Muscle Snatch - Training Progression: Week 10, Day 3

Power Snatch
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 75%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 75%

Power Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 1 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 1 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 1 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 75%
1 Set of 1 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%
1 Set of 1 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 1 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 75%

Front Squat
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
3 Sets of 2 Reps @ 80%

Power Jerk
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
2 Sets of 2 Reps @ 75%

Bench Press
3 Sets of 5 Reps

Daily Volume: 53
Weekly Volume: 191

I ended up PR'ing on both my power snatch and power clean!  Hit 90kg and 100kg, respectively.  First time benching today in a LOOONG time.  I ended up doing my working sets at 80kg.  Now onto the meat of what I wanted to write about.

The past few days, we've been discussing the muscle snatch and about implementing it more in our training, so today, I tried warming up with muscle snatch up to my 60%.  Previously, we hadn't used the muscle snatch much and never truly understood the carry over aside from the arm turn-over.

Needless to say, I'm convinced about it's importance.  My power snatches, up to about 80%, felt significantly easier than usual.  The reason?  The aggressive continued active pull on the bar post contact or extension.

At a certain point once the weight starts to become heavy enough, getting under the bar becomes paramount, and a very important piece of that is the pull, not drop, under.  That's exactly what the muscle snatch works on.

I'll continue to warm-up with more muscle snatches, so it will be interesting to see how it works with the full movements.

Training Progression: Week 10, Day 2

Snatch
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
2 Sets of 2 Reps @ 80%

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 1 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 70%
2 Sets of 1 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 80%

Clean Pull From Blocks Below the Knee
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%

Front Squat
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 90%

Dumbbell Seated Press
4 Sets of 8 Reps

Daily Volume: 77
Weekly Volume: 138

Today was the first time doing seated press.  It really forces you to tighten your torso, just like doing squats.  I can see where this is used for torso development.

Despite today being a low volume day, everything felt heavy, so it wasn't very productive.  The lower volume, however, was a welcome sight!

Took A While to Warm-Up - Training Progression: Week 10, Day 1

Snatch

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%

Clean & Jerk

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 95%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 95%

Front Squat

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%

3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 85%

Press

4 Sets of 4 Reps

Daily Volume: 61
Weekly Volume: 61

Today took a while to get in my groove.  I missed all my snatches from 80% up until my final 3 lifts shown in the video below.  The weights felt heavy, I didn't feel fast and I wasn't moving my feet.  Maybe it's because the camera came on, or it was just my mentality, but I was able to fight back, refocus and attack the bar!

C&J's were surprisingly solid, given the difficulty I've been having the past couple of weeks.  All of my cleans felt solid, aside from my 2nd attempt at 95%, which I failed at.  I missed my jerk at 95% because my front foot landed way too soon before my back foot.

Nonetheless, I felt great after the way I started.  For the press, I worked up to 4 sets @ 85% of my current max (70kg).

Legs Are Tired - Training Progression: Week 9, Day 6

Back Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
5 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Snatch
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

Back Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

Daily Volume: 70
Weekly Volume: 504

Well, I think it's safe to say that being on my feet for 14 hours straight a day is starting to catch up to me.  My legs feel tired and I have to speed with my hips into the bar.

Snatches went decently well, as I only missed 3 attempts out of 16 attempts.  Cleans continued to give me troubles as I ended up missing 6 attempts.  My weight continues to shift too far back, which is preventing me from getting to the bar fast enough.

With my busy schedule, my training is going to slightly change within the next couple weeks in order to work better around my schedule.

Big ups to Sam, aka Smuggles, and Greg, aka Stinky G, for pushing through and attacking the bar.  Looking for some big numbers from them in the coming months!

Just Another Day - Training Progression: Week 9, Day 5

Snatch
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%
3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 3 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 70%
3 Sets of 3 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 80%

Back Squat
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 70%
5 Sets of 4 Reps @ 80%

Daily Volume: 73
Weekly Volume: 434

After a long week, I was debating taking the day off to rest, but decided to suck it up and attack the bar!    Glad I did.  I made all my lifts and squats at the end were solid!

I have been noticing, however, that I haven't been moving my feet fast enough in the clean.  Doing this will get me under faster to receive the bar in a much better position for me to stand up the weight.

After coaching, I decided to stop by Waxman's Gym to say hello, and low and behold, Angelo, aka the GREEK was playing around with a nice easy pause squat at 210kg.  Mind you, this is after taking an entire week off due to being under the weather and dealing with a bicep injury.  Mind blown how strong this stud is.  Also a great person, friend and supporter!

