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.

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 -

• Snatch - 2*2*40kg, 2*2*45kg, 2*2*47.5kg, 4*2*50kg

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-


• Front Squat + Jerk - 2+1*50kg, 2+1*55kg, 3*2+1*60kg

These weren't too good. Just couldn't get the lockout right, so I kept it short.

• Front Squat - 3*70kg, 3*80kg, 3*3*85kg

So there you have it. If I'm not too tired tomorrow I'll train in Hercs.

Hours of sleep - 5/6hrs

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.