Sunday's sit down

I trained on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and I was focused on getting my squats. Monday really took it out of me and I should have done the recovery session rather than the 4x4@90%. I was able to get two sets of four reps. Each rep felt brutally hard and it took everything I had to get the fourth reps. In my third set, I actually had my best 3 reps yet and I had the very strange sensation of thinking I was pushing through the sticking point of my final squat, but I was actually going down while it felt like I was going up. Very strange. I only had time to squat on Monday and aside from my warm up, that was all I did.

On the Wednesday I did some Snatch skill work with Wayne and Tommy helping me out. I did around seven or eight doubles with 50kg and I worked on extending up rather than back. I finished off with a few doubles at 80kg and then I did the recovery squat session with 6 sets of 2 @80%. This is supposed to feel easy by now, but it never does.

On the Friday, I worked up to a few singles with 90 in the Snatch. I was pretty beat up from the current cycle of training and nothing felt like it was going right. I had 3x3@90% to do with 162kg. I did my first triple and in my second, I got buried in my second squat. I couldn't even squat the weight up with a spot and had to let it drop. I felt as rotten as I have ever felt and walked into the changing room about to pack it in, but thankfully my innate stubborness and mortification at my lack of fortitude got me back out. I loaded the bar back up to 162 and just about got my triple. I gave myself around six or seven minutes to rest. Anger is a powerful stimulant and can be very productive when used in the right setting. It was only my anger that got me through my third triple that followed. It was not courage or any other virtue worth singing about; just pure, self-directed anger. Thank God it was there, because I did not have the focus and concentration on the day to get me through the squats otherwise.

So, I am in a bit of a quandry as to what to do for next week's training. The squat routine and the heavy Snatching has taken its toll on me and it took four weeks to happen. I have hit the wall. Cathal Byrd is coming up to Dublin to train with myself, Zag and Wayne. We had planned to train twice on the Monday and Wednesday and a light technique/recovery session on the Tuesday. Harry wisely told me to have another light week next week because I have a competition on the Saturday. I told him I had a light week this week and his reply was: "look at the state of you. You need another light week." So I will mainly work on my technique over the next few days. I will leave the last week of the Russian squat program for after the competition, which I will be treating as another training session, but I still want to do better than last week's debacle.

Friday's focus

I was meant to train on Thursday and get my squats done, but I was had a bit of a tummy bug so I left it. I did my squats today and left my Power Snatch to try and get some degree of freshness for tomorrow's competition in Limerick. I did my recovery squat session of 145kg for six sets of two reps. I will do my 4x4 with 162 either after the competition or on Sunday. At the moment, I am leaning more towards squatting on Sunday and getting back into my routine on Monday.

I have been having several epsom salt baths over the last few days in order to try and heal up and recover to a greater degree. Obviously I have been paying more attention to getting a solid eight hours of sleep a night and have done so for the last five nights. This is the part of my training that I find the most difficult ot follow through on. The training part is always done, as is the nutrition piece of the jigsaw; but it is the sleep part that I struggle with the most. I still get around seven and a half hours a night most nights, but this is not enough for me when I am training hard. I am thinking that I really need more like nine hours of sleep in order to recover fully. Now, the kicker is that when I am training really hard, I find it far more difficult to get to sleep. ZMA does not really help me in this regard and I would rather improve in this regard without any supplements. What I have been doing is turning off my laptop earlier, having a bath and generally switching off earlier. Also, I have not been using any stimulants such as guarana or caffeine. This has helped over the last week, but now I need to go from eight hours to eight and a half hours. I always find it hard to go to bed earlier, but I know I can form whatever habit I need to succeed.

In a similar vein, here is a video that I know will help people improve their posture and back health in general. It is long, but it is worth the time. You can learn a lot and it will improve yor present and future back health ehich will of course help you in your everyday life and in your training:

Tuesday's tricky nervous system

I hit a bit of a wall today. The session was tough: I was tired after yesterday's squats and I should have tailored it more accordingly. I was feeling good all day so I thought I could be a bit more aggressive with the Snatch. This did not prove to be the case. Zag was pretty wrecked also, and he was in a rush, so his lifting was in a similar vein to my own. I knew this wold come, so now I have to be smart and just get on with it I suppose. Here is what I did:

Snatch--1x2@40, 40, 40, 60, 80 1x1@90, 90, 100, 100--The second rep was a little better, but it was ugly as sin. It is encouraging that I can still hit 85% when I am as co-ordinated as Bambi on ice.

