Derek Binford: Get Strong

[Derek Binford]

My goal at the current time period is to get as strong as possible and to compete in olympic weightlifting. I will be competing in my first competition on May 21st. I decided to keep a log here because a good friend of mine (Matt Reynolds) just passed his starting strength certification. I generally train at Matt's gym, STRONG GYM, but haven't as much lately due to time constraints and other commitments, but have still been training at home.

My training will most likely look something like this..

Monday - go for PRs this day
front squat
push press
back squat
accessory

Wednesday - lighter day - 85-90% on the lifts
snatch
clean+jerk
snatch deadlift
accessory

Thursday - lighter day - 90% of monday maybe
front squat
push press
back squat
accessory

Saturday - go for PRs
snatch
clean+jerk
deadlift
accessory

I'm focusing more on the front squat for the time being because I'm having an issue with my right hip that is giving me some flexibility problems that is hendering my back squat. It doesn't bother me as much on front squat so I'm pusing it for now. I'm just getting back into more serious training due to coaching high school basketall from november to march. Right now I weigh about 175lbs on my way back up to 185ish as I plan to compete in the 85 kilo weight class. My best lifts are below

snatch - 205 recent (220 all time)
clean+jerk - 265 recent (290 all time)
clean - 285 recent (300 all time)
front squat - 345x1, 315x3
back squat - 355x2 recent (445 all time)
deadlift - 445 recent (550 all time), I know 445 is WEAK!
push press - 225x4, probably my best effort here

Will start posting up workouts and video soon.

[Derek Binford]

warmup
pvc roll
mobility/stretch

front squat - 255x3, 285x3, 315x3 (ties PR, didnt think I would get past 285 so happy with the tie for now)
push press - 225x4 PR, 205x5 PR for 5
back squat - 315x3x3 sets
incline db press - 45x10, 55x10x2 sets
straight arm db row - 25x12x2 sets

Good session considering how my schedule has been lately. Been squatting high bar, considering going back to low bar and widening my feet back out a bit, I know it sounds weird that wideing your feet might help your hip problems, but I think it actually might.

[Matt Reynolds]

Derek didn't mention he is a little guy (about 170lbs) and lifetime drug free. He is damn smart too. We're lucky to have him here.

[Derek Binford]

Right now I weigh about 175lbs on my way back up to 185ish as I plan to compete in the 85 kilo weight class.

Actually I did say that, but no reason to rub it in Reynolds, lol.

[Derek Binford]

Warmup

power snatch - 135x2, 155x2, 165, 175, 185xmiss, 185x1x3 sets, the last set at 185 was probably a squat snatch, just below parallel
power clean+jerk - 175x2, 195, 215x1x3, 225x1, 235x1x2 (last two sets were squat cleans as I broke parallel on the first one, the second was squat clean on purpose)
deadlift - 315x3, 365x3, 405x5
chin ups - bw x 5x2 sets w/5 sec pause, bw x 5x3 sets

I had no plans to workout today, but there was some unexpected family circumstances that will cause me to have to travel later this week and I'm going to try and cram my workouts in a little tighter. I decided to do the power versions of the lifts considering my hip has been bothering me and I also squatted heavy yesterday. Was a pretty decent workout considering that I did train yesterday. I'm still weak though, I've deadlifted 405x10 before fairly easy, 5 was tough today, but getting stronger and hip is feeling better. I have video that I will post up later.

[Derek Binford]

Training from yesterday and today..


I have some major work to do on the snatch. I watched Mark's power snatch video on the site here and it seems one of my major problems is my grip isn't wide enough causing the bar to brush too low and I'm also using my arms too much. Problem is I must have really long arms, because to get above the pubic bone but below the hip pointers I have to go all the way out to the collars and I still am just BARELY above my pubic bone. I fulled around with the grip some and it felt pretty good, but I might be banging my pubic bone some. Will have to see when I try it later. Clean needs some work too, wasn't getting full extension today worth a crap. Deadlift and push press are feeling pretty good though.

