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

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

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

Sjaak,
  You are absolutely right and I need to do that!!  I need to dropped the one trick pony routine and get with the program.  Thanks so much for the thought.  Usually as I'm standing there after I've received the bar, I'm telling myself - there is no wayyyyyy I can get his off my shoulders with this hand position.  I need to make that thought instantaneous as I'm coming up with the bar.

Thanks again.

All the best,
 Arden

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

on 3.24.09 did get some underhand event work in with the misses and the dog.  It was fun.

Had a nice event session last night.

3.25.09.

Started out with the single.  Ended up doing 8 cuts.  Recorded all but one.  Used a tui for these cuts.  It cuts pretty darn good.  The smaller log was between 17 and 18" and the bigger log was over 21".  I'm going to measure circumferences from now on so we have a frame of reference.

3 29 09 single training

I'm pretty pleased with this.  I'm keeping the saw down and I'm starting to cut straighter. 

After that, I did some tree training.  Started out with 1x3 of climbs.  That really got the heart rate up.  I had to walk around after the second climb because it was really winding me good.  I recorded two sessions and I suck with my off hand right now and I need to relax my front foot and knee more with the up hits.

3 24 09 tree training

After that, I practiced turns in both the standing and underhand.  Did some stock saw lifts.  And did a bunch of band ab work.

3.25.09.

Started with Roller and yoga.  Finding a little slice of heaven rolling on a baseball.  It's awesome.

Started with power cleans.  Went 45x3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 205x3.  All were crisp, snappy, and nice. Worked on not letting the bar touch my thighs until the bar was at mid thigh.  Did a decent job of it, but still have a lot of work to do.  I'm still not repositioning the bar as well as I'd like as Sjaak recommended, so I'm going to keep working on that.

Then did a power clean into 2 jerks.  I'm doing split jerks right now in order to let my left shoulder heal up from a strain doing dumbell presses while on the Disney Cruise a few weeks back.    Went 45x2, 95x2, 135x2, 185x2, 205x2.  All were very crisp and quick.  Very pleased with how fast the weights are moving. Still having the issue that Sjaak pointed out, but it's getting better. The narrower clean grip is really working for me.  It's letting me stay closer to the bar while I'm trying my darnest to let it get to my mid thigh with my knees underneath it before I explode upward.  I'll record my next session to see how I'm doing.  I think I might do complexes my next session as my quad is all but healed.

After that did Front Squats supersetted with Terminal Knee Extensions.  Basically, I banded up my knee for a set of 10 to 15 "flexes" then I'd wonder to the squat rack for my set of front squats.  Again, I'm working on the wider stance.  The wider stance is more in line with my receiving stance in squat cleans, so I think this is a good move.  I was feeling great today. Went 45x3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 295x3.  The 295 for 3 was very easy.  The narrow grip on the cleans and the rack makes it a lot easier to stay erect.

I'm going to continue down this FS/TKE path until I'm 100% confident the right vastus medilus is healed.  I reckon one more week ought to do me.  I might try full movements on Friday if all goes well.

After that, did clean pulls.  Again worked on keeping the bar from rubbing my thighs until it was mid to upper thighs with arms straight with my knees under the bar.  I think I did a pretty good job.  Went 135x3, 255x3, 325x3, 325x3.

After that I did some bench press.  Went 45x10, 135x10, 185x10, 225x8.  I hate benching. I'm only doing it in an effort to balance out my overall pushing strength for my one man crosscut sawing.

Then did some ring push ups.  Went 3 sets of 10.

Then did some arm stuff.

Then did 2x5 of beast cleans.

Then did some ab stuff, rolled,  and yoga.

All the best,
  Arden