12/31/12

Warm Up:
20 yrds. Stride (down and back)
20 yrds. Back Peddle (down and back)
20 yrds. Shuffle Spin (shuffle 10 yrds. spin and shuffle 10 yrds. opposite direction)
20 yrds. Carioca Spin (carioca 10 yrds. spin and carioca 10 yrds. opposite direction)
10 yrds. Spiderman Lunge plus 5 Superman holds
10 Wrist Circles
10 Elbow Circles
10 Shoulder Circles
10 Trunk Twist
10 Windmills
10 Push Ups
10 Sit ups
10 Body weight Squats

Football: Off Season 12 Week Cycle Prior to Spring Practice
Barbell Warm Up: Hang Clean + Front Squat + Press 3x5
Hang Clean 1x5@ 50% 3x5@ 60%
Back Squat 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, 1x4@ 70%
Bench Press 1x10, 1x8, 1x6, 1x4@ 65%
Press 1x5@ 40%, 3x5@ 45%
Lateral Raises 3x10

Conditioning 5 sets x 10 reps rest 1 minute between sets
Chin Ups
Push Ups
Hanging Leg Raises

Baseball: In Season
Barbell Warm Up: Back Squat + Press 3x5

• Position Players

Power Cleans 3x5@ 70% 1x5@ 35%
Back Squat 5x5@ 75%
RDL 3x5
4-Way Shoulder (Flexion, Extension, Internal Rotation, External Rotation) 2x10
Weighted Sit Ups 3x5

• Pitchers

Clean Pulls 3x5@ 70%
super set/ Box Jumps 3x5
Back Squat 5x5@ 75%
RDL 3x5
4-Way Shoulder (Flexion, Extension, Internal Rotation, External Rotation) 2x10
Weighted Sit Ups 3x5

Conditioning:
Practice

YOU'LL SHOOT YOUR EYE OUT KID!

It's been awhile since I have done a post, in that time I have: been married to my lovely wife for all of two months, took part in a weightlifting meet, traveled across the state of Tennessee, studied extremely hard for graduate school, and I have taught my classes at The University of Memphis.  It's been a pretty busy schedule to say the least.  However, I got the idea for the post one afternoon following the Halloween Holiday (for little kids and candy lovers it is a holiday).
I was asked recently about weightlifting and children; a mother in my class began to ramble one day about how children shouldn't work out.  According to her and many others out in the world children would hinder their bodies if they began weightlifting before they were in high school. My answer to that question was not if they have a smart coach. You see an untrained kid plus an untrained  "coach" is no different then Ralphie off of A Christmas Story going outside Christmas morning after receiving his most prized toy a Red Ryder BB gun shooting it and nearly taking his eye out.  This of course after the entire movie every adult said that he would do exactly that. Now, am I advocating that babies should be pushing around a barbell as they learn to walk? No!
Weightlifting is a sport as well as an activity that has a ton of misconceptions. Most people in our society would paint a terrible picture (and plaster it across every news channel) of a young child straining with a weight until finally their face was purple and they had broken every bone in their body. This typically doesn't happen in Weightlifting, it happens in High School football programs due to uneducated, untrained and uninterested position coaches. The truth of the matter is this Weightlifting has a lower injury rate compared to most sports.

How Can Weightlifting Help?

Children before puberty aren't capable of making  great amounts of strength gains due to lack or hormones.  Now for those parents out there that are like minded with my student, you will be saying right now "children don't need to be strong".  My answer to you is this.  What is going to keep your child from breaking something? What is going to keep them safe when they play sports? What is going to keep you away from medical bills? STRENGTH! Studies have shown (Sewall & Micheli, 86; Weltman et al, 86; Servedio et al, 85) that weightlifting allowed for greater flexibility in pre-pubescent boys and girls. Also these studies showed that motor performance can be improved through strength training.

What Age Then?

Typically, the best time to get your child into Weightlifting is eleven or twelve. It allows the individual to increase motor learning flexibility and growth prior to starting any real recreation, or club sports. It is also important because at this age they have very few distractions other than school.  Now you don't have to wait until your child is eleven or twelve to get them active.  It is very important that your child stays active just like you did.  So make them go outside, make them climb trees, get them a bike and teach them to ride.

Food

A lot of parents tell me that their child is allergic to this food or they won't eat that food.  The truth is that most children who do not eat health foods originate it from their parents.  Parents tend to not force good eating habits onto their children.  The best thing is to get your child introduced early to healthy foods and healthy eating habits.  NO CHILD IS GOING TO LOVE GREENS UNLESS YOU MAKE THEM INTERESTING! Add variety to your meals try introducing fruits with treats such as nut butters and dark chocolate.  Adding a little bit of salsa or spice to average veggies will help the child get over any bland tastes that veggies normally had.

Key Facts:
1. Get you kid active at an early age:
- The age of six is a good age to get your child into youth league programs. Sports such as Gymnastics, Basketball, Football, Baseball, etc. are good sources of building body awareness.  Yes, Gymnastics is a great sport to build not only body awareness but also  upper body and core strength that will aid children into adolescence   It also gives them great tricks to pull out at parties.

2. Find a great coach for your children to train under:
- This speaks for it's self.  You don't want some uneducated, untrained, and uninterested football coach training your child. This is the number one reason Weightlifting gets such a terrible reputation.

3. Teach your children proper nutrition:
- This all starts with you.  Your child watches you constantly they watch how you talk and interact with people, how you dress, and how you eat.  If you are stuffing your face with a Big Mac, then they will be more inclined to do the same when they grow up. Do not let them grow up to hate fruits and veggies because you never fed them fruits and veggies.

2012 Memphis Fall Open Weightlifting Meet-Write Up

So this meet went okay for me in a way.  I had some difficulties with my nerves in the Snatch which caused me to have a less then perfect 4 out of six finish.  I totaled 180 kilos which is middle of the road for me in the three meets that I have been in (170ish, and 190ish respectively). I did however, set a new PR on my Clean and Jerk at 110 kilos (this is the weight that I hurt myself on three months ago).  I missed out barely on 112 for my last attempt in the clean and jerk.  Down below you will see my stats.

This biggest thing that made this day is the fact that my former coach, friend, mentor,etc. John Simmons; was able to lift in a meet for the first time in three years.  John has done a lot for me and we go back a long ways, so it was very important for me to have him there lifting next to me.  In return John went six for six on set PR's on his Snatch, Clean and Jerk, and Total.


So what's next for me.  Well we are planning on having another Memphis Open sometime after Christmas.  That gives me about two months or more to train even harder.  I figure I will squat, press, and pull a lot more than normal.  I figure I will also work on my starting positions a little bit more; this way they feel better and I get more consistent with them.

How the cycle has been going.

So for the last few weeks I have been M.I.A. on posting how the cycle has been going.  This is in part because I have had a crazy last few weeks.  I have gotten married, had a honeymoon, and have been trying to get all of the paperwork in order for my wife to change her name and to also get myself a Tennessee driver's license.  Did you know that you had to show three different proofs of citizenship just to get a state id?  Come on Tennessee I think a social security card and a birth record is good enough.  Anyways, I feel that I have been neglecting all of you out there who follow this blog.  So without any more distractions here is how the cycle has been going.

Week 3
Went pretty well, it was kind of broken up with the wedding and the honeymoon.  I did have some issue coming back from a week off and hitting the same intensity and volume that I had previously done the week before.  I ended up having most of my erector muscles bunching up and causing me some low back pain.  I ended the week with a trip to the chiropractor to get rid of some of that discomfort. As far as weight is concerned I pushed everything up ten pounds like normal and met some new Pr's.

Week 4
Went pretty good too.  I did stall out a little bit on day four with my Push Presses.  One of my coaches Doug Larson helped me with my set up on Snatch.  I am pushing my knees out a little bit more at the start of my first pull to help keep myself over the bar and back on my heels.  This will help keep the bar in line with my body and allow me to hit in the right spots in my second pull.

