After The Flood: JDM135 Powersnatching In Paradise

Training Training Logs
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11/8/2024 Friday

Warmup
Arm circles with 5lb plates. Coach showed me yesterday how asymmetrical my mobility is, my right arm can do these circles close to my body but my left arm swings way out to the side when it’s behind me.

I’s T’s Y’s with the 5s.

Supposed to do a PVC pipe warmup here but the pipe was missing so I used a womens bar. Sort of a plate halo but with a snatch grip on the bar. Then some stretches with the bar in a way-back snatch position.

Then a bit of snatch progression, pulls from the hip crease to the face, then pulls from hip crease to a tall catch snatch, then pulls from hip crease to a power snatch catch.

Snatch training
25 or more reps - at least 5 at each weight.
All reps start from the hip crease, with a dip down but keeping the hips FORWARD, so there’s no forward hip thrust as I drive.
From there it’s a snatch, and try to go lower and lower each time for the catch; regardless of catch height, glide down to the bottom position for each rep.
45lb, 65, 75, 85, 95.
That was actually a LOT of work, took a lot of focus compared to just sloppy “snatching” that I’ve been doing. But it will become habit after a few rounds I’m sure.

Clean and jerk
Did what I usually do here, but tried to apply the lesson about hip use with mixed results.

Worked up to one nice 155lb C&J with plenty of reps on the way there.

Anderson squats
Set the safeties at the bottom of a front squat, mark the bar’s starting position on the safeties, then do bottoms-up front squats and note where you land.
He suggested I may find I’m twisting during the reps.

I pretty much did sets of 3 like this, up to 155lb.
Obv it’s way harder to initiate a FS from the bottom.
Happily, I didn’t see any real “twist” and the bar landed parallel to where it started most times. There was a little bit of rightward twist motion on the last couple sets but it didn’t look concerning to me.
The bar DID always land forward of where I set it up at, but I think that’s more a function of not knowing how to set up underneath a bar at the bottom and less of a front-squat-movement-pattern problem.

Accessories
This was way over an hour. Drained. Finished off with several sets on a leg press machine and called it a day.

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Glad to hear it man. Realtime feedback is priceless.

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11/10/2024 Sunday
Not a normal training day, but I knocked out Squats as tomorrow I won’t have access to a squat rack.
(It’s a complicated and totally uninteresting story why, strangely, I have access to a rack today, and won’t tomorrow.)
Squat
Sets of 5:
45, 95, 135, 155, 175, 185, 205, 215, 225, 215, 205, 185, 175, 155.
Holy crap that was a lot of sets! Was going as fast as I could too between sets, because the fam was (sorta) waiting on me to finish.
That’s the first time I’ve done 225 in a long time, and it was fine… a bit good-morningy as that’s just how I am. But it was also more squat volume than I normally do so there’s a win.

Tomorrow morning I’ll just use my barbell at home, warmup and then do snatch training and maybe a few OH squats.

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11/11/2024 Veterans Day.
Took a holiday from work. I have all manner of things to get done, including some interior remodel work, plus I like a daytime beach trip with the fam.
Warmup
Half-mileish brisk walk.
Arm circles with weights.
Is Ts Ys with 5lb and 10lb.
PVC pipe halos and pullthroughs.
Snatch warmup drill (pulls to face, pulls to overhead, pulls to overhead with a dip under to catch)

Snatch training
Same as last session: from the hip crease, 5 reps at each weight. Dip the knees, keeping hips forward, then snatch from there. It’s a lot harder as there’s less upward momentum on the bar already, but the purpose is to train the proper hip movement for the launch.
5lbs heavier than last week, like this:
5 each at 45, 50, 70, 80, 90, 100.

And another half-mileish brisk walk.
That’s it!

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I’ll just add that for the back half of Monday and so far on Tuesday, my thigh soreness is off the charts. Jesus! I figured with the squat volume I get from snatching and cleaning every session, plus squatting or OH squatting or front squatting every session, I wouldn’t get sore from the moderately higher-intensity squat session.
But holy crap. Just walking around hurts.
Took a couple short brisk walks this morning between work calls, just to get the blood moving, but I’m walking awkwardly. And chasing the toddler around is the worst.

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11/13/2024 Wednesday
Up at 0430 and in the gym around 0530.
Quick shoulder warmup and then got into it:
Snatch training
All reps taken from just above the knee. The key difference from what I was doing before is this:
-With the bar just above the knee, the shins are VERTICAL
-From there, bring the hips forward to scoop the thighs underneath the bar until it reaches the hip crease; rather than keeping the hips back and having the bar out in front of my body
-When the hip crease meets the bar, the knees are still bent. THEN explode straight up to initiate the snatch.

