Topic: Getting Back on Track.....

[Brooke Burkhalter]

After starting the lifts seriously less than a year ago, went through some periods of stagnation due to work, kids, and poor planning/programming in my opinion.

Percentages are guidelines for the day. Actual weights used are done more by how I feel.

Day1 - 15 June

Snatch                                 3x1 - 90%
                                            3x2 - 85%

Snatch Pull/DL                      5x3 - 85% of DL/pull max. Weight is very much done by feel here. Sometimes will be heavier sometimes lighter.

Snatch Hi Pull from stands   5x3 - 100% of snatch max.

Dips
Chins

A few jumps

[John Wheeler]

Brooke:

Excellent, I began training again after lifting and competing for about 14 years and then a 15 year layoff so I understand where you are coming from.  My question for you and others is how many Master lifters train more on how they feel rather than using a periodization program?  I have begun using percentages again and have noted they help me keep from burning out and assist in reaching new gains.  I am keenly interested in your perspective and that of other colleagues on the forum relative to this question.

Continued success!

John

[Brooke Burkhalter]

I have never used percentages as anything more than a guideline. But I am the driven competitive type that has to keep the reigns pulled or will burn out so I am really learning to keep a definite eye on how I feel.

I guess I keep periodization in mind in that I would like to break it into prep and comp but I cannot get my mind wrapped around a true percentage based program ala a "Russian" approach where you only do xyz per day at xyz % regardless of how you feel or how the last session affected me.

I am going to track the heavy lifts and success rate at them. I may check tonnage occasionally during prep to make sure I am getting increases and then really try to increase intensity in the comp phase with hopefully a corresponding increase in the lifts and success rate per 85%+ lifts. I don't have a comp planned per se.........tough to do with a 5 week old.

[John Wheeler]

Speaking of five year olds...Brooke, I remember those days, my kids are 18 and 21 respectively and when my oldest, my daughter was little 2-4 years old she would sit either in the playpen or her wagon and watch me lift in the garage.  Well, she got into the habit of yelling"Up Daddy" when I would go to lift and we went to the Twin Cities Open once and she was like 3 and as I went to make my first snatch attempt, the crowd quieted and all that could be heard was a little voice yelling "Up Daddy", the place erupted and I made the lift just as if I were in the garage at home.  At my first meet as a master after a 15-year layoff, she was again in the audience yelling "Up Daddy", so I know from where you speak.

Enjoy your training and watching them grow as it goes fast. Continued success in your lifting!

[Brooke Burkhalter]

Speaking of five year olds...Brooke, I remember those days, my kids are 18 and 21 respectively and when my oldest, my daughter was little 2-4 years old she would sit either in the playpen or her wagon and watch me lift in the garage.  Well, she got into the habit of yelling"Up Daddy" when I would go to lift and we went to the Twin Cities Open once and she was like 3 and as I went to make my first snatch attempt, the crowd quieted and all that could be heard was a little voice yelling "Up Daddy", the place erupted and I made the lift just as if I were in the garage at home.  At my first meet as a master after a 15-year layoff, she was again in the audience yelling "Up Daddy", so I know from where you speak.

Enjoy your training and watching them grow as it goes fast. Continued success in your lifting!

That is an AWESOME story! Thanks for sharing. Mine loves to watch and try to pickup the bar.

[Jack]

Thanks for the wonderful thread on "Master-Periodization"! My experiences might not be fully relevant to your situations, as I'm not preparing for a contest. The "pushing too hard-burn out" sounds very familiar. For me, escaping that is accepting that you can't bully the Ol lifts. At least I cannot. I don't use percentages or graphs, but go by feel, to keep an uncluttered mind during training. I still push too hard, but I slowly get wiser. I try to standardise how I regulate intensity by paying close attention to how the lifts go in practice:  Two misses in a row means move on to the next exercise. I try to pinpoint and stay with the load step that precedes the " pull and hope for the best" load step. I've come to realise that you mostly cannot have two great workouts in a row, Tommy Kono is very right.

All the best!

Sjaak

[John Wheeler]

Excellent point Sjaak. You are so correct.  I had a great workout last Thursday and Saturday and this week, my Tuesday session was very difficult to get through.  For years I did not use periodization but as I have eluded to in a previous post I am trying a four week cycle and I must admit it has been difficult at times to pull the reigns in so on those days I go for it and it is nice on other days especially those of low energy to adhere to a range of percentages for a specific workout or exercise.

In fact, I have been considering working out 5 days a week, breaking the classical movements down with pulls on M-W-F and doing my squats and assistance work on T-Th, however at 53 I am mindful of the need for recovery.  At present I train three days a week and walk and or cycle and or swim on the remaining days.

I am appreciative of the dialogue with you and others and to Chris for this forum that allows us to participate in discussions relative to the sport we enjoy.  Have a great day!

John

[Brooke Burkhalter]

Tues 16 June 09

On the schedule

CJ                                        3x1 - 90%
                                            3x2 - 85%

FS                                     5x3 - 85% Weight is very much done by feel here.

Clean Pull                         5x3 - 100% of clean max.

Jerk Dips                          3x3 - 100% (Well over clean max in other words. 120-130%)

Seated Press

Skipped Jerk Dips, knee is bothering me at the ITB insertion in the range where you dip for a jerk, catch a power clean, etc. so in an effort not to make the tendon worse I skipped these as they load that area really hard.

This also hurt my jerking ability and confidence so I dropped those down 5-10kilos and the front squats down 10 kilos from normal.

Cleans were ok. Really have to concentrate on timing going under the bar, keeping the bar close but it is crushing me.