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Objective: Olympic Weightlifting

Warm-up: row 500m (1:50, It wasn't for time, but slower than I wanted)

Training: Snatch, work up to 1 single at 85%, 64K

Snatch Pull, triples, 70, 75

Snatch Deadlift, triples, 85, 85

Box Jump, 15 at 30''

Bonus: test 1 RM Box Jump, 46''

Notes: I feel slow and old after the driving, not sleeping, and training for climbing. But what the hell, let's throw some heavy weights over my head. I'm actually glad for a medium intensity ultra-low volume day. I focused on fixing my two biggest technical weaknesses, hips raising first and donkey kicking. I made some progress. Both of these problems stem from being self-taught. I did not learn the deadlift correctly at first. In addition, I feel like I need to throw the weight in the air. I should pull the weight up and myself under. 30 days until the competition.

Not The Only Apple On The Tree

Objective: Olympic Weightlifting

Interpretation

Single Snatch on the minute with the following weights:
5 X 50% of 1 RM
5 X 60% of 1 RM
...

Bonus: 5X5, GHD sit-ups, 45lb (On the last set, I did 11 reps)

Notes: Back to the local affiliate for this session. 80% is medium intensity. 5 singles is low volume. You don't make monsters out of medium intensity, low volume workouts. Since I'm a novice, mere exposure will make me better.

I did get fatigued towards the end and starting reverting to my old ways, i.e. Power Snatch. The coach kept me honest and made go back to the Snatch.

I used this as an opportunity improve my weak sauce jerk. The best cue for me is "HEELS." The bar will go more straight up and down, less forward. My split suffers for a first couple of reps, but fixes itself. I'm syked for next month's Oly comp.

How A Resurrection Really Feels

Objective: Olympic Weightlifting

Warm-up: (1) Burgner Warm-up
(2) Mobility Drills
(3) Snatch, singles, 95 X 4

Training: (1) Snatch, singles, 105, 115, 125, 115, 115

(2) Clean and Jerk, singles, 115, 125, ..., 185, 175, 175

Snatch, 125
I'm still part donkey

Clean and Jerk, 185
A little squirrelly on the Jerk

Notes: I'M BACK IN THE GAME. I was wallowing in self pity about Oly lifting. The local CrossFit gym has great equipment but suboptimal programming. I can't lift at home since I live in an upstairs apartment and don't think my downstairs would like me dropping the weights. I got off my ass and found another CrossFit affiliate that has open gym time. It is in some random Front Range cowtown. It has crappy bars, a bad platform, and no squat racks. (Seriously, your gym is a pile if it doesn't have squat racks.). I can ignore the glaring deficiencies because it has bumpers and I can train the way I want.

This workout is a baseline. I worked up to a heavy single and then dropped down for two more singles. My snatch needs a lot of work - 3rd pull, hips raising first, shoulders not set, and donkey kicking. I need to stay on my heels more for the clean and jerk.

I still love heavy lifting. As Coach Burgner says, "That fires my ass up!!"

Busting Up A Starbucks

Objective: Olympic Weightlifting

Warm-up: (1) 400m, run
(2) Burgener warm-up

Training: (1) Hang Snatch, triples, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60x2, 55x2

(2) Snatch Balance, triples, 40, 50, 60, 70, 75

(3) 50 GHD sit-ups, not for time but unbroken

No excuses, but some days it is harder to hang onto a barbell.

Snatch Balance, triples, 75
Why can't I get under the bar like this during a Snatch?

Notes: The local CrossFit affiliate posts their workouts the night before. When I saw this one, I know I had to do it. It focuses on one of my biggest weaknesses, the third pull of Snatch. I still think the local affiliate's version of the Burgener warm-up is a pile. They don't squat below parallel during it. I saw several people unable to land in a full squat with weight, early in the workout, because there was no movement preparation for it. I used my anger about my competition performance as fuel for this workout. A couple of weeks ago, 75k was 1 RM for Snatch Balance. I tripled it today. NICE. The GHD sit-ups were a joke. I need to stay away from Oly lifting/CrossFit so I can focus on climbing.