Body Language Shapes You - Training Progression: Week 9, Day 4

Front Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
4 Sets of 3 Reps @ 85%

Power Snatch + Snatch Grip Behind the Neck Push Press + Overhead Squat
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.Gr.B.N.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.Gr.B.N.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 65%
2 Sets of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.Gr.B.N.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 70%

Power Clean + Front Squat + Jerk
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 3 F.S. + 3 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 3 F.S. + 3 Jr. @ 65%
2 Sets of 3 P.Cl. + 3 F.S. + 3 Jr. @ 70%

Clean Pull
5 Sets of 3 Reps @ 90%

Daily Volume: 108
Weekly Volume: 361

I was able to get in front squats and clean pulls in today that I ended up missing out on yesterday.  Front squats felt solid doing triples at 85%.  The complexes were rather difficult, however.  Coaching has been pretty draining this week, and as a result, my diet hasn't been as consistent and solid, so these sets really took it out of me.

A friend of mine mentioned this article and video below to me, and I find this very valuable, not just in life, but in athletic performance.  Of particular importance, having a proud chest and a "position of power" can actually increase testosterone levels in the body.  On the flip side, being in a slouched or "defeated" position can increase cortisol levels in the body.

When training or competing, the more testosterone the better!  As is "The Trojan Way", stand tall, big chest, big eyes!  It has more than just a psychological impact, it has a biological impact too.

When You Know You Need to Front Squat - Training Progression: Week 9, Day 3

Snatch
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
3 Sets of 2 Reps @ 85%

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 80%
3 Sets of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

Power Clean + Push Press
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 3 P.Pr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 3 P.Pr. @ 65%
3 Sets of 3 P.Cl. + 2 P.Pr. @ 70%

Daily Volume: 60
Weekly Volume: 253

Well, I was supposed to clean pull, snatch deadlift and front squat, but didn't have time today due to coaching.

It doesn't look like I was bringing my hips to the bar with speed on snatches and my weight was coming too far back on a couple of the cleans.  The work continues!

Assuming you're keeping up with back squatting, how do you know when you should focus a little bit more on front squatting?  The answer is simple: when coming out of the bottom of a clean feels/looks like a struggle!  If you're back squatting and your numbers continue to increase, you may want to sprinkle in a few more sessions of front squat to stay strong with the clean.  Front squats have great transferability to coming out of the bottom of the clean.  Get after it!

Power Snatch & Power Clean PR's! - Training Progression: Week 9, Day 2

Back Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%
3 Sets of 4 Reps @ 80%

Power Snatch
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 75%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 65%

Power Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 2 Jr. @ 65%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 2 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 75%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 65%

Daily Volume: 58
Weekly Volume: 193

After a really tough day of training, I always seem to follow it up with a solid outing.  I was feeling fast, so I decided to increase my weights for my reps @ 75% and ended up going for all time PR's in the power snatch (87kg) AND power clean (97).. Granted, I've never really truly gone for 1RM on these lifts, so any PR's on these lifts have been the result of going off percentages in training of my projected 1RM's for the full lifts.  Mind you, I his both these PR's for a double!

The only bad thing, is that I bailed on my 95% squat.  Aside from that, my working sets at 80% felt strong.  A lot stronger than I thought I'd feel after yesterday's squatting!

Dropping the Hammer Today! - Training Progression: Week 9, Day 1

A.M. Session

Back Squat
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 80%
4 Sets of 4 Reps @ 85%

-30 min break-

Snatch
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 80%
4 Sets of 4 Reps @ 85%

Snatch Pull from Blocks Below the Knee
5 Sets of 4 Reps @ 100%

P.M. Session

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 4 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 4 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 4 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%
3 Sets of 4 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

Press
4 Sets of 5 Reps

Front Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

Good Morning
4 Sets of 6 Reps

Daily Volume: 135
Weekly Volume: 135

Oh smokes, when Sean said he was going to drop the hammer on us this week, he wasn't kidding!  This had to be one of the toughest training days to date.  Not just physically, but mentally as well.  This is going to not just be a high volume week, but also high intensity.  The purpose is to elicit some adaptation with the body in order to make a jump in numbers.  I'm all game!  Last time we squatted 5x5 @ 80%, I really felt the difference in the following training sessions - in a good way.

Squatting 4x4 @ 85% out of the gates was solid in the sense that I made all my lifts, except my very last rep.  Up until today, 85% was my previous 4 rep max.  Big confidence boost to squat this that many times!  Aside from that, the rest of the training day was tough as sh!t!  Had no drive and speed with my hips.  Not to mention it was the most volume at 85% that I've EVER.  Oh is the life of a weightlifter though.  Hoping to get some good results in the next couple weeks once the body adapts to this eustress.

