Squatapaloza and approaching normal

 It's been a while since I've posted. The good news is it's because work is super busy and I have been training like a mad man. For the last 6 weeks I have been eating, training, and living like a weightlifter. This included training 6 days a week for about 3 hours a day in the snatch and clean and jerk. During this period I was also squatting every training session. I alternated between front and back squat with low volume either before or after the training session. This sounds like overkill and I was honestly a bit worried about the results but I ended up pleasantly surprised at my progress. I was able to not only squat at full intensity both before and after training but I actually PR'd almost daily. The end result was an increase in my front squat double by 15lb. and almost 50lb. in my back squat!
 Although I have had several PR's with this increased training it has also taken a toll on my body. The long sessions have left me sore pretty much constantly, I feel my power has diminished sightly and I have also lost a good amount of my stamina/over all fitness from the lack of metabolic conditioning. Then came the stomach bug that was exacerbated by the poor eating. After this I decided to turn gears back to my health. I have cleaned my diet up, started training Metcons 3-4 times a week and have cut back the squatting to every other training session.
 Over all I am happy with this program and would recommend it as a temporary cycle to any post-novice looking to get serious about lifting. Of course there are consequences to this but then again, if you have never trained under a crossfit methodology you probably wouldn't notice the lack of power, stamina, energy etc.
 That being said this has, in my opinion, turned me into a normal lifter. See before, I was always weaker in my lower body. In other words, if I got the weight up to my shoulders I could lock it out over head no problem. Now, I seem to be standing up with weight and failing jerks. My strength hasn't gone down in the jerk as a matter of fact, I hit a 15lb. PR in my triple earlier this week(315lb.), My legs just seem to be catching up with my arms. Of course, it could also be that standing up these new weights are taking so much out of me that I don't have anything left in the tank for the jerk. This is actually a more likely explanation.
 At any rate I'm moving in the right direction. Here is a max squat today. A 25lb. PR from a week and a half ago:

375LB. BACKSQUAT

Sidenote, check the new shoes ;)

The 1lb. PR

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

 I heard something the other day that didn't make sense to me. I just couldn't figure out the logic behind this question. Why would someone ask that? How could anyone think this is a good path to take? The question was "Should I try to tie my PR in training". Wait what? Step back and think about what you just said. First though, let's examine why you are here. Are you here to get better? Are you here to improve? Do you show up to the gym everyday to become stronger than the day before or are you just here to socialize and maintain what you have because you've reached your peak and are happy with that. If you think that, get out of my gym. Go apply for a government job, you'll fit in better there.
 "Wow Justin, that's a little harsh" you say? Maybe some people don't care about being as strong or as fast as they can be. Maybe they just want to coast by and have no goals. That's fine but I don't want them around my athletes. Everyone I train has to have one thing. One requirement. It's not a bodyweight snatch, or a sub 1:45 500m row. It's drive. They have to have the drive to always work towards something better. If someone does not have that, I can't help them. To be honest, no one can. The best trainer in the world is useless if someone does not have that desire. That doesn't mean I don't like them or I think they are a bad person. Anyone that knows me knows I'm a pretty easy going guy and get along with just about everybody. So if you don't want to get better, we can still be buddies, Hell, we can go have a beer and a burger sometime but I have nothing for you in the gym.
 That being said, let's say someone has that one requirement but still asks this question. My only response is NO. To quote Jon North, "That's why we have half kilo plates." If you are not always training to beat yourself then you will never improve. So why would you want to ever tie? If you were in a race with a damn lion, would you want to be running the same speed as said ferocious feline? I'm going out on a lib and guessing you'd agree just a little bit faster is a better decision.
 Once you have hit that mark, there is absolutely zero reason for you NOT chase that next PR. You may miss, but you will always fail the PR attempt you don't take. A slow crawl forward is like a quiet storm. It may not get the attention of one wrapped in thunder but at the end of the day the outcome is the same. So next time you hit just below your best go get the change plates and be proud of your 1lb. PR.


VIDEO OF A 1LB. PR:

301 CLEAN&JERK PR

Excuses

  I failed on backsquat today. 4 months of progress and it ended to the song above. I have plenty of excuses as to why it happened. Bunches of things that I could use to make me feel better about it. Bottom line, I didn't lift the weight. Only hit 3 at 330lb. I was suppose to hit 5. This pretty much ruined my mood for the rest of the day. Time to restructure the program. Plan on doing alot more lifting and less conditioning work for a while.
  On a good note, the interview in memphis went well. Lot of good stuff including a little talk about programming and High/Lowbar squatting. The podcast should be up about a week form tomorrow. I'll post a link when it debuts. (watch for the sweet voice over work in the intro)

