Some recent PR clips

Nutrition
1

I’m going to be setting some huge PRs soon, but for now some minor ones as I gear up for the bigger ones to come :slight_smile:

From last week 14inch Grip bench PR 235lbs x4. Weak ass triceps, but I’m on it!

and today Military press 170lbs x3. My all time best is 175x2, but I feel could have done 175x3 today. First rep was the hardest, 2nd easiest! Damn stretch reflex helps me a lot. I also tend to press it behind my head like a jerk :slight_smile:

right click on each clip in the directory and save before watching to avoid errors

http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj2/Movies

2

CCJ, haven’t seen any of your videos in quite awhile. Are you training at a new facility? Looks different. I notice a big difference in your physique as well. Have you put on weight?-cause you look quite a bit thicker than in earlier vids in 2003. Keep up the good work.

3

My gym moved buildings next door, and I hate it, we only have one Power rack!!
Plus the roof is much lower, no more jumping around in the gym near the rack area before squats :frowning:

I have been posting clips, but I guess you must have missed them.

I’ve but on a bit of fat, and a bit of muscle, I weigh 98-99kg now, 218lbs on average in the morning, more at the gym 222lbs :slight_smile:
Up from 94-95kg in mid 2003.

I need to get back down to 200lbs by leaning up, but that will happen eventually.

workout from yesterday - did the press PR in

Tuesday 24th February - Week 3 - Cycle 1 Get Stronger - Day 2 - Upper 2 STRENGTH - Afternoon

Well since now my gym has only one power rack, I had to hurry through my workout, So I had to cut my rest periods down a bit, which kind hurt things a bit, since I rotate exercises every set. Oh well, but I bagged me some PRs, so it ain’t all bad!

Workout time - 1 hour 40mins
Workout rating - 8/10

Warmup

Did my general warmup - dynamic swings etc, and 10 reps with 25lb in various exercises - pull, press, oly goodmorning, snatch grip BN press, hang powerclean + powerjerk for a few, plus 3-4 cleangrip hang powersnatches

Incline Situp, arms outstretched infront, Russian twists to each side at top - BW x8

Back Extensions - 5 normal + 6 twisting to alternate sides

8xHangPowercleans + 8 Pushpresses - 45lbs

Rotating Sets between Press, Chin, Tricep, Pulldown, Flye - 1.5 min to 3+mins rest if possible

Military Press in Oly Shoes - AN1 9sec Set Duration

Warmups - 75lbs 2x3, 95lbs 2x3, 115lbs 2x3, 135x1, 155x1

Rotation 1) 170lbs x3 New 3RM PR!!

5% of (15%BW+Weight) Dropoff -
Rotation 2) 160x3,
Rotation 3) 160x2,

Well I can’t remeber what my last 3RM on presses were, but it was a while back. All time best is 175lbs x2, I think I could have done 175x3, but I’m not as fast as I used to be in these. Anyway I have one huge sticking point in the middle, if it wasn’t for the stretch reflex I would never have gotten the 2nd and 3rd rep - 2nd rep was easier than the first!
Some ISO work at the sticking point is in order next time around.
I’m so used to putting jerks behind my head that I press the bar back up there as well

Shoulder Width Chins - 3 inch Square Bar - FullGrip thumbs around bar - AN1 9sec set duration

Warmups - used pulldowns for warmup initially, then BW x1, +15lbs x 1, +25lbs x1

Rotation 1) BW(222lbs)+25lbs x3 New 3RM PR!!

5% of (85%BW+Weight) Dropoff -
Rotation 2) +15lbs x3,
Rotation 3) +15lbs x2 —> didn’t quite get chin over the bar

PR for this bodyweight, weight and grip combo

Parallel Grip Tricep Extension ISO - Arms at 90 degrees - AN2 45sec Set Duration

Warmups - 5kg x8+5sec ISO, 25lbs x5 +5sec ISO, 30lbs x3 + 5 sec ISO

Rotation 1) 30lbs x 45secs,
Rotation 2) 30lbs x 45secs,
Rotation 3) 35lbs x 45secs,

