One does not simply bicep curl into Mordor

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

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About time I started a training log - more for self-motivation than anything else.

Been training BB style, muscle group splits in the mid rep ranges for just under 5 years. Due to illness and fighting to keep the weight on, it sparked boredom in my routines and an interest in strength and competitive lifting. We all need to change it up a little and I'm finding more passion and desire to lift heavier and be stronger with more mobility. With a small desire to eventually compete in weightlifting. Regardless, I love the gym, the competitive nature and I couldn't live without it.

So.....

The Stats:

Age: 24
Weight: 78kg
Height: Just under 5'10

Deadlift - 170kg 1RM
Front Squat - 120kg
Bench - 130kg 1RM
I'll add to this

insta_grab.jpg

(Only 'recent' selfie I have, I was 75kg when I took it)

I've never had a routine in all my days - perhaps that's where I've gone wrong! I go into the gym and do what needs doing and I like the flexibility given equipment availability etc.

These days, since I ditched the typical bodybuilding splits I've done for years - an average, high set, low rep strength day looks like:

Day 1:
Mixed grip deadlift
Snatch grip deadlift
Assistance: BB Rows/Kick-backs

Day 2:
Front Squat
Back Squat
Assistance: Leg press/Leg Extensions

Day 3:
Shoulder press
Jerks
Power Cleans
Assistance: Power shrugs

Day 4(doesn't happen very often with work):
Flat Bench
Incline Bench
Clean and Jerks
Snatches - or, trying to!

This obviously needs work and I'm definitely open to a grilling about it and some feedback :)

I think my routine will change when I get the technique sorted on the olympic lifts. Right now, I'm not confident enough with them so instead, I work on the strength and exercises that'll eventually help these lifts.

I should also mention, I'm getting some coaching on the olympic lifts and mobility etc - which is separate to my routines listed.
 
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Suarez7 said:
Looks good, you already look in pretty good shape (no homer) Just one question though when you say height under 5'10 do you mean just under or are we supposed to guess any height under that point?
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I meant just under, I shall correct that :p

mrthingyx said:
Also, what are you doing the Olympic lifts for (i.e. to be an Olympic lifter? Or just for the powah! increases/lolz)?

The reason I ask is it will impact upon what you're training for and how. If you want to be a weightlifter, there are effectively very few assistance exercises for snatch/CnJ: the best lifters basically just do those exercises all day, with back/front squatting to support the respective lifts.

First/second pulls make people strong, but they don't actually have much bearing on the actual lifts because people use different techniques for them versus the actual lift.
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I'd like to eventually compete but in terms of training, I'd like to get coaching and my form corrected first(currently in the process of doing so) before pursuing and really pushing the weight on the lifts. I know it'll take years of practice in which time I fear I'd miss doing all the strength/mass lifts.

Also, weight wise, I'd like to hit at least 85kg.

If I could compare what I what to anyone, I'd say Klokov for size, strength and ability with the lifts - he might not have the technique of other lifters but he has the strength.
 
mrthingyx said:
However, whilst squatting 150kg for the first time was fun, it was nothing like snatching 80kg for the first time. ;) :D
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/Jealous.

But yeah, you're totally right. That's why I'm not dedicating my entire gym time to the lifts right now, until I can figure out if it is indeed the road I want to go down. Like I said, I'd miss all the strength exercises, I couldn't dedicate my entire routine to essentially two lifts.
 
So, first coaching session last week - going well so far in the sense that its uncovered quite a few niggles in my mobility. Particularly issues with my knees and shoulders. Knee mobility is even having an impact on my deadlift. Overall, my mobility is fairly poor in the grand scheme. All these niggles will need to be sorted before any progression is made. So, additional mobility training and physio this week, also. I'm being treated exactly the same as a UK Sport athlete.

Good session last night, I feel a difference already after following my tailored daily drill sheets religiously.

Deadlift:
5 sets peaking at 175 - PB - Could've went for 180 but left some in the tank.

Snatch grip DD:
3 sets peaking at 160 - PB

Pull ups:
5 sets of 12

Front squats:
4 sets peaking at 110.
 
First soft tissue treatment tonight and wow, I've never felt muscular pain like it! I've heard a couple of athletes say its hellish and it really is that bad.

