Lol's New HST Log

Sat 02/02/13

So tonight was my second max attempt session: deads tonight. Did a fair amount of outdoor gardening today but thankfully no trench or hole digging so my back was fresh. No obvious soreness from yesterday's session.

Bodyweight: 90.25kg (199lb)

Max Attempt - Session 2

General Warmup
Dislocates
Pull-ups
Lots of OHS's with broom handle

Hang Snatch
First rep from the floor; the rest from high-hang
5 x 20kg
5 x 20kg
3 x 30kg
3 x 40kg - right arm complained a bit
3 x 40kg - ditto

So, still too early to go any heavier for these yet. Felt great to have a go again though. Maybe hurting my arm will be a blessing in disguise because it will force me to work on my technique more than pushing the load up.

Snatching was a great warm up for my deads.

Deadlift
5 x 60kg - Oly shoes; hook grip
5 x 100kg - ditto
1 x 140kg - ditto
1 x 160kg (353lb) - plus loose belt
1 x 190kg (419lb) - in socks; Lol made it back into the 400 club!
1 x 200kg (441lb) - Haha! It came off the floor, so it went all the way! Slow but not grindy
10D x 160kg (353lb) PR - with 2" deficit

I was pretty uncertain about getting 200kg beforehand. I haven't been training deads much at all and 180 was impossible only a month or so ago. Tonight, 190 was tough but smooth on the way up, so I decided to go for 200. With me, it's all about breaking the bar off the floor. If I can get it started, it'll usually go up. That was true tonight too. Not disappointed with that.

Decided to do a set of deficit deads to finish up as I was all fired up but I didn't think I would get another heavier rep. I grabbed a couple of 2" boards and used them. At 5 reps I knew I could keep going so I pushed on; form wasn't great on rep 9 but I decided I must get to 10; gave it some extra beans and it went up. That's a PR because I haven't done deficit deads before.

Pull-ups
15 x BW

Mainly as a warm-down/stretch for my back and right arm. Very careful at the turnaround not to jerk my arm.

Notes
So, my results over yesterday and today were:
Bench: 130kg (287lb)
High-bar Back Squat: 170kg (375lb)
Deadlift: 200kg (441lb)
Total: 500kg (1,102lb)

Considering I am now doing high-bar back squats with greater ROM that's not so bad. And I think if I had tried 175kg I might have got it. Next time.

Also, based on my 10 x 160kg set, if you pop that into a 1RM predictor, it will suggest I can get around 215kg for a 1RM. Now considering these were deficit deads, following my 200kg lift, you would think I might have a chance at ~215kg but I really don't think so. I think 200kg was definitely close to my max tonight.

The 130kg bench was definitely closest to a 1RM. It was the hardest lift and took the most out of my CNS.

All in all, it was a fun experiment. Next month I'll try for maxes in the quick lifts IF my hand and arm are up to it.
 
So I suppose it's all of those olympic lifts you've been doing that are keeping everything functionally strong such that you can not train deads for a month but go ahead and pull 400+!

Reading your log is what is making me want to mix in some olympic lifts for strength!! That and watching the training videos of that Irish kid you posted... amazing.
 
Hey NTB,

If you think about it, the Westside dynamic-effort days, where they use lighter loads but aim to move the bar as fast as possible, are all about improving maximum power output. O-lifting is all about maximising power output too and as both snatching and cleaning involve pulling from the floor, it stands to reason that there will be a good carry-over to deadlifting. The movement patterns of the clean-pull and the snatch-pull are both a little different to the deadlift but they are close enough and train all the same muscle groups.

Having now started on the O-lifts I can't tell you how much I wish I'd done so years ago. Learning something new is always refreshing and the O-lifts are always challenging: they're at the other end of the scale to sitting in a leg-extension machine! Even without coaching it is possible to keep progressing. There's so much useful stuff on the web now and being able to take vids and watch them back is easier now than it's ever been. Just be prepared for the movements to take some time to burn into your brain and feel natural; it's an ongoing process. I say go for it! :)
 
Mon 04/02/13

Remains of the wretched bug is still with me; I know because I still feel tight chested. Left hand is slowly improving as is my right arm.

General Warmup
Almost-full-ROM dislocates with wooden pole - right arm still complains when doing these.

Lol's Warmup Complex:
5 x Hang Power Snatch
5 x OHS
5 x Sn Grip Behind Neck Jerk
5 x BB Side Bend
5 x Back Squat
5 x Good Mornings
5 x Bent Over Side Bend
5 x Push Press
5 x Front Squat
5 X Bent Over Row

Three rounds: R'd 1 with 20kg bar, rest a minute or so; R'd 2 with 30kg, rest a minute or so; R'd 3 with 40kg.