Deloading, getting back at it, and caffeine

 I've had a lot going on this last week, just not in the gym. A trip to orlando to see a friend get married, came right before my Deload week. Then a trip down to AL to load a house(which my awesome wife already packed all by herself) and a trip the next day to UNload a house in GA. This turned into about two weeks without a significant load on the bar. Sure, I picked up heavy stuff. So much so that I tweaked my lower back and rolled my ankle a bit. However, I went three days in a row without any legit workout and the only training between my 2 day and 3 day breaks was a silly metcon I made up with a straight bar at my buddy's house I was staying at. All he had was 185lbs.
 I hate deloading, I absolutely loath it. Unfortunately it is a necessary evil. The Texting of weightlifting. My problem isn't the time off physically. It's the head change. I become unmotivated fairly easy and when I am not progressing I get worried about derailing. A week of light weight makes me feel depressed to be honest. Obviously, I still do it and obviously it has worked so far. If you have the same problem, please stick to your guns. If you don't deload, stop telling yourself lies. You're not superman. You need a break. Maybe that's why you're still at a 3/4BW press.
 On another note, I haven't had any caffeine for the last two days and am just now getting over that withdrawal headache. No real reason why except for I think the volume of my consumption has gotten out of hand lately. I know, no such thing right? At any rate, I am going to lay back a bit for a while. Ask my early morning classes and they might say I'm not my normal perky self but as far as training goes I haven't seen a drop. Which brings me to my lifting for this week.
 So when I got back I didn't feel all that great. Still turned out to be a good week.  Back Squatted 325 for 5, Pressed 200 for 3 (this was lacklluster IMO),Snatched 230 from the high blocks, and I actually finished out the week by jerking 331lb. I was very happy with the last one as it came after some illness that I can only attribute to not washing my hands well enough while cooking chicken.
 This weekend is going to be odd as we are taking a trip to Memphis to promote The Garage Games series and Box Complete on a Podcast held by FactionSC.com . Hopefully we'll get to train with the guys up there. Great athletes and always fun hang with.


LINKS TO SOME VIDEOS FROM THE WEEK:

BACKSQUAT 325x5

JERK 331lb.

Patience and PRing

 Let me start out by saying I did something I have never done today. I missed a clean backwards. In other words, I caught it at the bottom but lost my balance and fell onto my back with the bar crashing down on me. Not once, but twice. Fortunately I'm not fat or have a ridiculously large chest so it didn't come into contact with me when I fell but it was still damn embarrassing even though I was alone in the gym. These were at weights I can do for doubles (275-285). This was beyond frustrating and I almost called it a day. Almost. Maybe all the coconut water and creatine was screwing with my brain because I said "Nope, I'm getting 300 before I leave and I have to make 275 first."
 After my two back to back bumbles I was shaken but then something happened. 275 went over head and even though it felt heavy I realized the thing inside my head that needed to click had clicked. I didn't miss a single lift after that. 275, 285, 291, 295, 297, and 300. Yes, I Clean and jerked 300lbs. today. It wasn't pretty but for a training lift it was good. I felt like I had three more lifts in me but I cut it off. I set out to get 300 and I did. That was a victory that I did not want to spoil with a failed lift. Because I had the patience to keep going when I needed to and the intelligence to call a win a win, I will wake up tomorrow feeling stronger and ready to rip the bar like I'm "ripping the damn a head off of a Lion"(Shankle). I finished with front squats for 3 sets of 3 at 275 to remind my legs they don't get a free day just because I PR'd. I do however plan on rewarding myself with food later like a dog.
 I think people have trouble understanding the colors of patience and stubbornness. The difference is a fickle bitch and never quite clear until after the fact. Today I rode it all the way to a PR. Maybe next time I will again, or maybe not. Either way...

Back Under The Bar 2013

failure, patience, and 300lb. PR

Primary lifts or "Why my legs suck"

 In the sport of weightlifting there are only two movements. The Snatch and the Clean&Jerk. Everything else trained is considered secondary. Of course inside those movements are many other movements. Things like the deadlift, front squat, overhead squat, Pulls, etc. are all integral parts of the lifts. The odd thing is some people practice those lifts often, some rarely, some not at all. Many national and olympic level lifters say the best program for the Snatch and Clean/Jerk is to do the Snatch and Clean/Jerk.
 There is however one thing that all olympic lifters have in common. One movement that anyone who has ever been successful at the lifts does religiously. The back squat. If you neglect this you are planning for failure. It is weird that a movement that doesn't even appear in the olympic lifts is so vital to becoming proficient at them.There are several reasons for this.  The first being that there is no other movement better at creating over all body strength. Second being that the back squat is king of the lower body movements and the lower body is integral in all parts of the olympic lifts.
 So you must squat. Heavy and often. That brings us to the variations of the two.  High bar vs Low bar is probably a debate that has lead to many bloodied noses, Ripped affliction shirts , and shattered Bromances. It's pretty much the republican/democratic split of the strength and conditioning community. Arguments vary but the most relevant for this blog is as follows:

High Bar
Pros: Superior relevance to the front squat because of the angle achieved at the bottom of the movement, Superior at building quad strength.
Cons: Hamstrings do not fire until midway of the ascent. Weaker of the two movements for maximum loading

Low Bar
Pros: Superior at building Hamstring strength, superior at building lower back strength.
Cons: Neglects quads, Inferior at putting the lifter in an upright receiving position needed for the Front and Overhead Squat.