Power Clean and Jerk--Again, I Power Cleaned because my calves are still sore. I worked up to a single with 100, and then promptly left the gym. I need to regroup the 'auld energy. Tomorrow will be light Snatch and the recovery squat session. I am looking forward to being more sensible.

Here is a video of Cathal Byrd's new pr Snatch:


Or maybe it is this one; not sure really...Is there a progression here if we are being honest?

Friday's flattened momentum

I had a great sleep last night, ate really well and was looking forward to lifting today. But....it turned out to be a bum note. Fatigue had built up and I could not get around it. I could sense from the frustration building up in the warm up with the bar that it was not going to be a session to wax lyrically about. Never mind. I am still looking forward to tomorrow's session. Here is what I did today:

Snatch--1x3@40, 40, 50 1x2@60, 70 1x1@80, 90, 95--I missed this because my left foot slipped on the platform--powerlifters use talcum powder for their suits and it makes the platform slippy. I then got it barely on the return run. As Sami said, my pull was fine, but my catch was really slow. I left it at that, but looking back, I should have drilled with lighter weights. I let my frustration get the better of me I am afraid.

2 Front Squats and 1 Jerk--1x2@70, 70, 90, 110, 120--I missed 120 twice, and again, I was just lacking in the sharpness department. I also went a bit too high in my jumps in weight. I finished off with 10 minutes of flexibiliy and left it there. Hopefully tomorrow's session will be better.

I will finish the post with a different video of Tommy Kono lecturing on weightlifting technique, the first one being a gem for you coaches out there:





Parts three and four are available if you click on the video itself which will bring you to the Youtube site where you will see the links to the further videos on the right.

Monday's monstrosity

Tonight, I had the co-ordination of this guy who just wanted one more beer:


I had a good warm up for around 20 minutes and I was feeling pretty good in general. When I started Snatching, they felt slow,but ok in general. Then came the paralysis by analysis and then came the wrong pulling trajectory and this hit the nearly recovered bruised scooping point. I got up to a single with 95kg and I left it there. Everything felt wrong and when I started to Snatch Pull, I left them also. Although I did not react like this kid, I really wanted to. Harry reacted like the father. Watch till the end, because Gillian was the amused sister recording the event.


I then changed over to Power Clean/Squat Clean combo and I worked up to three doubles with 106kg. The only way I could lift them was if I thought of nothing at all and just lifted straight away. I followed these inordinantly hard lifts with three doubles of 140 in the Back Squat for some nice and easy squats to finish off one hell of a workout.

Tuesday's tidy lifting--queue in Murph who says "NOT!" in a Borat accent

I trained today and yesterday also. I was predictably tired, but I wanted to get back into my routine, so that I will be as fresh as possible for the 3rd of October.

Yesterday I squatted in a short 30 minute session that was seperate from the rest of my training. I squatted up to a double with 150 and I then did a single and left it at that. Later that evening, after a good warm up with some flexibility, I Snatched up to ninety for five singles. I missed the first two because I was not switched on, but the rest were pertty straight forward. I then went onto a few sets of Snatch Pulls with 100 in which I focused on keeping a locked back. After this came the Power Clean followed by a squat Clean. I went up to a top set with 110 with tehese and that was that. Light--although it did not feel like it--and enjoyable.

Although I was tired yesterday, today's session was far harder. I started with Power Snatch doubles and I went up to three top sets with 80kg. They felt really heavy even though my Power Snatch pb is 100kg. Harry got me to tense my upper back in a slightly different way than before and it felt good. I then went onto Clean and Jerk singles up to 110kg. I missed the first attempt due to a lack of focus. I then got three hard, grinding singles. Harry made the point that I was in no way finishing my pull, so my last rep ended up being my best. I was supposed to Front Squat afterwards, but my left knee was bothering me for some unknown reason. It hurt a it when I tried some pulls so I left it there and did a bit of flexibility. I have a feeling it was a phantom pain that comes along every now and then and leaves just as mysteriously.