In this way I did 5 reps at each weight:
45, 55, 75, 85, 95, 105
Which was quite taxing. Especially as I was trying to not do a total reset to the floor in between reps. (I did reset every rep at 105)

Then, overhead squats. 8 at 105, then a set at 115 (8 I think).
Couldn’t even try at 135.

Cleans:
3 at 115, 3 at 135, 2 at 155. (These were WAY harder than last week / I’m way more tired)
These also were focused on that “scoop” motion up the thighs, which is part of why they were harder.

Shoulders
Rehab/prehab/shoulder stuff. Is Ts Ys, BTN, external rotation, Iso-lateral press machine. Got my money’s worth out of it although I was too dead to do any more whole-body explosive work.

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Friday 11/15/2024

As usual up at 430, didn’t want to get up bit I did anyway. At the gym by 530.

Warmup with arm circles, I’s T’s Y’s and plate halos.

Snatch training
From just above the knees. The heaviest reps were taken from the floor but still pausing just above the knees to establish a vertical shin and focus on the thigh scoop.

5 reps at each weight.
45, 60, 80, 100, 110.
This is proper work by the end too - I’m up to the weight range I was snatching before my first coaching session, but with the pause above the knee it’s harder work; AND I feel much better each rep, it feels more fluid, I think it’s because I’m not hip-thrusting the bar out in front of me and instead it’s moving vertically.

Clean and jerk
Worked up, did 3 reps at 135, 3 at 155, 1 at 165, then 3 more at 135.
The heavier reps I felt like puking after each one.
I really think the limit here is psychological - physically I’m capable of 175, and probably for several reps per session; which would help me grow into the ability to do 185 etc. But mentally? Hell no. It does something to me.
Maybe the next coaching session or two will address this, we’ll see. Need to get it scheduled.

Anderson squat
Did a few singles, best was 175lbs.
Front squat
Set of 8 at 135lbs.
Pretty gassed at this point and sweating my ass off.
Did a set or two on the leg press on the way out.

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Monday 11/18/2024
Weekend update: I had a fairly good one. Doing a major remodeling project I may have mentioned, maybe not. I’ll share pictures when it’s closer to completion.

Up at 430, gym at 530 as usual

Warmups normal stuff
Snatch
65lb, set of 5 from the hip
85lb, set of 5 from above the knee
95lb, set of 3 from the floor with pause above the knee
95lb, set of 3 from the floor
105lb
115lb
135lb
I don’t know exactly the reps or the weight jumps in between. But the 135lb, disappointingly, I caught at basically a full stand and pressed it up. Not the right technique.
But making progress.

Squat
Sets of 5:
135
155
175
195
215
225
215
195
175
155
135

That’s a lot of sets.
It’s pretty wild to me how, once it gets over 200lbs, I good-morning it - it’s a totally different pattern. I’m trying, I’m trying. To make my squat aid my O-lifts, I need to avoid this. You can’t good-morning up a snatch or a clean.

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11/20/24 Wednesday
I was so busy with work, I never took the chance to log today. As usual up at 0430 and to gym by 0530. Decided to work on overhead squats and topped out with 3x3 at 135.
I must admit that snatching these into position was a very tall snatch, but the fact that my default heavy snatch is so tall is part of why I felt the need to practice the overhead squats. I really really need to be overhead squatting more if I’m ever going to increase my snatch.

After this I did a few reps of clean and jerk, and then did some split jerks from the rack. Was feeling too beat up to clean. Hell, my thighs are still sore from Monday squats.
Topped out with a jerk at 165 lb.

It is obvious to me that my limitations are psychological and not physical. That is true both for the overhead squat and for the jerk. I just get scared with that much weight overhead. The actual movement is fine.

I am seeing my coach again tomorrow night and I will have to mention this.

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11/21/2024 Thursday
Second visit with my coach last night (Thursday)
He had me take snatches from blocks, starting above knee height. Two important cues:
Knuckles down When gripping the bar to set up, curl the wrists to point the knuckles down. Helps keep the bar close to your body and set you up to pull UP not OUT.
Back back Literally try to lean your torso back during the explosive part of the pull. He put his hand behind me and told me my back should hit it. My natural state is NOT to do this.

