A HUGE Thank you and a Q About Pushing Power Development

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

Hi Coach. First off, I want to thank you for opening my eyes to the reality of weight lifting and leading me from the hype BS that the muscle roid head magazines push. I read practical programming and have read SS once, but have been using it often as an in field reference.

I am 41 and I lifted from 15 until 32 (along with mid distance running until 32 and Karate until I was 18) when I had my daughter and stopped due to life of a single parent.

A year ago, I got back into lifting, but was doing a BS 3 day split program, which included many machines and no squats. At 155 pounds, I was frustrated, so I hit the internet and started reading about strength training and a lot about SS. I immediately implemented some of the SS concepts, such as doing REAL squats, albeit in the 6-10 range. I saw immediate results and within a month, ditched all machines for compounds. 3 months ago, I committed to SS and have not looked back since. I have to admit that Im not doing the program 100%, as I am doing hang cleans until I am comfortable enough to move to power cleans. As such, I do 2 or 3 swts of bent rows as accessory each week. Here is my combined progress from re-newbie through 3 months of SS:

Squat - less than 100 to 235 (3X5)
Bench - 1 rep @ 165 to 205 (currently missed, went 3, 5, 3 last time around)
Press - 80 for 1 rep to 140 (currently 3,5,2, might have to reset)
Deadlift 185 to 325 (1 X 5) (just started them when I committed to SS, getting VERY HEAVY)
Hang Press 55 - 115 (Just started with SS, VERY bad form to OK form, just feeling comfy to start really uppping weight)
Chins - Gravitron Machine at 155 body weight to 1 set of 12 good at 192 pounds
Dips - Gravitron to 1 set of 10 w/ 40 pound DB on my ankles
Body Weight 155 when I started, 170 when I committed to SS to 190 currently
Age - 40 - 41
Legs - From "i wouldn't serve these with blue cheese", to respectable mass and tone

I just switched over to DL'ing once a week and may hit the 80% squat soon. I wish my squat was higher, but considering how weak I was to begin with, a lifetime goal for me was, at 1 point, doing 2 plates one time and now I'm doing them for 3 sets of 5 and still adding 5 pounds a week.

Overall, so far, this program has exceeded my expectations for strength and even much more so in size gain, which has not and is not my primary goal; but I'll take it with a bug huge grin on my face as a great bi-product of my training.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for a GREAT product, Coach!


Now, for my question: After reading and re-reading your book, I love the idea of the benefits of the Olympic movements. I have struggled a TON learning the power clean and have decided to start with the hang clean. I LOVE EVERY second of learning the movement and at going from shitty to OK to proficient. In fact, I get so into them, that I usually do 8 or 9 sets as I get into that "I've almost got it" mentality. I want to progress through the power-clean and eventually move on to the snatch, the Exercycle with the best name in the world

My Question: I think of power-cleans as a pulling type of power / explosive movement. I also want to integrate a pushing motion explosive movement too. I'm thinking of the difference between grabbing someone and pulling him to you (pulling, cleans, snatches, etc.) and someone coming at you and you have to explode into him to stop his momentum (a pushing motion). What would be the equivalent pushing exercise to the power-clean. Possible push presses? What are your thoughts? thank you.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Learn to do the split jerk. It's the next logical step.

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

thank you...after I switch to powercleans and put on some serious progression, split jerk it is.