The day’s programming. I also had coach’s training today which involved lots of sprinting and speed work.
- Snatch+low hang snatch+OH squat 5x(1+1+2)x80% (70kg)
- Power Snatch+hang Power Snatch 4x(1+1)x75%
- Clean ext.+low hang clean+jerk+BTN jerk 5x(1+1+1+1)x80%
- Clean 2x2x80%
- Power Clean 4x2x75%
- OH Squat 4x3x80%
- Bul. Split Squat 2x7eax50kg
- 1a) HSPU 4xAMRAP
- 1b) Good Morning 4x6
- 2a) Inverted Row 4x10
- 2b) Medball Twist off box 3x8ea
- 2c) Slideboard 4x10
- conditioning: 3rds of 400m run, 15 Wall Balls, 15 Toes to Bar
Its pretty obvious that the clean doesn’t feel as natural to me as the snatch. While slinging around 70kg for my snatch complex felt pretty good, I felt sluggish under the bar on the clean which is why I added a few sets of cleans under Autumn’s experienced eyes after the complex before moving onto the power cleans. She freely admitted that I wasn’t moving the fastest shes seen me on the cleans. Elbows feel a little achey but overall ok considering the volume of cleans I’m doing. I’m working conditioning back in because as a coach at a Crossfit gym, I feel its important to maintain some level of aptitude in metcons.
The days programming. Feeling pretty beat up, so loading was down for Olympic lifts. Starting new squat cycle as well. Power variations were included to rest my legs while still performing lifts and to work on a more aggressive and powerful second pull in the clean. Shoulder felt a little uncomfortable after last set of jerks, so I choose to close grip bench press to avoid more overhead work.
- Snatch: w/u 4x2x75-80%
- Power Snatch: 3x2x70-75%
- Snatch ext: 2x2x110%
- Clean and Jerk: w/u 4x2x75-80%
- Power Clean: 3x2x70-75%
- Clean ext: 2x2x110%
- Back squat: w/u 5x5x75%
- Close grip Bench Press 4x6x60kg w/ slow GHD raise with 3 second pause 3/4 way up 4x3
- 1 arm row 4x6ea.x55lb
- Circuit: 2 rounds of 15 GHD 1/2 sit ups, 15 GHD obligue crunch ea.. 10 KB pullover
I’m looking through some of the Takano Athletics and Catalyst athletics programming cycles to find one I think will work for my needs. However, just reading through them has given me lots of food for thought within my own programming.
Getting food prepped for meals tomorrow. I’m opening and closing again tomorrow so trying to be ready beforehand.
All it really does is tide me over until I can get back to the house and cook up my 6 eggs with a side of milk, more milk and a whole wheat bagel with olive oil.
Baby PR with a 97kg (1kg PR). Ugly as heck. definitely a training PR. On the bright side, I overhead squatted 92 kg, a 7kg PR.
1RM Testing: 84kg/184.8lb Snatch (5kg PR) and 163kg/358.6lb Back Squat (6kg PR) at 70kg bodyweight.
Just a damn good day. Got 86 overhead three times but just couldn’t hold it in the catch. I’ll be running the exact same squat cycle again too. By the end of the summer, my goals are to be snatching 90kg and back squatting 170+kg.
Surprise surprise I can feed myself! Doesn’t get more filling than this and not much tastier either. Unless my mother makes it, in which cause my cooking pales in comparison.
The Day(s) in Brief
I’ve been absent a few days due to my obligations as an RA (we have a considerable load to due when closing the dorms) coupled with some other time intensive processes.
The most notable out of all these is moving into my house. In my spare time (and with a lot of help from my family) I’ve been shuttling my belongings from my dorm room to my new and improved abode. I spent my first night here last night and slept better than I have all semester. It just feels so right to be able to wake up, walk into the kitchen, brew coffee and make breakfast. Its a feeling I’ve seriously missed.
Nutrition has been very lacking for past few weeks. While I can point to finals and a heavy work load and limited access to quality foods, the fact is I haven’t eaten in a manner I would call ideal and I can tell physically. I’m looking forward to getting back on track in that regards. Having a kitchen and fridge should help in that regards. While I’m certainly somewhat limited budget wise, thanks to my costco card (thank you Mom and Dad!) and some thrift-y-ness, a diet based on whole, largely minimally processed foods will be much easier to maintain now.
