Just a Quick Update

I know it seems like I fell off the face of the earth; truth is, my time here in the States seems a lot tighter than it was overseas.  However, my time here is consumed with things I actually enjoy, which makes it all worth it.  Still, I wanted to apologize for not updating.  

Since I returned, I went home for a month, visited Cali (one of my previous posts about the Catalyst Athletics seminar and the beautiful scenary), attended a dining out (military version of a ball/banquet, but it’s still a work function) for my wife’s unit, and began to fix up portions of the house that my dog, Zoe, decided to chew on when she was a puppy.  As I continue to patch up things here and there, I chuckle at memory of her doing the deed.  Granted, it wasn’t so funny then, but now when I reminisce, I look back at her and smile.  She’s grown into a beautiful two-year old Doberman that loves us unconditionally.  I thoroughly enjoy seeing her little nub wag around.  She’s very protective of us and has quite a bark, but that’s all she is — bark.  Unfortunately, as a Doberman, people fear her, but they soon realize how gentle she is when she offers them one of her soft kisses or gives them a “high-five.”  She’s terrified of little dogs, often cowering behind my legs as if I’m going to shield her.  She loves to play outside and I really love watching her just run around and enjoy the simplicity and adventure that nature itself has to offer.  She’ll always be my “little monster.”

This almost became a post about my dogs — I apologize.  Still, it’s awesome being home.  I enjoy coming home to my wife, my dog, and my house.  My family is still really far away and I miss them each day more and more, but I know that one day we’ll all be together again.  

I endeavored on a new training program from Bob Takano’s book.  I am currently three weeks into it.  I will have to upload the plan thus far, perhaps by photos since it might be a little too much to type out.  

Home, Family, Lifting, and Good Times

Where do I start? The past two and a half weeks of being home with family and friends couldn’t be any better. I’m grateful to have had my parents and in-laws in Kansas to greet us as we arrived from theater. Hugging my mother after a year apart is one of the greatest joys, but one I would gladly never want to experience again. I’m also thankful that my friend and training partner Joe had me over to train with him once before I headed off to NY to see family. It was awesome to train together again; I missed the camaraderie, and his family is absolutely wonderful. His wife is a woman of true class and his son is absolutely one-of-a-kind. He’s a great kid and I love him.

Since we returned to NY, my wife and I are simply enjoying time with our families. It is refreshing to see everyone after a year still very healthy, happy, and as loving as ever. We also took a trip to San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Cruz to enjoy the beautiful California weather and scenery, along with the Catalyst Athletics seminar we planned to attend while overseas.

The areas we visited in Northern California are stunning. Even with a slight overcast, the coastline and state offer a beautiful view unparalleled in many ways. What’s even better is that this oasis is within our great country! We really didn’t want to do the touristy things, where we get shuttled around like cattle, but we did go over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco’s Union Square. For those unfamiliar with San Francisco, the city has many little neighborhoods, and Union Square is San Francisco’s business district with tons of stores, attractions, and people. When we decided to bike from this area, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and into a town called Sausalito to eat at a restaurant a friend recommended, it didn’t look very far. Needless to say, we underestimated it! I haven’t biked that far in a while. What makes it funnier to us is that we have road bikes designed for distance and efficiency, so while we didn’t expect these rentals to be anything spectacular, I expected them to at least help us make the ride easier. That was NOT the case. We labored through some really inefficient pedaling across what had to be more than 10 miles, but it was completely worth the unnecessary sweating. The bridge offers some awesome views and the restaurant was everything our friend hyped it up to be. We couldn’t ask for much more.

The seminar was absolutely worth the expense. My wife and I were able to learn a lot from Greg Everett and his knowledgable team. Set in an immaculate facility equipped with all the pieces needed to train hard and effectively, the Catalyst Athletics facility is a product of Greg’s discipline and leadership to provide his lifters and those that visit a place they can call and treat like home. The value of respect is very much alive in the gym. The instruction we received is top notch; from progression drills to presentation, the structure and execution of the seminar was an absolute success. Not only do they display their intimate knowledge with the material, but the fluidity in which they presented the material was incredibly noteworthy. Time and time again, Greg and his crew showed that their product is a result of continuous refinement and a desire to always make the next seminar better than the last. Greg’s ability to masterfully explain the movements along with the associated body parts it affects in a manner that kept everyone engaged, focused, and able to follow highlights just a small piece of the overall experience. The real gem came in the family environment he cultivates.

