So I started my new training regimen about 4 weeks ago and at the beginning I was super excited to start up Olympic lifting after the very productive summer. The general motif of this program is that I would be predominately doing strength work. This means high volumes of heavy squatting and heavy Olympic lifts. The Olympic lifts took a backseat as improving those would not be the primary goal. The primary goal was to increase my squatting (front and back) numbers and general strength.
The program was absolutely brutal. Mondays would have me back squatting up to a 5 RM for a set then backing off to 90% of that for 4 sets of 5. Needless to say that's alot of work and my legs were destroyed for days afterwards. That would follow with a power snatch+snatch balance complex with tall snatches and snatch balances for warmups. I have a problem with getting down deep into the hole during the snatch. It's really a combination of lacking good mobility, having sub-optimal foot positioning (I tend to have a wide squat stance in the bottom position of the snatch) and just simply lacking confidence to get down deep. So doing those every workout for warmups would hopefully work on these issues. I bench press and clean heavy from the blocks on the 2nd day, front squat for a 3RM and clean heavy on the 3rd day, snatch heavy on the 4th day and max out both my lifts on the 5th. The general feeling throughout this mini-cycle was that by the time I got to day 3 I was completely wrecked. I was foam rolling and stretching to alleviate soreness and tightness but the relief was minimal. Of course the fatigue had a pronounced effect on my Olympic lifts.
In the entire 4 weeks I have been unable to hit any snatch above 90% of my previous 1RM of 215#. I haven't even come close to hitting that previous PR. The clean faired a little better but not my much and I still couldn't match my previous best of 265#. Bledsoe assured me that this kind of drop in performance was expected because I was focusing on strength and NOT on improving my Oly numbers. Even with this reassurance it was still extremely frustrating. I wasn't making lifts consistently. Sometimes I'd miss weights far below my max just because I was simply so worn out. Even my backsquat started to suffer. During the summer I was doing 320# for a 5RM. Nope not now. I've been able to do 315# for 5 at best with no improvement. The best I've been able to do is 325 for 3. Training has been bad to say the least. Actually it's probably been the worst training cycle I've ever done.
But everyone has slumps sometimes. Even super-strong people like Chris Moore. We just have to keep focused on the long-term goals, learn from the failures and move onward.
There have been some positives however. My front squat has rocketed which technically means I'll be able to clean more weight if I can pull and catch the barbell. The front squat is up from 275x3 to 290x3 and looking to do 295x3 by this Thursday.The goal by the end of the year is to have a 315x3 front squat which would be boss. I've also experimented and improved my snatch technique greatly. I've been playing around with a narrower grip which is helping relieve some tension off my delicate and still aching wrists. I've also been really focusing on driving my down under the barbell for a more aggressive 3rd pull. I've been doing lighter weights but my speed and aggressiveness has substantially improved as I can now snatch 185# and drive fully to the bottom whereas anything above 160 I would have to power snatch or I'd probably miss the lift.
I've decided for the next cycle that I will no longer be power snatching in training. If I cannot make the lift without power snatching then I will not be lifting at that weight and go down to a weight were I can. In Olympic lifting, technique is the most important, then speed, then load is finally last. It's been obvious for a while now that I need to work on my 3rd pull technique and speed under the bar with the snatch. So that is what I will be focusing on for the next cycle. Hopefully I should improve both and be able to build the mobility, speed and confidence required to receive heavy snatches (and cleans) at the bottom position.
I'm also going to hold off on competing for a while in order to work on these issues. There is a meet at the end of the month at the U of M being put on by Faction but I have decided not to lift. 1) Because my lifts suck right now and 2) because I want to focus on training and getting better. I don't know who said this but I've seen this quote a few places and it couldn't be more appropriate right now.
"A winner practices until he gets it right. A champion practices until he can’t get it wrong."
It's time to start training like a champion.
I'll end with some long-term goals I'd like to accomplish because it's good to set goals.
Snatch: 100 kg by the end of the year and 105kg by nationals.
Clean: 125 kg by the end of the year and 130kg by nationals.
Ok folks. Until next time!
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