"Novice' Master prep for Keystone Games (7/23/10)

[NewWorldMan]

SNATCH: 3 position, worked up to 3 sets @ 70% - doing them top to bottom tonight.
45
95
110
120 for 3 sets
CLEAN & JERK:
120/1+2
145/1+2
165/1+2
185/1+1 for 6 singles
FRONT SQUAT:
205/2
240/2 for 3 sets
CHINS (wide, overhand): 5@bodyweight
BACK EXTENSIONS:10, oops gym is closing -started too late.

Here's the last set of 3 POS snatch @ 70%
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ytYS_9OXAY

Here's the 4th single @ 85% on the c & j:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnxflSDW8fE
- from my untrained eye the clean seems ok - good position, knees are back, staying over the bar - though I suppose I could get under the bar a little faster - not too worried about that I seem to get under pulls above 90% ok so far.
Now the jerk, while this rep felt 'in the groove' and felt good, upon watching the video, it seems that my front foot needs to be faster and go farther out. I think my dip and drive is getting better - but not sure if it is what it is supposed to be.

I look like a painfully slow 6'3" 235 39 year old


As always, comments appreciated.

For the last 4/5 weeks following my first meet it seems that my squat numbers have been struggling - was doing triples @ 110 on the front and 145 for 5 on back at the end of workouts prior. Now I am struggling w/doubles @ 110 and only getting doubles around 135-->145.

[toddmr]

Note on the Jerk. It looks to me like your front knee in the split position is substantially further forward of your toes than I'm used to seeing. Look at pictures of world class lifters and you will usually see their front shin within 10-15 degrees of vertical, though so have the knee forward of a vertical shin and some have it behind vertical.

Also, from the starting position of the clean, you have a pretty upright torso and the fronts of your shoulders are about even with the bar, your scapulae behind the bar.

As you begin the first pull, your hips rise faster than your shoulder so that your torso becomes less upright until your scapulae are above the bar, the front of your shoulders in front of the bar.

Remember from Uncle Rip's book that from the floor the bar wants to be below the scaps. My coach is always yelling at me to keep my shoulder in front of the bar, which means the bar is under the scaps.

On your snatches, I think your first one, from the high hang, was the best. It looks to my relatively untrained eye like you're doing what I do from the floor versus the hang, which is to start accelerating the bar earlier than you should. It looks more pronounced from the floor than from below the knees.

Look at the third snatch, from the floor, versus the first two. The movement of the bar seems to have a little less velocity, a little less "snap" as a result from starting the acceleration earlier.

I might be completely wrong, but that's how it appears to me.

Nice work overall.

[NewWorldMan]

Note on the Jerk. It looks to me like your front knee in the split position is substantially further forward of your toes than I'm used to seeing.

Thanks - I need to remember 'quick feet' and get my front foot more forward - I need to measure out and mark off my 'targets' for a few practice sessions.

As you begin the first pull, your hips rise faster than your shoulder so that your torso becomes less upright until your scapulae are above the bar, the front of your shoulders in front of the bar.

Again, thanks - I will need to get videos of earlier reps to see if this is a consistent pattern or if this creeps back in with fatigue. I know personally and from observing many others that 'high hips' rising faster than the bar happen at higher weights or in a fatigued state.

On your snatches, I think your first one, from the high hang, was the best. It looks to my relatively untrained eye like you're doing what I do from the floor versus the hang, which is to start accelerating the bar earlier than you should. It looks more pronounced from the floor than from below the knees.

Look at the third snatch, from the floor, versus the first two. The movement of the bar seems to have a little less velocity, a little less "snap" as a result from starting the acceleration earlier.

I will go back and watch the videos. I have been recently working on getting more hips - so perhaps the next step now that the positions are getting better is to begin to focus on tempo.

Nice work overall.

I appreciate the feedback. It's been a few weeks since I've lifted in front of the coach. Most likely will have few opportunities until my son's football season is over, so it is great to have an objective eye judge my work. My job will be to plan an attack based on the observations on my next session.

Thanks my friend!

[NewWorldMan]

good training tonight - switched it up a little with good results.

warm up with leg and arm swings and some bar work.
SNATCH:
95/2
115/2
135/2
145/1
155/1,1,1,1,1,1,x,1

BACK SQUAT:
239/5
269/5
289/5

CLEAN & JERK:
115/1+2
135/1
155/1
175/1
185/1
195/1
185/1
195/1
205/1
185/1
195/1+x

BACK SQUAT:
309/2

was in a groove w/the snatches, then I noticed I was in a groove and promptly missed the next snatch! Screwed my head back on and made the next one. 7 out of 8 snatches @ 90% of my current best seems to be a good thing.

