Lol's New HST Log

Tue 13/11/12

No Oly stuff tonight. Still feeling rather weaker than I would like. Don't feel like any major exertion today so I will content myself with some 'easier' lifts.

General Warmup
1km C2 row: 3:49
25 x Push-ups
Dislocates

Flat Bench
W/U: 15 x 20kg, 10 x 40kg, 5 x 60kg, 5 x 80kg

Work Sets
5 x 100kg @ RPE 9
5 x 100kg @ RPE 9 - left clavicle twinges
4 x 100kg
4 x 100kg @ RPE 10

Met Set
9 x 80kg!! Didn't even make 10 reps; completely spent.

All sets using a hand spacing with pinkies about 2" in from the rings on the bar.

Chins
W/U: 15 x BW @ RPE 10 - top of sternum to bar

5 x BW+10kg (22lb)
5 x BW+10kg
5 x BW+15kg (33lb)

Pull-ups
9 x BW - couldn't manage tenth rep

Fried myself on the first warmup set!
Right biceps distal tendon still sore from catching bar during cleans.
(Note to self: Seeing that everything seems to take ages to heal these days, for goodness sake get some fish oil for those ageing tendons.)

Handstand-against-wall
3 x 30 secs - focus on maintaining balance away from wall

Between sets of bench, I worked on some hip mobility for deeper squat position. I have always had poor range of hip abduction and external rotation so it's something I really have to work on if I want to improve my Oly lifting.

This relatively short and light workout made me feel much more tired than normal. I hope I have more energy tomorrow.
 
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Wed 14/11/12

General Warmup
500m C2 Row: 1:53
Air squats
Lunge stretches
OHS with broom handle

Hang Snatch
All reps from hang at hip
2 x 5 x 20kg
3 x 30kg
3 x 40kg

Snatch
All reps from floor with straps
2 x 40kg
2 x 42.5kg
2 x 45kg
2 x 47.5kg
2 x 50kg
2 x 52.5kg
2 x 55kg
2 x 57.5kg
2 x 60kg
2 x 62kg - first rep more of a power snatch
2 x 62.5kg - second rep more of a power snatch
0 x 63kg - first rep power snatched and slightly forward :-/
1 x 65kg PR - stuck this one!
0 x 67kg
0 x 67kg

Thought I might get 67kg as the single with 65kg went up really well. Just didn't get my balance right with the 67kg attempts. Definitely getting fatigued too so decided to stop there. Only 5kg off my goal of 70kg by year's end. :)

Hang Cleans
All reps from high hang without straps
1 x 67.5kg + jerk
1 x 70kg + jerk
1 x 75kg + jerk
1 x 80kg + jerk
1 x 85kg + jerk
1 x 90kg + jerk - slightly out to front
1 x 92.5kg (204lb) + jerk - slight press out with left arm
1 x 95kg (209lb) + jerk PR - good solid jerk

Pleased I made a PR; feeling tired so decided to stop there and get some squats done.

Front Squat
5 x 70kg
5 x 90kg
5 x 100kg
7 x 100kg @ RPE 9

Decided against doing any back squats as I was feeling pretty tired. 100kg felt plenty heavy enough. Legs were all out of rocket sauce. Hopefully, I'll have recovered a bit more by Friday and will be ready for some heavier back squats.

Apart from the squats, not a bad session.
 
Thurs 15/11/12

General Warmup
500m C2 Row: 1:50 - legs felt tired
Lunge stretches
OHS with broom handle

Handstand-against-wall
60 seconds x BW+7kg - PR
2 x 30 sec x BW

Pleased with that. Started to shake a bit during the last 10 seconds with the weighted diving belt.

Deadlift
W/U: 10 x 70kg - regular grip, no hook
5 x 100kg - regular grip, no hook
5 x 130kg - hook grip; belted

10 x 1 x 160kg (352lb) - Oly shoes; belt; straps after first few reps

The first rep with 160kg felt hard (mainly due, I think, to the Oly shoes) so I decided to take short breaks between reps and do 10 singles. I also opted to use straps after the first few reps as my hands are pretty sore from all the Oly lifting.

Dips
W/U: 15 x BW
5 x BW+15kg
5 x BW+20kg
5 x BW+25kg

5 x BW+30kg (66lb)
5 x BW+35kg (77lb)
5 x BW+40kg (88lb)
3 x BW+46.25kg (102lb)
2 x BW+50kg (110lb)
20 x BW

Think the deads knocked the stuffing out of me a bit, so the first bw set felt harder than usual. Decided to pyramid up to a max single to see how my shoulder would hold up. It didn't do badly at all; there was a general feeling of soreness in the part of the left clavicle where the break occurred. I never expected to get a double with 50kg/110lb so that was a bonus. Deep feeling of strain inside my pecs after those heavy sets.