The issues with my knees are definitely a major focus going forward. It's having an effect on everything I'm doing with my lower body.

The Craig said:
Where you get coaching? In Glasgow? And which gym you at?
(and how much if you don't mind me asking =o)
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Family rates :p I'm fortunate enough to be related to someone who trains and treats athletes including olympic medalists. He doesn't specifically focus on O lifts but has experience teaching them and from a mobility point of view, he's absolutely the number one person for me to speak to.

For O lifts, I'm really not sure about coaches or gyms. I had a brief gander and the only gym I came across was some cross fit place with terrible opening hours. The Scottish olympic lifting site is awful for information aswell. If you find any in your travels, let me know!

I just go to a local council gym which has everything I need for £40pm. There's no savvy folk, advice from trainers or lifting platforms but its home!

What about yourself?
 
The Craig said:
Glasgow Uni gym, it can get mega busy but loads of free weights and barbells, couple lofting platforms too. If you want to see it for a session you can fire me a message (costs 4quid).

Need to work on my Olympic lifting technique =p
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Hmmm, just a bit too far for me to travel unfortunately. Wouldn't mind if it was just up the motorway but I'd have to go through the west end no doubt? :p


___


Just hit 80kg clean and jerk. Absolutely delighted considering I haven't really practised them with any weight so far. I failed 90 because I couldn't get low enough on the catch but the force going through my hips is night and day. I done 7 sets at 80 with relative ease - just got to work on my squat/catch.

Still working on shoulder mobility to progress onto the snatch - not confident enough yet to put anything above my head.
 
Terrible session tonight after having last week off on holiday.

I feel like the weights on my deadlift have been consistently progressing the past few weeks. Tonight I struggled to lift 170kg...got there in the end but it was a struggle, must've took me about 10 seconds to lock out.

I peaked at 130kg stiff leg snatch grip aswell - which is awful considering the weights I was hitting a couple of weeks ago. No idea what's happened?

Could've been a lack of meals on holiday last week or lack of sleep, who knows! Anyone else feel their progress dips like that?
 
Thanks man!

Looking to invest in a pair of adipower lifting shoes, noticed you wear a pair of Adidas in your lifting videos - how did you find the sizing? Would I be right in thinking I'd need to aim half a size smaller than my usual size? :)
 
My coach gave me a pair of his old Adidas size 8's! Felt bad accepting them but said he got them for free a few years ago and they've been lying gathering dust!

That'll save me £140 for the time being to try them at least :)
 
Totally disheartened by tonights performance.

Might be the cold I'm nursing but no excuses, my technique was awful!

C&J:
Warm up with the bar
1x60kg
1x70kg
1x80kg
2x90kg - failed both times
2x80kg - failed both times
1x70kg - failed
5x60kg

As you can see the weight goes up rapidly but boom, when I failed the 90, I failed every set I lowered the weight until I could only manage 60.

Front Squats:
5x90kg
2x100kg
1x110kg
3x90kg
3x90kg

Bit all over the place during tonights session, wasted a lot of time trying to get my technique back on track but failed every time.
 
Cheers for the tips, much appreciated as always MrThingy!

They're definitely different in a way that you feel physically capable of carrying on and pushing weight but your body simply says no!

The second pull/hip thrust is what broke the lift. For some reason when the weight gets heavier I can't seem to get myself under the bar and into the squat position, maybe I need to grow a pair, concentrate more or maybe the weight is just too heavy at this stage! I'll go with the latter!

I'll take heed of your advice and stick to 70k until my form is absolute perfection to progress!

The overall focus is to go for big olympic lifts.

My routine is currently as follows:
Monday: Deadlifts, Snatch Grip Deadlifts, Pullups and additional support work.
Wednesday: Physio and mobility training
Friday: Clean and jerks, front squats, push presses/jerks.

I'm thinking I'll either need to include more days or just focus on the olympic lifts every session.

I'm gutted I cant get into the gym more at the moment, it's winding me up!
 
I've been out the game for a little while, firstly with work commitments then with a 7 week long dose of the flu which was absolute hell. It's just subsiding now.

