HORSE IT UP!

Capital Strength Open Competition today. I was taking it as a training comp and didn't bother to taper or make weight. I even had a couple of glasses of wine last night!
I weighed in at 66.1kg (bit of extra bloating there, bit of extra turkey!)
I was maxing my power snatch so warm-up was much easier and less complicated than normal. I warmed up to my opener of 49kg a bit too early so I had to take it 2-3 times in the warm-up to keep warm. My caffeine tablet kicked in at just the right time and they were easy every time. I went 49, 52, 54kg on the platform, all easy lifts and no drama. I felt like there was a bit more there so I might try it out again during the week.
There was a ten minute break between snatch and clean & jerk. Also, as I was Power cleaning and keeping the attempts to a minimum to preserve my shoulders, my warm-up was quite short and relaxed. I started at 35kg and worked up in 5kg jumps for singles. As my second caffeine tablet was kicking in, I hit 60kg. This was my last warm-up and it was a bit too early; I had to wait a bit to be called to the platform. I was so fired up, felt like I could lift anything on the bar. My heart was hammering and I felt great! I opened with a 62kg Power clean and split jerk, very easy. Called 65kg for my next attempt. Possible I was too fired up; easy power clean but I caught my windpipe, got snoozy and had to drop it without even attempting the jerk. I had 2 minutes to make good on this. Luckily Harry knew exactly what to do, he got me a banana and some juice and instructed me to get my elbows round faster. Sure enough, that did the trick and the power clean was easy, jerk was okay. Good lift :)

I finished with 54/ 65 at 66.1kg which isn't bad for a training comp. Both the snatch and the clean are all time power personal bests and it feels like there's more there.

I really like the power variations; while I can't lift as much, it's so much fun to just yank it up off the ground, no thinking.

THE BLUE AND THE RED

I was more aware of the fact that I might be tight (from benching Friday and a long drive yesterday) than actually feeling tight so I took a bit longer with my warm-up. I was feeling pretty good by the time I was ready to lift.

Once I hit the bar, I worked up in triples then doubles to 48kg. Next I went singles at 50kg, 52kg, 53kg, 54kg, 55kg, 56kg and finally failed 57kg twice. 56kg is a 4kg post injury pb and was very pretty. My mind set felt very useful throughout this session; I focused on the things I needed to do and how much I wanted to get it and then I went blank and just got it. It all just felt so good! I was a bit tired from all those singles towards the end and I was starting to doubt myself so I'm hoping that the 57kg will be there next time I go for it.

Next I did some mid back activation then warmed up my clean and jerks. Shoulders felt a little DOMS but good. I worked up in doubles to 50kg then singles at 55kg, 58kg, 61kg, 64kg, 66kg, 68kg. First 68kg wasn't the prettiest and I was being a bit petulant so I walked away and had a chat with myself. I forced myself to come back with a better mindset and the second 68kg was okay. Next was 69kg which was right in the grove and shocked the hell out of me; so easy! I this is the first jerk that I've done right since I've started back training!! Seems trying not to dip at all is a good cue for me. I finished off with a good 70kg clean and jerk which I can't remember very well. It was okay but I think I was a bit tired at that stage. I hope that I've figured out the jerk and if I can repeat that movement in competition and less fatigue than today, I reckon there's a lot more there. I'm pretty sure I can do it. My mind is in a much better place for this now, it's been such a head melt since I got back training!

Great day, bring on Cardiff!

POWERLIFTING

Tomorrow is the Capital Strength Open Competition and I'm using it to max my powers. I worked my power snatch up to 50kg and worked my power clean and jerk up to 63.25kg. (I got new increment weights for Christmas and wanted to try them out).
Easy openers. Bring on tomorrow :)

GUNZZZZZZ!!

I decided to take a few weeks off weightlifting and work on my mobility and muscle imbalances. I'm quite weak in the upper body so my target for the next few weeks is massive GUNZZZZZZ!

So far, it's been fun! I typically lose focus for the month of December and training just becomes play time. Powerlifting, CrossFit, bodybuilding style, strongman... anything goes! I didn't think I'd do that this year as I'm only back at weightlifting about 6 months but the change of pace is refreshing.

I don't have a detailed plan, I'm just doing whatever feels good, trying to get a 2:1 ratio of pull to push and cover every plane. I'm also trying to get a 2:1 ratio of tricep to bicep as I've been convinced that I'm lacking in the back of arm. I'm trying to do as much variation with these exercises as I can and just have fun. I'm also doing a lot of walking.

Today, I was training with my weightlifter friend Karla so we started off with lots of mobility then some muscle snatches. I worked up to 30kg for triples then did a single at 32.5kg.

Next, we worked on power snatches. I worked up to 47.5kg for triples then I did a single at 50kg.

After that, we did some random glute building, mixing single leg deadlift, walking reverse lunges and band walks with no rhyme or reason. The main aim was to feel the burn!

