Topic: Irish Beginner

[Paul LaDuke]

Cillian,

You can't think about jumping forward or backwards, your body will go where the bar takes you.  Jumping forward is a sign of not finishing the pull.  If you think of finishing the pull, your jumping forward will take care of itself.  As Sajak expertly pointed out, you are bumping the bar off the thighs pushing the bar forward.  I think this is because you are starting the 2nd pull too early.  Wait a little longer and start the thigh brush higher on the thighs, almost into crease of the hip.  This will help you finish your pull.  You also could stay tighter with the shoulders at the top of the pull.  It looks like you loose some force transfer at the top of the pull because of it.  The trunk must be a rigid lever arm so keep it tight and the lift will become much easier!  The strength is definitely there for this weight to be really easy for you.

Keep up the great work and post more video!

[Cillian McNamara]

Cillian,

You can't think about jumping forward or backwards, your body will go where the bar takes you.  Jumping forward is a sign of not finishing the pull.  If you think of finishing the pull, your jumping forward will take care of itself.  As Sajak expertly pointed out, you are bumping the bar off the thighs pushing the bar forward.  I think this is because you are starting the 2nd pull too early.  Wait a little longer and start the thigh brush higher on the thighs, almost into crease of the hip.  This will help you finish your pull.  You also could stay tighter with the shoulders at the top of the pull.  It looks like you loose some force transfer at the top of the pull because of it.  The trunk must be a rigid lever arm so keep it tight and the lift will become much easier!  The strength is definitely there for this weight to be really easy for you.

Keep up the great work and post more video!

Thanks for the tips Paul. I'll try this my next session.

Cillian

[Cillian McNamara]

Wednesday Training Session 2009-04-29

Started at 17:25
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Snatch
(Following inclusive of warm-up)
Reps: 3,3,3,3,3,3*,3,2*,1
Weights: 35,40,45,47.5,50,52.5,52.5,55,57.5**
Volume: 1027.5 Total reps: 22 Intensity: 46.70
*Knee touched the platform on the last rep of these sets.
-Need to keep the bar closer to the body.
**New PB for Snatch

Snatch Pulls
Reps: 5,5,5,5,5
Weights: 50,55,60,60,65
Volume: 1450 Total Reps: 25 Intensity: 58
-Tried to explode more and get the bar higher.
-Need to be careful about over extending.

Drop Snatch
Reps: 5,5,5,5,5
Weights: 45,50,55,60,65
Volume: 1375 Total Reps: 25 Intensity: 55
-I'm alternating Overheads and drop snatch. So did Drop snatch today instead of OH squat.

Military Press
Reps: 5,5,5,5,5
Weights: 40,45,50,50,50
Volume: 1175 Total Reps: 25 Intensity: 47

Total Workout Volume: 5027.5
Total workout reps: 97
Total workout intensity: 51.83

Finished at 19:05
Duration 100 minutes

Didn't take my camera to the gym today.

[Jack]

congrats with the PB! Did your knee go forward and touch the platform in the squat?

Snatch
(Following inclusive of warm-up)
Reps: 3,3,3,3,3,3*,3,2*,1

*Knee touched the platform on the last rep of these sets.
-Need to keep the bar closer to the body.
**New PB for Snatch

Sjaak

[Cillian McNamara]

congrats with the PB! Did your knee go forward and touch the platform in the squat?

Sjaak

Yeah. When I caught the weight in the bottom position my left knee went forward and touched the platform. But I recovered and stood up with it.

Cillian

[Cillian McNamara]

Saturday Training Session 2009-05-02

Started at 10:40
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Snatch
Reps: 4,3,3,2,2,2,1,Fail,1,1
Weights: 30,40,45,50,52.5,55,57.5,60*,60**,62.5**
Volume: 870 Total reps: 19 Intensity: 45.79
*Both Knees dropped forward and weight went forward
**PB's 60 then 62.5
-Should keep arms straight and body tight

Clean and Jerk
Reps: 2,2,2,1,1,1,1,1
Weights: 60,70,75,80,85,90,92.5*,95**
Volume: 852.5 Total reps: 11 Intensity: 77.5
*New PB at 92.5
**There was a press-out on the jerk
-Need to drive hips more, keep chest up and open up at the end of second pull

Clean
Reps: 1,Fail,Fail
Weight: 100*,105**,105***
*New PB for clean at 100
**Just a clean pull
***Caught the weight then dramatically fell backwards with it still on my shoulders. Luckily I kept my elbows up and didn't hurt myself.

Total Workout Volume: 1822.5 (2675 if I count Clean and Jerk as two exercises)
Total workout reps: 31 (42 if " ")
Total workout intensity: 58.79 (63.69 if " ")

Finished at 12:10
Duration 90 minutes

I had the opportunity to train in Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club in London today. It was great. Giles Greenwood [British Record holder for the Snatch (180kg) and Clean & Jerk (207.5kg) in the 105+ weight category] is one of the coaches in Bethnal Green. He was really helpful and gave me loads of pointers on my technique.

It was a really good atmosphere in the club as well. Everyone was very friendly. I would say that anyone living in London should visit the club.

At the end Giles then gave me a few pointers on my routine. He said that I was strong enough that my training weights should be 60kgs in the snatch and 90kgs in the Clean and Jerk. He reckons at the moment I would benefit most from doing heavy singles for awhile. He thinks that I just have some confidence issues with the heavy weights and need to practice with them more.

He recommended doing 3 warm-up sets and then starting into the heavy singles with my work weight. Do 6 singles in week 1, if I get them without too many misses then aim for 8 singles in the next week, if I get them without too many misses then aim for 10 singles in the next week. Then if I get the 10 singles without too many misses I should increase the work weight.

So for Snatch:
30/3,40/3,50/2,6*{60/1}
30/3,40/3,50/2,8*{60/1}
30/3,40/3,50/2,10*{60/1}
Then if all goes well with 10 singles put the work weight to 62.5 (or higher if I feel really good) and repeat.

For Clean and Jerk (or Clean, Jerk separately):
60/2,70/2,80/1,6*{90/1}
60/2,70/2,80/1,8*{90/1}
60/2,70/2,80/1,10*{90/1}
Then if all goes well with 10 singles put the work weight up to 92.5 (or higher if I feel really good) and repeat.

He said since I'm a beginner this might work for 2 or even 3 cycles. Then if I keep missing lifts that I should change things up and maybe try higher volume again.

He also recommended doing snatch more often say I have my Snatch day, my Clean day and then on my Clean & Jerk day put snatch in there as well. He said it's good practice for competitions to get used to doing snatch and clean & Jerk in the one day.

He noticed problems with and jerk and recommend some exercises to help. He said I should do Jerk Balances:
-Hold the bar on the shoulders in a partial split
-Then perform the jerk from that position by pushing the front leg forward to get under the bar with arms locked
On Jerk balances he said 50, 60 kgs would be heavy enough. He thinks the jerk balances will help out with the way that I fail to drop low under the bar. He also said I should start doing some Power jerks.

[Jack]

Cillian,

Congrats with the PB, and above all, with your training at the club, and the hands-on help of the experienced coaches. You struck gold for sure! Interesting comments on their recommendations. Thanks for posting!

Sjaak

[Cillian McNamara]

Cillian,

Congrats with the PB, and above all, with your training at the club, and the hands-on help of the experienced coaches. You struck gold for sure! Interesting comments on their recommendations. Thanks for posting!

Sjaak

Thanks Sjaak. Unfortunately I probably won't have the chance to go down there again for a while, due to my impending university exams at the end of the month. It was a great experience though to say the least.

Cillian