I hope that at the meet on October 27th at the University of Memphis Field house I can make a 200 or 205 total. The USAW hasn't come out with the totals needed to qualify for Collegiate Nationals so it is all up in the air for right now.

This One Is For You Ryan Malone Press On… Press On…

I am sure you guys think the title of this article is a little bit odd and redundant.  However, there is a very important story behind this title.  I was driving from work on Friday morning; before I got home my gas light began to shine its amber light as an indication that I should probably get gas before I ended up stuck on the side of the road. I took this warming and pulled up to my local Kroger to use a somewhat useless ten cents off at the gas pump.  I turned my truck off; I opened the console to grab my Kroger card.  However, I was somewhat stupefied or amazed to find an old rubber band bracelet. This bracelet wasn't some dumb Live Strong bracelet, or something that was massively reproduced so that he could break on you two days after you bought it.  No, this was a bracelet that I had received while playing for The University of Mississippi Football team.  As I held it and ran my fingers through the letters P..R..E...S..S..O..N.. I began to have nostalgic flashbacks of Coach Houston Nutt in the team meeting room preaching to us and motivating us.  I was filled with happy memories and good feelings.

                

           This is where the story goes a little south! As I pumped my gas into my truck, my cell phone buzzed, it was another Facebook notification.  This time it wasn't a simple break up, or engagement, or photo, or even a stupid comment about a few sorority sisters happiness on bid day (or even one girl face planting in the grove when she was running to her new sorority house).  It was a message about a young man named Ryan Malone.  Ryan Malone was a graduate student at The University of Mississippi he was also a local who I had grown up with and one of the first training partners I ever had.  Ryan died overnight in his apartment, his girlfriend found him and rushed him to the hospital but he was already gone.  Ryan was twenty-four and was to finish his master’s degree this summer. As I drove home, I held that rubber band bracelet. 

Press On…

                

             I thought about Ryan most of the afternoon and even into training. I remembered when we were in high school and how we lifted together.  Ryan was your typical meat head and basked in the glory of being one.  He tried Power lifting, but that wasn't his love; Bodybuilding was. Not to say he didn't have other aspects that he trained.  All I could think about was Ryan and Press On.  I began to think about what Coach Nutt use to say all the time “These are the best days of your life.”  So I made a promise to Ryan and myself.  That every day from this point on, I was going to live and train because these are the best days of my life; I will train like Ryan would; attacking lifts and making progress by fighting for it.  I would press on during days that I didn't feel right or on lifts that I missed.  I won’t let others bring me down, and I won’t allow myself to bring myself down.

             Ryan, you had a profound effect on me. Without you, I wouldn't have taken pride in training. If I hadn't taken pride in my training I probably wouldn't have gone to college for football.  If I hadn't gone to school for football I wouldn't have met the coaches that opened my eyes to the profession of Strength and Conditioning, or Olympic Weightlifting.  If I hadn't opened my eyes to the profession of Strength and Conditioning, or Olympic Weightlifting, I would have nothing right now. So from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you Ryan Malone.  Without you, I wouldn't have had anything that I have right now. I wish you the best up there and we love you brother.

PRESS ON……

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3 Week Strength Block Week 1

I stayed very conservative at the start of this cycle.  I finally got it in my head that the race is not a 100 yards that it is 1000 miles. I had been focusing lately on one thing and one thing only the Memphis Fall Open (our local weightlifting meet).  I believed this was the only chance I had to qualify for the 2013 Collegiate Nationals Championship.  It isn't.  I have a long road ahead of me and weightlifting career; I am twenty three years old, and in pretty good health.  With that in mind I decided that I would start on a foundation of strength and build from there.

With that being said I set 85% of my lifts as my 5RM.  Next, I followed somewhat of Glenn Pendley's 5x5 approach and took about 15-20% of that as my training weight.  Each week I will add ten pounds to the lifts.  If my hypothesis is correct within a four week period I will be lifting 90% or more of my 1RM for a 5RM. This will continue into my next strength block or until my coach decides otherwise. I am eager to build strength. I am eager to get stronger.  Being stronger will help me Jerk, Squat, and Pull. 

The heavy volume has helped me with my problem areas.  I feel my upper back, core, glutes, and hamstrings have gotten stronger and built up better. The addition of close grip bench press has added more strength towards my lockout in the Jerk. I have great expectations for this cycle and my overall performance.  

