
I opened up with 140kg which went pretty smoothly. I then went up to 145kg which felt ridiculously heavy and I was happy to get it. Because this was such a struggle--the video makes it look a lot easier than it felt--I went up to 148kg instead of the projected 150kg. Instead of following my regular routine, I psyched myself up and got far more aggressive than I usually would have. I think that because my Cleans have been so bad over the last month or so, I was lacking the confidence I would normally have. I ended up deadlifting the weight and it caught me as much in surprise as it did everyone else. Lesson learned: follow your routine, particularly when you are going heavier than you ever have before!
That was it. I really enjoyed the competition and as always, the venue and organisation was brilliant. It was great watching Byrdie and Neil Dougan hit pb's in the Clean and Jerk and five out of six was not bad for myself considering my state of affairs over the last few weeks. Have a look at the videos and leave any constructive criticisms you may have.
110
114
118
140
145
Byrdie's 147
Sunday 25 April 2010
National's napalm in the morning
I ended up competing well yesterday and enjoyed myself in the process. There were a good few lifters who could not make it and were missed, but everyone who came gave it their all. I ended up hitting my targets of 116/147 and had a good day at the office. Zag hit 100/128 and missed the Jerk on 135kg. Byrdie hit 110/146 and made the Jerk that eluded him in the Europeans. Cillian hit pb's also as did many other lifters. All in all, it was a great competition. Here is what I did:
I weighed in at an easy 93.3kg. I cleaned up the diet over the last few weeks and dropped around 2kg of fat, so I ended up going down to 93.3kg because I knew that if I hit my targets at that weight, I would get a 300 sinclair for the first time. After the weigh in I ended up going home for two hours to chill out--Irish competitions only have one weigh in due to small numbers-- and I came back afterwards.
I lifted in the last group and my warm up went swimmingly. After ten minutes or so, I looked across at Alex--A Latvian lifter in his first Irish competition. He wore runners when lifting!--who was just having a good time. I recognised that I was getting far too intense and then I just chilled out a bit and ended up Snatching well. Here was my warm up: 3x2@40 1x2@60 1x1@80, 90, 99, 104--I actually Power Snatched my last two warm ups because although my technique felt great, I was not finishing the pull.
My opener was with 108kg and it was fast, but hit out front a little so I had to adjust at the bottom a bit before rising. This was the first time I have ever been able to do this in a competition. I then moved onto 112kg and this felt far more in the groove and for my third attempt I went up to 116kg which I had missed in my last two competitions. This felt sweet again and it was the way I lifted, rather than the weight, that pleased me. I can feel my technique getting sharper and it was very encouraging.
For the Clean and Jerks, I warmed up with doubles with 60 and then singles with 80, 100, 115, 125 and my last warm up was with 131kg which I actually missed in the Jerk! I went out a few minutes later to an opener of 137kg and hit it pretty easily. Looking at the videos I can see my weight was not over the bar enough and that I was leaning back a little much in all the Cleans and using my back a little early. This should be easily fixable. I then went up to 143kg and 147kg for my final attempt. Like my Snatch, this was a 1kg pb and I was happy to get it because I have not been hitting many heavy Clean and Jerks lately.
I am already looking forward to the Ulster Open on May 29th and I should be hitting bigger weights as I am two weeks into my competition period of training and this will get me used to the heavier Clean and Jerks again. What I want in Ulster is 118/150. One step at a time and if it is there, I will go and get it. If not, so be it. I need to keep getting stronger and more disciplined in the mind and I should be getting the lifts that I have the potential to get. Love the journey.
I only have a few videos, so liet me know if you have any constructive criticism:
I weighed in at an easy 93.3kg. I cleaned up the diet over the last few weeks and dropped around 2kg of fat, so I ended up going down to 93.3kg because I knew that if I hit my targets at that weight, I would get a 300 sinclair for the first time. After the weigh in I ended up going home for two hours to chill out--Irish competitions only have one weigh in due to small numbers-- and I came back afterwards.
I lifted in the last group and my warm up went swimmingly. After ten minutes or so, I looked across at Alex--A Latvian lifter in his first Irish competition. He wore runners when lifting!--who was just having a good time. I recognised that I was getting far too intense and then I just chilled out a bit and ended up Snatching well. Here was my warm up: 3x2@40 1x2@60 1x1@80, 90, 99, 104--I actually Power Snatched my last two warm ups because although my technique felt great, I was not finishing the pull.
My opener was with 108kg and it was fast, but hit out front a little so I had to adjust at the bottom a bit before rising. This was the first time I have ever been able to do this in a competition. I then moved onto 112kg and this felt far more in the groove and for my third attempt I went up to 116kg which I had missed in my last two competitions. This felt sweet again and it was the way I lifted, rather than the weight, that pleased me. I can feel my technique getting sharper and it was very encouraging.
For the Clean and Jerks, I warmed up with doubles with 60 and then singles with 80, 100, 115, 125 and my last warm up was with 131kg which I actually missed in the Jerk! I went out a few minutes later to an opener of 137kg and hit it pretty easily. Looking at the videos I can see my weight was not over the bar enough and that I was leaning back a little much in all the Cleans and using my back a little early. This should be easily fixable. I then went up to 143kg and 147kg for my final attempt. Like my Snatch, this was a 1kg pb and I was happy to get it because I have not been hitting many heavy Clean and Jerks lately.
I am already looking forward to the Ulster Open on May 29th and I should be hitting bigger weights as I am two weeks into my competition period of training and this will get me used to the heavier Clean and Jerks again. What I want in Ulster is 118/150. One step at a time and if it is there, I will go and get it. If not, so be it. I need to keep getting stronger and more disciplined in the mind and I should be getting the lifts that I have the potential to get. Love the journey.