I've never managed to get a BW+BW dip or chin yet, but I do have them as two of my long-term goals.
 
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Mon 19/11/12

Missed last Fridays w/o due to a long weekend away. Feeling pretty wiped this evening. I seem to have a lot of aches and pains. Several people I've been in the company of recently have colds. I'm hoping I haven't caught anything.

General Warmup
Lunge stretches
OHS with broom handle
Dislocates

Hang Snatch
All from hip except for last two sets which were from below knee
5 x 20kg
3 x 30kg
3 x 40kg
3 x 45kg
3 x 50kg
3 x 50kg - straps from this set
3 x 50kg - from hang below knee
3 x 50kg - had to bail on 2nd rep so did two more reps.

Everything felt hard tonight and my aching wrists and hips didn't feel much better by the time I got to 50kg, which they normally do. Didn't enjoy having to bail during last set. I had to jump backwards from under the bar and missed clobbering myself on my rack by inches. I think I am always conscious that I don't really have enough space to do snatches if I mess up. :/

High-bar Back Squat
W/U: 10 x 60kg, 5 x 70kg, 5 x 90kg, 3 x 110kg - all warmups holding straps as per Mikey Novak's suggestion.

Work sets
4 x 140kg (308lb) - fourth rep didn't feel quite right so I racked the bar.
5 x 140kg (308lb) - form not great; this is about my 5RM at the moment; took a vid of this set
2 x 140kg - tried a set of low-bar but left shoulder didn't like it so I racked after 2 reps.

Met Set
12 x 110kg (242lb) - took a vid of this set too

I didn't really get on with the straps during my warmup sets but I might try again another time; definitely a bit kinder to my shoulder but I can't get them to grip the bar so they slide around easily and I haven't got anything to clamp them on with.

Handstand-against-wall
4 x 45 secs - about 45 sec rest between reps; final 45 secs very hard!

I'll try to sort a vid of the two squat sets and get it posted.
 


Video quality is pretty naff, yet good enough to make out my form is lousy. :)
 
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Wed 21/11/12

Adductors in left leg are sore as heck after Monday's back squats. Twinge in pelvis, going down left leg and then on down to knee. Left shoulder not happy either. Time to get this sorry old body moving! Bring it on!

General Warmup
Lunge stretches
OHS with broom handle
Dislocates

Hang Snatch
First rep from floor, the rest from hip
5 x 20kg
3 x 30kg
3 x 40kg
3 x 45kg
3 x 50kg
3 x 52.5kg - straps from this set

Full Snatch
2 x 52.5kg
2 x 52.5kg
2 x 55kg
2 x 57.5kg
2 x 60kg
2 x 60kg - P-Sn 2nd rep
2 x 60kg - Same
2 x 60kg - better

Straps for all sets. Traps are toasted.

Front Squat
W/U: 5 x 60kg, 5 x 70kg

1 x 90kg
1 x 100kg
1 x 110kg
1 x 120kg

Work sets
5 x 110kg (242lb)
3 x 110kg (242lb) - left leg adductors were crying!

I was planning on three work sets but my left leg was getting even more sore so decided to stop.

I'm focussing on keeping a tight back the whole time. It really helps me not to dip forward coming out of the hole.

Took some creatine before w/o tonight for the first time in ages. Will start taking daily again as of today. Still need to get more whey. A friend needs some too so I have a good reason to remember to get it now. It'll be interesting to see if an extra 60g of protein a day helps me recover better.
 
Fri 23/11/12

Feeling a bit more lively this evening. Didn't get enough sleep last night but a cup of coffee with a spoonful of honey seemed to sort that out.

General Warmup
Lunges
OHSs and snatches with broom handle
Dislocates

Hang Snatch
All from hip
5 x 20kg
3 x 30kg
3 x 35kg

No straps

Full Snatch
2 x 40kg
2 x 45kg
2 x 50kg
2 x 55kg
2 x 60kg - rubbish
1 x 60kg - P-Sn
1 x 60kg - Same

Straps for all sets. Just crap really. :-/ Don't really know why? Didn't get in the groove properly. I seem to require lots of sets with small increments to get in the groove.

Clean & Jerk
1 x 60kg
1 x 70kg
1 x 80kg
1 x 85kg
1 x 90kg
1 x 90kg
1 x 92kg
1 x 95kg - easy clean; failed jerk, out to front.
1 x 100kg - clean was fine; failed jerk, same again.
2 x 0 x 102.5kg - just failed to get under the bar properly.

I know I can get the bar plenty high enough. I'm just taking too long to get under the bar. Need to practice jerks so I get a bit more confident. Not easy as I have to clean it first. I might be able to practice jerks in my rack if I set the safety bars high enough; but I'll still have to lower the bar down to my shoulders each time because if I keep dumping it, it'll bend the safety bars.

