This week in Training and My Thoughts on Olympic-Style Lifitng

I've been really switching up my training to help ready myself for the Highland Games season coming up. I hope to compete in at least six games this year. I already have five planned out and need to find which one I want to be the sixth.

Everything has been geared toward explosion, so I've added Dynamic Effort-style Box Squats, Power Snatches, Power Cleans, Box Jumps and the like. I feel really strong even though I'm about 10lbs lighter than when I threw the last time. I just need to get quicker and more flexible in my midsection. As a result of my accident my body freaked out trying to protect my lower back, so my Internal and External Obliques as well as my Quadrator Lumborum are all basically locked in place. Now, this is great for my Deadlift and my Squat, but not good for powerful rotational movements, like those in the Highland Games.

I've also started throwing again. I've thrown a few practice PRs in the 28 Weight for Distance and hit a 5 foot practice PR on the Hammer and that is without the spikes. I've really been concentrating on the footwork for the Weights For Distance as I feel I leave a TON of power out of my throws. I probably just need a coach to pick apart my throws.

MY THOUGHTS ON OLYMPIC-STYLE LIFTS
I believe that the Olympic Lifts should be a part of most people's strength training regimen. DO NOT read this as me saying I think everyone should do barbell Snatches. Quite the opposite. Quick, powerful movements are integral in overall development. I think a lot of trainers are afraid to give a lot of their clients any powerful movements because of the risk of injury or lack of exercise experience.

Why not think outside of the box. Have them do single arm work starting off with dumbbells. Teach a proper single arm Deadlift, then progress to single arm High Pulls, then Cleans, then Clean and Press, then Clean and Jerk, then Snatch. Once they have become proficient at that then switch implements on them. Move onto a Kettlebell or a Barbell from there.

Now when it comes to learning the moves you do not have to be a stickler for perfect form. Remember that there are athletes out there that train there entire life to attempt to perfect the form on the the Clean and Jerk or the Snatch. I'm not saying let them round their back and protract their cervical spine, but don't worry so much about hitting that ass to grass Overhead Squat after the pulling motion of the Snatch. I would much rather be able to Power Clean 225 lbs with no drop phase of the lift than Clean 315 with Olympic form.

WHY??? If you want to be an Olympic Lifter then practice the form and get good at it. If your goal it to create bone crushing power, don't worry so much about creating a two phase curvilinear pull on your Snatch. Just grab the bar keep your spine neutral and pull the sonofabitch over your head. That will help you generate more power.

My Gains since August

Last time I did measurements was in the summer and here is my progress.

Then(Aug 4th):
weight: 285
Calves at 19.25"
Biceps: R-19.5/L-18.5
Chest 51"
Butt 51"
Forearm: 15"
Thigh: R-30" L-29"
Neck: 18.5"


Now:
Weight: 310 (bodyfat only up .5%)
Calves: 19.5"
Biceps: R-19.75"/L-19"
Chest 54" (3" gain holy shit)
Butt: 52.5"
Neck: 18.75"
Thigh: 32.5"
Forearm: 15.5"

Not bad. I like good, solid, steady gains. I'm really impressed with my chest measurement, but I guess that is what hapens when you actually train your upper body.


Yesterday was an accessory day, so I just did:

Power Jerks
up to 225x3

Single Arm Power Snatch
worked up to 130x3

Finished with tris and hypers

The Insanity of College Testing

I sit here at the computer at work as I am preparing notes for the Team Mallard meeting later in the day. I look at the bar at the bottom of the screen and notice a tab that reads "APK 4125 exam 2 review". APK 4125 is titled Physical Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription. When I get finished with my notes and the structure of the meeting I take a look at this exam review. I was pretty shocked...

First lets look at some of the nutrition questions:
Of all the substances consumed, which is the most problematic in terms of weight gain in the United States?
Carbs

Not three question later this comes up:
What percentage of your daily caloric intake should come from carbohydrates?
45-65% of calories

So you are telling me that while carbs are the most problematic substances in our diet, we should still get over half of our daily calories from that source? Then we come to strength training. In my personal opinion most people have no idea what actual strength training is. When I hear someone say, "I'm strength training right now", it usually elicits an automatic eye-roll reaction from me. Here is one of the questions that got my blood boiling:

What range of intensities would you prescribe for strength gains?
60-70 for novice, 70-80 for intermed, 80-100 for advanced

Why in the hell would you give lower intensitites to someone that has a horrible motor unit recruitment? A beginner will not fire anywhere as many muscle fibers as an advanced lifter. For instance, when doing Dynamic Effort in the conjugate method you would be better off giving an advanced lifter 40% load and the beginner a 10-15% increase in load. Why? You need to get that beginner using the high threshold motor units so his adaptation is better. You'll actually notice that even with that 10-15% difference the advanced and the beginner will have similar percieved exertion.

I'm gonna stop now because I can feel the smoke coming out of my ears.