Final Post - World Masters Now a Memory

Training Over 35 Lifter
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Tuesday at Burwood, power clean split jerk, 70x1,75x1 power clean jerk drives 80x1,85x1, back to power clean split jerks 76x2,72x3,70x3,70x3 -got better and better as they went, power snatch, and push press with my wide jerk grip. Push pressed 92x1, in April, but was dreading these worked up to 60x3, and my rotator cuff ached, everytime I rolled over in bed.

Saw another interesting twist, and that was power clean front squats. Power clean to start position 2 front squats, drop bar to floor, power clean - 2 front squats, power clean 2 front squats. These guys have a very good level of conditioning, and some of these twists will make it into my training in future.

One more Saturday, then two weeks with throwing as the emphasis…

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You’ve got your plate full. I’ve thrown against a lot of the American master disc throwers. Do they take 12 to the finals in master’s at world’s? Good training and good luck.

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Hel, I am trying to find out what the comp rules are, also in our national meets they take only six to the final three rounds, but then again I have never seen more than 6 in a throwing event at out Masters Nats.

Some of the throwing events have around 15, and most throw events are over 6, so cuts are very relevant, it could be a lot of hard work just to get cut after 3 throws.

I am surprised at the number of overseas competitors, last time we had a world games if you had two overseas contestants in a event it was the exception. In our discus for the over 55s I think we have five throwers from overseas with marks over 38m. Two Germans, 1 Estonian (I bags his track suit) 2 from the USA (Chuck Baer and Rich Watson) - best Australian has a best this year of 33.80m, so we will have one competing and the rest of us watch if we have 6.

In the weight we have one from South Africa, 1 from Turkey, (and if I could read Turkish I could find out how good he is) the Estonian, one German, and Rich. If an Australian is not throwing over 13.50 then we ALL could watch the last three rounds if they hold us down to 6 which is what I expect, as the numbers are greater than expected and they are going to be pushed for time.

Anyway, it is nice of the world to beat a path to my door, sure saves money on travelling…

Hel stay healthy throw far…

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Chuck Baer lives right next door in Georgia. Love to kid him. He runs a golf course for a living. Very dedicated to the sport and a great golfer. Generally throws around 46M.

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Burwood just split snatches - the jerks have been tying up my erectors a little too much latley.

Hang, pulling from top of thighs, warmup, 50x2,55x2,60x2,63x2, all good depth then 67x2 and caught it higher. Lower than the 65 last week, but the others were a significant inprovement on depth and stabilty. Also feel stronger now in the bottom, and my limit may no longer be governed by how much I can recover from in a deep position.

Then home, throw tomorrow, and hope skipping the jerks will let me really hit some good throws.

The rest of the team was taking there last Saturday before next weekends nationals. Very quiet, very serious, Ricky our import 77 hit 125 snatch, and Ali our import 105, hit 140x and missed 145 twice, Deb our 38 yr old 44 female made a nice 60kg.

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Did not train at Burwood last week, it was the week before the Nats, and I kind of get underfoot…so gave the young kiddies their room…
last night just the juniors and me, as the stars are off for a week.

Slpit snatch hang above knees, warmups, 50x2, 55x2, 58x2, 61x2, 65x2 then thought I should do technique, but as the bar was loaded with 15s and 10s (large diameter) …and I was tired I stuck at 65. Then did 65x3,65x3, so overall 10 reps over 61 so that was okay and 65x3 is a PB, and equals my best triple from the floor with the power snatch.

