My hip has mostly healed and I have been back training for the last week and a half. I am now training four days a week and along with ECB, my regular job and the coaching that goes along with it, I am one busy bee. But, where there is a will, there's a way. I will qualify for the European Championships next April even if I have to sell my soul to Murph himself. In my training program, everything was going swimmingly, and the program itself was great, but I did not take a step back when I should have and I got a minor injury as a result. Lesson learned.
We have another guest article here. David Woodhouse writes about his coaching system and his experiences in the trenches. Here is his youtube channel so you can see some of his lifters go at it. Thank you to David for the submission, and as always, if anyone has anything they would like to write about, let me know and we can publish your thoughts here.
The System: 300+ Sinclair in <5 years
'Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.' - Albert Einstein
I am not suggesting that the System is the only method of improving Olympic lifting performance, or even that it is necessarily the best method. I am simply stating that this program is universally effective in generating consistent improvement in novice/ intermediate lifters. I am perhaps slightly different from most coaches in that I can make a rational and objective argument why we do what we do.
The training frequency employed in the System was determined by simple application of Supercompensation Theory. To summarise the theory, strength decreases immediately following a training stimulus and, over time, the body will first recover and then, if no further training stimulus interrupts the process, adapt. To clarify, a lifter cannot adapt or grow stronger until he has first recovered. The challenge was to arrange training sessions such that they coincide with the peak in super-compensation.
When a lifter trains to and beyond maximum in every session I found that 72 hour period between sessions to be optimal. In reality, due to logistics resulting from the 7 day week, it is generally necessary to have 96 hours after the second session. I do however accept that full time professional lifters who get optimal sleep, a balanced optimal diet, and who take advantage of restorative measures such as massage and hydro therapy, may be able to adapt to a training program that calls for training on alternate days.
Over the last 12 months I have discovered an interesting phenomena. Two to three weeks after one begins the System limit weights will usually jump up significantly. Most likely the lifter is finally expressing the dormant strength which was already present but that was blunted by residual fatigue. Importantly once the lifter begins lifting at his absolute maximum, and not just his training or daily maximum , his need for recovery also increases. To express this differently, lifting at absolute maximum both requires and necessitates more recovery. When training frequency is too high not only will optimal supercompensation fail to occur but the athlete significantly increases his risk of chronic and acute injury. Ironically these injuries often require extended training lay offs to allow the body to heal.
A logical argument: The central nervous cannot generate the frequency of impulses required to activate the highest threshold motor units if it is fatigued. If these motor units are not activated then they will not be trained and, since they are responsible for the highest force outputs, it follows that training to improve strength in a state of neural at fatigue is at best inefficient.
I believe in the application of the SAID principle. In simple terms and applied to weightlifting, this states that the most effective way of improving the snatch and jerk is through maximum efforts on the snatch and jerk! Training frequency in the System is so low that one must be very specific in the exercise choices. I could write a detailed article on the limitations of most accessory exercises including pulls, deadlifts and partial lift variations but will leave that for another day.
It is accepted within Exercise Physiology that to train the largest fast twitch fibres an athlete must either lift a maximal load or lift a sub maximal load to failure. The System takes advantage of both these training methods every single session. A common belief is that training to maximum for prolonged periods can cause overtraining. However, according to Supercompensation Theory, a lifter cannot overtrain providing that sufficient recovery is taken between sessions.
To improve technical aspects of the lifts (an issue when training frequency is so low) I suggest all lifters, and especially novices, do 20 minutes of broom or bar work every day. This should consist of either technical exercises such as snatch balance or rehearsal of movement pattern with minimal load. I have discovered that not only are these abbreviated sessions useful in ‘greasing the groove’ they are also effective as active recovery from the core workouts.
Initially I favoured front squats as the main (only!) assistance exercise as they are more specific to the clean recovery and can be performed safely without the need for spotters. However I was also keen to gain greater benefit from structural adaptation (hypertrophy) and found that repetitions on the front squat were difficult as the upper back generally fatigues before the legs and hips. Since I switched to back squat pulling strength improved with no obvious detriment to clean recoveries.
Originally we also performed both competition lifts every session but I soon realised it was necessary to cut back. With that program my lifters were unable to fully recover within the 72 hour allotted time frame and as a result the quality of the second session suffered. Also when performing three exercises the quality of the cleans, and more significantly, the squats dropped off due to the accumulation of fatigue. By performing only one competition lift per session the lifter can attack his maximum repeatedly and is still sufficiently fresh to maintain the quality on his squats. If a lifter is overly fatigued for squatting the exercise will become a negative training stimulus, i.e. will increase fatigue without promoting any further adaptation.
Carl Johnson, coach of world triple jump champion Jonathan Edwards, once said to me, ‘do the minimal required to illicit an improvement’. That is a simple but revelatory statement. Let’s assume that the minimal acceptable rate of improvement is 1kg per month. That’s a 24kg on the total in 12 months, or 120kg over five years. How many lifters do you know who wouldn’t be satisfied with that? Cynics will say it is impossible to maintain a linear rate of improvement as one approaches his genetic potential. What they overlook however is that the rate of improvement is NOT linear because 1kg constitutes a smaller percentage of maximum as the weights continue to increase (e.g. 1kg is 1% of 100kg but 0.5% of 200kg).
A common attitude taken by athletes is, ‘I improved 24kg last year off two sessions per week. I’ll improve more this year if I do 3 or 4.” However, doing 4 sessions is not just an extra two workouts, it is a 100% increase in workload! Commonly therefore, this change does not increase the rate of progress, it actually stops it. The body cannot recover from training let alone adapt to it. Why would a lifter ever perform five sessions when they can still improve on two?!
So do away with the dogma, put aside everything you think you know about training, and give the System a try... BUT if you are going to do it be warned, you must be aggressive and totally fearless in your pursuit of those extra kilos. Do not think of failures think only of the training effect. Good Luck.
The System
Day 1
Snatch - Singles to 3 attempts at maximum, 3 repetitions at 80%
Squat - Triples to maximum
Day 2
Clean & Jerk - Singles to 3 attempts at maximum
Squat - Triples to maximum
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results”
- Winston Churchill
Example
Lifter A, PBs: Snatch 100, Squat 160x3
Snatch Squat
50 3x2r 60 3r
60 1r 100 3r
65 1r 121 3r
70 1r 141 3r
75 1r 161 3r
80 1r
85 1r
90 1r
95 1r
98 1r
101 3 Attempts
Wednesday 22 September 2010
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Murph's magic
Our esteemed friend, the Reverend Andy Murphy, has written a guest blog that I hope you folks enjoy.
Some people argue about the use of various hang lifts and the usefulness of such exercises. I believe they have their place for a number of factors.
