I'm back home for Paddys, so trained in the gym here Tuesday. I did a lot of shoulder rehab work, specifically scap work; and followed it up with a little squatting. I only managed to work up to 5*90kg for 3 sets, which I wasn't overly happy with, but you have to put up with the bad days.
I also spent a little time trying to teach my bro how to squat. He's 14, so I figured he would have an good base to start from. I was wrong! He spends quite a lot of time sitting playing xbox, slumped in the chair, and this has badly effected his back and hip mobility. I have him working him on few things though, so hopefully I can get him squatting the bar in a few weeks.
Tuesday evening I had a little trigger point release done on my back and shoulder. My friend's sister, Aoibheann, has just opened her own place in town, and I had got a little work done with her before, so I arranged to call in at 5. Before starting she got me to try the IYWT test against the wall. For I and Y my ribs poke out quite a bit, because my shoulders aren't mobile enough. For W I literally couldn't externally rotate fully to touch the wall, and for T I was fine.
The therapy involved both deep tissue massage and dry needling targeting my traps, lats, and lower back. Aoibheann believes a lot of my trouble is coming from tightness in the lats, again in the levator scap, and from some issues with thoracic spine mobility. Afterwords I tried the IYWT test again, and you could see a marked improvement.
Aoibheann has suggested I call in each Friday I'm home to speed up my progress. I won't be about this week, since there's a squad session Saturday, but I intend on going again Friday week. I'm sure it'll be worth while. Feel free to check out Aoibheann's website.
I'll be training again Thursday with the club.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Weekend Learning
I trained with the club again 3 days this week, it was a pretty busy week overall, so I didn't make it into Hercs. We're still training similarly to the previous weeks, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. I think my technique is improving, and I'm sure my flexibility and hip mobility is, thankfully. I started the Level 1 IAWLA Coaching Course this weekend, so I got more work done both today and yesterday, so overall there was a little more practice done this week than previous weeks!
The course was quite interesting. We got to try the different parts of the lifts quite a bit both days, but we were mainly focusing on was pointing out what issues others were having with the lifts. My knowledge has most definitely increased, and a few more problems I'm having are becoming clear. While this is not altogether encouraging, I now know what I need to work on to improve. I hope I see some big improvements soon.
At the end of the course Sunday I joined Alex, who was also doing the course; for some squatting. Harry was in to offer advice, so a few other club members joined us too. Here's what I did-
Back Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 5*3*100kg
I was pretty happy with these. I was quiet tired from the 2 days, yet they still felt quite comfortable, and I'm sure I had more in the tank.
Alex squatted up to 85kg for 5*3 after being sick for the last 2 weeks or so, which was very impressive. I think this spurred everyone on to train harder. Two lads from the club, Alan and Stephen, worked up to 60kg for a few sets, and it's obvious they've a lot more to come.
The second weekend of the course starts April 17th, so I've a few weeks now to get a few sessions filled in in my logbook. Not completely sure how often I'll get to train this week with Paddy's Day in between, but should get in for at least 3. Thankfully we've only six sessions to fill in before it, so it shouldn't be too much trouble.
The course was quite interesting. We got to try the different parts of the lifts quite a bit both days, but we were mainly focusing on was pointing out what issues others were having with the lifts. My knowledge has most definitely increased, and a few more problems I'm having are becoming clear. While this is not altogether encouraging, I now know what I need to work on to improve. I hope I see some big improvements soon.
At the end of the course Sunday I joined Alex, who was also doing the course; for some squatting. Harry was in to offer advice, so a few other club members joined us too. Here's what I did-
Back Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 5*3*100kg
I was pretty happy with these. I was quiet tired from the 2 days, yet they still felt quite comfortable, and I'm sure I had more in the tank.
Alex squatted up to 85kg for 5*3 after being sick for the last 2 weeks or so, which was very impressive. I think this spurred everyone on to train harder. Two lads from the club, Alan and Stephen, worked up to 60kg for a few sets, and it's obvious they've a lot more to come.
The second weekend of the course starts April 17th, so I've a few weeks now to get a few sessions filled in in my logbook. Not completely sure how often I'll get to train this week with Paddy's Day in between, but should get in for at least 3. Thankfully we've only six sessions to fill in before it, so it shouldn't be too much trouble.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Club Training
My only training this week was with the weightlifting club, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. I planned on training in Hercs two other days, but I was tired, and suffering from a slight head cold, so it didn't happen. Ah laziness...
We're still working on the basics, which I'm enjoying, but I really need to make sure I get in another two sessions each week to train the full lifts. Practicing the different parts will no doubt be beneficial, but if it's all I do, I'll likely disimprove.
My flexibility and mobility is undoubtedly increasing, which is great. I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable in hole, and overhead too. Hopefully this will help me start bumping up the lifts.
Check out the clubs facebook page. There's some videos of me doing the parts of the lifts we're working on. Comments would be greatly appreciated.
That's all for now. Hopefully I get a bit more training in next week. Me and two friends also plan on trying yoga out Thursday night. Should be interesting!
We're still working on the basics, which I'm enjoying, but I really need to make sure I get in another two sessions each week to train the full lifts. Practicing the different parts will no doubt be beneficial, but if it's all I do, I'll likely disimprove.
My flexibility and mobility is undoubtedly increasing, which is great. I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable in hole, and overhead too. Hopefully this will help me start bumping up the lifts.
Check out the clubs facebook page. There's some videos of me doing the parts of the lifts we're working on. Comments would be greatly appreciated.
That's all for now. Hopefully I get a bit more training in next week. Me and two friends also plan on trying yoga out Thursday night. Should be interesting!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Shockin' Busy
I've been busy over the last week, so only getting to post this now. Here it goes-
Saturday
I competed at the Masters, my first competition of the year, and the first since the seniors last year. It was a excellent competition, and I was reasonably happy with how I lifted. I totalled a massive 127kg at 63.5kg, comprising of 52/75. I made all six of my lifts, which tells me I've more in me. That much is encouraging.
Unfortunately the water loading didn't quite work for me. After discussing it with Barry during the week, my attempt became half-hearted. He reminded me I'm only a beginner, and shouldn't be worrying about weight classes at all, which of course he was completely right about.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and encouragement. I met a lot of sound guys at the comp, and their kind words were much appreciated. Congratulations to everyone who lifted, there was a lot of great lifting, and there is much more to come from all.
Tuesday
Tuesday was the first day of training this semester for the DCU Weightlifting Club. We've managed to get our hands on one of the strength and conditioning rooms in the college to use, which is a big improvement on last semester. We've also secured some funding, which means we can purchase some basic gear to get us going. At the minute we're using broom handles, and olympic bars. This is fine for now, as a lot of members need to improve their flexibility before they're ready to use the proper equipment.
The excellent Harry Leech, who has taken position as coach; takes us for two two hour slots during the week, and one hour and a half slot. At the minute the sessions are broken up into a quick warm up, which includes joint mobility work; followed by some skill work (snatch drops, hang snatches, hang cleans etc.). We finish up with squatting followed by some static stretching. The skill work is a step backwards for me, but I think it will be useful practice, and will help iron out some of the issues I'm having in the basic parts of the lifts. I'm also finding the stretching and mobility work very beneficial, this is a very important area for me to work on.
Wednesday
Morning
I trained in Hercs from 11 as Harry was in training. I didn't go to heavy, since it was my first day of proper lifting since the competition. Here's what I did-
Evening
We had another session with Harry in DCU. It was pretty similar to Tuesday, but we got to use a bit of weight when squatting. It's great to see how quickly everyone's improving. Some members have a lot of potential, and I'm really looking forward to seeing us becoming a successful weightlifting club.
Friday
I was majorly hungover from Thursday night, but managed to make it along to the final session of the week in DCU. Good to be working a way at the stretching and mobility work, even if I did feel terrible! The skill work wasn't great at all, and the little bit of squatting felt terribly heavy. Unfortunately most Fridays will be like this.
That was the weeks training. I also did a little bit of shoulder work on Thursday, but it's not really worth logging.
This week's training will be pretty similar. Hopefully I'll have a little more time to update this.
Saturday
I competed at the Masters, my first competition of the year, and the first since the seniors last year. It was a excellent competition, and I was reasonably happy with how I lifted. I totalled a massive 127kg at 63.5kg, comprising of 52/75. I made all six of my lifts, which tells me I've more in me. That much is encouraging.
Unfortunately the water loading didn't quite work for me. After discussing it with Barry during the week, my attempt became half-hearted. He reminded me I'm only a beginner, and shouldn't be worrying about weight classes at all, which of course he was completely right about.
Thanks to everyone for the advice and encouragement. I met a lot of sound guys at the comp, and their kind words were much appreciated. Congratulations to everyone who lifted, there was a lot of great lifting, and there is much more to come from all.