Naturally, it’s common for people attending a seminar in a foreign place to feel apprehensive about meeting people. You don’t want to come off too forward, and some just don’t want to make friends — they’re there to learn only and that’s ok. The seminar started with introductions customary to large group settings, where Greg remembered a dialogue we had regarding the belated honeymoon after my wife and I introduced ourselves, which made me feel welcomed. Immediately after, we started to get into instruction. I began to absorb the material with the constant support of watchful and helpful eyes, and I thought this was going to be an all-business seminar — rightfully so considering how much material there was to cover. However, it was quite the opposite. Greg and his crew seemingly had little use for our name tags because they practically remembered our names within the first hour or two. They each remembered a fact about us that we presented to the group during introductions and genuinely asked about it to learn more about us the person, not the customer. It was refreshing, to say the least.

The best part about it was how comfortable they made you feel among them. If any of you ever watched their videos, you know that they train hard. Yet, they are always encouraging each other and celebrating each other’s triumphs against the bar, all while hearing Greg’s tutelage from the background. They encouraged us as visiting lifters and made us feel like part of their team; so much so that both my wife and I achieved personal bests with weights that have eluded us in certain movements. My wife hit a new jerk best, while I succeeded in hitting a new snatch best not once, but twice! I didn’t get a chance to get my wife’s effort on tape because she likes to just go without telling me. I was saddened to not capture it, but with all the things we learned, it won’t be the last time she hits these new heights; the next time she does, I’ll be there to video.

I’m thoroughly enjoying my time here with family. I can’t help but feel excited for all the new things I learned at the seminar and I can’t wait to get back to train hard with my great friend Joe! Until then, I’ll continue enjoying their company to the fullest.

Starting My Journey Home and Remembering Our Fallen

Finally! We’re starting our journey home and it feels awesome. The wait is starting to become a reality and I couldn’t be happier. My wife and I were able to coordinate being on the same flight out of country even though we’re in different units.

I feel blessed, but I still feel the torn emotions thinking of those that didn’t make it home, and those families with gaping holes in their lives. This deployment, I lost a dear friend, CPT Scott Pace, and witnessed another member of our profession killed in action during this war, only to be sent off by his brother. Scott was a genuine soul, a man that really was the best we had to offer. That’s often how these heroes are remembered, but I feel that not only is it true, but the saying almost does him no justice. He was everything we all strive to be: selfless, loyal, honest, kind, loving. Scotty and I shared an even more personal bond. Along with our brothers, we played on the same team in college and share tons of memories. Whenever we were out there against the competition together, it was “The Brothers” taking over. We had such a great time and I feel blessed to have known him. When I heard the news of Scotty’s passing, I reached out to his brother and could only offer useless words of encouragement. The Paces let me know that they named my brother and I honorary pall bearers during Scotty’s burial. It was extremely hard sending him off in anything other than a brotherly embrace, and the same can be said for the other honorable man that we sent back to his final resting place.

He and his brother were both members of different Special Forces teams, and when his brother learned of the most tragic news, he was flown to escort his brother back home. I didn’t know this was coordinated, but as I witnessed the ceremony to transport the dignified remains of a hero, I noticed these men — bearded and in normal clothing fitting for unconventional warfare, training indigenous or local militias, and carrying out missions that help win our wars — approach the coffin that held their fallen comrade. Rightfully so, I assumed these were all members of his team. Each knelt before the hero and had a moment, but one member seemed to be late (for lack of a better way to put it). He came up after everyone, and when he did, everyone took a step back. He proceeded to fall onto both knees and weep. As a leader who also experienced the indescribable feeling of loss when one of your men is killed in action, I thought this man was their team leader and immediately felt for him. As the ceremony finished, I heard the rumbling of those around me and overheard that the man who was “late” and fell was in fact his brother. The feeling of loss and hurt consumed me as I selfishly thought about myself in that position and how I would never forgive myself for not remaining as my brother’s protector. I wanted to offer words of condolence, but I knew the man was just broken and held together only by his sense of duty to bring his brother back home in a manner he was forced to and to help his family attempt to recover from their loss. It broke my heart.

Those these two men, and to those that we lost during these wars and past wars, rest in eternal peace. You aren’t forgotten.

Save Olympic Wrestling

I swear it upon Zeus, an outstanding runner cannot be the equal of an average wrestler. — Socrates

It’s been a while since I last posted, part of that is due to transitioning and getting ready to redeploy. These are exciting times and the anticipation is building. I can’t wait to see my family — words can’t begin to explain how much I missed them during this deployment. In a way, I’m kind of glad it took me this long to post something because it gave me an opportunity to write about something near and dear to me.

