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

[Justin Ott]

Hi Arden,

It sounds like we are similar lifters, I have too alot more pulling strength than pushing strength. I am finding the discomfort of receiving the bar in the fs position on cleans and jerks to be the hardest part of O lifting, as well as getting real low on snatches.

I find that I am not lifting as much as I can in the O lifts due to technique and discomfort instead of lack of strength. I can deep squat 365lbs for a triple,  deadlift 495lbs for a triple, and front squat 275 for 1, so I know I can lift and squat decent weight but I need the technique and the comfort in my wrists and collar bone to get better. I find my speed is not an issue at this stage in the game.

I am visiting a weightlifting club today, and hope to start getting some coaching/training, they do video tape as well so I soon will have some videos to post!

congrats on your families athletic success and all the best for their comps!

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Justin,
  Catching the bar in the recieving position was the hardest for me as well.  To do it properly, I actually allow my pinky fingers to come off the bar.  It sounds counter intuitive, but it works for me.

  The olympic lifts have been very very humbling for me.  And I like it.  I still do the ocassionally silly deadlift set and I will squat the percentage my program calls for; but my technical lifts are all moderate with an eye toward mastering the lifts. 

   That humble part is hard for many.  Fortunately for me, I'm middle aged, happily married, and very happy with my position in life (including the gut I often refer to with disdain  ).  In reality, "my android" is my friend; I've put a lot of effort into making him.     But I hope he gets smaller over the course of the next few months.

  Excellent strength!!!!  Good work.  The front squat will get closer to the back squat in time.  Just be patient.  It's a matter of body positioning.  The gap between my two is still quite wide, but I'm getting better.  I don't do heavy doubles or triples very often, so I gauge my front squat progress with my ability to squat 315.  This time last year, I could do a triple with 315.  Now, I can do an easy set of 5.  Eventually, I want to move up heavier; but I'm going to stay with that weight until it feels like 225, if that makes any sense?  For example, I can't tell the difference between 225, 315 and 405 when I back out of a squat rack and set up; there's no noticable difference in my rep speeds until I get over 5 reps.  It's a feel thing for me.  It's kind of hard to explain.  It's just that I've done so many squats over the past 20 years.

   With the wrists, shoulders, and collarbone.  A good coach will remedy that issue pretty quick.  My Coach almost made me cry and I'm still a ways away from where I need to be.  Flexibility is just like strength - it's a learned thing and a skill that can be taught and learned.

   It's excellent that you found a weightlifting gym.  I'm envious.  Good luck.

All the best,
 Arden

Hi Arden,

It sounds like we are similar lifters, I have too alot more pulling strength than pushing strength. I am finding the discomfort of receiving the bar in the fs position on cleans and jerks to be the hardest part of O lifting, as well as getting real low on snatches.

I find that I am not lifting as much as I can in the O lifts due to technique and discomfort instead of lack of strength. I can deep squat 365lbs for a triple,  deadlift 495lbs for a triple, and front squat 275 for 1, so I know I can lift and squat decent weight but I need the technique and the comfort in my wrists and collar bone to get better. I find my speed is not an issue at this stage in the game.

I am visiting a weightlifting club today, and hope to start getting some coaching/training, they do video tape as well so I soon will have some videos to post!

congrats on your families athletic success and all the best for their comps!

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Here's the footage from my 1.5. kata. 
snach drills with 95, 115, 135, and 145

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxJf7W6QO38&feature=channel_page

Then some snatch pulls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKOnXrO39ig&feature=channel_page

I'm working real hard to keep my elbows out and my shoulders over the bar in both clips.  When I did the snatch pulls in the second clip, I honestly wasn't trying to pull with my arms - I was thinking explode and elbows up.

1.6.09.  Kata w5repeatwo2 - I'm doing a 65% week as I've been feeling beat up recently.

Started with Roller and Yoga in the house.  Freakin chilly in the barn.

Then went to clean drills - did tall, box, then from floor.  45x6, 95x6, 145x6, 185x6, 205x4 I think.

I was working again on getting my elbows out and my shoulders over the bar.  I hope I'm getting a little better?

