Drill. Practice.

Shooting the swing video last week really got me thinking about the progressions and drills we use everyday as we teach the basic swing and it's variations. Doing them for the shoot made it very clear as well just how tough they can be and how hard they can work you.

Last week I just used a 16 kg for the drills and immediately thought how really tough they would be with heavier loads. Today I found out, lol.

I started out with some light snatches first, as I've discovered that I am not staying upright long enough as the bell descends and I am feeling 'top heavy' in my snatch form. It never is a mistake to go back and focus on practicing rather than training and it's been awhile since I've done that in the snatch.

I started out watching myself in the mirror and tried to stay "tall while it falls" and break into the hinge as late as possible; standard advice for others making the same mistake as I have been and guess what? It worked. Almost immediately I was balanced over my base and I didn't feel 'pulled over' as I have been. I also looked straight ahead rather than down and this helped as well.

The body goes where the head goes and the head goes where the eyes go so trying to avoid early flexion it would make sense to keep my head up more

So:

Snatch practice

16 kg x 8/8 x3

20 kg x8/8 x 3

I experimented with a corkscrew descent and the over the top RKC hardstyle and decided it made no difference in the degree of flexion. What mattered was NOT flexing early no matter what the arm technique on the descent. Keep the glutes tighter longer.

KB deadlift

24 kg x10

28 kg x10

32 kg x10

36 kg x8

again, just drilling the basic hinge postition and hardstyle lockout at the top, keeping the quads zipped up, glutes tight,lats engaged and feet rooted.

Hike pass swing drill

This is a new drill that Tracy and I developed for the DVD so I won't go into all the details yet but it's based on the hike pass

I started with the 16 kg and worked up to to the 32 kg for sets of 10-5. It really develops tremendous starting strength and power and completely reinforces the perfect hip hinge and swing position. I love it!

16 kg x10

20 kg x10

24 kg x10

28 kg x10

32 kg x5 x 2 sets

Double KB swings

(2) 10 kg x10

(2) 12 kg x 10

(2) 16 kg x8 x 2

( 2) 20 kg x 8 x 2

wow, I haven't EVER really done this drill in a workout as I haven't been able to tolerate bi-lateral moves for over 5 years now. First two hand swings and now doubles. Most awesome :))

But, I don't think it will be a standard move yet as I have to go so wide to clear the doubles it makes it a very small ROM with way too wide a sumo position.

But it was cool to know that I can now DO it. Nice.

I do think I have to switch Thursdays workout to Wednesday as my arms are just not recovering from any kind of volume on Thursday to allow heavy one arm work on Saturday.

Thinking about letting go of snatching anything other than max vo2 on wednesday after my clubbell swipe workout.That will give me two days to recover for Saturday where I should be doing heavy one arm swings, two hand swings and perhaps some snatch holds.

datsit:))