Topic: Let's not get so fat and let's get faster log for the recreational axemen

[Jack]

That looks like you're on a roll again Arden! Cool Workout!

Sjaak

[Justin Ott]

Hey Arden I just saw you on TV on the leaderboard in 3rd place in a 2008 timbersports contest on the french sports channel here in Vancouver BC Canada, I thought that was cool. COngrats man!
aww your hot saw just punked out on you man:(
cool hat though!

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

thanks Justin,
  I didn't have the best of 2008s on the Timbersports Series.  Had a great first round.  Second round wasn't just right. I had over trained and went into the contest dead with no fire.  Believe it or not, the CNS requirements for my sport are almost exactly the same ad the CNS requirements for WL.  I was overly depleted last year. I won't make that mistake this year.  But the saw crapping out was beyond my control - well, not true, an electrode on my stater came undone; had I put silicone on it, it would have stayed on throughout the cut and I would have likely made the finals with ease.  But oh well, there is always this year.

  Training's going well.  I'm going light in the gym and upping my event work.  I've recorded a lot of my more intense training on youtube.  Trying to get faster and more explosive and I think I'm doing quite well.

All the best,
 Arden

Hey Arden I just saw you on TV on the leaderboard in 3rd place in a 2008 timbersports contest on the french sports channel here in Vancouver BC Canada, I thought that was cool. COngrats man!
aww your hot saw just punked out on you man:(
cool hat though!

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

3.18.09

Had some great beefcake today.

Week 2 of my Spring Kata.  Still nursing the sore right vastus medialus, but it's getting better.

Started with yoga, roller, and used a baseball on the hot spots - nice.  Saw Buddha.  Couldn't find my tennis ball, so I thought, what the hay, use a baseball.

Started out with true power cleans.  I decided to narrow my grip a bit, and holy crap did it make a world of difference.  The rack even feels betters.  Went 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, and 205x3.  The 205 was so easy, I went 235x3 and it went up easier than the 135 for 3.  I then did another 205x3.  I wish I would have recorded it.  I was making an effort to really get into the power position and explode upward once my knees were under the bar; I think I may be onto something.  I was catching the weight in about a 1/4 squat which is a lot better than my normal straight legged position.

After that, I did push press.  Went 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 205x3, 135x3.  Very easy and crisp.

After that, I did very light front squats.  Before each set I did 10 Terminal Knee extensions with a blue band.  I did my normal narrow stance for the first sets.  Went 45x3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3.   Had no pain at all, but I could feel the muscle strain when I was setting up.  Then I widened my stance to what should be my normal receiving position in the squat clean.  I was getting wicked deep and way deeper than I thought was possible.  Went 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 185x3.  The weights flew up and I had no pain at all, except for the set up.

After that, did some clean pulls working on bringing my knees back under the bar before exploding upward.  I thought I did pretty good.  Went 135x3, 245x3, 295x3, 315x3, 345x3.  All were pretty easy.  Could feel the quad during the set up, but not during the pull.

After that, I free-styled and did some bench press 45x10, 135x10, 195x10, 135x10.  Ring Push ups 3 sets of 10.  Then super setting Ring Dips with Hammer Curls for 3 sets.

After that, did some cosmonaut sit ups with a 16 for 5 sets.

Twas good.

All the best,
 Arden

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Here's some examples of the event training I've done over the past week; just highlights, most of the drill work and volume stuff doesn't need recorded.  Only looked at recording stuff that needs technical commentary.

3.8.09 training with a young couple from central PA.  My wife and Collin Koers are competing at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney in a few weeks.  They are one of the two person teams on Team USA.

3 8 09 event training with Mike Koers and Collin Shepard

3.12.09 training with my overly large partner Chris Bradshaw (he's 6'3" 300). He finally got back into weight training this spring and whoa, what a difference.

3 12 09 event training with the Bradshaw

3 12 09 single training

3.13.09 Training with Mike Eash, Chris, my wife, and Coach Randy Hauer.

3 13 09 event training

Same stuff, next day

3 14 09 single Arden Cogar Jr.

3 14 09 standing with jamie and mikey

3 14 09 chopping training p.m

3.17.09 Fat guy up a pole in a barn.  :-D

3 17 09 event training

Just the highlights of the technical stuff.  The volume will continue to rise over the next four weeks, then taper off near the end of April.

All the best,
 Arden

[Jack]

Arden,

Out of this world! The last vid with the "stair making" blew me away. Art. Unbelievable accuracy and fitness.

Sjaak

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Arden,

Out of this world! The last vid with the "stair making" blew me away. Art. Unbelievable accuracy and fitness.

