Topic: Irish Beginner

[Cillian McNamara]

Tuesday Training Session 2009-05-05

Started at 17:40
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Clean
Reps: 3,2,2,1,1,1,1^,1,1
Weights: 60,70,80,90,90,90,90,90,90
Volume: 1020 Total reps: 13 Intensity: 78.46
^Took a video of this:

Beginner's Clean 90kg

-From the vid I can see that my second pull is still non-existent.

Jerk Balance
Reps: 3,3,3
Weight: 50,50,50
Volume: 450 Total reps: 9 Intensity: 50
-Was okay. A bit weird but I can see how it will help with my jerk. Might switch it to a different workout day next week. With the jerks afterwards I had to conserve some energy, so didn't do as many sets as I'd liked.

Jerk
Reps: 3,2,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
Weights: 60,70,80,90,90,90,90,90,90
Volume: 940 Total reps: 12 Intensity: 78.33
-A bit wobbly on some of the worksets. Also need to try and get under the bar more as opposed to pushing the bar up more.

Front Squat
Reps: 3,3,3,3,3
Weights: 90,95,100,100,100
Volume: 1455 Total reps: 15 Intensity: 97
-Decided to go for 5 sets of 3 reps since I want to start hitting heavier weights in the front squat.

Total Workout Volume: 3865
Total workout reps: 49
Total workout intensity: 78.88

Finished at 19:15
Duration 95 minutes

Gone into a more technical phase of training at the moment. My volume is down a lot. I might see about putting a pulling movement back in on this day for next week.

[Cillian McNamara]

Thursday Training Session 2009-05-07

Started at 17:20
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Snatch
Reps: 3,2,1,1,1,1,1^,1,1
Weights: 40,50,55,60,60,60,60,60,60
Volume: 635 Total reps: 12 Intensity: 52.92
-Need to keep the bar closer to the body.
-Need to stay over the bar more in the pull.
-Need to move faster.
^Here's a video of this one:

Beginner's Snatch 60kgs

Overhead Squat
Reps: 5,5,4,4,4
Weights: 50,60,65,65,65
Volume: 1330 Total Reps: 22 Intensity: 60.45
-Did OH squat before Snatch Pulls, though not on purpose simply got disorientated after the heavy singles. Any opinions on exercise order are welcome :)

Snatch Pulls
Reps: 5,5,4,4,4
Weights: 50,60,65,65,65
Volume: 1330 Total Reps: 22 Intensity: 60.45

Power Jerk
Reps: 4,3,3,3,3
Weights: 60,70,75,75,75
Volume: 1125 Total Reps: 16 Intensity: 70.31
-These were hard. Hadn't done them in a while. I felt very slow and the weights felt heavy.

Total Workout Volume: 4420
Total workout reps: 72
Total workout intensity: 61.39

Finished at 18:45
Duration 85 minutes

Went through the routine quicker than previous week, which I was happy about. There was less chatting more lifting :) The volume is down a bit but the intensity is up about 10kgs which is what I'm aiming for.

[Cillian McNamara]

Saturday Training Session 2009-05-09

Started at 11:05
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Snatch
Reps: 3,2,1,1,1,1,Fail*,1,1
Weights: 40,50,55,60,60,60,60,60,60
Volume: 575 Total reps: 11 Intensity: 52.27
*Knees went forward recovered and stood up.

Clean and Jerk
Reps: 2,1,1,Fail,Fail,Fail,Fail,Fail
Weights: 60,70,80,90,90,80,80,70
Volume: 270 Total reps: 4 Intensity: 67.5
-On all of the fails I just couldn't rack the clean. I think I was wrecked from Snatching today as well as two days ago with such heavy (for me) singles.

Clean pulls
Reps: 5,4,3,3,3
Weights: 70,80,90,90,90
Volume: 1480 Total reps: 18 Intensity: 82.22

Back Squats
Reps: 3,3,3,3,3
Weights: 100,120,130,130,130
Volume: 1830 Total reps: 15 Intensity: 122
-The 130's were tough. I hadn't gone heavy in Squats in awhile.

Total Workout Volume: 4155 (4425 if I count Clean and Jerk as two exercises)
Total workout reps: 48 (52 if " ")
Total workout intensity: 86.56 (85.10 if " ")

Finished at 12:40
Duration 95 minutes

Felt terrible on the Clean and Jerks. I'm not sure what happened with them. I think I was just tired since I didn't sleep too well last night. It's weird because the Snatches were fine and then once I got through with the warm-up sets on the Clean and Jerks I was spent. Powered through and finished the workout, took a lot of motivation to get through the Back Squats.

[Cillian McNamara]

Tuesday Training Session 2009-05-12

Started at 17:40
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Snatch
Reps: 3,2,1,1,1,1,1,1
Weights: 40,50,60,60,60,60,60,60
Volume: 580 Total reps: 11 Intensity: 52.72
-Felt better today. Getting a little bit more comfortable with the heavier weight and trying to implement some of the technique suggestions.

Jerk
Reps: 3,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
Weights: 70,80,90,90,90,90,90,90
Volume: 830 Total reps: 10 Intensity: 83
-Still need some more time with this weight. Felt heavy.

Front Squat
Reps: 3,3,3,3,3
Weights: 90,100,100,100,100
Volume: 1470 Total reps: 15 Intensity: 98
-The last 2 sets were kinda stuff. I stalled through some of the reps but kept my form and slowly pushed through the sticking point.