Recently, the Olympic committee voted to remove wrestling as one of the 25 core sports. This surprised me and many others. Historically, there aren’t many sports with a greater history or as strong of an affiliation to Olympic tradition. Wrestling is a timeless sport used by many strong and great civilizations to promote a warrior spirit. Along with track and field events, the sport is also one of THE original events in the Olympics, designed to appease the gods and show their gratitude for giving the people such able bodies. In this respect, there is clearly no other sport that could represent the core of the Olympics and all it represents than wrestling.

The Olympics is a display of highest level of athleticism, yet other events like golf and skeet are permitted to stay. Can we really argue that these events truly require more athleticism — coordination, agility, speed, aggressiveness, tactics, preparation, DISCIPLINE, power, balance — than wrestling?!? It’s IMPOSSIBLE to argue. Where did the committee come up with their rationale? I admire golf simply because I’m really bad at it, but there’s absolutely no way you can convince me Tiger Woods is more of an athlete than any average wrestler. Don’t even get me started on skeet …

The committee cited a lack of interest. I ask that committee to read the list of nations that recently won medals (I believe 28 different nations were represented), or go to local high schools and observe the training these young athletes are enduring. They’re driving themselves to limits never seen by other athletes not for money or careers, but for a shot at medals and glory. Every wrestler knows that this isn’t a lucrative sport — it wasn’t going to give you the multi-million dollar contracts. Yet, they stayed with the sport, challenging themselves to be better. From it, these young men and women gained a level of discipline far beyond their peers. They learned the meaning of sacrifice for the greater good. All that for a shot at glory — a glory the Olympic committee just selfishly stripped from future generations.

Something smells really awful about the way this went down. Some articles I read cited that some of the voting party had interests in other sports nominated for dismissal. Whatever it is, their decision is one of the most heinous ever. Golfers can pursue a lucrative career — wrestlers can’t … AND don’t want to. They truly love their sport. I know I did. I gained so much from the sport and it breaks my heart to know that the hard work being sweated and bled onto mats across the world won’t be given the chance to manifest into Olympic glory.

For those of you that read my little blog, I ask that you not bypass an opportunity to help preserve Olympic tradition and the hopes of young children everywhere. There are Facebook groups that serve as petitions; you can send letters to the Olympic Training Center; or, you can follow USA Wrestling for more information. Please help save Olympic wrestling.

Monday, 04 February 2013

Morning
FS @ singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)x3​​​​
156 (PR); 147 – 151 – 156 (F); 147 – 151 – 156 (F); 147 – 151 (F) – No attempt
Sn @ same as FS
105; 95 – 100 – 105(F); did not do the last three sets
Sn Pulls @ 105%x3x4​​​​​​​
126
Sn PP @ 3×4
115 – 120 – 125 – 130

Night
P Sn @ same as FS in the morning
100; 90 – 95 – 100 (full sn); 90 – 95 – 100 (full snatch); 90 – 95 (full snatch) – 100 (full)
PC + J @ same as FS
125; 115 – 120 – 125 (F); 115 – 120 (F), no attempt; no third set

Notes: It was great to PR on my front squat. I actually felt pretty strong with it and thought about going heavier, but I thought about the subsequent lifts and didn’t want to sacrifice the point of dropping down and trying to go back up to the established max of the day for another PR that I probably wouldn’t hit again, much less the “lighter” weights. Snatches were tough due to the fact that my legs were pretty much taken out from under me. The pulls were expectedly tough after the way I felt during snatches, but I made sure to maintain form give it all I had. The snatch pus presses were difficult, but fun. In hindsight, I should’ve broken this day up. Even after feeling tired, I thought about Wednesday’s workout and did the power snatches/cleans and jerks. I surprisingly did very well. I hit a 100/125 power for the first time in a while. Unlike the snatches, I tried not to ride down into a squat for the power cleans, mainly because I didn’t wear my knee sleeves. I also ran out of gas – it was a long training day, but I did feel good about everything that happened today.