So taking these snatches from the blocks, he noted that my high catch position is fine, and is a consequence of me having a lot of power in the movement - at light weight I don’t HAVE to drop low to get under, because the bar comes up high enough.
So he had me add weight slowly until I topped out.
Power snatch from blocks 165lb
Literally my best snatch ever was 135 as far as I know. Taking 165 a) without all the inertial and stretch advantages of pulling from the floor, and b) without dropping deep to catch, is pretty cool.
Those two factors should only IMPROVE performance from here.
I also tried 170 - it was kinda funny. Two attempts. The bar touched the top of my head each time. The positive side of that is that the bar was aligned above my center of gravity, being over my head instead of in front of my face. The negative side is that at this point I’d have needed to drop under to recieve it, and I just didn’t/couldn’t get down far enough or fast enough.

But psychologically - as that’s my limitation - this was really really good for me.

We also worked on the clean. Elbows need to whip up. I’m doing a 2-part clean: first, vertical forearm catch; second, slowly push my elbows up. Wrong. I need to uppercut my elbows while recieving.

Also, like the snatch, he’s ok with me receiving in the power position rather than trying to drop to a full squat. Which makes me much more comfortable.

Finally: my right knee hurts pretty bad, this started Wednesday during overhead squats. He showed me some massage techniques which are awesome but IDK if they affect the actual source of this pain.

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11/22/2024 Friday
Snatches
Trying to incorporate the cues from yesterday
Nothing crazy weight or volume wise
Clean and jerk
Up to 175 - a PR for this “season”. Catching in the power position is allowing me to clean heavier than trying to drop all the way down. Maybe I need to do a session where I clean 175 until I’m too tired to catch it without dropping far… IDK.

Front squat
3x135 and had to stop. My right knee is EFFED. it hurt for every rep up to this point, and I knew quickly I couldn’t do a front squat session. I took a few minutes to try some self-massage and called it a day.
Hopefully it recovers on the weekend.

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Sorry to hear that, enjoying the learning journey on the O-lifts, hope this is a very transient thing that clears off ASAP and doesn’t derail anything!

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11/25/2024 Monday
Weekend update
I’ve had sick kids the past few days. This weekend the virus made it to my oldest, who barfed on me last night (that’s twice in 4 days).
Due to the risk of an Urgent Care trip for them this morning, combined with my still-pained knee, I made the decision to train at home today.

Unrelated to training: I’ve been doing a remodel project - it was slow taking off, but I made major visible progress this weekend. A few more big steps to go before the tedious minutia of finishing (paint etc). Possibly something picture-worthy within another day.

Empty barbell in the garage:
Half a mile walk, then:
10x10 overhead squat
10x10 BTN press

The knee pain continues but I was thinking this light load, full ROM may even be good for it… it’s a sharp pain, kind of in the front, and I only feel it below parallel. (All my squats are well below parallel so…)

The BTN in retrospect should have been heavier, I was thinking that by the end off 10x10 I’d have some lactic acid but I didn’t. That’s progress LOL.

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11/27/2024

Snatch
5 reps at 135lb. Unashamedly catching these as high as comes natural, which is damn near locked-out straight up; then doing an overhead squat with each.
Getting the 135lb over my head has never felt easier.

Clean and jerk
While 135 was loaded I did a couple of these too. Not a major focus.

Squat
5x185, 5x235, 5x185.
On the 235 I went down to parallel but not ass to grass, like I do with lighter weights.

Jerk
2x3x135, jerking from the rack.

BTN push press or push jerk
Many sets, worked up to 135 for a set of 3. Capable of more. This is a new movement to me. Landing on my upper back is a little scary as missing by an inch would hit a vertebra.

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I love the new thread title lol

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11/29/2024 Friday
Thanksgiving (yesterday) was a ton of fun.
We had a serious NERF war with the whole family, I need not describe it here but it was a blast. Good thing we all wore safety glasses as there were a lot of headshots.

This morning: Off work and supposed to do family stuff this morning, so I trained at home. Honestly it was a mistake, I could have gone to the gym and back before everyone else needed me, and in the garage based on the environment and equipment available, I just can’t get the kind of performance I can get in the gym.

However I did clean and jerks up to 155lb, went for 165lb and failed on the jerk. I 100% would have had it at the gym, I recently jerked 175.

Disappointed in that, I picked up the 100lb sandbag and carried it around the block - around a half mile I assume. Never set it down.

My right knee continues to hurt. Including during normal activities such as mowing the yard yesterday. Pretty concerned.