Olympic Weightlifting Competition, 6 chances to mess you up

Objective: Performance

Snatch: (1) 70k, fail (press out)
(2) 70k, success!!!
(3) 72k, fail (did not get under it at all)

Clean & Jerk: (1) 80k, success (easy day)
(2) 85k, success!!! (personal record, not a problem)
(3) 90K, fail (press out because I hit myself in the face)

Total: 155K (personal record)
Place: 2nd place in 85k weight class (by 2 kilos!)

You know you are at a local competition when it is hard to keep little children and cute dogs off the lifting platform

These two kids loaded the bar for the whole competition.
It makes me want to have kids. I hate bending over and changing the weights. Plus it helps the kids learn to count.

Clean & Jerk, 85
A personal record and my best lift of the competition

Notes: I rolled down to Broomfield for my first Olympic Weightlifting competition. 3 attempts at the Snatch and 3 attempts at the Clean & Jerk. I got there plenty early which gave me time to calm down since I felt like puking in the parking lot. It would have been the first time puking from CrossFit/Oly lifting.

The atmosphere was very informal and fun, but the competition was professionally run. There was 3 "flights", groups of competitors. The first flight was woman. The 2nd flight was men whose opening lifts were less than 60K. I was in the 3rd flight, mostly with men that tipped the scales at 200lbs+. I felt tiny.

I missed my opener (which completely sucks) because I tried to squat snatch it and ended up pressing it out. I have always been better at power snatching. Just like in climbing, don't change your beta on redpoint burns. I made it the second time. I pulled the crap out of 72k, but didn't get under it. My third pull is pathetic.

I was calmer and more warmed up for the clean & jerk. I opened very conservatively, and it worked out well. My 2nd attempt went up very easily so I made another big jump for my 3rd attempt. I tend to drift forward on my Jerks. I over corrected on my 3rd attempt and hit myself in the chin! I'm such a klutz.

I got 2nd by 2 freaking kilos. I didn't realize that anyone was close to me because he lifted in another flight. I out snatched him by 5 kilos, but my poor jerk ability/coordination put me in 2nd place. I was pissed.

Overall, it was great. I just wish my training had better prepared me for lifting in a meet. I'm even thinking about entering a competition at the end July. It is at the Olympic Training Center. How freaking cool is that!

Decaf Espresso

Warm-up: (1) row 500m (1:47)
(2) Burgener warm-up

Training: (1) Power Snatch & 3 Overhead Squats, 40, 50, 60, 65, 70

(2) Snatch Shrug, triples, 74, 84, 84

(3) Stiff Legged Deadlift, fives, 84, 90, 93

Power Snatch & 3 Overhead Squats, 70
Ties my PR set on Birthday Challenge with a HUGE improvement in form


Snatch Shrug, triples, 84
Getting better at these, but I really need work on my 3rd pull

Notes: Last session before the competition. Luckily, the "random" programming was a lower volume this week. 70k is the most I have ever Snatched!! I have no idea how much I'm going to lift in the competition. I don't think it will be much more because my technique with heavy weights is very poor. I tend to "press out" heavy weights, which is a foul in competition.

The stiff-legged deadlifts felt better this week. My body is learning how to do the exercise, and I can start to increase the kilos. I do them nice and slow with perfect form, almost like a bodybuilder. I can touch the weights to the ground for the first time since my hamstrings have less tension. I attribute that to working out less and stretching more.

Teabagging Obama

Objective: Olympic Weightlifting

Warm-up: Burgener Warm-up

Training: (1) 3-position clean & jerk, 5X3, 30K (Yes, I did all 45)

(2) Rack Jerk, doubles, 40, 60, 80, 90(x1), 65, 65

(3) GHD situp, 3X10, 20

Rack Jerk, 90X1
My aggressiveness and footwork are not present at heavy weights

Rack Jerk, 65X2
I dropped back down and things got cleaner.

Notes: I should be picking my opening lifts for the upcoming competition. I asked one of coach at the CrossFit box about the topic. He didn't know (since I have never done the full movements with heavy weights there). It is especially ironic since their motto is : Train here, succeed out there. I'm not set up to succeed at my upcoming comp. I did their workout as Rx'd. My jerk needs a lot of work.