I ended up only going 7 for 16 on my working sets of snatch, and only a dismal 2 out of 15 reps on the clean + jerk.  Where do I start with what was wrong with my cleans?  I was slow off the floor, slow hips, received the bar too forward and couldn't stand up.  I don't think I've been this frustrated in a while.  Dropped a lot of F-bombs and broke my belt after throwing it to the ground in frustration.

To top it all off, I ended up failing at 85% on my front squats.  Needless to say, I'm happy to be over with today!  The big positive I'll take away from this, however, is that I was able to hit 15 out of 16 squats @ 85%.  A minor win in a day filled with discomfort and frustration.

On a lighter note, I would like to highlight Ashley Weber right now.  She's been training really hard, and today she was doing triples and 3+1's @ 80 and 85%.  Her hard work is paying off, as she made those lifts look like warm ups!  Look for her to peak with some MAJOR PR's at Nationals this year.  Way to go Ash!  Check her out in the video!

Caffeine to Improve Athletic Performance

I want to share this article that discusses the use of caffeine to improve athletic performance.  If you're not aware of the benefits of caffeine, caffeine intake "decreases tiredness, increases alertness, improves mood, confers a sense of being energized, enhances concentration and helps to speed reaction time when making choices."

I'm sure all you coffee junkies out there experience these effects, even if you're not actively aware of them.  You may just be drinking coffee and caffeine to keep you awake and alert, but you may want to consider it pre-workout or competition in order to improve your performance.  I will specifically be addressing and summarizing how it improves performance for power athletes.

According to this article, caffeine use has been shown to "increase peak power output, speed, and isokinetic strength in sprint and power events lasting less than 10 seconds."  In other words, caffeine is useful for anything anaerobic in nature.

The big question typically is "how much caffeine should I take?"  The article recommends that for performance improvements, one should take 1-3mg of caffeine per kg of body weight (0.45-1.4 g/lb).  For example, I am about 95kg (209lbs), so I would need between 95-285mg of caffeine.  Anything more than that and you'll start feeling the negative side effects such as jitters, nervousness, headache, etc. that are typically associated with caffeine.

You also need to be aware of your body becoming tolerant.  Similar to training, the body ultimately adapts to what you put in it by about day 5-6 if you use it consistently.  The article recommends to routinely reduce your caffeine intake every 3-4 days to reduce the chances of becoming tolerant.

Lastly, timing is also important.  "The concentration in the bloodstream peaks in 30-60 minutes and stays high for 3-4 hours."

So, for all you caffeine addicts, keep it up! HA!  For those of you looking for an added bump in performance, consider tinkering with your caffeine intake and use.  It should be a given, but ultimately, be smart and be safe!

Back At It - Training Progression: Week 8, Day 5

Power Snatch
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 60%
3 Sets of 4 Reps @ 70%

Power Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 4 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
3 Sets of 4 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%

Snatch Pulls
4 Sets of 5 Reps @ 90%

Press
4 Sets of 4 Reps

Back Squat
Work to Max:
95kg
105kg
125kg
135kg
140kg
4 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80% of 140kg (115kg)

Daily Volume: 89
Weekly Volume: 513

Yesterday was an active rest day that consisted of about an hour of soft tissue and mobility work.  Boy are my quads tights and knotted up!

After the day off yesterday, I was back at it today at Waxman's Gym with Sam and Greg!The lifts felt solid today.  I missed training with Sam and Greg and the vibe was great.  Looking forward to Saturday's and training with those knuckle heads.  Squats at the end of training, however, felt heavy and a long ways away from the 150kg I hit earlier this week.  Onto the next week of training!

Tomorrow is a much needed FULL rest day that will consist of a little mobility, programming, reading and watching football.  I'm hoping to have a deeper and more in depth post tomorrow with a little bit more time on my hands.  This week I just haven't been motivated and focused to sit down and write anything very fruitful or valuable.

Classic Russian Training Video - Training Progression: Week 8, Day 4

Back Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
4 Sets of 1 Rep @ 90%
4 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Power Clean + Front Squat + Push Jerk
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 3 F.S. + 3 P.Jr. @ 60%

1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 3 F.S. + 3 P.Jr. @ 65%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 3 F.S. + 3 P.Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 1 P.Cl. + 2 F.S. + 3 P.Jr. @ 75%
2 Sets of 3 P.Cl. + 3 F.S. + 2 P.Jr. @ 65%

Good Mornings
4 Sets of 8 Reps

Daily Volume: 100
Weekly Volume: 424

Today, squats suprisingly got progressively easier.  Maybe it's because I felt I had to step my game up with John Cena squatting 235kg for multiple sets of triples a couple platforms down from me. HA!