Tuesday
Tuesday was the first day of training this semester for the DCU Weightlifting Club. We've managed to get our hands on one of the strength and conditioning rooms in the college to use, which is a big improvement on last semester. We've also secured some funding, which means we can purchase some basic gear to get us going. At the minute we're using broom handles, and olympic bars. This is fine for now, as a lot of members need to improve their flexibility before they're ready to use the proper equipment.
The excellent Harry Leech, who has taken position as coach; takes us for two two hour slots during the week, and one hour and a half slot. At the minute the sessions are broken up into a quick warm up, which includes joint mobility work; followed by some skill work (snatch drops, hang snatches, hang cleans etc.). We finish up with squatting followed by some static stretching. The skill work is a step backwards for me, but I think it will be useful practice, and will help iron out some of the issues I'm having in the basic parts of the lifts. I'm also finding the stretching and mobility work very beneficial, this is a very important area for me to work on.
Wednesday
Morning
I trained in Hercs from 11 as Harry was in training. I didn't go to heavy, since it was my first day of proper lifting since the competition. Here's what I did-
- Snatch - worked up to 6*1*47kg
- Clean & Jerk - worked up to 4*2*61kg
- Back Squat - worked up to 4*3*90kg
Harry had me focusing on getting the hips lower for these. I found it was making it a lot easier to push through the center of my feet. When I had then higher I was extending through the toes, which was causing many other problems.
Again Harry had me trying to get the hips lower, and again it was effective. I was very tired for these though. Especially the second reps. I'm really not used to morning sessions at all!
Evening
We had another session with Harry in DCU. It was pretty similar to Tuesday, but we got to use a bit of weight when squatting. It's great to see how quickly everyone's improving. Some members have a lot of potential, and I'm really looking forward to seeing us becoming a successful weightlifting club.
Friday
I was majorly hungover from Thursday night, but managed to make it along to the final session of the week in DCU. Good to be working a way at the stretching and mobility work, even if I did feel terrible! The skill work wasn't great at all, and the little bit of squatting felt terribly heavy. Unfortunately most Fridays will be like this.
That was the weeks training. I also did a little bit of shoulder work on Thursday, but it's not really worth logging.
This week's training will be pretty similar. Hopefully I'll have a little more time to update this.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday's Inadequacy
Trained in Hercs today. It was a quick session as I had a meal to go to a little after six, but I got as much done as I could. When I arrived Cathal Byrd, Cathal Twaddle, Barry, Wayne and someone I'd never seen lifting before, Amy; were training. Clearly the place was pretty busy, so I headed upstairs to do some shoulder rehabbing and stretching. When I got back, I managed (just about!) to find space on one of the platforms.
I felt pretty inadequate lifting with so many great lifters, and I think this affected my focus. My first few snatches felt terrible, both in the starting position, and in the lockout. They improved slightly as I went on, but they still weren't great. Here's what I did -
Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 2*2*43kg, 2*2*45kg, 2*1*47kg, 2*1*49kg
Clean & Jerk - 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg
These didn't feel fantastic, and I was in a rush, so I left it at that.
Will probably train again tomorrow. Still haven't got talking to Harry so I'm undecided.
I felt pretty inadequate lifting with so many great lifters, and I think this affected my focus. My first few snatches felt terrible, both in the starting position, and in the lockout. They improved slightly as I went on, but they still weren't great. Here's what I did -
Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 2*2*43kg, 2*2*45kg, 2*1*47kg, 2*1*49kg
Clean & Jerk - 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg
These didn't feel fantastic, and I was in a rush, so I left it at that.
Will probably train again tomorrow. Still haven't got talking to Harry so I'm undecided.
Tuesday's Preparation
As I said I'm hoping to compete at the masters this Saturday. As part of my preparation I'm water loading. It's pretty tough going, the amount of toilet visits are plentiful! I'll keep at it though. I'm not a fan of dieting, so hopefully this works.
I trained Tuesday in DCU. It was a pretty short session. I lowered the volume, and worked up to a little above what I hope to open with Saturday. It had been a few days since I'd trained, so I was pretty fresh. My snatches felt a lot faster than usual, and very solid overhead. The Clean and Jerks were a lot more snappy too.
After some shoulder rehabbing and stretching here's what I did-
Snatch - 2*30kg, 2*2*40kg, 2*42.5kg, 2*45kg, 1*47.5kg, 1*50kgX, 1*50kg
The rep I missed landed me on my ass! I likely would have lost it behind if my shoulders were more flexible.
After some jerk and clean warm up -
Clean & Jerk - 2*50kg, 2*55kg, 2*60kg, 1*65kg, 1*70kg
The lock out was better on these than usual, which I was happy with. I'm finding the second rep pretty tough for any I did. Really need to improve my conditioning!
I left it at that, and headed to the pool for a little while. Can't beat a little chillin in the sauna!
I'll be training in Hercs today.
I trained Tuesday in DCU. It was a pretty short session. I lowered the volume, and worked up to a little above what I hope to open with Saturday. It had been a few days since I'd trained, so I was pretty fresh. My snatches felt a lot faster than usual, and very solid overhead. The Clean and Jerks were a lot more snappy too.
After some shoulder rehabbing and stretching here's what I did-
Snatch - 2*30kg, 2*2*40kg, 2*42.5kg, 2*45kg, 1*47.5kg, 1*50kgX, 1*50kg
The rep I missed landed me on my ass! I likely would have lost it behind if my shoulders were more flexible.
After some jerk and clean warm up -
Clean & Jerk - 2*50kg, 2*55kg, 2*60kg, 1*65kg, 1*70kg
The lock out was better on these than usual, which I was happy with. I'm finding the second rep pretty tough for any I did. Really need to improve my conditioning!
I left it at that, and headed to the pool for a little while. Can't beat a little chillin in the sauna!
I'll be training in Hercs today.
Monday, February 15, 2010
End of Week Round Up
Trained Thursday in Hercs. Was a day of much thought about my lifting. I'm realising the list of obstacles I have to cross is endless, but I'm enjoying it, so I'll keep fighting!
Tommy Hayden was in coaching Cathal Twaddle, and was offering me a little advice. His main point was that I'm always extending through the front of my foot, rather than through the base. This, he says, is the main cause of my under extension, which is forcing me to use my arms. While I may be able to snatch light weights like this, heavier weights definitely won't be happening. He advises going back to snatching from the boards. Bit of a step backwards, but if it helps I'm willing to try it. Will have to get talking to Harry about it.
My lifting wasn't great. I kept it a little lighter than usual to focus on technique, but everything was still feeling out of place. Here's what I did-
Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 3*2*43kg, 4*2*46kg
Clean - 2*50kg, 2*55kg, 2*60kg, 2*65kg, 4*2*70kg
Back Squat - 5*60kg, 5*70kg, 5*80kg, 5*90kg, 3*5*100kg.
Saturday
Trained at home Saturday. Only got in for an hour, so did some thorough shoulder rehabbing, as well as a little military pressing. Still unsure if my lock-out is improving.
Military press - 2*5*bar, 5*30kg, 5*40kg, 3*50kg, 3*55kg
Planning on competing in the masters in dublin this weekend (as an open lifter obviously!). Just started some water loading, which I've never tried before. Testing it out to see if I can make the 62s. I'm weighing about 64kg at the minute, so it should work if I stick at it. Still unsure what way I'm going to train this week. Will have to give Harry a call to see what he thinks. I'll likely take Thursday and Friday off to rest, but we'll see.
Tommy Hayden was in coaching Cathal Twaddle, and was offering me a little advice. His main point was that I'm always extending through the front of my foot, rather than through the base. This, he says, is the main cause of my under extension, which is forcing me to use my arms. While I may be able to snatch light weights like this, heavier weights definitely won't be happening. He advises going back to snatching from the boards. Bit of a step backwards, but if it helps I'm willing to try it. Will have to get talking to Harry about it.
My lifting wasn't great. I kept it a little lighter than usual to focus on technique, but everything was still feeling out of place. Here's what I did-
Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 3*2*43kg, 4*2*46kg
Clean - 2*50kg, 2*55kg, 2*60kg, 2*65kg, 4*2*70kg
Back Squat - 5*60kg, 5*70kg, 5*80kg, 5*90kg, 3*5*100kg.
Saturday
Trained at home Saturday. Only got in for an hour, so did some thorough shoulder rehabbing, as well as a little military pressing. Still unsure if my lock-out is improving.