Tuesday, 05 February 2013

Day
P Sn @ 60%x2; 65%x2; 70%x2x2
72 – 78 – 84 – 90×1
PC + PJ @ 60%x2+2; 65%2+2; 70%x2+2
90 – 98 – 105 – 113x1x1
BS @ 60%x3; 70%x3; 80%x2; 85%x2x2
111 – 130 – 148 – 157 (actual: 160)

Night
P Sn @ 60%x2; 65%x2; 70%x2; 60%x2; 65%x2
72 – 78 – 84 – 90×1 – 78
PC + PJ @ 60%x2+1; 65%x2+1; 70%x2+1
90 – 98 – 105 – 113×1+1
Jumping BS @ 50%x2x4
93

Notes: Things went well this morning, but A LOT better at night. I really enjoy working out at night. I get some of my better lifts in at that time because I feel like I’m more explosive, alert, and successful. I’m making the decision to attempt Thursday’s max attempts at night. I also had to shift my timeline to the left by a considerable amount. Today’s night session was supposed to be done Thursday with Wednesday being a rest day. Additionally, Friday was supposed to be another rest day leading up to Saturday, but with my having to start my return back home (!), I had to change everything. I hope to set the conditions that will lead to a successful max day on Thursday, be it lifting at night, eating ice cream, or whatever it is (I don’t think I need an excuse to eat ice cream).

Wednesday, 06 February 2013 – Rest! Anticipation is building …

Thursday, 07 February 2013 – MAX DAY!

I did kept this as a meet day — three attempts on each.

Sn: 116 – 120 (F) – 120 (F)
C+J: 137 – 140 (F) – 140 (F)
Total: 253 (PR)

Well, I did my best and walked away with a PR total. Obviously, I would much prefer PRs in all three events, but I’ll take this as a stepping stone and continue working harder. I can only see myself improving, especially going back to favorable conditions.

10-16 February 2013

Staying loose and using this time as a transition/recovery period. The equipment available isn’t that good (the bars have ZERO knurling near the collars from a lot of neglect). However, I did manage to PR at 140kg for my clean, but I missed the jerk. Naturally, I forgot to record it as well — I suck.

Almost Home!

February …finally!  This is the month my wife and I return home!  I can’t wait to get back to the life we put on hold with the ones we love the most.  A year went by and, despite being in this forsaken place, I learned a lot about myself, training, and every day life.  I can’t wait to live a simple life, one surrounded with my family, love, health, and happiness.  It’s really that easy — what else can be more important?  To me, everything else takes second place.  

Monday, 28 January 2013

Morning
FS @ singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)x3                                              
   156 (PR); 147 – 151 – 156 (F); 147 – 151 – 156 (F); 147 – 151 (F) – No attempt
Sn @ same as FS
   105; 95 – 100 – 105(F); did not do the last three sets
Sn Pulls @ 105%x3x4                                                                                    
   126
Sn PP @ 3×4
   115 – 120 – 125 – 130

Night
P Sn @ same as FS in the morning
   100; 90 – 95 – 100 (full sn); 90 – 95 – 100 (full snatch); 90 – 95 (full snatch) – 100 (full)
PC + J @ same as FS
   125; 115 – 120 – 125 (F); 115 – 120 (F), no attempt; no third set

Notes:  It was great to PR on my front squat.  I actually felt pretty strong with it and thought about going heavier, but I thought about the subsequent lifts and didn’t want to sacrifice the point of dropping down and trying to go back up to the established max of the day for another PR that I probably wouldn’t hit again, much less the “lighter” weights.  Snatches were tough due to the fact that my legs were pretty much taken out from under me.  The pulls were expectedly tough after the way I felt during snatches, but I made sure to maintain form give it all I had.  The snatch pus presses were difficult, but fun.  In hindsight, I should’ve broken this day up.  Even after feeling tired, I thought about Wednesday’s workout and did the power snatches/cleans and jerks.  I surprisingly did very well.  I hit a 100/125 power for the first time in a while.  Unlike the snatches, I tried not to ride down into a squat for the power cleans, mainly because I didn’t wear my knee sleeves.  I also ran out of gas – it was a long training day, but I did feel good about everything that happened today.

Tuesday, 29 January 2013 – Rest!

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

BS @ 60%x2; 70%x2; 80%x2; 90%x2; 95%x1; 80%x3; 85%x2; 90%x1
   111 – 130 – 148 – 166 – 176 [actual:  182 (PR)] – 148 – 157 – 166
Cl Pull @ 100%x2x5
   330

Notes:  Back squats went very well – 182 is a PR for an ass-to-grass squat.  The slight adjustment I made about feeling the weight through my mid-foot rather than how I used to press too much through my heel is making a great impact on my feel of the squat.  I don’t feel the imbalance I used to have, my back is more upright, and the emphasis on hip flexor mobility is really helping, too.  My knees are surprisingly not as achy, either.  This is all really encouraging!

Thursday, 31 January 2013 – Rest!   