I only have a few videos, so liet me know if you have any constructive criticism:
Thursday 8 April 2010
Saturday's snapper
Tom hosted an informal controlled competition in his gym Sportsquest on Saturday. It turned out to be great fun and Zag got a beutiful 3 kg pb with 105kg in the Snatch. I was not in the same mode and was actually quite stiff from all the soft tissue work on the Friday. I felt good, but lacked that bit of pop needed to Snatch a new pb.
As you will see in the video below, I have videos of everyone except for Ryan Shinn. Zag lifted extremely well and his obvious improvements in the catch position of the lift were obvious. He had geared himself up for this all week and as you will see in the video, there is more to come. I only Snatched my opener of 108kg and missed 113kg twice. The finish and the speed were not there and I felt very disappointed. My postural muscles and upper back and shoulders were pretty stiff and I did not display the improved first pull I had worked on. Loking back on it now I can see why this happened, but at the time I allowed my disappointment to affect my Clean and Jerks and again, I only lifted my opener of 130kg which is usually a solid Power Clean and Jerk. I was pretty tired and let my expectations get in the way of simply going with the flow and emjoying the moment. I will learn from the experience though.
I have included a short interview with a Dutch weightlifting legend towards the end on the video and he lifted some serious numbers back in the day. He is 48 years old and after 4 months back training after a number of years off, he is an animal! Have a look at the video below and leave any constructive criticism you think may help.
As you will see in the video below, I have videos of everyone except for Ryan Shinn. Zag lifted extremely well and his obvious improvements in the catch position of the lift were obvious. He had geared himself up for this all week and as you will see in the video, there is more to come. I only Snatched my opener of 108kg and missed 113kg twice. The finish and the speed were not there and I felt very disappointed. My postural muscles and upper back and shoulders were pretty stiff and I did not display the improved first pull I had worked on. Loking back on it now I can see why this happened, but at the time I allowed my disappointment to affect my Clean and Jerks and again, I only lifted my opener of 130kg which is usually a solid Power Clean and Jerk. I was pretty tired and let my expectations get in the way of simply going with the flow and emjoying the moment. I will learn from the experience though.
I have included a short interview with a Dutch weightlifting legend towards the end on the video and he lifted some serious numbers back in the day. He is 48 years old and after 4 months back training after a number of years off, he is an animal! Have a look at the video below and leave any constructive criticism you think may help.
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Eamonn's experiences
Here is a competition report written by Dr Eamonn Flanagan, who lifted in the Scottish Open on Sunday. He works with the Scottish rugby union as a Strength and Conditioning coach and is based over there. Here is a link to other guest articles from the past year, smoe of which have been written by Eamonn. They have been appreciated by myself and others, so thanks again to the man who helped spread Trexabol throughout our beautiful island.
The 2010 Scottish Open was held in the Glasgow Palace of Art. The Palace has two gyms. A powerlifting and weightlifting gym, home to the Palace of Art Weightlifting Club, was hosting a powerlifting competition. The other gym is a high performance sports gym, run by the Scottish Institute of Sport and home to the Glasgow Warriors Rugby team. It hosted the weightlifting competition. With the two competitions running at the same time there was a lot of lifters and spectators milling about and there was a good buzz about the place. The lifting began with female lifters. The top female lifter was Amy Hamilton, and under 20 lifter from the Palace of Art Weightlifting club who snatched 67kg and clean and jerked 80kg in the 63kg class. Georgi Black from the Kilmarnock Weightlifting Club also impressed with a 73kg snatch and a 93kg clean and jerk to win the 75kg class.
In the lighter men's weight classes there were some impressive performances from young lifters from Kilmarnock Weightlifting Club and the Palace of Art Weightlifting Club. There is alot of young talent in Scottish weightlifting and there should be alot of competition for places at the 2014 Commonwealth Games which will be held in Glasgow. The top lifter in this first men's session was Mark Middleton of Edinburgh University. Middleton, who has competed in Ireland on a few occassions, has recently dropped down to the 62kg class. He opened his account on the day with a 92kg snatch and finished with a very impressive and hard fought clean and jerk at 121kg.
The Kilmarnock Weightlifting Club continued its dominance with victory for Kyle Pearson in the 85kg class. He made all three snatches, each better than the last, to finish on 103kg. He clean and jerked 125kg to seal the win over Palace of Art's Mark Fitzpatrick by 8kg.
Following the men's 85kg class, I began my warm-up. Its not every day one gets to warm up beside a former Olympian and a future Olympian. On the platform to my left was Sydney 2000 Olympian Tommy Yule while to the right was London 2012 hopeful Peter Kirkbride. Tommy snatched 155kg in the 105kg+ class at the games in Sydney. Peter Kirkbride is currently the number 1 ranked British lifter and in the driving seat for a place at the 2012 games. With such lifters in the room it made for a good atmosphere and it was interesting to watch the contrast between both lifters respective warm-up style. Yule began with several sets of muscle snatch making a number of lifts with 70kg and 90kg before dropping back to 70kg to hit quite a few full snatch singles. Kirkbride started his energetic warm-up with a few short, intense bursts of jumping rope and some very explosive empty bar and 60kg hang snatches and power snatches.
Due to some confusion in the timings of the session I was left with a little longer for the warm-up than necessary. I ended up hitting 60kg for 7 or 8 singles as I got a handle on what was happening on the competition platform and how long until I opened. I moved through two singles with 70 and two with 80 before a final warm-up with 90kg. I was then left with very little time to make my way to the platform for my opening attempt at 93kg. I was a little rushed but the weight was routine and I made it fairly easily. I called for 97kg next. It felt light but I let the bar stray too far from my body and I missed it out in front. I took 97kg again and kept it tighter to the body and felt like I made it easily as I received it overhead but perhaps I relaxed a little and it began to drift in front. I chased it a couple of steps forward and held on to complete the lift successfully. I was a bit disappointed with a sub 100kg snatch as I feel I should be hitting 100kg+ more regularly at the moment.