Next back to teh floor, my first snatches fromn the floor, since May. First was 45 sp;lit snatch bar in front, up…down, after that they got better got a easy 55 put 60 on the bar, then thought I had now down 13 sets of snatches my knees were very tired, so leave it for saturday week.
Snatch pulls with lots of arms shoulders, snatch grip deads slow up slow down, 1/4 front squat back staying vertical, and Bazownski lunges,

Team did well, on the weekend, Deb won, Ali won, snatched 140 missed 145, Mitchell (who could be very good one day, I still am not sure on him, at times he is mentally very tough, and other times way too flipent…but at 22, yep he could be good) snatched 130 jerked 160 and missed 166 twice, Rickey got third in 77s but his opposition were World Champs reps,

Found last night very very hard, until now I had been throwing sporadically and doing it the day after lifting, so my lifting would get the attention it deserves, now I lift the day after throwing. Saturday was 56lber x 8, 6kg hammer x10 25lb weight x 8, plius drills turns and winds, 1 3/4 hours, and back was sore.
Last nights lifting was about as tough as I can remember, know I can do it now, but not looking forward to next 10 weeks.

And the great news is we have three 47m hammer throwers coming out for the world and 5 weight throwers from last years top 25, oh what fun…

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Non lifting, update - went hammer throwing last night, only been back throwing for around a month and this was only my 5th hammer workout. threw hammer about 4 workouts last year, although did lots of turning drills (can never do enough turning drills…why do I waste my life at work earning a living, why does not my wife understand the really important things in life…(more turning drills…sigh!!!)

anyway hit 35m but had a really good throw, but lost it at delivery, had very good speed just could not control it. Need 38m to get into the final in October or this will be a lot of work for just three throws.

the reason for the post was that my lower back got more and more tired with each throw and when I went to my 25lb weight after 12 throws…well… I was stuffed…still did not stop though…not that bright…

two things I learned…

one…no matter how many deads cleans, squats, twists, etc etc I do, if I change to some other move it does not mean that the back strnegth built - carries over …the law of specificity of training…AGAIN!!!

two …even though I had a comp this Saturday, and finally remembered it after about an hour…did I back off…NOOOOOOOO !!! … that wouild involve common sense, something that takes a snooze once training starts, …guess that is why people have coaches…

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No comp Saturday…piggy flu, not worth the 7 hour trip there and back.

Did throw 20lb heavy weight, and much to my joy…found the missing technique. Lost it last December when I was trying to get my right foot down faster, did not work and when I went back to find my old technique, I reverted to what I had done in 2007 not what I had built up painstakingly in 2008, went from 16.25 down to 14.20 over 2 months…then gave up and went olympic lifting…

which brings me to Burwood on Monday night, split snatches, not for weight but depth, hit low, showed no fear. Basically all were the same depth warmups and heavies, a break thru workout, and have been fighting the tendancy to cut my depth on my maxes, but tonight hit a 60 from the floor (cut my pull short deliberatly) and got to the bottom fought hard and lost it sideways, first one I have lost at the bottom.
hang went warmup 50x2,55x2,60x2,66x4 (one more kg and one more rep…slowly but surely chewing away) then from te floor with cut pull, 50x2,55x2,60x1 missed second,
snatch pulls floor, light 75-85, snatch grip dead 150x3 pause snatch pulls, 140x3,120x3, 1/4 front squats 80x3s,
then home,

had thrown hammer on Sunday following weight Saturday so back is complaining, …will back of the snatch dead next week and go lighter faster.

went back over a Jud Logan video trying to find missing pieces in my throw, and saw the right arm turn drill from a step start. Had tried before and given up, looks kind of lame in the park especially when you can’t do it, but perservered and got it right. Allows you to start turn very slowly then when balanced accelerate the right side. Funny when you break a move down to a very slow speed, it reveals balance and footwork errors that good old momentum hide…right calf sore next day, and considering the hammering my lower legs have gotten, I was surprised.