• Allowing lifters to train when injured
• Providing variation in exercise (the whole variation and injury debacle)
• Making it easier for rugby heads to do the lifts
• Skill work transfer i.e certain lifters are unable to get the bar into the correct position when lifting off the floor therefore getting them into the correct position and then working this starting position down lower until you eventually reach the floor (that’s if you believe in teaching down instead of up which I do most of the time )
• Their ability to target and develop specific strength qualities
I believe the final point is one of the main reasons I include hang lifts in my own training and why they should be included in the training of many others weightlifters and non weightlifters. This is something I have pondered for a long time and from watching hours and hours of lifting and reading various texts on weightlifting, power lifting, bodybuilding and other sports and also from seeing the way other coaches programme.
In the lifts the so called second pull/ where the lifter generates some decent speed on the barbell/ or to quote a famous American lifter where you rip the head off the lion is one of the most important areas for the successful performance of the lift. In the lifts from the floor when the bar enters the area of the “second pull” it is already moving and thus making it move faster is not too hard well should not be too hard anyway or so they say. If we can alter the conditions of the barbell at this position we can directly influence the specific strength qualities that we target. With the use of the many different hang lifts we can manipulate the conditions in which this bar is presented for the “second pull”.
The way we perform the lifts has profound effects on the way we adapt to the lift performed. With the use of various starting conditions we can target specific strength qualities that are required by an athlete or that are lacking. The use of intra- rep pauses in the middle of the lifts whether it is full lifts or pulls or squats to develop starting strength or the use of a quick reflex for lifts from the hang or pulls from the hang to develop speed strength or weightlifting plyometrics.
Intra-rep pauses are where the lifter pauses in the various hang positions either by descending down into this position before pausing or taking the bar from the floor and pausing in this position on the way up before completing the lift the latter I find further shifts the emphasis to building starting strength. It requires a great amount of effort to generate the required force to overcome the less than optimal starting position and complete a successful lift. The repeated use of these techniques enhances the starting strength of the athlete. The use of pauses in the lifts can also further enhance positioning and skill in the lifts as the lifter gets a feel for the correct positions and this is most evident with the use of pause snatches just off the floor or below the knee the lifters becomes familiar and strong in such positions and thus is more likely to hit these correct positions during a full lift. However there are negatives to use of pause such as the development of high amounts of muscular tension in certain positions which may “slow lifters down” and also the worry of lifters breaking the lifts down into two or three phases and pausing in their full lifts. However I believe with the appropriate use of these intra rep pauses in conjunction with bucket loads of full lifts benefits can be gained outweighing the use of bucket loads of full lifts alone.
A further advantage of hang lifts comes in at the other end of the specific strength qualities speed strength. For the optimisation of such qualities it is a requirement that we descend into the hang position and immediately complete the lift utilizing the full benefit of the stretch shortening cycle “plyometric weightlifting” if you may (damn you Poliquin you have written about this before I got to empty my mind. For example you take the bar from the floor with a snatch grip and stand you then descend into a position just below the knee and upon reaching this position immediately perform a full snatch without any pause below the knee. The uses of such techniques are to increase speed of movement. Theoretically practicing at higher speeds should result in the ability to lift or perform at higher speeds. Obviously using a fairly violent reflex at the bottom of the descent or hang is going to put a serious strain/ loading on the lower back but I think if they are done sensibly and introduced slowly can really increase lifting speed without the worry of injury.
Like all assistance lifts I think it is important that they are used as assistance lifts in conjunction with the full lifts and people do not become obsessed with a certain variation that they are very good at it I think if there is a certain variation that you are rubbish at it might be the area you need to address. Obviously there are disadvantages to the use of hang lifts such as lack of specificity (not the same as a full lift in terms of tempo and starting positions), incomplete range motion and many other however I believe with the correct use of hang lifts from various starting positions one can address areas of their lifting and specific strength qualities that are beyond the possibilities with the use of just lifts from the floor.
Note:
Hang = not from the floor it can be from below the knee or at the knee or above each of these have their own merits which I will not touch upon in this waffle
Plyometric= a bastardised term thrown around to mean jumping exercises for the arms and legs
Here is an example of an elite Russian weightlifter working from the hang:
If you have any thoughts on this article or wish to publish some of your own thoughts, please leave a comment below. Thanks again Murph!
Some people argue about the use of various hang lifts and the usefulness of such exercises. I believe they have their place for a number of factors.
• Allowing lifters to train when injured
• Providing variation in exercise (the whole variation and injury debacle)
• Making it easier for rugby heads to do the lifts
• Skill work transfer i.e certain lifters are unable to get the bar into the correct position when lifting off the floor therefore getting them into the correct position and then working this starting position down lower until you eventually reach the floor (that’s if you believe in teaching down instead of up which I do most of the time )
• Their ability to target and develop specific strength qualities
I believe the final point is one of the main reasons I include hang lifts in my own training and why they should be included in the training of many others weightlifters and non weightlifters. This is something I have pondered for a long time and from watching hours and hours of lifting and reading various texts on weightlifting, power lifting, bodybuilding and other sports and also from seeing the way other coaches programme.
In the lifts the so called second pull/ where the lifter generates some decent speed on the barbell/ or to quote a famous American lifter where you rip the head off the lion is one of the most important areas for the successful performance of the lift. In the lifts from the floor when the bar enters the area of the “second pull” it is already moving and thus making it move faster is not too hard well should not be too hard anyway or so they say. If we can alter the conditions of the barbell at this position we can directly influence the specific strength qualities that we target. With the use of the many different hang lifts we can manipulate the conditions in which this bar is presented for the “second pull”.
The way we perform the lifts has profound effects on the way we adapt to the lift performed. With the use of various starting conditions we can target specific strength qualities that are required by an athlete or that are lacking. The use of intra- rep pauses in the middle of the lifts whether it is full lifts or pulls or squats to develop starting strength or the use of a quick reflex for lifts from the hang or pulls from the hang to develop speed strength or weightlifting plyometrics.
Intra-rep pauses are where the lifter pauses in the various hang positions either by descending down into this position before pausing or taking the bar from the floor and pausing in this position on the way up before completing the lift the latter I find further shifts the emphasis to building starting strength. It requires a great amount of effort to generate the required force to overcome the less than optimal starting position and complete a successful lift. The repeated use of these techniques enhances the starting strength of the athlete. The use of pauses in the lifts can also further enhance positioning and skill in the lifts as the lifter gets a feel for the correct positions and this is most evident with the use of pause snatches just off the floor or below the knee the lifters becomes familiar and strong in such positions and thus is more likely to hit these correct positions during a full lift. However there are negatives to use of pause such as the development of high amounts of muscular tension in certain positions which may “slow lifters down” and also the worry of lifters breaking the lifts down into two or three phases and pausing in their full lifts. However I believe with the appropriate use of these intra rep pauses in conjunction with bucket loads of full lifts benefits can be gained outweighing the use of bucket loads of full lifts alone.