Peter Kirkbride and Tommy Yule continued through their warm-ups. Both lifters seemed confident and composed in the warm-up room. Kirkbride nailed a solid 135kg snatch (see video) before taking the platform for his first attempt at 140kg. From here Kirkbride began to suffer technically in the snatch. There was impressive power and speed on the bar with each attempt but the bar seemed ever so slightly out of place each time. He missed three attempts at 140kg to finish without a total. He didn't re-appear for the clean and jerk. Kirkbride lifts in the European Championships in a couple of weeks time Although he had an off day here, I know from previous experience how impressive a competitor he is and I am sure such a massive competition will bring out the best in him.
Tommy Yule made 137.5kg in the warm-up room (see video) before a warm-up miss at 140kg. On the competition platform he made no mistake and put the 140kg away confidently. Despite missing his second and third snatch he was still on course to make the 105kg qualification total for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
I timed my clean and jerk warm up much better and was much more economical with the number of lifts I did. I began with some bar work and power clean and jerks at 60 and 80kg with a real emphasis on a complete pull and catching the bar as high as possible while whipping the elbows through as quickly as possible. I then took full clean and jerks with 100, 110 and 120kg before taking 130kg on the competition platform. The clean was routine and the jerk felt much snappier than it has in training. This was just the 2nd time in 2010 I had attempted 130kg. I went to 133kg next as I had set myself a pre-competition target of a 230kg total. I left the clean a little in front and as a result caught it with a slightly rounded, weaken back and struggled more than I should have with the recovery. I pushed through though and the jerked followed. I went to 135kg next and the clean felt much better. I finsihed the pull well and caught it in a nice, stable upright position. My leg strength is not particularly good at the moment so although I was in a good position, the recovery was hard work. I drove the jerk and chased it forward a little but just made the lift.
Tommy Yule secured his qualification with his first clean and jerk at 182kg before two misses at 190kg. His 351 Sinclair points meant he finished the competition as overall best lifter.
The 2010 Scottish Open was held in the Glasgow Palace of Art. The Palace has two gyms. A powerlifting and weightlifting gym, home to the Palace of Art Weightlifting Club, was hosting a powerlifting competition. The other gym is a high performance sports gym, run by the Scottish Institute of Sport and home to the Glasgow Warriors Rugby team. It hosted the weightlifting competition. With the two competitions running at the same time there was a lot of lifters and spectators milling about and there was a good buzz about the place. The lifting began with female lifters. The top female lifter was Amy Hamilton, and under 20 lifter from the Palace of Art Weightlifting club who snatched 67kg and clean and jerked 80kg in the 63kg class. Georgi Black from the Kilmarnock Weightlifting Club also impressed with a 73kg snatch and a 93kg clean and jerk to win the 75kg class.
In the lighter men's weight classes there were some impressive performances from young lifters from Kilmarnock Weightlifting Club and the Palace of Art Weightlifting Club. There is alot of young talent in Scottish weightlifting and there should be alot of competition for places at the 2014 Commonwealth Games which will be held in Glasgow. The top lifter in this first men's session was Mark Middleton of Edinburgh University. Middleton, who has competed in Ireland on a few occassions, has recently dropped down to the 62kg class. He opened his account on the day with a 92kg snatch and finished with a very impressive and hard fought clean and jerk at 121kg.
The Kilmarnock Weightlifting Club continued its dominance with victory for Kyle Pearson in the 85kg class. He made all three snatches, each better than the last, to finish on 103kg. He clean and jerked 125kg to seal the win over Palace of Art's Mark Fitzpatrick by 8kg.
Following the men's 85kg class, I began my warm-up. Its not every day one gets to warm up beside a former Olympian and a future Olympian. On the platform to my left was Sydney 2000 Olympian Tommy Yule while to the right was London 2012 hopeful Peter Kirkbride. Tommy snatched 155kg in the 105kg+ class at the games in Sydney. Peter Kirkbride is currently the number 1 ranked British lifter and in the driving seat for a place at the 2012 games. With such lifters in the room it made for a good atmosphere and it was interesting to watch the contrast between both lifters respective warm-up style. Yule began with several sets of muscle snatch making a number of lifts with 70kg and 90kg before dropping back to 70kg to hit quite a few full snatch singles. Kirkbride started his energetic warm-up with a few short, intense bursts of jumping rope and some very explosive empty bar and 60kg hang snatches and power snatches.
Due to some confusion in the timings of the session I was left with a little longer for the warm-up than necessary. I ended up hitting 60kg for 7 or 8 singles as I got a handle on what was happening on the competition platform and how long until I opened. I moved through two singles with 70 and two with 80 before a final warm-up with 90kg. I was then left with very little time to make my way to the platform for my opening attempt at 93kg. I was a little rushed but the weight was routine and I made it fairly easily. I called for 97kg next. It felt light but I let the bar stray too far from my body and I missed it out in front. I took 97kg again and kept it tighter to the body and felt like I made it easily as I received it overhead but perhaps I relaxed a little and it began to drift in front. I chased it a couple of steps forward and held on to complete the lift successfully. I was a bit disappointed with a sub 100kg snatch as I feel I should be hitting 100kg+ more regularly at the moment.
Peter Kirkbride and Tommy Yule continued through their warm-ups. Both lifters seemed confident and composed in the warm-up room. Kirkbride nailed a solid 135kg snatch (see video) before taking the platform for his first attempt at 140kg. From here Kirkbride began to suffer technically in the snatch. There was impressive power and speed on the bar with each attempt but the bar seemed ever so slightly out of place each time. He missed three attempts at 140kg to finish without a total. He didn't re-appear for the clean and jerk. Kirkbride lifts in the European Championships in a couple of weeks time Although he had an off day here, I know from previous experience how impressive a competitor he is and I am sure such a massive competition will bring out the best in him.