Great Article from Glenn Pendlay

Blue Collar Recovery

3/10/2011  by  Glenn Pendlay

Most of you are somewhat familiar with recovery methods of professional or full time athletes. Massage therapists. Cold plunges. Well outfitted training rooms. Nutritionists and supplement regimens designed specifically for the individual athlete. In short, unlimited time and money to do everything possible to recover faster, train more, and make faster progress. But you, you're working 40 hours a week and overtime when you can get it. Money is short cause the oldest needs braces and the youngest still needs new diapers ever time your turn around. The wife wants a bigger house, but you really NEED that new truck. Whether you want to add 10kg to your clean and jerk, or push your arms from 16 to 17 inches, you need to keep it down and dirty, with minimum investment of time and money. While you are not going to be able to equal the effectiveness of the recovery techniques of the best athletes in the world, you can often come surprisingly close for very little money, and a modest time investment. The cheapest and easiest investment in your recovery is simply sleep. Sure, I know, boring, right? Well, not so boring when you consider that the professional athlete can take advantage of everything at his or her disposal, and if the party lasts till 3 or 4am every night, and they are getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep, and you do nothing but get adequate (8 hours or more) sleep, you are probably better off than they are. I have heard every excuse in the book, but, in 9 out of 10 cases, all that is really needed to get adequate sleep is to shut the TV off and go to bed a little earlier. Poor diet contributes to fatigue in most athletes. Next to sleep, fixing your diet is the quickest (and possibly best) way to aid in recovery. General nutrition for the blue collar athlete should revolve around nutrient rich foods. Beef, fish, eggs, nuts, milk, vegetables, and fruits, especially berries. I have always felt that most meals should mainly feature a protein source (beef, eggs, etc) and vegetables, and carbs should be added to gain weight or taken away to lose weight. I guarantee you, you will not recover as well on a bowl of cocoa puffs in the morning as you will on scrambled eggs with onions, peppers, or spinach mixed in, ham, and an orange or apple or some berries. Frozen pizza won't get you as far as a good cut of beef or salmon and asparagus… and no, that DOESN'T take that long to cook! Center your meals around a variety of quality protein sources and a variety of vegetables and fruits. Carbs are not the enemy, but they are not as nutrient dense and as I said earlier, the amount you eat should be added to if you want to gain weight, and subtracted from if you want to lose weight. Consuming nutrients directly before and after your workout, in most cases a combination of protein and carbs, can greatly aid in maximizing the benefits of the training performed and also speed up the recovery process for the next session. Dehydration can be detrimental to performance and recovery post-training. Drinking adequate fluids before and during training can ensure that recovery following training is optimal. An adequate pre-workout meal will result in less muscle damage and will ultimately lead to greater recovery. Simple foods, with only 1-2 ingredients, tend to work best and are easy to digest. Eggs and oatmeal, a meat and cheese sandwich, even steak and potato are solid choices. For those of us who prefer not train on a full stomach, try drinking a protein and carbohydrate shake or 2 glasses of milk to get the same benefit. Post-workout nutrition is the mythical holy grail of recovery with everyone searching for the best product or optimal combination. Taking in a combination of protein and carbs, sooner rather than later, will restore carbohydrate stores of the muscle and increase protein synthesis (muscle building). Most recommendations include a ratio of 2-3x the amount of carbohydrate to protein; 100-150 grams of carbs and 50 grams protein. Any type of post-workout shake is a good option, but again whole foods can also do the trick; this is also a great time to take in foods higher in sugar (fruit, white breads). Many of the same options pre-workout also apply here but also, milk and a bagel, eggs and fruit, chocolate milk, etc. Hydrotherapy is very easily accessible even for those of you who don't have a hot tub or a pool. Hopefully you have a shower. If not, you have more problems than recovery. Contrast showers are one of the best examples of hydrotherapy out there, and its accessible to just about everyone. In general, 30 seconds of cold water alternated with 1 to 2 minutes of hot water, continued for 10-15 minutes works well. Start with hot and end with cold, try switching up the amount of time you use for each cycle so the body does not adapt, and for best use the coldest and hottest water you can stand. Another example of hydrotherapy is the good old Epsom salt bath. It's the type of thing your mom and grandmother might have used, and in my opinion this says a lot, I tend to trust stuff that's been around forever more than the latest fad. Usually there is at least some reason it's managed to stick around. In this instance it has recently been found that the magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin and raises blood levels of magnesium significantly if you do it 2 to 3 times per week. This helps with relaxation, and, there is little more important in recovery than sleep and relaxation. Put about 1lb of salts in the average bath. An example of a blue collar cold plunge that I have used myself is 16lbs of ice dumped in the bathtub and then filling the tub partway with cold water, and getting in for 15-20 minutes. This costs a few dollars for the ice, but it can be valuable say, once a week after your hardest leg workout. Ice is your friend. Any sore joint should be iced after training. Ice packs are cheap and usually a one time investment. Another inexpensive version of cryotherapy is to get some paper or Styrofoam cups, fill them with water and freeze… then, when you want to use them, peel a half inch or inch of the top of the cup… use the bottom of the cup to hold on to it and massage what hurts with the ice, or have a workout partner help with hard to reach areas. Most of us can't afford professional massages on a regular basis. I know I cant, and I FOR SURE couldn't have when I was spending more time training and less time working than I am now, lol. But you can self massage your legs, and many other bodyparts, and most "significant others" can be persuaded to give a short back massage here and there. Massage feels good and may help alleviate muscle soreness by increasing muscle blood flow. Foam rollers are not expensive, and can be a great accompaniment to massage. Work with a foam roller in a specific area may help breakdown soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue and make the muscle more pliable. Getting in a sauna once a week isn't impossible for most people. I recommend doing it after your workout on a day where the next day is a rest day, and doing 2 to 3 15 minute sessions in the sauna, separated by 5 to 10 minutes out. When my guys do this on Saturday after the Saturday workout, they ALWAYS feel better on Monday… Sunday is our rest day. A newer technique that has shown some added benefit is the use of compression garments following training. While it is an added expense, they can be used for months/years on end with no need for replacement. Compression garments, think tights for the upper and lower body, aid in reducing swelling of the muscle post-training and allow muscle recovery to occur at a fast rate than without garments. The garment should be tight, as to apply compression, but not so tight that it restricts blood flow to the area. Most of these recovery techniques will offer some small immediate benefit to your training. However, for best results, they should treated like training itself, in that prolonged consistent use overtime will go a long way to allow for harder training and faster recovery. Experiment with different combinations as time allows and find a system that works for you. So there you have it. Not much new or revolutionary, but, I would be willing to bet that not many of you are really taking advantage of all the methods at your disposal. Get enough sleep. Eat a good, nutrient rich diet, especially before and after your workout. Take advantage of your shower and your bathtub for contrast showers, homemade "cold plunges" and an Epsom salt bath here and there. Use ice to ice or massage anything that is particularly sore. Use the massage techniques that are at your disposal, there should be several of them, and, if you can, look into some compression garments. Do these things and forego the parties and late nights, and you can probably put yourself AHEAD of most of the pro's when it comes to recovery.

3 Week Strength Block

This is my new Strength block.  It will be altered as we go because the last week will lead up to my wedding day in Destin, FL so instead of five days of training that week I might have to do three and add in two session everyday prior to the day we leave.  Also, our next meet is getting close, we are going to have to tailor the next few cycles to prep ourselves for it.

Week 1-3 Week 4 Unloaded/Recovery Tall Snatch + Snatch Balance in all warmups Day 1 Back Squat 5RM; 4 x 5 @ 90% High Hang, Mid-thigh, Floor Stop Snatches x 8 @ 70% GHR 5 x 5 GHD Situps 5 x 10 Day 2 Close Grip Bench Press 5RM; 4 x 5 @ 90% Push Press + Jerk + Jerk x 5 sets @ 70% of Jerk 1RM Clean Pull 3 x 5 @ 100% of clean Barbell Row 5 x 10, not pendlay row Single Arm Farmer's Carry 5 sets heavy Reverse Hyper 3 x 15 Day 3 Front Squat 5RM; 4 x 5 @ 90% High Hang, Mid-thigh, Floor Stop Cleans x 8 @ 70% GHR 5 x 5 Pallof Press 5 x 30 sec per side Day 4 Push Press 5RM; 4 x 5 @ 90% Snatch 6 x 1 @ 90% of 1RM Pullups 5 x 10 Toes to Bar 5 x 10 Reverse Hyper 3 x 15 Day 5 Snatch 1RM Clean & Jerk 1RM Back Squat 1RM

3rd Pull Strength Cycle Week 4 Review

This was the unloading week of this cycle.  At the start of the week I felt a little pinch in my back so I altered the week a little bit.  I was originally only suppose to work up to 3RM or 5RM as normal and ditch the drop sets. However, with the sudden pinch I just decided to do a heavy (non maximal) single on certain movements.  This way I was still lifting heavy but not taxing myself too much.  For the most part the numbers I was hitting were what I would normally hit for about a 2RM or 3RM without pushing too hard.  I did cut out some of the accessory lifts and just focused on technique a little bit more with the classic lifts.  My body weight has finally come back down to my weight class as well.  This is important for me because my goal is to stay at this weight and get stronger in the up coming strength cycle.

Donny Shankle: On Weightlifting: A Personal View

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How funny life can be.

So in the last two month my life has gotten pretty crazy. I moved into a apartment with my soon to be wife. I left my job as a school teacher (that was a good paying position too). I have started a new job as a physical therapist tech and was let go after a month. I have been unemployed and
I have found a new job as well. I have done all this while still enrolling in graduate classes and planning a wedding.
Through all these things however I have continued to press forward and stay positive with the help of three things.
1.) Faith
2.) Family
3.) Weight lifting

Thank you Lord, thank you everyone.

3rd Pull Strength Cycle Week 3 Review

Week three is over with and in the books.  I started out this week a little bit behind due to the long Labor Day weekend.  I am not complaining about the long break but I did have to double up on Tuesday with workout sessions.  I went in think that this week would be off due to the long break; however, I couldn’t have been more mistaken.  I set not only one PR this week, I sent five of them.  That’s right you read correctly, I reach down deep this week and managed to get five PR’s.  This is how the week went for me.

Day One (Tuesday): The morning started off with two PR’s.  I Jerked 100% of my training max for a double.  I originally was trying to a 4RM but I will take a 2RM any day of the week with 100% of my training max.  Next I set a new 3RM at my current body weight (189) with an easy 315 lbs.  Normally, when I start to lose weight my strength lift numbers tend to drop.  However, during this cycle my weight has dropped and my numbers have gone up.  The afternoon I PR’d again in both my Overhead Squat where I performed a 3RM with 225 lbs. (100 kilograms). As well as Snatch Push Press with 225 for a 1RM. 

Day Two: I was really sore from the day before, I didn’t believe that the day would be that great seeing that my body had just done some amazing things the day before.  However, to my surprise I hit another PR this time on Front Squats.  Originally, I was supposed to shoot for a 3RM on Front Squats however, I was only able to do a 2RM of 270.  Although this wasn’t a 3RM it was a 2RM and again I will gladly take a PR any day of the week. I did not have a great day on my other lifts (Tall Clean and Power Clean).  By this point I was extremely fatigued from the Front Squats.

