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Saturday August 1st
Clean & Press
128 lbs x 1 x 5 lifts
148 x 5
168 x 5 x 5 sets
Muscle Snatch
128 x 3 x 2 sets
148 x 3
168 x 3
Snatch Pull
219 x 3
249 x 3 x 2 sets
269 x 3
Snatch-grip Deadlift
280 x 4
340 x 4
370 x 4 x 3 (felt harder than last week due to some lower back fatigue)
Stiff-leg Deadlift
320 x 8 x 2 sets
Monday August 3rd
Snatch Pulls off 6-in. blocks (off blocks is easier on lower back, especially at such a lighter weight)
128 lbs x 5, 148 x 5, 178 x 3, 200 x 3
219 lbs x 3 x 5 sets -- nice work on the second pull
Dumbbell hammer curls
56½ pounders x 2
56½ pounders x 5 x 3 sets -- First time doing 3 x 5 reps with these!
Lower back is recovering nicely; should be ready for Wednesday's deadlift session, which will be lower in volume (4 x 4 instead of 5 x 5) and slightly heavier than last week. It will have a good training stimulus and easier to recover from.
Wednesday August 5th
Clean & Press
128 lbs x 1 x 5 singles
148 x 1
168 x 1
188 x 4 x 2 sets @ RPE 9 (felt heavier than expected)
178 x 3 x 6 sets @ RPE 7-7.5 (felt much better)
First set at 188 lbs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6udYSIf-Os
Deadlift, conventional
229 lbs x 5 -- paying close attention to keeping elbows straight when starting the lift
280 x 3
340 x 4 -- I play the warm-up by ear; this weight always feels light and fast
370 x 1
410 x 5 -- this is the top set for Week 1 and it was pretty easy...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24U9b1XS0u4
340 x 3 x 4 sets --paying close attention to keeping elbows straight when starting the lift...
Dumbbell hammer curls (same weights, total of around 15 reps)
56½ pounders x 2
56½ pounders x 4 x 4 sets -- each rep is done as forcefully as possible!
Saturday August 8th -- Press & Deadlift assistance
Clean & Press (strict)
128 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
148 x 4, 158 x 2, 178 x 1
188 lbs x 3 x 8 sets -- My unhappy experiences with other styles of training make me agree with John Davis on this -- If you want to press more, you need to press more and then some more! The Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban: Improved Pressing Power - Suggestions From John Davis
Attachment 7419
Muscle Snatch -- These felt very strong and powerful (the key here is to avoid using excessive weights for practice)
128 lbs x 3 x 2 sets, 148 x 3 x 2 sets
158 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
Snatch Pulls -- A natural follow-up after muscle snatching... more emphasis is put on the lower body as the poundage increases
200 lbs x 4 -- Am never afraid to start really light; this improves my technique and strenghtens confidence for the heavier weights
230 lbs x 4 -- I stop the set when I am getting too tired; 5s and 6s with light weights are great to build & improve stamina
250 lbs x 3
270 lbs x 3
290 lbs x 3 -- This was challenging
Snatch Deadlift (the grip is even wider than for snatch-grip DL and the start position is the same as for Muscle Snatch & Snatch Pull... It works legs a lot)
310 lbs x 5
330 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 3 (filmed) My knees could be farther out on the start position; I will see if this works better for muscle snatches
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUm6QdiccXo
Stiff-leg Deadlift
320 lbs x 6
340 lbs x 6 x 2 sets (nothing close to failure here; but still a significant weight)
Training time: 120 minutes. Saturday is usually my longest session. I have more time on that day (not working) and I take full advantage of this and improve my drive and stamina with light to medium weights. Such sessions will improve work capacity over time.
Monday is my lightest session, as Wednesday is my deadlift day where I lift the most weight. I lift three times a week and I have been doing so since I started in January 2013.
Monday August 10th
Clean & Press (strict)
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
148 x 3, 158 x 3
178 x 1
193 lbs x 3 x 8 sets -- Performance took a drop at 4th set... last 2 sets were limit efforts. While most presses are submaximal for training, it is important to have a few very slow presses, so I can practice maintaining proper positions and effort when the press almost stalls. The training weight stays at 193 lbs (80%).
