Training - 31st Oct. 2013

Clean and Jerk: 165: (1+1, 2+1, 2+1), 175: (1+1), 185: (1+1), 195: (1+press out)
Glute Ham Raise: 5x5

blergh. Not a good day in anyway. Felt super tired, and even ended up missing a relatively easy clean at 165.

However, for some reason I decided to go for a PR attempt, loading 195 on the bar. Pretty ugly clean and then a press out...so I guess it sort of succeeded?

Issue was, after said "PR" my back injury was starting to act up again, and I didn't want to risk Front Squatting...So I didn't Front Squat. Kindve glad I didn't, since it's not feeling 100% right now.
Hopefully will be better tomorrow, have to move things around to get all the things in now :p

Happens.

Training - 30th Oct. 2013

Snatch Pull + Snatch from the Blocks: 95x2x(3+1), 105x2x(2+1), 115x2x(1+1), 125x1x+1
Power Clean + Clean + Jerk: 4x1+1+1 @ 155
Clean Pull: 3x3@(165,170,175), 1 @ (185, 195)
Rows: 3x10 @ 120
AB Wheel 3x

Snatch Pulls from the blocks and Rows really irritated my back injury last time I did them, so I was a bit cautious coming into todays session. But it really didn't go all that bad.

Left should felt some strain/pain during Snatch Pulls, due to upper trap tightness....caused by that injury. Overall though, things are starting to look up. Hopefully more pulls help the upper back to activate in the appropriate way and prevent that trap tightness (which is too damn common these days).

Training - 29th Oct. 2013

Snatch: 130: (1,2,2,1,2)
Front Squat: 3x(5/3/1) @ (175,185,195), (180,190, 200), (185, 195,205)
Jerk: 135x2x3, 155x2x2, 165x1, 175x1, 190x1
Face Pulls + 3x Abwheel roll out

Moved the week forward by a day in due to a possibility of going home next week...Always thinking ahead!
Snatching could have gone a bit better, but considering that I had one day of rest instead of two, and that I was using a different bar (really threw me off more than it should have) and also that I was lifting 130 for doubles instead of the usual 125, it was not bad at all.

Front Squatting still relatively conservative, but it feels heavy. Back is feeling alright though.

Weekly Training Video #2:- Oct 20th 2013

Training - 27th Oct. 2013

Snatch: 125x2x2, 130x1x2, 135: (0,0,1), 140x1, 145x0
Back Squat: Single upto 245, 225x3x3, 205x2x6
Behind the Neck Snatch Grip Press: 65x5x5
Glute Ham Raise: 5x5
Face Pulls + Ab wheel: 3x

Pretty happy with today. Snatching went wonderfully, as in the Snatches felt wonderful. For some reason, and this has been happening more frequently, I started panicking once 135 was on the bar. So I missed it twice just out of sheer lack of concentration/conviction. Dropped down to 125 to remind myself that I am a badass, then went back up, 135 was good, 140 felt amazing.

145 was SO CLOSE, I was really tired at that point and not actually expecting to make the lift. So when I received it, I was way too surprised and by the time I had gotten over the surprise, I lost the lift :(

That mental game.

Back Squats, still feeling tougher than they should. They really are not my forte.

Training - 26th Oct. 2013

Drop Snatch: 95x3, 105x2x3, Snatch Balance: 115x3, 125x1
Clean from blocks + Clean + Jerk: upto 155
Face Pulls + Ab Roll out: 3 sets

Back was irritating me all day today. Nothing too serious, but it had been feeling great recently so I didn't want to take too many risks in todays training. Was meant to Snatch from blocks and do a long clean complex, but both of those irritated it in the back. Same thing goes for the planned Snatch Pulls.

It's alright, not really worth getting re injured.

Drop Snatches are something I've been meaning to do more of. The idea is to drop beneath a bar on your back into an overhead squat, no dip/drive as there would be in a Snatch Balance or Jerk. Resultingly, you can practice receiving a weight as low as possible, which is something I need a lot of practice on. Snatch Balances are the same, except there's a small dip/drive to help get the bar off meaning you can lift a lot more.

Excited for tomorrow.

Training - 25th Oct. 2013

Clean and Jerk: 2+1 @ (160, 165, 165), 1+1 @ (175, 185* (miss jerk), 185)
Front Squat: Upto 215 for a single, 3r x (155,165,175,185,195)
Push Press: 115 x 5 x 3
Glute Ham Raise: BW 4x5
Rows: 3x30,
Ab wheel roll out 3x

The training fatigue is really starting to catch up to me. But not too bad. I'm surprised at consistency despite being tired, and the lifts don't look THAT bad (:

Clean and Jerk, need to really get tighter in the pull, which will hopefully transfer to a tighter receive. Cleans taking a lot of energy, mainly because at heavier weights when I'm being aggressive, the bar crashes on me, making it much harder to get up/stay tight, leaving less in the tank for a good jerk.

