Squad sharpshooting

ECB hosted the Irish squad training camp this weekend and it proved to be a resounding success.It was great fun and there was some superb lifting. I got some footage of the lifting but only from my group on the first day. Everyone lifted well and the camp was very well organised by Wayne Healy. Here is a video of some of the top lifts from my group:

EDIT: After watching the video, I realised I put in Sami's miss with 106 not his success. I must be sub-conscious jealousy.


As for my own lifting, I did ok. On the Saturday morning I did a little wake up session forty five minutes before everyone started. I worked up to a Power Snatch with 90kg and a full Snatch with 100kg and I left it there. In retrospect I should have stopped at 90 but it did not make much of a difference; I felt strong but not particularly fast.

In the full session with my group I worked up to singles in the Snatch with 110, 115 and then I sailed to of 120 and only pulled it. A bit embarrassing. I dropped back to 100 and then hit 107.5 and promptly missed 112.5. It simply was not there so I left it. I was feeling a little tight and not as fast as I would have hoped, but 115 is the most I have Snatched in training in a year, so I am happy enough. If I can hit 115 or so in training then I now I can hit over 120 in competition. In the Clean and Jerk I was tired, but all felt fine. I worked up to 137.5kg and then for some reason, I could not Clean 142.5kg. Very frustrating and for the first time in quite a while, I threw a bit of a wobbler on the platform. On reflection, I put too much pressure on myself and I was also not in the state needed for record weights. Unreasonable expectations and fatigue are not ideal bedfellows. I finished my session with a single with 180kg in the Box Squat and I left it there. I got an awesome massage and followed this with a stretch so that I would be ok to lift the following day.

On Sunday, I was far more relaxed and I Snatched 110kg well. I missed 113 twice and I did not mind really, because, as Wayne correctly pointed out, I was "not going after it." I worked up to 130 in the Clean and Jerk and I could feel I was drained, but for pride's sake, I had to hit 135kg. An embarrasingly small weight to psyche oneself over, but it is what it is. I wanted to get a squat pb so I worked up to 160 and I got 5 reps with it on the 14 inch box.

When I got home on the Sunday, my entire back, legs and hamstrings in particular, traps, shoulders and abs were really feeling the exertion. I felt like I used to feel after a rugby match: battered and bruised. I was happy enough that a sub-par performance could yield 115/137.5 but a few issues were highlighted and I will write about these later when I have had some time to think about them. Everyone lifted particularly well, but I have to mention Sami for his Snatch pb. It was a brave lift considering he was as tired as I was; I just did not have his mental strength!

Thursday's tribute to some of the Clean and Jerks from Malta

Like yesterday's video, a few of the top end Clean and Jerks are missing either because I do not have a copy of the lift or the video file won't play nice with my editing software. I am missing Cathal's 143, Sami's 110 and James' 105.



Today myself and Sami did around an hour's worth of partner stretching and massage. The legs and hips feel loose but quite heavy now, almost as if they have been through a workout. My hips are gradually getting more flexible, as are my hamstrings, hip flexors and glutes. I will be training again on Saturday and I will have an ART session beforehand to try and sort out my glute med/hip flexor cramps that won't leave me alone.

Wednesday's wibbly wobbly wonders

Here are a few of the Snatches from Malta. There are a few I do not have and also some whose format is not recognised by my video editor. Neil has my 108 Snatch and Sami's 88 as well as James' 85. I will put up the Clean and Jerks tomorrow.



I had a fun session today. I Snatched up to 104 and missed 105 a few times. Sami got 90 and missed 92. I was not finishing my pull, so that when I was in the catch position, it was falling down on me with my arms and back too relaxed.

I then front squatted 150 for a single and got buried by 160. Sami got 132. Myself and Sami did around 20 minutes of partner stretching and it was gruelling, but very effective. I am trying to be have the flexiblity and mobility to for a locked back in both the starting position and recieving position of the Snatch.

Here are the things I learned from my experience in Malta:

1. I am still learning how to make weight. It was easy this time because I was eating so well, but I tend to underestimate how much I can lose over a night and a morning of a weigh in.
2. Leaving the warm up room helped keep me focused and relaxed. It also allowed me to eat and keep my sugar levels up.
3. With the Snatch, I focused on staying over the bar and finishing the pull. This worked. My flexibility is a work in progress, but it must continue to improve.
4. With the Clean, I am back on my heels instead of over the bar, as I will show tomorrow. I also need to catch the bar with a locked chest and back position.
5. With the Jerk, I need to improve my Jerk Dip by constantly repeating the proper technique with light weights.
6. Lifting in a competition is far more tiring than in training. I was wrecked for my last Jerk. This means I need to up the intensity in training.