Programming - Next Steps?

[Doug Thackrey]

Hello, and thanks in advance for your help. I’m in Switzerland and trying to improve my weightlifting. Over the Christmas break, I visited family in the Bay Area and had the pleasure to stop by and have a personal training session with Greg. Really enjoyed it, gained a lot from it, and recommend it highly to all!

Since then, as recommended, I’ve been following the 6-week Masters template outlined on the site. I’m now finishing week 5, and would like advice on how to proceed with programming once I finish this cycle. I have Greg’s book and DVD.

Main goal is to snatch bodyweight by the end of the year. I am 39, currently at 6’5” / 112kg, and can snatch around 60kg. Expect the two will meet around 95kg. Currently eating Paleo with a few cheats to make life worth living (90% chocolate, heavy cream in coffee, occasional wine). Love the podcast, BTW. Have seen success with the diet – gotten stronger and lost weight over the last 6 months.

Here’s a link to my progress over the 6 weeks: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7o8x027TLLjOTliMTgwYjItMzdkMC00NDYzLWJiZ jctNTZmMzcwNzM3MWFh

Here are my thoughts on where I am:

1. Really enjoyed the 6 week Masters template. Focus on technique was very helpful, and I enjoyed the range of exercises. Three times a week works for my schedule, the length of the sessions works, and I wasn’t nearly as tired day-to-day as when doing Starting Strength cycle previously. Happy with the volume, but there may be scope to add a little more

2. Limitation is definitely strength overhead. OHS significantly weaker than pulls, and jerk significantly weaker than cleans. Finished Starting Strength cycle before this and stalled at DL 160x5, BS 110x5, Press 53.5x5. Front squatted 90x1 yesterday without much trouble, but struggle to jerk >70kg

3. Weakness overhead causes inability to catch weight consistently and smoothly in bottom position. Heavier snatches are basically power snatch followed by OHS, often with a pause in between for balance.

4. Curious as to if it makes sense to mix in pullups and how. Can’t currently do one and feel like that’s something I should work on.

5. Most weeks I mix in other sports, like squash, touch rugby, or skiing, normally once or twice a week.

Basically, I would be most grateful for advice on how to proceed with my programming. Thanks in advance.

[Greg Everett]

when you're done with the current program, I would move on to something based on this - http://www.cathletics.com/blog/blog.php?blogID=1686

do OHS every day even if it's with an empty bar. make that movement as natural as walking. 1-2 days/week, take it heavier. one day for singles and 1 day for 2-3 reps/set.

as part of your warm-up, do tall snatches and/or high-hang snatches to teach yourself to pull down into a squat rather than catching high. make the pull under a focus on all your snatches.

make every rep as technically sound as possible with every exercise - the better you're doing your pulls, squats, etc, the better and more consistently you'll do your snatches. If you can get a good snatch high-pull with 95kg for 3 reps, you can snatch it.

regarding pull-ups, I think they're a good idea for any athlete (assuming they're done properly). I would work on them 2-3 days/week. One day do some negatives (jump to top and lower yourself under control for about 3-5 sec) - maybe sets of 3, 3-5 sets. break into those very gradually - you don't want compartment syndrome. another day do assisted pull-ups with either a band or leg assistance. get these to 5-10 reps or so, 3-5 sets. if you do a third day, you can mix an assisted concentric with a slow unassisted negative. 3-5 reps, 3-5 sets.

[Doug Thackrey]

Greg, many thanks for taking the time to respond - very much appreciated. How does this look?

Monday:

Burgener Warm-up
OHS 20kg x 5 x 3
Snatch Max for day + 85% x 1 x 3
Snatch Pull 3 x 3
Front Squat 3 x 3
Pull-up (3-5 sec negatives) 3 x 3


Wednesday:

Burgener Warm-up
Jerk Max for day + 85% x 1 x 3
Push Press 3 x 3
Snatch Balance + OHS 3 x 2
Pull-up (band assisted) 3 x max reps


Friday:

Burgener Warm-up
Clean & Jerk Max for day + 85% x 1 x 3
Clean Pull 3 x 3
OHS 5 x 1
Back Squat 3 x 5


Would do this for 4 weeks, adding 5% each week then back off 20% in week 5.

Would also like to work in handstand and L-sit work somewhere - could see adding an easy Sat or Sun session. Maybe 10 min of handstand work on Mon + Sat, and 1 min total L-sit time (working up through progressions) after each workout. Sat could be:

Saturday or Sunday:

10 min handstand work
Pull-up (band assisted + 3-5 sec negative) 3 x 3
L-sit 1 min accumulated


Does that make sense, or is the extra gymnastics work counterproductive?

One final question - what would you have for a last meal on earth instead of soup?

[Greg Everett]

I think this looks pretty good. I might do 5s in the push press instead of 3s. I would also back the weight off less than 20% - maybe more like 10-15%, but take the volume down significantly, e.g. 25-35% or so.

The gymkata work on Saturdays should be totally fine - in fact, it will probably work well for you.

My last meal would have to be a decision made at that moment. Definitely not soup. I want to go out with a hearty meal.

[Doug Thackrey]

Thanks a lot.

[Blair Lowe]

Gymkata?! LOL. :D :mad:

Saturday or Sunday is also the day I do any sort of gymnastics as well. No one is at the gym and I consider it my Assistance/BS/Fun day. It gets it out of my system and fills that need to do HS walking, cartwheels and working on the rings.

Definitely not soup. I want to go out with a hearty meal.

I still have no idea how people can fill themself up on soup. Stew maybe, but soup just leaves me really hungry.

[Doug Thackrey]

One more question - on the "do OHS everyday", do you mean every day or every day I'm lifting?

My weights are at home, so should I be getting up every morning and doing a Burgener Warm-up + OHS 20kgx5x3 before I jump in the shower?

[Greg Everett]

Definitely every training day. It wouldn't hurt to do some on your days off as well as long as it's quick and easy for you to get warm enough. Best way to get better at something, especially something requiring mobility, is to do it as frequently as possible.

[Doug Thackrey]

Thanks a lot.