Wanted to squat next just to see if I can still squat (been having less than stellar results always squatting last) - hadn't been doing more than doubles/triples recently - going to try to get back up to my 145(kg)/5 best.

The clean/jerks didn't seem to suffer from squatting first - wasn't sure what to do when I got to 185 so I did a few waves - ended up getting 11 total reps! I usually only get 7 before my left shoulder start to tell me to quit - perhaps the squatting was a rest/break for the shoulder.

No vids tonight.

[toddmr]

Thanks - I need to remember 'quick feet' and get my front foot more forward - I need to measure out and mark off my 'targets' for a few practice sessions.

When I did the CF weightlifting cert, one of the things Mike Burgener did was to have us mark the floor with chalk, or use a PVC pipe on the floor between our legs so we have a landmark by which to judge our foot placement before and after.

I usually just use the chalk to mark out a cross on the floor. The "arms" of the cross are where the toes of my feet are, and their width is about the width from toe to toe.

The "vertical" part of the cross goes about 12 inches forward and 18-24 inches back of the line.

By lining my toes up with the arms, then snatching or cleaning, I can check the width of my feet in the landing position to make sure I'm consistently hitting my marks and not moving forward or back.

The vertical part of the cross is useful in the split jerk or other split lifts to make sure I'm moving my feet pretty consistently front-to-back.

Since you're just using chalk, there's nothing to trip on and cleanup is just scuffing the marks out or getting a wet paper towel and mopping up.

[NewWorldMan]

suffering through cold: sore throat/sinus pressure-headache/general letheragy
but
too anxious to practice and fix some of my flaws
and
I rather get out and do SOMETHING than sit/lie around and mope all day.

SNATCH:
95/3 Position
115/3 Position
135/2 full snatch
145/1 "
150/1,x
115/(1+3 Overhead squat)x3

CLEAN (from below the knee) + JERK
115/1+2
135/1+2
150/1+2x2
150/1+1
165/1+1x2

SNATCH PULLS (wanted to do some more work, but not pull heavy or squat):
165/2
175/2
185/2 (hard on the hands w/out straps)

CABLE PULLTHROUGHS (lower back/ham work w/out lying face down due ot my congestion):
2x10@110

Managed to film my son's first football game (12/13 year olds).

[NewWorldMan]

Tuesday 9/7/10
SNATCH:
95/2
115/2
135/2
first wave:
145/1
150/1
155/1
second:
145/1
155/1
160/1(94% of current max.)
third:
145/1
155/1
160/x (mental miss)

SQUAT:
225/3
250/3
275/3
305/3

CLEAN & JERK
145/1+2
165/1+2
185/1+1
200/1+1 (95% of current max)
210/got the clean, but not high on the shoulders, then a big pressout on the jerk

SQUAT:
305/3
BACK EXTENSION:
3x10

SQUAT = high bar. I've been fooling around with squatting before cleaning - doesn't seen to effect my cleans but is helping my squat - may do this for a while (it's really only once a week) and see if it helps.

THURSDAY:
45/3 from hang - 2 from below knee
3 Position snatch:
95
110
120 for 3 sets
Snatch + Overhead squat:
135/(1+2)3

Clean & Jerk
135/1+2
155/1+2
175/1+2
185/(1+1)7

Going to attempt 80/100+ Saturday at the club...

[NewWorldMan]

Saturday at the club:

SNATCH:
bar work then
40/2
50/2
60
65
70
75/x,x
70/x,1
75/x

CLEAN & JERK:
50/1+2
60/1+2
70
80
90
95
100/1+x,1+x
RACK JERK:
80/1,1

FRONT SQUAT:
100
110
120
130 PR

had been feeling good about my snatch (three position work recently) so I planned to warm up and see what happened.
I noticed my 65 'felt' slow though I did get the lift with no struggle - was tempted to take it again but went to 70 - got it but felt slow again.

I've hit 75 before and I've hit 72.8(160) with a power bar but it was not to be today. Will try again next Saturday to hit 80.

The cleans @ 100 felt easy. The jerks up to 90 were solid, 95 good but not great. For some reason I couldn't jerk the 100s barely above my head - maybe mental - maybe not enough hips. No video to analyze - but nice to know I can get 100 off the floor and onto my shoulders.

Hadn't done singles in front squat in a while - last known best was 120(265).

