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

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Thank you so much.

New cue for me.  - "Wait for the shrug until the bar is on my thighs."

I'll practice some tomorrow afternoon.

It seems to me that the same would apply when the bar is in the hip crease on the snatch.

I'll get this, so help me.

All the best,
 Arden

Yes Arden, that's it. And a good way to do it is to wait with the final shrug until you feel the bar on the thighs.

Sjaak

[Jack]

It seems to me that the same would apply when the bar is in the hip crease on the snatch.

I'll get this, so help me.

Yes, you are right about the snatch. Don't over-worry too much about it though, it'll come to you with persistent practice. You're doing great as it is. Try to remember your own personal cues. Your hang lifts will help greatly in getting the pull above the knees as good as can be.

Sjaak

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

It seems to me that the same would apply when the bar is in the hip crease on the snatch.

I'll get this, so help me.

Yes, you are right about the snatch. Don't over-worry too much about it though, it'll come to you with persistent practice. You're doing great as it is. Try to remember your own personal cues. Your hang lifts will help greatly in getting the pull above the knees as good as can be.

Sjaak

Thanks Sjaak,

   I tried my best with my session yesterday.  It's going to take some time, but I'll eventually get it.  Thanks again for your kind words and your input.  It means a lot to me.

Here's what I've been into.

11.14.08 Kata w1 wo 4 - 70%

Started with Roller and yoga.

Started with Drop snatches. Did 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 135x5.  I think I need to start going heavier on this movement to get sturdier in the hole.  Not overly heavy, but closer to what I can actually power snatch, just to get more confident with the heavier weights.  Does anyone agree with this?

Then went to snatches. Did my complexes - tall, high hang, lower high hang, etc. until I got to the floor. Went 45x5, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5, 155x5.  I got a little tired going into the last set, but the first set with the 155 was, I thought, pretty good for me.  I thought I was getting nice and tall and that's what I was aiming for.

Then did back squats - 135x4, 245x4, 315x4, 365x4, 365x4, 315x4.

Then did dead stop overhead squats - this was a nice brutal touch. Started with the pins set at just over chest height. Did 135x8, 165x8, I had ambition to do 185x8, but got 5 reps, then stripped it to 135 for the last 3. Then did 135x8 on the fourth one.  I have to say Dead stops after doing all I had already performed was absolutely brutal and fun at the same time.

Then did Romanian Dead lifts. 255x4, 335x4, 425x4, 425x4.

Here's some highlights of the workout. Top sets of the drop snatch and three sets of the snatch complexes and one set of the top set of the RDL's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqC5EHN1SHI

Again, if anyone has some commentary, please pass it on. I'm all ears.

11.15.08

Did some event work. Cut 2 singles on 21" log. Saw is not agressive enough to do anything substantive. I worked on keeping the saw down and using my legs more. Cut one old sycamore 11" standing - she was a beauty. Cut half and half as I didn't have enough steam to cut the full log. Worked on getting my legs into the movement, coming over the top better and finishing the hits. Then did some underhand on a 17" Poplar. Cut the front and will save the rest for later. Worked on getting my arms out, finishing the hit and getting my shoulders cocked for proper delivery. Then did some tree climbs - only filmed one.

Here's some footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPHI-ZcbEi8

After that did some Coach Handy GPP - two minutes of snatches with a 24kg, followed by a minute of handle work, followed by two minutes of LCCJ, followed by one minute of handle work, followed by two minutes of swings, followed by more handle work, followed by more swings, followed by more handle work - brutal

Here's the bell footage for folk to make fun of. I had a great training partner - my body double. My youngest daughter (she just turned 8 a few weeks ago), Carmen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot3H41BAbmE

Tomorrow looks even funner - both girls are going to train with me. I'm looking forward to it.

All the best,
 Arden

[Brian Bies]

Hey those snatches in your most recent video were looking really good - keep up the good work!

Just a thought, it seemed like the ones you were losing at the end were due to not pulling it back enough.  It may help to think of pushing back off your heels during the second pull, kind of like you are jumping up and slightly backwards.  I believe you want to finish the second pull with your shoulders a bit behind your feet (take everything I say with a grain of salt because I'm very new to this too).

Anyway, this may be something that will fix itself naturally as you start using heavier weight, since that weight looked incredibly light for you.

[Jack]

Hi Arden! Your snatch practice was top notch, again. Your receiving position was perfect, (IMO): thighs parallel to the floor or slightly below parallel and an arched in low back at that position, and well erected upper body. Well done! You're making a very good effort pulling the bar closer to the body. A very nice pre-lift ritual: squatting down, pre-stretching the quads and back, coming up with the hips; pre stretch the hams, going down to slightly below start position: pre stretch, elevate hips slightly-pull. Exellent preparation. In the lighter hangs, after a few reps: no jumping for-aft-or to the side in the hang snatches, permanent feet ball contact. Perfect. The deltoids will become even more flexible in training. Static stretching is often not enough to overcome the tough tendons, at least in my experience. Good rack with the bar ending up behind the head. The form loss in some later lifts will resolve itself with training. Don't skip the lighter practice, ever. Your technique can not be too good.

To prepare for the hang snatches: when you stand with the bar, try to make the lever, your upper body, as rigid as possible: chest up and out, shoulders back, arch in low back, elbows fully extended.

All the best,

Sjaak smorenburg

[Brian Bies]

By the way that lumberjack video was awesome!  How does one get involved in that sort of thing?

[Matt Rupiper]

Lumberjack vids were awesome....very entertaining...i would love to see you play slow pitch softball

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Thanks Brian,
  Great observation.  Staying on my heels has been a problem for me during that second pull for some time.  I'll be much more deliberate with my clean session today to see if I can get closer to where we all want to be.

All the best,
 Arden

Hey those snatches in your most recent video were looking really good - keep up the good work!

Just a thought, it seemed like the ones you were losing at the end were due to not pulling it back enough.  It may help to think of pushing back off your heels during the second pull, kind of like you are jumping up and slightly backwards.  I believe you want to finish the second pull with your shoulders a bit behind your feet (take everything I say with a grain of salt because I'm very new to this too).

Anyway, this may be something that will fix itself naturally as you start using heavier weight, since that weight looked incredibly light for you.