Topic: Axeman who likes to Olympic Lift training Journal

[Owen Duguay]

Thank you Arden.   I understand now.   Normal bench presses wreck your shoulders and board bench presses are more gentle on your shoulders.    Makes sense.    Athletes are always looking for ways to adapt to creaks, strains and soreness in their body and it is valuable to learn little tricks from you.   Have a great day Arden.

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

2.2.10 - holy crap, wanted to do some event training when I got home from Court, but I could not raise my arm past my shoulder.  I nearly cried when I tried to take off my jacket.  I can't lift my arm past my shoulder at all without excruciating pain.  I slept on it funny the night prior and it's been aching all day.  Rolled/iced/heated it and did some mobility work.
2.3.10  Had an unusual session.  Spent a good 20 minutes doing shoulder rehab band work.  It's feeling better.  Still a little pain, but better.  I decided to do movements that don't hurt.  Overheads are out.  Pressing is out.   I know I could pull and thought I could squat.

Started with yoga and roller and extended lacrosse ball session on the left shoulder.  Felt great.  Couldn't roll my left IT band because I could not do the plank on my left arm.  That hurt.  Had to be creative.

Started with cleans.  Went 45lbx3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 245x3, Then did  PR with 275x4.  WTH.  NO pain in this movement and the blood flow to my upper back and arms was making the shoulder feel better.  Then did 225x3x3.  Then did a series of power cleans with 135.  did 5x5.
Then did 1/2 front squats.  Went 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3, 455x3, 495x3, 405x3.
Then did some Clean pulls:  Went 245x3, 335x3, 385x3, 405x3, 335x3x3.
Then did abs and more yoga and SMR.

2.4.10 Went to Firebreather and coached some athletes on cleans and snatches.  I did about an hours worth of shoulder rehab.  I could raise my arm with only pain on the descent at this point.
2.5.10 Had a decent beefcake session.  Shoulder is pain free - Sweet, but I'm not doing anything overhead until next week.  Just to be safe.

Started with yoga and roller with extended shoulder stuff.
Then did cleans.  Went 20x3, 40x3, 70x3, 105x3, 125x3, 135x3, 135x2, 135x2, 115x3, 115x3.  That 135 felt wicked heavy.  I brought the bar forward in my set up.  A dude on youtube commented that I don't want the bar on my shins when I start.  So I tried it and it felt wicked weird.  Felt like I was going to topple over during the entire first pull.  What's the efficacy to this?  I want to understand.  I only got to record one set of the 135 as I was having battery probs with the camera.  Got a new set when started the down sets.

After that did front squat.  Went 135lbx5, 225x4, 275x3, 315x2, 405x1. 

Then did Some slow mo RDLs with exaggerated extensions went 120x3, 145x3x3.  Those things gave me a wicked pump down my entire posterior chain.  Holy cow.

Here's some highlights:

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Then did abs, rolled some more and more yoga.

Then dictated for 2 straight hours.  My secretary is gonna hate me.

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

2.6.10 - went to Kiara's hitting lesson with a batting coach.  I did my best to listen  and learned some very good drills to work on hip timing that may have a lot of carryover for cutting standing blocks.  That was kewl.  Afterwards, took the girls to a movie then brought more kids home than I took with me for a sleepover. 

2.7.10
So, got up early, after not sleeping much because of the sleep over.  Fixed the girls breakfast and went over.  On the plan was cleans, clean drills, light push presses, light front squats, medium pulls.

Started with cleans.  Went 20x3, 40x3, 70x3, 105x3, 125x3, 140x3, 140x2, 140x2, 120x3, 110x3. 
Then did some tall clean drils - I call them drop downs.  I didn't stand up with them, I just received them.  Went 75x2, 105x2, 115x2, 125x2.
Then did some jumping flat footed shrugs from the 2 boxes - went 145x2, 165x3, 165x3
Then did some push presses.  I had to do them behind the neck because front presses still tweak the shoulder a bit.  Went 20x5, 40x5, 75x5x5.
Then did front squats: went 135lbx3, 225x3, 275x3x5
Then did clean pulls.  And a big light bulb went off during the pulls.  I finally sorted out that when I scoop I need to be on my heels because I can't jump from my toes.  I can't believe it took me this long to sort that out.
Went 125x3, 165x3x3.