BUT, it is getting better. Hopefully training consistency provides some good results.

Will be Front Squatting heavier, but felt too tired after the Clean and Jerks.

Training - 24th Oct. 2013

Power Snatch + Snatch: 115 x 4 x( 2+1)
Power Clean + Clean + Jerk: 155x4
Clean Pull: 165x(3,3,3), 175x1, 185x1
Ab roll out + Face Pulls (3x30)


The combination of low sleep, busy day at work and intense fatigue from yesterdays session left me really tired for this one. With that in mind, not the worst ever. Power movements are hard when your legs are so tired, so much easier to just allow yourself to ride down, but that's just a better reason for me to do them here. Need to be better at resisting the momentum of the bar.

Training - 23rd Oct. 2013

Snatch: 125x(2,2,2), 130x(1,2)
Front Squat: 3x(5/3/1) @ (170,180,190), (175,185,195), (180,190,200)
Jerk: 135x2x3, 155x2x2, 165x1, 175x1, 185x1
Facepulls: 3x30
Ab Wheel Rollout 3 sets


First real day back. Went well. Haven't Snatched 130 nearly that often, and for some reason my mind wasn't really up to it. Wasn't too happy with any of the 130 reps, was hardly heavier, was just too scared and form broke down.

Took it easy on Front Squats, because as expected...they felt incredibly heavy. These weights are relatively light, but having not Front Squatted or even cleaned in a while, they were hard.

Jerking off the rack here is more technique focused. Today I was trying to reduce the dip/drive depth, felt good and strong.

Overall, pretty good. Left Hamstring acting a bit funny (tight and kindve irritated, but I'll probably just work through it...and probably regret it later :D)

Training - 18th Oct. 2013

Snatch: 125 x (2,2,2,2,1)
Back Squat: 185 x (8,8,8,8)
Back Activation stuff: Sn. Grip OHPress, Facepulls
Side Planks 2 sets of 30 secs

Decided not to Front Squat because that's what caused the injury. Yet Back Squats irritated it a fair bit more than the Snatches. Decided to not go heavy, did 8 rep squats for the first time ever today. Was pretty damn tiring :p
Side Planks are all about getting this left oblique working in tandem with the right one.

On another note, right hip super tight. Right hip has always been tighter than left since a glute injury a long time ago. Something I need to focus on I think.



Been a while, but hopefully I'll be starting back up regularly now. Back is not 100% its more like 60%, but it feels more like an inflamation/irritation and so far training specifically hasn't made it worse. Rather, I feel like it's making it a tiny bit better, because going 5 days without training on the long weekend resulted in a lot more pain.

So yeah, will train now, with slight modifications. (hopefully)



....Oktoberfest tomorrow!

On learning to deal with injury

The past few weeks have been tough for me. Well, mentally tough-not so much physically. The simple reason being too injured to train.

Injury is a massive part of Weightlifting. The majority of that part of course being the avoidance of the aforementioned. Despite that, injury at some point is inevitable. They say that if you aren't getting injured, you aren't doing something right. I do agree with this sentiment.

I've read a few articles claiming that Weightlifting is one of the safest sports, statistically speaking. I'm not really sure what to make of these though, personally I've always thought that Weightlifting is a sport that happens in the training hall, not the competition platform. Too little time is spent on the platform to be an accurate representation of how common injuries are in the sport. At the same time, I feel like the two weightlifting movements (when performed correctly) are inherently safer than a lot of other sports. Luge and Horseback Riding both being examples. Even in football (soccer), I feel like injuries would be more common.

But the fact of the matter is that heaving a heavy weight over your head continuously is bound to have some sort of consequences for the body.

I must throw this bar weighing 3 times myself over my head, the Supreme Leader will protect me from injury!

Most common in Weightlifting would probably be soft tissue injures. So things like a strained back or pulled Hamstring. These are combined with overuse injuries. After years and years of lifting, I'm sure that the stresses on your joints would cause some issues. The more rare case would be something like a dislocated elbow or shoulder. Worst is probably a spinal injury...