Military press - 2*5*bar, 5*30kg, 5*40kg, 3*50kg, 3*55kg
Planning on competing in the masters in dublin this weekend (as an open lifter obviously!). Just started some water loading, which I've never tried before. Testing it out to see if I can make the 62s. I'm weighing about 64kg at the minute, so it should work if I stick at it. Still unsure what way I'm going to train this week. Will have to give Harry a call to see what he thinks. I'll likely take Thursday and Friday off to rest, but we'll see.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Wednesday's Waiting
Trained in DCU today. I should stop. I really don't like training there! The olympic lifting equipment's awful, and it's always busy. That coupled with being surrounded by many people lifting with terrible technique, definitely doesn't create the best environment to train in.
I had an ok session, even though it took a little while to get my hands on a bar and bumper plates. After spending more time that usual doing shoulder rehab and bar work, I started snatching. These were a little off. As I moved the weight up, and got more fatigued, the bar started to drift out. This made me run forward a little in the finish. However, I managed to finish off on with a few sets of 50kg. At least I'm bumping the weight up. Slowly but surely!
Here's what I did today -
Hours of sleep - 5/6hrs
I had an ok session, even though it took a little while to get my hands on a bar and bumper plates. After spending more time that usual doing shoulder rehab and bar work, I started snatching. These were a little off. As I moved the weight up, and got more fatigued, the bar started to drift out. This made me run forward a little in the finish. However, I managed to finish off on with a few sets of 50kg. At least I'm bumping the weight up. Slowly but surely!
Here's what I did today -
- Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 2*2*45kg, 2*2*47.5kg, 4*2*50kg
- Front Squat + Jerk - 2+1*50kg, 2+1*55kg, 3*2+1*60kg
- Front Squat - 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*3*85kg
I missed both reps of the second set of 50kg, I just wasn't focused enough. I also missed the second of the third set, but managed to get both in the second and final set, so I was content.
After some jerk skill work-
These weren't too good. Just couldn't get the lockout right, so I kept it short.
Hours of sleep - 5/6hrs
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tuesday's Road to Recovery
I had a pretty bad allergic reaction yesterday, so couldn't train. I got in today, but I'm still recovering, so it wasn't as good as it could have been.
I trained in Hercs again, starting with the basic warm up. This had many indications the lifting wasn't going to be good. I did the usual overhead squat + snatch balance combo, and even missed some of the snatch balances. Surprisingly though, the snatching went well. I managed to equal my comp pb of 49kg for a few top sets, which was great.
Harry arrived in when I moved on to Clean and Jerks. These unfortunately weren't as clean cut as the snatches. I only managed to work up to 60kg for a few top sets, and they were tough. Even the cleans felt ropey, when usually they're fine. Here's what I did-
I finished off with some stretching. It's actually insane how tight my shoulders are. I can barely grasp my hands behind my back. Alex was there to offer some advice again. She assures me it's tightness in most of the muscle groups in the shoulder, rather than being isolated.
She also showed me some more good stretches that felt great. I can really feel the stretch, as well as scaps moving into they're proper position. The more of these I do, the more my shoulders will improve, so I'm going to keep at it.
Harry might be in DCU tomorrow evening. We're hoping to get club training back underway for semester 2. So chances are I'll be training there. Otherwise I'll be in Hercs. Hopefully I'm well recovered from the allergic reaction for it.
I trained in Hercs again, starting with the basic warm up. This had many indications the lifting wasn't going to be good. I did the usual overhead squat + snatch balance combo, and even missed some of the snatch balances. Surprisingly though, the snatching went well. I managed to equal my comp pb of 49kg for a few top sets, which was great.
Harry arrived in when I moved on to Clean and Jerks. These unfortunately weren't as clean cut as the snatches. I only managed to work up to 60kg for a few top sets, and they were tough. Even the cleans felt ropey, when usually they're fine. Here's what I did-
- Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 2*2*44kg, 2*2*47kg, 4*2*49kg
- Clean & Jerk - 2*50kg, 2*55kg, 3*2*60kg
- Back Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 4*3*100kg
I then did some jerk skill, followed by some clean warm ups. I was quite stiff in the rack position, so Laura did some pnf stretching with me. This helped a lot.
I finished off with some stretching. It's actually insane how tight my shoulders are. I can barely grasp my hands behind my back. Alex was there to offer some advice again. She assures me it's tightness in most of the muscle groups in the shoulder, rather than being isolated.
She also showed me some more good stretches that felt great. I can really feel the stretch, as well as scaps moving into they're proper position. The more of these I do, the more my shoulders will improve, so I'm going to keep at it.
Harry might be in DCU tomorrow evening. We're hoping to get club training back underway for semester 2. So chances are I'll be training there. Otherwise I'll be in Hercs. Hopefully I'm well recovered from the allergic reaction for it.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
3 More Sessions to Finish the Week
Been pretty busy over the last two days, so only getting a chance to post this now.
Tuesday
I trained in Hercs again. I was pretty tired, as I'm still adjusting to the volume, but it was still a good session. I'm beginning to realise I need to start taking a record of my lifts in the gym, because I'm struggling to remember what I did afterwards! So I'll just give a brief summary
Wednesday
Harry advised me to take the day off Wednesday, as I was tired Tuesday. So I did a session in DCU, focusing on my shoulder rehabbing. I tried some of the lat stretches Alex showed me, as well as adjusting some of the older exercises I was doing, on her advice. They're all feeling a lot more effective. She definitely knows her stuff.
I finished off with some squatting, and glute/ham raises.
Trained in Hercs again today. Harry wasn't in, but Laura and Gill were. I was out last night, so I was suffering a little! But I decided to train anyway. I'll undoubtedly have to train hungover every now and again, so I might as well get used to it.
It really wasn't very productive, but I'm glad I went in anyway. Here's what I did-
Tuesday
I trained in Hercs again. I was pretty tired, as I'm still adjusting to the volume, but it was still a good session. I'm beginning to realise I need to start taking a record of my lifts in the gym, because I'm struggling to remember what I did afterwards! So I'll just give a brief summary
- Hang Snatch + Snatch - Worked up to 4*2*48kg
- Clean & Jerk - Worked up to 4*2*65kg
These were pretty rough, and there was definitely a few misses in there. Still not extending fully, and compensating for this by pulling with my arms. Hard habit to kick.
After some jerk skill work-
Wednesday
Harry advised me to take the day off Wednesday, as I was tired Tuesday. So I did a session in DCU, focusing on my shoulder rehabbing. I tried some of the lat stretches Alex showed me, as well as adjusting some of the older exercises I was doing, on her advice. They're all feeling a lot more effective. She definitely knows her stuff.
I finished off with some squatting, and glute/ham raises.
- Back Squat - 3*50kg, 3*60kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 3*3*100kg, 3*3*102.5kg
- Glute/Ham Raise - 3*6reps
Trained in Hercs again today. Harry wasn't in, but Laura and Gill were. I was out last night, so I was suffering a little! But I decided to train anyway. I'll undoubtedly have to train hungover every now and again, so I might as well get used to it.
It really wasn't very productive, but I'm glad I went in anyway. Here's what I did-
- Overhead Squat + Snatch Balance - 2+2*bar, 2+2*30, 2+2*40
- Snatch - 4*2*40kg, 2*2*44kg, 3*2*47kg
- Front Squat + Jerk - 2+1*50kg, 2+1*55kg, 2*2+1*60kg
- Front Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*3*80kg
As with Tuesday, some of these were misses. I wasn't extending fully as usual, and the arms were doing most of the work. Laura offered me some advice on getting the full extension. Driving hard through the heals, while thinking about driving yourself up onto your toes. I started doing this, and some reps improved slightly. I was definitely getting the bar closer throughout the lift, which is a start.
These didn't feel great at all. I was unbalanced, and couldn't lock them out fully. This is without doubt my main problem in the jerk, and Harry is placing a lot of emphasis on how important it is to get sorted. Hopefully this shoulder rehabbing will pay off in the end. So I "cut my losses short" as Laura put it, and moved on to front squats.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Monday's Repeats
Trained in Hercs today, and basically repeated the work I did the last two times I was in.
It was a very enjoyable session. It took me a little while to get focused as I was tired, but in the end it was pretty successful. There was a lot of other lifters in, so there was a good buzz about the place. Barry was in too, who I hadn't seen training in a long time. His dedication is very motivational. He works very hard, and it's clearly paying off.
Here's what I did today-
Hope you enjoyed the bullet points. Trying to brush up on my html!
It was a very enjoyable session. It took me a little while to get focused as I was tired, but in the end it was pretty successful. There was a lot of other lifters in, so there was a good buzz about the place. Barry was in too, who I hadn't seen training in a long time. His dedication is very motivational. He works very hard, and it's clearly paying off.