A further advantage of hang lifts comes in at the other end of the specific strength qualities speed strength. For the optimisation of such qualities it is a requirement that we descend into the hang position and immediately complete the lift utilizing the full benefit of the stretch shortening cycle “plyometric weightlifting” if you may (damn you Poliquin you have written about this before I got to empty my mind. For example you take the bar from the floor with a snatch grip and stand you then descend into a position just below the knee and upon reaching this position immediately perform a full snatch without any pause below the knee. The uses of such techniques are to increase speed of movement. Theoretically practicing at higher speeds should result in the ability to lift or perform at higher speeds. Obviously using a fairly violent reflex at the bottom of the descent or hang is going to put a serious strain/ loading on the lower back but I think if they are done sensibly and introduced slowly can really increase lifting speed without the worry of injury.
Like all assistance lifts I think it is important that they are used as assistance lifts in conjunction with the full lifts and people do not become obsessed with a certain variation that they are very good at it I think if there is a certain variation that you are rubbish at it might be the area you need to address. Obviously there are disadvantages to the use of hang lifts such as lack of specificity (not the same as a full lift in terms of tempo and starting positions), incomplete range motion and many other however I believe with the correct use of hang lifts from various starting positions one can address areas of their lifting and specific strength qualities that are beyond the possibilities with the use of just lifts from the floor.
Note:
Hang = not from the floor it can be from below the knee or at the knee or above each of these have their own merits which I will not touch upon in this waffle
Plyometric= a bastardised term thrown around to mean jumping exercises for the arms and legs
Here is an example of an elite Russian weightlifter working from the hang:
If you have any thoughts on this article or wish to publish some of your own thoughts, please leave a comment below. Thanks again Murph!
Saturday 11 September 2010
Saturday's seasoned return
I am a happy camper. As of last night, I am able to train the classical lifts again and it feels sooo good. I had my second physical therapy session and although my hip felt dodgy the day after the session, it feels better now. Not perfect, but far better. Let's start off with a classic video that many of you should enjoy:
Chris Chea, an English 77kg weightlifter with 121/148 as his all time bests, came over this morning for the next few days. I can't train tomorrow as I am taking the Level two IAWA coaching course and this has to take precedence. There was a great atmosphere in ECB today with Chris, Murph who was up from Limerick, German, Laura, Wayne, Killer, Gillian, Byrdie and myself lifting. It was intense and enjoyable for all except for Byrdie who is still feeling the effects of a brutal three month prep phase. He should be just about right for the World's in Turkey.
As for my own lifting, I wanted to see what I could do on Friday night and Snatching felt good so I worked up to a nice single with 100kg and left it there for the night. The previous day I was not able to do any of the classical lifts, so I did the bench press, as many pull ups as possible in ten minutes and some bench squats. I was definitely stiffer two days after, so lifting today was not as pleasant as last night. After feeling like crap, I eventually hit 105kg in the Snatch and hit 130kg in the Clean and Jerk. Very modest numbers, but I am happy considering how long I was not able to lift properly. Starting next week I will be on the last four weeks of Wayne's program and I have promised myself to be good and to follow teh dictates of the program fully. These four weeks will be focusing on the back squat in particular and it should be quite demanding to say the least. I refuse to let myself give in to temptation and go overboard on the mid week intensity. Patience.....
Chris Chea, an English 77kg weightlifter with 121/148 as his all time bests, came over this morning for the next few days. I can't train tomorrow as I am taking the Level two IAWA coaching course and this has to take precedence. There was a great atmosphere in ECB today with Chris, Murph who was up from Limerick, German, Laura, Wayne, Killer, Gillian, Byrdie and myself lifting. It was intense and enjoyable for all except for Byrdie who is still feeling the effects of a brutal three month prep phase. He should be just about right for the World's in Turkey.
As for my own lifting, I wanted to see what I could do on Friday night and Snatching felt good so I worked up to a nice single with 100kg and left it there for the night. The previous day I was not able to do any of the classical lifts, so I did the bench press, as many pull ups as possible in ten minutes and some bench squats. I was definitely stiffer two days after, so lifting today was not as pleasant as last night. After feeling like crap, I eventually hit 105kg in the Snatch and hit 130kg in the Clean and Jerk. Very modest numbers, but I am happy considering how long I was not able to lift properly. Starting next week I will be on the last four weeks of Wayne's program and I have promised myself to be good and to follow teh dictates of the program fully. These four weeks will be focusing on the back squat in particular and it should be quite demanding to say the least. I refuse to let myself give in to temptation and go overboard on the mid week intensity. Patience.....
Sunday 29 August 2010
Sunday's snag list
This week has been a frustrating one, but more importantly than this, it has brought another change in perspective that is needed for me to continue improving in the art of weightlifting.
As Einstein said: “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Another favourite quote is: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
So, it comes down to this: I did not follow my program properly despite this being the main intention before I started. Emotion and ambition got in the way and even though they were not as prevalent as last time, I still allowed them to kick my ass. Embarrassing. The program was there to help me improve my ability to tolerate a greater work load. As David pointed out in a previous comment, I also increased intensity along with the significant increase in volume. I got away with a slight hip injury that reoccured from the original injury from playing rugby in my last season. Hindsight is always 20/20, but this is another lesson learned along the path of me qualifying for the European Championships. I got an amazing amount of work done in five and a half weeks, but I could have gotten more done in the 8 weeks that were scheduled. I know my training will stick to me, but I also know I should have gotten more out of it. Wayne kept telling me and I kept listening to the emotion and ambition in each session.
I read some of Glenn Pendlay's comments on a forum and I kept thinking of how they related to me and my own training. There are several aspects to training that are mainly ignored when discussing weightlifting and I called Glenn in order to discuss some of his ideas. Most of the 15 readers of this blog are weekend warriors like myself and are in a similar situation, so I thought to myself, why not talk about things that are relevant to us more than professional lifters? Here is the conversation and very many apologies for my fat head being in the picture; I could not edit it out. As always, if you have feedback, leave a comment.
As Einstein said: “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”
Another favourite quote is: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
So, it comes down to this: I did not follow my program properly despite this being the main intention before I started. Emotion and ambition got in the way and even though they were not as prevalent as last time, I still allowed them to kick my ass. Embarrassing. The program was there to help me improve my ability to tolerate a greater work load. As David pointed out in a previous comment, I also increased intensity along with the significant increase in volume. I got away with a slight hip injury that reoccured from the original injury from playing rugby in my last season. Hindsight is always 20/20, but this is another lesson learned along the path of me qualifying for the European Championships. I got an amazing amount of work done in five and a half weeks, but I could have gotten more done in the 8 weeks that were scheduled. I know my training will stick to me, but I also know I should have gotten more out of it. Wayne kept telling me and I kept listening to the emotion and ambition in each session.
I read some of Glenn Pendlay's comments on a forum and I kept thinking of how they related to me and my own training. There are several aspects to training that are mainly ignored when discussing weightlifting and I called Glenn in order to discuss some of his ideas. Most of the 15 readers of this blog are weekend warriors like myself and are in a similar situation, so I thought to myself, why not talk about things that are relevant to us more than professional lifters? Here is the conversation and very many apologies for my fat head being in the picture; I could not edit it out. As always, if you have feedback, leave a comment.