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12/2/2024 Monday

Weekend Update
Right after that sandbag carry Friday morning, I felt super beat up… unreasonably so… and discovered I was getting sick. I guess I got whatever my kids had the previous week.
I was seriously miserable the rest of Friday and Friday night.
Luckily back on my feet Saturday except for a sore throat.

Then I did something stupid.

Saturday we went to a nice calm beach. Low key. Brought the paddleboard for some laps around the protected bay to look at sea turtles etc, as per usual.
But off in the distance were these HUGE waves. A whole line-up of surfers were out there. Enormous waves kept rolling in and… to be fair… I never actually saw anyone riding them.

Anyway on a whim, we were actually thinking about leaving the beach but just too chilled out to pack up, I jumped up, grabbed the paddleboard and sprinted out about 1/4 mile to where the surfers were. I started heading into the waves. The first one came before I was ready, I was side-on a bit, and - BOOM - rolled me and the board over a few times. I came up and - lucky - was close enough to regain the paddleboard and crawl back atop it.
BOOM - the next wave hit. Same thing. I wasn’t ready, didn’t “catch” it at all, just got rolled.
Climbed back on - lucky.
Did I mention I wasn’t wearing the leash???!!!
Third wave. Same story. It’s like waterboarding every time.
Fourth wave. Different result. The board went flying toward the beach. I’m out here in a long-sleeve sun shirt, 6 feet of water, with a paddle in my hand.
BOOM.
BOOM.
BOOM.
I’m right in the path of these waves - and of note, no surfers riding this spot - which I think tells me something. There was a better spot where they could safely get some action and it wasn’t where I pulled in.

As I see the paddleboard approach the beach, some local kids swimming out to it - good, all I gotta do is survive the swim to the beach and I’ll be OK. But I don’t want to lose the paddle.
The paddle makes swimming really hard.
Feet touched ground!
DAMN this reef is sharp. It feels like a cheesegrater on my feet.
Did I just get stung? IDK. Probably lacerated my foot on the reef. Wouldn’t be the first time. Better than drowning.

The kids bring the board and clearly judge me for having lost control of it and not worn the leash - rookie moves. I thank them profusely, flip it upright, and climb on like a seal.
Out of the path of the waves now. I make a beeline for where the family is - did they see? Are they worried? And eventually look at my throbbing foot.

Sea urchins. Easily 50 spines in my right foot. Mainly, very thin ones in the tips of my middle toes.

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By the time I make the beach my family is at, my right foot HURTS.

We load up and head straight home.

I spent way too much time trying to dig out the spines. In retrospect I should have just left most of them. I have very thick foot skin and they weren’t doing much harm - the ones I couldn’t reach, anyway; and I wasn’t having any kind of reaction. Longer-term I ended up with more pain from the self-infliicted wounds of extraction than from the spines themselves.

By today (Monday) it was of no consequence at the gym.

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Sounds like a lucky escape, I’ve had a leash snap out back of some big and messy surf, board disappeared and I suddenly realised that despite being: confident in rough water (I’m a water rescue tech for the fire service), in a wetsuit, and reasonably fit, big messy surf with a strong pull is friggin hard work without a board, and pretty dangerous.

Glad you lived to tell the tale and the foot isn’t holding you back! Worse thing to worry about standing on here is weaver fish!

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12/2/2024 Monday
Started with
Snatch pulls
Worked up, doing sets of 3, topped out with a couple sets of 3 at 185 i think.
Snatch
Dropped down to 155 and tried a snatch and failed it.
Dropped down to 135 and did a few snatches. These are all “tall” followed by an overhead squat - somehow with the focus on a better pulling technique I’ve dropped the focus on getting low to recieve. I guess that’s OK.

Squats
Sets of 5:
135, 185, 225, 235.
Singles:
245, 255, 265.

BTN push press
Sets of 6. 65, 85, 105.

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I was snorkeling once at Seven Mile Beach at the Grand Cayman. A cruise ship anchored and my nice, quiet, snorkeling turned into chaos. Next thing I know a pasty white passenger (who was much bigger than I was) rammed me into the concrete corral. I stuck my hand out to deflect my collision and I went hand first into an urchin. It was unpleasant to say the least. That was my second Grand Cayman “run in” with a cruise ship passenger. My wife and I were snorkeling at Sting Ray City several years before my urchin experience. A fellow was standing by me when a ray started swimming toward us. He panicked, lashed out with all of his limbs and kicked me in the wiener. And to think, the whole time, I was worried about sharks. Humans! I hope your foot heals quickly.

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