Here's what I did today-
- OH Squat + Snatch Balance - 2+2*bar, 2+2*30kg, 2+2*40kg
- Snatch - 2*2*40kg
- Hang Snatch + Snatch - 43kg, 45kg, 4*48kg
- Front Squat + Jerk - 2+1*50kg, 2+1*55kg, 2+1*60kg, 2+1*63kg, 4*2+1*65kg
- Front Squat - 3*70kg, 3*75kg, 3*80kg, 3*84kg, 3*3*87kg
I wasn't extending fully on these, and I was swinging the bar out, so Harry got me to swap over to a single hang snatch mid thigh, followed by a single full snatch.
I still wasn't extending fully for a lot of these, I'm sure Harry's getting sick on constantly reminding me too! I was pretty happy with 48kg though. 49kg is my comp PB.
I then did some jerk skill work (jerk dips and catches), and moved on to full jerks.
The jerks are starting to feel a lot more comfortable. The skill work is really improving my feet positioning. I'm also focusing as much as possible on the lockout.
Hope you enjoyed the bullet points. Trying to brush up on my html!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
End of the Exams
Finally finished 'em, thank god. Should be able to get some much needed order to my training now.
Got in twice more this week, Wednesday and Thursday. Planned on training Friday, but spent the session in another local gym critiquing a friends deadlifting technique. They have no squat rack, and barely enough room to deadlift, nevermind clean or snatch; so I decided not to train.
Wednesday and Thursday weren't great, so I'm not going to log my lifts.
Wednesday was a day of random lifting. I was in with a friend, Reamonn, who I'm trying to get to return to the gym; so just went over some basic stuff. Pull ups, military presses, rows etc. Was nice to get doing some pull ups again, can't remember the last time I did! They were pretty tough though. My strength has really decreased recently, first time it's ever happened this drastically. Little annoyed about it.
I intended on training in Hercs Thursday, but Harry couldn't make it, and I've still to join, so I decided to train in DCU instead. I only got 3/4 hrs sleep the night before, so it was a pretty terrible session. I did some snatches, then some squatting, and left it at that.
I'm joining Hercs next week, and hope to train there 3 or 4 days. I've no lectures, so I can focus on lifting alone, and hopefully get a routine down for the following weeks.
Got in twice more this week, Wednesday and Thursday. Planned on training Friday, but spent the session in another local gym critiquing a friends deadlifting technique. They have no squat rack, and barely enough room to deadlift, nevermind clean or snatch; so I decided not to train.
Wednesday and Thursday weren't great, so I'm not going to log my lifts.
Wednesday was a day of random lifting. I was in with a friend, Reamonn, who I'm trying to get to return to the gym; so just went over some basic stuff. Pull ups, military presses, rows etc. Was nice to get doing some pull ups again, can't remember the last time I did! They were pretty tough though. My strength has really decreased recently, first time it's ever happened this drastically. Little annoyed about it.
I intended on training in Hercs Thursday, but Harry couldn't make it, and I've still to join, so I decided to train in DCU instead. I only got 3/4 hrs sleep the night before, so it was a pretty terrible session. I did some snatches, then some squatting, and left it at that.
I'm joining Hercs next week, and hope to train there 3 or 4 days. I've no lectures, so I can focus on lifting alone, and hopefully get a routine down for the following weeks.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday's Steady Progress
I trained in Hercs again today. It really is great to be back. The change in environment, improvement in training gear, and coaching from Harry is fantastic to say the least!
I arrived a little earlier than usual, so managed to fit in some of my shoulder rehab work. When Harry arrived I moved on to snatches. These were pretty good for a while. I was still making simple mistakes like not extending fully, as well as other smaller ones. Not staying over the bar, or getting my knees back enough going into the second pull were some Harry mentioned.
After that I did some jerks. These are improving a lot technique wise. That wouldn't be hard though. They really couldn't have been much uglier! Harry got me focus on the drive mainly. I definitely wasn't putting enough power or speed into it before. This made them feel a lot easier. As usual I finished with some squats. Here's what I did-
Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 2*2*43kg, 2*2*47kg, 2*1*47kg
It was intended that all four sets of 47kg would be doubles, but I missed the second in the last two sets. I was pretty annoyed about that. I lost them out front each time. The lock-out really needs improving.
After some jerk skill work with 40kg-
Jerk - 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 2*50kg
Front Squat + Jerk -
2+1*50kg, 2+1*54kg, 2+1*58kg, 2+1*62kg, 4*2+1*65kg
Front Squat - 3*65kg, 3*75kg, 5*3*85kg
These were pretty tough. But I managed to squeeze out the 5 sets of 85kg.
Today's session was very enjoyable overall. I think my strength levels have actually decreased though. I don't mind anyway, technique is the most important thing at the minute.
I have four exams out of five done, so I'm almost at the point where I can completely focus on training for a while. Really looking forward to getting this last one out of the way.
I should be down in Hercs again Thursday. There'll undoubtedly be a session that night though, since it's the last day of exams, but I'll make the best of it anyway. Even if the recovery time suffers. Here's hoping the DOMs aren't too bad!
Hours of sleep - 7/8hrs
I arrived a little earlier than usual, so managed to fit in some of my shoulder rehab work. When Harry arrived I moved on to snatches. These were pretty good for a while. I was still making simple mistakes like not extending fully, as well as other smaller ones. Not staying over the bar, or getting my knees back enough going into the second pull were some Harry mentioned.
After that I did some jerks. These are improving a lot technique wise. That wouldn't be hard though. They really couldn't have been much uglier! Harry got me focus on the drive mainly. I definitely wasn't putting enough power or speed into it before. This made them feel a lot easier. As usual I finished with some squats. Here's what I did-
Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 2*2*43kg, 2*2*47kg, 2*1*47kg
It was intended that all four sets of 47kg would be doubles, but I missed the second in the last two sets. I was pretty annoyed about that. I lost them out front each time. The lock-out really needs improving.
After some jerk skill work with 40kg-
Jerk - 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 2*50kg
Front Squat + Jerk -
2+1*50kg, 2+1*54kg, 2+1*58kg, 2+1*62kg, 4*2+1*65kg
Front Squat - 3*65kg, 3*75kg, 5*3*85kg
These were pretty tough. But I managed to squeeze out the 5 sets of 85kg.
Today's session was very enjoyable overall. I think my strength levels have actually decreased though. I don't mind anyway, technique is the most important thing at the minute.
I have four exams out of five done, so I'm almost at the point where I can completely focus on training for a while. Really looking forward to getting this last one out of the way.
I should be down in Hercs again Thursday. There'll undoubtedly be a session that night though, since it's the last day of exams, but I'll make the best of it anyway. Even if the recovery time suffers. Here's hoping the DOMs aren't too bad!
Hours of sleep - 7/8hrs
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday's Short Session
I was pretty fatigued today. I had another exam this morning, so I only got 3/4hrs sleep. I'm actually going to start logging roughly how much sleep I get the night before training, just to see how much it's affecting me.
As the title says, I kept it short today. I started with my shoulder rehab work as usual. Spent a little longer on it today, as I hadn't done much during the week. The exercise I'm finding most effective so far is the thoraic spine extension (also called the cobra pose in yoga). I can really feel the scaps moving in to place when I do them. The scap push-ups are really improving too. I hope all this indicates I'm improving.
Disclaimer: This is not me.
Here's what I did today after some bar work-
Hang Clean - 2*2*40, 2*45
Clean - 2*50, 2*55, 2*60, 2*65, 3*2*70
Back Squat - 5*60, 5*70, 5*80, 3*5*90
Glute-ham raises - 1 set of 6
Had to leave it at one set as the gym was closing. They weren't feeling the best anyway, so I wasn't too bothered.
So there you go. Quite an easy session.
I'm not sure when I'll be in next. I've exams Monday and Tuesday, and the last on Thursday. Hopefully I'll get in three times. Not too happy with only 3 sessions a week. But I'm too busy at the minute to increase that. Once the exams are finished, I'll up it to 4 proper sessions a week.
Hours of sleep - 3/4hrs
As the title says, I kept it short today. I started with my shoulder rehab work as usual. Spent a little longer on it today, as I hadn't done much during the week. The exercise I'm finding most effective so far is the thoraic spine extension (also called the cobra pose in yoga). I can really feel the scaps moving in to place when I do them. The scap push-ups are really improving too. I hope all this indicates I'm improving.
Disclaimer: This is not me.
Here's what I did today after some bar work-
Hang Clean - 2*2*40, 2*45
Clean - 2*50, 2*55, 2*60, 2*65, 3*2*70
Back Squat - 5*60, 5*70, 5*80, 3*5*90
Glute-ham raises - 1 set of 6
Had to leave it at one set as the gym was closing. They weren't feeling the best anyway, so I wasn't too bothered.