Sjaak

Thanks Sjaak, it's simulating how the old time loggers once got above the "butt swells" of the larger old growth trees over a 100 years ago.  It's not an event called the "springboard" as the board springs when you swing the axe into the wood.  Not my favorite event, but I'm starting to like it more and more.

Here's what I've been into since.

3. 20.09 - Was going to lift, but rested instead,  rolled and did a ton of self myofascial release.  Also did a yoga session.

3.21.09 - long day.  Started out with a 3 hour drive to Pickens for the Maple Syrup Festival.  Ended up having a great time.  We had about a dozen contestants.  Performed well in all events and was very pleased with how Bradshaw and I sawed. I was also pleased with how Kiara and I sawed.  Bradshaw and I then cut some nice big pine logs at the end of the show for kicks and giggles.  Bradshaw's was 47" and mine was 50".  He crushed me like a grape.  He cut his log in 33 seconds and I was 36 seconds.  Not bad considering the size of the log.

Kiara and I then headed home, we stopped and watched "Duplicity" on the way home.  It was a really weird movie. Sorta a cross between "Pulp Fiction" and a Bond movie.  Okay, but if you got lost, you got lost.

We got home around 10:15 and I commenced to rolling and doing some yoga and then got a wild hair up my butt.

Went over to the barn, and did my Kata.

Started with power snatches.  Went 45x3, 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 145x3, 165x3, 185x3. These felt very crisp and quick. I like them. I'm still leaning back too much at the top so I need to work on getting taller, then allowing my noggin to get out of the way on the way down. I'm doing pretty good on avoiding contact on my lower thighs and getting the bar to the crease in my thighs.

Then went to power cleans and jerks. Went 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 225x2, 250x2. These felt very crisp and quick.  I like them as well.  I'm still cutting the 2nd pull short. I really need to avoid contact with my thighs until it's above mid thigh.  Lots of work there.  Need to work on the punch without letting the bar migrate out.

Then went to Front squats and Terminal Knee extension super set - 45x3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3 (felt great).  No pain in my quad.  It's coming along nicely. The wider stance is really helping redistribute how I execute the lift.  Makes a lot more sense to squat wider as it's more indicative of my receiving stance.

After that I did some clean pulls. Went 185x3, 255x3, 345x3, 485x3, 565x3.  These went smooth and quick. I was very pleased with them.

here's some highlights from the carnage:

3 21 09 kata w2wo3 75% power snatch, power clean and jerk, clean deadlift

After that did some abs, more yoga, and rolled.  Got back in the house a little after Midnight.  Kristy and the girls were watching Twilight.  Awesome.

3.22.09 - did some yoga, band drills, and a lot of myofascial stuff.  Nothing too physical.

3.23.09 - thus far.  Had some lunch time beefcake.  Started with Yoga and roller.

Then did power snatch working on staying tall and not leaning back.  Went 45x3, 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3.  Very easy, quick and snappy.

Then did Behind the Neck Push Press.  The weights were so light, it took no effort to jump it to full extension.  Went 95x3, 135x3, 165x3, 185x3.

Then did TKE's and Front Squats.  Went 45x3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3.  The 275 felt easy and had no pain at all.  I'm going to continue this path until I feel very firm and confident.  The pain's almost gone.  But I don't want to start doing back squats and reaggrevate it.  The fronts are working nicely.

After that did Beast swings - holy crap - Did a little over 150 swings in a little over 6 minutes.  Buddha gives his regards.  That was brutal.  Biggest issue was the grip on the 30 rep sets. Holy crap, it was all I could do to not kill someone with that thing.

After that did some bench press.  Went 135x10, 205x10, 135x10.

After that did some swiss ball push ups working on stability muscles in my shoulders.  Must have completed about 5 or 6 sets of 10.  Really good on the triceps and all the upper body stabilizers.

After that did some Beast one arm clean. Didn't do the jerks - just the cleans.  Did a set of 5 each arm.  Then did a set of 10 with each arm.

After that did some Russian Twists. More yoga, rolled on a baseball (yeah baby), and got back to work.

Hope to do some event work tonight when the misses and I walk the dog.  I see Underhand and boardholes o'plenty in my future.

All the best,
 Arden

[Jack]

Very focused quick lift session Arden, much improved pre-lift concentration and set up. Nice quick action, and improving constantly! To seamlessly prepare the hand position for the jerks, if you dip slightly in the power cleans, the bar will "kick up" the moment when get fully erect. That's the moment to rearrange the grip and hands for the jerk.

Sjaak