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

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Sjaak,
 Thank you very much for your kind words.  I will stay the course and never skip my light drill work.  I'm doing some cleans today and I'll envision the very things you've written below.  Thanks so much for the thought and effort.

All the best,
 Arden

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

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

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

Brian,
  I'm a third generation competitor.  It's been in my family for years.  I started when I was 8, but never got serious about it until I went off to school at West Virginia University and realized I wasn't good enough to play Division I college football.  I was an athlete through and through, so I decided to take up what my father and several of my uncles and cousins did for weekend fun during the summer months.  I joined the Forestry Club at WVU and they had(ve) a Woodsmen's or Outdoormen's Team.  Every state funded school in the U.S. has a Forestry Program.  And about 95% of those schools have Woodsmen's or Lumberjack and Lumberjill teams that compete against other universities/colleges.  The events I train are held on the professional circuit and on the Timbersports Series which airs on ESPN.  The events at the College level include those disciplines, but also include funner and more outdoorsy events such as Canoe racing, fire building, and fly casting (for accuracy).  Recently Stihl Chainsaws invested a large amount of money into the collegiate programs by establishing a Collegiate championships that airs on ESPN U. 

   For someone who's not at college at a state funded school, getting into the sport is a bit harder because you have to rely upon your own salt and, much like weightlifting, find someone who can assist you in procuring equipment and learning the techniques that are used in competition.

  I've been fortunate enough to compete around the world and to have performed well for many years.  My wife is travelling to Sydney Australia as a member of the U.S. National team to compete in March.  I would travel with her, but someone has to stay home with the kids.     I'm a very blessed man.

  Don't know if I answered your question or not, but, just like weightlifting, it's a great sport.  It's my passion and the reason I love to train.

All the best,
 Arden

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Thanks Matt,
  I've heard that before and have actually had great success with slow pitch softball.  My biggest problem is when I get roped into doing a tourney with some good friends is that I'll spend a few days at the batting cage getting my timing down which normally results in a soreness that I'm not accustomed to.  My OCD on performance issues knows no bounds.  If that makes any sense?

All the best,
  Arden

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

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

I saw Buddha in such a huge way with yesterday's (11.17.08)  session.  Sweet Jesus it was brutal.  Volume is an understatement.

Started out with Roller and Yoga.

Then started with my squat cleans.  I did Tall cleans full extended and on my toes and shrugged for the first three sets.  Did 45x5, 75x5, 95x5. Then I did my complex (Tall, high hang, lower high hang, below knee hang, floor pull) with 115x5, 135x5,  Then did 165x5, then 185x5 and 205x5.

Recorded the 185x5 and the 205x5. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-J5u61sAIw

I gotta say, the last few reps on the 185 and the 205 were brutal.  I wasn't getting real good and tall on these and they may have been due to fatigue.  But it sure was fun.  I'll aim to correct the tallness of my explosion with my next session as I'm starting to see the flaws Sjaak and others have pointed out - getting that eye is a learned one, isn't it?

After the squat cleans, the workout got a bit tough/nasty.  I did squat cleans and push press.  One clean, one push press - equaled one rep.

Did Tall squat clean with PP with 95x5, 135x5.

Then did what I could with 165x5, 185x5 and 205x5.

Here's the footage from the session with enlightenment - I note the enlightenment part because I don't really remember anything about the 5th rep in each of the top sets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b1F60LnfxA

After that, I tried to front squat.  After having already completed 65 reps of calves on hamstrings as fast as I could, my absolute strength was a bit taxed.  I still managed to do 155x4, 245x4, 295x4, 275x4, 245x4, 155x4.

After that, did some seated presses for the first time in nearly 20 years.  Did 95x5,135x5, 165x5, 165x5, 135x5.  They were remarkably easy, but I wanted to stay light given that I hadn't performed the movement for many years.

After that I did some sumo deadlifts:  did 155x8, 245x3, 335x3, 425x3, 515x8, 515x8.  That second set was really tough.  The first set of 515 is at the end of the squat clean and push press pain on the link above.

If anyone has any comments, I'm all ears.  I think I've already noticed the improper timing of my explosion - I need to be taller - I think I'm also letting the bar get away from my body on some of the pulls.    Thanks in advance for those willing to comment.

Just about forgot, after the deads, I did some abs with the wife, rolled, and did some yoga.  Actually, my wife did the entire workout session with me.  Her top weights in the clean and press was 25 kilos.  Her top weights on the front squat was 35 kilos.  her top weights on the seated press was 20 kilos.  her top weight on the deadlift was 45 kilos.  She also did some thrusters while I was doing the initial squat cleans - she did sets of 10 to 20 with the 20kilo bar.  I'm a very blessed.

Awesome session, brutal.  I like the volume. 