So there you go. Quite an easy session.
I'm not sure when I'll be in next. I've exams Monday and Tuesday, and the last on Thursday. Hopefully I'll get in three times. Not too happy with only 3 sessions a week. But I'm too busy at the minute to increase that. Once the exams are finished, I'll up it to 4 proper sessions a week.
Hours of sleep - 3/4hrs
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wednesday's Return to Hercs
Got to train in Hercs today, which was great. I used to be a member there last year, and got in quite regularly, so it was good to be back.
There was some old and new lifters. Wayne Healy was most noteable, as I'd never seen him lift before. Wayne's competition PBs are 112/137.5kg from back in 1999 as a 62kg lifter. He also lifted 115/140kg as a 69kg lifter the same year. He's ridiculously fast under the bar, and is still lifting close to his best. He made, what looked like a very comfortable 100kg snatch today. It was great seeing Wayne lift, as his physique, and weight are very similar to my own. I figure I could learn a lot from him.
I got far more done today than I have in months of training. Having Harry there pushing me to do extra, and being around other lifters really spurred me on. Harry decided what I would do. He knows I'm weakest in the overhead part of the lifts, so that's what I mainly focused on. I didn't get any of my shoulder rehab work done, but here's what I did after some bar work-
Snatch- 2*30kg, 2*35kg, 2*40kg, 6*2*45kg
For these Harry got me to slow down in the first pull, and extend a little quicker in the second pull. Before this I was speeding through the whole thing, causing the bar to swing out in front. It was far more sets than usual, but I need to do this to improve.
Jerk- 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 2*50kg, 4*2*55kg
Here Harry got me to focus on relaxing the back leg a little more. I was basically straightening it, which was causing me to lose the bar out front. I also had to work on getting the front foot out more, and increasing the width of my stance. As it was, it was quite narrow, which made balancing with the weight overhead difficult.
Front Squat- 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*3*90kg
So there you go. That's the best session I've had in months! Doesn't say much for my training. I intend on rejoining Hercs now in semester 2, Harry says he's going to try getting in a few times a week, so hopefully it'll help me progress quicker. I probably won't be training tomorrow, as I've an exam the next day. I'll be training at home on Friday.
There was some old and new lifters. Wayne Healy was most noteable, as I'd never seen him lift before. Wayne's competition PBs are 112/137.5kg from back in 1999 as a 62kg lifter. He also lifted 115/140kg as a 69kg lifter the same year. He's ridiculously fast under the bar, and is still lifting close to his best. He made, what looked like a very comfortable 100kg snatch today. It was great seeing Wayne lift, as his physique, and weight are very similar to my own. I figure I could learn a lot from him.
I got far more done today than I have in months of training. Having Harry there pushing me to do extra, and being around other lifters really spurred me on. Harry decided what I would do. He knows I'm weakest in the overhead part of the lifts, so that's what I mainly focused on. I didn't get any of my shoulder rehab work done, but here's what I did after some bar work-
Snatch- 2*30kg, 2*35kg, 2*40kg, 6*2*45kg
For these Harry got me to slow down in the first pull, and extend a little quicker in the second pull. Before this I was speeding through the whole thing, causing the bar to swing out in front. It was far more sets than usual, but I need to do this to improve.
Jerk- 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 2*50kg, 4*2*55kg
Here Harry got me to focus on relaxing the back leg a little more. I was basically straightening it, which was causing me to lose the bar out front. I also had to work on getting the front foot out more, and increasing the width of my stance. As it was, it was quite narrow, which made balancing with the weight overhead difficult.
Front Squat- 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*3*90kg
So there you go. That's the best session I've had in months! Doesn't say much for my training. I intend on rejoining Hercs now in semester 2, Harry says he's going to try getting in a few times a week, so hopefully it'll help me progress quicker. I probably won't be training tomorrow, as I've an exam the next day. I'll be training at home on Friday.
Tuesday's Logic
Had my first exam today, it was in Logic surprisingly enough! It's probably the easiest of all our exams, but it's good to have one over and done with.
While some people can apply their study to their training, I really don't find I can. Computers, weightlifting, not much there really! Logic is probably the only one with any relevance, especially as reasoning is such an important part of it.
While training today I thought about relationships between my lifting and study. I really couldn't think of any, apart from ones negative impact on the other. I concluded that I need to improve the balance. I leave college work to the last minute all the time. These leaves me working to ridiculous hours in the morning, skipping training, and not concentrating fully when I'm there. All negative! So applying my logic skills, I reason that I should get my college work done earlier, and everything will improve. Genius!
Right, enough of the waffle...
Today's training was mediocre. I started with foam rolling again, and some of the other shoulder rehabbing exercises. Then after some bar work, I started snatching. Initially these felt great, but as the weight got heavier, they got pretty bad. I put this down to confidence more than anything. I'm not getting myself into the mindset that leaves me comfortable getting under the bar. I also noticed I'm driving out with the hips rather than up, going to focus on improving that over the next while.
Afterwards I did some jerks. I was experimenting with different grip widths. I've been trying a wider grip for a while now, as it made sense to me that it would improve my lock out. Today I went back to the normal width, and I felt I was locking them out better than ever. No idea why.
Anyway, here's what I did-
Snatch- 2*35kg, 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 1*50kg(messy power snatch)
Jerk- 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 2*50kg, 2*55kg, 2*60kg
Still Struggling to get the foot forward in these as the weight increases.
Back Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 3*100kg, 3*110kg
Jerk Combo (Military Press + Push Press + Power Jerk) -
40kg, 50kg, 3 sets @ 60kg
Should be training in Hercs tomorrow, if Harry's heading in. Gonna increase the sleep tonight anyway, 3/4hrs last night did not make training easy at all.
While some people can apply their study to their training, I really don't find I can. Computers, weightlifting, not much there really! Logic is probably the only one with any relevance, especially as reasoning is such an important part of it.
While training today I thought about relationships between my lifting and study. I really couldn't think of any, apart from ones negative impact on the other. I concluded that I need to improve the balance. I leave college work to the last minute all the time. These leaves me working to ridiculous hours in the morning, skipping training, and not concentrating fully when I'm there. All negative! So applying my logic skills, I reason that I should get my college work done earlier, and everything will improve. Genius!
Right, enough of the waffle...
Today's training was mediocre. I started with foam rolling again, and some of the other shoulder rehabbing exercises. Then after some bar work, I started snatching. Initially these felt great, but as the weight got heavier, they got pretty bad. I put this down to confidence more than anything. I'm not getting myself into the mindset that leaves me comfortable getting under the bar. I also noticed I'm driving out with the hips rather than up, going to focus on improving that over the next while.
Afterwards I did some jerks. I was experimenting with different grip widths. I've been trying a wider grip for a while now, as it made sense to me that it would improve my lock out. Today I went back to the normal width, and I felt I was locking them out better than ever. No idea why.
Anyway, here's what I did-
Snatch- 2*35kg, 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 1*50kg(messy power snatch)
Jerk- 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 2*50kg, 2*55kg, 2*60kg
Still Struggling to get the foot forward in these as the weight increases.
Back Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 3*100kg, 3*110kg
Jerk Combo (Military Press + Push Press + Power Jerk) -
40kg, 50kg, 3 sets @ 60kg
Should be training in Hercs tomorrow, if Harry's heading in. Gonna increase the sleep tonight anyway, 3/4hrs last night did not make training easy at all.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday's sore shoulders
I'm noticing a trend to my posts already. Not a good sign at all. I promise the complaining will stop though, next week hopefully!
Today was a quick session. I trained at home, so I was limited. I started with some shoulder rehab. T-spine extensions, bar hangs, lat stretches, shoulder dislocates, theraband stretching and scap push-ups. These left my shoulders pretty fatigued, but I really think they're starting to make a difference, even if it is small.
I then moved on to overhead squats, and snatch balances. I wanted to push the weight up in these, but it just wasn't happening, so I cut that short. The same happened with the cleans. Here's what I ended up doing-
Overhead Squat + Snatch Balance- 2+2*30kg, 2+2*35kg
Clean- 2*40kg, 2*50kg
My shoulder joints were screaming at me, I had to leave it there.
Military Press- 5*30kg, 5*40kg, 5*42.5kg, 5*45kg
Back Squat- 5*40kg, 5*60kg, 5*70kg, 5*80kg, 5*90kg
There you have it. Twas a fairly embarrassing session to have to log. But I guess it's just one of many steps to greatness!
My exams are starting next week (insert sad face), so I probably won't get in to train until Tuesday. I'm not really sure how much I'll actually get to train at all next week, I've a lot of work to do. Looking forward to next Thursday. I'll have some time off after that to train a good bit.