Push jerks were difficult as the weight got heavier.  On the last set, I missed my attempts.  I need to keep working on these with heavier weight in order to improve on my split jerks.

I want to share with you this old classic Russian weightlifting training video.  While the video is in Russian, you can still get the idea of what's going on by just lowering the volume and listening.  You might find it valuable!

Front Squat PR - Training Progression: Week 8, Day 3

Front Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%
5 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Snatch

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%

5 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Clean + Jerk

1 Set of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%

1 Set of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%

5 Sets of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

Clean Pulls
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%

1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%

1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%

Behind the Neck Push Press
1 Set of 5 Reps @60%
3 Sets of 4 Reps @ 65%

Daily Volume: 108
Weekly Volume: 324

Finally was able to get a front squat PR after squatting 130kg!  Aside from that, today was a tough training session with 5 sets of triples at 80%.  Phew, glad that's done.  Only missed one snatch and felt solid on my jerks.  Check out the video:

The Death of De-Loading? - Training Progression: Week 8, Day 2

Back Squat
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%

Power Snatch + Behind the Neck Snatch Grip Push Press + Overhead Squat
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 B.N.Sn.G.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 B.N.Sn.G.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 65%
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 B.N.Sn.G.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 70%
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 B.N.Sn.G.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 75%
2 Sets of 3 P.Sn. + 3 B.N.Sn.G.P.Pr. + 3 Oh.S. @ 65%

Snatch Pull
5 Sets of 3 Reps @ 100%

Press
4 Sets of 5 Reps

Good Mornings
4 Sets of 8 Reps

Daily Volume: 142
Weekly Volume: 216

I was able to get done the accessory work I couldn't get to yesterday since today was just supposed to be squats and the snatch complex.  Nothing special about today's training, but squats are finally starting to consistently feel solid and strong!

Tonight, I want to share this blog article written by one of the strength coaches at USC, Chris Chase.  It has to do with the topic of de-loading as it pertains to collegiate strength & conditioning.  He contends that due to the competition schedule, breaks, exam schedules, etc. of certain sports, programming "de-load" weeks loose their benefit.  The reasoning is simple: the inconsistent schedule and misses in training is essentially a "de-load" period in itself.

Chris provides a "sample" schedule and timeline together of the training year he has with baseball, so it gives you a really good look into the time that strength coaches at the collegiate level sometimes have with their athletes.

While it's not traditional in the sense of what has been published and researched in terms of training and periodization, his assertions make sense and is most likely an issue that most collegiate strength coaches have to deal with.  Is it ideal in the training of an athlete? No, but it seems to be a good approach to deal with a less than ideal situation.

PR Nation on the First Day of Work - Training Progression: Week 8, Day 1

Back Squat

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%

5 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Snatch

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%

3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Clean + Jerk

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

2 Sets of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 90%

3 Sets of 3 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

Front Squat + Jerk

4 Sets of 2 F.S. + 2 Jr. @ 80%

Daily Volume: 74
Weekly Volume: 74

Today was the first day at SC.  While it was long and pretty exhausting, it was a blast.  Today, I worked with: Women's Sand Volleyball, Women's Tennis, Men's/Women's Water Polo, U.S. Water Polo National Team, Women's Lacrosse.  Full plate!  It was great to see a lot of old familiar faces with the staff and coaches, as well as the new faces of most of the athlete's.

I find this whole experience surreal.  I'm now getting a chance to coach at the place where I played and went to school.  Very special.  I can't wait to continue to work hard and make myself a valuable asset to the athletic department!

With this new position, however, my training volume will decrease drastically due to time constraints.  No longer will there be 5 hour training sessions.  It will now be 3....MAX!  Still enough to get a lot of quality work, but will just be doing less accessory work.

Maybe because I was amped for the first day on the job, or the fact that I could just be getting better (HA!), today was a great training day filled with 2 PR's and NO misses!

Started off the day with a 5kg squat PR!  WHOOHOO.  Now up to 150.  I'll give it a couple more weeks before I increase my numbers further.

Also ended up snatching 104kg, which is a 1kg PR.  I brought my weight back too much on the first pull, but still made it - 3 WHITE LIGHTS!  Not bad on either accounts considering these were not "max" days, rather based off of my current percentages.

In addition to making all my clean & jerks, I was perfect on the jerks that accompanied front squats.

