Emily's CA WOD/Olympic Lifting/Whatever Log
 

Started out Olympic lifting, moved on to a Strongman/Oly hybrid in June 2010.

Since September 2010 most of my lifts have been reset as I've been teaching my hamstrings to work and forcing myself to rely on them more has made everything drop.

------------------------
Initial PRs (10/30/2008)
Back squat: 77
Front squat: 65x2
Jerk: 55
Clean: 48
Snatch: 36
Meet total: 82, 35/47

Current PRs (05/02/2010)
Back squat: 120
Front squat: 103
Clean: 83
Jerk: 85
C&J: 80
Snatch: 65
Meet total: 137, 60/77

-----------------

NOTATION
DS: Drop snatch
BS: Back squat
FS: Front squat
BTN: behind-the-neck
C&J: clean & jerk (obviously)
OHS: overhead squat
RDLs: Romanian deadlift (usually clean grip, will specify otherwise)
SN: snatch
BK: below-the-knee
HK: from the hang (high-knee)
MSn: Muscle snatch

2008.10.30
Dynamic stretching
Diesel Crew shoulder rehab - Day 2, two rounds
Olympic lifting
Snatch drill practice with broomstick

OHS - heavy single
15, 35, 45, 50

Tall clean practice with broomstick, training bar

Tall clean + push press + tall clean + jerk
20, 20, 20, 20, 20

Chin up body rows - max set
6, 4, 2

Metcon - no watch
3 rounds of
10 60# dumbbell swings
5 box jumps

Forgot that I was supposed to do four rounds, not three. For first four box jumps of the first round I used a 25.5'' box (about mid-thigh). Then I slammed my shin pretty hard and dropped to a 22.5'' box (above the knee) for the rest of the workout.

Welcome! Those are some nice goals you have!

Have you considered exploring linear progression on the core lifts (a la Starting Strength) before progressing on to the assistance exercises like tall cleans, etc?

You can easily, within 3 months, rocket those numbers up with a linear progression scheme emphasizing squats...imho anyway.

If what I am saying is greek to you, let me know!

Chris, what would that kind of program look like? I'm fairly hopeless when it comes to programming, which is why I've just followed the WOD.

Shouldn't be an either or -- can concentrate on linear progression and work on skill at the same time.

BTW, I love Emily's log title.

I like the title too :D

Well, I guess you have a point...

The reason I approach it from an "either or" point of view is because if you are squatting every day of the week and DLing 1-2x a week, then you are going to be really wiped most days...at least I was....ignoring the assistance exercises allowed me, in my experience, to get ample rest...

I guess I just play it safe when remembering that you don't get strong by lifting heavy things, but by recovering from lifting heavy things.

To each their own, only way to know is if you try it on yourself.

Emily, I highly suggest you pick up Practical Programming by Rip.

The basic concept is that you start with a low weight at the beginning of your program for each of the core lifts. Core lifts being Squat, Deadlift, Clean, Snatch, Bench Press, OH Press. Rip's program ignores Snatching to start...and introduces it later.

Pretty much, you would start with a 2 day routine like:

Workout A
Squat
OH Press
DL

Workout B
Squat
Bench Press
Clean

You alternate the days so that Monday you do WOA, Wednesday you do WOB and Thursday you do WOA. Next Monday you do WOB - you keep alternating and making sure to take a rest day for ample recovery.

Every time you go into the gym, on every lift, you do more weight than you did last time. So you may start with 25# on squats the very first time, then by next week (3 workouts later) you might be on 55# if you did 10# jumps each time you went in.

This is the abridged version. The first part of Rip's book addresses this in bitter, gross detail.

You can do this to start and it lasts several months. I suggest looking into Starting Strength and Greg Everett's Weightlifting book, as well, for lots of detail and tips on proper form.

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Prog.../dp/0976805413

http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Stren.../dp/0976805421

http://www.performancemenu.com/zen/i...ducts_ id=155

I'll check PP out. I own Starting Strength and have access to Greg's book, though I haven't read the programming part of Greg's. I guess I was confused as to how I'd keep the Olympic lifting in there--would the ballistic movements respond to linear programming? Or are you suggesting I drop the Oly lifts and do an SS-type program for a while? I'd be reluctant to do so, I didn't work out for about a month in between August and September and my form suffered severely as a result.

Well...you can modify Rip's SS program since you don't really care about benching...you can put the Snatch in there instead of benches, I am sure, without much qualm.

On your "rest" days, particularly on the weekends, you can still hit up the gym and do a light Oly day with PVC or empty bar to work on form. The light nature of O-lifting every day will reinforce the form greatly and you can still see massive improvements on the core lifts.

I haven't read the programming section of Greg's book....so I don't know what he recommends for novices -- but Rip's method is pretty much widely accepted as the best way to start out.

With subbing the Snatch for the Bench press, you will have both the fast and slow lifts in the mix. While fast lifts are usually recommended to be done first, I would still squat EVERY DAY first since that is the number 1 lift you will need to get better at to see massive translation into ALL of your lifts.

If you were my client (which you are not...and I'm not a trainer...just an enthusiast) then I would probably put you on SS with Snatch to replace the bench press. MWF would be heavy core lift days, T and R would be technique days with VERY low weight and VERY high volume to maintain motor pathways.

If you feel up to it, especially at the beginning, after your last workout on the strength routine, you can do assistance exercises for your fast lifts.

Just my recommendation -- if anyone else can corroborate or suggest something better, I am sure you and I are both willing to hear it!

2008.10.31
Dynamic stretching
Diesel Crew shoulder rehab - Day 3, 2 rounds
Olympic lifting
Drilled tall snatch, tall clean, snatch balance with PVC, 15kg

Snatch balance + 2 OHS
35, 37.5, 35 (dropped weight to maintain snatch balance form)

Rack jerk - heavy single
35, 40, 45 - Shoulder pain started to flare up again, so I laid off adding more weight

Body rows - max sets
8, 10, 12

Single arm rows with 1-pood kettlebell
Barbell rows - sets of 7 with 15, 20, 35kg

Metcon - 11:16.31
Row 250m
5 box jumps (22.5'')
40s plank w/ 15kg plate
Row 500m
10 box jumps (22.5'')
30s plank w/ 15kg plate
Row 750m
15 box jumps (22.5'')
20s plank w/ 15kg plate