" to believe in this livin is such a hard way to go"
John Prine, 'Angels from Montgomery'
The hardest thing for me since I quit competing is trying to figure out how to train. I used to know how to train. It was very easy. I had a week in "X" numbers of weeks away. I had done "Y" in the last meet. I knew "Z" was weak and had to improve. I did what I thought was the best prescription for adressing that weak point and work digently at it every day. every hour, almost.
I lived to get lost in the zone, in the intensity, in the one pointedness of it all.Ignoring pressure, pain,fear.It was the one place where everything made perfect sense and my mission was absolutely clear. My job was just to committ myself 110% to achieving that.And be willing to fail and realize I HAD given 100 percent and still didnt make it. Time to try again.
And when you succeeded there was nothing like it I had felt.A wholeness,a completeness, a unity.I did pray at the temple of the sacred gym and the squat rack was a holy altar.It was where I could control my destiny just though sheer will. Or so I thought, lol.
At least you have a chance in the gym.
But win, lose or draw, the next day is back to the gym. Training is the source.Drink from it's cup and gain strength and insight about who you really are but be careful -It can and does "bite".
But I can't do that now and it's so confusing. I think thats why I instinctively want to keep track of the sheer numbers; they are my new "weight" goals,like when all I cared about was squatting 600 lbs. It's not me trying to train like a gs athlete; it's just wanting to keep track of how I am progressing in my main goal: which is work capacity for everyday life.
And the swings and snatches and walking distances are my main metrics of how I am really doing.
More Press Practice
26x5/5
36x5/5x2
44x3/3
44/3/3
36x5/5
really concentrating on
1)setting hip under arm at the start
2)REALLY flexing the lat AS I push away from the bell
3)Pushing the elbow and bell away from me AS I start the press
4)absolutely keeping the forearm perfectly vertical THROUGHOUT
the postive and negative portions of the rep.
this is really getting better and the shoulder feels better than in a long time.
One arm swings
26x10/10
36x10/10 ( biceps feels ok)
44x8/8
x10/10
x12/12
x14/14
x16/16
x8/8
x10/10
x12/12
x14/14
x16/16
240 reps
10,560 pounds
these went very well but I was nervous for the left biceps. it held up well and I was really keeping a short tight arc swing.Did the warmup swings supersetted with the presses. 20 kg was by itself. I love this idea of just practicing.
Cleans
20kg x8/8x5 sets
these were good but rusty actually.have to sit back first.allthe different types of swings cleans snatches have their own unique hip back leg mechanics although they are basically all the same.Makes for more thorough stimulation I now realize. I dont have the same exact swing mechanics for the snatch as I do for the one arm swing. close but different and thats good.
Chin/pulls( mixed grip- right under,left over)
5x5
off bosu with a little help at the start.
nervous here too but it held.
rack walks
16kg for 300 foot laps per arm. 12oo feet total
these were hard, I was tired.
BW 162.2
BF 8.6%
Water 61.2%
I think this is exactly the same measurments as my last time!
datsit.
John Prine, 'Angels from Montgomery'
The hardest thing for me since I quit competing is trying to figure out how to train. I used to know how to train. It was very easy. I had a week in "X" numbers of weeks away. I had done "Y" in the last meet. I knew "Z" was weak and had to improve. I did what I thought was the best prescription for adressing that weak point and work digently at it every day. every hour, almost.
I lived to get lost in the zone, in the intensity, in the one pointedness of it all.Ignoring pressure, pain,fear.It was the one place where everything made perfect sense and my mission was absolutely clear. My job was just to committ myself 110% to achieving that.And be willing to fail and realize I HAD given 100 percent and still didnt make it. Time to try again.
And when you succeeded there was nothing like it I had felt.A wholeness,a completeness, a unity.I did pray at the temple of the sacred gym and the squat rack was a holy altar.It was where I could control my destiny just though sheer will. Or so I thought, lol.
At least you have a chance in the gym.
But win, lose or draw, the next day is back to the gym. Training is the source.Drink from it's cup and gain strength and insight about who you really are but be careful -It can and does "bite".
But I can't do that now and it's so confusing. I think thats why I instinctively want to keep track of the sheer numbers; they are my new "weight" goals,like when all I cared about was squatting 600 lbs. It's not me trying to train like a gs athlete; it's just wanting to keep track of how I am progressing in my main goal: which is work capacity for everyday life.
And the swings and snatches and walking distances are my main metrics of how I am really doing.
More Press Practice
26x5/5
36x5/5x2
44x3/3
44/3/3
36x5/5
really concentrating on
1)setting hip under arm at the start
2)REALLY flexing the lat AS I push away from the bell
3)Pushing the elbow and bell away from me AS I start the press
4)absolutely keeping the forearm perfectly vertical THROUGHOUT
the postive and negative portions of the rep.
this is really getting better and the shoulder feels better than in a long time.
One arm swings
26x10/10
36x10/10 ( biceps feels ok)
44x8/8
x10/10
x12/12
x14/14
x16/16
x8/8
x10/10
x12/12
x14/14
x16/16
240 reps
10,560 pounds
these went very well but I was nervous for the left biceps. it held up well and I was really keeping a short tight arc swing.Did the warmup swings supersetted with the presses. 20 kg was by itself. I love this idea of just practicing.
Cleans
20kg x8/8x5 sets
these were good but rusty actually.have to sit back first.allthe different types of swings cleans snatches have their own unique hip back leg mechanics although they are basically all the same.Makes for more thorough stimulation I now realize. I dont have the same exact swing mechanics for the snatch as I do for the one arm swing. close but different and thats good.
Chin/pulls( mixed grip- right under,left over)
5x5
off bosu with a little help at the start.
nervous here too but it held.
rack walks
16kg for 300 foot laps per arm. 12oo feet total
these were hard, I was tired.
BW 162.2
BF 8.6%
Water 61.2%
I think this is exactly the same measurments as my last time!
datsit.
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9 comments:
Actually I am re-grooving my presses as we speak. Lots of fun.
IMO,
from the zen / ,artial arts perspective;
concentration and mindfulness go hand in hand. they're actually two halves of the same skill, concentration is the thick edge of the meat cleaver, giving the sharp edge of midfullness the power to cut through to see the moment clearly.
you've already developed great skill in concentration in the gym, just drop the brackets around that concentration and you'll be bale to apply it to the bigger picture of the rest of your life...
easier said than done though...
ashe,
good analogies and insight, thanks.this is what I shoot for in life as well as the gym and yes it is more difficult but that is what the training is for eh?
tom,
I am having lots of fun with them again too.
Great taste in music man!
I like my medium and light days with the presses, especially the light day at the beginning of the week. It gives me a chance to try to make every rep perfect than build from there.
On the heavy day I tend to let my shoulder drift when I'm getting tired, but I'm getting better!
royce, make sure you dont let yourself get too tired, remember perfect practice, take more time between sets if you need it.
rif
Great post Rif! Thanks for you transperency and honesty. As Geoff posted a couple of posts ago on your blog.
"To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven"
Ecclesiastes 3:1
Life has so different seasons and sounds like you have left one season and have entered another one. Although this season you have much more wisdom and much more experience.
Embrace this season, you have earned it brother!
thanks franz but baby it is cold outside and I prefer the summer season!~lol, of course we dont get want we want and I will perservere as usual.
How 'bout our high of around 9 degrees! When I left this morning to go shovel it was 4.5! That's cold.
The Garym is going to be a cold one tomorrow...
How 'bout our high of around 9 degrees! When I left this morning to go shovel it was 4.5! That's cold.
The Garym is going to be a cold one tomorrow...
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