Working to 90% - Training Progression: Week 7, Day 6

Back Squat
1 Set of 5 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 5 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 85%

Snatch
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 90%

Snatch Pull
5 Sets of 4 Reps @ 100%

Press
4 Sets of 4 Reps

Good Morning
4 Sets of 5 Reps

Daily Volume: 95
Weekly Volume: 691

What a difference a day makes.  After feeling crappy before, during and after yesterday's training, today was a completely different story!  Felt strong and fast throughout the entire training session.  My snatch @ 90% was solid and fast.  My clean felt "easy" for 90%, but my jerk wasn't fantastic.  I've been noticing when looking at my video's that my front foot is landing first.  This is because I'm driving the bar slightly forward in the drive of the jerk.  Will continue to have the jerk be my focus in the coming weeks.

I start at USC on Monday, so my training is going to change a little since my work load will dramatically increase.  I'll miss training with Smuggles and Greg on a daily basis, but we'll still have Saturday's at least.  By the time I get to Waxman's, Smuggles and Greg will have already done their training earlier in the day.

Tomorrow will be a much needed rest day after a high volume week.  I'll be coaching a snatch seminar tomorrow, getting body work done from Pro Massage LA and preparing for my first week at SC!!

Always Find the Positive from Training - Training Progression: Week 7, Day 5

Front Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 85%

Power Snatch + Snatch Grip Behind the Neck Push Jerk
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 65%
1 Set of 2 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 70%

1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 65%
1 Set of 2 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 70%

1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 65%
1 Set of 2 P.Sn. + 3 Sn.G.Be.N.P.Jr. @ 70%

Power Clean
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%

Clean Deadlift
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%

Behind the Neck Push Press
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
4 Sets of 3 Reps @ 70%

Daily Volume: 130
Weekly Volume: 596

My goodness, I am feeling REALLY beat up, so today's post is short. Surprisingly enough, squats were the best part of today's training session.  Everything else was slow and felt heavy as hell.

On tough training days like this, you have to always find the positive take aways.  Today was with front squats.  I ended up hitting a 2 rep PR.  Based on the rest of the training day, I'll take it!  Looking forward to finishing up the week as focused as possible and resting up on Sunday.

First Time Doing Split Cleans - Training Progression: Week 7, Day 4

A.M. Session

Snatch Pull + Snatch
1 Set of 3 Sn.Pu. + 1 Sn. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Sn.Pu. + 1 Sn. @ 70%
4 Sets of 3 Sn.Pu. + 1 Sn. @ 80%

Clean Pull + Clean
1 Set of 3 Cl.Pu. + 1 Cl. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Cl.Pu. + 1 Cl. @ 70%
3 Sets of 3 Cl.Pu. + 1 Cl. @ 80%

Jerk
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%

P.M. Session

Back Squat
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 80%
3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 85%

Press
5 Sets of 4 Reps

Good Morning
4 Sets of 8 Reps

Split Clean from Blocks Above the Knee
5 Sets of 5 Reps @ 70kg

Daily Volume: 158
Weekly Volume: 466

Man am I starting to feel the wear and tear from double training sessions everyday this week.  Snatches and cleans felt decent, but everything else was a struggle!

I missed my second jerk @ 85%, pressed out on 90% and missed 95% all together.  Squats in the afternoon were horrendous.  Missed 6 out of 9 squats at 85%.

Today was also the first time I had done split cleans.  Needless to say, I'm not used to these.  I found myself not relying on my legs and instead pulling too much with my arms.  I consider myself pretty coordinated, but not with this.  HA!  You should've seen the ones I did that weren't on camera.  A couple times I ended up power cleaning and another attempt I smacked my adams apple.  You get the point.  The purpose of this exercise, for us at least, is to work on footwork with the jerk, however.  I see the value, but need to get used to the movement a bit more.

Going to need to soak in an epsom salt bath after today!  On a side note, if you live in the LA area and are looking for a good sports masseuse, you need to check out my buddy Jeff Metcalf at Pro Massage LA.  The website also serves as a portal for recovery information - an added value for all you geeks!  He's worked on me several times and does great work.  I'm going to need to hit him up after this week of training! HA!

Change Your Mindset, Change Your Result - Training Progression: Week 7, Day 3

A.M. Session

Back Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80%

Snatch
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
4 Sets of 2 Reps @ 80%

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
4 Sets of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

P.M. Session

Power Snatch
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 70%

Power Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
3 Sets of 3 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

Snatch Pulls
4 Sets of 3 Reps @ 85%

Front Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
3 Sets of 1 Rep @ 90%

Daily Volume: 99
Weekly Volume: 308

Today was the first time in a few weeks that my jerks felt solid.  It wasn't a matter of being fresh, because I'm just the opposite.  I felt beat up today going into training today.  As I discussed last night, it was just a matter of will and focus.