Deadlift with straps
Reps: 4,4,4,2
Weights: 150,160,170,180
Volume: 2280 Total reps: 14 Intensity: 162.86
-I love the straps, especially at the end of a tough session. Wanted to get 4 reps on the 180 but when I went for the third rep I lifted the weight slightly and could feel my back starting to round under the effort so dropped the weight rather than lift it in bad form.

Total Workout Volume: 5160
Total workout reps: 50
Total workout intensity: 103.2

Finished at 19:15
Duration 95 minutes

The deadlifts really throw off the volume and intensity figures. All the same my training is still lower volume at the moment concentrating on higher intensity.

[Jack]

Thanks for the great reports Cillian.

Sjaak

[Cillian McNamara]

Thursday Training Session 2009-05-14

Started at 17:30
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Clean
Reps: 2,2,1,1,1,1,1,1
Weights: 70,80,90,90,95,95,95,95
Volume: 860 Total reps: 10 Intensity: 86
-Went up the weight a bit since my best clean is 100. Considering I work my snatches at 60 with a best of 62.5, I should be pushing myself just as hard in the clean.

Power Jerk
Reps: 4,3,3,3,3
Weights: 60,70,75,75,75
Volume: 1125 Total reps: 16 Intensity: 70.31
-These are still a bit tough. I need to work on my drive and lockout.

Clean pulls with straps
Reps: 4,3,3,3,3
Weights: 80,90,100,100,100
Volume: 1490 Total reps: 16 Intensity: 93.13

Back Squats
Reps: 3,3,3,3,3
Weights: 120,130,130,130,130
Volume: 1920 Total reps: 15 Intensity: 128
-Steve pointed out that my feet were pointing straight forward as opposed to slightly outward. He said this was causing my knees to cave in.

Total Workout Volume: 5395
Total workout reps: 57
Total workout intensity: 94.65

Finished at 18:55
Duration 85 minutes

Unfortunately I'll be on a forced break from training as I contend with my end of year exams. I'll probably do some bodyweight exercises at home in between study sessions but nothing worth keeping a record of. Exams will be finished on the 8th of June and I should be back training on the 9th! I just hope I don't lose all the gains that I've made.

[Cillian McNamara]

I've been offline for a while so I've got a couple of entries at once. Got my results from my Part III exams on the 18/06 and I got a Merit, so I can justify my time away from the weights!

Monday Training Session 2009-06-08
(Had my last exam today in the morning)

Started at 17:40
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Snatch
Reps: 3,2,F*,1,1,1,1,1
Weights: 40,50,60,50,55,57.5,57.5,57.5
Volume: 497.5 Total reps: 10 Intensity: 49.75
*Couldn't lift the weight. Just couldn't get under it.
-First session in about 4 weeks, so I think I'm going to have a wait a while before I get back to the weights I was lifting. Still though got up 57.5 for 3 singles not too far off 60.

Jerk
Reps: 2,2,1,1,1,1,1,1
Weights: 70,70,80,85,85,85,85,87.5
Volume: 787.5 Total reps: 10 Intensity: 78.75
-Felt quite sore on my upper back muscles when holding the weight overhead.

Front Squat
Reps: 3,3,3,3,2*
Weights: 90,90,90,90,90
Volume: 1260 Total reps: 14 Intensity: 90
-My quadriceps were in agony by the end of this. I did 100 for 4x3 the last time! But the 90s were so painful but I wasn't going to lower the weight.
*Collapsed forward going for the 3rd rep

Deadlift with straps
Reps: 4,4,4,4
Weights: 150,150,150,150
Volume: 2400 Total reps: 16 Intensity: 150
-My quads being in agony after the front squats I did the deadlifts with as little knee bend as I could manage, while still keeping the back arched.

Total Workout Volume: 4945
Total workout reps: 50
Total workout intensity: 98.9

Finished at 19:15
Duration 95 minutes

-Felt very tired after the session. Still it was great to be back in the gym after 4 weeks of studying all day everyday for exams. It'll probably take another few weeks to get back up to where I was.

[Cillian McNamara]

Friday Training Session 2009-06-12

Started at 17:05
(All weights in kgs)

Stretching for about 10min

Clean
Reps: 2,2,2,1,1,F*,2,1,1,F**
Weights: 70,70,75,80,85,90,80,85,90,90
Volume: 930 Total reps: 12 Intensity: 77.5
*Couldn't budge the weight. Did a clean pull.
**Caught the weight and my right knee went down. Recovered and lifted the weight but still a fail.
-Not too bad. Got 90kgs in at the end.

Power Jerk
Reps: 4,3,3,2*,3,3
Weights: 60,65,70,75,60,65
Volume: 1170 Total reps: 18 Intensity: 65
*Failed on third rep, a bit too heavy.

Clean pulls with straps
Reps: 4,3,3,3,3
Weights: 80,90,95,95,95
Volume: 1445 Total reps: 16 Intensity: 90.31

Back Squats
Reps: 3,3,3,3,3
Weights: 100,110,110,110,115
Volume: 1635 Total reps: 15 Intensity: 109
-Intensity down almost 20kgs! My squats have suffered a lot from my break away from the weights.

Total Workout Volume: 5180
Total workout reps: 61
Total workout intensity: 84.91

Finished at 18:35
Duration 90 minutes

Intensity for the whole session was down about 10kgs from previous. To be expected I suppose since I missed 4 weeks of training. Still I was surprised at how weak my squats are.