Here is a video of a legendary lifter who also happens to be Jim Schmitz's favourite ever lifter:

Saturday’s stale affair

The fatigue was bound to catch up with me and on Saturday it bludgeoned me into submission. This was gutting because I wanted to post some decent numbers in the max out, but it was not to be. Of course this is completely understandable because of the training volume of the last five weeks, but that is not the dominating emotion when you are disappointed. The great news is that I am really looking forward to training on Monday. I Snatched 100 pretty comfortably in the warm up, but I could not budge 105. It felt like every repetition and skill drill I have ever done went out the window and I simply forgot how to lift, even when I tried to Snatch 80 a few minutes later. It was not a lack of speed, but a complete lack of focus and co-ordination.

I decided to try my warm up with the Clean and Jerk and when I was not able to get near Cleaning 120—which is an easy Power Clean—I knew it was time to call it quits, so I put up my feet, swallowed my impotent frustration and had a beer, a burger and a dose of chillax. I felt pretty empty on Thursday evening after training, all day Friday and all day Saturday—particularly after the Lions’ heartbreaker of a game. The most annoying part is that these are all excuses and I did not adapt to the given circumstances. If I was that incapable, I should have handled the situation better than I did which was only slightly better than a spoilt seven year old only child who got a G.I. Joe action figure and not the Optimus Prime one, and ended up making himself puke to get attention and sympathy from parents who probably ended up laughing about it later. This is a little dramatic, but you get the message—I did not have the zen-like calm that Dabaya possessed in Bucharest when about to lift his medal deciding final Clean and Jerk, he was told it was not actually his turn. Dabaya got the lift and the silver medal. I got some ribs and a shut out. I have to learn from this and compose the emotions that are trying to kick the door down.

I asked Tom could I train twice on Monday because I did not max out on Saturday and that is fine. I am learning a lot from these early sessions and they are nice primers for the evening session where I shall see how I feel and maybe Snatch to what is possible on the day. All the toys will already be out of the pram, so there should not be an incident if all is not well in the state of Denmark. I will leave you with some freak athleticism that warms the heart.

Thursday's teetering total

Today's session was not the unmitigted disaster it might have been, but it did not go as well as hoped. I had a feeling today would be a hard session, a kind of sticking point to get through, but I had less in the tank than I realised. Here is what I did:

1. Snatch doubles: Work up to 90, but I missed the second rep and could not Snatch even one rep after this. I went back to Hang Snatch singles and worked up to a single at 90 and left it there. My co-ordination was not at its best.

2. Power Clean: Work up to 100 for 1 x set of 3--Again, I went light with this even though it felt heavy and slugish.

3. Back Squats: Work up to 130 for 1 x set of 5 reps--As above.

Today was the the inevitable day where the volume caught up with me, but I am very happy with the progress I have made over the last five weeks. I will have another lightish day tomorrow and save some energy for when I go to Holland to train with a Dutch coach I met in Bucharest supporting the lads at the Europeans.

Here is another classic battle from the 85kg class class in the 2000 games in Sydney:

Monday's marathon-esque session of misery

I had another session in which I could not lift a tap. I am going to listen to Sami and take two days off without any training at all. I enjoyed myself, but I could not lift anything at all. Here is what I did:

Overhead Squats--5x5, 3x3--I did lots of pnf in the bottom of the overhead squat. Hugh came up with this the other day and it was awkward, but very effective.

Snatch--1x2@50, 50, 50, 60, 70 1x1@75, 80, 85--This felt like I was lifting 110 so I left it at that.

Jerk Skill with the bar
Jerk--1x2@70, 70, 80, 90 for four doubles.
Front Squat--1x2@70, 90--I then left it at that.

I had a priceless lesson tonight and it was a minor epiphany. I was talking to one of the lads in the gym and he asked me how my training was going. I said it was going well but that I was very tired from work and training and that I was a bit over-trained. He turned to me and said,
"You know nothing about being tired. Try sleeping one night since Friday. You know nothing about tired." He shook his head and my lesson was learned. Everything is relative. The guy said this in a friendly way although it was meant to sink in because he was correct. An off week is nothing major. If I rest up this week I will be fine next week. Then I will have my heavy and intense next three weeks of training and all will go swimmingly.