Day Three: I woke up feeling pretty good.  The night before my success was met by a very important message.  Jon North had read my tweets about my training and my PR’s and posted friendly words of encouragement to me and my training. I entered the gym extremely happy and humble.  However, my body couldn't really handle another PR.  I was also extremely pressed for time.  My wedding is coming up soon and I was needed by my soon to be wife to handle wedding stuff.  I left the gym after only being there less than thirty minutes.

Day Four: I woke up feeling a little bit more rested.  I was again pressed for time so I had to lift in the morning.  After teaching my Physical Education class at the University of Memphis I lifted in the old Fieldhouse on campus.  It was probably the best place for me to lift because it was the only place with platforms and kilo plates.  While I listened to some heavy metal I began to slap plates on the bar.  I worked my way up all the way up to 90 kilos on snatch and 110 on clean.  These two were extremely difficult for me due to my inconsistency.  I did finally hit the weight and I did finally total 200 kilograms which is a PR for me and five kilograms short of the qualifying total I need to go to Nationals.

All in all this week was by far the best week I have had during this cycle.  Week four will be an unloading week.  It will be a week I won’t completely follow the program and I will listen to my body.  I currently do not have a competition schedule until after my wedding.  I have a total of two months or eight weeks before the next competition which is plenty of time to get those five kilos.  I am not stressing and I am staying positive.

3rd Pull Strength Cycle Week 2 Review

Week two is done.  I am not as sore as the previous week.  Towards the end of the week I started to feel some tightness in my groin, so I backed off of the safety bar squats after my classic work (snatch and clean and jerk).  There were some good things that happened this week and some things that I will have to attack even more next week.  However, this is how the week went for me.

Day one (Monday): My jerks felt good.  I hit 215 lbs on my 4RM and did hit my drop sets of 4x4@90% pretty well.  This is a PR from last week. Back Squat is still a work in progress for me.  Right now, my main goal is to work on my back rounding and strength.  I believe the next two weeks will be better for me.

Day two (Tuesday): I PR'd on Snatch Push Press with a 215 5RM, which is just ten pounds away from my goal.  Still close to a PR on Overhead Squats.  I feel like getting stronger in these two lifts, and my pulls will help me with my goal of 100 kilo (220 lbs.) Snatch.

Day three (Thursday): I PR'd on my Front Squats again.  I actually did my 1RM of 265lbs. for a 3RM.  That puts my 1RM up to 290 lbs. This is huge, however, I still have to work on my back rounding still.  My T-spine was a little bit sore afterwards, and I didn't get my last rep of my drop sets of 4x3@90%. 2RM Power Cleans went the same as last week.  However, my 2RM Tall Cleans went up ten pounds (215 lbs.), which is a huge increase from the week before. I feel like the Tall Cleans are extremely beneficial for me.  It is helping my body get use to turning the bar over faster and getting myself under the bar and in the right positions faster.

Day four (Friday): I hit 90% of my snatch max for eight singles.  This is amazing seeing that the week before I had so many problems with the bar and my technique. The bar path was still not ideal.  I could feel that much.  However, I caught it low and above all, I caught it.  For Push Press, one of the other strength coaches at Faction Strength & Conditioning, Chris Moore, came up with a hypothesis.  One of my major troubles with my lifts is the bar path.  I tend to push the bar away from my body, which not only makes me fight the weight, but also gravity.  So, we decided to attach an Elitefts red mini band to the bar and put tension forward while I perform my movements, to trick my body into actively pulling the bar back in the normal path.  So far, it is being tested, however, I did hit the same 195lbs. better than I did the week before.  My stabilizer muscles we fatigued, and I couldn't really finish my drop sets. We used the same tactic on my Pendlay Rows and Snatch Pulls, which I felt really helped.

Day five (Saturday): I took Friday off and was planning on having a good breakfast and early training session on this day.  That didn't happen though.  A family emergency came up this morning, and I couldn't train or eat how I wanted to.  I got to the gym late and couldn't lift on the platform and bar I normally use.  My groin was also bothering me this morning, and it felt tender during my warm ups and lifts. My snatches didn't turn out right.  My bar path was not where it should have been.  I was still catching it in front of my body.  I did, however, have a good Clean day.  I pulled myself under the weight that I had previously not been able to.  I called it quits after the Cleans due to my groin and closing time at the gym.

All in all it was not a terrible week.  I was able to PR on several different days, and I barely missed the total I need to qualify for nationals, on Saturday.  In hindsight, that is great because nationals isn't until April and our next meet is another two months away.  That gives me eight weeks to go heavier and get stronger and better at my positioning.  These are my two weaknesses, and they are the two areas that I will be focusing on the most in the coming cycles.

3rd Pull Strength Cycle Week 1 Review

Week one is done.  I am sore and tired but no real aches or pains. This week was the first week of the new cycle.  Typically, I like to take one week of transition between cycles.  This allows me some rest between cycles and right after what is suppose to be the end of a really difficult cycle. The transition week is nothing more than just preparing myself for the new cycle as well as allowing me some conditioning or General Physical Preparation (GPP) and fun. However, my last cycle ended with an unloading week where volume was cut and intensity stayed constant.  This allowed me to attack this week head on.

Day one: My Jerks were pretty good, I hit about 90% on my max for a 4RM and was able to actually finish my 4x4@90% volume work pretty well.  Back Squat didn't go so well for me, however, I missed an easy weight for a 3RM due to my back rounding over.  This is a problem that is getting fixed as we speak.  Metcon didn't bother me at all.

Day two: I found my Overhead Squat 3RM, which was the first time I had ever done a max on Overhead Squat.  Snatch Push Press 5RM went well too.  Both were PR's. I was extremely sore afterwards seeing that I had not really done work before with those muscle groups.  This could be a reason why my snatch might not have been as heavy as it is.  My coach, Michael Matraca Bledsoe, and I found out that it might not be strength limiting me in the Snatch.  The limitation might be technique.  However, both have to improve.  Again, the metcon didn't bother me.

Day three:  I PR'd on my Front Squat with a 3RM and finished my 4x3@90% with a solid back.  I became extremely sore in my T-spine afterwards.  I hit about 90% of my max for a 2RM Power Clean.  I should have done more, but I was feeling very tired and fatigued. I hit 85% of my max for a 2RM Tall Cleans.  Again, I should have done more, but it is a new exercise, and it is firing muscles that I haven't used before.

Day four didn't go well for me.  I was originally suppose to do eight singles at 90% of my snatch max.  However, I couldn't get my technique down and was having difficulties with getting the bar on the right path.  So my coach, Michael Matraca Bledsoe, told me to drop the weight and work at a lighter weight (I did a total of twelve snatches at about 70%). I did set a PR on Push Press.  I was successful at doing 195 lbs. for five reps, which a few weeks ago, in a training video, I was only able to do four reps.  I did all volume work of 4x5@90% with some issues coming up on the last rep of the last set.  Pendley Rows and Snatch Pulls went well.  My back stayed tight and did not round very much.

Day five didn't go well at all.  I was extremely tired, and hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.  The morning was crazy and busy with family obligations.  I didn't have my normal breakfast, and I was completely sore from the week.  So far, I hadn't take a day off of training and was feeling the side effects. I was not able to hit 90% on any of my lifts.  I was so frustrated with myself that I just left the gym after the clean and jerk and  took the misery home with me.