Today was a quick session. I trained at home, so I was limited. I started with some shoulder rehab. T-spine extensions, bar hangs, lat stretches, shoulder dislocates, theraband stretching and scap push-ups. These left my shoulders pretty fatigued, but I really think they're starting to make a difference, even if it is small.
I then moved on to overhead squats, and snatch balances. I wanted to push the weight up in these, but it just wasn't happening, so I cut that short. The same happened with the cleans. Here's what I ended up doing-
Overhead Squat + Snatch Balance- 2+2*30kg, 2+2*35kg
Clean- 2*40kg, 2*50kg
My shoulder joints were screaming at me, I had to leave it there.
Military Press- 5*30kg, 5*40kg, 5*42.5kg, 5*45kg
Back Squat- 5*40kg, 5*60kg, 5*70kg, 5*80kg, 5*90kg
There you have it. Twas a fairly embarrassing session to have to log. But I guess it's just one of many steps to greatness!
My exams are starting next week (insert sad face), so I probably won't get in to train until Tuesday. I'm not really sure how much I'll actually get to train at all next week, I've a lot of work to do. Looking forward to next Thursday. I'll have some time off after that to train a good bit.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Thursday's battered legs
It must be the slight increase in volume, my legs are really suffering. A return to the ice baths is definitely due!
Today was tough again. My sleep pattern is all over the place, I got damn all last night, and it's really catching up with me. My speed was terrible, everything felt unusually heavy, and the intensity was like a long distance race (without it being that intense at all!).
I was training in DCU's high performance gym again today. Sami was in training some of the Dublin gaelic team, which was great, as he's always got plenty of advice for me. Sami's an 85kg lifter with pbs of 100kg/135kg. He's only lifting a short time, so we'll without doubt see plenty more from him.
I started again today with some foam rolling. It was a little more painful than yesterday as I was a little tight. Afterwards I did some shoulder dislocates, and t-spine extensions, following that I began some bar work, and then moved on to power snatches. Sami informed me that I need to keep the bar in closer when I extend for these. A rookie mistake no doubt!
After that I did some clean and jerks, with two cleans and a single jerk. Sami was quick to point out that I need to get the front foot forward more in the jerk. I've noticed this for a while myself, but when someone else mentions it, you think about it that bit more. I'll have to get some videos up to see if there's any improvement in it. Unfortunately you're not allowed to use videoing equipment in the HPG, I'll have to see if I can find a way around that. Here's what I did today-
Power Snatch - 3*30kg, 3*40kg, 3*42.5kg, 3*45kg
Clean and Jerk - 2+1*40kg, 2+1*50kg, 2*2+1*55kg, 2+1*60kg
Front Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg
The front squats were ridiculously tough. My 3x100kg last week was far easier than the 3x90kg today. I'm looking forward to adjusting to the current training.
I'm not sure whether I'll be training at home or in DCU tomorrow. May have to head back early. I'd much rather train here, so fingers crossed I can.
Today was tough again. My sleep pattern is all over the place, I got damn all last night, and it's really catching up with me. My speed was terrible, everything felt unusually heavy, and the intensity was like a long distance race (without it being that intense at all!).
I was training in DCU's high performance gym again today. Sami was in training some of the Dublin gaelic team, which was great, as he's always got plenty of advice for me. Sami's an 85kg lifter with pbs of 100kg/135kg. He's only lifting a short time, so we'll without doubt see plenty more from him.
I started again today with some foam rolling. It was a little more painful than yesterday as I was a little tight. Afterwards I did some shoulder dislocates, and t-spine extensions, following that I began some bar work, and then moved on to power snatches. Sami informed me that I need to keep the bar in closer when I extend for these. A rookie mistake no doubt!
After that I did some clean and jerks, with two cleans and a single jerk. Sami was quick to point out that I need to get the front foot forward more in the jerk. I've noticed this for a while myself, but when someone else mentions it, you think about it that bit more. I'll have to get some videos up to see if there's any improvement in it. Unfortunately you're not allowed to use videoing equipment in the HPG, I'll have to see if I can find a way around that. Here's what I did today-
Power Snatch - 3*30kg, 3*40kg, 3*42.5kg, 3*45kg
Clean and Jerk - 2+1*40kg, 2+1*50kg, 2*2+1*55kg, 2+1*60kg
Front Squat - 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg
The front squats were ridiculously tough. My 3x100kg last week was far easier than the 3x90kg today. I'm looking forward to adjusting to the current training.
I'm not sure whether I'll be training at home or in DCU tomorrow. May have to head back early. I'd much rather train here, so fingers crossed I can.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Wednesday's return to DCU
I wasn't feeling the best the last two days, so I only got back today. I was training in the high performance gym in DCU, which was I was glad to return to. Unfortunately though, the facilities aren't much better than those at home.
They've two platforms, which is obviously a plus; but there is only a womens' olympic lifting bar, two 5kg, and two 2.5kg bumper plates. These are wrecked as well because of the extra weight being added to the bar along with them. I think the sports centre is more to blame here though. The bar and bumper plates combined only make up 30kg. Lifters cannot be expected to stay below that weight!
This is probably the main reason I've become involved with trying to establish a DCU weightlifting club. We've had several obstacles holding us back thus far, but hopefully over the next month we can get funding sorted, and focus on the lifting.
For semester 1 we trained with broom handles under the guide of the ever wise Harry Leech. This was of course suitable for the start, but as you can imagine, it became difficult to keep everyone interested. We later hit our first funding issues, so even these classes had to be halted.
For semester 2 we our looking to get the club a permanent training area, this is looking the promising. The only reason we couldn't in semester 1, was because the building we are looking for access to was being refurbished. We will also find out next week if our grant application has been successful. Fingers crossed it will be.
I started today's session with some foam rolling. I find it great for keeping the IT band loose. I also tried it on my upper back and lats. It certainly helped a little, I'm sure I'll notice it working more and more over the next few training sessions. I also did some of my other shoulder rehabbing work, these are becoming easier each week.
The actual lifting today was tough. My speed under the bar was terribly slow, and everything felt far heavier than it should have. I really wasn't focused enough. After some overhead squats and light snatch balances here's what I did-
Snatch- 2*30kg, 2*35kg, 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 1*50kg
The one rep of 50 was more of a muscle snatch, so I didn't even bother with a second.
Jerk- 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 3*2*50kg
I stuck with 50kg to focus on the lock out as much as possible. I really need to focus on getting my front foot forward more too.
Back Squat- 3*50kg, 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 3*100kg, 3*110kg
I then finished 3 sets of the following circuit
Scap push-ups * 20, glute ham raises * 6, bar hang * 1 min.
Had a bit of a chill out in the sauna, jacuzzi and tepidarium afterwards, which I thoroughly enjoyed! Here's hoping tomorrow's session is easier.
They've two platforms, which is obviously a plus; but there is only a womens' olympic lifting bar, two 5kg, and two 2.5kg bumper plates. These are wrecked as well because of the extra weight being added to the bar along with them. I think the sports centre is more to blame here though. The bar and bumper plates combined only make up 30kg. Lifters cannot be expected to stay below that weight!
This is probably the main reason I've become involved with trying to establish a DCU weightlifting club. We've had several obstacles holding us back thus far, but hopefully over the next month we can get funding sorted, and focus on the lifting.
For semester 1 we trained with broom handles under the guide of the ever wise Harry Leech. This was of course suitable for the start, but as you can imagine, it became difficult to keep everyone interested. We later hit our first funding issues, so even these classes had to be halted.
For semester 2 we our looking to get the club a permanent training area, this is looking the promising. The only reason we couldn't in semester 1, was because the building we are looking for access to was being refurbished. We will also find out next week if our grant application has been successful. Fingers crossed it will be.
I started today's session with some foam rolling. I find it great for keeping the IT band loose. I also tried it on my upper back and lats. It certainly helped a little, I'm sure I'll notice it working more and more over the next few training sessions. I also did some of my other shoulder rehabbing work, these are becoming easier each week.
The actual lifting today was tough. My speed under the bar was terribly slow, and everything felt far heavier than it should have. I really wasn't focused enough. After some overhead squats and light snatch balances here's what I did-
Snatch- 2*30kg, 2*35kg, 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 1*50kg
The one rep of 50 was more of a muscle snatch, so I didn't even bother with a second.
Jerk- 2*40kg, 2*45kg, 3*2*50kg
I stuck with 50kg to focus on the lock out as much as possible. I really need to focus on getting my front foot forward more too.
Back Squat- 3*50kg, 3*60kg, 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*90kg, 3*100kg, 3*110kg
I then finished 3 sets of the following circuit
Scap push-ups * 20, glute ham raises * 6, bar hang * 1 min.
