And Some Jerks

It's Friday! Time to wrap it up for a successful week of lifting...

Warmup - empty bar (same as previous days)

Seated Snatch Hold - empty bar - held overhead about 5-10 seconds, focusing on feeling the weight in between my scapulas

Jerk (from rack) - 45/5, 65/3, 75/2, 95/1, 115/1,1,1,1,1 (five singles), 135/1

Snatch Pull - 65/5, 95/5, 95/5

Pistols - 5/5, 5/5

Handstand Pushups - 5, 4, 2 (maybe made it down about half way on these)

That's it for the week!

Some Cleans

Back to the Olympic lifts today. Began with the same warmup as Monday. Then onto a few sets of lifts...

Clean: 65/3, 95/3, 115/2, 135/2

Press Drop Snatch: 45/3, 45/3


That was it for today. Back was feeling a bit tight for the Drop Snatch so I kept it with the press so that I could ease into it. Those cleans really work you, don't they? =)

The Day After USAW

What a great weekend this was attending the USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach's Certification. Our instructor was top notch. I learned lots and am now eager to start putting it into action. I put together this week's training schedule already for a Mon-Wed-Fri routine. Check out today's...


Warmup - all lifts 10 reps with the empty Olympic bar:
Clean from the knees
Clean
Snatch from the knees
Press behind the neck
Back Squat
Back Squat with Press behind the neck
Good Morning
Good Morning with Press behind the neck

Onto the workout:

Snatch: 65/3, 75/3, 85/3, 95/3

Press Behind the Neck: 65/5, 85/5, 95/3

Front Squat: 95/2, 115/1, 135/1, 155/1

Pistols: 5/5, 5/5

Raised Pike Pushup: 5, 5, 5


This was a GOOD workout. If persperation is any gauge, it was just as intense as one of my kettlebell workouts. Good stuff!

Easy Day before USAW Certification Weekend

I made sure today was an easy day as this weekend I will be attending the USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coaching Certification. It will be two full days of Olympic weightlifting. So today's was meant to just keep the blood pumping.

Jump Rope: 5 rounds of 2 min on / 1 min off

Kettlebell Snatch: 24kg - 3 min @ 14 rpm, rest, 2 min @ 14 rpm

That's it and that's all.

Some of this and some of that

Mostly Olympic lifts today, with a bit of fun at the end...

Power Clean: 45/5, 65/3, 95/3, 115/1, 135/1

Power Snatch: 45/2, 65/3, 95/2, 115/NL

Power Jerk: 65/5, 85/5, 105/3

Front Squat: 95/5, 115/5, 135/5

Pistols (bodyweight): 5L/5R, 3L/3R

KB Swing: 24kg - 30/30

I'm tired.... =)

Biathlon Bells

Trained the bells today. I can see that my endurance has dropped a bit since I have started focusing on the Olympic lifts. It's ok, nothing that I couldn't pick back up with some focused bell training when the time comes. So I'll consider today's session a maintenance session.

Kettlebell Jerk: 2 x 24kg
4 minutes @ 8 rpm
1 minute @ 10 rpm
1 minute @ 12 rpm

Kettlebell Snatch: 24kg
3 minutes @ 14 rpm
2 minutes @ 16 rpm

That's it and that's all!

Jerks and Snatches and Jerks and Snatches

Today was the first time I've really tried to integrate both the Olympic lifts and my kettlebell lifts into one session. Needless to say, each was a bit shorter than I would have trained if it were only one or the other.

With the Olympic lifts, up till now the power cleans and power snatches have all been from above the knee. Today I started going below the knee on some of the reps.

Here's the play by play...

Power Clean: 45/5, 65/3, 95/5, 115/1, 115/1

Power Snatch: 45/5, 65/5, 80/3

Overhead Squat: 65/5, 75/2, 75/5

KB Jerk: 2 x 24kg - 3 minutes @ 8 rpm

KB Snatch: 24kg - 2 minutes @ 18 rpm

That's it and that's enough!

Learning the Olympic Lifts

Less than two weeks until I attend the USAW Level 1 Certification, so I'm trying to get some time under the bar these days. I'm training with a standard set of olympic weights, so there is no dropping or bouncing of the weights after my reps.

After Friday's session, I awoke on Saturday morning with some real good muscle soreness all around my rib cage and back. It was intense! So today's session was on par with Friday's. Still focusing on just getting comfortable. After the certification, I'll get serious. =)

So today consisted of... (lbs/reps)

Power Clean: 45/5, 65/5, 95/3, 115/1

Power Snatch: 45/5, 65/3, 95/1, 95/1, 95/1

Push Press: 65/5, 95/5

Power Jerk: 95/1

Front Squat: 95/5, 115/5


I had intended to include some kettlebell snatches at the end of this, but my wrists and elbows were feeling the effects of the barbell, so I chose to leave it be. All in all, things are starting to feel ok.

Happy First Birthday, Alexandra

Today I want to wish my little princess, Alexandra, a happy first birthday! One year old today and already you have developed such an amazing little personality. We are very blessed to have you with us.

In about ten (?) or twelve years from now, I suspect you will be curious enough to want to see what you dad had to say about things back when you were a baby. So I imagine you will be googling me and hopefully this blog post will surface. If so, here's a little something to see. When you do watch this yourself, I can only hope that you are more dainty with your eating habits.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LITTLE GIRL! MOMMY, DADDY AND BROTHER ALL LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!!

Eye Opener

Back to the gym today after a two day layoff. I played with the barbell and the kettlebells today.

I have to admit, I thought my wrists were in pretty good shape from training with the kettlebells, but after a few 'light' sets of the Olympic lifts with a barbell, my wrists were shot! I also need to start keeping better notes when I'm training these lifts. There's more activity now and I can't wait until the end to jot it all down like I can do with the kettlebells.

So what did today consist of?

Olympic Lifts
Power Clean - 45/5, 65/5, 95/5 (lbs/reps)

Power Snatch - 45/5, 65/3, 95/2

Push Press - 95/5, 65/5

Power Jerk - 65/5

Overhead Squat - 65/5, 65/5

Kettlebells
Long Cycle: 2 x 16kg - 6 minutes @ 6 rpm


I'm really looking forward to the USAW weekend. Right now, I'm training based on what I've read and what I've watched in video. I solid weekend of instruction will be a good thing. Only two weeks away.

Hook Grip 1 and Hook Grip 2

Today I started working in some Olympic lifting in conjunction with my kettlebells. I'm practicing with the bar at the moment as I let me body learn some new movement patterns. I have some flexibility issues with my wrists as well as the overhead snatch position, but I'm confident these will come quickly.

I like the way both the Olympic lifts have one hook grip while the kettlebells have another. And they are opposite of one another. To hold the barbell, the first and second finger overlap the thumb. To hold the kettlebell, the thumb overlaps the first finger. Cool stuff, no?

So this was today...

Front Squat: 5 5 5

Power Clean: 5 5

Overhead Squat: 5 5 5

Pressing Snatch Balance: 5 5 5

Power Snatch: 5 5

Kettlebell Snatch: 20kg - 6 minutes @ 12 rpm


Formal instruction on the Olympic lifts will be coming in three weeks. Until then I will be doing my best to get comfortable with moving a barbell again. I think I'm going to like this.