Friday, 01 February 2013

Morning
FS @ 60%x2; 70%x2; 80%x2; 85%x2; 90%x2; 95%x2; 90%x2; 95%x1                              
   99 (actual:  102); 116; 132; 140; 148; 155; 148; 155
PP (3” riser) @ 60%x2; 65%x2; 70%x2; 75%x2                                                                    
   90; 98; 105; 113

Night
Sn @ 60%x1; 70%x1; 80%x1; 85%x1; 90%x1; 95%x1x2                                                     
   72; 84; 96; 102; 108 (actual:  110); 114 – 116(F)
C+J @ same as snatch                                    
   90; 1050; 120; 128; 135 [actual:  137 (PR)]; 142 (not even close)

Notes:  Front squats went VERY well.  My highest FS double (the “95%”) was actually 1 kg less than my most recently established PR.  I actually felt really strong with that double.  The second set of 90% was awesome, too – I even did a pause squat with it.  This is really encouraging, especially since I stopped shorter of what I thought was another PR on Monday’s squats.  Snatches felt great considering I was worried about the jumps in weight.  I usually make smaller jumps, but this actually worked out because I had a lot of strength to make those last attempts … and that 137 clean and jerk that I struggled with for the last couple of months.  I really tried to gather some strength to try and attempt the 142 (95% of a 150), but that wasn’t happening.  Still, in the end, with the environment much like a mock meet, I ended with a 114/137/251 after a morning session.  That gives me even more confidence. 

Saturday, 02 February 2013:  Rest Day!

More and More Confident Heading Into the Final Week … And Closer to Home!

Monday, 28 January 2013

Morning
FS @ singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)x3                                              
   156 (PR); 147 – 151 – 156 (F); 147 – 151 – 156 (F); 147 – 151 (F) – No attempt
Sn @ same as FS
   105; 95 – 100 – 105(F); did not do the last three sets
Sn Pulls @ 105%x3x4                                      
   126
Sn PP @ 3×4
   115 – 120 – 125 – 130

Night
P Sn @ same as FS in the morning
   100; 90 – 95 – 100 (full sn); 90 – 95 – 100 (full snatch); 90 – 95 (full snatch) – 100 (full)
PC + J @ same as FS
   125; 115 – 120 – 125 (F); 115 – 120 (F), no attempt; no third set

Notes:  It was great to PR on my front squat.  I actually felt pretty strong with it and thought about going heavier, but I thought about the subsequent lifts and didn’t want to sacrifice the point of dropping down and trying to go back up to the established max of the day for another PR that I probably wouldn’t hit again, much less the “lighter” weights.  The value was in the subsequent workload, not to establish a new PR at the expense of quality movement.  Snatches were tough due to the fact that my legs were pretty much taken out from under me.  The pulls were expectedly tough after the way I felt during snatches, but I made sure to maintain form give it all I had.  The snatch push presses were difficult, but fun.  In hindsight, I should’ve broken this day up.  Even after feeling tired, I thought about Wednesday’s workout and did the power snatches/cleans and jerks.  I surprisingly did very well.  I hit a 100/125 power for the first time in a while.  Unlike the snatches, I tried not to ride down into a squat for the power cleans, mainly because I didn’t wear my knee sleeves.  I also just ran out of gas on the power cleans and jerks – it was a long training day, but I did feel good about everything that happened today.

Tuesday, 29 January 2013 – Rest!

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

BS @ 60%x2; 70%x2; 80%x2; 90%x2; 95%x1; 80%x3; 85%x2; 90%x1
   111 – 130 – 148 – 166 – 176 [actual:  182 (PR)] – 148 – 157 – 166
Cl Pull @ 100%x2x5
   330

Notes:  Back squats went very well – 182 is a PR for an ass-to-grass squat.  The slight adjustment I made about feeling the weight through my mid-foot rather than how I used to press too much through my heel is making a great impact on my feel of the squat.  I don’t feel the imbalance I used to have, my back is more upright, and the emphasis on hip flexor mobility is really helping, too.  My knees are surprisingly not as achy, either.  This is all really encouraging!

Thursday, 31 January 2013 – Rest!  

Bob Takano’s Book is Awesome

I just finished Bob Takano’s stellar book, Weightlifting Programming:  A Winning Coach’s Guide.  Coach Takano is essentially a demi-god, having been inducted into the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame as well as being a USAW Senior International Coach.  He served as head coach for the international team for many years and produced many quality weightlifters for the USA.  When Greg Everett released that he was publishing this book for Coach Takano, I naturally jumped at the opportunity to learn and pre-ordered his book on the pre-release date (I know … I’m a nerd).