Tommy Yule made 137.5kg in the warm-up room (see video) before a warm-up miss at 140kg. On the competition platform he made no mistake and put the 140kg away confidently. Despite missing his second and third snatch he was still on course to make the 105kg qualification total for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
I timed my clean and jerk warm up much better and was much more economical with the number of lifts I did. I began with some bar work and power clean and jerks at 60 and 80kg with a real emphasis on a complete pull and catching the bar as high as possible while whipping the elbows through as quickly as possible. I then took full clean and jerks with 100, 110 and 120kg before taking 130kg on the competition platform. The clean was routine and the jerk felt much snappier than it has in training. This was just the 2nd time in 2010 I had attempted 130kg. I went to 133kg next as I had set myself a pre-competition target of a 230kg total. I left the clean a little in front and as a result caught it with a slightly rounded, weaken back and struggled more than I should have with the recovery. I pushed through though and the jerked followed. I went to 135kg next and the clean felt much better. I finsihed the pull well and caught it in a nice, stable upright position. My leg strength is not particularly good at the moment so although I was in a good position, the recovery was hard work. I drove the jerk and chased it forward a little but just made the lift.
Tommy Yule secured his qualification with his first clean and jerk at 182kg before two misses at 190kg. His 351 Sinclair points meant he finished the competition as overall best lifter.
Thursday 25 February 2010
Thursday's titanic video
As we are still on the topic of the history of Irish weightlifting, I thought I would post this video that I made earlier today. In 1999, a group of Irish weightlifters including Wayne Healy, Joe Kerr, Jimmy Power and David Daly went to compete in Athens for the Senior men's World Weightlifting Championships. They were coached by the inimitable John McDaid and he actually recorded a fair bit of footage from the competition. I got the dvd off Wayne and took the liberty of editing it and here it is. Each of the lifters except Daly are shown competing and there are also a few training lifts at the end, one of which shows Wayne Snatching 120kg and Cleaning 145kg a few days after competing in the 62kg class. Hopefully you enjoy the video. I know we can get to the stage where we have a number of lifters competing in the World Championships again. The standard is 335 sinclair points. Now, we have to train with intelligence and intensity in order to get there.
In my own training, I had another laid back session in my recovery week. Tommy Hayden was in Hercs and he had a look at my Snatching. I was working my my technique and getting proper extension and keeping the bar close while also trying with a wider than usual grip. I have a long way to go. I did lots of doubles and ended up with two easy singles with 100kg. I then Front Squat and Jerked up to 130 and after a paltry attempt at 140, left it there. I did around twenty minutes of self-myofacial release on my cardboard roller that Colin Bell so graciously gave me; I then had a ten minute sauna and was done for the day.
In my own training, I had another laid back session in my recovery week. Tommy Hayden was in Hercs and he had a look at my Snatching. I was working my my technique and getting proper extension and keeping the bar close while also trying with a wider than usual grip. I have a long way to go. I did lots of doubles and ended up with two easy singles with 100kg. I then Front Squat and Jerked up to 130 and after a paltry attempt at 140, left it there. I did around twenty minutes of self-myofacial release on my cardboard roller that Colin Bell so graciously gave me; I then had a ten minute sauna and was done for the day.
Sunday 21 February 2010
Saturday's sharpness--not!!!!!!!
I competed in the Dublin Open on Saturday, and the Junior and Masters nationals were on at the same time. It was another enjoyable competition and there were several good lifts. Well done to Neil Dougan who qualified for the Senior European Champions with 106/129 lifts at 70kg bodyweight. His consistent improvements over the last year are very encouraging for everyone. Laura Nolan also lifted six for six and posted pb's in the Snatch and Clean and Jerk as did Cathal Byrd who Snatched 111 and Clean and Jerked 144. He just missed the 146 Jerk, but it is there. Zag was sick and overworked and Snatched 99kg and his Clean and Jerk just was not there on the day. The Irish Rugby ladies all lifted fantastically and there is a very obvious progression to their lifting every time they compete.
I lifted five out of six, and considering that this was being approached as a training session, I was reasonably happy. I Snatched 107 as my opener and it was relatively straight forward. I jumped to 112 and made it, but it was muscled up and I did not have my rhythm or composure. I needed to be a bit calmer I think and this carried over to my 116 attempt which was strong, but ugly. If I was more composed, I would have made it. Not on the day though....
In the Clean and Jerk, I was feeling more relaxed and even though I was not feeling sharp, my mind was clearer so I performed better. I opened with an ugly 135 and nailed the Jerk. My Jerk was the best feature of my lifting and has really improved from all the skill work I have been doing in my warm ups. I then did an ok 140 and jumped to 146 for a 1kg pb. I got it. It was ugly. My back was rounded. I felt terrible. But I got it. Considering I have been doing very few Clean and Jerks I am really happy with that. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Harry had to leave after the Snatch and Wayne really helped me out. I did not feel like 146 was there and just gave it everything I had. Thank god I got it.
I lifted five out of six, and considering that this was being approached as a training session, I was reasonably happy. I Snatched 107 as my opener and it was relatively straight forward. I jumped to 112 and made it, but it was muscled up and I did not have my rhythm or composure. I needed to be a bit calmer I think and this carried over to my 116 attempt which was strong, but ugly. If I was more composed, I would have made it. Not on the day though....
In the Clean and Jerk, I was feeling more relaxed and even though I was not feeling sharp, my mind was clearer so I performed better. I opened with an ugly 135 and nailed the Jerk. My Jerk was the best feature of my lifting and has really improved from all the skill work I have been doing in my warm ups. I then did an ok 140 and jumped to 146 for a 1kg pb. I got it. It was ugly. My back was rounded. I felt terrible. But I got it. Considering I have been doing very few Clean and Jerks I am really happy with that. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Harry had to leave after the Snatch and Wayne really helped me out. I did not feel like 146 was there and just gave it everything I had. Thank god I got it.