Wednesday 25 August 2010
Wednesday's whittling away
I took off training for five days to rest and come back stronger and better than ever. My ankle got better and my hip also had more time to recover and I came back feeling pretty good and raring to go, so I trained on Monday. I worked my way back into the Snatches and my Cleans felt the best they have ever felt. I kept visualising Pablo Lara and him staying tight and getting under the Clean lightening fast. My Clean and Jerks were light and I stayed with 110 for six doubles. When I went to Front squat my hips had tightened up considerably and I thought the squatting would loosen them out which happens sometimes. It didn't.
After my fourth triple, I said to myself, lower the weight because I am not getting into the correct position. The weight was fine but my hips were not opening up properly. Then I said, no no, these are the tough sets you have to get through. March on and toughen up. Why did I not listen to my body? In the fifth set and on the last rep, at the bottom of the squat I felt a very tight pinch in my right hip, the one I hurt two weeks earlier. It pinches when I internally or externally rotate and it wraps right around my hip. I know this is a minor set back, but it is frustrating none the less.
I think that I will be able to keep training the classical lifts light but I will have to warm up carefully and take my time. Not sure about what kind of squatting I can do yet, but I will try and see what I can do. Either way, this is a minor road block and I know with patience and time I will come back stronger with a lesson learned (again!) to help protect me in the future.
Have a look at Byrdie's class new video:
After my fourth triple, I said to myself, lower the weight because I am not getting into the correct position. The weight was fine but my hips were not opening up properly. Then I said, no no, these are the tough sets you have to get through. March on and toughen up. Why did I not listen to my body? In the fifth set and on the last rep, at the bottom of the squat I felt a very tight pinch in my right hip, the one I hurt two weeks earlier. It pinches when I internally or externally rotate and it wraps right around my hip. I know this is a minor set back, but it is frustrating none the less.
I think that I will be able to keep training the classical lifts light but I will have to warm up carefully and take my time. Not sure about what kind of squatting I can do yet, but I will try and see what I can do. Either way, this is a minor road block and I know with patience and time I will come back stronger with a lesson learned (again!) to help protect me in the future.
Have a look at Byrdie's class new video:
Friday 20 August 2010
Friday's frying pan contents: my cns
This has been a download week and boy did I need it. Burning the candle in more ends than I knew were there can be exhausting. Starting up ECB aside, Wayne pointed out to me that I was being too aggressive with my program. Instead of doing the eight weeks continually working off my regular training max--a safe 110--I kept trying to push and inch the weights up week in and week out. Instead, the idea is to get through the program and strengthen all my tendons and ligaments; sharpen my consistency with the lifts and shore up on my physical weaknesses. My response was that there are worse things than being too ambitious; however, the reality is that I let my ego take over a bit and I have gotten a slap on the wrist from my cns.
On Thursday morning, I went to bed feeling fine and I woke up with a swollen ankle. How this happened is a mystery to me, but it happened. This has forced me to take a few days off training as it is swollen just on the outside of where the foot meets the ankle. I am already looking forward to next week and how fresh I am going to feel. I have two weeks left in my program and they need to be as productive as possible, so I will leave my ego at the door and follow the dictates of the program. I have said before--you'd think I would have learned-- that for me to succeed in weightlifting, I need an objective voice beside me because I can get wildly optimistic about what I can do. I would rather have this atribute than not, but one workout is part of a cycle and this is the skill I am learning at the moment. One workout should not take precedence over a week. Please leave any comments if you have experienced anything like this before so we can learn from each other.
Have a look at this video and see how it applies to you. I know it struck me as an essential truth when I watch it.
On Thursday morning, I went to bed feeling fine and I woke up with a swollen ankle. How this happened is a mystery to me, but it happened. This has forced me to take a few days off training as it is swollen just on the outside of where the foot meets the ankle. I am already looking forward to next week and how fresh I am going to feel. I have two weeks left in my program and they need to be as productive as possible, so I will leave my ego at the door and follow the dictates of the program. I have said before--you'd think I would have learned-- that for me to succeed in weightlifting, I need an objective voice beside me because I can get wildly optimistic about what I can do. I would rather have this atribute than not, but one workout is part of a cycle and this is the skill I am learning at the moment. One workout should not take precedence over a week. Please leave any comments if you have experienced anything like this before so we can learn from each other.
Have a look at this video and see how it applies to you. I know it struck me as an essential truth when I watch it.
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Tuesday's trip down (short term) memory lane
It has been a manic last few days, but all is well. On Saturday morning we had Blackrock rugby club come and do their testing in ECB before the Irish weightlifting squad had its two day training camp. Here are some of the highlights of the week's training:
The Saturday session turned out to be good fun and very productive for everyone. The ball started rolling with some vertical jump testing and this was followed by a quick session where we Snatched up to 85% or so and then Back Squatted up to 80% for a double. Maybe two hours later the second session started where we Snatched to a max of the day and did the same with the Clean and Jerk and Front Squat.
There were several great lifts, but none more so than Wayne Healy hitting his 230 total to qualify for the World Championships as a 62kg lifter. Even though one or two lifts were slightly out of place, Wayne had the experience and composure to settle into the lift and grind it out. Murph hit an awesome 102 Snatch and Cathal Twaddle nailed 96 like it was not even there. James Small did really well with his 95 Snatch and pulled off a gravity defying save when it looked like the bar would go anywhere but overhead. Matthew McCoy, Aaron Small and Neil Doogan all lifted really well also and Zag was Snatching in defiance of the last few month's training limitations. Kris Greene continues to improve and if ever a man was built for weightlifting, it is Kris. Paudie Roche hit an outstanding 94kg in the Clean and Jerk and looking at the lift, it is clear there is far more in the tank. Byrdie hit 113/145 in a convincing manner also. Thanks to all the coaches for their help and to Wayne Healy who did the majority of the organising.
As for my own lifting, I hit 113kg in the Snatch and 142.5kg in the Clean and Jerk on the Saturday. I was disappointed to hit this little, but it was up from 112.5/140 from the week earlier and each Saturday session keeps trickling up. On the Sunday session, all the lifters did remarkably well considering the team bonding session on the Saturday night in Bray. We are all an awesome wolf pack. None of us were feeling fresh in any sense of the word, but this is where team spirit comes into the equation! Zag hit 98kg in the Snatch and I hit 110, while Byrdie hit 111. He needed a bit of this treatment and it spiced up his lifting. He hit 146kg in the Clean and Jerk which again, defied more than I can comprehend. I hit 137.5kg in the Clean and Jerk. It felt hideous, but I needed to get the lift just to get one over on the part of my mind that was screaming at me to call it a day and leave it there.
I have another two weeks in my current training phase. It is very hard, but as I was told on Saturday night: " Shut up and get on with it!"
The Saturday session turned out to be good fun and very productive for everyone. The ball started rolling with some vertical jump testing and this was followed by a quick session where we Snatched up to 85% or so and then Back Squatted up to 80% for a double. Maybe two hours later the second session started where we Snatched to a max of the day and did the same with the Clean and Jerk and Front Squat.