I know i'm still pulling the weight way too high.  I'm not sure how to correct that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2e5EkXx6K8&feature=channel_page

After that I did some push presses.  Went 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 205x5.  Then played with some jerks.  Did 205x5, 235x2, recorded 260 for 2 (and they sucked.  I can't lock out my right arm at all).  The went back down to 205 and did a few more singles with little rest between them.  Didn't aggravate my patella tendon so I was cool with it.

Then did some front squats.  And I had no go at all.  Went 135x5,  225x5, 275x5 and saw Buddha.  Put the bar on the jerk boxes and kept on throwing plates on until  I ran out of room.  I must have done about five or six sets of shallow front squats off the box.  the heaviest one was 445 for 3.  I did it more to work on my rack position.

After that, did some clean pulls.  I did them off the box to again work on shoulders over the bar and straight arms.  Went 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 315x5, 315x5.

Here's some highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PX19szauA&feature=channel_page

After that did some kettebell presses 4x8 with a 24 with very little rest between sets.

Then did some abs, roller, and more yoga.

Ever since I started really concentrating on getting my elbows out, I'm getting some wicked stiffness in the rhomboid/trap/lat tie in the center of the back.  I guess I'm using something new?

Nothing thus far today, but I imagine that Kiara will want to workout when we get home.  I'll try and chop some then.

All the best ,
Arden

[Jack]

Wow, great workouts Arden! Don't get too beat up.

Your snatch training goes very nicely, don't you think? I've been wondering about the boxes. In the hang snatches from just above the knee, you start the movement from the boxes. Why not deadlift the bar from the floor and lower it again the the starting point just above the knees? It would seem to me a better way to train the pull from that point without the support of the boxes, wich is not there in the actual lift. Maybe you think differently?

Cool snatch pulls, well done!

Cleans:

I was working again on getting my elbows out and my shoulders over the bar.  I hope I'm getting a little better?

I know i'm still pulling the weight way too high.  I'm not sure how to correct that?

I think you're doing great Arden, I'm afraid you can't do something right now that will be a giant leap ahead again.

Wow again on the load in the push jerk/presses off the boxes. Wouldn't it be an idea train to start to train jerks after the cleans, at least for a couple of sets? the lighter load will give you full control to practice, and it will give great satisfaction to "finish the lift".

All the best,

Sjaak

[Paul LaDuke]

You got an envious garage!  Love the jerk boxes.  Did you use the plans from Les Simonton's website?  Or did you just make them yourself.  I would imagine that you probably cut the tree down yourself (by hand) and milled the lumber in your back yard.  Then you fired up the blacksmith's stove and made some nails to nail it all together   Just ribbing you a bit.  Keep up the great work and if you get a chance share some knowledge of anything that you built for your Garagemahal!

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Wow, great workouts Arden! Don't get too beat up.

Your snatch training goes very nicely, don't you think? I've been wondering about the boxes. In the hang snatches from just above the knee, you start the movement from the boxes. Why not deadlift the bar from the floor and lower it again the the starting point just above the knees? It would seem to me a better way to train the pull from that point without the support of the boxes, wich is not there in the actual lift. Maybe you think differently?

Cool snatch pulls, well done!

Cleans:

I was working again on getting my elbows out and my shoulders over the bar.  I hope I'm getting a little better?

I know i'm still pulling the weight way too high.  I'm not sure how to correct that?

I think you're doing great Arden, I'm afraid you can't do something right now that will be a giant leap ahead again.

Wow again on the load in the push jerk/presses off the boxes. Wouldn't it be an idea train to start to train jerks after the cleans, at least for a couple of sets? the lighter load will give you full control to practice, and it will give great satisfaction to "finish the lift".

All the best,

Sjaak

Sjaak,
  Thank you very much.  I just received some insight that I was more on the right path with those snatch pulls than I have been with my snatch drills - I have completely neglected high elbows.  I'm going to start doing "scare crows" as part of my warm ups.  When i watched a training clip of a ECG member doing them on youtube, a light just went off.  It was awesome.

  I took you advice to heart in my last session with the snatches.  Hangs for me from now on.  Makes a lot of sense to do it that way to keep the trajectory on the right path.

  Jerks for me are a work in progress. I'll start doing more after my cleans.  And practice with much lighter weights.  That would make a lot more sense.   