Your mindset can make all the difference in your performance.  Never accept defeat, never accept being tired, never accept mediocrity.  If you change your mindset from negative to positive, your result will change similarly.

While I touched on this previously, I personally experienced this in my own training today.  Trust me, it WORKS!

On a side note, I wanted to bring to your attention a website that's a great resource for nutrition and recipes to help strength, weightlifters, and crossfit athletes in recovery, training and gaining mass.  It's called The Strength Agenda.  Tom Sroka, a weightlifter for team MDUSA, it the mastermind behind this, and I certainly plan on using this site as a resource as I continue my quest to gain mass. Tom also has a newsletter that you can sign up for for additional info and resources.

"You Have to Have the Will to Jerk!" - Training Progression: Week 7, Day 2

A.M. Session

Back Squats
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
2 Sets of 2 Reps @ 90%

Power Snatch
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 75%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%

Power Clean

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 75%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%

P.M. Session

Clean Pull
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%

Front Squat + Jerk
1 Set of 3 F.S. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 F.S. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
4 Sets of 2 F.S. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

Front Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%

Daily Volume: 88
Weekly Volume: 209

I was still only able to get one squat at 90%, but it was just a tad easier than yesterday. HA! Power snatches and power cleans felt light, and I even got a PR on the power clean.  Good morning session!

The afternoon session was more frustrating, but very valuable. I pressed out on the first jerk, then progressively got better during the working sets at 80%.  My first couple sets were piss poor attempts.  There should be no reason for me to miss jerks, or have them feel difficult, at this weight.  It's definitely not a strength issue.

During Sean's "pep talk" to me in between sets, he said something that really resonated with me.  "You have to have the will to jerk!".  Most times with the jerk, it comes down to the mindset.  During a competition, you will always be "tired" and strained from a heavy clean.  You will never be "fresh", so sometimes it simply comes down to knuckling up and getting after it.  My last rep, which is shown in the video below shows a drastic change in mindset.  Sean's talk will certainly be my focus moving forward when jerking.

To add to the frustration, my 95% front squat would've been a 3kg PR, but I didn't have it in me.  My PR's are going to have to weight.  Sam, a.k.a. Smuggles, on the other hand hit a 5kg squat PR (see video below), in addition to a 5kg front squat PR!  A big week for Sam!  Keep it up, Stud!!

Click Here to Watch Sam's Squat PR!

New Week, New Numbers - Training Progression: Week 7, Day 1

A.M. Session

Back Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 90%

Snatch
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
4 Sets of 2 Reps @ 85%

Behind the Neck Push Jerk
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 75%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%

P.M. Session

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%
3 Sets of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

Snatch Deadlift
1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

Front Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%
3 Sets of 1 Rep @ 90%

Daily Volume: 121
Weekly Volume: 121

Well, a new week with higher numbers!  Here are the new numbers that I'm basing my percentages off of:

Snatch: 108kg
C&J: 125kg
Back Squat: 156kg
Front Squat: 135kg

The combination of the new weights plus having a case of the Monday's made today pretty tough.  I was only able to get one back squat at 90%.  Today's snatch session was one to try and easily forget.  Only hit half of my reps @ 85%.  I suspect, as has been the case the past few weeks, training will become easier as the week progresses.

The cleans were solid, but my jerks were still a struggle.  On one of my cleans, I caught it forward and got pinned for a second at the bottom, but was still able to stand the weight up.  Just weeks ago, it would've been a pipe dream to stand a clean up after getting pinned at 85%.  I'll take that!

Front squats were solid as well.  My first 90% at the new weights was tough, but strong, so I decided to go for a new pr (just 1kg! HA!) on my second set.  Ended up bailing at the bottom.  HAHA!  Pretty much blew my load after that and missed my last attempt after going back down to 90%.

A looooong and frustrating day at times, but a lot of hard work, which is always a win!  The time also went quickly since Greg, Sam and I all trained together on the same bar.  We all work well together and  I enjoy their company and humor in between tough sets.  My training video today has nothing to do with me.  Instead, it's all about Greg!  He's been performing very well as of late and things are starting to click for him.  This past weekend, Greg hit some huge PR's during the meet, so hopefully he can use this momentum and spring bored him to the next level!

Coaching Tip from Bob Takano's Newsletter

While I personally don't have much to share today, I wanted to share a "coaching tip" from Bob Takano's newsletter.