My goals for next week are:
Jerk 215 x4
Push Press 200 x4
Back Squat 315 x3 (with no back problems)
Overhead Squat 225 x3
Snatch Push Press 225x5
Front Squat 260 x3
Power Clean 100% x2
Tall Clean 90% x2
Snatch 90% x 8 singles
Snatch 195 x1
Clean and Jerk 245 x1

Recovery

I decided to write this article after yesterday's training session.  Following a grind out training session, I decided it was time to bring back an old terrible friend to help me recover in time for the next day's session.  The terrible old friend is called an Ice Bath.  Now many people look at me with a very confused and profound worried look on their faces when I mention those words.  That is the main reason I am writing this. Ice Bath's tend to get a bad reputation, and the reason that they do is because most do not understand the science behind them.  Yes, they do suck; trust me I did one last night. However, they are very beneficial.

First, let me start off by explaining what exactly an Ice Bath is for those of you who may not know.  An Ice Bath is the surrounding of entire muscle groups with ice and water to constrict blood flow, and help flush lactic acid, and swelling.  Lactic acid can contribute to DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).  Now something you might not have known; every time you do something strenuous (lifting weights, playing recreational sports, running, etc.) your muscle are microscopically torn.   When these tears occur to the soft tissue of your body cells they can and may rupture.  This triggers a inflammatory response within the body.

The injured area tries to protect itself by beginning to swell, this places pressure on the surround area (tissues, and nerves) causing pain and stiffness.  Cold items can be placed around the injured area causing contraction with the tissues and blood vessels. The contraction to blood vessels allows for less blood and plasma to be pushed through the area limiting fluid collection.  Limiting the amount of fluid near the injured area reduces swelling and eases discomfort.  The tears within the muscles will repair themselves and you will get bigger, faster, and stronger.

Ice Baths are really a simple way to make sure all muscle groups that are injured are equally treated.  It is really simple all you need is three to four ten pound bags of ice and bath tub or large enough tub like apparatus (I've even sat in a kiddie pool).  The athlete then sits in the tub of ice and water.

*Note to readers: Ice Baths should only last anywhere from 10-15 minutes.

Now after your next strenuous activity enjoy one of these bad boys and call me in the morning.  I bet you will feel better.

Not Everyone is Michael Phelps

This was an interview that details how hard the life of a U.S. Olympian is and how unsupported U.S. Olympians are compared to our counterparts in the world.  Watch this and the next time someone ask you for help to go to the Olympics give it to them. Not everyone is Michael Phelps, some are the unknown faces in the Subway commercials and Wheaties boxes.

http://cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2012/07/11/tsr-pkg-sylvester-olympians-broke.cnn.html

3rd pull strength cycle

This cycle I am dubbing the 3^rd pull strength cycle.  The reason for the naming is because during the next four weeks I will be working on my 3^rd pull by strengthening my body to be able to receive the bar better.  We are focusing more on my problem areas right now which is upright posture and position posture as well as an underlying catalyst called strength.  In this cycle, I will be squatting four days out of the five days.  I will be pressing four days out of the five days, and lastly I will be classic lifting three days out of the five days.   For conditioning and for attacking my really bad t-spine, upper back, and core strength I will be doing metcons (metabolic conditioning) with exercises that target those weak areas.  I am changing up my training days for this cycle to better fit my new work schedule and help me spend more time with my family (my fiancée Dorothy McMillan, and our two dogs Abby and Tucker). The four week cycle will look like this:

Week 1

Day 1- Monday
Jerk 4RM, 4x4@90%
Back Squat 3RM, 4x3@90%
5 Rounds Rest 90 sec. repeat:
5 DB Row – Heavy (contract scap first then pull- awesome idea from a past coach Jason Wilfawn owner of .Peak Performance Specialists, LLC  This will help my T-Spine fire a little bit more).

5 GHR

Day 2- Tuesday
Overhead Squat 3RM
Snatch Grip Push Press 5RM, 2x5@90%
5 Rounds:
10 Pull ups
10 GHD Sit ups

Day 3- Wednesday
Front Squat 3RM 4x3@90%
Power Clean 2RM
Tall Clean 2RM
Pallof Press 3x30 sec. holds

Day 4- Thursday
Snatch 8x1-90%
Push Press 5RM 4x5@90%
Pendley Row 5x5
Snatch Pull 5x3 @ today’s Snatch Weight

Day 5- Saturday
Snatch 1RM
Clean & Jerk 1RM
Safety Bar Squat 3RM 4x3@90%
Muscle Up Practice- I know what you are thinking.  How does this fit into an Olympic lifters program it's a Crossfit exercise.  Here is my take on it, if I can lift my body weight in multiple plans and in multiple ways and I am fast at it; then maybe it will transfer over to the barbell.

Week 2
Day 1
Jerk 4RM, 4x4@90%
Back Squat 3RM, 4x3@90%
5 Rounds Rest 90 sec. repeat:
5 DB Row – Heavy
5 GHR

Day 2
Overhead Squat 3RM
Snatch Grip Push Press 5RM, 2x5@90%
5 Rounds Rest 90 sec. repeat:
10 Pull ups
10 GHD Sit ups

Day 3
Front Squat 3RM 4x3@90%
Power Clean 2RM
Tall Clean 2RM
Pallof Press 3x30 sec. holds

Day 4
Snatch 8x1-90% of Day5 1RM
Push Press 5RM 4x5@90%
Pendley Row 5x5
Snatch Pull 5x3 @ today’s Snatch Weight

Day 5
Snatch 1RM
Clean & Jerk 1RM
Safety Bar Squat 3RM 4x3@90%
Muscle Up Practice

Week 3
Day 1
Jerk 4RM, 4x4@90%
Back Squat 3RM, 4x3@90%
5 Rounds Rest 90 sec. repeat:
5 DB Row – Heavy
5 GHR

Day 2
Overhead Squat 3RM
Snatch Grip Push Press 5RM, 2x5@90%
5 Rounds Rest 90 sec. repeat:
10 Pull ups
10 GHD Sit ups

Day 3
Front Squat 3RM 4x3@90%
Power Clean 2RM
Tall Clean 2RM
Pallof Press 3x30 sec. holds

Day 4
Snatch 8x1-90% of Day5 1RM
Push Press 5RM 4x5@90%
Pendley Row 5x5
Snatch Pull 5x3 @ today’s Snatch Weight

Day 5
Snatch 1RM
Clean & Jerk 1RM
Safety Bar Squat 3RM 4x3@90%
Muscle Up Practice

Week 4- Unloading Week
Day 1
Jerk 4RM
Back Squat 3RM
5 Rounds Rest 90 sec. repeat:
5 DB Row – Heavy
5 GHR

Day 2
Overhead Squat 3RM
Snatch Grip Push Press 5RM
5 Rounds Rest 90 sec. repeat:
10 Pull ups
10 GHD Sit ups

Day 3
Front Squat 3RM
Power Clean 2RM
Tall Clean 2RM
Pallof Press 3x30 sec. holds

Day 4
Snatch 8x1-90% of Day5 1RM
Push Press 5RM
Pendley Row 5x5
Snatch Pull 1x3 @ today’s Snatch Weight

Day 5
Snatch 1RM
Clean & Jerk 1RM
Safety Bar Squat 3RM
Muscle Up Practice

Supplements for Weightlifters

Let me start this off by saying that each lifter is different, each sport is different, and each will have different needs.  This article only really addresses things that I think are the best bang for your buck when it comes to being a weightlifter from my own personal experience and the instruction of my coach.  With that being said here are the key supplements I think are necessary for weightlifting and lifting altogether:

