Saturday, December 09, 2006

A great snatch workout!

and perhaps a form breakthrough. I know I was supposed to hi pull swing today but that damn snatch was talking to me, daring me to figure it out!Seeing Franz's numbers coming up revitalized my interest in keeping my numbers high. As well as realizing that I should be able to snatch that 24 kg for my cert numbers any time and I would have a hard time with that right now.

And I know its just technique so I had to go today. I also realized it would be better to break up the one arm work from the two hand. SO: one arm today, two hand pulls mond and then one arm hi pulls wednesday.

I have also been studying the GS videos on Marko Suomi's site from the Riga Worlds and wanted to play with some things.The shoulder has been feeling GREAT the last two days; I had to do almost zero stretching to keep it pain free. It felt solidly in the socket for the first time in eons and it was great. the undergrip overhead stretch is the key.Seriously opens up my teres major! Chinups are just a heartbeat away!

But I slept badly and sure enough it was tight again this AM although it stretched out fast. BUt I knew I wasnt getting away with any technique that would set off the biceps tendon.Even the 16 kg started it aching so I remembered the straight arm Hard style technique of one of the female competitors in the video and gave that a try. Voila! No shoulder pain and great momentum! I thought I was bending over MORE than usual but Nick said it looked to him that I was more UPRIGHT than normal.

I kept the arm as straight as possible throughout the swing portion and tried to "ride the broomstick" at the start.Classic straight arm swing snatch.Just flipped the wrist at the top and it flew up with NO SHOULDER ACHE! Yes! Since I realized how much of my shoulder problems are basedin my forearm and bicep tricep points things have been much better but all this hi pull snatch technique was contributing to it I htink. Too much bicep loading for my shoulders.We'll see how this works out.

So of course since its a brand new technique I decided to do some higher reps, lol!

Straight arm swing snatch
5/5
6/6
7/7
8/8
9/9
10/10
10/10
9/9
8/8
7/7
6/6
5/5

180 reps in 39 min/9540 pounds

First angle









Another angle





this was much better than expected.did the first 90 in 17 minutes.I could tell at the end I was getting tired and the muscle were being used in a unique way. I was thinking 200 but decided I was good at 180.

halos
12kgx8/8
x10/10
x12/12
x14/14


Stability Ball squats
4 sets of 8

this is the only squat pattern I can do these days and I like it. good cool down.
Still waiting for the videos to upload and I will put them up when they do.Great great workout.

datsit, staying loose.

9 comments:

SR said...

Rif: Great videos. These really add to the blog.
I'm sticking with Tracy's swing/high pull combo for now. Chicken to flip that big bell over on my wrist.
Too bad You-Tube doesn't have a slow motion button to determine exactly where you are punching through the bell.

Franz Snideman said...

Way to go Rif. I like the fact that you are constantly evaluating your technique, your orthpedic health and how your body reacts to your training. I think the appropriate word is called: Intelligence.

Or should I call it wisdom. Perhaps the definition of wisdom is applying one's intelligence. In other words taking action on what one know to do.

Glad I was able to inspire you.My back is feeling better although both my wrist and elbows seem to be bugging me. Need to figure out what I need to do to combat these elbow/forearm Gremlins :)

Mark Reifkind said...

SR,

thanks, I'm glad you are enjoying it. I really use them to study my technique.You can get it to slow motion by pausing it and then pressing play and immediately pauseing it again.I can almost get it it go frame by frame.

as far as the snatch goes, really work to get the bell to "float"at the top of the swing via hip snap and then the turn over will be easy.

Mark Reifkind said...

franz,

thanks man but to me its how I've lived my life for the last 35 years.Its always been about figuring out the training to keep getting better,no matter where I was in the process.

being hurt badly at 17 helped in one way in that if I wanted to be able to do anything I really had to be on top of all parts my game.

plus, its my passion, I really do live to train.I've wanted nothing more than to be a professional athlete, or at least live like one, my whole life.

as far as your elbow you have to get the flexors opened up.the same thumper massage, trigger point and muscle stripping are key for me.I've been doing a ton of forearm release work and its helped my shoulder unbeleivably.

SR said...

Rif:
I can see now that the bell is propelled entirely by the hip snap so the arm can be used only to punch through when the bell is floating. I can't quite see whether the hand is open or closed at that point.

Mark Reifkind said...

sr,

the hand is closed til I let the bell flip over.Its just a little difference( comiong though the bottom tryig to keep the elbow perfectly straight instead of pulling with the hip snap)but it had a huge effect.

Franz Snideman said...

I like the Snatch technique and exoplosiveness. You really do get the bell up there quickly, efficiently and with a nice short stroke. The words that comes to mind is: Efficient, Effective and Explosive

We could call it E-3:
A Mathamatical equation for KB lifting!

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks franz, what's really important is that the shoulder never froze up afterwards and that my back and hips were alright too. I have high hopes for this form.

keep up the good work yourself!

rockstardad said...

man that is some workout..

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