Josh's new OL log

[veganjosh]

Well, I've gotten my flexibility up enough that my OL coaches have me on a real routine, so I figure I'll start posting a log again. Everything is really, really light at the moment, as I'm just working on technique.

13 September, bodyweight 69.26
lots of stretches
clean pulls from mid-thigh: 30x5x5
power cleans from mid-thigh: 30x5x5, 40x5
front squats: 60x5, 80x5, 70x5, 60x5
presses: 30x5, 35x5, 40x5x2
clean pulls to knees, 2 second pause at knees: 50x5x5

[JP]

brilliant that you are starting a new log to track your journey. Will be reading this with interest, good luck mate!

[veganjosh]

Thanks, JP!

Now, for training:

14 September, training at my gym (without coach)

stretching
30kg, 3 sets of "complexes," which are supersets (no setting the bar down between lifts) of:
5 snatch high pull
5 muscle snatch
5 good morning
5 back squat to press (use squatting momentum to push the weight up)
5 bent row

30x5x5, power snatches from mid-thigh
pullups x10x3


15 september (with coach), bodyweight 69.27
stretching
clean pulls from above the knee: 50x5, 60x5x4
power cleans from above the knee: 50x5x5
these felt the best cleans have ever felt for me. using a bit more weight to push my wrists/elbows into position is great.

front squats 70x6x4
they've been making me do squats without shoes (to stretch my ankles), but they let me use shoes again today. You forget how much shoes actually help your lifts until you're forced to lift without them!
presses 40x5x3, 45x5
clean pulls from floor to knee 80x5, 90x5x4
pullups: bodyweight x10, bw+12.5kg x5x2
did these using a weight vest, which was really nice compared to holding a dumbell between my feet or plates on a belt. I still can't get over how much awesome equipment this gym has!

hyperextensions +15kg x10x3

[veganjosh]

17 September, training alone

clean pulls from below knees, 50x5x5
power cleans from below knees, 50x5x5
front squats, 80x5x4
btk presses 20x5x3 (added these in just to stretch the shoulders a bit)
presses 40x5x4
clean pulls from floor to knees, 90x5x5

the clean pulls really hurt my thumbs, which are still getting used to the hook grip. my gym only has powerlifting bars, which have way sharper knurling than olympic bars, so when i train here my hands get really chewed up.

pullups 10x2
stretching

back at the weightlifting club tomorrow for some snatches...

[sensless]

Aren't those complexes brutal? VE and I do those as well. Generally I find the snatch complex tires me out more because there are two squat movements (back squat and OH squat) in the variation we do. Bleh!

I'm interested to see what kind of numbers you can get to in weightlifting. Perhaps next summer you can compete at Summerfest in the Clean and Jerk (and the deadlift).

Regards,

Sensless

[veganjosh]

Yeah, complexes are horrible. The guys I'm lifting with do their complexes with 60kg and claim 4 sets of them are the single hardest workout they have to do.

Interesting proposal about Summerfest...sounds like fun!

My club is putting on the Mid-American W/L Championships in a few weeks, and they want me to lift, although I'll be going absurdly light, and I'll probably be doing closer to power cleans and snatches than full squat cleans/snatches.

Today's workout:
18 September, bodyweight 68.96

stretches
warmed up with 3 position power cleans (3 reps from mid-thigh, 3 reps from above the knee, 3 reps from below the knee)

clean pulls, 40x5x3
power cleans, 40x5x5
front squats, 60x5x4
clean pulls to knees, 45x5x5
presses behind neck, medium grip (pinkies on rings), 30x5x4
more stretches

[veganjosh]

20 Septmber

I had a bit of a training breakthrough today, as I finally realized what I'm supposed to be doing with my body from when the bar crosses the knees until the jump. It'll take a while to burn the correct movement into my head, but I at least know what to do now.

stretching
overhead squats 15x5x5 (done with a 15kg bar, just for stretching)
more stretching
3 position power snatches 20x9x3
snatch pulls from below knee 30x5x3

had the aforementioned breakthrough here, so i spent lots of time jumping around to figure things out

power snatch from below knee 30x5x5
front squats 60x5x2, 70x5x2, 80x5
snatch pulls to knee 50x5x4
pullups +12.5 x5x3
more stretching

i'm really excited for next week, as my training volume more than doubles starting then.

[veganjosh]

21 september

fast workout today

a bit of stretching
overhead squats 20x5x3

snatch pulls from knee 20x5x a lot
just trying to remember the technique

back squats: 60x5, 100x5, 110x5, 120x5, 130x5
pullups +12.5 x5x2

[veganjosh]

22 September

overhead squats 15x5x5
3 position power snatches (just ofr warmup) 20x9x3
snatch pulls from above knees 40x5x3

3 position power cleans 40x5x2, 45x5x2, 50x5
the reps at 50 were quite ugly, but everything else felt great

presses 40x5x2, 45x5, 40x5x2
snatch pulls from floor to knee 40x5x5

[veganjosh]

24 September
Fast workout today

clean pulls, just working on timing...20x5x5
front squats 60x5, 85x5x4
pullups +12.5 x6x2

school starts tomorrow, so after that my sleeping schedule is going to be totally messed up...hopefully training will still be ok.

[sensless]

When and where is the Mid-American W/L Championships?

If I'm around I'd love to give it a try, like you I'll just be muscling the bar but it'd be fun to do a competition.

[veganjosh]

Senseless-
The meet is on October 14, and it's at my club in Schererville, IN (about 30 minutes southeast of downtown Chicago). The website for the club is www.midwestweightlifting.com , and there's a link to the entry form on the left-hand side. You should definitely come down if you can make it! Let me know what you decide.

-Josh

[veganjosh]

Monday 25 September
Fast workout again
Lots of snatch pulls 20x5
Back squats 60x5, 100x5, 125x5, 135x3x3
Pullups +12.5 x6x2


Wednesday 27 September
Everything felt wonderful today...

3 position power cleans 30x9x4
Overhead squats 20x5, 25x5, 30x5, 25x5
Pressing snatch balance 20x5, 25x5x2
Heaving snatch balance 20x5x3
Snatch Balance 20x5x5
One set of pullups from a towel hanging off the bar, just to show up a kid complaining about them being too hard...13 reps
Snatch pulls from floor to knees, 40x5x4
Pullups +12.5x6x2

All that in under an hour. It was really nice. My shoulders are actually starting to be flexible enough!

[bronco]

Pressing snatch balance 20x5, 25x5x2
Heaving snatch balance 20x5x3
Snatch Balance 20x5x5

What are these?

One set of pullups from a towel hanging off the bar, just to show up a kid complaining about them being too hard...13 reps

Good work .

[veganjosh]

Bronco-
In a pressing snatch balace, you simulaneously do a behind-the-neck press (with a snatch grip) and drop into an overhead squat. So, squat-width stance, then you press up and drop down at the same time, ending up in a full squat.

In a heaving snatch balance, it's the same thing, but you push-press the weight up instead of slowly pressing. So, squat-width stance, then you dip a bit, drive the weight up and drop into a full squat with the bar overhead.

A snatch balance is basically a more explosive heaving snatch balance. You start off with a snatch-width stance (closer than a squat stance), again with the bar behind your neck. You dip, and this time do a full jump like you're snatching, driving the bar off your back and moving your feet out to squat width, then, while the bar is moving up, you drop down into a full squat with the bar overhead.

I found a few youtube links for snatch balances:
pressing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPX1qanm ... ed&search=

heaving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhQtMDe6W68

regular: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlabYlMk ... ed&search=

The form isn't perfect, but you'll get the idea