Hang Snatch
5 x 40kg
5 x 50kg
5 x 55kg
5 x 55kg

Snatch
1 x 60kg - right wrist tweaky
2 x 60kg
2 x 60kg

Hang Cleans
5 x 60kg
5 x 70kg

All snatching and cleans tonight were to test my right arm during second pull and in racked position. It seemed to cope ok so I will gradually build up the load again.

Front Squat
W-U: 5 x 70kg, 3 x 90kg
5 x 107.5kg (237lb) @ RPE 8 - belted for all work sets
5 x 107.5kg (237lb) @ RPE 8
5 x 107.5kg (237lb) @ RPE 8
5 x 107.5kg (237lb) @ RPE 8.5
5 x 107.5kg (237lb) @ RPE 8.5

Pull-ups
16 x BW

Push-ups
30

Notes
Got the idea for the complex as a warmup from Dan John. I extended one of Alwyn Cosgrove's. Three rounds of that and I'm as warm as I ever want to be!

It was great to get back to a bit of O-lifting again although I'm not risking my left hand on jerks with anything over 40kg yet.

Right knee complained a bit during squats again. I think my right knee is having to shift a little out of line compared to my left because my right ankle is not as flexible as my left. This lack of flexibility forces my right foot to outwardly rotate more than my left when I get into a deep bottom position. Getting my right knee to track correctly is then not so straightforward. I'm working on improving my right ankle flexibility.
 
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Wed 06/02/13

Not a lot of time tonight.

General Warmup
Careful full-ROM dislocates with wooden pole; right arm still sore but as long as I release my fingers when the bar is behind me I can now get full-range again. Still have to go slowly though.

Lol's Warmup Complex:
5 x Hang Power Snatch
5 x OHS
5 x Sn Grip Behind-neck Jerk
5 x BB Side Bend
5 x Back Squat
5 x Good Mornings
5 x Push Press
5 x Front Squat
5 X Bent Over Row

Three rounds: R'd 1 with 20kg bar, rest a minute or so; R'd 2 with 30kg, rest a minute or so; R'd 3 with 40kg.

This makes for a great warmup. I dropped bent-over side bends as they're just a bit too awkward with a loaded BB. Takes about 6 mins to do all three rounds plus a few minutes to add plates and get some rest. All done in under 10 mins.

Floor Press
W-U: 30 x 40kg, 20 x 60kg, 15 x 80kg - left hand padded from this set on
8 x 100kg (220lb) @ RPE 9
5 x 100kg (220lb) @ RPE 10!
7 x 100kg (220lb) @ RPE 10 - added a bit more aggression to get two more reps


Pendlay Row
5 x 100kg (220lb)
7 x 100kg (220lb)
7 x 100kg (220lb) @ RPE 10 - last rep with a bit of body language.

Handstand Against Wall
1 x 30 sec
1 x 45 sec
1 x 60 sec

These are always a killer. They never seem to get much easier, although that final minute was definitely not as tough as it used to be. I suppose it depends on what I've done beforehand.

Notes
Chest still not clear. Three weeks since I hurt my right arm and it's not back to normal yet but I can do most things now. Left hand is still with lump but that is definitely less sore. I noticed that my right shoulder was not happy doing the dislocates or the hang snatches during my warmup and it complained a bit doing the floor presses so I've done something to that. Right knee is tweaky too. Lots of niggles but nothing major.
 
AlexAustralia said:
Can you revert or c&p your sig with all the abbreviations explained, stuff like RPE etc ? :p
Click to expand...
Yeah, I took it all out so my forum posts weren't so long and with the intention of pasting the extra info into my log entries, but I immediately forgot!
 
Thu 07/02/13

Didn't feel like lifting anything heavy tonight. I can tell I'm still fighting a bug. Spent an hour or so stretching and working on flexibility: hips, spine, shoulders, ankles. Worked up quite a sweat, so it wasn't just an excuse to slob.

Then I did a gentle'ish' row...

C2 Row
2k in 7:56 @ 27 SPM

Started out slow and gradually increased stroke rate and power output each 500m. Tired at the end but not gasping for breath. My lungs are not 100% yet either so I was glad I got through this ok.
 
Fri 08/02/13

Glands in neck were up this morning and generally feeling less than great. When am I going to beat this darn bug?!