One of my weakest points as an ever-learning coach is the concept of programming.  With so many philosophies to choose from, it can be easy to get lost and feel overwhelmed.  This book did a phenomenal job at not only explaining an approach to programming, but Coach Takano did a wonderful job at explaining why you choose certain exercises during certain phases of a weightlifter’s career.  The ease in which he explains the concept of Long Term Athletic Development is incredible.  In my pursuit of higher learning, I never encountered someone that was able to break it down into such easy terms.  His integration of mathematics, statistics, biology, kinesiology, exercise science, and physics of how they’re used in a coach’s pursuit of the perfect program for his individual lifters is flawless.  There was never a time where I had to re-read a sentence because I couldn’t understand the material presented – that only happened because I actually wanted to out of pure fascination and satisfaction.  Lastly, his writing style is refreshing.  You can tell he is a learned, 40-year biology teacher.  It makes me wish I had someone like that in high school or college when I was learning such a key subject.

This book should really be on any person’s list to read if you are in strength and conditioning, be it the garage warrior or an experienced coach.  Your desire to continue learning and developing yourself should NEVER end, regardless of experience.  There are key points that those within the aforementioned range of experience can benefit from.  He is not shy at pointing out fundamental flaws in the US’ athletic development system and presenting his theory as to why we continue to have an issue with steroids and performance enhancers.  His statistics demonstrate just how important quality repetitions are.  Regardless if your athlete is a weightlifter or a wrestler, the “perfect practice makes perfect” principle exudes from this well-written book and can be applied to any part of your life.  You can see a weightlifter’s average intensity remain constant over time, but his volume increases significantly through each stage, therefore making me come to the conclusion that it is absolutely critical to increase the amount of perfect repetitions as the athlete continues to reach top-end strength levels and develops into a high-level athlete.  Without it, the athlete won’t be able to apply those new strength gains in whatever sport he/she plays, which essentially makes that athlete strong for no good reason.  It also compounds the notion that to be good at one movement, you have to drill it perfectly 10,000 times and not necessarily at maximum intensity – the very same theory I heard when I was a wrestler.  Pick up this book today! 

Monday, 21 January 2013

Sn @ 75%x2x4                                                                                               
   90
Jerks @ 84%x3x2; 2×2                                                                                   
   126
Cl Pulls (3” riser) @ 95%x3x3                                                                                    
   135
BS @ 90%x2x4                                                                      
   167 – 1/F2/F2/F1; 145×5 (with pause on last)

Notes:  My back squats suck as of late.  I’ve been mashing my left hip to get more flexibility out of it, which has helped to alleviate that tightness I’ve talked about, but there’s a tenderness that concerns me.  I’m doing all I can to get that fixed, but I feel like I’m just lagging behind.  The snatches went ok, but I had tired legs; same went for the jerks.  I didn’t have that quick reflex today.

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

C+J @ 75%x2x4                                                                                             
   113
Sn Hi Pull @ 88%x3x3                                                           
   106
PP@ 90%x3x3                        
   113

Notes:  I had such a hard time feeling like everything flowed together.  I was going for doubles on clean and jerks and I just felt like there was no chemistry.  It’s not like the weight felt heavy, but I just feel like my body wasn’t connecting the dots, if that makes sense.  I’ll pull, have a so-so second pull, and then body forgets to pull under the bar.  Today, where it’s usually my left hip, my right knee and hip felt weak.  It was just a bad day.  The push presses were just terrible, so I up and left after the first set, which was a failure.  There was no pop off my shoulders, which made me feel like my body was too tired.  I am slightly discouraged by today’s performance; thankfully, my training partner was there to give me some words of encouragement.  I need to get back to train correctly!

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Muscle Sn @ 80%x2x3                                              
   85x2x2; 90×2 (F2 – 90 is a PR)
C+J @ 80%x1x3                                 
   120
Cl DL @ 115%x3x3 
   173
FS@ 90%x2x4
   148x2x2; 150×2; 154×1; 160×1 (F)

Notes:  Well, thank God for today.   I felt well enough on the first two sets of front squats to think I can go for higher, so I put 150 on the for the third set of doubles.  I still felt really good and thought it would be a good time to try to see if I can PR since the program doesn’t call for a chance to PR a front squat during max week.  I also don’t want to try to do it that week because of the impending max days.  I went up to 154 and hit a surprisingly easy single (previous max is 155), so I made a jump to 160 in hopes that I could hit it, but I think the previous doubles caught up to me as I failed on that last rep.  I stripped the bar down to 105 and knocked out two sets of three for speed work, then moved on to other exercises.  I’m also really excited about my new PR in the muscle snatch.  I really enjoy doing them for two reasons:  1) it forces me to be very fast, strong, and thorough through my second pull; 2) it makes me focus on a fast turnover and the need to immediately start pressing up on the bar, which I can see helping me when I do the full lifts.  I’m excited that I had a day like today – definitely a morale booster.