Sunday 7 February 2010
Saturday's sickener
I competed in Limerick yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was great meeting up with the lads again and although I did not lift well, I am really glad I went down. New experiences, new lessons to be learned.
I weighed in at 93.8kg after not having a breakfast and no fluids that morning. I felt good and I had around three hours until I started my warm up--there is only one weigh in time: it's a small, but very well run competition with 25 lifters.
In my warm up,I found it hard to focus on my own lifting and in two weeks time I need to be more disciplined and not allow my concentration wander. Here is what I did:
Snatch--1x2@40, 40, 40, 60, 80 1x1@90, 90, 100, 105
I then missed 110 in my first attempt. It flew up but I started my second pull way too early and did not stay over the bar. Too over-eager! I was too far behind the bar to catch it at all. I then got it pretty easily in my second attempt. I went up to 116 for a pb in my third attempt and there were so many things wrong with the Snatch that it is difficult to know where to start. My balance was off in the lift so I almost fell too far forward which caused me to swing outrageously. The bar went up slowly and was way out of place, while my feet jumped back. I have very rarely felt that out of sync in a lift. I was too anxious and needed to be far more composed mentally. The mind controls the body and my mind was all over the place.
For the Clean and Jerks, things went very pear shaped. As soon as I started with 60kg, for some reason I was blacking out at the top of my Cleans. This has never happened before, but I went with it anyway. I went up to 110 and because I was feeling sluggish, I power Cleaned 120 but again, I had to drop it when I stood up. It was more an instinctive reaction than a thought out decision. I then Cleaned 130 as my last warm up and dropped it at the top. I then missed 130, which is usually a Power Clean and went out to wait for my 135 opener.
135kg is usually a really easy opener for when I am being more conservative. I missed the Clean in my first attempt. Looking at the video I got it up to Power Clean height and let it fall down on me by around six inches or so. It put me back on my heels and I fell over backwards in as inelegant a fashion as is posible. So embarassing. I then went out for my second attempt, got it and called it a day. This was one of my hardest ever Clean and Jerks, because I was very light headed as I was about to Jerk, but I had to get it anyway. I was so happy when I was finished--my lifting felt horrible.
On a brighter note, Zag Snatched 100kg for a competitive pb, despite straining his right trap in the warm up. He Clean and Jerked 120, was denied 125 for a pressout and Cleaned, but missed the Jerk with 130kg. Wayne Snatched an extremely impressive 105kg and due to a shoulder injury, only Jerked 115--although he Cleaned 125, he did not try to Jerk it. He is saving it for two weeks time in the National Masters/Juniors; this is also an open event which is why myself and Zag are lifting in it. We will treat that as another training competition again.
Here is a video of some of our lifts. Thanks to Murph, Eamonn, Cathal and the rest of the lads from Limerick for organising the competition. It was great fun and I will learn a lot from it.
Here is a special bonus feature of one of the most impressive displays of strength and fortitude I have ever seen. I have never seen anyone go for a lift like this, no holding back, head first, no holes barred. You have to repect this guy.
I weighed in at 93.8kg after not having a breakfast and no fluids that morning. I felt good and I had around three hours until I started my warm up--there is only one weigh in time: it's a small, but very well run competition with 25 lifters.
In my warm up,I found it hard to focus on my own lifting and in two weeks time I need to be more disciplined and not allow my concentration wander. Here is what I did:
Snatch--1x2@40, 40, 40, 60, 80 1x1@90, 90, 100, 105
I then missed 110 in my first attempt. It flew up but I started my second pull way too early and did not stay over the bar. Too over-eager! I was too far behind the bar to catch it at all. I then got it pretty easily in my second attempt. I went up to 116 for a pb in my third attempt and there were so many things wrong with the Snatch that it is difficult to know where to start. My balance was off in the lift so I almost fell too far forward which caused me to swing outrageously. The bar went up slowly and was way out of place, while my feet jumped back. I have very rarely felt that out of sync in a lift. I was too anxious and needed to be far more composed mentally. The mind controls the body and my mind was all over the place.
For the Clean and Jerks, things went very pear shaped. As soon as I started with 60kg, for some reason I was blacking out at the top of my Cleans. This has never happened before, but I went with it anyway. I went up to 110 and because I was feeling sluggish, I power Cleaned 120 but again, I had to drop it when I stood up. It was more an instinctive reaction than a thought out decision. I then Cleaned 130 as my last warm up and dropped it at the top. I then missed 130, which is usually a Power Clean and went out to wait for my 135 opener.
135kg is usually a really easy opener for when I am being more conservative. I missed the Clean in my first attempt. Looking at the video I got it up to Power Clean height and let it fall down on me by around six inches or so. It put me back on my heels and I fell over backwards in as inelegant a fashion as is posible. So embarassing. I then went out for my second attempt, got it and called it a day. This was one of my hardest ever Clean and Jerks, because I was very light headed as I was about to Jerk, but I had to get it anyway. I was so happy when I was finished--my lifting felt horrible.
On a brighter note, Zag Snatched 100kg for a competitive pb, despite straining his right trap in the warm up. He Clean and Jerked 120, was denied 125 for a pressout and Cleaned, but missed the Jerk with 130kg. Wayne Snatched an extremely impressive 105kg and due to a shoulder injury, only Jerked 115--although he Cleaned 125, he did not try to Jerk it. He is saving it for two weeks time in the National Masters/Juniors; this is also an open event which is why myself and Zag are lifting in it. We will treat that as another training competition again.
Here is a video of some of our lifts. Thanks to Murph, Eamonn, Cathal and the rest of the lads from Limerick for organising the competition. It was great fun and I will learn a lot from it.
Here is a special bonus feature of one of the most impressive displays of strength and fortitude I have ever seen. I have never seen anyone go for a lift like this, no holding back, head first, no holes barred. You have to repect this guy.