Everyone back from the Nats last night, Milos our s/jr 77 had the night off as he had to see a doctor on his shoulder but the heavy lifters all trained. One of the 22 year old guys has scored a 32 girl friend, who is finacially backing him…I knew I made the wrong decisions in girl friends when I was young…

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[quote]GMH454 wrote:
… One of the 22 year old guys has scored a 32 girl friend, who is finacially backing him…I knew I made the wrong decisions in girl friends when I was young…[/quote]

Didn’t we all? I sure did…

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Thanks…Skid

now where Have I been…Last Saturday snatches from floor hit 71kg x 2, tight hip flexor lousy depth, but nice lifts, a single on 67 was that nice I wanted to frame it, but the second rep on 71 my back knee felt like I was doing depth jumps from the roof…

next day I hit a 36.05 hammer. Last year after months of training without a coach (…does any of us have a coach…) I hit somewhere in the 34s, so underwhelmed by it I never recorded it. Anway after around 6 weeks this year I was back to mid 34s last week, so a PR by 1m …two PRs in two days.

Tuesday, somehow I went to Burwood, full workout, sore everywhere, split snatch range of motion, about that of a good jerk, …and hit 60x5 from high hang…and just when a reasonable man would say…“are you sure you are not overtraining” I plowed merrily ahead. (damm a coach would help - even Carl) .

Back at the circle Wendnesday (sorry slab of concrete… the circle it sits in is around 50 years old, and an absolute disgrace) hit 37.40m with hammer (6kg). Had two others in the 36s and had 7 over 34m.

Now I need around 38m on my first three throws to get three more at the World Masters - have three Germans, one Estonian, American, Seth Efrikan, Turk, Kazistan not to the two Aussies who last year threw low 40s. (one of these guys came top 4 at the nationals 37 years ago.

If I get three throws that is okay, but it would be nice going for the six, with a realistic chance.

For the lifting I have four competitors, and frankly I am in need of some pre hab, just hope I can struggle through to October without the need for re hab. I am after our lame national snatch record of 75kgs. It seemed very attainable four months ago, looking a little tougher now.

I started the lifting to help fix my “heavy weight throw”. Last year I was pushing the top twenty masters in the world, but this year I am around 1 + 1/2m short and that takes you from the penthouse to the first level of the car park.

The lifting has done nothing for the “heavy weight”, zero, zip, zilch, lots of pain and sweat, and zero progress. It is actually counter productive it took me 4 mths to work that out, and how Carl threw what he did while chasing top OL marks, is a mystery to me. Heavy over head support work tightens my upper throracic area (probably due to very poor shoulder mobilty - and attempts to fix that lead to shoulders kind of slipping out- most uncomfortable if not painful) This tightness means I cannot get the range of motion needed for a weight throw, but does not interfere with hammer. I have thrown hammer well with a very sore tight back.

What this has given me though is the best knees in thirty years. The split jerking and split snatching is like a plyometric and has tightened my bad knees up and my quads are now working. (I used to do beutiful front squats bar on shoulders… and get sore glutes…) Back squat below parrallel 341x3 last year narrow stance bar up, and quads never felt a thing. I now do lunges, Bazanowski style (bar taken from ground held between legs ) and this plus the splitting has given me an extremely strong left leg during the 270deg part of the throw (techical for those who know,) I can now get into the correct position.

The 37.40 was thrown with what felt like moderate effort but best timing so far. After 3 years of watching videos, reading and talking I actually am starting to get this.

So after World masters, plan on competing in my first state Atheltic championship next year (what I dreamed of doing as a 23 year old kid, who coach free spent a year perfecting a 27m throw with the 16lbers, ) I hope to get there at 55, 32 years late, and my wife may wonder why, but I am really looking forward to that…

oh yeah and lots of pre hab after October.

Good luck to everyone here, I don’t comment much, but browse often. You guys are a great help, when you start to wonder the big why and if…

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Burwood last night, just split snatches very high hang (above thighs about 2" dip) hit 64x1 deep very solid, then 68 deep solid but when I hit bottom both obliques kind of spat the dummy, and decided simple power snatches were a good finisher.

the obliques was caused by hammer on Sunday, had felt left oblique slightly before but was definitley sorer than before.

Hammer PR Sunday morning the week before started at 34.85, that day threw, 36.05, Wendnesday hit 37.40 (with two others over 35m, but Sunday was a surprise. Hit 37.05,37.40, 38.35 and 38.50m (no fouls) this was from only 8 throws. About 10% in a week. Not throwing hard but finally worked this out, it is not hard throws but smooth throws. The more I try to smooth the turns and winds the more the distance creeps forward.