High-bar Back Squat
W/U: 10 x 65kg, 5 x 90kg, 3 x 120kg (265lb)

Work sets
5 x 141kg (311lb) - shoulders dropped enough for bar to be resting on cervical spine.
3 x 141kg (311lb) - trying to keep my shoulders back and traps tight to stop the bar dropping.
3 x 141kg (311lb) - same

Decided to use my 0.5kg plates and add an extra kilo to the bar.

Met Set
10 x 120kg (265lb)

I can keep my shoulders back and traps tight for lighter sets but once I'm up to my 5RM load, I lose that extra bit of control after the first two or three reps.

Handstand-against-wall
4 x 30 seconds with 30s rest intervals

Tried these with a wider hand spacing. Helps me to keep my elbows locked. Traps really tired though, so all sets were hard.
 
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That's an awesome clean&jerk! That actually sounds kind of scary to me, throwing that much weight over my head!:eek:
 
Sci said:
That's an awesome clean&jerk! That actually sounds kind of scary to me, throwing that much weight over my head!:eek:
Click to expand...

Cheers, Sci. It really is great slamming a bar from overhead. I love it. :)

I'm aiming for 120kg C&J, so I still have a way to go. I'm pretty sure I can get there but the fear factor definitely plays a part.
 
I took a pic after my w/o tonight as a point of reference.

I want to see if I add any muscle as I make improvements in my weightlifting numbers. It's quite possible that making bigger lifts will be almost entirely down to improvements in my technique. I am hoping that I can add a little bodyweight along the way but it may be mainly in my wheels from all the squatting.

Lol torso Nov 2012.JPG
 
Sat 24/11/12

Decided to do some jerk practice after yesterday's poor performance.

General Warmup
Lunges
OHSs and snatches with broom handle
Dislocates

Clean & Jerk
2 x 35kg
2 x 40kg
2 x 45kg
2 x 50kg
2 x 55kg
2 x 60kg
2 x 65kg
2 x 70kg
1 x 75kg
1 x 80kg
1 x 85kg
1 x 90kg - jerk failed behind
1 x 90kg - good jerk
1 x 91kg - press out on LHS
1 x 91kg - good jerk
1 x 92kg - good jerk

All easy cleans and 24 jerks in total; 3 good jerks with a reasonable load. My biggest problem is locking out my left arm.

Ancillary Work

Chins
15 x BW - chest-to-bar
4 x BW+25kg - Wow! Much harder than usual. Couldn't even manage 5 reps.
10 x BW - not chest-to-bar

Dips
25 x BW - much harder than usual.
5 x BW+25kg - ditto
5 x BW+25kg
5 x BW+25kg

The C&J's definitely took a lot out of me so, the sets of chins and dips were a lot harder than they normally would be. That's my excuse anyway.
 
Sun 25/11/12

Intended to have a day off but then I started watching Peter Jackson's The Hobbit - Production Diaries. Thought I'd to do some high-pulls between episodes; so that's around a 10 min rest between sets.

Snatch-grip High-pulls
10 x 100kg (220lb)
10 x 100kg (220lb)
10 x 100kg (220lb)
10 x 100kg (220lb)
10 x 100kg (220lb) @ RPE 8'ish

Straps and in socks throughout. Aiming to keep load on heels during the pull as I have a tendency to go forward when snatching.

Decided to stop after 50 reps as I could feel fatigue building with each successive set. I'll watch the rest of the episodes while I eat something. :)
 
Mon 26/11/12

General Warmup
Lunge stretches
OHS with broom handle and 20kg bar
Dislocates with broom handle

Hang Snatch

All from hip; experimenting with slightly wider hand spacing.

5 x 20kg
3 x 30kg
3 x 35kg
3 x 40kg - straps from this set
3 x 45kg
3 x 50kg
3 x 51kg
3 x 52kg
3 x 55kg - PR all good reps! :)

Really pleased with my form improvement tonight. Everything felt better. Small increase in hand spacing definitely better for me.

High-bar Back Squat
W/U: 10 x 70kg, 5 x 100kg, 3 x 120kg

Work sets
5 x 140kg (308lb) @ RPE 8.5
5 x 140kg (308lb) @ RPE 9
5 x 140kg (308lb) @ RPE 9.5

Met Set
12 x 120kg (264lb)

Best high-bar sets so far. I'm getting stronger again.

Handstand-against-wall
7 x 30 secs - PR

30 sec rest between reps; final 30 secs was a real shoulder and back burner.

Pleased with my lifts tonight. Also intended to do some cleans but didn't have enough time.
 
Wed 28/11/12

Felt a bit more tired than I would have liked but that's pretty much par for the course these days. Had less time tonight due to visitors.