Both have valid points in their favor. The thing is, I have seen strict highbar squatters with 500+lbs deadlifts and militant lowbar guys that can clean 350+lbs. These numbers don't seem to jive with the Pros/Cons of each movement. The question of course isn't how weak they are because they only do one, but how strong could they be if they did both?
 I believe both need to be done in different ratios for different athletes. For instance, a Quad dominant athlete starting the lifts should primarily use the low bar squat with the highbar being a secondary movement to make sure we are able to achieve comparable loads with an upright position. On the other hand a lifter that has strong hamstrings but has trouble catching a clean at the bottom and bouncing out of the hole needs a highbar dominant training ratio.
 The important thing is that you stop spending time on arguing which one is better and just squat, Damnit! Do it heavy, do it often and keep adding weight to the bar. I did not do this and it turned into embarrassing numbers and failure after failure. Take a note from me. Not because I'm a Guru or a squat Jedi, but because I've made alot of mistakes and once I changed them, I improved! Don't be like me.

This is me Highbar Squatting 315 for 5 today. This is not impressive but considering less than 18 months ago my 1 rep max was 225lbs. it is proof what I am doing is working.


Highbar Backsquat 315x5

The day after

  Sometimes it's difficult to look forward to training the day after a big upset but today it was not. I felt empowered for some reason and not beaten up. I came in and rather I believed it on the inside or not, I told myself I was going to rip the bar apart. I told myself I was going to forget anything negative and just get the weight over my head. This turned into a 7lbs PR on snatch. I am officially at 110k(242lbs) and it feels good. I didn't put much into the clean and jerk after that but I did hit 275 in a power and jerked it for three. All and all a great day of lifting. Whats better is I feel less beat up than I have in a while after a 2+hour session.
  I didn't feel fast or explosive today but I felt comfortable with the weight overhead. More so than normal. No worries of lock out or leaving the bar out front or behind.  I was clear headed and focused and the bar landed in the right place every time. Today it became very apparent that the hardest thing to do is all you really have to do. Try.

I owe everything

 Every great story has a small beginning. A spark that starts the fire, a thought that leads to an idea that turns into a wanting that forms into a plan that makes one embark on a journey. This one starts, as many do, with failure. There have been many things in my life, more than I care to mention that I have started, failed at and never finished. Things that meant alot to me even if it was only at that time. I have held these failures up as badges of inadequacy and shame for most my life.

 Of course success has been inbetween those failures but we never seem to holds those quite as close do we? Why is that? Is it because of the lessons we learn from it or some kind of primal instinct to remind us we are mortal? Maybe both, maybe neither. The answer is not the purpose here. The purpose is to chronicle the journey of someone who decided that he wasn't going to stop working towards his goal because of failure this time. No matter how trivial that goal may have been.

 I have been falling in love with the sport of weight lifting (Snatch/Clean&Jerk) for the last year or so. I had been using the lifts in training for about 5 years now but never had paid them any serious attention until recently. I under stand that at my age and ability I will probably never qualify at the olympic or national level. I do not care. I have found, in these lifts a certain clarity and grace that I have not found in anything else in life. This brings me to my goals.

 I have had the dream of achieving a total of 275K (125k/275lbs. snatch and 150k/330lbs Clean&Jerk) for about as long as I have been interested in the sport. This was when my TOTAL numbers were more along the lines of 161k. My numbers are now at 241k (107k/236lbs snatch and 134k/295lbs Clean&jerk) and I have hit a stand still. These are respectable numbers for most in the line of training I do for a living, far from where I started but no where near that goal. So I ask myself how do I continue forward? How do I adjust my training and make that dream real? Should I even care? Is there any money in it? No. Is there any glory? Maybe a little but certainly not much. Is there any significant reason at all to keep beating myself half to death for this goal even if it seems I'm swimming against current and making no progress?

 The answer is yes and not for any reasons to do with weightlifting, health, fitness, work, money etc.. The answer is yes because the clarity I found at the start of this courtship, I have found again in the follow through and process of it. The answer is yes because every day I don't try is a day closer to that complacency. Complacency is not living. I have settled for so many damn things in my life that it makes me physically ill. It wasn't until I met this sport that I began to not accept where I was or what I was doing as OK and try to push forward. As silly as it is, this sport has put me in a position in life that I can honestly say I am happy with and proud of. This sport, cliche as it may be, has in many ways saved my life. So how can I stop pursuing the goal that has been the vehicle to my happiness and success? It's simple. I can not.

Make no mistakes about it. This blog is not a how to on weight lifting, health, or fitness. It is not something I am doing for anyone else or to gain notoriety by. I have no plans of choosing my words carefully or making this an inspiring story with a happy ending. What I do plan on doing is using this blog as a tool to force myself out of bed and under the bar everyday because I owe it to the sport. I owe my drive to it and I am going to make good on that debt.

So I start this story with failure because that is the spark we all need.

Today I stalled on front squat for the first time in 2 months. I have been climbing up from 275 for three by five pounds a week and today that stopped.