There were several great lifts, but none more so than Wayne Healy hitting his 230 total to qualify for the World Championships as a 62kg lifter. Even though one or two lifts were slightly out of place, Wayne had the experience and composure to settle into the lift and grind it out. Murph hit an awesome 102 Snatch and Cathal Twaddle nailed 96 like it was not even there. James Small did really well with his 95 Snatch and pulled off a gravity defying save when it looked like the bar would go anywhere but overhead. Matthew McCoy, Aaron Small and Neil Doogan all lifted really well also and Zag was Snatching in defiance of the last few month's training limitations. Kris Greene continues to improve and if ever a man was built for weightlifting, it is Kris. Paudie Roche hit an outstanding 94kg in the Clean and Jerk and looking at the lift, it is clear there is far more in the tank. Byrdie hit 113/145 in a convincing manner also. Thanks to all the coaches for their help and to Wayne Healy who did the majority of the organising.
As for my own lifting, I hit 113kg in the Snatch and 142.5kg in the Clean and Jerk on the Saturday. I was disappointed to hit this little, but it was up from 112.5/140 from the week earlier and each Saturday session keeps trickling up. On the Sunday session, all the lifters did remarkably well considering the team bonding session on the Saturday night in Bray. We are all an awesome wolf pack. None of us were feeling fresh in any sense of the word, but this is where team spirit comes into the equation! Zag hit 98kg in the Snatch and I hit 110, while Byrdie hit 111. He needed a bit of this treatment and it spiced up his lifting. He hit 146kg in the Clean and Jerk which again, defied more than I can comprehend. I hit 137.5kg in the Clean and Jerk. It felt hideous, but I needed to get the lift just to get one over on the part of my mind that was screaming at me to call it a day and leave it there.
I have another two weeks in my current training phase. It is very hard, but as I was told on Saturday night: " Shut up and get on with it!"
Thursday 12 August 2010
Thursday's tail wind.
The Irish National weightlifting squad is having a training camp this weekend and it will be hosted by East Coast Barbell. I had a bit of a mad weekend and this ended up not allowing me to recover from a tough week's training. I ended up training ok on Monday, but on Tuesday I hit the wall and I got a sore hip, which I think came about from all the flexiility work I was doing coupled with all the driving after the weekend.
So, it's no big deal: all I am doing is backing off a few days and training very light active recovery sessions to keep the blood flowing. I think I may have needed a lighter few days anyway, but the weekend I had made this a necessity. I know I will be fine for Saturday's session and I am looking forward to Saturday and Sunday immensely. I am predicting some big lifts from the guys coming down.
I would also like to mention that the Irish women's rugby team are leaving for their World Cup on Monday and that I know they will play their hearts out and kick ass. They have worked so hard for this and they are an inspiration to be around. Sinead Ryan hit a 55kg Snatch last night and it was possibly the bravest lift I have ever seen.
Here is a video that could change your life:
So, it's no big deal: all I am doing is backing off a few days and training very light active recovery sessions to keep the blood flowing. I think I may have needed a lighter few days anyway, but the weekend I had made this a necessity. I know I will be fine for Saturday's session and I am looking forward to Saturday and Sunday immensely. I am predicting some big lifts from the guys coming down.
I would also like to mention that the Irish women's rugby team are leaving for their World Cup on Monday and that I know they will play their hearts out and kick ass. They have worked so hard for this and they are an inspiration to be around. Sinead Ryan hit a 55kg Snatch last night and it was possibly the bravest lift I have ever seen.
Here is a video that could change your life:
Monday 9 August 2010
Monday's mediocre puching in the clock training session
There was an awesome atmosphere in East Coast Barbell on Saturday and our session turned out to be a good one. Here is a link to our website by the way. Here is a video showing some of the action:
I ended up having a decent day despite feeling like a broken spinning wheel. Byrdie hit 140, despite being a shadow of himself, so he should be raring to go next weekend. Thank God for the competitive spirit and guarana.... I worked up 10 singles with 100, 105, 110 and I got 112.5kg on my third attempt. Because I was tired I was slinging the bar up any way I could. I hit 140kg in the Clean and Jerk and this was the first time I have hit this number since May. The Clean was ugly but I got it. Again, the increase in lifting volume is draining, but I can feel myself adapting and getting more skillfull in the lifts. Every week, my numbers on the Saturday sessions have been steadily increasing to where they were when I was fresher. Next week, the Irish weightlifting squad will be having a two day training camp in ECB, so I want to get my numbers up again for that. Step by step.
Today's session was very hard and I was tired from a hectic weekend. Tom Turner came in to train with myself and Zag, so it was nice to have someone different to train with. My legs feel like they are about to fall off, but I still feel happy with my training. I am improving and I WILL qualify for the European Championships. Tomorrow I have six doubles with 100 in the Snatch and 122.5 in the Clean and Jerk. Love it.
I ended up having a decent day despite feeling like a broken spinning wheel. Byrdie hit 140, despite being a shadow of himself, so he should be raring to go next weekend. Thank God for the competitive spirit and guarana.... I worked up 10 singles with 100, 105, 110 and I got 112.5kg on my third attempt. Because I was tired I was slinging the bar up any way I could. I hit 140kg in the Clean and Jerk and this was the first time I have hit this number since May. The Clean was ugly but I got it. Again, the increase in lifting volume is draining, but I can feel myself adapting and getting more skillfull in the lifts. Every week, my numbers on the Saturday sessions have been steadily increasing to where they were when I was fresher. Next week, the Irish weightlifting squad will be having a two day training camp in ECB, so I want to get my numbers up again for that. Step by step.
Today's session was very hard and I was tired from a hectic weekend. Tom Turner came in to train with myself and Zag, so it was nice to have someone different to train with. My legs feel like they are about to fall off, but I still feel happy with my training. I am improving and I WILL qualify for the European Championships. Tomorrow I have six doubles with 100 in the Snatch and 122.5 in the Clean and Jerk. Love it.
Thursday 5 August 2010
Thursday's thought process
I am through the hardest part of the training week now and it is still going well. Last week it was my legs that were sore from the higher volume of squatting, and now it is the joints that are a little sore. I was talking to Glenn Pendlay and telling him how my training is going and he made the basic point that you should be continuosly adapting in different ways because you should be always striving to train harder and get the body to lift more than ever before.
This is what is happening to me and it is very interesting to say the least. First it was my back which was fighting to get me to stop what I was doing. Then it was my legs. Now it is my hands and hamstrings. I am genuinely interested to know what it will be next. Glenn has told me a few times that my posterior strength is shambolic, so that is why I work on it after every session, building up the weight and reps of my exercises slowly but surely. I can feel the benefits already and coupled with my program that is already improving my consistency with the lifts, I know I am improving. I can feel it and when I adapt to the volume more my lifts on the max sessions will steadily rise. Every week I go up a kilo or two in one of the lifts and I will get my training lifts up to where they are in a rested state. I always lift more in competition, so then I will be in a good place to go further than I have before.