Decided to do a simple session, but not that easy!

Warm-up
Dislocates
Deep goblet squats holding medicine ball

Front Squat
10 x 40kg
10 x 60kg
10 x 80kg
10 x 100kg (220lb) RPE 8
10 x 100kg (220lb) RPE 8

I approached these with a sense of urgency and with a desire to go as deep as is humanly possible for me. The last two sets were hard enough to make me breathe heavily afterwards; I only stopped for a short intake of breath after the first 5 reps for both sets. All other sets were unbroken. Decided against another set.

Warm-down
Dislocates
Deep squat for time

Notes
I may get a chance to do some cleans in the morning (not sure my hand is up to jerks yet) but, if not, I'm away from base for a week so I'll treat it as SD and start up again when I get back—hopefully without bug and with a happier arm and hand.

============================================
RPEs: 3-4 reps; 8.5: 2 reps; 9: 1 rep; 9.5: poss 1 rep; 10: max effort

P=Paused rep(s), CG=Clean Grip, SG=Snatch Grip
PO=Press Out, FF=Failed to Front, FB=Failed to Back
 
Wed 20/02/13

That's SD over with. I've had a good week-and-a-half away from lifting. I did a lot of stretching and mobility work but nothing strenuous. My right arm is still not 100% so I will have to continue to be careful with it. Same goes for my left hand: the lump between my third and fourth metacarpals is still there although it has shrunk.

I found out that there's a Masters weightlifting comp not too far from me towards the end of March. I am hoping to go as a spectator this time around. Apparently, I have to be a member of the BWL for a year before I can compete.The qualifying total for my age group (45-49) and weight class (94kg I expect) is 165kg. I can better that now so by the time I can compete I know I can qualify. With an 80kg snatch and a 120kg C&J I might not even come last! :)

a.m.

C2 Row
1k - 3:45
0.5k - 1:45
Something to tickle the lungs back into action. My cardio fitness always drops off really fast after only a sort time off.

p.m.

Warm-up
Dislocates and wrist rolls
Jumping Lunges
Cleans with 40kg

OHS
15 x 40kg

Front Squat
15 x 60kg

Back Squat
15 x 60kg

Push-ups
15

Bench Press
15 x 60kg

Pendlay Row
15 x 60kg

Dips
15 x BW

Pull-ups
15 x BW

OHP
15 x 40kg

Sit-ups
15 unsupported

Notes
Went through this quite quickly. Felt a little queasy afterwards. Nothing hard, save for last few pull-ups. Third set of squats produced a pretty intense quad burn. Wonder if I'll get any DOMs?
 
Thurs 21/02/13

General Warmup
Dislocates with wooden pole, almost back up to speed.
Lol's Warmup Complex (with 20kg bar)​
5 x Hang Power Snatch
5 x OHS
5 x Sn Grip Behind-Neck Jerk
5 x BB Side Bend
5 x HB Back Squat
5 x Good Mornings
5 x Push Press
5 x Hang Clean
5 X Bent-Over Row​

Hang Snatch -All reps from high hang except first rep from floor
5 x 30kg
10 x 40kg
15 x 40kg
15 x 40kg

Straps for all sets.

I never normally do more than 5 consecutive reps for snatches but seeing that I'm just kicking off a new cycle with light loads I thought I would try some higher reps. Fatigue can actually force you to use a more efficient movement and bar path. It was actually good fun doing so many reps. A few of the reps ended up being power snatches but my aim was to catch the bar as low as possible and then ride it down into a deep squat, balance the bar for a second and then return to the hang position. Even 40kgs starts to feel heavy after 15 reps! Good workout for lungs too. I'll try this again soon and see if I can manage 15 reps with 45kg.
 
Fri 22/02/13

Just a quickie w/o tonight! Whole of my upper back and traps really sore from the snatches. Legs sore too.

General Warmup
C2 Row: 500m/1:53 @ 26 spm

Floor Press
25 x 40kg
25 x 65kg

Pendlay Row
20 x 65kg

Dips
5 x BW
20 x BW+10kg

Pull-ups
15 x BW

OHP
15 x 45kg @ RPE 8.5
10 x 45kg @ RPE 9

Push-ups
15

Notes
Performance:
Went through the sets pretty quickly; got a great upper-body pump. Second set of OHP was hard because I only took just over a minute between sets.
Issues:
Left hand still not right; it's as if there's a small fluid sac in there that is refusing to shrink any further.
Right arm, inside of elbow, still not great either; have to be careful with pull-ups.
Right shoulder is now being a pain, esp. when doing anything overhead. I don't think it's muscular. It's more like a joint issue. Right shoulder has always sucked but I'm not sure why it's worse again now. Hmm...
 