Here's the highlights:

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Then did abs and spent a day cleaning and doing housework for time.  :-D

[DAVE PETERSON]

Arden ,

Well I would say that your cleans are looking better and more cons consistant in their technique! Of course , that means that they're starting to look the same from one to the next . By the way , was your part of the country  get  slammed by the big snow storm ?


The best for your training ,

Dave Peterson

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Arden ,

Well I would say that your cleans are looking better and more cons consistant in their technique! Of course , that means that they're starting to look the same from one to the next . By the way , was your part of the country  get  slammed by the big snow storm ?


The best for your training ,

Dave Peterson

Dave,
  Thanks so much for the kinds words and the encouragement.  I know I need to get taller. I know I need to jump.  I'm trying to force myself to do it.  It will likely take a long time and I'm up for the challenge as I see this as a long term journey. 

  Believe it or not, we got absolutely no snow.  Two hours northeast, at my parents, they got nearly two and half feet.  Unreal.  We're getting pelted with a ice storm now, so that should make the trip home from work tonight interesting, but otherwise we are doing very well.

2.9.10  Beefcake - 5:00 a.m. start.

15 minutes of Foam rolling and self myofascial release.  15 minutes of yoga and joint mobility.
Over to the Barn.
Clean Drills in the power rack, trying to concentrate on brushing the bar, jumping, getting tall, and jumping under:  20x3, 70x2x5
Cleans - same concentration. 105x3, 125x3x5
Snatch Pulls: same conentration. 105x3, 125x3x3
Front squats:  - 1/4 to 1/2 squats.  135lbx3, 225x3, 315x3, 405x3, 495x3, 495x3
Snatch Grip Push Press BTN - shoulder rehab - 40x5, 75x5x5
Ring push ups - shoulder rehab - BWx10x5
Abs - various movements.
10 minutes of yoga and joint mobility and some foam rolling.

Here's some highlights. 

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

I noticed something with doing the drill work then doing the cleans - I was getting taller, on my heels, and jumping a bit on at least the first reps of the sets.  Once I starting getting some fatigue, i was back to looping the bar.  So, that, to me is good. I think?  Well, at least I think it's an improvement?   

Shoulder finally feels good enough to chop and saw.  So that means the games a foot!!!

Gonna peel me a bunch of tight barked poplars when I get home tonight - that's wicked hella GPP.  That'll finish me off nicely. 

All the best,
 Arden

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

2.11.10 - on road, drove 10 hours, met expert, rolled myself into submission to get the kinks out from driving 10 hours.
212.10 - went to a Powerhouse gym that hand no bumper plates.  I felt a like a fish out of water not being to drop stuff.  I did some power cleans that turned into hang squat cleans.  Really concentrating on dragging the bar up my legs.

went 95x3, 135x3, 185x3.
Then did some squat cleans 225x3x5.
Then did some behind the neck push presses 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x5x5.
Then did some front squats.  Went 135x5, 225x4, 275x3, 315x3, 385x1.
Then did some conventional deadlifts behind the six dudes who were using the squat racks and power cages to do curls.  Went 135x5, 225x4, 315x3, 405x2, 495x1, 585x5.
Then did some srict presses to the front 95x5, 135x5x5.
Then did some shoulder rehab ghey machine stuff.
Then abs.

2.3.09 - drove 10 hours in icy conditions.  Feared for life for about 5 of this and fish tailed about 30 times.  CNS was fried when I got home.  Nothing physical other than rolling to get to the kinks out.