[NewWorldMan]

(Tentatively) planning on the masters meet in Savannah, Ga on Nov. 6/7th.

This is exactly 8 weeks out, and Doc Hartman's plan is an 8 week cycle - so why not have a 39 year old with 6 months experience with the lifts and one meet under my belt give it his prep a try.

I've spent the last few weeks working on positional work - 3 position snatches, doubles, cleans from below the knees, multiple rep jerks.

I am ready to give this a try. While I am relatively new to the snatch and clean/jerk I've been lifting w/barbells since I was 14 or so. I have lifted 4x/week recently, but only practicing the 'lifts' 3x. I don't think this is too far of a stretch for me to run this program, though my sleep/nutrition will need to be dialed in for sure.

First night:
-5x5 back squat, 12 singles @ 75% for snatch and 10 for clean & jerk, then 5x3 RDL:

I've recently started squatting after snatches but before cleans, so now it's time (according to the template) to put squats at the top of the batting order.

Warm ups - did my normal leg swings, broom handle work for the shoulders, some overhead squats and rdls with the bar
then
Back squat: 20/5 70/4 100/2 132/5x5*
Snatch: bar work - 3 from high hand, 3 from below knees
then
40/2 50/2 60/1x12**
Clean and Jerk: 50/1+2 60/1+2 70/1+1
75/1+1x8***
Romanian Deadlift: 75/3x4

* haven't done this much volume in a while - this was more of a mental challenge than physical - another lifter noted my 5th set looked better then the 3rd and 4th.
** wasn't sure how to warm up after squatting, proceeded as normal, maybe less reps. During the first 5 or so snatches, while good form, I felt gassed from the squatting. Then, on the last 6 reps I felt good and in a groove - just what I need for my full snatch!
***cleans were crisp, most of the jerks were the same, another lifter (club coach certified) noted while my front foot was fine I needed to drive through more - managed to get these.
I stopped @ 8 reps (9 counting the 70) due to my left shoulder. It seems that I have a 7 rep limit (not counting warm ups) on my cleans after I snatch until my left shoulder starts to buckle and tell me to call it quits. Sometimes I finish w/rack jerks, tonight with all the squatting first I stopped and will plan to lift another day.

RDLs were a little light, but too lazy to add weight to the bar and instead focused on keeping the back flat and tight and pushing my butt back - no discomfort in my left groin (which has recently not liked rdls/good mornings).

I will try to get some videos up - but I don't like to bug people to film me and I only have a flat blackberry and not a real digital camera that would sit on a bench/ledge.

My plan is to lift Mon, Tue, Thur evenings, and Saturday AM, so day two tomorrow...

Kevin

[NewWorldMan]

Week 1/Day 2:
Power Snatch + Hang Snatch - 4x2@60%
2 Hang Cleans + 1Jerk - 4x2@60%
Front Squat - 100,102,105,107,110%
Push Press - 3x5

Quads a little sore from the 5x5 squats yesterday, but I felt good after I got warmed up with leg/arm swings etc.

As always I start my snatches with bar work to warm up and get limber.
I usually squat/press then do some RDLS and progress to 3 reps from high hang and three more from below the knee.

For an older lifter there's a fine line between 'warmed up' and 'worn out'

SNATCH: POWER + HANG
one set @ 95lbs
4x2@105lbs*
CLEAN & JERK: 2 HANG + 1 JERK
one set @ 115lbs
4x2@ 135**
FRONT SQUAT:
232lbs,235,242,242,242***
PUSH PRESS:
3x5@ 135****

Overall a good crisp workout (and short too - barely over an hour including all the preliminary warm up work).
* The power snatches flew up at this weight and I felt nice and quick getting under the follow up hang snatches (I did these from below the knee).

**cleans felt crisp; jerks were ok, too easy to not step through and still finish the lift at such a light weight. I need to have more discipline to use good form on lighter weight sets.

*** Weights were a little off from the program progression, but all were in the correct range. Seeing that these are 85% of my front squat 1 RM I focused on keeping tight and coming out of the hole fast.

**** Maybe the fatigue from yesterday caught up here or maybe I don't push press enough - I seemed to struggle finding my form driving the bar up, pressing out this weight is not too tough. I need to get more efficient in my dip and drive - I can jerk 95/96 solidly, but last Saturday on two attempts @ 100 (the cleans were solid) I barely got the bar past my eyebrows :-(

Not sure if we are going the the Rush concert Thursday or not (haven't missed one since 1989) - so we'll see how work out three pans out. I am reluctant to do three days in a row.

So far so good - time to apply some discipline to my diet...