Weight was too light, so I fudged it, will try for 45lbs next time

Chin Grip Pulldowns - Shoulder width - AN2 30sec Set Duration

Warmups - 30kg x5, 40x3, 50x3, 60x3, 70x3

controlled
Rotation 1) 70kg x11

5% of (15%BW+Weight) Dropoff -
Rotation 2) 65kg x11,
Rotation 3) 65kg x10,

Pec Fyles ISO - Stretched Position - AN2 45sec Set Duration

Bent Arms, elbow slightly toward feet, shoulders tucked
Warmups - 5kg x8+5sec ISO, 25lbs x5 +5sec ISO, 30lbs x3 + 5 sec ISO

Rotation 1) 30lbs x 45secs,
Rotation 2) 30lbs x 45secs,
Rotation 3) 35lbs x 50secs,

Hmm too light as well…fried my biceps too!

Standing Low Pulley L-Flyes on Free Motion Machine
Warmups - 10lbs x5 rest - 3mins
20lbs 2x30sec ISO hold

ISO Stretches - EQI

Low Pulley ROW Stretched ISO hold - Close Overhand Grip on Staright Bar
40kg x 2mins → forearm killer!

Tricep Dip Forward leaning Leg supported Stretched ISO hold
BW x 2mins —> pin and needles

Shoulder Dislocates with wooden staff - using snatch grip to stretch out pecs and shoulders

4

Man, I am really starting to notice more DB Hammer stuff in your workouts than before. Guess I better put his book on the “must buy after wasting money at a Korean women’s university” list.

5

Well for the last 2 weeks I have been averaging close to 2 hour workouts, 3 times a week, straining some heavy loads for me, cranking PRs all over the place and what do you know I measure my walking pulse this morning and it read 54 beats per minute! 6 below average, definitely no overreaching or CNS drain here!!! And sleep hasn’t been all that great either.

This leads me to believe that workout time is overrated, granted that I do drink a carb/whey mixture to keep me fueled during myworkouts. Rather the fatigue generated in the workout vs recovery days is the important thing.
Long live autoregulartory training!

Strangely enough those long ISO have been generating some hypertrophy, who would have thunk?

The more I think about it a lot of common beliefs back by so called research are not absolutes.

6

His book isn’t complete though in a sense, you need to read his articles and Q&A to get a fuller picture and better understanding :slight_smile:

I am correcting my neural weakness and it’s helping me, more so on lower body though, I’ve gotten way stronger there. Look for a squat PR soon!

7

Maybe I’ve missed something, who’s book are you refering to?

8

Dietrich Buchenholz

read up about him go to charlie francis website

pretty controversial but definetly worth a look

9

From what I hear, I definitely want to try his system, but feel something is missing just by reading Kelly Bagget’s work and the articles… and for me, that is the book :stuck_out_tongue:

But I want to attain my general physique goals (which tend to not be size related) before going into this whacky neural stuff :wink:

10

Nerves fire muscles, nuff said :slight_smile:

11

Here are the powerclean clips from yesterday, the heavier stuff



175x1, 195x1, 219x1, 229 x MISS (High Pulled) - I could have racked it, but pull timing was off, would have been a PR by 4 lbs :slight_smile:



I just don’t have the same pulling power I used to have, ever since I changed my form to a more proper style, it ain’t the same, damn I used to be able to powerclean 225lbs with hardly any dip at all!!

Now that I don’t jump forward anymore, I catch the bar further forward on my shoulders, and that is just ugly. Lots of arm bend as well, although I wasn’t arm pulling on purpose.



At least I no longer crunch my wrists…



right click and save before watching to avoid errors!

http://www.members.optushome.com.au…ISS_24Feb04.mpg

although only 4-5 hours sleep, poor pre workout meal, lots of walking (shopping) and started working out on a semi-full stomach = crappy workout! :slight_smile:

workout progression

Warmups - rest - 1min or so Bar for a couple sets of clean, frontsquats, power jerks warmup stuff

Rest - 2-3min Hookgrip where possible

CleanPull + HighHang SquatClean + 2 PowerJerks - 89lbs x 2 sets

CleanPull + HighHang SquatClean + PowerJerk - 109lbs, 131lbs

CleanPull+ PowerClean - 155lbs x 2sets, 175lbs, 195lbs

Powerclean - 219lbs, 229lbs x 2 misses —> highpulled

12

Col you have put on some size man. You back is looking immense!
Your technique looks pretty textbook to me apart from your feet leaving the ground. Does this happen on your really heavy high pulls too?
I have the same problem and I know i am loosing power but just don’t know what to do to correct it, any tips?
Also I seem to do my first pull quicker than you do yours. Is this just an individual preference or should i try and pull slower and more smoothly?