Sunday 15 November 2009
Saturday's steady progression
It was a three hour drive up past Belfast to get to Jordanstown, for the Northern Ireland Open and it proved to be worth the drive. The competition was well organised and the atmosphere was great as always. Sami got a lovely 125 Clean and Jerk which you will see in the video below and Cathal Snatched an easy 106 and got another easy 134 in the Jerk. Neither lifter tapered for this competition and Sami has been training between five and six days a week with around 8 sessions or so for the last three weeks. This training volume affected his Snatch which relies on more delicate timing and subtle technique. Cathal is on the road to rehabbing his battered right knee and treated this as a training session only. I lifted well, and got a pb in the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk, but I did not get quite what I want. Here is how it went:
I weighed in at 92.8kg which is very light for me. I had a big bowl of porridge that morning and a light dinner the night before but little fluids. With the long drive my upper back was feeling tight, but otherwise I felt ready to go. Here is how I warmed up:
Snatch--1x2@50, 50, 70 1x1@80, 80, 90, 90, 97, 102--In the warm up room Cathal was helping me out and kept reminding me to finsh my pull and this really helped. Here were my competition lifts:
1x1@106--This was easy and I should have opened up on my planned 107/108.
1x1@111--This was a new competition pb and it felt pretty sweet and was a far better lift than the 110's I got in Glasgow and Cork.
1x1@113--I pressed out with my left elbow in the bottom of the catch and I just needed a slightly faster and more aggressive turnover. If I was to miss a weight, I am glad I committed to it and gave it a real go.
Clean and Jerk--1x2@70, 70 1x1@95, 112, 122, 132
1x1@138--I Cleaned this really easily and I was too relaxed with the Jerk and ended up pressing it out. More urgency was needed.
1x1@140--This was a fast and solid lift that I was really happy with. It was infinitely more controlled than when I lifted it in previous competitions.
1x1@143--I actually over pulled the Clean, which caused me to go back on my heels in the catch, but I stood up with it easily. My Jerk felt solid, but a little far behind which meant I had to step back immediately to re-adjust. I had planned on doing 138-143-145 but my opener scuppered this. I went up to 140 and I knew I could make the lift with more pep in my step and then I went for 143 in a compromise. I will leave 145 for London.
I wanted 113/145 and I came out with 111/143. I was content with the 3kg increase in my total, but I know I can and will lift more in London in three weeks. I am already eagerly anticipating that competition! Have a look at the vidoe below and leave any constructive criticism that can help.
I weighed in at 92.8kg which is very light for me. I had a big bowl of porridge that morning and a light dinner the night before but little fluids. With the long drive my upper back was feeling tight, but otherwise I felt ready to go. Here is how I warmed up:
Snatch--1x2@50, 50, 70 1x1@80, 80, 90, 90, 97, 102--In the warm up room Cathal was helping me out and kept reminding me to finsh my pull and this really helped. Here were my competition lifts:
1x1@106--This was easy and I should have opened up on my planned 107/108.
1x1@111--This was a new competition pb and it felt pretty sweet and was a far better lift than the 110's I got in Glasgow and Cork.
1x1@113--I pressed out with my left elbow in the bottom of the catch and I just needed a slightly faster and more aggressive turnover. If I was to miss a weight, I am glad I committed to it and gave it a real go.
Clean and Jerk--1x2@70, 70 1x1@95, 112, 122, 132
1x1@138--I Cleaned this really easily and I was too relaxed with the Jerk and ended up pressing it out. More urgency was needed.
1x1@140--This was a fast and solid lift that I was really happy with. It was infinitely more controlled than when I lifted it in previous competitions.
1x1@143--I actually over pulled the Clean, which caused me to go back on my heels in the catch, but I stood up with it easily. My Jerk felt solid, but a little far behind which meant I had to step back immediately to re-adjust. I had planned on doing 138-143-145 but my opener scuppered this. I went up to 140 and I knew I could make the lift with more pep in my step and then I went for 143 in a compromise. I will leave 145 for London.
I wanted 113/145 and I came out with 111/143. I was content with the 3kg increase in my total, but I know I can and will lift more in London in three weeks. I am already eagerly anticipating that competition! Have a look at the vidoe below and leave any constructive criticism that can help.
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Monday's medicine
Here is a short video of some of the other lifts that I have from Saturday. Unfortunately, I only have a few lifts because I was helping the Leinster ladies with the Clean and Jerk portion of their lifts because Sami was warming up.
I had my usual training session on Monday. My scooping point for the Snatch was sore from Saturday--which meant that I had changed it slightly because I was not staying over the bar long enough in my eargerness to initiate the pull. This meant that I performed Hang Snatches from below the knee. This forced me to stay over the bar better and as such, get my natural scooping point. I worked up to singles with 100, 103 and 105, which I missed forst and then got.
I then went onto Power Cleans and I went up to singles with 115 and 120, which I only Squat Cleaned. They felt good though and I was focusing on getting as quick a catch as possible. I was supposed to do a Power Clean and Squat Clean combination, but I was happy to take some of the volume out for this session.
I worked up to a double with 150 in the Back Squat and I left it at that. Ten minutes of stretching and I was done. I enjoyed the session and I am already looking forward to the run up to the Northern Ireland Open in five and a half weeks. Here is a short video of some of my lifts in this session.
I had my usual training session on Monday. My scooping point for the Snatch was sore from Saturday--which meant that I had changed it slightly because I was not staying over the bar long enough in my eargerness to initiate the pull. This meant that I performed Hang Snatches from below the knee. This forced me to stay over the bar better and as such, get my natural scooping point. I worked up to singles with 100, 103 and 105, which I missed forst and then got.
I then went onto Power Cleans and I went up to singles with 115 and 120, which I only Squat Cleaned. They felt good though and I was focusing on getting as quick a catch as possible. I was supposed to do a Power Clean and Squat Clean combination, but I was happy to take some of the volume out for this session.