This is my grand masterplan to rule the universe and actually make a decent lifter out of myself. I have glaring weaknesses, but I am stubborn enough to continue learning and evolve as a lifter and person. I have a lot more in me to come out on the platform and once I get consisent in my technique and far stronger in my weak areas, my numbers will go up. Patience is what I have learned in this training program and I will not let a few days of letting my ego run riot ruin my progress over the last five weeks.
Have a look at this incredible video. This is a not so subtle metaphor for how I was training...
This is what is happening to me and it is very interesting to say the least. First it was my back which was fighting to get me to stop what I was doing. Then it was my legs. Now it is my hands and hamstrings. I am genuinely interested to know what it will be next. Glenn has told me a few times that my posterior strength is shambolic, so that is why I work on it after every session, building up the weight and reps of my exercises slowly but surely. I can feel the benefits already and coupled with my program that is already improving my consistency with the lifts, I know I am improving. I can feel it and when I adapt to the volume more my lifts on the max sessions will steadily rise. Every week I go up a kilo or two in one of the lifts and I will get my training lifts up to where they are in a rested state. I always lift more in competition, so then I will be in a good place to go further than I have before.
This is my grand masterplan to rule the universe and actually make a decent lifter out of myself. I have glaring weaknesses, but I am stubborn enough to continue learning and evolve as a lifter and person. I have a lot more in me to come out on the platform and once I get consisent in my technique and far stronger in my weak areas, my numbers will go up. Patience is what I have learned in this training program and I will not let a few days of letting my ego run riot ruin my progress over the last five weeks.
Have a look at this incredible video. This is a not so subtle metaphor for how I was training...
Saturday 31 July 2010
Saturday's start up
Training went well this week, but as the intensity dipped ever so slightly in the Classical lifts, the volume and intensity increased with the squats. This made my legs and the rest of my body sore and grumpy. I had a day off on the Friday and I did a little bar work and very light Hang Cleans in order not to stiffen up for today's session.
This week in particular has led to feeling sore and stiff in the mornings, particularly in the legs and even the hand muscles! I can feel the benefits already and as I have been told: " If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!" I did a little warm up session with Byrdie and after a nice stretch, worked up to 70kg for a triple and then a single in the Snatch. Half an hour later, we started the main session, but only after the legend that is John McDaid walked in and on a random request Benched 160kg after not training for the previous month!
Byrdie worked up to a solid 107.5kg in the Snatch and then went up to 145 for a single in the Clean and Jerk. He jumped straight to 152.5kg which is 2.5kg over his pb and got under the bar, but it was slightly out front and he could not rack it. He worked back up to 145kg again and ended up squatting 200 for a solid single, down to 180 for four and 160 for a triple. I worked up to a single with 110kg which I was happy with considering I felt like tripe. I ended up completely wasted for the Clean and Jerk, but I got my back work in and left it there. A good week's training and I have one more of the same program before I go back to three weeks of what I started with. Writing it now makes it seem daunting, but I know I will adapt and get on with it. I definitely believe in myself and I know I will continue to get stronger and consistent.
Here is a video of two of the teams training in East Coast Barbell this week:
Here is a brilliant advertisement that really satirises popular marketing techniques. Who doesn't love a bit of comeuppance?
This is is also memorable:
While we are on the satire buzz:
This week in particular has led to feeling sore and stiff in the mornings, particularly in the legs and even the hand muscles! I can feel the benefits already and as I have been told: " If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!" I did a little warm up session with Byrdie and after a nice stretch, worked up to 70kg for a triple and then a single in the Snatch. Half an hour later, we started the main session, but only after the legend that is John McDaid walked in and on a random request Benched 160kg after not training for the previous month!
Byrdie worked up to a solid 107.5kg in the Snatch and then went up to 145 for a single in the Clean and Jerk. He jumped straight to 152.5kg which is 2.5kg over his pb and got under the bar, but it was slightly out front and he could not rack it. He worked back up to 145kg again and ended up squatting 200 for a solid single, down to 180 for four and 160 for a triple. I worked up to a single with 110kg which I was happy with considering I felt like tripe. I ended up completely wasted for the Clean and Jerk, but I got my back work in and left it there. A good week's training and I have one more of the same program before I go back to three weeks of what I started with. Writing it now makes it seem daunting, but I know I will adapt and get on with it. I definitely believe in myself and I know I will continue to get stronger and consistent.
Here is a video of two of the teams training in East Coast Barbell this week:
Here is a brilliant advertisement that really satirises popular marketing techniques. Who doesn't love a bit of comeuppance?
This is is also memorable:
While we are on the satire buzz:
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Tuesday's tactical maneuver
As some of you may have guessed, I have been a busy bee as of late. Here is the reason why:
Here is something else to watch: Byrdie making 150kg his bi%ch:
As for my training, I finished the first three weeks of the program and for the next two weeks, I am on a slightly different schedule. I posted my program in a comment last week and I will copy it here:
It is very very basic. For July and August I will be training with greater volume in the classical lifts and the squats and this will be the case with September also. In October I will start to drop a small part of the volume and increase the intensity and this will occur in November again so that I am ready to go for December.
My program is just as basic. It is five days:
Day one and three: 80% for six doubles in the Snatch and CJ and 8x3 in Front Squat one day and 6x2 the other.
Day two and four: 85% for six doubles in Snatch and Clean and Jerk and 6x2 and 8x3 in Back Squat. In the first four days I do some back strengthening work also.
Day five: Snatch, CJ and Front Squat to max of the day and then back down in Front squat to 1x2@90% and 2x3@80%.
For the next two weeks I am still lifting five days a week, but there will be slightly less volume. Today I went up to six doubles in the Clean and Jerk with 120kg and then eight triples in the Back Squat and my legs were ready to fall off by the end. Tough love, but I know it will help. I felt very rough throughout the session and I know last week took a lot out of me, but I will adapt because there is no other choice. Tomorrow's session will be the 85% day for six doubles in the Snatch, Clean and Jerk and the Front Squat. I can't wait.
Here is something else to watch: Byrdie making 150kg his bi%ch:
As for my training, I finished the first three weeks of the program and for the next two weeks, I am on a slightly different schedule. I posted my program in a comment last week and I will copy it here:
It is very very basic. For July and August I will be training with greater volume in the classical lifts and the squats and this will be the case with September also. In October I will start to drop a small part of the volume and increase the intensity and this will occur in November again so that I am ready to go for December.
My program is just as basic. It is five days:
Day one and three: 80% for six doubles in the Snatch and CJ and 8x3 in Front Squat one day and 6x2 the other.
Day two and four: 85% for six doubles in Snatch and Clean and Jerk and 6x2 and 8x3 in Back Squat. In the first four days I do some back strengthening work also.
Day five: Snatch, CJ and Front Squat to max of the day and then back down in Front squat to 1x2@90% and 2x3@80%.