Bodyweight is at an all time high of 71kg. This is probably due more than anything to a few days consumption of sodium rich foods for that past few days because thats what was provided to me by my RA work. However, there’s also no denying that I’ve put on a little weight as well, for better or ill.
Training wise, I timed my pre-maxing deload days with my increased obligations at work. I’ve mainly been hitting doubles and triples around 80% on the snatch and clean and jerk, triples at 80% on the back squat and a lot of gymnastic work. Tomorrow I’ll begin retesting all my lifts. I’m currently debating on training today; while I want to, a little voice in the back of my head (that sounds suspiciously like my mentor Autumn) is telling me to back off. If I don’t go train today, I’ll bike to one of the nearby playgrounds and do some bodyweight work.
Not much else to note. I hope to do some cleaning around the house today and generally just relax after my big finals push. Tomorrow I head in mid morning to work with a client, max out and begin my CPT finals push.
And lastly, for fun, heres some deficit handstand push ups I did yesterday for fun.
Couple videos I took for later analysis from this morning session. I realized I haven’t put up a video of me clean and jerking for a while, so I made sure to include one.
Main goals this morning were to make five singles at 90% (72kg) on the snatch and make three attempts at 90% on the clean and jerk. Difference in programming is due to the difference in how the lifts affect me: I really don’t find the snatch taxing, but I have to currently carefully regulate my clean volume in order to avoid aggravating my elbows. Only took me six attempts to get the five singles on the snatch. However, despite making all three cleans with relative ease, I only made one of the jerks which is frustrating.
The Semester draws to a close and a mock meet in on the horizon!
Last difficult final, physiology, is over and I can finally feel the semester draw to an end. Only one more exam and I’m already assured of an A in the course no matter what, so I’m not too worried. I’m going mainly out of respect for the teacher.
I’m organizing a mock meet for my gym in order to just get some practice! It’ll be a couple of us coaches and a few of our gym members; we’ll judge each other. Highest Sinclair wins.
The Day(s) in brief
I’m doing a final light review for my physiology final at 3:30, but I’m starting to feel myself get sleepy, so I’m going to take a little break. Normally, I’d bounce to a different subject, but this is the last test I have to study for this semester. (Exception of the CPT, but I’m beginning my big push for that post finals week and move-in).
Got a solid session in this morning.
- Snatch w/u 3x1x85% 3x1x90%
- Hip clean & sqt. jerk 4x3x50-60%
- B. Squat w/u 3x80% 3x85% 3x1x90% 3x1x95% walk outs at 100%, 110%, 115%
- Clean pull 4x3x110%
This was my last back squat day where I’ll do any sort of volume before 1RM testing monday. It honestly felt really easy after how tough my back squat programming has been last two weeks. No misses on the snatches, felt very easy today. I’m alternating between backing on cleans and just doing a lot of pulls and light clean technical work; this is an attempt to rest my elbows a little while still improving my clean as I can. I really don’t want to have to take another month off from cleans again, that really set me back last time I did. The squat jerks were more for fun than anything.
I’m pretty excited for the summer, where I can pull daily double sessions and experiment which more variations of the lifts without having to sacrifice other aspects of my training like I’ve had to this school year.
I’ve also stopped doing any type of traditional deadlifting as I feel it was encouraging an inconsistent back angle during the first pull on the clean. In its place, I’ve started to include more heavy clean pulls, and I think that its been beneficial so I’ll continue this next cycle.
Alrighty, time to get back to my light review until 2:30-45 ish, at which point I’ll relax for a little before my final. I really want a nap, but I’m afraid I’d oversleep or be drowsy upon waking so I’m compensating with coffee. I teach bootcamp after my final, then back to the dorms for a desk shift. I’ll honestly probably throw on Batman Beyond, veg out and either blog or write squat cycles. Moral of the story, if there was ever a time to ask me questions, it’s going to be in roughly five hours assuming I’m mentally cognizant of anything at that point!