[Derek Binford]

warmup

front squat - 285x3x3 sets
push press - 205x3x3 sets
back squat - 285x3x2 sets, 305x3, 325x3
incline bench - 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, felt weird and weak
1 arm db armpit row - 20x12x3 sets

Its weird right now, my strength is really up and down, I could have just been tired, I dunno. I spent about 3 hours outside in a rain delay for a minor league baseball game that I took my FBLA kids to that we never actually got to see. So that could have contributed to feeling a little run down. There has been a change in our travel plans so I will be able to put off my next session till friday when I play on going heavy in the snatch and clean and jerk.

[Derek Binford]

Warmup

snatch - 155x2, 175, 185, 195xmiss, 195, 205, 215xmiss x 2, 215, 225xmiss x 3, 225 ALL TIME PR!!
clean+jerk - 225, 245, 265, 275 recent PR, 285xmiss x 2 sets, kept jumping backwards
deadlift - 455x1x3 sets
chins ups - bw x 12,8,6,6

Warming up I wasn't sure how today would go, I felt like I had a hard time getting into a deep squat position on the snatch and my shoulder flexibility just wasn't all that great. On the other hand my pull felt pretty darn good. I hadn't missed 195 in a while but came back and got it strong, 205 was good. On the 215 and 225 I know I had more misses that I should have BUT each one got a little closer and a little closer and I ended up getting an all time PR!! My pull on clean felt pretty good too but on the heavier weights I was jumping backwards too much. Pretty much any lifts that I miss right now, snatch or clean, is because of jumping backwards. That and I'm still not getting great hip extension on heavier weights on clean. I will have to work on both of those things with some lighter weight. Deadlift form is feeling pretty decent but I'm still 100lbs off my best, lol. I'm still overall just pretty weak. My front squat is at PR levels, my push press is at PR levels, but the to main strength lifts (as far as I'm concerned anyway), squat and deadlift, are still way off their bests. So I have some work to do there. I think as those go up and my technique continues to improve so will everything else.

[Derek Binford]

Warmup

front squat - 330x2, missed 3
push press - 250x1 PR, 225x4 ties PR
back squat - 355x4, 325x5, 325x4
snatch grip press btn - 95x5x3 sets

Pretty good day. Got bent over on the 330 front squat, my all time PR is 345, that should go down soon. Push press was actually kinda weird, on the first rep for some reason I rebent my knees, so even without re-racking it I immediately went again and grinded it out but got it with no knee bench. Pretty good lift for me right now. Finally find a squat stance that felt comfortable, my hip did not bother me at all so I was able to push it. Took it easy on the snatch grip press, I think it might be best to slightly push press the first rep on these. Will snatch and clean and jerk on tuesday.

[Derek Binford]

Warmup

clean+jerk - 225, 245, 265, 285 x missed jerk, 285 x missed clean, 285 x cleaned it but hands came loose, 285 x missed jerk
clean pull+power clean - 205x1+1x5 sets - working on finishing the pull
snatch - 155x2, 175, 195, 205, 215 miss, add straps 215 x miss x 3, 185x1x8 sets, 185 x miss x 2, 185
snatch deadlift - 225x3, 275x3x2 sets
chin ups - bw x 5x5 sets

Decent workout today, lots of volume on the lifts, but thats what today is for anyway. This is the first time I've gone up to 285 and 205 without a missed clean or snatch, and I didn't use straps for the workup on snatch, need to start doing that more. I feel very slow under the bar right now I'll try to put up some video so you guys can comment. I really don't finish the pull well on the clean the clean pull+power clean complex seemed to help that. And my jerk freaking sucks, will probably replace push press with jerks on one of my strength days. On another note my hips are feeling great and I'm not getting as beat up from the lifts. Tomorrow off then strength day on thursday.