For the next two weeks I am still lifting five days a week, but there will be slightly less volume. Today I went up to six doubles in the Clean and Jerk with 120kg and then eight triples in the Back Squat and my legs were ready to fall off by the end. Tough love, but I know it will help. I felt very rough throughout the session and I know last week took a lot out of me, but I will adapt because there is no other choice. Tomorrow's session will be the 85% day for six doubles in the Snatch, Clean and Jerk and the Front Squat. I can't wait.
Thursday 22 July 2010
Thursday's tabulation
I wanted to hit 97.5kg for my six double in the Snatch and 120kg for six doubles in the Clean and Jerk and I got both. I followed these with 8 doubles with 150kg in the Back squat which is not a heavy weight at all, but the legs were pretty fried from the Clean and Jerks, so a combination of physical and mental fatigue made them pretty tough. Lastly I did 3 sets of 12 with the barbell rows Glenn Pendlay showed me. A tough session but hugely productive; I actually felt like getting sick for most of my Clean and Jerks, but thankfully this was kept at bay. Gillian had an excellent session also and it is very clear that her numbers will go up very soon. A few of us will be lifting in East Coast Barbell on Saturday morning which should prove to be an awesome training session, so we will see how that goes.
Here is our address at East Coast Barbell:
Unit B
Solus Tower Industrial Estate
Dublin Road
Bray
South Count Dublin
We will be open for business on Monday, so everyone is welcome of course! The website is nearly there and all we need is a few finishing touches with some videos and photgraphy work.
Here are some videos of Donny lifting because, well, he is more interesting than my ramblings:
Here is our address at East Coast Barbell:
Unit B
Solus Tower Industrial Estate
Dublin Road
Bray
South Count Dublin
We will be open for business on Monday, so everyone is welcome of course! The website is nearly there and all we need is a few finishing touches with some videos and photgraphy work.
Here are some videos of Donny lifting because, well, he is more interesting than my ramblings:
Tuesday 20 July 2010
Tuesday's toll
I had an enjoyable workout today and yesterday in East Coast Barbell. We are very close to opening and I am really looking forward to starting officially. The carpentry is now finished and the place needs a thorough cleaning, but otherwise we should be ready by the end of this week.
Myself, Byrdie and Germans trained today and I had a good session. Today was my 85% day and I worked up to 97.5kg for six doubles in the Snatch and 117.5kg in the Clean and Jerk. These are not heavy weights, but the doubles are killers! I had an 80% session for the six doubles on Monday and I will have another 80% session tomorrow. On Thursday, which will be my second 85% session, I will move the Clean and Jerk doubles up to 120kg and maintain the 97.5 for the Snatch. I am still squatting loads and three times a week I Front Squat and twice a week I Back Squat.
I am happy, because for the first time I feel stronger in the third week of a program, when usually I go over the top in the first two weeks rather than build up. Because I have a 6 month plan, I am far happier to be more patient and gradually build things up. It is easy to do this as a coach, but as a lifter, far more difficult. How have you found this process? Do you find it easy or difficult to gradually build up to when it really matters?
Have a look at this interview. There are four parts in total:
Myself, Byrdie and Germans trained today and I had a good session. Today was my 85% day and I worked up to 97.5kg for six doubles in the Snatch and 117.5kg in the Clean and Jerk. These are not heavy weights, but the doubles are killers! I had an 80% session for the six doubles on Monday and I will have another 80% session tomorrow. On Thursday, which will be my second 85% session, I will move the Clean and Jerk doubles up to 120kg and maintain the 97.5 for the Snatch. I am still squatting loads and three times a week I Front Squat and twice a week I Back Squat.
I am happy, because for the first time I feel stronger in the third week of a program, when usually I go over the top in the first two weeks rather than build up. Because I have a 6 month plan, I am far happier to be more patient and gradually build things up. It is easy to do this as a coach, but as a lifter, far more difficult. How have you found this process? Do you find it easy or difficult to gradually build up to when it really matters?
Have a look at this interview. There are four parts in total:
Friday 16 July 2010
Friday's flippant schedule
Well, I was supposed to train today, but the pressing needs of East Coast Barbell had to take precedence and I had to take it on the chin. We are aiming to open informally on Monday and get the ball rolling, so all are welcome of course. Once we get ourselves properly established, we will have a decent official opening with krystale champagne and copious amounts of strippers for people of every persuasion. I am supposed to train with Byrdie and Wayne tomorrow in Hercs, but I am not sure I will be able to make it. Hopefully I can make it for the last hour of the session! Among other things we are working on our website and once that is up and running, myself and Zag will take over the world and turn into the people that you always knew we were: bastards.....
Here is a little compilation of two back exercises that Glen showed me to help improve my back strength, which was something Tom Bruijen also told me I needed to work on. Thankfully I am doing just that and not being a complete moron--only a partial one....
Here is a little compilation of two back exercises that Glen showed me to help improve my back strength, which was something Tom Bruijen also told me I needed to work on. Thankfully I am doing just that and not being a complete moron--only a partial one....
Tuesday 13 July 2010
Tuesday's trapezius twist
Firstly, here is a short guided tour of California Strength that I put together:
I have some more things to put up from my trip, so here is a short one of Donny passing judgement on Jon North:
As far as my own training is going, it is hard but I am happy. Towards the end of my Clean and Jerk doubles I strained my trap a bit, but I was able to finish my last two sets and get my 8 triples in the Front squat also. It was tiring to say the least, but I did it.
This morning was a different story and it was only some of Wayne's magical Georgian heat rub that allowed me to train properly. I worked up to three top set doubles rather than the usual six on both the Clean and Jerk because I wanted to make sure that I can train for the rest of the week and that I would not make the strain worse. It feels far better now and I know I will be ok for the next three sessions this week. I went a little heavier for the three doubles and I did all my squats as normal. It was funny how the six sets I did not do left me so much fresher than normal where I feel like a bot of a zombie.
I was talking to Glenn Pendlay this morning and he said that he thought I strained my trap from overpulling the bar which was one of his observations from when I trained over there. He also said that when fatigued, I need to use speed rather than strength. Speed comes from exploding from the hips rather than continuing to overpull with the arms. Wayne and Harry were of the opinion that my back was simply tired from all the extra work I am doing.
I have some more things to put up from my trip, so here is a short one of Donny passing judgement on Jon North:
As far as my own training is going, it is hard but I am happy. Towards the end of my Clean and Jerk doubles I strained my trap a bit, but I was able to finish my last two sets and get my 8 triples in the Front squat also. It was tiring to say the least, but I did it.
This morning was a different story and it was only some of Wayne's magical Georgian heat rub that allowed me to train properly. I worked up to three top set doubles rather than the usual six on both the Clean and Jerk because I wanted to make sure that I can train for the rest of the week and that I would not make the strain worse. It feels far better now and I know I will be ok for the next three sessions this week. I went a little heavier for the three doubles and I did all my squats as normal. It was funny how the six sets I did not do left me so much fresher than normal where I feel like a bot of a zombie.