All the best,
 Arden 

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

You got an envious garage!  Love the jerk boxes.  Did you use the plans from Les Simonton's website?  Or did you just make them yourself.  I would imagine that you probably cut the tree down yourself (by hand) and milled the lumber in your back yard.  Then you fired up the blacksmith's stove and made some nails to nail it all together   Just ribbing you a bit.  Keep up the great work and if you get a chance share some knowledge of anything that you built for your Garagemahal!

Paul,
 
 I'm pretty sure the plans I used were from Les's site.  I work a lot of hours, so I didn't do much of it myself.  My nephew did it for me and I was more than thankful.  I'm not very handy at all.  The only thing I built unsupervised was my platform.

  I'm very blessed to have my home training facility.  Half devoted to weights.  The other half devoted to lumberjack sports/timber sports.  We've put a lot of effort getting it to where it's at.  Next step is to insulate it, plumb it, and get some form of heating to it.  Wood stove would be imperative.   

All the best,
 Arden

 

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

1.8.09 - kata w5repeat wo3 - event work.

Whoa, killer session.  Chopped and sawed with my good friend, Chris Bradshaw, for the better part of 3 hours.  Total volume for the session was through the roof.  In the underhand, I likely had 350 to 400 hits; in the standing, I likely had 350 to 400 hits; in the single, I had at least 125 strokes.  I also did a bunch of drill work.

recorded some parts of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znGwKFUGHm4&feature=channel_page

1.9.09 - kata w5repeat wo4 65%

Started with roller and yoga.  Pretty emotional day.  Lots going on with the girls and at work.  Actually left the office because I didn't want to blow up.  Instead I went for some beefcake.

Started with snatches.  Did a bunch of "Scarecrows" I picked up from a youtube video of a guy named Manny who works out  at one of the East Coast Gold satelites near Gathersburg MD.  Did a ton of them before going into my workout.

Started out with snatch balances.  Did 45x5, 75x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5 (had dump a few reps, but didn't stop until I got 5 in).

Then went to my snatches. Went 95x5, 115x5.  tweaked something in my left knee, it's still sore today, so I stopped.  It was weird. dynamic lifts bugged it, but static lifts did not.

Then went to Back Squats.  Went 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 335x5, 345x5, 315x5.  Knee didn't bug me at all.

Then did RDLs.  Went 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 365x5, 365x5, 315x5, 225x5

Then did Deadstop OHS.  Went 95x8, 135x8, 185x3 (recorded this one), and 135x8

Then did abs

Should have link to Youtube soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVkS8qo-wKs&feature=channel_page

1.10.09  Day with the girls.  Took the big one to a sleep over and took the little one to a go-kart race track.

When we got home, I got my Coach Handy Hauer Fat Incenerator(tm) on.

Started with a 16kg snatch - did 3 min L, then 3 min R
Then did one minute of handle work.
Then did 16kg  snatch- 2 min L, then 2 min R.
Then did one minute of handle work.
Then did 16 kg snatch - 1 min L, then 1 min R
Then did one minute of handle work.
Then did 12kg snatch - 2 min L, then 2 min R
Then did one minute of handle work.
Then did 12kg snatch - 2 min L, then 2 min R
Then did one minute of handle work.
Then didi 16kg LCCJ - 2 min L, then 2 min R
then did one minute of handle work.
Then did 16kg LCCJ - 1 min L, then 1 min R
Then did one minute of handle work.
Then did 12kg LCCJ - 2 min L, then 2 min R
then did one minute of handle work.
Then did 12kg LCCJ - 1 min L, then 1 min R.
Then did one mintue of handle work.
Then did 28kg 2 hand swing for 1 min.
Then staggered around for a minute.
Then did 24kg 2 hand swing for 1 min.
Then nearly passed out.
Then did 16kg 2 hand swing for 1 min.
Then made out Buddha in the background.
Then did 12kg 2 hand swing for 1 min.
Then laid on the floor for a while before typing this.

Nice.  That's the format I've been folllwing for my FI's.  Except I wasn't using a 16, I was using my 12.  This one was a lot harder.

I had hoped to do some more event work, but it's already 10:30.  Knee's still a bit sore, so I'm going to ice it and watch some tube with the misses and Carmen.

All the best,
 Arden