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Lol said:
Wed 20/02/13

That's SD over with. I've had a good week-and-a-half away from lifting. I did a lot of stretching and mobility work but nothing strenuous. My right arm is still not 100% so I will have to continue to be careful with it. Same goes for my left hand: the lump between my third and fourth metacarpals is still there although it has shrunk.

I found out that there's a Masters weightlifting comp not too far from me towards the end of March. I am hoping to go as a spectator this time around. Apparently, I have to be a member of the BWL for a year before I can compete.The qualifying total for my age group (45-49) and weight class (94kg I expect) is 165kg. I can better that now so by the time I can compete I know I can qualify. With an 80kg snatch and a 120kg C&J I might not even come last! :)
Click to expand...

That sounds interesting. You'll have to update us on what the competition looks like when you spectate this year. I would think you could clean up if you compete.
 
Totentanz said:
That sounds interesting. You'll have to update us on what the competition looks like when you spectate this year. I would think you could clean up if you compete.
Click to expand...
Well, that remains to be seen. I expect some of the Masters lifters will have been lifting a long time and may still be really good. The catchment area is large"ish", being the South West of England. It'll certainly be interesting to check out the competition.
 
Sat 23/02/13

General Warmup
Dislocates with wooden pole.

Lol's Warmup Complex (with 20kg bar)
5 x Hang Power Snatch
5 x OHS
5 x Sn-Grip Behind-Neck Jerk
5 x BB Side Bend
5 x HB Back Squat
5 x Good Mornings
5 x Press
5 x Front Squat
5 x Hang Clean

5 X Bent-Over Row

C&J
W-U: 5 x 40kg, 5 x 60kg
3 x 70kg
3 x 70kg
3 x 70kg
3 x 70kg
3 x 70kg
3 x 70kg
3 x 70kg

21 solid reps. About 2 mins rest between sets. No shoulder discomfort for any of the jerks, which I was very happy about.

Front Squats
15 x 70kg
15 x 70kg

All reps completed without breaks for extra air! Thought I might go for 20 reps on the second set but 15 was sucky enough. :)

Push-ups
30
30

Mainly as a warm-down and to get some extra circulation going on in my shoulders.

Notes
Most of the cleans were in fact power-cleans because there's not much point in going deep under the bar when I can easily pop it up high enough to catch well above parallel. I lowered the bar under control each rep to add some extra work.
I wanted to work on my jerk form and, in particular, getting my grip and hand placement right before the jerk. It doesn't help that my bar is slightly bent as this causes unwanted rotation of the bar at the catch. It also makes it a bit more difficult to reset the grip before the jerk. (As soon as I can, I'm going to invest in a much better weightlifting bar.)
Making a conscious effort to tighten every muscle in my torso before dipping and jerking made a big difference to how much energy was transferred to the bar. The bar was flying up so I'm hoping to see some improvements in my jerks when I get back over 100kg again.
 
Mon 25/02/13

Really pushed for time. Did the quickest thing I could think of doing that was still a good effort.

Warmup
2 min 500m C2 Row @ ~24 spm

Dips
20 + 12, 10 x BW

A sort-of Myo-rep set. Very strict reps: 2 seconds down, as fast as possible up, and 1 second hold at top.

That was it!
 
Tues 26/02/13

Pushed for time again. :-/ Left hand lump seems to have reduced a little further.

General Warmup
2 min, 500m C2 Row @ 24 spm
Wooden pole dislocates - right arm still complains when I start these but is still improving.
2 x 10 x 10kg medicine ball goblet squats

Snatch Practice (from floor)
5 x 20kg + 10 x OHS
3 x 30kg + 10 x OHS
3 x 40kg + 10 x OHS
1 x 50kg + 10 x OHS
1 x 55kg + 10 x OHS
1 x 60kg + 10 x OHS (possibly matched my PR?)

Straps from 40kg which saves my thumbs a bit. Short rest between sets. All OHS reps were as deep as possible. I'm also endeavouring to keep my torso as upright as possible by pushing my hips forward in the bottom position. I managed to keep them under control throughout. This obviously wasn't heavy for my legs but it did get tough for my shoulders and upper-back by the time I got to the final OHS with 60kg. Right shoulder was a bit tweaky and uncomfortable as always; left side was stable and strong.

