Thursday's tenacity

We only trained once again today and although it was frustrating working on weaknesses, that is why myself and Zag came here. The focus was on the first pull in the Snatch while yesterday it was on the catch portion of the lift. Tom had me start from the top of the first pull going down and we started off using 25kg bumper plates to raise the height. Within twenty minutes I was able to get down to the floor and get pretty well locked in from the bottom.

The main coaching queues were really forcibly getting the knees out in the bottom; focusing on gettting the scapula down and back, rather than just back which in turn got the chest out; elbows brought back around clockwise to open up the chest and lock up the upper back and the chin tucked in rather than jutting out. Obviously focusing on all these actions and tensing the appropriate muscles was tiring, but if it is turned into a habit and I get more efficient and mobile in those areas, all will be good. I worked up to a few Power Snatches with 80kg.

We also worked on the Power Clean and Power Jerk and the focus points were keeping the back locked a lot more than I had previously and to maintain that back lock in the catch. The principles seem to be the same throughout the lifts and I found this helpful. I worked up to 3 singles with 110 and then went on to his modified RDL exercise that is a great back exercise for me. I find it good for muscle education and also strength in the lower lumbar area. We did a lot of soft tissue work on the upper back and shoulders that we both found very helpful also.

David mentioned a valid point the other day when he commented that the weights we were lifting were too light and that we were doing too much functional work. Firstly, the weights were very light, but I think when you are trying to learn a new skill and also trying to get your body to function in a manner that it never has before, throwing too much weight on is not a good idea. Fatigue is not conducive to learning and what I am focusing on is learning skill for weightlifting technique and I am also trying to teach my body how to move in ways that it is capable of, but it still has to be learnt. When it is time to cement that learning with volume and intensity, then I will go hell for leather and I will enjoy the process.

Secondly, the reason why we do the functional training is for long term physical health. I will be weightlifting 2 years in May and I find that my physical condition is improving all the time. This is because of the time I spend improving my mobility, flexibility, diet and soft tissue health. There are weightlifters I know and their body is a mess. I do not want this. I love weightlifting and I love training. I think that weightlifting should improve one's health, not break down the body and it is my opinion that spending time working on the above factors is necessary for me in order to improve my body's ability to function and in turn, allow the body to lift with the technique that I know I am capable of. I will not compromise my long term health. Have a look at the video below and let me know what you think.

Thursday's treaty with Zag

I ended up training quite late this evening for a variety of reasons, but it also ended up being an enjoyable and effective session. Zag represented my lifting conscience and I listened to him tonight. It was important not to go overboard tonight and remember that what really matters is Saturday week in London. Here is what I did tonight:

A 10 minute joint warm up and five minute glute and hip pre hab followed by a hsort amount of bar work.

Power Snatch: 1x2@50, 50, 60 1x1@70, 80, 90, 95, 95, 97--The last few were around parallel. The last three Snatches are in the video below so have a look and let me know of any comments you have. I visualised what I wanted in regards to my back lock and me catching it nice and early and this seemed to help.

Power Clean and Power Jerk--For some reason I wanted to do this tonight, so I went with it. I would rarely perform these movements, so I wanted to see if I could beat my best Power Clean and Power Jerk which was 125. I have Cleaned and Power Jerked 130 before but tonight I Power Cleaned 127 and Power Jerked it with a press out. I did two doubles with 70 and then singles with 90, 100, 110, 120 and 127. They felt fast and I really enjoyed them. Zag wisely stopped me there.

Front Squat--Again Zag led from the front and got me to do doubles with 110, 120, 130 and then an really nice and easy single with 145 that felt great.

Have a look at the video below and leave any constructive criticism you see fit:

Thursday's trouncing of the form book

It was a great session tonight. I had not planned on doing too much, but I was training with Zag and Cathal who is in Dublin for a few days. This gave me the little spur that I needed and I really enjoyed the session. Zag made six pb's tonight and had a huge session, despite it being his second of the day. I was lacking the sharpness and zip in my lifts, but I was able to keep my back locked much better again. Cathal also trained well and made an easy 105/133 without any misses. Zag ended up Snatching 98 and 100 for two pb's, as well as Power CLeaning and Power Jerking 110 and 115 for two mre pb's, and finished it all off with two more pb's of 162.5 and 165kg in the Back Squat. As you will see in the video, he has so much more in him it is not even funny. Here is what I did:

Warm up with glute pre-hab and Miyake Pulls, followed by getting my first pull right with a succession of lowered heights--Thanks for that Murph...

