Thanks for the “tactful” advice Carl. I do realise there is a hell of a lot wrong. I’m aiming to do snatches for half an hour each day, so hopefully I will improve quickly.
06/12/2010
30 minutes snatch practice.
Back Squat
220 lbs x 2
286 lbs x 2
330 lbs x 2
374 lbs x 1
407 lbs x 1
374 lbs x 2
363 lbs x 1*
RDL
220 lbs x 3
286 lbs x 2
330 lbs x 2
363 lbs x FAIL
308 lbs x 2 - 2 - 2
Happy with the 407, felt much more stable than the other days 401. Only a couple of pounds off double bodyweight. Please excuse the noise, I’m not normally a “grunter” it just kind of slipped out.
Great squatting, especially sans belt.
You are getting a little bouncy on the bottom, which gives you the feeling of more rebound and a deeper than legal squat, but it also gives you a little pitch forward. I watched the video a few times and could see your ass sliding back a bit on the bottom as you come out of the hole. I think this is costing you a few pounds of squat power. If I could suggest working on just a touch more control on the descent, especially toward the bottom, I think this would give you a more piston-like squat and a little more power out of the hole.
Again, great squatting, a 2x bodyweight squat will be quite an accomplishment and something to be very proud of.
Jack
Thanks for the input Jack, much appreciated,
You’re right I do drop a bit too fast. I think it’s probably lack of confidence, fear of getting stuck in the hole. So I use the bounce to make sure I get out. I’ll try and make an effort tomorrow to slow it down.
I have done a double BW squat before, earlier this year (440lbs @ 220lbs BW) but it was only to parallel or in reality probably above parallel. But now I’m about a stone lighter. I’d like to get back to that 440 again but at 205 and deep, that would be real nice!
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Thanks for the input Jack, much appreciated,
You’re right I do drop a bit too fast. I think it’s probably lack of confidence, fear of getting stuck in the hole. So I use the bounce to make sure I get out. I’ll try and make an effort tomorrow to slow it down.
I have done a double BW squat before, earlier this year (440lbs @ 220lbs BW) but it was only to parallel or in reality probably above parallel. But now I’m about a stone lighter. I’d like to get back to that 440 again but at 205 and deep, that would be real nice![/quote]
When the weight gets heavy I do the same exact thing. Its a minor point, your form is very good, just trust that you can hit depth without the little bump.
I have never hit a double body weight squat to depth, I don’t think. I was close after I ran Smolov last winter, but I don’t think I got there as i gained about 15 lbs. during the program. Since then, my weight has continued to creep up. A 2x body weight squat is something I would really like to do in the next year.
07/12/2010
20 minutes Snatch Practice
Back Squat
220 lbs x 3
286 lbs x 2
330 lbs x 2
374 lbs x 1
407 lbs x 1 then 90% of daily max for reps
363 lbs x 2 - 2 - 2
Push Press
132 lbs x 3
154 lbs x 2
176 lbs x 1
198 lbs x 1
220 lbs x 1 then 90% of daily max
198 lbs x 3 - 2 - 2
Squat max today was slower and better controlled than yesterdays. May have been capable of a little more, but it’s hard to judge what to go for because I don’t want to miss lifts and have to strip the bar down and load it up again. Pleased to have nailed the push press I missed last time.
If you drop fast in your squat, then I drop like lightning. I thought it looked pretty good. And your squat vids always remind me of myself: bouncing off the calves.
A double bodyweight raw squat to depth is so, so impressive. Probably not a reality for me ever, but super impressive to hear other people doing it – or close to doing it.
And 30 minutes of snatch practice? That’s gotta be exhausting.
Great work, Brett.
Yep, again, great squats and PP.
Jack and LS - Thanks Guys
KP - 20 minutes of snatches is indeed exhausting. If it’s possible I now have even more admiration for those olympic lifters. As if their strength, speed, flexibility and power wasn’t enough!
08/12/2010
20 minute snatch practice.
Back Squat w/u to a daily max
220 lbs x 2
286 lbs x 1
330 lbs x 1
374 lbs x 1
418 lbs x 1 then 90%
374 lbs x 2 - 2 - 2
GHR @ bw
5 - 5 - 5
Felt a bit tired today so was going to do just some front squats to give my lower back a rest, but when my warm up with 220 felt like an empty bar I went back to the house and grabbed my camera. The 418 is the 2nd heaviest squat I have ever done in my life and I was so tempted to have a crack at 440. I’m pretty sure I would have gotten it too, but I decided to leave it in the tank.
I know it’s a bit early to say, but there could be something to this maxing out every day.
Squat 418 lbs x 1
Nice work! Great squat.
Look at that great smile at the end of the vid! I guess you’ve got a good reason for it.
Those plates look like something out of the Flintstones.
That was a rock-solid squat. Great job.
09/12/2010
20 minutes snatch practice
Back Squat w/u to daily max
220 lbs x 3
286 lbs x 2
330 lbs x 1
374 lbs x 1
420.2 lbs x 1 then 90%
379 lbs x 2 - 2
Push Press w/u to daily max
154 lbs x 3
198 lbs x 2
230 lbs x FAIL then 90%
176 lbs x 3 - 3 - 3
This daily max thing is really strange. This is my 4th training day in a row, I had no motivation to train at all and my lower back was aching, so I thought I’ll do my snatches and squat warm up and then see how I feel. I’m using the rep with 374 as my yardstick, if it’s heavy I tone it down and if it feels light I go for it. Today it felt Ok so I increased by the smallest amount I could over yesterdays weight and it came up real easy, much better than yesterday. Should have done 3 sets of 2 on 90% but just did 2 because of my back.
This is blowing my mind, it seems that how you feel mood wise gives no indication as to how well you will perform that day. Before if I’d have felt like this I would not have trained at all, let alone gone for a one rep max. I wonder how many workouts I’ve missed in the past that could have been productive because I felt a bit sluggish or achey?
Could that be the secret of daily training? that even though every workout doesn’t feel the best they still have an appreciable effect and are far better than doing nothing? After squatting 400+ four days in a row it certainly does not feel so heavy anymore and definitely doesn’t intimidate me now like it did on Monday.
Really wierd!!
BTW Sorry about the incessant rambling.
your incessant rambling is great! it gives us all insightinto your training that is invaluable especially when you are doing something like this.
great work and great squats!
Strong showing Farmer.
My experience with frequent intense training was much the same. I would hit a PR even feeling like baked road-kill. Keeping the daily volume down helps. Not benching helps, too, I found.
Similar experiences here. Usually felt like crap, sometimes dreading the upcoming training, but often doing well once I got into it.
I have to agree here, most of the time I feel like crap it turns out to be my best lifting days.
Really outstanding training and the daily max routine is interesting. My theory is that if you really feel great and can’t wait to train you’re using up a lot of nervous energy. That and when you are really eager to lift and the weights still feel heavy it’s a mental let down. When you go in feeling like crap you have no expectation so are surprises when you start doing well and this really boosts you energy and lifting. My psuedo psycho take on why it works that way. Love the dungeon training environment.