Now I am looking forward to October,

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yesterday after long throwing session on Wendnesday night, was doing my Bazanowski lunges and felt a very short sharp twinge in my lower abs. Luckily with this exercise I could just drop the bar. Did no more felt okay, but wondered what damage I had done. As I cooled off I found it very hard to walk without pain, apparently lower abs and the pelvis have some sort of relationship, and had to take very small careful steps. Noticed a slight bulge in my lower abs, but does not appear to be a hernia, and that is flattening out.
Next day slightly better, and now Saturday I can walk without pain…hmmmmm split snatches could be pushing it…

Will try some drills tomorrow without the hammer, then move to very light plate drills, tomorrow night will try to do some light lifting and start the rehab.

8 weeks to go and have now whole new goals.

Was feeling very down until I checked our Athletic Australia web site and found our 6.06m man Steve Hooker the pole vaulter, best ever since Bubka, tore an abducter less than a week before the World Champs…my injury may have still hurt as much but my head felt much clearer…good to get some perspective some times…

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Well as I said above the only thing worse was a back injury…

Never ever say those things it just tempts fate. Two weeks to the day of the groin ab injury, my back went. Phsyio thinks it is a rib thing about mid to lower right hand side. It manifested itself as very sharp, take breath away pain, paralysed rib cage. Tried to stretch out, threw light again on following Sunday, and surprise surprise eventually broke down. Modified lifting later that day, next week cut back training, just did drills, no throws.

5 weeks out, no OL as had problems with abs/groin holding bar overhead, split snatch is only a dream, and now no throws. 5 years planning, and not looking good.

Last Thursday slow controlled lifting, again had to shut squats down when back flared up. Thursday night just turns, no throws, and discus turn drills no throws.

Friday a little better. The sharp pain had gone to a feeling like being hit by a baseball bat, but getting better daily.

Sunday light throws, with hammer, very light. Focused on footwork rather than using my back to really “hit it”. Threw okay. 25lb weight very light throws, still hit 14.50m, with very little work, so footwork getting better. Some more drills, and then some pud throws with 8kg kettlebell.

Physio Monday helped a lot. Will throw today, and see how it goes, lift tomorrow, (around 90%) and more phsyio Friday.

Where did I go wrong.

Hmmmm…I think the early sucess I had with the OL encouraged me to push it too far. The OL had me adding snatches and jerks to training, the pulls were fine, but I needed to train at an OL gym with bumpers, that plus the related travel added around 5-6 hours per week in extra training. Something had to go and that was the prehab. I used to do lots of twists, ab work, pud throws, some special ab work, all cut out. Thought what I had done previously would hold up, but NO.

Have dropped out of the OL at the world masters and will just throw. Disappointed, but overall I do not regret the attempt. My knees have gotten a lot better from the split work, my pull is faster, and my hips provide power through a wider range of motion.

So no more up dates from the Burwood gym.

Really looking forward to the world masters, keeping my fingers crossed and hope to be back throwing hard soon.

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[quote]GMH454 wrote:
Really looking forward to the world masters, keeping my fingers crossed and hope to be back throwing hard soon.

[/quote]

Wish you the best.

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The World Masters starts today…

right now I have to laugh, pulled groin, 8 weeks ago, bad back 6 weeks ago (now fixed but physio strained lower back while fixing mid back) and three weeks out was perfect, then caught flu, (was not overtraining) and weather in Sydney crashed to unseasonal lows. Rain, cold, my son has a chronic eye condition, so we don’t run artifical heat but dress like eskimos. As I said you have to laugh…

Have basically done 5 sets of pulls in a week and half, and one throwing work out, not what you want but at least my back feels better, and I know I can give it everything.

