Thursday, May 13, 2010

Presses and snatches.

Me teaching how to use the lats to build your press at our workshop May 2. The DVD is going to rock!


I was a bit worried going into today's training since I am not used to swinging fairly decent volume the day before I press and snatch but I woke up with no soreness and that's a good sign.The more work I can do and NOT get sore the better.


Such a 180 degree turn from my old life where if I DIDN'T get sore from the workout I was upset. I have enough pain from all kinds of other things that I certainly don't need anymore from training and being able to recover quickly from my workout is a great indicator that I am at the right workload;especially if I bumped things up a bit, as I did yesterday. I need to stay loose to keep the pain and imbalances down and that's as much of a goal as my swing or press or snatch numbers.

Mind set means so much as well and I have really decided I have to get my total volume up again; perhaps not what it was last year, but to a decent level. Decent to me at least. Having the right mind makes all the difference in recovery as well.Not only from the different choices one makes as to sleep, nutrition, etc, but also from negative thoughts or emotions which are MORE detrimental, imho, than ANY OTHER IMPUT.

Stress kills.

It also makes you sick.

It also makes you weak.

The more stress one gets from life, the less they can apply from the gym. Everyone's 'stress box' has only so much capacity and you can fill it up with whatever you choose. The calmer your life is, the more "stress" you can apply to your training and still recover.

Being able to let go of it and relax can turn my body around on a dime. It too is a skill, and I've been practicing.

The body tells me almost immediately if I am making the right training choices. I just have to really listen,and then TRUST what it is telling me. For instance even though I still want to train the getup, the two handed swing and some higher tension moves my body said NO in a hurry last Monday, when I did it.

AND, almost as soon as I mentally "let go" of the idea that my training would go in that direction, then the tension in my body eased, and so did the looming back pain. I just re- thought the pathway and my body said Yes, this is the right course.

Listening to the body is as much art as anything and you have to listen closely. And, of course, practice.
There are a lot of messages going on similtaneously :))

A LOT less sitting today ( another message I have been ignoring too long) and a lot more standing lunge stances and sumo stances. Combined with overhead stick stretching or by themselves. Back to my standing training; I have a lot of traveling coming up and I have to get ready to stand and walk 12-14 hours each day.

Strength training practice is everywhere.

Cleans
16kgx5/5 x2
20 kgx5/5
24kgx5/5
28 kgx4/4

Didnt want to swing more to wamup and since I was doing short cycle clean and press decided to use these as wamup. Perfect! Short arc, lots of hip and arch back and can handle decent weight very easily. Also warm up the total body loading to get ready for presses.



Press
16kgx5/5
20 kgx4/4
24 kgx2/2
28kg x 1/1

32 kgx 1/1 x 5 sets

Nice! these were definitely 'heavier' than last weights 28 kg singles but they moved very very well. no sticking point at all and with decent acceleration. Could have easily done 2-3 more before any fatigue or form breakdown occurred so I stopped here. I'm learning. Leave MORE than you want to in the tank.

My press groove is the best it's every been. :))

Snatch
16 kg x5/5
20 kg x5/5

24 kg x5/5 x 6 sets
20 kg x10/10
x 8/8

96 reps

these were strong but I could definitely feel the effect of the heavy presses during them, while I didn't last week. I went very very very carefully through each rep as I am still sussing out my form here and,like last week, wore my Keen shoes to train it.

They have a totally flat and hard sole and give my unstable foot just a bit of support with the heavier stuff. If the foot is stable the ankle can be mobile and my foot gets unstable fast which can lock up my ankle and then my knee.

This shit is WAY too complicated. Being injured sucks.

Still solutions are great. and being able to train hard(ish) pain free( relatively) and strongly is a miracle.

I got past 50 reps today strongly and the 10's and 8's with the 20 kg felt light, strong and very much like my old self. nice. Will have to alternate starting this day with snatches every other week or so.

Really keeping my back arched and shock absorbing with my hips is a very different technique and concept for me in my everyday training but my gut says it's right and I just have to make haste slowly.

I feel good.


datsit.









1 comment:

Unknown said...

I'm willing to bet you would give anything to know how the real Spartan's of ancient Greece trained. Training with KBs+CBs look like what you would do with a 35# sword and shield.

More press mistakes from today

 1) Gotta engage the rhomboids when setting the low rack position.Lock in 2) Elbows up is crucial 3) 'Straight  up' on the unracking...