1. Whey/Egg Protein- this is an easy, inexpensive way to make sure your protein requirements are met every day. The reason that Whey and Egg Protein are the only two proteins that are considered because Soy Protein as stated before is not beneficial in the diet of athletes or normal individuals and Casein Protein is a lower quality filler protein.  Also, Egg Protein and eggs in general have an amino acid profile most similar to the body’s needs.  Supplemental proteins tend to also have amounts of fats and carbohydrates naturally blend into which makes it perfect for training. For the best results look for protein supplements with little to no amounts of artificial sweeteners.
2. Fish Oil- Fish oil provides the needed Omega-3 Fatty acids that are essential in the diet of athletes and non-athletes alike.  Although some do not take it because of the taste; these little guys play major roles in health, improved heart and cardiovascular health, anti-inflammatory to fight DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), and insulin sensitivity.
3. Multivitamins- These are just as easy and inexpensive as a protein supplement to make sure you are getting all important minerals that most neglect by not eating specific fruits and vegetables.
4. Creatine- Helps keep ATP (adenosine Triphosphate) stores high. Creatine can increase performance during anaerobic activity (lifting) which will increase strength and muscle; creatine can also decrease cortisol levels and oxidative damage.  If taken at bedtime it has the ability to increase growth hormone secretion at nighttime.  Now a disclaimer.  Creatine varies from each individual; some will see an immediate response from consuming some will not.  Body weight might increase from water retention without performance gains.  There is also no real loading period with creatine, you simply just start off with the normal grams/day.  The body however, will respond to the supplement and will reduce its own production to return to homeostasis. For best results cycle anywhere from two to six weeks on and one week off.
5. ZMA (Zinc Monomethionine Aspartate, Magnesium Aspartate and Vitamin B6) - This supplement has being used by athletes for improving sleep. Improving sleep can help improve performance because hormone levels are recovered and tissues can repair themselves.  It also helps athletes that are low in all three minerals.
6. Glucosamine/Chondroiton – These are also very important and inexpensive.  Glucosamine/Chondrotion can help improve cartilage repair and joint health. This is important when you consider how much exposure the joint receive not only in weightlifting but also in any sport or physical activity.  I highly recommend adding this to your nutrition plans.

Notable others that might be helpful that you didn’t know about:

• Green Tea- Not only is it full of antioxidants and anticarcinogen, it also has an effect in increasing beta oxidation, metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance.  Green teas also have adaptogens to help the body adapt to fatigue and stress to maintain homeostasis (hence the root word adapt). 

Things to Come on A Novices Approach to Strength Training

Soon to come:

1. Article addressing supplements of a Weightlifter
2. New Training Cycle Post
3. Daily Training Videos from the Faction Weightlifting Team

If there are any topics you wish for me to discuss please feel free to comment at the bottom or message me on Facebook or Twitter (@astuartlift).

Week 4 Max Out

The test out for this week didn't go as well as I would like.  I had a humbling experience with the barbell and some great words with my training partner Amber Chauncey Strain.  She reminded me that I would not always put up PR's every time we lift.  She reminded me that I should be happy that earlier in the week I was able to Power Snatch 190 which was a huge PR for me coming back from the set back.   So after having things put in a better perspective I left not as bummed out as I had been.

I am looking forward to the next training cycle.  I feel that this cycle will help me with being stronger at the bottom of my cleans and snatches.  It will also help me with my jerks and presses. I think my coach Michael Matraca Bledsoe really came up with an awesome program for me that addresses a lot of my key problems.  I am hoping that my body weight will continue to drop down to my weight class and my strength will continue to come back and get better.  I hope that I can take this 192 total and get a 203 total by the time our meet at Factions Strength and Conditioning is here (Nov. 3).  I will have more time to qualify but I am hoping to qualify early and have plenty of time to fix my mistakes and short comings.

Donny Shankle Interview

This is a great interview with Donny Shankle.  Donny is a great athlete and has competed at Pan American Games and U.S. Olympic Trials.  He gives great insight into the doping scandal internationally in the world as well as insight in how to be a better lifter. You can find this interview and more at YouTube.

Support

I just want to take some time and say thank you to Mikki St John for donating to
http://fundly.com/
a-novice-s-approach-to-strength-training-fund-for-nationals I really appreciate all the help that you guys give me. This money will be spent on training and competition only not my personal life.

Sonja and I go way back to the times where I was literal in first or second grade.  She has been a major influence on not only my marital arts life (yes I do Kung Fu so watch out people I just might break your wind pipe if you make me mad) and my overall life.  I wish her and her Husband  Cory Tyler St John  the best in their lives and the life of their daughter. Thank you so much you guys. 

Training Video 8/16/12

Here are some training videos of what we did today at Faction Strength and Conditioning in Memphis.
That is my training  Amber Chauncey Strain and my Coach Michael Matraca Bledsoe.

That is 195 for four which is one rep short of a PR for me.  I am slowly getting back to where I was before the incident.  It doesn't seem like a lot but I weigh less than that bar. Amber did have a good day on squats but not so much on cleans today.  It's okay she just looked at the weight and called it some dirty words and told it that she would be back tomorrow.  Our coach Mike found his 3RM on Front Squats today and then did five sets of three at 90%.

Training Video

Here is a video of Safety Bar Box Squats.  This is 335 for a 1RM, I stopped here because I still had issues with losing my posture coming up.

Week 4 Unloading Week

This week is an unloading week for me.  Nothing too heavy we are going to keep the snatches, cleans, and Jerk roughly around 90%.  There will still be some 1RM, and 5RM lifts throughout the weeks on lifts that are key issues with my classic work.  This week will look something like this:

Day1
Snatch 4x1 Rest 90 Sec. -working up to 90%
Safety Bar Box Squats 1RM
Chinups 3x Max Reps
GHR Sit ups 3x10

Day2
Jerk 4x1 Rest 90 Sec. -working up to 90%
Push Press 5RM
Clean Pulls 5x3- Heavy
Reverse Hypers 3x15

Day3
Clean 4x1 Rest 90 Sec. -working up to 90%
Front Squat 1RM
Pendley Row 3x5 -Heavy
Palloff Press 3x 30sec.

Day4
Snatch 4x1 Rest 90 Sec. -working up to 90%
Snatch Pulls 5x3 -Heavy
Handstand Push Ups 3x Max Reps
Toes to Bars (HLR) 3x10

Day5
Snatch 1RM
Clean and Jerk 1RM
Quarter Squats 3x1
Single Arm Farmer Walks -Heavy x5

Meats… Fats… Their great!!! A Look into a Weightlifters Diet.

I thought about writing this article after I had a discussion with a former workmate at my past job.  The kid (and I can call him that because he wasn’t even twenty yet), asked me how he could basically look like one of the guys off of a Muscle and Health Magazine.  When asked about what he eats and how many hours he sleeps, and all the normal questions you would ask anyone who trains I got a quick look at how naïve I use to be.  He’s answer were exactly the same as mine once were: I go to bed at about one or two in the morning, I don’t eat breakfast, I normally eat two Sonic burritos and I drink shakes in between the day and I take fourteen different supplements to get my N.O. (Nitric Oxide) levels peaking. 

This was a bad time warp for me because I remembered thinking and doing the same thing.  So to help with all of those individuals much like my former colleague; I wanted to write an article and shed some light on how a weightlifter eats.   Now the first thing and most important thing is that there are three universal truths to nutrition.  This does not change within the spectrum of lifters (bodybuilding, power lifting, sports, crossfit, weightlifting, etc.)  These three things are: quantity, quality, and macronutrient composition.  All three have to be addressed equally to have good performance.  Now I will go into more detail about how these affect weightlifters however, you can change these around for any lifter.

Quantity:

Although this idea is rather simple in nature it is probably the most difficult for individuals to fathom.  Quantity in a nutshell refers to how much food you are eating at any given point in time.  Quantity is typically measured in calories or kilocalories (kcal for short).  This measurement gives an amount of energy that is being taken in by the body, as well as a tool for adjustment for personal/training goals. 