Well the carnival arrived in town Wendnesday night and Thursday morning, went out to get my accreditation. Met some very pleasant folks from Oregon in the cue, they had seen the US OG trials in 2008 and watched the womens hammer, so that was good to talk about. 30 min cue to get in building then 55mins more to get to the accrediation desk, then cue for the individual sports program - the weightlifting girl - was almost shocked that some asked for a program, not sure about the canoe polo booth - don’t want to be critical but - lame…got my back pack, paperwork and out in …3 hours, apparently the record Friday was 5 hours, though most were in and out from 2 - 3. Saw some great track suits to add to the collection, can’t work out whether the white Russian suit is better than the red, German was nice to, hell they were all great,

Got some coverage last night on the tube, first time without focusing on the wrinklies ( 100 year olds - emphasising masters sports as the freak show - way to go publicity) and today is practice time for the visitors at the track.

This has turned out to be way bigger than the organisers expected (5 hour cues !!!) and one thing I did not expect was the Athletic officals. Now this may be the only time many Sydney siders will get to compete in such a huge meet, BUT it is also the only time many of the lesser officals will get to run such a huge comp. Yes we have call rooms just like the OG and must nominate the day before for our events if we wish to compete. So I will travel out Monday to cue up and say “Terry Gibbs 55 male weight throw” reply “check”, then go home… and due to the very crowed schedule I compete Tuesday morning at 8.00am, after turning up at the call room before 7.10am…reminds me of the good old days of PLing comps before the round system, finishing at 2.00pm in the morning…

Tomorrow is hammer, 12.15 20C, 17 comnpetitors including ex Olympian Peter Farmer, If I am going to get my arse kicked may as well be by the best, have hit 39m in training but probably will only get three throws so 36m I will be happy with…

the 100m sprints are schedule 3 minutes apart, wish them luck with that …going to be as much fun to watch as to compete…does anyone know the Russian for “do you want to swap track suits”.

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Throw high and far Terry! Best of the meet to you!

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The Senior Olympics here was a lot better organized but you seem to be taking it well. Throw far.

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Ken Jannson created a bit of a stir here yesterday in the m50 hammer, redefined the local boys definition of big. Did not see him but guessing he is similar to Jim Wetenhall. I got my butt kicked by Peter Farmer (the only Australiam who has won 3rd in a World cup throwing event / 12th in Olympic final - Rendell matched this in 2004 / won 4 NCAA titles and never won a senior national championship - he never contested one.) nice guy as well.

Peter threw 45s, Roger Glass grabbed a great second and I am found around 7th with 36.45m, considering I was flat on my back sick with flu, not a bad outcome. Tomorrow 8.00am Heavy weight with call room at 7.15am oh the joy!!!.

And being in bed for a week DOES hurt the strength levels, always wondered about that, now I know

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Sorry had to rush off mid post. Also found out that my traps hurt after hammer (they are always sore from lifting, ) but having only done 5 sets of pulls in 12 days I could actually feel what hammer does. Finally, confirmed what I already knew, I am weight room strong, no lifting for over 7 days strength starts noticeably dropping.

Found out that a really BIG MEET is not the place for PRs, as I am looking around my Australian colleagues used to small informal meets, even our nationals, and seeing guys way below their usuals. In the M/50s 40m guys hitting 32, 45 guys hitting 35, and 35 guys hitting 29. The fact that you had to hit a good one in the first three ( we never have more than 8 in our nationals) plus the large numbers, 22 in M/50 hammer, made a real mess of many guys plans.

Now on to the humour. Th big conversation starter is “how long did you cue…” for the accrediatation, for your bib numbers, at the call room, and not to forget a most forgetable food stall, best so far was 5 hours for accrediatation, and 3 hours for bib numbers…

and my dreams of swapping track tops withn the Estonian in my class (love teal blue and black) were dashed when I realised he was 5Xl to my XL. Now will have to find a small Russian. My wife did say standing round with those guys was very slimming, she never realised how small I was (105kgs).

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4th in Heavy weight throw, 14.2- something, good comp, hope to check results soon, but seriously the officals are having more fun than we are…