Thursday, 24 January 2013 – Rest!   

Friday, 25 January 2013

Sn @ 80%x1x3                                   
   96 (actual:  95 – 98 – 100)
Sn Pull (3” riser) @ 95%x3x3                                                             
   114
Sn PP @ 89%x3x3                                                                 
   111 (actual:  116 – 120 – 125)
BS @ 87%x2x4                                  
   161 (actual:  157 – 161 – 165 – 170 (F2); average:  163); 150x3x2 (w/ pause on last rep)

Notes:  Back squats actually felt really good today because of a minor discovery (I hope it’s a discovery).  I think I noticed that I often have my weight too far back on my heels instead of through the midfoot.  By keeping the pressure through the midfoot, my knees and hips broke at the same rate, and I also felt more erect than I have in recent sessions.  I was able to keep a solid amount of tension through my back and rest of the body.  My bottom positions felt solid, and I really felt as if I was able to transfer a lot more power when needed.  I had a quick, vigorous drive out of the hole.  I received a little help with the last rep from my friend, but I walked away happy with the session.  I wish I discovered this minor tweak a little while ago, but it’s ok.  I continued on to the snatches, which felt fine.  I decided to try to go a little heavier on the snatch grip push presses to see my strength gains, push myself a little further, and feel confident with my ability to have 125 kg over my head in a locked position.  I was very pleased to finish all the reps and felt confident with the way the weight felt.  Overall, great day … two days in a row.  

Saturday, 26 January 2013

Sn @ 80%; 82%; 84%; 87%x1x2; 82%; 80% 
   95 – 102 – 107 – 110 – 115 (F) – 102 – 95 – 93 (Power)
C+J @ same as snatch                                                                                    
   120 – 128 – 132 – 137 (FC) – 137 (FC)
Sn Shrug @ 122%x5x3; 4×2                                                  
   148

Notes:  I felt a little slow on the snatches.  I’m assuming yesterday’s session took a little more out of me than anticipated – I didn’t feel quite as strong or violent going through them as I hoped, but I still hit a 110, which made me happy.  As I progressed through the clean and jerks, I think I just ran out of steam.  I racked my clean at 137 but couldn’t stand up with it.  I then tried again, but that just ended up being a deadlift.  I feel like I should’ve hit the first 137, but if today’s performance is a result of tired legs, I feel a little more confident heading into the last weeks, which are a taper to recover and prepare for a max lift!   

Getting Closer to the End … It’s Go Time.

Monday, 21 January 2013

Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife.  I can’t wait to be able to actually spend one together!

Sn @ 75%x2x4
   90
Jerks @ 85%x3x2; 2×2
   126
Cl Pull (3″ riser) @ 95%x3x3
   135
BS @ 90%x2x4
   167 — 1/F2/F2/F1; 145×5 (w/ pause on last rep)

Notes:  Back squats were going fine for the first set.  Then, it’s as if my body remembered that my back squats suck as of late.  I’ve been mashing my left hip to get more flexibility out of it, which has helped to alleviate that tightness I’ve talked about, but there’s a tenderness that concerns me right on the hip bone.  I finished the back squats with a 145 for five reps, to include a pause squat at the end.  The snatches felt ok, at best.  My tired legs just made it that much more difficult.  As you can imagine, if the snatches were tough, the jerks were even tougher, but I managed through both exercises without killing myself.  I would’ve loved some jerk boxes, though.

Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Cl @ 75%2×4
   113
Sn Hi Pull @ 88%x3x3
   106
PP @ 90%x3x3

Notes:  I just stunk it up today.  I had such a hard time feeling like everything flowed together, or that my body actually listened to anything I wanted it to do.  I was going for doubles on clean and jerks and I just felt like there was no chemistry.  It’s not like the weight felt heavy, but I just feel like my body wasn’t connecting the dots, if that makes sense.  I’ll pull, have a so-so second pull, and then body forgets to pull under the bar.  Today, where it’s usually my left hip, my right knee and hip felt weak.  It was just a bad day.  The push presses were simply atrocious — what an epic failure.  I just stopped, unracked the bar, and left.  There was nothing good coming out of me being in the gym today.  I tried lowering the weights and it still looked terrible.  I really hope I just need rest and that when I get back home, I somehow am rested up and all my strength work that I’ve worked on comes to me.  I really hope it’s a matter of restoration and the fact that I get zero of it here.