During that time I've made the decision to switch my entire routine and focus on the oly lifts entirely with the various assistance exercises in tow. If anything, my interest in the sport has only grown from strength to strength.

Some vids of my first sessions back in the gym:

Split jerk form:
If you notice my back curves forward at the bottom. Currently working on improving this with the help of my coach. I wish I could remember all the terminology and muscular expressions!

Clean:
Working on the catch. Occasionally the weight is transferred forward onto the ball of my foot.

Haven't got a routine set out at the moment but a personal focus is going to be on getting my squat up. I'm still only back squatting 140 with a front squat of 120. These are ass to grass squats with a slight pause at the bottom.
 
Yep, my upper thigh strikes the bar.

I know, my regular gym is lame in that it doesn't have a lifting platform or oly weights that I can slam down so everything requires re-racking.
 
As I said I've just got back into it after quite some time off.

Clean is sitting at 90, looking to improve my squat so that I can get under the bar and support the weight in the squat position because my second pull seems to be coming along nicely.

Snatch is a different story, I can't catch it with my hands behind my head(shoulder mobility) in the squat position. My arms bring the bar infront of my head. So, that's sitting at around 40 but with progression, hopefully my shoulder will free up to allow me to get into the correct positioning on the catch.
 
Cheers for the feedback Mr-T, always appreciated and taken onboard! I'll post some videos over the following weeks.

Been snatching tonight, all is well until I go into a deep squat position and then the bar moves forward. I've got some major tightness in the delts or so, working on that.

I knew this would be a long and frustrating road but the clean situation is really winding me up. I can't get past that 90 PB. Sometimes I'm struggling to hit 80. My 'working' weight seems to keep dipping up and down, sometimes 85, sometimes 80, sometimes I even need to stick at 75.

I'm gonna need to devise a solid structure to follow every time I go into the gym, week on week to try and get these weights up. I'll be taking a notepad from now on!

What kind of structure do you follow mrthingy? You outlined a little program for me before but give the switch in routine, anything you could recommend? :)

Cheers!
 
Excellent, cheers for the tips, I've been going over your routine combined with this article I read: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/olympic_lifting_made_simple_ (Page 2) and it's definitely given me some food for thought.

Do you always combine both lifts during each session? The routine in the link splits them up quite nicely with appropriate assistance lifts but I'm wonder if, given my lack of training days, it would be more beneficial to combine both per session...

As you said, I've got a lack of of decent equipment. The only olympic style weights in my gym are light so I generally stack them onto the bar with the smaller iron weights on the outside so that I can drop them if needs be - A 15kg iron weight is smaller than a 5kg olympic weight in my gym, for example.

There's an olympic weightlifting gym 20 miles from me which is open to the public a couple of hours on a saturday - In the New Year I'll travel there each week to get a decent training environment.
 
Cheers MrT. It's good to hear about your experience so far and how others work. There's an abundance of technique write-ups out there but little in the way of routine breakdowns - for us 'Westerners' with limited time that is :p

I'm going to log every workout from now on to give me a basis for weekly improvements following this new routine.

So, this week so far:

C&J Day:
Warmup

Power Cleans from floor
3 x 60
3 x 65
3 x 70

Full C&J
3 x 60
3 x 60
3 x 60

Clean pulls from floor
3 x 60
3 x 70
3 x 80

Front squats
3 x 80
3 x 90
3 x 100

Finished with some BW dips
 
Snatch day
Warm up

Power Snatch
3 x 30
3 x 40
3 x 50

Snatch
Failure because I couldn't get the bar overhead in the squat position. Back to the old shoulders. I can fire 50 kilos overhead from the floor without issue but anymore weight and I'd need to catch it lower - which I can't do yet!

Power Snatches focusing on hip drive
3 x 40

Snatch pulls from floor
3 x 70
3 x 80
3 x 90

Back squats
3 x 80
3 x 90
3 x 105

Pause squats
5 x 60
5 x 60

BW dips to finish.
 
Slow, overhead squats were part of my warmup. A complete struggle at that. It feels like I need to pull the bar apart and it's really uncomfortable. Pushing the bar overhead for snatch balances are trickier, though. I can't seem to push the bar overhead from a partial squat position. There's just a complete inability to drive it up there.
 
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