Congrats on the bench PR too.

13

I have a little, but mostly in the past the camera angles made me look skinnier than I actually was :slight_smile:

Some fat too…
But yeah those long ISOs sure pile on some muscle!

My feet stay planted on highpulls, but when I do normal olys the form is different. Well I’m pulling with bent arms, supposed to be a bad thing as it absorbs transmission of force, don’t know how much though.
I’m also not holding onto the bar in the rack now, which is ok, but makes the bar crash down on me.

As far as feet on floor goes, I don’t know how one would fix it. It’s too ingrained for me. I guess doing flat footed pulls may help

Well this session I did the first pull slower, and it does feel a bit more scary as you get ansty about not getting the bar high enough :slight_smile:
Just a matter of preference and body type etc. I don’t pull as much from the hang, so I think a faster first pull would suit me better. People who pull more from the hang would be better off with a slower first pull I think.

14

here are some old PR clips from this time last year.



Right click on each and save before watching to avoid errors



Powersnatch PR 155lbs - best powersnatch I ever did I think :slight_smile:

http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzf…155_11May03.mpg





Powerclean PR 210lbs

http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzf…210_26Feb03.mpg



I am much stronger now, so I should be killing these lifts, anyway back then even though my form wasn’t great I still had much more speed and explosion. My start position was different, and my knees rebent much more. Since I adopted a more proper starting position I don’t have the same pulling power or something :frowning:


On the other hand I doubt I could convert these into full lifts…

15

You’re starting your pull with a round back and throwing the weight way out forward. Stick out your chest to straighten the back out. Push off your heels not your toes, the bar at 175 isn’t even touching your shins, therefore the weights pulling you forward from the start, add in that round back and you end up with a big swing and crash on the shoulders instead of a straight pull and smooth reception. Set(start) with your ass sticking out, chest out, shoulders over the bar, bar against the shins; push your heels into the platform (don’t intentionally start slow)the goal is always to add speed to the excelleration of the bar. Your 219 is better technically than your 175 and 195. You tend to bounce the lighter weights off of your lower, to mid thigh however 219 is much smoother and comes off of the thighs later which keeps the bar closer (the bar should be thrown upwards from the hips and is where olympic lifters get most of their explosion). Straighten your back and push off your heels hard and your second pull will finish higher on the thigh (hopefully at the hip) and the bar will stay closer to the body also allowing for a smoother reception at the top. Your feet need (and do) leave the ground when you receive. Yes, it’s true that you want them to remain in contact with the ground as long as possible but you’re starting your pull with your feet at (approx.)a shoulder width stance and they need to leave the ground to move out to a front squat stance. Sometimes people tend to move their feet out too wide with heavy weights to get lower, in order to catch the bar instead of going into a deeper squat. It looked like you were headed into this direction. Catch the bar with your feet in the same position as your front squat and squat as deep as you need to in order to receive the bar rather than letting your feet go out wider.

My critique may not sound very positive, however I do think your technique overall is good, but having seen your clips in the past and knowing you’ve done the movement for years I thought I’d offer what I hope is constructive criticism.

16

Thanks

I actually think I was on my heels when I lift off, others are telling me to go more on my toes :slight_smile:

Also I didn’t think I split my feet any wider than I normally do to frontsquat.I frontsquat with a fairly wide stance anyway.

17

Colin,
So you for your assistance work you have been using slow eccentric, isometric hold in the stretched position, then fast concentric?

18

depends - what lifts/movement are we talking about?

19

The Iso holds that you say have been packing on the muscle.

20

Hey Colin,

I just wanted to point something out: maybe its the media player that I have or something but when I pause the clip on the explosion of the pull, I notice that you dont have the triple extension; your arms seem to be bent when you explode from the hips.

Ive been taught to keep that triple extenstion of the legs, hips and arms (kinda like that Iron Mind shirt) so you may want to work on that.