Here it is:

"COACHING TIP: High Load Frequency
My parting words to my lifters after each training session is usually "Go home and eat!" After awhile they understand why I say that. They need to get home immediately, and not use up their energies doing things that are not conducive to hard training. They need to feed the machine, and they need to be someplace where they can begin the process of restoring their bodies in time for the next training session.

The true key to making continuous progress over an extended period of time is the ability to undertake and withstand heavier training loads more frequently. Any talented individual can take on a heavy training load of over 100 reps with a k-value in the 40 to 50% range for one day. But it is the trained, well conditioned athlete that can undertake two or three consecutive training days of this type of loading, then take a lighter day and then take two more consecutive days of heavy loading. Then come back and do that sort of training for two more weeks before undertaking a lighter week.

There is too much focus on the amount of weight lifted in a single repetition or a single set for so many beginners. Personal records are certainly rewarding and indicative of progress, but you rarely hear athletes talking about how many consecutive days of heavy loading they can take in comparison to what they were doing three months ago or a year ago. This is where the focus needs to be heading once the initial training phase has been mastered. The focus on personal record singles should be at a meet. The focus on training should be to increase the number of consecutive heavy training days.

Coaches, you need to emphasize this as a value for your little clique of trainees. Make consecutive heavy training days a value, and you'll have less need to have to coax and encourage athletes to show up for training."

 I highly encourage you to visit Bob's website and sign up for his free newsletters.  Very insightful info from one of the best coach's here in the U.S.  If you're a weightlifting junky, signing up for newsletters from various coaches is a must.  It's good to know what's going through the minds of some of the best.  Here's are a couple of others, in addition to Takano's, that I would recommend:

1) Sean Waxman

2) Greg Everett

First Meet Back in California

Snatch
98kg - Make
102kg - Miss (elbow bend)
105kg - Miss

Clean & Jerk
113kg - Make
117kg - Make (meet PR)
120kg - Miss (made clean for PR)

Back Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 85%

Today was my first meet since moving back to California.  We were given 2 days notice about the meet and only had one day as a "taper."  Not to mention Thursday's training was pretty tough.  Regardless, I was still looking for some PR's.

My snatches were disappointing.  I had an arm bend on my right arm in my second snatch, but the pull went solid, so I decided to go up as opposed to taking 102 again.  Should've taken 102 again. HA!  I was too far back on the pull and missed the weight forward on my last attempt.  Given a few more attempts, I'm confident I could have gotten it, but that's the sport of weightlifting, which makes it exciting.  3 attempts and that's it!

The positive of the day came from clean & jerks.  All three of my cleans felt relatively "light", so the squatting is definitely paying off.  The trade off with squatting, however, is that it's effecting my jerk a bit.  I feel as if I don't have that pop I typically have because my legs aren't rested.  My jerk at 120 had a bit of a press out.

All in all there were a lot of positives from today.  In no way were we rested for this meet, and I was still able to get a meet PR in the C&J and a clean PR.  I also won my weight class! HA!

Moving forward, I'll increase the numbers I'm basing my snatch, clean & jerk, and squat percentages off.  Looking forward to making some big jumps here moving forward!

One Day Taper - Training Progression: Week 6, Day 4

Power Snatch
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 65%
2 Sets of 2 Reps @ 70%

Power Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 2 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 2 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 65%
2 Sets of 2 P.Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%

Back Squat
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 60%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 80%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 85%

Daily Volume: 20
Weekly Volume: 357

Since we're competing tomorrow at CrossFit Monrovia, we had a "taper" day.  Gladly needed.  I feel pretty beat up and slow after yesterday's training.  The rest of today will consist of mobility work and soaking in an epson salt bath.

Earlier today, I posted a comment on Facebook that said: "When you train, you must be focused EVERY SINGLE REP! #takenorepoff #traineveryday"

It seemed to get a lot of positive feedback.  A buddy of mine, Sailor Schiffereli, commented and asked the question: "I have been told and read that thinking during lifting is the enemy, slows you down...BUT it's important to keep focused. SO how do you focus but not think? Where do you direct that focus if not into thoughts of what you're doing? "

I addressed this in an earlier post last year here, but want to reiterate and expand upon it, because it's important.  There certainly is a difference between "thinking" and "focusing".  When you think, your mind has a tendency to wonder.  When you focus, your mind is narrowed and dialed in.

When training, your focus needs to be simple dialed into one, maybe two points.  That way, you reduce the chances of over thinking and complicating things further.  Personally, my focus has been getting my hips into the bar as fast as I can.  To keep myself from thinking too much, my focused cues are simple and to the point - "HIPS!" SPEED!"  As I said in the previous post, keep it simple.  Use one or two word cues to prime your mind and body.

