How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love the Barbell

Monday, oly day
10/28/13

snatch 5x1 60kg
3x3 snatch pull 90kg
c+j 5x1 70kg
some jerk practice at 40kg
abs

A couple things. Not sure if snatch pulls are too heavy or if it’s just because my deadlift strength is much higher than what my snatch technique and overhead stability allow me to snatch (obviously DL > snatch, but I mean more than typical because of how new I am to snatching). Clean and jerks kept moderate. I learned that I can’t actually do multiple jerks in succession-- I can’t lower the bar back down properly. Yet another thing to learn in the weightlifting world.

Tuesday, back squat
10/29/13

squat 3x4@127kg
12, 10 hip thrust 120kg
3x6 assisted russian leg curl

Squats good. Going to switch out hip thrusts starting next week, possibly for paused squats.

Wednesday, OHP
10/30/13

3x5 OHP 42kg
3x6 L/R 1 arm row 95#
3x10 L/R pallof press
PT

Shoulder popped a bit, didn’t do inverted rows.

Thursday, oly
10/31/13

snatch 5x1@50kg
c j 5x1@77.5kg
some overhead squats during snatches
jerk practice with bar
abs

lifts felt pretty decent today in terms of form. Snatch easy, c j progressed.

Friday, deadlift/front squat
11/1/13

deadlift 2@150kg, 2@157.5kg, 3@165kg
3x5 front squat 102kg
4x15 KB swings 32kg

Wish we had heavier KBs. Deadlifts really going somewhere now after being able to PR by quite a bit by taking some time off before the meet.

Saturday, bench
11/2/13

3x5 paused bench 180#
3x10 seated row 150#
2 sets curl/pushups
3x10 pallof press L/R
PT

Monday, oly
11/4/13

Snatch ~5x2 40kg
C J ~5x2 60kg
30, 30, 40 sec weight belt plank 36kg

easy of course. Jerks have a tendency to come forward a bit, maybe shoulder mobility related? Stepping farther forward with front foot seems to help though.

Tuesday, squat
11/5/13

squat up to 1@110kg

Deload week day 2. All I did was a general warm up, a squat warm up (actually I’d go a little higher than 110kg before starting work sets, so part of a squat warm up), and some foam rolling/self myofascial release. After my meet experience I’m making my deloads a bit more drastic (I may alternate “normal” deloads and this sort of deload in the future) which may help my hard weeks.

Thursday, oly
11/7/13

~5x2 snatch 40kg
~5x2 c+j 60kg
4 or 5 sets abs

Snatches pretty solid, c+j ok.

Friday, deadlift/front squat
11/8/13

deadlift 3x1@125kg
front squat 3x1@90kg

For a deload week, 125kg sure could have felt faster.

Saturday, bench
11/9/13

bench to 1@165# paused
some easy seated rows w/ 100#
PT

Very mentally ready for lifting heavier next week. Physically? We shall see.

Monday, snatch
11/11/13

Sn 5x1@61kg
c+j 5x1@70kg
3x5 overhead squat 40kg
clean pull singles at 80kg
35, 35, 40 sec 36kg weight belt plank, then 25 sec/40kg

Easy enough. Technique felt good except clean pulls could have felt cleaner. I have started to wear socks on my olympic lifting days, but my shins still bleed…

Tuesday, back squat
11/12/13

Squat 3x3@130kg
5 breath paused squat 90, 95, 100kg
3x6 assisted russian leg curl

Hitting 3x3@130kg was good, although it’s only 5kg more than my 3x5. Is that a problem? I don’t know.

Wednesday, OHP
11/13/13

OHP 3x5 43kg
6, 5, 5 1 arm row 95#
3 sets inverted row
3, 3, 4 lengths farmer walk 2x75#
PT

Shoulders still an issue for OHP, 1AR.

Thursday, c j
11/14/13

Snatch 5x1@55kg with overhead squats
c j 81kg, some practice at 60kg
4 x abs

Stupid, went too heavy on c j again.

Friday, deadlift/front squat
11/15/13

Deadlift 1@154kg, 162kg, 170kg, 180kg
Front squat 3@100kg, 106kg, 4@111kg
4x15 KB swing 32kg

Deadlift PR (some form breakdown but not bad and not a grinder) followed by front squat PR, sounds good to me.

Saturday, bench
11/16/13

Bench 3@185, 190, 190# all paused
3x10 seated rows 150# (oddly close grip as the only reasonable attachment)
curls/pushups
PT

Not bad. I hope to catch my touch and go numbers while pausing relatively soon (I have stopped touch and go benching for now). Left AC joint had been feeling a little uptight around this time, but as of posting this (11/21) it is no longer an issue.

Monday, snatch
11/18/13
edit: got new scale batteries, AM 193.4 lbs

snatch 5x1 62kg with an overhead squat on each
c/j 70kg 5x1
jerk practice
45, 40, 30 sec weight belt planks 36kg

Oly lifts all felt pretty good for once.