I worked up to a double with 150 in the Back Squat and I left it at that. Ten minutes of stretching and I was done. I enjoyed the session and I am already looking forward to the run up to the Northern Ireland Open in five and a half weeks. Here is a short video of some of my lifts in this session.
Monday 5 October 2009
Saturday's stout team performance
The National Club Competition was according to some spectators and lifters, the most exciting weightlifting competition in years. It went down to the final lift of the competition to decide who won and then four hours later, there was a dramatic plot twist after the competition finished when it was discovered that an officiating mistake had taken place: one more kilo was actually needed for the win.
The competition
I brought my scales along with me and I was under 95kg the night before and I was 94kg that morning so I was able to have a light breakfast of some salmon with some lemon juice. I weighed in at 93.6kg and this was very comfortable as I simply restricted my water the previous day after over-hydrating the three days before it.
In our team, Wayne lifted first in the 69's and after missing his opener with 95kg, he nailed it and then 98kg quite easily and started looking like he had just woken up. He then Jerked 120, 125 and 127 for a gutsy performance considering he had trained around seven or eight times in the last five weeks for this competition. For team UL, Cathal lifted and made his opener of 105kg on his last attempt. The word fresh was not in his vocabulary that day because he is gearing up for the U 23's in Poland. He Jerked 135 in his opener and his knee was bothering him with 140 so he left it there, saving himself for two weeks' time.
The Herc's girls then duelled with the Leinster ladies and all six lifters did extremely well with the Herc's girls just about winning out. Sami and Murph lifted in the 85's then for the Herc's and UL teams respectively. Due to an issue with his back, Sami could only train once that week and he lifted 95/118 making his second attempts both times. Murph has had a knee injury since Scotland and he got 93/117kg. UL were 14 points ahead in the team event and I was lifting against Eamonn in the final session at around half four. My heart had been racing since 11 that morning so it felt great to be able to start my warm up and relax.
My warm up went fine. The body had been primed to lift for hours so there was no stiffness or any other kinks that needed to be worked out. After 25 minutes, my final warm ups were 97 and 102kg. I was feeling good for my opener with 105kg which went smoothly, but it was not as fast as I would have wanted. Eamonn had lifted 99kg so I needed to scrape back as many points as I could. I then went up to 110kg for my second attempt and I pulled it strongly, but had to take a few steps forward to lock it in. I felt very confident for my third attempt of 113kg, but I missed it. It was high enough, but slightly out in front and I lacked that last inch of finish in my pull to get the bar into position. This was annoying, but I started focusing on the Clean and Jerks and if I found myself thinking about the Snatch, I gave myself a mental slap on the side of the head to keep focused on what was ahead of me.
I felt very fast in the Clean and Jerk and all my warm ups were good except for 120kg which I under pulled. My last lift in the back room was 128kg and I nailed it. I opened up with 135kg and it was smooth and assured. Eamonn then lifted 137kg, so Harry went to 139 to counter. I Cleaned it nicely, but pressed out the Jerk. This was very silly, because the weight was fine, I was simply not fast enough with my drive and lockout in the Jerk. I was obviously focusing on my third and final lift. Eamonn then Cleaned 139 and missed the Jerk. Harry was told we needed for 141kg for the win in the Club Championship, so take it we did. This was the last lift of the day and I had around five lads coming in to give me advice. The club had not won this title in 30 years. Harry booted them out and got me ready. I took the full minute and lifted off with around five seconds to go. I Cleaned it, and then Jerked the hell out of it and lost my head with a few others for around a minute. I had never lifted under those circumstances before and the relief was far more prevelant than anything else.
Later that night we found out that an official had put Sami down for Clean and Jerking 120, when he lifted 118. I would have needed 142kg for the win. One sinclair point was the difference. Gutting. We are all human though; the official responsible appologised later and although it still rankled, it is not the end of the world. I had lifted one kilo more than my best previous total and I weighed in 3.5kg lighter, so although I did not lift what I wanted, I was content. The lads in the UL team did really well to win their third team title in a row. Next years competition will be all the more exciting for this.
A video will follow of some of the lifts later today.
The competition
I brought my scales along with me and I was under 95kg the night before and I was 94kg that morning so I was able to have a light breakfast of some salmon with some lemon juice. I weighed in at 93.6kg and this was very comfortable as I simply restricted my water the previous day after over-hydrating the three days before it.
In our team, Wayne lifted first in the 69's and after missing his opener with 95kg, he nailed it and then 98kg quite easily and started looking like he had just woken up. He then Jerked 120, 125 and 127 for a gutsy performance considering he had trained around seven or eight times in the last five weeks for this competition. For team UL, Cathal lifted and made his opener of 105kg on his last attempt. The word fresh was not in his vocabulary that day because he is gearing up for the U 23's in Poland. He Jerked 135 in his opener and his knee was bothering him with 140 so he left it there, saving himself for two weeks' time.
The Herc's girls then duelled with the Leinster ladies and all six lifters did extremely well with the Herc's girls just about winning out. Sami and Murph lifted in the 85's then for the Herc's and UL teams respectively. Due to an issue with his back, Sami could only train once that week and he lifted 95/118 making his second attempts both times. Murph has had a knee injury since Scotland and he got 93/117kg. UL were 14 points ahead in the team event and I was lifting against Eamonn in the final session at around half four. My heart had been racing since 11 that morning so it felt great to be able to start my warm up and relax.