I was talking to Glenn Pendlay this morning and he said that he thought I strained my trap from overpulling the bar which was one of his observations from when I trained over there. He also said that when fatigued, I need to use speed rather than strength. Speed comes from exploding from the hips rather than continuing to overpull with the arms. Wayne and Harry were of the opinion that my back was simply tired from all the extra work I am doing.
Saturday 10 July 2010
Saturday's salvo
I finished the first week of my program and I feel the better for it. Byrdie was up today to train and he joined myself, Zag and Wayne. I am training five days a week; Saturday will be the max of the day session for the classical lifts and Front squat. During the week, two of the days I will go up to six doubles at 80% and two days with 85% with both the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk. I will Back squat two days and Front squat on the other days. It is all very simple and it looks so much easier on paper than it actually is to perform; however, doubles can be grinders and the best thing is that they are precisely what I need. It will be a case of inching up my lifts and numbers and getting my body to tolerate a higher workload while working on getting stronger and better technically. That is the plan at least and I am going to stick with it.
I am working on a California Strength video at the moment and it will take a while to get it fully right. The videos here are embarrassing, but helpful in improving flexibility:
To leave on an alternative note, have a look at this video and challenge yourself to watch it without laughing:
I am working on a California Strength video at the moment and it will take a while to get it fully right. The videos here are embarrassing, but helpful in improving flexibility:
To leave on an alternative note, have a look at this video and challenge yourself to watch it without laughing:
Wednesday 7 July 2010
Wednesday's waiting area
I finally realised what was happening with the videos so without further ado, here is my short and sweet interview with Rob Adell, who happened to be in a state many of us understand: being wrecked from a week's worth of training!
My own training is going swimmingly, but it is as hard as one would expect. I am lifting far more repititions than usual and as Murph said to me today: they test your inner zen. Every part of my body is feeling it: lower, mid and upper back; glutes, hamstrings and calves; shoulders, all the attachments and connective tissue around my shoulders and scapula and even my arms! What would Ronnie Coleman say about the burn?
I really want those pants!
My own training is going swimmingly, but it is as hard as one would expect. I am lifting far more repititions than usual and as Murph said to me today: they test your inner zen. Every part of my body is feeling it: lower, mid and upper back; glutes, hamstrings and calves; shoulders, all the attachments and connective tissue around my shoulders and scapula and even my arms! What would Ronnie Coleman say about the burn?
I really want those pants!
Saturday 3 July 2010
Monday's manoeuvrability
For some reason Blogger will not let me put up videos that are internally hosted anymore which is a shame because for the last week I have wanted to post a brief interview with Rob Adell and some extra footage of California Strength I never put up. When I try to add a video, it uploads and then says it is unavailable. This has only been happening over the last two weeks and it is rather annoying, so if anyone knows how to sort this out, let me know and I will fix it.
I started my new 12 week program today and it is amazingly simple. It has lots of the lifts. Then more and these are followed by lots of squats. Simple, isn't it? I have two months to get in as much volume as I can stand without burning myself out nd the biggest key is to make small and incremental progress. The goal is to keep the goal the goal as Dan John is want to say. My goal is to qualify for the European Championships before the end of the year and I will need a 272 total. I am five kilos away from this and I know I can do it. Right now, I am building a base and on top of the countless doubles I shall execute, I am also improving my flexibility slowly but surely and getting myself into better positions; the soft tissue work is keeping me healthy and injury free.
The competition I am targeting is the London Open in Decemeber and all the other competitions will be a build up to this. The idea is to use July, August and September to build as wide a base as I can and then in October and November I will drop the doubles and up the intensity. This morning, Byrdie was training alongside myself and Coach Lee and we got some really good work in. Since I got back from holiday--which was fun, but in the short term, detrimental to weightlifting!--I am gradually getting back to hitting normal positions and I know I will improve on where I left off. Broz kept hammering away to me how the flexibility training I do needs to be specific to weightlifting and I have been doing a lot of it. I need to learn to open up my hips and vastly improve their mobility; I also need to improve my hamstring flexibility and back strength but I think the hip mobility is the key.
This is a bit of a rambling post, but essentially, I am trying to do things differently in this training cycle. I feel like I have not been improving as much as I would have liked and for the next four weeks, I will make gradual and steady progress rather than doing as much as I possibly can and being burnt out towards the end of the second week. This goes with all my lifts and squats as well as the extra stuff that I do which I mentioned above. I have a very simple goal: I need to hit 272kg and I have the training plan and the motivation to get me there. Now I need to go and do it and follow my own wildly plagurised advice.
Here are two impossibly cool videos to inspire and motivate:
Click here to see what is possibilty the greatest weightlifting video ever.
I started my new 12 week program today and it is amazingly simple. It has lots of the lifts. Then more and these are followed by lots of squats. Simple, isn't it? I have two months to get in as much volume as I can stand without burning myself out nd the biggest key is to make small and incremental progress. The goal is to keep the goal the goal as Dan John is want to say. My goal is to qualify for the European Championships before the end of the year and I will need a 272 total. I am five kilos away from this and I know I can do it. Right now, I am building a base and on top of the countless doubles I shall execute, I am also improving my flexibility slowly but surely and getting myself into better positions; the soft tissue work is keeping me healthy and injury free.
The competition I am targeting is the London Open in Decemeber and all the other competitions will be a build up to this. The idea is to use July, August and September to build as wide a base as I can and then in October and November I will drop the doubles and up the intensity. This morning, Byrdie was training alongside myself and Coach Lee and we got some really good work in. Since I got back from holiday--which was fun, but in the short term, detrimental to weightlifting!--I am gradually getting back to hitting normal positions and I know I will improve on where I left off. Broz kept hammering away to me how the flexibility training I do needs to be specific to weightlifting and I have been doing a lot of it. I need to learn to open up my hips and vastly improve their mobility; I also need to improve my hamstring flexibility and back strength but I think the hip mobility is the key.
This is a bit of a rambling post, but essentially, I am trying to do things differently in this training cycle. I feel like I have not been improving as much as I would have liked and for the next four weeks, I will make gradual and steady progress rather than doing as much as I possibly can and being burnt out towards the end of the second week. This goes with all my lifts and squats as well as the extra stuff that I do which I mentioned above. I have a very simple goal: I need to hit 272kg and I have the training plan and the motivation to get me there. Now I need to go and do it and follow my own wildly plagurised advice.
Here are two impossibly cool videos to inspire and motivate:
Click here to see what is possibilty the greatest weightlifting video ever.
Thursday 1 July 2010
Thursday's tightrope muscles
On Monday I am starting a new six month training cycle and I am really looking forward to it. This week I am trying to get my body to some semblance of trainability. I got home on the Saturday morning and competed after 8 days of laying on my ass in Duborvnik where I was so lazy I made Homer Simpson look like Monica from friends. After the competition, I was even more in a heap, particularly on Monday I have never had such painful DOMS, particularly in the upper back and hip areas. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were simpy trying to get my body back into workable shape again and I will do what I can on Friday and Saturday also. Here are the final three parts of my interview with John Broz:
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