Quality:

Quality of food is even more unknown to the average individual.  People sometimes have a misunderstanding with what foods or quality foods are.  The guiding force behind food quality is this: simple natural foods are best.  Foods that are regarded as high quality are meats, veggies, fruits, tubers, nuts, and seeds, and certain dairy products.  Processed foods which normal contain grain products (even whole grains) are not dense enough compared to natural foods and can have a high risk for potential health risks.  High quality foods on the other hand will give your body the required micronutrients to: complete your workouts, recover after training sessions, prevent autoimmune disorders, and support long-term health and aid in athletic performance. 

Macronutrient Composition:

Macronutrient Composition is the last thing I will discuss.  In a nutshell Macronutrient Composition is simply the quantities of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. 

Protein:

Protein should be the most important macro.  Protein is very important because it can help in the rebuilding of tissues. A good baseline for protein intake is one gram per pound of body weight.  The quality of protein varies with different sources. Meats, Fishes, Eggs, and high-quality egg and whey supplements will all provide the greatest protein and amino acid balance.  The protein content of nuts and seeds, grains, and legumes is negligible in terms of both quantity and quality and shouldn't even be considered in the total protein intake. 

Now most people will wonder about Soy.  Soy has been pushed for years as a source of quality protein but most research on soy products and their effects on health have shown that Soy in any considerable quantity doesn’t belong in the diet.  On occasion fermented products such as soy sauce are ok.

Fat:

Fats are the next priority for weightlifters.  Fats have been demonized by the media, health gurus, doctors, researchers, and the government.  Fats are not a threat to overall health, they are actually necessary to supporting health.  There are three different fat types:

1.       Mono-unsaturated fats (good guys) - These should be the bulk of fat intake.  These fats are supplied by foods such as nuts and seeds, avocado, and olive oil and oil based dressings, and also meats.

2.       Poly-unsaturated fats (bad guys) - These are the fats that most promote as healthy but they should be generally avoided. They are especially bad if they are cooked at high heats (i.e. fried foods).  The poly-saturated fat a very unstable molecule and are easily damaged, creating extremely unhealthy substance such as trans-fats and lipid peroxides. 

3.       Saturated fats like those found in animal products shouldn’t be sought in great quantities, but as a stable molecule among other features, it’s very preferable over poly-unsaturated fat. Saturated fats are normally associated with dietary cholesterol.  Most know this is associated with heart disease.  There is no research that demonstrates any relationship between fat or dietary cholesterol and heart diseases. 

Cholesterol:

I felt obligated to write in this section because of the last sentence.  Most people believe by fear that cholesterol is bad.  However, cholesterol is a structural component of every single cell in the body and is required in the production of steroid hormones (testosterone).  It is essential to life and cholesterol in the body is produced by the liver.  This is why when people try to lower their cholesterol levels through reduction of dietary cholesterol they tend to fail, and proceed to take medication that their doctors prescribe (that they are getting money off the top for pushing). The reason that people fail is because the body simply manufactures what it needs to take up the slack just as it reduces production in the presence of adequate levels. 

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids:

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acid largely absent from most people diets which the rare consumption of organ meats and common consumption of Omega-3 rich fish.  Omega-6 fatty acids are also essential, but their consumption is typically sufficient and often excessive since most consume them through common foods such as meat, eggs, and nuts.  Eggs enrich with Omega-3 fatty acids are wise choices to help with the balancing the natural high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids in eggs.  Grass fed beef products are also high in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Flaxseed:

I felt obligated to include this in as well because it is often sold as a source of Omega-3 fatty acids, however the body needs an Omega 3-fatty acids comprise of 22-24 carbon atoms.  Flaxseed provides 18 carbon Omega-3 fatty acids.  The acids can be converted to the necessary form, but the process isn’t efficient and very little DHA and EPA are received.  Another problem with Flaxseed is that it can produce inflammation, and lower performance.  This is something that we use Omega-3 fatty acids to prevent.

Fats will be used to supply a large quantity of the daily calories for weightlifters.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates or carbs, are the last macronutrient they are intentionally placed last in the list.  This is a reversal of what many out there in the health field will promote.  The physical demands of weightlifting only require the baseline carbohydrate consumption, the bigs of the superheavyweight division or training cycles using unusually high reps that demand more on muscle glycogen.  The normal work of heavy, low rep training (weightlifting we only do at most 5 reps a set) are fueled by the phosphagen metabolic pathway, which is replenished through oxidative metabolism which is powered through fat storage.  There is no real demand on the glycolytic pathway, meaning there is very little use of muscle glycogen to do work.  So in short, there is no need to refill glycogen storage through dietary carbohydrate.  The body can also manufacture glycogen for liver and muscle stores without the use of dietary carbs. 

So what are carbohydrates good for? Carbohydrates are a good for micronutrient supply not suppliers.  The most nutrient dense carbohydrates are vegetables and fruits, which is why they will make up the majority of carb intake.  Tubers such as yams, sweet potatoes, and white potatoes can be considered supplementary during times when carb needs are needed (i.e. high rep training, weight gain, etc.) 

Here is a few pictures of some of the dishes that I ate:

References

Everett, Greg. Olympic Weightlifitng A Complete Guide For Athletes and Coaches. 2nd. Catalyst Athletics, 2011. 381-384. Print.

Week Three Test Out

So today started off pretty much unexpected for me.  I wasn't thinking that I was going to put up that great of numbers seeing that I had taken pretty much Friday afternoon till today off and laid around a hotel room in Destin, FL.  Now to be fair I did try to lift on the cable machines they had there but after having little to no range of motion and my shoulders starting to bother me I kinda gave up and proceeded to do a beach body workout of face pulls lat pull downs and tricep extensions.  So again back to the present, I walked in the gym today not feeling a 100% like I should on max out days.  However, I had an awesome day.  I felt a little stiff but I felt honed in on my technique and it showed on my snatch (really a power snatch).  I pr'd on snatch by five pounds today.  It's not a a lot but it's still pretty good for just now getting back into full Olympic lifting again.  Here is a video of the lift.

Clean and Jerk didn't go so well for me today still having issues with the jerk.  Next training cycle we will work on third pulls (and the jerk recovery) and squatting. So hopefully in twelve weeks we can have three members of the team qualifying for collegiate nationals. 

Till next time. Like me or hate me I am not going to change.

Dealing with adversity

After having a terrible last two days, I stormed out of my training session yesterday feeling depressed, full of anxiety, and all kinds of bad juju.  I was dealing with personal issues that have just now surfaced in the last two days compile that with the overhanging notion that I will be getting married in less than sixty days and add in the fact that I am not hitting the numbers that I should be in training.  All those emotions in one head can cause a serious panic attack.  Luckily through the words of my fiancée (Dot McMillan) and my coach (Mike Bledsoe) I've put that entire bad juju behind me.

I wasn't going to lift today.  I was just going to go talk to my coach and figure out where we were going to go from here.  However, after talking to both of them I decided what do I have to lose.  I am not going to be able to go to the gym again until next Tuesday and I might as well just go in and try.  And try I did, I ended up snatching better than I had all cycle long.  My snatch pulls and descent looked amazing and felt amazing.  I ended up doing eleven handstand pushups on my first set of max out reps.  This is awesome compared to the story Mike and I recalled today when he first made me try them on the gymnastic rings and I almost snapped my neck.

So the moral of this story is?  The moral here is that in life you will face adversity, this is inevitable.  This adversity will infect your training, no doubt about it.  However, you have to deal with adversity and understand that things will get better; you won't always PR in life or in the gym.  Every day is not a PR day.  Some day’s life will kick you in the mouth and you'll get up the next day and get kicked in the mouth again.  This cycle might repeat for a few weeks, but somewhere down the road something is going to click whether that is: your boss says good morning to you, someone opens the door for you, someone tells you that they liked something of yours, things feel better today, you aren't as soar, or you got something with perfect form.  This small little snowflake whatever it is will start to roll down the hill and become a giant snowball that will lead you to better things or PR's.