My warm up went fine. The body had been primed to lift for hours so there was no stiffness or any other kinks that needed to be worked out. After 25 minutes, my final warm ups were 97 and 102kg. I was feeling good for my opener with 105kg which went smoothly, but it was not as fast as I would have wanted. Eamonn had lifted 99kg so I needed to scrape back as many points as I could. I then went up to 110kg for my second attempt and I pulled it strongly, but had to take a few steps forward to lock it in. I felt very confident for my third attempt of 113kg, but I missed it. It was high enough, but slightly out in front and I lacked that last inch of finish in my pull to get the bar into position. This was annoying, but I started focusing on the Clean and Jerks and if I found myself thinking about the Snatch, I gave myself a mental slap on the side of the head to keep focused on what was ahead of me.
I felt very fast in the Clean and Jerk and all my warm ups were good except for 120kg which I under pulled. My last lift in the back room was 128kg and I nailed it. I opened up with 135kg and it was smooth and assured. Eamonn then lifted 137kg, so Harry went to 139 to counter. I Cleaned it nicely, but pressed out the Jerk. This was very silly, because the weight was fine, I was simply not fast enough with my drive and lockout in the Jerk. I was obviously focusing on my third and final lift. Eamonn then Cleaned 139 and missed the Jerk. Harry was told we needed for 141kg for the win in the Club Championship, so take it we did. This was the last lift of the day and I had around five lads coming in to give me advice. The club had not won this title in 30 years. Harry booted them out and got me ready. I took the full minute and lifted off with around five seconds to go. I Cleaned it, and then Jerked the hell out of it and lost my head with a few others for around a minute. I had never lifted under those circumstances before and the relief was far more prevelant than anything else.
Later that night we found out that an official had put Sami down for Clean and Jerking 120, when he lifted 118. I would have needed 142kg for the win. One sinclair point was the difference. Gutting. We are all human though; the official responsible appologised later and although it still rankled, it is not the end of the world. I had lifted one kilo more than my best previous total and I weighed in 3.5kg lighter, so although I did not lift what I wanted, I was content. The lads in the UL team did really well to win their third team title in a row. Next years competition will be all the more exciting for this.
A video will follow of some of the lifts later today.
Saturday 7 February 2009
Saturday's salient lifting
In today's competition I had a good day, but not a brilliant one. I missed my 108 through lack of skill--it was high enough--but I also got 135 and it felt pretty solid. I need time to reflect on today's lifts and where they show me I need to focus primarily on, so I will say exactly what I did and comment on my technique and next few months over the next day or two. I weighed in at 94kg on the button, third time lucky. Considering I was eating a lot of starchy carbs over the last four weeks and even this week, it shows I can put on a bit more muscle and make weight easily once I cut out the starchy carbs a week or two out.
Overhead Squats--5x3
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40 1x1@50, 60
Snatch--1x2@70, 70 1x1@80--Strangely, I missed the first rep because I was focusing on catching it with wider feet. I power snatched it straight after. 1x1@ 85, 90, 95--Again, I missed the first rep because I did not finish the pull properly. This was very silly and I got it straight after. The fact that I missed two easy warm up weights showed me that despite trying not to, I was over-thinking my technique rather than pulling as viciously as I can.
Competition lifts:
1x1@99--This was smooth and in the groove. I did not pull as fast as I can, but it was a banker.
1x1@104--This was also in the groove, but as above, I needed a faster pull.
1x1@108--I missed this. It was high enough and I was in position to catch it, but I did not finish the pull viciously enough to be locked in. This was annoying but I put it away for a later time of reflection.
Jerk skill work with the bar
Split Jerk--1x3@40, 40
Clean and Jerk--1x2@60 1x1@80, 80, 90, 100, 110, 115, 120- I have never power cleaned this weight quite so high. I was determined to avoid my mistake from the Snatch and just get nasty and aggressive with my second pull.
Competition lifts:
1x1@125--This was fast and easy.
1x1@130--I was really happy with my Jerk in this one.
1x1@135--This was solid even though my right elbow had a slight wobble. I was very happy to get this lift out of my system, it has been bugging me for a while.
Knee to chest ab exercise--3x20
Here is a video of my lifts. I will put up Gillian's two competition pr's tomorrow or over the following day. Well done to Cathal Byrd who Snatched 109. He is a 69kg lifter although he weighed in at a portly 71.4 today. Also well done to Kevin Darcy who Snatched 125 as a 94kf lifter. There were lots of excellent lifts on display.
Overhead Squats--5x3
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40 1x1@50, 60
Snatch--1x2@70, 70 1x1@80--Strangely, I missed the first rep because I was focusing on catching it with wider feet. I power snatched it straight after. 1x1@ 85, 90, 95--Again, I missed the first rep because I did not finish the pull properly. This was very silly and I got it straight after. The fact that I missed two easy warm up weights showed me that despite trying not to, I was over-thinking my technique rather than pulling as viciously as I can.
Competition lifts:
1x1@99--This was smooth and in the groove. I did not pull as fast as I can, but it was a banker.
1x1@104--This was also in the groove, but as above, I needed a faster pull.
1x1@108--I missed this. It was high enough and I was in position to catch it, but I did not finish the pull viciously enough to be locked in. This was annoying but I put it away for a later time of reflection.
Jerk skill work with the bar
Split Jerk--1x3@40, 40
Clean and Jerk--1x2@60 1x1@80, 80, 90, 100, 110, 115, 120- I have never power cleaned this weight quite so high. I was determined to avoid my mistake from the Snatch and just get nasty and aggressive with my second pull.
Competition lifts:
1x1@125--This was fast and easy.
1x1@130--I was really happy with my Jerk in this one.
1x1@135--This was solid even though my right elbow had a slight wobble. I was very happy to get this lift out of my system, it has been bugging me for a while.
Knee to chest ab exercise--3x20
Here is a video of my lifts. I will put up Gillian's two competition pr's tomorrow or over the following day. Well done to Cathal Byrd who Snatched 109. He is a 69kg lifter although he weighed in at a portly 71.4 today. Also well done to Kevin Darcy who Snatched 125 as a 94kf lifter. There were lots of excellent lifts on display.
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