Snatch--1x2@50, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 95, 100--I was not able for this last week, but I was able to get it today, no matter how slow and cumbersome my turnover of the bar was. I followed this with a single of 105 which I was happy to get and I attempted the first pull with 108, but my mind needed powers that were not there tonight in order to lift it.

Power Clean and Power Jerk--I really did not want to do what was on my program so I lifter with Zag.
1x1@60, 60, 80, 100, 110, 115, 120--miss Jerk, 120, 125--I cleaned it but missed the Power Jerk. I hav not Power Cleaned nicely in a while so it was great to get it.

I did some hanging ab work but otherwise left it at that. I really enjoyed the training session and the different environment definitely freshened things up. The sense of competition with Zag and Cathal also helped. My back angles are far from perfect, but the fact that it is improving ever so slightly in the last two sessions really encourages me, as does the fact that my weight is done to a mid 95kg.

Have a look at the video below and leave any comments that you think will help.

Saturday’s Scottish showdown

Sami, myself and Cathal all got up at five in the morning so that we could make our flight over to Glasgow in time for the competition. I was feeling better than Wednesday and I was really looking forward to competing. I love the moments of doubt that you have to swallow down so that you are composed and relaxed enough to perform. I find that when I am nervous and even a bit jumpy, my nervous system is telling me that I am primed to go.

I weighed in at 97.5kg when I got up and for the competition, we weighed in at around twenty past nine in the morning. I had a banana and two pears with a bit of water for breakfast; I knew I would not be light enough for the 94kg class. I weighed in at 97.3kg; Sami weighed in at 85.4kg and wisely decided to leave trying to make weight as it was the total he was after, not the sinclair. Cathal weighed in at a light 73kg and Eamonn tipped a solid 88kg. Myself, Sami and Eamonn had to wait until around four to lift, so there was quite a bit of waiting around, but we were able to eat and drink without any undue worries.

Cathal lifted first, and after his 105kg opener in the Snatch, he decided that the knee that was bothering him was a bit much with his other competitions coming up. He decided to leave the rest of his Snatches, and to Power Clean and Power Jerk to his heart's content. Once his knees are not shouting at him, we will see some big lifts.

Sami then opened up with 92 in the Snatch, Squat Snatched 95 and then was startlingly close to 100kg that looked light and fast, but was not locked out. He Clean and Jerked a pb of 121 that looked very easy and then got under 125 but could not rack it properly.

Eamonn was not feeling it in the Snatch and got an easy opener with 93. He had 97 and 98 very high, but he could not quite lock them out. He Clean and Jerked 133 which looked nowhere near a limit lift and considering he has moved over to Edinburugh and his training has been severely interupted, he lifted well.

In the warm up room, my lifts were not feeling as fast and fluid as I would have liked. I was feeling fast, but the weights were falling down on me a bit and my feet were not reacting like they usually do. I had planned on opening up with 105kg, but after warming up with 97.5 and 100, I brought it down to 103. My first Snatch felt fast and comfortable, but my feet were doing weird things as you will see in the video. I had planned to lift 110 as my second attempt, but as I was not on my best form, I changed it to 108. This lift felt wrong in so many ways, but I got it. The video is gruesome viewing and shows that this and my next lift were about as attractive as a bulldog chewing a bee. My back was nowhere near locked; I was swing the bar outrageously; I needed to finish the pull; my feet were nowhere near where they needed to be and I had to do a Usain Bolt both times in order to retrieve the lifts. Basically, the way I learned to lift over the Summer was not in sight or sound. I think this was due to cns fatigue and my hips telling me to get back and improve on the flexibility I had in June.

My Clean and Jerks were pretty similar. Ugly, but brutally effective. My Cleans and Snatches would usually be my strong point, but on Saturday they were my weak points. My Jerk was the strongest it has ever been and that was quite satisfying. I warmed up with 110, 120 and 130. The Cleans never felt smooth, but I felt strong enough and the Jerks were sticking nicely. I opened with a nice 135kg that felt pretty basic. My hips were shooting up too early in the Clean and this changed my pulling trajectory. I was far too relaxed for my second attempt with 140 and I did not finish my pull. My feet also went off on a wander and all these factor meant I missed the weight. I sorted out my head for my third attempt and I got a Clean that was as ugly as sin, and a nice Jerk to follow. This was the first time I have Jerked this weight without a press out, so I was happy to get it.

