Current Status and moving forward

1B as a school term was...annoying to say the least. It resulted in me being unable to make any significant progress in weightlifting due to work. In all fairness, I could have planned things out better- shorter sessions, strength phase etc. But It is a learning experience.

I found that I was unable to gather enough training frequency and consistency through the term. Sometimes I would lift once a week, and another week I'd go twice but separated by many days. The final result is that the motor patterns required for a complex movement like the Snatch need to be constantly re primed and every single lifting session feels awkward, heavy and hard.

After school ended, I had two weeks to spend back home. Knowing that weightlifting in Richmond Hill would be a challenge, I decided to go all out with a squatting program. So I ran Smolov Jr. for Front Squats.

This was a good idea. My squatting is weak, and is a limiting factor for the Clean and Jerk. Smolov Jr is a 3 week Russian program which emphasizes a single lift. It forces you to lift 4 times a week, never doing less than 30 reps in a single session for the given lift and then increasing the weights each week. I found it to be amazingly effective.

Front Squats are tricky with high volume because the upper back fatigues really fast. This however was a further motivator for me to use them, Front Squats are probably the absolute most effective exercise I can personally do right now because they train all of my weaknesses - more on that later.

Anyway, it was hard. But effective, squatted heavier weights than before for way more volume much more easily. haven't tested max yet.

Unfortunately, I got myself slightly injured on the 2nd last day of Smolov Jr doing something a bit stupid so had to take ~5 days off and couldn't REALLY finish the program. Since then, I've done 3 sessions as a re priming of the classical lifts which I haven't done in a month and haven't REALLY done in 5 months. The official program starts tomorrow:

Current working Program starting 15/9/2013:

sets x reps

when sets are written out, the spaces indicate increase in weight

Two different exercises separated by a +  means super setting. 

Midsection encompasses all abdominal work, mainly going to be wheel roll out and some other ab stuff I just make up. 

A:
Snatch (5x2)
Front Squat (wave loaded - 3x(5,3,1) wt. increasing each wave)
Jerk off the rack:  2x3,  3x2,  work up to a heavy single
Rows  3x8   +  Midsection

B:
Pull (w/ rebound) + Snatch from blocks:  3+1, 3+1,     2+1, 2+1,    1+1, 1+1,    +1
Power Clean + Clean + Jerk:     4x
Clean Pull:   3x3,   1,   1
Dips 3x   +  Midsection

C:
Clean and Jerk: 2x(2+1),   2+1,     1+1 until a heavy single for the day.
Front Squat: work upto near a 1RM, drop to ~70% of that and do 3s increasing until ~3rm, then 2x5 for speed.
Push Press:   5x5
Rows  3x8   +  Midsection

D:
Power Snatch + Snatch:   5x(1+1)
Clean Complex: 4x (Clean from blocks + Clean from ground + 2x FS + Jerk.)
Snatch Pull:    3x3,   1,   1
Dips 3x  +  Midsection

E:
Snatch:    2x2,     1x2,    work up to a heavy single for the day
Back Squat:  1,     3x3,      2x6
Glute Ham Raise:  5x    +    BTN Snatch Grip Press    5x5
Rows  3x8  +  Midsection

F:
Probably go swimming? Make sure to do something physical.

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It is somewhat Bulgarian in style in the sense that I have 3 intense days separated by 2 less intense days which I can also use for technical improvement.
Hopefully this works well, I will have to evaluate fatigue and progress as things go on and changes will for sure be made. An option is to lower squat volume on individual days and increase frequency by squatting every day (e.g. for 2 sets)

It will look something like:
M    A
T      B
W    C
Th    D
Fr     E
Sa     F
Su     Rest