Had a bit of a chill out in the sauna, jacuzzi and tepidarium afterwards, which I thoroughly enjoyed! Here's hoping tomorrow's session is easier.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Friday's Final Session of the Week
I was training with Jason again today, he's following training advice from Victor Costa
. It's not really applicable to Olympic lifting, but there's some interesting stuff there.
Today I started off with the usual shoulder rehabbing exercises. I'm finding my shoulders are pretty sore, so I might give them a rest tomorrow.
After some overhead squats and snatch drops I moved straight on to cleans. I only did a few warm up sets, and then moved onto the full clean and jerk. My lockout is still pretty bad, but I mainly put this down to the fact that my shoulders are fatigued. I finished the session with some squatting, which went pretty well. Here's what I did-
Clean & Jerk - 1+2*40, 1+2*50, 1+2x55, 1x60, 1x65, 1x70
Front Squat - 3x60kg, 3x70kg, 3x80kg, 3x90kg, 3x100kg
Back Squat - 3x60kg, 3x70kg, 3x80kg, 3x90kg
I left it at that. I would have liked to do a final set of 100kg for the back squat. But I was tight on time. Here's a video of my 70kg C&J, comments would be appreciated. I'm pretty sure my front leg needs to go forward more for a start. (Forgive the quality, my phone sucks!).
I won't be training again until Tuesday, as I'm working most of the day Monday. I should be training in Dublin next week, Hercs hopefully; if the roads are drivable that is.
Today I started off with the usual shoulder rehabbing exercises. I'm finding my shoulders are pretty sore, so I might give them a rest tomorrow.
After some overhead squats and snatch drops I moved straight on to cleans. I only did a few warm up sets, and then moved onto the full clean and jerk. My lockout is still pretty bad, but I mainly put this down to the fact that my shoulders are fatigued. I finished the session with some squatting, which went pretty well. Here's what I did-
Clean & Jerk - 1+2*40, 1+2*50, 1+2x55, 1x60, 1x65, 1x70
Front Squat - 3x60kg, 3x70kg, 3x80kg, 3x90kg, 3x100kg
Back Squat - 3x60kg, 3x70kg, 3x80kg, 3x90kg
I left it at that. I would have liked to do a final set of 100kg for the back squat. But I was tight on time. Here's a video of my 70kg C&J, comments would be appreciated. I'm pretty sure my front leg needs to go forward more for a start. (Forgive the quality, my phone sucks!).
I won't be training again until Tuesday, as I'm working most of the day Monday. I should be training in Dublin next week, Hercs hopefully; if the roads are drivable that is.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Thursday - More nostalgia!
Today I was training with my first ever training partner, Jason. The two of us started back when we were 15, in another small local gym; learning the ins and outs of bicep curls, tricep extensions and ab exercises. Jason's more into the bodybuilding aspect of training, and I don't think I'll ever convert him to Olympic lifting! He currently weighs around 85kg at 5'8".
I didn't do any lifting today. I focused on my shoulder rehabbing exercises, and did a lot of bar work. I did the usual thoracic spine extensions, my flexibility is improving in these day by day. I also did 3x1 minute bar hangs. Even though it wasn't intended, these are really improving my grip. They also give me a great lat and pec stretch.
I did 5 sets of scap push ups as well. I got Jason to video my first, which made me realise my technique was woeful. So I worked on that, and got him to video me again. Here's a video, feel free to leave any constructive criticism. I know my hips are dropping when they shouldn't, I'm going to work on adjusting that.
That was it for today. I plan on doing some full clean and jerks tomorrow, and plenty of squatting. Should be well recovered for it.
I didn't do any lifting today. I focused on my shoulder rehabbing exercises, and did a lot of bar work. I did the usual thoracic spine extensions, my flexibility is improving in these day by day. I also did 3x1 minute bar hangs. Even though it wasn't intended, these are really improving my grip. They also give me a great lat and pec stretch.
I did 5 sets of scap push ups as well. I got Jason to video my first, which made me realise my technique was woeful. So I worked on that, and got him to video me again. Here's a video, feel free to leave any constructive criticism. I know my hips are dropping when they shouldn't, I'm going to work on adjusting that.
That was it for today. I plan on doing some full clean and jerks tomorrow, and plenty of squatting. Should be well recovered for it.
Wednesday's Reunion
Today I got to train with two mates of mine, Gerard and Tom, who I haven't seen in ages. Gerard was a training partner back when I started going to the gym, so it was great to get training with him again! Of course the craic was good, so the lifting suffered a little.
I started off with the shoulder rehabbing exercises. Thoracic spine extensions, bar hangs, lat stretches, shoulder dislocates, and overhead squats with a progressively narrower grip (These are really improving my flexibility). I'm feeling these in the left shoulder especially, hopefully this indicates they're working.
I was still training at home, so I couldn't snatch fully. Last time I did I almost tore a bicep lowering the weight back to the ground. I chose to do the snatch balance instead. I find these great for getting comfortable with full snatches, they really improve the lock out. I finished with some cleans, squats and power jerks. Everything was feeling a little off, but I'm sure once I get back to DCU, and start training normally, things will fall back into place. Here's what I did-
Snatch balance - 2x35, 2x40, 2x45, 2x50
Clean - 2x40, 2x50, 2x55, 2x60, 2x65, 2x70
Back Squat - 5x60, 5x70, 5x80, 5x90
Power Jerk - 3x40, 3x50, 3x60, 2x65, 2x60
The power jerks weren't feeling very solid at all. In hindsight I probably should have stayed below 50kg, and really focused on the lockout. The rehab exercises are leaving my shoulders pretty fatigued, but I'm sure this will improve with time.
Here's a video of a great exercise I came across for improving shoulder mobility. For anyone with few issues here, it could be used as a warm up.
Gerard and Tom study in UL, and I think I may have talked them into joining the weightlifting club there. So hopefully you'll have two new members down there in semester 2 Cathal!
I started off with the shoulder rehabbing exercises. Thoracic spine extensions, bar hangs, lat stretches, shoulder dislocates, and overhead squats with a progressively narrower grip (These are really improving my flexibility). I'm feeling these in the left shoulder especially, hopefully this indicates they're working.
I was still training at home, so I couldn't snatch fully. Last time I did I almost tore a bicep lowering the weight back to the ground. I chose to do the snatch balance instead. I find these great for getting comfortable with full snatches, they really improve the lock out. I finished with some cleans, squats and power jerks. Everything was feeling a little off, but I'm sure once I get back to DCU, and start training normally, things will fall back into place. Here's what I did-
Snatch balance - 2x35, 2x40, 2x45, 2x50
Clean - 2x40, 2x50, 2x55, 2x60, 2x65, 2x70
Back Squat - 5x60, 5x70, 5x80, 5x90
Power Jerk - 3x40, 3x50, 3x60, 2x65, 2x60
The power jerks weren't feeling very solid at all. In hindsight I probably should have stayed below 50kg, and really focused on the lockout. The rehab exercises are leaving my shoulders pretty fatigued, but I'm sure this will improve with time.
Here's a video of a great exercise I came across for improving shoulder mobility. For anyone with few issues here, it could be used as a warm up.
Gerard and Tom study in UL, and I think I may have talked them into joining the weightlifting club there. So hopefully you'll have two new members down there in semester 2 Cathal!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
One session down
Thankfully it wasn't a drinking session this time! Far too much of that went on over xmas.
I was training at home in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan today. Unfortunately I've limited facilities (powerlifting bars, steel plates), so I had to keep it simple. It suited me though, I really need to be eased back in!
I started with some of my back rehabbing exercises, so I think now is probably a suitable time to explain what issues I'm having exactly.
My left scapula is the culprit, and it's been preventing me from supporting heavier weights overhead for quite a while now. According to my physio there is several things causing this. All contributing to the overall imbalance. I'll list them, with the suggested treatment.
1) Thoracic spine mobility
-extension (avoid excessive Lumbar sp. extension)
2) Lat dorsi flexibility
-foam roller
-bar hang (great for grip work too)
-stretch lat dorsi (physiological stretching = 20-30sec, 2-3/10 stretch sensation, 5reps, 5 daily)
3) Pec/chest tightness
-shoulder dislocate
-door stretch at different angles
-theraband behind back
4) Serratus anterior weakness
-scap pushups
5) Levator scap tightness
-to stretch (physiological stretching) look towards opposite armpit (sit on stretch-side hand)
So as you can see, i've plenty of work to keep me busy! At the minute my scap is slightly winged, and due to the weakness in the lev scap, it's not as tight to the back at the bottom as it should be. That's not completely obvious in the these pictures, but I think it's fairly clear what effects it is having on my back development.