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

Muscle Sn @ 80%x2x3
   85%x2x2; 90×2 (F2; 90kg is a PR)
C+J @ 80%x1x3
   120
Cl DL @ 115%x3x3
   173
FS @ 90%x2x4
   148x2x2; 150×1; 154×1 (PR); 159×1 (F)

Notes:  Well, thank God for today.  I felt good waking up, and I felt solid warming up.  As I completed the first two sets, I initially tried to go for a double at 150, but after finishing the first rep, I wanted to actually go for a PR.  I PR’d at 154, but failed at 159.  The 154 actually felt really well, but the extra 5kg felt pretty heavy.  I PR’d my muscle snatch, too!  I love those things.  I’m really happy with today and feel encouraged again.

I </3 When Deload Week Ends

Friday, 18 January 2013

Sn @ 65%x2x2; 70%x1x3                              
   78; 84
Sn Pull (3” riser) @ 83%x4x5                                                                         
   100
Sn PP @ 77%x4x4                                                                             
   96
BS @ 77%x2x5                                                          
   143

Notes:  Squats felt good – I felt better as I progressed through the sets.  There was a little more “pop” to them and I didn’t feel that tightness in the hip (great!), but I still felt some achy knees (poop).  I’m spending time icing them out and massaging my quads, especially around the knee.  The pulls were surprisingly easy.  I felt very strong and practically pulled the bar to my chin.  Snatch push presses, as you might expect, were very easy.

Saturday, 19 January 2013

Sn @ 60%x2; 65%x2; 70%x1x2; 75x1x2                  
   72; 78; 84; 90
C+J @ same as snatch                                                                                    
   90; 98; 105; 113
Cl Shrug @ 112%x5x3                                                                                   
   170
RDL @ 66% (of clean)5×4                                         
   99

Notes:  Snatches felt decent.  I felt as if I should have had a little more “pop” than I did.  I don’t think my mind was all there, but I was successful on all attempts (as expected).  C+J went a little better.  I hit all my attempts (as expected), and went with a power jerk on the first attempt, then a split jerk on the subsequent.  On a side note, I think I tweaked my left trap.  The portion that meets my neck feels a little off.  I spent time icing the area and it seemed to help, but the longer I’m awake, the more of a nuisance it feels like.  It’s not getting worse, just annoying.   

Sunday 20 January 2013:  Rest Day!

I <3 Deload Weeks

Monday, 14 January 2013

Mid-hang Sn @ 65%x3x4                                                                                          
   78
Jerks @ 75%x2x4                                                                               
   113
Cl Pulls (3” riser) @ 83%x4x5                                                                                    
   125
BS @ 80%x2x5                                                                      
   148

Notes:  I can tell my body needs the recovery.  Today’s weights felt heavier htan they should on the squats and jerks – two leg-focused exercises.  I didn’t feel the same “pop” in the hang.  I focused on driving out of the hole as much as I could, along with timing my descent (eccentric) and rising (concentric).  The direct focus on my hip to loosen it up is helping.  I am using a softball for direct pressure on the site that bothers me.  My knees were also achy, even with the light weight – another indicator that I needed this week to come.

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Mid-hang Cl @ 65%x2x4                                                                                           
   98
Cl Hi Pull @ 78%x3x4                                                           
   117
Sn Bal @ 70%x3x4                                        
   88
PP@ 79%x3x4                        
   99

Notes:  Overall good day.  I focused more on my clean set up and trying to keep my knees over the bar as I start to 1) keep centered and  help distribute weight more efficiently, and 2) engage more of my legs when I begin my pulling.  Everything felt good.

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Muscle Sn @ 76%x3x2; 79%x2x2                                         
   80; 85
C+J @ 75%x2; 80%x1x4                               
   113; 120 – singles through 125, then 125x1x2
Cl DL @ 116%x4x5 
   170
FS@ 89%x2x5
   143x2x3; 145×2; 150×2 (F2)

Notes:  Front squats went well.  My legs were slightly tired, but it helped me keep my focus and drive against the ground.  Spent some good time on cleans to really get the “feel” I was discussing yesterday down pact.  A side note:  did power jerks for the clean and jerks and tried the squat jerk for the first time ever.  I was successful at 105 and was surprised as to just how comfortable I actually felt.  Weird.    

Thursday, 17 January 2013 – Rest!