Injuries seem to correspond directly to own muscular weaknesses, disproportion or tightness. They are pretty individualized, and everyone seems to suffer from their own personal set. Yet a lot of things can be better fixed by improving positioning and technique. Inherently, when performed correctly, the two lifts are safe. They use the body in an efficient and ergonomic way, and with the proper activation of musculature many injuries can be avoided. 

The Saga of Zammar the Great #1 - Torst

Ren crouched to pick the flower, a purple one...Browallia Bluebells she recalled, loves shade. It was hard to find a sun loving species in the valley, but Ren didn't mind. She liked the shade and all of the shade loving flowers. Her eyes followed the great cliff face in the distance, she had to crane her neck before she could see the top. There she gazed at the massive overhanging rock that covered almost half of the valley, blocking out the sun and elements. It was more than a few hundred meters higher than her current elevation, and jutted out mostly unsupported for almost a kilometer from the cliff edge. Slanting upwards, the ledge reached its highest point towards the far edge.

With a sigh, she added the Bluebells to her basket. A few strands of hair, long, silky and deep black, rustled by the wind covered her eyes, green eyes. She sighed again, brushing them off to the side. Her thoughts were drawn to the stories of the outside world; the vast mountain range that separated this valley from the rest of civilization, remembering the tales of all the fascinating creatures and amazing culture outside the great cliff walls. Ren wondered if she too would ever see them with her own eyes. She wished, for a moment that she could fly.

No, she couldn't leave. Turning around, Ren gazed across the great valley. She was standing on a ledge that jutted out of the cliff face and was part of the forest on the right edge of the valley. Her favorite spot. From here she could see everything. The other side of the valley was an almost identical mirror image to the one she was on. There too, a great cliff face was capped by a massive overhanging rock. The two rocks reached for each other overhead, separated by a gap that spanned the central portion of the valley. Since the valley ran from West to East, this gap was the only strip of area touched entirely by the suns light. 

Gazing downwards towards the road, Ren spotted a farmers family trudging along the thick road, their pack mule straining under its burden. She felt sorry for the animal, and the family...but Pa always said that you can't give too much to the poor because they will become dependent and unable to live on their own. She followed their progress until they reached the Pillars of Augenmar then lost attention and looked to the city of Torst. Her city. 

How could she ever think to leave it behind? Torst, the first and only multiracial city in the world. Built into the side of Mount Romsdalen at the end of the valley, beyond the great overhanging rocks, Torst had stood unharmed for centuries. Its great outer walls glinted in the rising sun, casting a shadow on the roads in front. These walls, made of smooth white stone rose over fifty meters, hiding and protecting the city behind. Above them, Ren could make out the middle levels, built higher into the mountain and protected by an even taller wall. She had to crane her neck to see the final level with its great domed cathedrals and spires. On either side of the city was an immense statue.

The Great Warrior on the left and the Great Intellectual on right. The unknown founding fathers of Torst. The warrior's mighty arms rested on the pommel of a massive greatsword that had been thrust into the ground, straight but for its jagged edge. His muscular chest popped from below a strapped leather tunic and a stone cape hid his back . A symbol of the cities might.

The Great Intellectual looked visibly more feeble, hunched over in a long robe. He held a book in his hand and was reading it with a crooked finger, a long beard flowed from the hooded face. His presence indicated the wisdom and intelligence of the cities citizens. The two had protected Torst since they together joined forces to found it in a world teeming with hatred. Or so the legend went.

Training - 4th Oct. 2013

Power Snatch + Snatch 6x1+1 @115
Back activation exercises


Don't know if anyone noticed, but I was on a bit of a week long hiatus there. It's not that I was too lazy to blog, I was actually just unable to lift due to the recurring back injury.

Not 100%. Probably going to spend most of next week doing more rehab.

What happened was that when Front Squatting, I made a stupid mistake and ending up compressing the left side of my middle traps. The resulting injury is pretty unforgiving. Constant icing + Ibuprofen definitely helping.

But the issue with these kinds of injuries is the more permanent effect they have on lifting.

I noticed this today, when Snatching, it felt like the left side of my back was asleep, it really was not activating at all in the way it was supposed to. Looking at videos, it was evident that the left side was visibly lower (pulled down by weight because it was unable to activate in a strong position) than the right.

So I really am just going to be focused on waking it up, and making it that it recovers in the appropriate manner. This is why i have been doing the "back activation exercises" - Snatch Grip OHPs and Rows are a mainstay in this, so is the front rack position.

Will probably spend this next week working on this and lifting more casually getting back into it. Get serious after Thanks Giving.


Pretty angry that I have to waste a good 3 weeks of my precious allotted 4 months of training. But injury is important because it teaches us many lessons. More on that another day.