All the best,
 Arden

[Jack]

Hi Arden, Cool workout! Going good. These things I noticed:

I notice that you rush between reps, no need for that; take a bit more time it'll help your technique.

As you mentioned, the presses were not fully locked out, it good to keep the movement going until they are, with locked shoulders and elbows. I do understand that you'd met Buddha at that point.

Keep on trying to keep the bar close and on the thighs longer, and get full body extension at the top of the pull. Try not to jump forward or backward, it'll help perfecting your pull.  You could put some marker on the floor check progress after the lift. (chalk)?

Have you thought of switching from Sumo to clean/snatch grip deadlifts? If you try them select the weight so that you duplicate your clean & snatch pull, and that you can end up fully extended on the toes, full shrug.

Sjaak Smorenburg

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Sjaak,
 Thank you so much for you comments.

  I'll take more time between my reps.  I'm normally rushed to get to work, so I tend to over do it a bit.  But from now on, on the top sets, I'm going to be more deliberate.  Great advice.

  I'll also put some marks on the floor and see where I end up from rep to rep.  That's a great idea that I've thought of doing, but have forgotten.  I'll throw a sharpy in my gym bag tonight so I can do it at tomorrow's session.  I'm doing more cleans tomorrow.  I did snatches today.

   I'll also work harder on getting taller and keeping the bar closer throughout the movement.  I noticed today with my snatches that I was drifing a bit and cutting the pull short.  I'll get it up loaded tonight.  It was another brutallly fun session.

   On the deadlifts, I alternate between sumo and conventional pulls from week to week - they are always on Day 6 of my program.  I do snatch pulls on day 1, clean pulls on day 2, and RDL's on day 4.  The RDL's are done with my clean pulling position.  I know it's a lot of pulling, but it's working really well for me and I'm blessed in that I'm a very natural deadlifter/puller - given my build (long arms, short legs, long thick torso).

thanks again for all your input.  It means a lot to me.

All the best,
 Arden

 

Hi Arden, Cool workout! Going good. These things I noticed:

I notice that you rush between reps, no need for that; take a bit more time it'll help your technique.

As you mentioned, the presses were not fully locked out, it good to keep the movement going until they are, with locked shoulders and elbows. I do understand that you'd met Buddha at that point.

Keep on trying to keep the bar close and on the thighs longer, and get full body extension at the top of the pull. Try not to jump forward or backward, it'll help perfecting your pull.  You could put some marker on the floor check progress after the lift. (chalk)?

Have you thought of switching from Sumo to clean/snatch grip deadlifts? If you try them select the weight so that you duplicate your clean & snatch pull, and that you can end up fully extended on the toes, full shrug.

Sjaak Smorenburg

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

The silliness today really taxed me.  HOly crap.  Coach Handy and his OHS at the end of the workout are eading me to enlightenment.

Started out with Roller and Yoga.

Then went into the Snatch Drills - Tall Snatches to start - did 45x5, 75x5, and 95x5,  Then did matrixes with 115 and 135.  Then did my two top sets of 165 for 5 in whatever fashion I could get them up.  the first set was good.  The second set had three misses as I didn't get my head back and the bar the right receiving position.  I felt I was getting pretty good and tall on these.  I am, however, jumping forward and back, so I'm going to put some marks on the floor and see where I land after each rep.  Great cue from Sjaak.

After that, I did some push presses Behind the Neck with a snatch grip.  Did 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 235x5, 235x5.  No problem.  They were pretty easy.

After that I did some back squats.  Hamstrings were on calves and had the bar nice and high.  Went  155x4, 245x4, 315x4, 385x4, 385x4, 315x4.  These were pretty easy as well.   I'm starting to hit a groove with this high bar olympic style squats.

After that I did some Snatch Grip Pulls.  Did 205x5, 255x5, 265x5, 275x5, 275x5, 205x5.  I was starting to feel fatigued at this stage.  But the best was yet to come.

The Overhead Squats from hell.  Did 95x8, 135x8, 165x8, 175x8, 165x8, 135x8.   I recorded two sets of these for some amusement.  I'm sure there were some expletives mid set.  I really don't remember anything past the 4th rep on either set I recorded, so it should be mildly entertaining.

Then did some abs, rolled, some yoga and got to work.

I'll youtube the silliness tonight.

All the best,
 Arden

[Brian Bies]

Thanks for the info Arden.  I go to a private school in Missouri right now, so there probably isn't much lumberjacking around here.  However, I'm originally from Minnesota, and I remember going to a few shows as a kid - they were always a lot of fun.  After one I decided to go down and chop down a giant tree with my puny kid-sized axe.  It took about 6 hours, but it was a lot of fun :D.  When I go back for the summer I might see if there are some people in my area who could give me an introduction on some of the equipment.