Overall, I was happy with how I lifted, because I was as poor as I can be technically. My form was wincing to look at in the videos, but after how I felt in the week of, and before, the competition, I was happy for my 250 total which was a pb. I know I have a lot more speed, technique and power left to show and I am hoping the Club Championships in Cork will be the place to show it. We will see. I really enjoyed coming to this competition and it was great to get the ring rust out of the system. The video of our lifts is below, so any comments or pointers are welcome.

Saturday's sandy beaches in Santa Barbara

I had a very short and not so sharp 45 minute workout in Crossfit Santa Barbara. Thanks to Tyler for hooking me up and letting me train there. All that I did was Power and Squat Snatch up to 85kg for two doubles and Power Clean, Front Squat and Jerk a single with 115kg. These are approximate weights because they were in pounds, not kilograms. My traps were were a bit sore from my session in Vegas: I have never Cleaned 130 seven or eight times before. Otherwise, I am enjoying the sunshine and am currently in Monterey after visiting Carmel by the sea today. I will arrive in San Francisco on Wednesday and I will be having two sessions with Jim "I am an absolute legend" Schmitz.

Here is a video of some of the lifts from Thursday with John lifting as well as his three athletes. There are some great lifts here, so enjoy and leave any constructive criticism that will help.

Tuesday's terse examination of my swing

I had another enjoyable session today. Myself and Sami took our time warming up again and Tommy Hayden was there coaching Cathal Twaddle, an ever improving 85kg lifter. Some of his Snatches are in the video below along with a few of Sami's--who got a 1kg pb in the Snatch-- and mine. Again, if you have any technical pointers, fire away. I was swinging the bar a bit; I find it hard to keep the bar close by breaking at the elbows and extending straight up, while whipping the pelvis through with the second pull at the same time. I am not skillful enough to do both yet, but I am getting there.

1. Snatch: Work up to 100kg for 5 singles--I was happy with these although I missed the fourth rep due to complacency. I have never repped this weight before and I was happy to get four out of five. As I said earlier, it is extending up and keeping the bar close, but getting as much speed as possible--this is the tricky part.

2. Power Jerk: Work up to 105kg for 3 sets of 3--These were ok. I am still trying to get used to the movement and Cathal's post the other day has inspired me. The three reps are so tiring though! My second set is on the video below.

3. Snatch Pull: Work up to 110 for 3 doubles--I did these after the Power Jerks to stay fresh. These were tough because of the sore hands because of volume training syndrome.

4. Back Squat: Work up to 160 for one double and two sets of three--The first set was really hard and I could only get two reps. For the second and third set I was more used to the weight and I was able to get a triple each time. This is my heaviest triple in the Back Squat so far. The squats keep going up which is great.

Here is a video of Cathal Snatches and Sami's pb of 93 and his close miss with 95. I have a couple of Snatches throw in for good measure and a few ropy Power Jerks. Leave a comment if you can give any constructive criticism.

Saturday's stately guest article

Here is a guest article from Cathal Byrd on the benefits of the Power Jerk. His best competition lifts as a 69kg lifter are a 109kg Snatch and a 141kg Clean and Jerk. He has now decided to bow to the inevitable and become a 77kg lifter and he is growing into the weight class as we speak. Here is a link to his website and here is a link to his videos on youtube. If anyone has any thoughts or comments on the following, please leave them below.

The Power Jerk

The following is a brief discussion on the power jerk and why I feel it is such an important exercise in relation to the development of a solid split jerk.

My best result in the split jerk is 150kg at a body weight of 72kg. Compare this to 143kg in the clean and it is clear to see that the split jerk is my strongest asset. However I believe that a lot of my success in the split jerk comes not only from practicing the split jerk itself, but also from practicing the power jerk regularly. Here goes...

The power jerk involves moving a barbell from the shoulders to locked arms overhead. In more detail, the athlete dips by slightly bending the knees, then immediately reversing this motion by powerfully jumping vertically, thrusting the barbell upwards and overhead to locked arms. The feet move up due to the jumping motion, and also slightly out. The power jerk is very similar to the split jerk, the only major difference being that in the split jerk the athlete splits the feet in the catch (one in front, one behind).