Until next time, keep fighting the good fight.  Push yourself and try new things; do a heavy weight fail at it go back down and then hit it again.  If you miss say a few dirty words to the weight and tell it you'll be back next time.

P.S. You can hate me or love me but I am heading to Destin, FL for a much need vacation and wedding planning session.  Wish me luck!

Corrective Strength Cycle

So on the last week of June right before we broke at The University of Memphis for Fourth of July "it" happened. "It" being my first injury while weightlifting.  Now it wasn't anything major only just a pulled rib head, a pulled rhomboid, and a strained pectoral minor all of which on my right side.  Not terrible just somewhat painful and tender.  The injury or set back as I like to call it came after I tried too hard to sacrifice technique for momentary glory while trying to lift heavier then I should have.  I know dumb of me.  For the next few weeks my workouts were tapered down a bit into something like this:

Week 1

Day 1:

Box Squats 5x5

Day 2:

Deadlift realized my Rhomboid wasn’t going to cooperate so we stop just short of a 4RM (Rep Max)

¬ Went and saw Dr. Jessop (Sports Message/Chiropractor)

Day 3:

Pause Box Squats 5x5

Lat Pull downs 5x10

GHR Sit ups 5x10

Day 4:

Clean Pulls 5x3-Moderate to Moderate Heavy

PR 5x5 –Light

Reverse Hypers 3x15

Plank Holds 3x 1 min hold

Day 5:

Split Squats (Single Leg Squats) 5x5

Cable Row 5x10

KB Snatch 5x15 –Heavy

Week 2:

Day 1:

Safety Bar Box Squats 5x5

¬ We realized from the set back that I tend to have a very bad T-Spine (Thoracic Spine).  So we started to utilize the Safety Bar, to help me strengthen that area of my back.  The Safety bar will naturally pull you forward because of the way the apparatus sits on your shoulders.  Your job, and a very hard one at that is to fight that force and keep your chest up.  If you don’t you’ll die, so it’s kind of a win or seriously lose situation.

DB Row 5x8 –Heavy

Day 2:

Snatch Pulls 5x3 – Heavy

Press 5x5- Moderate to Moderate Heavy

GHR (or GHD) Sit ups 5x10

Day 3:

Pause Box Squats 5x5 – Heavy

¬ We started using Pause Box Squats, because we realized that I was getting stuck at the bottom of my lifts and was not producing enough force, and power to become unstuck.  Also, this was a great way for me to work on my core strength because in a box squat you have to keep your core tight and fight to keep your torso engaged and adding a pause to it makes it even harder.  Plus my coach just is a mean guy.

Lat Pull downs 5x10

Yoke Walks 5 Trips

¬ This is something that you see on World Strongest Man Competition, I use an apparatus that looks much like a power rack, stack weight on the sides and place it on my back and walk so many yards.  We began to use this, because again my core/torso is very weak which allows me to drop the weight when it begins to get heavier so again we are strengthen my core. Plus it makes you just feel like a man walking around with three red plates on an already one hundred and eight five pound apparatus in front of crossfitters.

Day 4 – This was the last day on this cycle.

Clean Pulls 5x3

Safety Bar Box Squats 5x5

Lat Pull downs 5x10

Yoke Walks 4 Trips

After three to four weeks I was finally able to progress back into the full moments currently this is what I am doing for the current four weeks.  I have to keep in mind that I will suck at the start because I had four weeks off from not pull.  For some reason no matter how many times I do Snatch Pulls, or Clean Pulls it doesn't replace the full movement for me.

Week 1: BWT: 196

Day 1

Tall Snatch +Mid-Thigh Snatch+ Snatch x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Safety Bar Box Squats 5RM 4x5@90%

Chin ups 5 sets x Max Reps

GHR (GHD) Sit ups 5x10

Day2

Power Clean + 2 Jerks x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Push Press 5RM, 4x5@90%

Clean Pull + 3 Sec. Descent holds 5x3 –Heavy

Reverse Hypers 5x15

Day 3

Tall Clean + Mid-Thigh Clean + Clean x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Front Squat 5 RM 4x5@90%

Row 5x5 –Heavy

Palloff Press 5x30 Sec.

Day 4

2 Power Snatch + Snatch x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Snatch Pull + 3 Sec. Descent 5x3 –Heavy

Handstand Push Ups 5 Sets x Max Reps

¬ I know, if you know me personally you are thinking to yourself; how in the world can you do a handstand push up? Well I can, and it’s a great exercise for overhead pressing strength as well as core strength.  These are two areas I need work on.

Toes to Bar (Hanging Leg Raises) 5x10

Day 5

Snatch 1RM

Clean and Jerk 1RM

Quarter Squats 3x3 –Heavy

¬ It’s much like a Jerk Dip Squat, or it’s about 1/4^th the way down on a standard squat.

Single Arm Farmer Walk 5 Trips each side

¬ Similar to the Yoke walks, it works the same areas and sucks just as bad.

Week 2 BWT: 195

Day 1

Mid-Thigh Snatch+ Snatch x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Safety Bar Box Squat 3 RM 4x3@90%

Chin ups 5 sets x Max Reps

GHR (GHD) Sit ups 5x10

Day2- This day I added two workouts to my day, because I was leaving town to go back to my hometown of Oxford, MS with my fiancée for our wedding shower.  There is just something’s you just got to do for that special someone.  Plus, we got some awesome gifts. So I did Day2’s workout in the AM before work and Day3’s workouts in the PM.

2 Jerks x 10 90 Sec. Rest

Push Press 3RM, 4x3@90%

Clean Pull + 4 Sec. Descent holds 5x3 –Heavy

Reverse Hypers 5x15

Day3

Mid-Thigh Clean + Clean x 10 90 Sec. Rest

Front Squat 3RM 4x3@90%

Pendley Row 5x5 –Heavy

¬ This is a little different style of rows, you have to set up much like you would for a clean and rise up like you normally would to about the knee position and then pull.  This is helpful with me because it allows me to really work on my positioning.

Palloff Press 5x30 Sec.

Day4

Power Snatch + Snatch x 10 90 Sec. Rest

Snatch Pull + 4 Sec. Descent 5x3 –Heavy

Handstand Push Ups 5 Sets x Max Reps

Toes to Bar (Hanging Leg Raises) 5x10

Day5

Snatch 1RM

Clean and Jerk 1RM

Quarter Squats 3x3 –Heavy

Single Arm Farmer Walk 5 Trips each side

Week 3 BWT 195- This will be the last week of this program.  My coach and I will meet after the 1RM day and discuss what we feel like are my problem areas and my weak points and discuss the next step we will take.

Day1

Snatch x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Safety Bar Box Squats 2RM 4x2@90%

Chin ups 5 sets x Max Reps

GHR (GHD) Sit ups 5x10

Day2

This day I added two workouts to my day, because I was leaving town to go back to Destin, FL with my fiancée for us to look over everything for our wedding. So I did Day2’s workout in the AM before work and Day3’s workouts in the PM.

2 Jerks x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Push Press 5RM, 4x5@90%

Clean Pull + 5 Sec. Descent holds 5x3 –Heavy

Reverse Hypers 5x15

Day3

Clean x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Front Squat 2RM 4x2@90%

Pendley Row 5x5 –Heavy

Palloff Press 5x30 Sec.

Day4

Snatch x 8 90 Sec. Rest

Snatch Pull + 5 Sec. Decent 5x3 –Heavy

Handstand Push Ups 5 Sets x Max Reps

Toes to Bar 5x 10

Day5

Snatch 1RM

Clean and Jerk 1RM

Quarter Squats 3x3 –Heavy

Single Arm Farmer Walk 5 Trips each side

I’ll post the next cycle when my coach Mike Bledsoe and I settle on what the next step will be.