Today I mainly focused on the thoracic spine extension, as well as some scap push ups. I also did 3x1 minute hangs from the gyms pull-up bar. This really lets me get comfortable with the arm positioning for the jerk, it fairly burns the forearms though!
As I was saying I was limited in what I could do today. So after a some leg stretches, and bar work, here's what I did-
Front squat- 3x50, 3x60, 3x70, 3x80, 3x90
Back squat- 3x60, 3x70, 3x80, 3x90, 3x100
Military Press- 5x30, 5x35, 5x40
Push Press- 5x50, 5x55, 5x40
I dropped back to 40 for my last set of push presses, because my lefts arm's lockout was really suffering. I feel the fatigue after some of the earlier work, and the effects of just being back were the main causes.
So today's training was very basic, and not too intense. It was really just what I needed for my first day back. Hopefully I can up it a little more tomorrow.
I was training at home in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan today. Unfortunately I've limited facilities (powerlifting bars, steel plates), so I had to keep it simple. It suited me though, I really need to be eased back in!
I started with some of my back rehabbing exercises, so I think now is probably a suitable time to explain what issues I'm having exactly.
My left scapula is the culprit, and it's been preventing me from supporting heavier weights overhead for quite a while now. According to my physio there is several things causing this. All contributing to the overall imbalance. I'll list them, with the suggested treatment.
1) Thoracic spine mobility
-extension (avoid excessive Lumbar sp. extension)
2) Lat dorsi flexibility
-foam roller
-bar hang (great for grip work too)
-stretch lat dorsi (physiological stretching = 20-30sec, 2-3/10 stretch sensation, 5reps, 5 daily)
3) Pec/chest tightness
-shoulder dislocate
-door stretch at different angles
-theraband behind back
4) Serratus anterior weakness
-scap pushups
5) Levator scap tightness
-to stretch (physiological stretching) look towards opposite armpit (sit on stretch-side hand)
So as you can see, i've plenty of work to keep me busy! At the minute my scap is slightly winged, and due to the weakness in the lev scap, it's not as tight to the back at the bottom as it should be. That's not completely obvious in the these pictures, but I think it's fairly clear what effects it is having on my back development.
Today I mainly focused on the thoracic spine extension, as well as some scap push ups. I also did 3x1 minute hangs from the gyms pull-up bar. This really lets me get comfortable with the arm positioning for the jerk, it fairly burns the forearms though!
As I was saying I was limited in what I could do today. So after a some leg stretches, and bar work, here's what I did-
Front squat- 3x50, 3x60, 3x70, 3x80, 3x90
Back squat- 3x60, 3x70, 3x80, 3x90, 3x100
Military Press- 5x30, 5x35, 5x40
Push Press- 5x50, 5x55, 5x40
I dropped back to 40 for my last set of push presses, because my lefts arm's lockout was really suffering. I feel the fatigue after some of the earlier work, and the effects of just being back were the main causes.
So today's training was very basic, and not too intense. It was really just what I needed for my first day back. Hopefully I can up it a little more tomorrow.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Step 1 - Acceptance
It's been a long time coming. I've made several half-hearted attempts, but the temptation always took over. This time it's for real. It's time to finally say goodbye to the bench press. Well... almost!
I had my first Olympic Weightlifting competition in March of '08 (The Irish Seniors). I've been lifting close to 2 years now it might appear, I've surely built up some reasonably impressive numbers in the various lifts involved. Unfortunately this is not the case (as you can see from my pbs below). The list of excuses is endless, I won't bore you. A quick summation would read- laziness, shoulder issues, laziness!
For now I'll use the second excuse. Even though by right, laziness was the reason I didn't sort it out! See I've been lifting weights from the tender age of 15. I was the best at the bench press and bicep curls for miles! This however, rightly fecked up me shoulders.
For my first competition I was self trained. My technique simply involved muscling the bar overhead, it wasn't pretty (I lifted 45/62 in the 62s). It wasn't until October of the same year, that the excellent Harry Leech took me under his wing.
With my shoulders almost melding with my chest Harry realised he'd have his work cut out! It took about 3 months until I could overhead squat correctly. Even when I got that far, it became obvious, that without serious shoulder rehab; they would impede on most other parts of both lifts. And they did.
However I still managed to make the Irish Seniors again, and with some coaching under my belt, I made a slight improvement. 49/70 @ ~63. It was still pretty bad, and I soon started finding my motivation declining.
I was in the middle of my 1st year in DCU. So when summer hit I moved back home to the mighty Monaghan. Training took a standstill for 4 months. The most I did was squat occasionally.
Returning to college in October, I figured I could really start making the change, and I did to a degree. I became involved with starting of a DCU weightlifting club (I'll have more on that soon), and upped my training. This went on for 2/3 months, I had the World Drug Powerlifting Championships in November, so it was disturbed.
After the competition the shit hit the pan. Too many late nights, to much drinking, to much not going to gym, etc etc. And now I'm here...
A New Year, a New Beginning -
1) Fix the bleedin' shoulders once and for all.
I've seen a physio twice over xmas, I have the rehabbing solution, I just have to follow it.
2) Train four times a week.
Not difficult. Harry has a program laid out for me, and I used to train 6 times a week for powerlifting. Four's nothing.
3) Get the weightlifting club sorted.
We really need to step up the fight, and get the funds needed. Then we can really get the ball rolling.
So there you have it. The blog is going to act as record for me, a motivator(through you the reader hopefully), and a guide (if you're all generous enough to give constructive criticism and pointers!)
Cheers,
Shane
ps. I'm sure there's much I've forgotten to include. I will make sure to mention them in the coming days.
I had my first Olympic Weightlifting competition in March of '08 (The Irish Seniors). I've been lifting close to 2 years now it might appear, I've surely built up some reasonably impressive numbers in the various lifts involved. Unfortunately this is not the case (as you can see from my pbs below). The list of excuses is endless, I won't bore you. A quick summation would read- laziness, shoulder issues, laziness!
For now I'll use the second excuse. Even though by right, laziness was the reason I didn't sort it out! See I've been lifting weights from the tender age of 15. I was the best at the bench press and bicep curls for miles! This however, rightly fecked up me shoulders.
For my first competition I was self trained. My technique simply involved muscling the bar overhead, it wasn't pretty (I lifted 45/62 in the 62s). It wasn't until October of the same year, that the excellent Harry Leech took me under his wing.
With my shoulders almost melding with my chest Harry realised he'd have his work cut out! It took about 3 months until I could overhead squat correctly. Even when I got that far, it became obvious, that without serious shoulder rehab; they would impede on most other parts of both lifts. And they did.
However I still managed to make the Irish Seniors again, and with some coaching under my belt, I made a slight improvement. 49/70 @ ~63. It was still pretty bad, and I soon started finding my motivation declining.
I was in the middle of my 1st year in DCU. So when summer hit I moved back home to the mighty Monaghan. Training took a standstill for 4 months. The most I did was squat occasionally.
Returning to college in October, I figured I could really start making the change, and I did to a degree. I became involved with starting of a DCU weightlifting club (I'll have more on that soon), and upped my training. This went on for 2/3 months, I had the World Drug Powerlifting Championships in November, so it was disturbed.
After the competition the shit hit the pan. Too many late nights, to much drinking, to much not going to gym, etc etc. And now I'm here...
A New Year, a New Beginning -
1) Fix the bleedin' shoulders once and for all.
I've seen a physio twice over xmas, I have the rehabbing solution, I just have to follow it.
2) Train four times a week.
Not difficult. Harry has a program laid out for me, and I used to train 6 times a week for powerlifting. Four's nothing.
3) Get the weightlifting club sorted.
We really need to step up the fight, and get the funds needed. Then we can really get the ball rolling.
So there you have it. The blog is going to act as record for me, a motivator(through you the reader hopefully), and a guide (if you're all generous enough to give constructive criticism and pointers!)
Cheers,
Shane
ps. I'm sure there's much I've forgotten to include. I will make sure to mention them in the coming days.
Current PBs
It hurts to put some of these up, I'm hoping the embarrassment will encourage me to train harder!
@ ~64kg b/w
Clean and Jerk - 75kg
Snatch - 52.5kg
Power Snatch - 50kg
Clean - 85kg
Power Clean - 75kg
Power Jerk - 75kg
Front Squat - 120kg
Back Squat - 140kg
Military Press - 70kg
Deadlift - 185kg
Bench Press - 115kg
@ ~64kg b/w
Clean and Jerk - 75kg
Snatch - 52.5kg
Power Snatch - 50kg
Clean - 85kg
Power Clean - 75kg
Power Jerk - 75kg
Front Squat - 120kg
Back Squat - 140kg
Military Press - 70kg
Deadlift - 185kg
Bench Press - 115kg
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