214.10 - after a lonnnng walk with the wife then did some event work.  It was spirited.  High volume on the single, tree and underhand.  Low volume on standing. Felt great for the first session since the shoulder strain.  Still feel it a little when I cut underhands, but otherwise unnoticeable.  Pleased with tree and standing.  I let the angle of my saw creep up on me again, so I've got to continue working hard on the single.  I was off balance in the underhand in the front, but settled down in the back of the log I recorded. 

here's some highlights.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

1.15.10 - up at 4 a.m. and over to MHN.  Did not sleep well and it showed in my beefcake session.  I had no snap and was not finishing my pulls at all this morning.  I've got to sort out a way to jump with a perfectly good barbell - so help me!!

Started with clean drills 40x3, 70x3x5 -
Then cleans 100x3, 125x3, 135x1, 115x3x3 - I could not get tall or "bring the rain" to save my life. I had no go this morning.
Then did box drills. 75x2, 105x2, 105x2.
Then did push presses - to the front and I could do them without issue.  Actually felt great.  Went 40x5, 75x5, 95x5x6.
Then did clean pulls.  Went 152x3x3
Then did front squat: went 135lbx3, 225x3, 285x3x5.
Then did six sets of ring push ups.
Then abs.

Here's some highlights.

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

[DAVE PETERSON]

Arden,

Yep, when you don't get enough sleep , boy does it ever show up in your workout ! I bet that your legs even felt tired throughout the whole workout , didn't they ?! I'm sure that you had the workout already written down , that is what weights you were going up to . When you feel dog tired like that back off to about 70 % and that way you should have enough to get your snap in the lifts . Or did you back off in this session ?

Good training for you ,

Dave P.

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Dave,
 I did back off.  I had intended on going up to 135 for sets.  Instead I went to 115. My body would not allow it.  With that in mind, I'm going to back off a bunch of weights heavier than 120 for a while in an effort to get taller and actually jump and shrug with the weight. 

  What I'm finding is that I'm cutting my pulls short in an effort to get under the bar.  i need to correct that now before moving forward.  I think?

In any event, here's an update to the silliness

2.16.10 - Had a pretty good event session.  lots of drill work on the tree and strokes in the single.  I need to find a way to get the saw down a bit smoother as I'm cutting angle on the saw dramatically about 1/2 through the cut.  I'm also not getting good extension after the first few push strokes.    Cut an immense poplar standing - I really like how my relaxed standing style is evolving; I'm really not trying to cut fast, but I'm moving very well.  I think that's good.  Sucka was a full 51" in circumference.  That was fun.  And the underhand I widdled on was as hard as a bulls forehead.  Feel really good in everything except the Underhand.  But that will come around.

here's some highlights:

2.16.10 kata event training

2.17.10. - nothing serious physically.  Body was pretty tired, so I took the day off.  Did some roller and yoga, but limited it to that.  Spent a good hour in MHS with Kiara working on hitting and throwing.

2.18.10  Kata -  Shoulder finally feeling good enough to do some snatches.  So I opted to do 4 rep sets and a snatch matrix.  muscle snatch, power snatch, hang snatch, full snatch.  Shoulder took it well.  Went 20x4, 40x4, 60x4x5.  I think I should stay at 60 for a few weeks.  I'll do it once in three sessions this week.  then up it to two sessions the following week.

After that, I did some power cleans.  I hate power cleans.  they have never felt right to me.  I worked on getting taller and "bringing the rain"  but alas, there was no rain brought.  Still not grasping the  concept of "jump and shrug" still "bump and hump" - dammit.  I know what I have to do, just gotta do it.

Went 65x3, 95x3, 110x3x3, 120x3, 120x3, 130x2.5.

Then did Snatch Pulls.  Went 100x3, 120x3x3
After that did Overhead squats 5x5.  Went light.  Shoulder still not perfect.
Then did 1/4 to 1/2 front squats.  135lbx3, 225x3, 315x3, 405x3, 495x3, 585x3 - that 585 was moved about 6" and I did static holds with it for about 10 to 15 seconds.  Good lord that was heavy. Then went back down to 495x3.   I can see myself doing that 495 as a regular front squat pretty soon.

Then did 5 sets of ring push ups.
Then abs.

here's some highlights:

2.18.10 kata w9rwo2 snatches, power cleans, snatch pulls