General Warmup
Lunge stretches
OHS with broom handle
Dislocates

Hang Snatch
All reps from hip
5 x 20kg
3 x 30kg

Full Snatch
3 x 40kg
3 x 40kg
3 x 45kg
2 x 50kg
2 x 55kg - straps from this set
2 x 57.5kg
1 x 60kg
1 x 60kg - P-Sn
0 x 60kg - clumsy pull; failed to front; tweaked left shoulder a bit because I wasn't aggressive enough when getting under the bar.
1 x 61kg - much better
1 x 61kg + 10 x OHSs - think that's close to my OHS PR for a set of 10.

Not a great session but I held off from using straps for longer. When I lift from the floor, I still can't consistently get into quite as good a position for the second pull as I can from the high hang.

Front Squat
W/U: 10 x 61kg, 5 x 80kg - deeper in the hole than I normally go

Work sets (practising going deeper in hole)
5 x 100kg (220lb)
5 x 100kg (220lb)
5 x 110kg (242lb)
2 x 115kg (253lb) @ RPE 9

So tonight, I wanted to try going deeper in the hole; getting low enough for my hams to get a slight bounce off my calves. My flexibility isn't quite good enough to stop my lower-back losing a little extension at the deepest point, but it didn't feel like much and I still felt strong. I'm working on improving that bottom posisiton by hanging out in a deep squat at different times during the day. The reps were definitely harder when going deeper but I thought I'd try doing a set of five with 110kg as 100kg was ok. The double with 115kg was only going to be a single but that was ok too and could have been a triple.

Handstand-against-wall
2 x 30 sec - 30 sec rest interval
1 x 75 sec - PR
2 x 35 secs - 30 sec rest interval

Got the shakes by the end of the 75 seconds. Brutal. I was hoping to get 90 seconds. Maybe if I try from completely fresh I may manage 90s soon.
 
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So your pic... doesn't look like you've lost anything from before. It's hard to believe you weigh less than 200 lbs.
 
Thu 29/11/12

General Warmup
Lunges
OHS with broom handle
Dislocates with broom handle
Naked Snatches and C&J's!

Clean & Jerk
2 x 40kg
2 x 50kg
2 x 60kg
2 x 70kg
2 x 80kg

2 x 85kg - first jerk failed to front.
2 x 85kg PR - ok
2 x 85kg - ok
2 x 85kg - best jerks so far tonight; they feel easy when I get them right.
2 x 86kg PR - catch slightly forward on second rep; good jerks.

That is a double PR for doubles! I wanted to try for five doubles with close to my bodyweight.

Warm Down
1km C2 Row: 3:28

I ended up going faster than intended but slowed down for the last 500m as I didn't want to feel totally shot afterwards. Arms, legs and back nicely flushed.

Other thoughts
I read an article by Jim Schmitz entitled "Clean and Jerk for Reps" and thought I'd see how hard it might be to get 10 C&J's with my bodyweight. I did two reps and thought I'd stick with doubles for tonight! :) I'll have a go at more consecutive C&J's with bw as my C&J 1RM improves.

Rather annoyingly, my original coloured "bumper" plates turned out not to be bumper plates at all. At the time, I'm pretty sure the info suggested they would be ok for olympic weightlifting. It doesn't say that anymore. The blue 20kg plates split a while ago but I glued them, only to have them split again in a different place; the green 10kg plates are warped and split; the yellow 15kg plates are starting to split. My new 10kg green bumpers are much more rubbery and much more resilient so I'm going to have to invest in more bumpers like them soon. If anyone else is thinking of getting bumpers for weightlifting then be sure to get proper training bumpers.

These are the ones I got first and which are not up to being dropped frequently:

Not-so-good plates

These are the ones I should have got:

Proper bumpers

The downside to proper bumpers is that they are much wider plates, so you can't get as many on a bar. Not so good for deadlifting if you are reasonably strong.
 
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Man, you look really cut at 190. I am already getting motivated to cut. But I have a ways to go before I go into that mode. Are you just maintaining bodyweight at this point? What are your physique goals? Or is it just to stay lean while increasing strength?
 
Sci said:
Man, you look really cut at 190. I am already getting motivated to cut. But I have a ways to go before I go into that mode. Are you just maintaining bodyweight at this point? What are your physique goals? Or is it just to stay lean while increasing strength?
Click to expand...

I guess my goal, as far as physique is concerned, is to stay roughly as I am while attempting to make some increases in strength. I really want to improve my snatch and C&J numbers, which at my current stage are more about technique than absolute strength.

I guess I'm around 12-13% bf right now. Something like that. I may cut back down to around 8% for fun once I reach some of my lifting targets. Cutting is much easier than getting stronger in the first place, although I have a hard time maintaining strength while cutting. I'll probably try a different approach to the tried and tested UD2 and see how I get on.

But that's for the future. Right now, I'm really happy to be lifting again and clawing back some strength.
 
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