Handstand Practice
Lots of attempts made but I didn't keep count of numbers or time. At this point, my times are under 10 seconds for an unsupported handstand.

I kick up close to a wall and then aim to hold my handstand without any contact with the wall once I have my balance. My focus is on keeping everything tight: active shoulders, tight abs, glutes, legs, and toes pointed. This is all quite hard on the old wrists but they are toughening up a bit. (My right wrist is less flexible than my left—the same is true of my right ankle.) I always warm them up a bit first with some wrist mobility stretches.
 
Wed 27/02/13

Decided to do a bit of O-lifting tonight but with no bar slamming because it was too late to make lots of noise. Bar lowered until control throughout.

General Warmup
Walking lunges
Wooden pole dislocates

Hang Snatch
(all first reps from floor)
10 x 20kg
5 x 30kg
3 x 40kg - straps from here on
3 x 50kg
3 x 55kg
3 x 60kg - power snatchy
3 x 60kg - " "
3 x 60kg - " "

Not happy with my form tonight. It was going ok until I hit 60kg; then I suddenly wanted to power snatch the weight. I may have been a little nervous about missing and dumping the bar, which I really didn't want to do. I must try again with the same load earlier in the day.

Hang Cleans
3 x 60kg
3 x 70kg
3 x 75kg
3 x 75kg
3 x 75kg

A long way from my top loads but I'm going to build up again slowly. These felt so much easier and lighter than my rubbish snatches tonight.
I never wear straps when cleaning, so the only tricky bit was maintaining a hook grip for all reps in each set. I normally release my hook once I have received the bar in the rack position but that makes dropping the bar back down and re-hooking a bit awkward.
No jerks tonight to give my shoulders a break.

Front Squat
15 x 80kg
15 x 80kg

10kg heavier than last session and still ok. No pauses for extra breath. 90kg is going to suck!

I focussed on maintaining a fairly quick tempo; on keeping really tight abs in the bottom position; on driving my knees out and on pushing hips forward after coming out of the hole to maintain as upright a torso as possible.

Unilateral Calf Raise
20 x BW
15 x BW

Alternated legs until done. Standing on home-made calf raise block. I haven't done any calf work in forever so I hope I did just enough to get some DOMS but not too much. Massive pump.

Notes
Traps already sore after the snatches and cleans. I love what the O-lifting is doing for my upper back and traps even with the tiny loads I'm currently lifting.
 
Fri 01/03/13

I realised this evening that it's time to test some maxes again already. This month it's O-lifts. Seeing as I had 3.5 hrs sleep last night and with no chance to steal some time for a nap before it was time to train, I decided to do my Snatch and C&J attempts tomorrow after a decent night's sleep. Tonight, I thought I'd try for a PR in my front squats.

Warmup
Goblet squats with 10kg med ball
Wooden pole dislocates
Walking lunges

Front Squats
10 x 60kg (132lb)
15 x 95kg (210lb) PR @ RPE 9
12 x 95kg (210lb) @ RPE 8

Belted for both 95kg sets. For the PR set, no pausing between reps save for a quick breath between last three reps. Allowed myself a few more breaths in the second set and didn't push for 15 reps again although I know it was there.

I found this in my log from 2009:

Mon 27/01/09
BW: 194.5lb
...

Front Squats: 10 x 60kg, 5 x 80kg, 2 x 16 x 90kg (198lb) PR
Click to expand...

So, I beat my old PR by 5kg. I could definitely have managed 16 reps tonight if I'd taken a few more breaths. I may try for 15 reps with 100kg before dropping the reps and upping the load past 100kg. That would be a bit of a milestone to reach if I can get it.

Handstand Against Wall
Lots of attempts. I want to try to get away from having to use a wall to kick up to. I'm working on my hand-balance control: pushing with my fingers or the palm of my hands to try to maintain my balance. I'm getting better at it but it's very easy to over-correct.

Unilateral Calf Raises
2 x 20 x BW - alternate legs until sets completed

DOMS in my calves has continued to escalate over the last two days. I'm so glad I didn't do more than a couple of sets. In the hope that it might help reduce the soreness and stretch things out a bit, I thought I'd do another couple of sets tonight. I'll find out whether it worked or not tomorrow.

============================================
RPE's: 8: 3-4 reps; 8.5: 2 reps; 9: 1 rep; 9.5: poss 1 rep; 10: max effort

P=Paused rep(s), CG=Clean Grip, SG=Snatch Grip
PO=Press Out, FF=Failed to Front, FB=Failed to Back
 
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