Snatch Pulls off 6" blocks
178 lbs x 5, 200 x 5
220 x 2
230 x 2
240 x 2
250 x 2
260 x 2 -- Good training; nothing really heavy here
Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
56½ pounders x 5 x 2 sets
56½ pounders x 4 x 2 sets
Wednesday August 12th
Clean & Press (strict, in the old layback style)
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
148 x 2
168 x 1
178 x 1
193 x 3 x 10 sets -- Everything felt easier tonight than on Monday. I put my belt on from set #5 on. The belt helps getting in a strong layback position and keeping that steady position throughout each lift. I had a slight performance boost in sets #7, 8 & 9. All sets were done with at least some power to spare. Video: set number 7...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLz8MJbY8bk
The music is very fitting, since this same session could very well have been done in 1958 under similar conditions with similar equipment. Doing 10 x 3 with a significant weight (80% tonight for me) is a type of programming that was used at York Barbell Club in the late 1930's and throughout the 40's and 50's. Tony Terlazzo, John Davis, John Terpak and other greats all used sets across such as 10 x 3, 10 x 2 or 8 x 2 with great success. And you do it quite frequent too, like 3 or even 4 times a week, but you focus on other lifts on some weeks (to keep a good balance and prevent too much overuse from setting in).
Deadlift (conventional)
229 lbs x 3
280 lbs x 2
320 lbs x 1
390 lbs x 5 x 2 sets (I have started the cycle 20 lbs too high last week, so I am doing Week 1 on the second week... I repeated the set since it is such an easy weight)
340 lbs x 3 x 3 sets
Pike push-ups with my feet on a chair (feels much like an incline press, and it completely deloads the spine)
Bodyweight x 6 x 3 sets (last set was a limit effort)
Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 3 x 5 sets -- once again, 15 total reps, this time with a slightly heavier load.
Saturday August 15th
Muscle Snatch -- this is a superb lift for upper body strength
128 lbs x 2 x 3
148 lbs x 2
158 lbs x 2
168 lbs x 3 x 5 sets -- when it's properly done, the transition from pull to press-out is seamless
Snatch High Pulls
200 lbs x 3 x 3 sets
Pike Push-ups, BWT x 5 x 3 sets -- I have corrected my form and now they are harder to do!
This is how it looks like...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnQU_lLBFW0
Snatch Deadlift -- done with the exact same grip and start position as the Muscle Snatch... this is a superb lift for lower body strength & mobility
200 lbs x 5
240 lbs x 5
280 lbs x 3
320 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 3 x 4 -- this is a fine working weight for now... neither too heavy nor too easy
Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 3 x 4 -- this was easier than Wednesday.
Monday August 17th
Muscle Snatch
128 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
148 lbs x 3
168 lbs x 3 x 5 sets -- this weight is getting easier
Snatch Pulls
200 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
239 x 3 -- A few heavier pulls are good as a warm-up for the Snatch Deadlift, but keeping to high pulls in the 200-220 range is probably the most beneficial for the muscle snatch.
269 x 3
Snatch Deadlift
290 lbs x 3 x 4 sets -- focus on a strong start position with a much easier weight than Saturday... improving the start position will add pounds to the bar! ... and allow me to train safer!
Pike Push ups -- BWT x 3 x 5 sets... I went closer to my feet than Saturday and it was very hard... I weigh about 264 lbs!
Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 4 x 4 sets -- this is a new milestone! I will soon be doing triples with 60-ish pounders! Stronger biceps can't hurt my lifts.
Wednesday August 19th
Muscle Snatch
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
153 lbs x 2 x 2
173 lbs x 3 x 6 sets -- getting ahead! First time doing several triples at this weight!
I filmed the second set...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkhbArotOxo
Snatch High Pull -- 200 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
Snatch Deadlift
200 x 5
250 x 5
300 x 3
350 x 3 x 4 sets
Pike Push-ups
BWT x 4 x 4 sets -- I simply adjust distance between legs and hands to change the resistance; this is very challenging.
Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
61½ pounders x 3 x 4 sets -- last set was a limit effort