Your time to think is in between sets or even after training sessions.  Get after it!

Press PR! - Training Progression: Week 6, Day 3

Snatch Pull + Snatch
1 Set of 3 Sn.Pu. + 1 Sn. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Sn.Pu. + 1 Sn. @ 70%
4 Sets of 3 Sn.Pu. + 1 Sn. @ 80%

Clean Pull + Clean
1 Set of 3 Cl.Pu. + 1 Cl. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Cl.Pu. + 1 Cl. @ 70%
3 Sets of 3 Cl.Pu. + 1 Cl. @ 80%

Rack Jerk
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 90%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 95%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 85%

Back Squat
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 80%
3 Sets of 3 Reps @ 85%

Press
5 Sets of 4 Reps

Good Morning
4 Sets of 8 Reps

Daily Volume: 133
Weekly Volume: 337

Today was another long day, but this time I had Sam, Smuggles, Lev as a training partner.  It was a fun battle today between us because we were using the same weights and went after a couple PR's.  Having a training partner like this keeps long sessions like today fun and entertaining!

Snatches and cleans felt solid.  The purpose of doing pulls + snatches accomplishes a couple of things.  First, it's a way to get more volume without taking the CNS as much.  Second, the pulls prime the CNS and body for the snatch to come.

I ended up going for a PR attempt in the jerk, but missed twice.  Just don't have the pop I typically feel when jerking.  Sam, however, attempted a 6kg jerk pr.  A slight press out on the left arm, but solid attempt none the less!

Squats were solid, but felt pretty taxed afterwards.  Presses felt very strong, and after my fourth set, I ended up going for a PR.  I ended up getting a 2kg PR, hitting 70kg!  Missed at 71kg, hit my PR, then went back up to 73kg and missed.

Now it's time to eat food.

Adapting Well - Training Progression: Week 6, Day 2

A.M. Session

Back Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
2 Sets of 2 Reps @ 90%

Power Snatch
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%

Power Clean

1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%

Clean Pull
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 4 Reps @ 90%

Front Squat + Jerk
1 Set of 3 F.S. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 3 F.S. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
4 Sets of 2 F.S. + 1 Jr. @ 80%

P.M. Session

Back Squat
Squat to Max (Progression is as follows):
90kg
105kg
120kg
130kg
140kg
145kg (PR match)
2 Sets of 3 Reps @ 80% of Today's Max

Daily Volume: 94
Weekly Volume: 204

Somewhat of a lighter day, both in terms of intensity and volume.  Despite that, my jerks felt heavy.  With the increased volume of squatting, I don't feel like I have any drive and pop.  The feeling is expected, so no real reason to get worked up about it.

My second session of squatting was great!  I ended up matching my current PR, so it's a good sign that I'm adapting well to the training.  I'm starting to feel more solid in the catch, stronger coming out of the bottom, and faster.  My increased speed is a sign that I'm doing a much better job at producing the maximal amount of force into the ground and the bar.

If you guys have extra time on your hands and want to geek out, or troll, here's a link to a good weightlifting forum: http://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/

Last Training Session of the Year - Training Progression: Week 6, Day 1

Back Squat
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 80%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 85%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 90%

Snatch
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 80%
4 Sets of 2 Reps @ 85%

Clean + Jerk
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 60%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 70%
1 Set of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 80%
3 Sets of 2 Cl. + 1 Jr. @ 85%

Behind the Neck Push Press
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 60%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 70%
1 Set of 1 Rep @ 75%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 65%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 70%

Snatch Deadlift
1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

1 Set of 5 Reps @ 90%
1 Set of 3 Reps @ 100%
1 Set of 2 Reps @ 100% + 5kg

Daily Volume: 110
Weekly Volume: 110

A good way to finish off the year.  Squats were ok, but ended up only making the first rep @ 90% in each set.  I would say I got 1.5 reps on the second time around at 90%. HA!

Well, I think I learned how to snatch!  I'm feeling much faster to the bar, which is making my 85% feel light!  Now that I know exactly how that feels, I'll be able to coach it better as well.  You must feel and do in order to coach!

The cleans are certainly starting to feel lighter at these heavier weights too.  Despite that, I need to take more time to set up correctly when doing multiple reps at higher intensities.  I ended up missing 2 cleans out of 6 at 85%.  The increased squatting volume is starting to transfer over the the cleans.  YES!

So, given that the new year is upon is, here are my training goals:

1) Qualify for Americans
2) Snatch 120kg
3) C&J 140kg
4) Squat 182kg

Let's do it!