On another good note, good luck to Cathal Byrd who is going to Poland to compete in the European Union Under 23's tomorrow. He is an excellent lifter and an absolute gentleman. Here is his Irish record Clean and Jerk of 141kg at 69kg:

Saturday's search for the missing link

Harry gave me a relatively light workout today. Weights that are usually very very comfortable were heavy and slow, so Harry was obviously right. I had an empty tank, but I enjoyed the session anyway. I did the following:

Overhead Squats--8x5
Band Pull Aparts--3x20 Vertical Pull Aparts--3x12
Power Snatch--30 minutes--1x2@50, 50, 60, 70
1x1@75, 80, 85 for three slow singles that were out of place. This is a very light weight but it felt quite heavy and it was always out of place. When I locked my back more it was better, but still quite slow.
1x2@70, 70

Power Cleans--30 minutes--1x2@50,50 70
1x1@80, 90, 100, 105, 110--This last rep was not a power clean. I can power clean 125 but today I was unable to power clean 110. Oh dear.

Back Squat--1x2@100, 120, 140 for six doubles @80%

Press--1x5@50, 60, 65, 68, 68

Crunches with legs raised--3x25
I will sleep loads over the next week and work will not be as hectic so I will have more energy for training.

Here is a video of one of Laura's Clean and Jerks @64

Wednesday's wet end

Well, my body gave me the fingers today and my session was memorable for how little I could do. I found it very difficult to Snatch 75kg. I then missed 80kg. Badly. I felt like a big kid had just pushed me onto the ground and kicked sand in my face--I remember that Hugh by the way...

I had a decent warm up with lots of Overhead Squats and flexibility and a few sets of light Drop Snatches. I then did a double on 60 and 70. These were ok. I then struggled with 75 and 80. My mind set was focused on the lifts and I really wanted to train. I came in looking forward to the session and feeling a bit tired, but not that bad. Then the Snatch looked me up and down and spat in my face and told me I was its bitch.

I then cowered away from He Who Shall Not Be Named and did some Jerk skill work with 50kg and after this some light doubles with 70 and 80 kg which were my nemesis weights today. I was mentally broken. A rest day day tomorrow and I will go into town and buy some balls and fortitude in Argos. Then I will have a session in the Hercs on Saturday and hopefully turn it around.

Tuesday's tremors

I started up having a great session today, but my lifting powers faded like a cheap suit. I had a nice lesson in humility. I was just thinking how my busy period in work was not affecting my lifting and then, boom, I had a bit of a shocker tonight. My overhead squat flexibility was great and is continuing to improve a quarter inch every session. My Snatches were not so great. Everything was out of kilter and I needed to stay very light rather than what I did. Lesson learned--hopefully.

Overhead Squats--8x5--I really pushed my feet out in these and got Sami to force my hips through the stretch. I also stretched my hips, groin and legs in between each set.
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40, 50

Snatch--1x2@60, 70 1x1@80, 85, 90, 95--I missed this twice very badly. I then went down to 92 and got this once and missed it again. I then went down to 85 and missed it once and got it for two singles. One to learn from.

Clean grip pnf--I badly needed this tonight.
Cleans--1x2@60, 60, 60 1x1@80, 90, 100, 110, 115, 115
Single arm band rows--3x20
Overhead Squats--3x5--I am going to do these at the start and end of every session now.
4 minute plank circuit--I have progressed from the 6 minute plank circuit to a 4 minute one in a press up position and when on the side, you put your outside leg and arm up to parallel. 1 minute front, 30 seconds each side and do this twice without touching the floor.

Have a look at this analysis I made on my 109 Snatch miss from Saturday and tell me what you think:

Saturday's serenely healed body

I got back from Galway on Thursday afternoon and then promptly headed off for a weekend for two days of relaxation and fun. I have put up the videos of some of Kevin's and my lifts on the last two blog entries so check them out if you are interested.
I was as physically broken by my training as I have ever been when I woke up on Thursday and I still had an intense session to do that morning at half ten. My hands were in pieces and my legs were screaming obscenities at me. This is what I did:

Overhead Squats--5x5
Snatch--1x3@40, 40, 50 1x2@60, 70
1x1@80, 85, 91--I missed this first go and got it second time through--93--Just like 91 I missed it first time and nailed it second time--95, 97, 99--I just missed this due to an ever so slight lack of full extension and I got it second time round. It was great having Kevin there to urge me on for this. It was simply mental weakness that caused me to miss the lifts and he really helped me put appropriate pressure on myself. I locked my back and grip far more securely which made a big difference. I was too relaxed mentally and physically.
Snatch Pulls--1x2@90, 95, 100 for three doubles
Power Cleans--1x2@60, 70 1x1@80, 90, 100, 105 for three singles. These were very light but very tough due to the onset of massive fatigue.
6 minute plank circuit--1 minute front, 1 minute side, 1 minute other side, 1 minute fron, 30 seconds side, 30 seconds side and 1 minute front.