Most weightlifters use the split jerk technique. The reason for this is that there is much more room for error using this technique while still successfully lifting the barbell overhead. Due to the athlete's feet being split, one in front and one behind, it is possible for the athlete to quickly dash forward or backward to save a jerk that may be a little out of place. In the power jerk, however, there is much less room for error as the feet are side by side. If the barbell is a little in front, or a little behind, more often than not the lift will be lost. It may therefore be fair to say that the athlete needs to be extra careful in relation to technique when practicing the power jerk as it relies a lot more on accuracy than the split jerk. This caution to technical detail should then in turn cross over to the split technique, making for a more solid, technically proficient split jerk.

In order to execute a successful power jerk, it is pivotal to be aware of the following:

- The dip and subsequent drive in a power jerk needs to be kept as straight as possible. Keeping the knees out during the dip and drive is an essential part of keeping this movement as strict and as straight as possible. Make sure that the barbell has a solid base on which to rest before the drive. This base will come from having a big chest and keeping proper posture in the upper and lower back. As the barbell rests on the shoulders, the angle from the elbows to the shoulders should be slightly below parallel in order to enable the athlete to use the arms to guide the bar as soon as possible.

- As the athlete drives the bar upwards, it is very important to use the arms as soon as possible in order to guide it in the correct direction. Preferably we would like the bar to end up behind the head with arms locked out. More flexibility is required to guide the barbell behind the head using the power jerk compared to the split jerk. This improved flexibility acquired from practicing the power jerk will cross over to the split jerk, developing a very solid catch position.

- In the power jerk the athlete does not drop as low to catch the barbell compared to the split jerk. There a stronger, more powerful drive is needed in the power jerk in order to get more height on the barbell. When the athlete then returns to split jerk he/she will find that the drive has become a lot stronger.

In conclusion, the power jerk will develop a very straight dip, a very strong drive and a very solid catch position overhead. The power jerk should be part of every weightlifter's training programme. For those who find the split jerk challenging, try the power jerk 2-3 times per week for a few weeks. Then return to the split jerk and see if you notice a difference...


Here is a video of Cathal Power Jerking 138kg in a session from last week.

Wednesday's werksan scars

I had another challenging and enjoyable day's training today. My hands are starting to know all about it as are my legs, but both will be up to it, so on we go. Like yesterday, I had a skill session in the morning and a later session with heavier weights finishing with squats. Kevin is one strong boy as well. I have some good videos of some of his lifts and I will put them up with some of my own tomorrow when I get home. Here is what I did today:

Session 1
Overhead Squats--7x3--As before, I am really trying to push the boat with these and Kevin is helping to force my hips through and out.
Scap push ups/pull ups--3x8
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40, 50, 60 1x1@65, 70
Power Snatch--1x1@70, 75, 80 for three singles. I was struggling for speed with these.
Jerk Dips--1x3@50, 60, 70
Jerjk Catch--1x3@70, 80
Split Jerk--1x3@80, 90
10 minutes flexibility
Hanging ab work

Session 2
Overhead Squats--6x5
Scap push ups/pull ups--3x8--My shoulders felt great after doing this for the last few days. I am pleasantly surprised at how effective these were.
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40, 40, 50, 60
Snatch--1x2@70 1x1@75, 80, 90, 93, 95, 98 for four singles. I missed the second and fourth singles out front. I put what I had into them but they out of place and I am still not able to get my hips out in the heavier Snatches. I focused on finishing my pull and controlling the pull under to the locking in of the Snatch. I have also experimented with widening my grip by half an inch on either side and this feels good. Two out of four is not too bad for a weight I have never trained on before.
Jerks from the rack--1x2@60, 70 1x1@80, 90, 100, 110, 120 for four singles. These were fast, but I needed to lock out my elbows better when pushing myself under.
Back Squat--1x2@60, 80, 100 1x3@120, 140, 152--I got buried under the second rep on the 152. I was not focused enough on keeping tight and being sharp enough out of the hole in the squat. I went for it again and had the right state of mind. I nailed it and it showed the value of proper focus. A new 3 rep max in the bag with more to come.
5 minutes flexibilty
Strict sit ups--4x8