My entire body was very fatigued after these intense but very enjoyable few days. 10 sessions in six days.

Monday's malaise

Today I had one of those workouts that was really tough to get through. I had the feeling that if I forced myself through this one, the rest of this week's training will be far more enjoyable. I was pretty fatigued and my hips in particular were stiff and unwelcoming. I feel far better now for finishing the workout properly. This is what I did:

Overhead Squats--6x5--I got my feet out wider than ever before on these sets.
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40, 40, 50--I really focused on a wider base in the catch but it was not happening.
Snatch Combo--1x3@65, 70, 75, 80--These were tough to get through and not very pretty at all.
Drop Snatch--1x1@60, 65, 70, 75, 75, 80--I was able to get these but they were slow and cumbersome. There was no fluidity or width in my catch.
Jerk skill with 40
Power Clean and Jerk--1x1@60, 70, 80, 90, 110x4--These were tough also. I had to really focus on the last one because they felt heavy and slow.
Front Squat--1x3@100, 110, 120, 130
Glute Ham Raise--3x3--I have gotten far stronger on these and can complete full range reps now. My hamstrings have gotten far stronger due to the olympic lifts, rather than doing any isolated hamstring exercises.
Sit ups--4x8--These are still hard without any momentum to help.

I had a 20 minute stretch in the pool followed by ten minutes in the sauna afterward. My hips badly needed the stretching and my right shoulder is not feeling as splendid as it should. All in all, I need to do more mid trap and rhomboid activation and more flexibility tension release for the hips. I am going to Galway in the morning to get out of Dublin for a few days and to train with Kevin Darcy who is also a 94kg lifter except he is far stronger and more technically able than myself. Hopefully I will learn something from him!

Wednesday's wanton couch-fiend

I had a massage this evening that focused on my quads, calves, abductors, upper back and pecs. I needed this and I have spent the rest of the evening on the couch which is a rare treat. I need to make sure I sleep well over the next few days and am completely rested for Saturday. It is strange that I am far more wrecked the week after my four weeks of volume than during it. The hard work is done, now I need to perform on the day. I have a session tomorrow where I will be going up to around my last warm up weight, and then it is showtime on Saturday.

Here is a video of part of the Snatch in the 77kg class in the 2004 Olympics. Watch and comment on any lifter in particular whose style you love or loathe:

Wednesday's wet blankets

My friend told me that there is a recurring theme in how I open my posts saying I am tired or fatigued. Tonight, I still can not break that trend as this whole volume increase is as intense as it should be and as I want it to be. During training this evening I had as much gas in my tank as one of the old ladas that you see propped up on crumbling concrete blocks in the midst of the charred remains of a forlorn and abandoned campsite. Hans and Gill seemed to be in a similar predicament, but they were able to push through it better than me. Tonight was supposed to be a very light technical session and here is what I did:

Jerk skill work the bar
Overhead Squats--6x3
Drop Snatch--1x3@bar, 40, 50 1x2@60 1x1@70, 75, 80--I missed 80. I was just too slow. Nothing was sharp at all tonight, even in the warm up.
Jerk skill with 60
Jerk from rack--1x1@60, 80, 90, 100 for four singles. These were better once I focused my mind on the task at hand rather than on my physical condition.
Front Squats--1x3@100, 110, 120--I left it there because my right calf was at me. The tip Roy gave me about filling and expanding my upper rib cage really helps with the front squats also.
Elevated knees to chest ab exercise--3x20

I went for a sauna and steam room after a quick stretch in the pool also. The limbs definitely felt the better for it afterwards.

It is funny how I find myself to be far more tired for the lighter sessions than the heavier ones. This could be the after effects of the heavier sessions or it could also be a psychological weakness in not preparing for the session properly from a mental point of view. It could possibly be both, let me know if you have any experience on the matter.

On a separate and lighter note, I laughed out loud repeatedly when I came across this cracker:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/blog/editors_corner/article/11975/