With buckets of energy left, we did an ab circuit of 10 v ups, 10 oblique crunches, 10 reverse crunches, 10 knees to chest (face down, feet in suspension trainer, plank position), 10 Swiss ball stir the pot and 10 swiss ball pikes. We did 2 rounds.

Still not done, next we did a nice upper body circuit of 15 band pullaparts, 8 dumbbell bench 10-17.5kg, 10 single arm rows 10-12.5kg, 10 bicep curls 5-7.5kg and 30 skull crusher variations with 10kg.
3 rounds.

Finished with a load of stretching and ate a bucket of chicken, rice and avocado. I really enjoyed that :)

Rest day tomorrow, first one since Saturday!

CELTIC NATIONS COMPETITION

I lifted in the Celtic Nations Weightlifting Competition in Cardiff, Wales last Saturday. This is my first international competition in 2 years.

I was a very excited and more than just a little nervous in the week before hand as the snatch had suddenly become a little inconsistent in training. What a week for it to happen! Where I had been doubling 50kg and 52kg easily and managed to get up to 57kg for two singles, I was now suddenly missing 50kg a lot and it felt like I'd completely forgotten how to snatch. I was starting too far over the bar and yanking it off the floor which was a bad habit from the before time. I hadn't been doing as much glute work as in the few weeks before so it's possible I was reverting back to my quad dominant movement patterns. (However, this didn't occur to me until after I saw the video of my lifts from the competition!)

Clean and jerk had been going better than ever. The new idea of just firing it up seemed to be working well and I'd gotten as far as 72kg in training with the feeling that there was much more there.

Travel to the hotel in Cardiff was uneventful and we arrived about 7pm in the evening. I then went with two of the team coaches to check out the venue. I had the option of resting but I like to see the place where I'll be lifting. This helps me mentally prepare as it allows me to repeatedly visualise making good lifts there. When it finally comes to actually lifting, it feels like I've already done it and done it well.

Dragon CrossFit is an impressive facility and would be a great place to train. I walked around the competition platform and warm up area for awhile picturing how it would be and then headed back to the hotel for a light supper of boiled eggs and some rest.

I couldn't sleep after about 5am and 7am couldn't have come fast enough! I was out of the bed and getting ready so fast. We arrived at the venue a few minutes before weigh in and I checked my weight. I was just under 63kg. Making bodyweight hadn't been too much of an issue for this competition; I was 65kg two weeks out. I just upped my carbs for the two weeks and cut out any treats. Within a few days, the bodyweight had come down to 64kg and settled there. With 3 or 4 days to go, I was hovering around 63.5kg. I reduced the carbs the day beforehand, reduced water from about 9pm and weighed in at a comfortable 62.35kg feeling great.

I spent 30-40 minutes refuelling with homemade protein bread, porridge and fruit and rehydrating with dioralyte and at 10am I got into my singlet and started warming up. Competition was due to start at 11am. I was on to the bar by about 1030am but was feeling very tight, my ankles in particular. Even in my bar work I was up on my toes so I had to spend some time stretching them out between sets. Because of this, the warmup didn't go very well and it felt a bit rushed. I didn't miss any lifts but I just wasn't in my groove.

I opened with 51kg or 52kg on the platform and it was rushed. I was lucky to get it. At least I had one snatch. Next I took 54kg and completely rushed it. I swung it behind and got spat out. No lift. My coach called for 55kg next to give me some time to reset the head. There were a few lifters taking 55kg so this gave me about 3 minutes which helped me a lot. When I took the 55kg, I was a bit more settled. Looking at the video, it was still a little rushed and hips were too high but thankfully, I made the lift. 55kg is 3kg above what I hit in Cork in October and is 6kg below my best ever competition snatch. While I would say that it could have gone better, I'm so happy that it didn't go worse. It's still progress and I know what I need to do to lift more next time. Strength is not the issue yet, just a few technical quick fixes.

There was 5 minutes between the snatch and clean and jerk so I had no time to relax, I had to get straight on to the bar. Because everything felt so rushed, I didn't have time to follow my usual competition routines. I normally have a caffeine tablet at the start of the snatch warmup and another at the start of the clean and jerk warmup and I find that this gets me fired up for just the right time. I only had time to take the caffeine tablet during my clean and jerk warmup. I had to fire through my clean and jerk warmup taking 5kg jumps and the only rest was when my team mate Mary was taking her lifts. Neither of us got to catch a breath really. As I was taking 60kg, I heard my name being called to take 65kg on the platform. This distracted the hell out of me. I got my coach to raise my opener to 70kg and took a rushed but solid 67kg before getting myself set for the platform. There were a few taking 70kg before me so as it turned out, I had quite a while to wait then.

When I got called for 70kg on the platform, I swaggered out and absolutely nailed it. I felt really strong and it was unbelievably easy. Good lift. My coach called for 72kg next and there were a few taking that weight and a bit of chopping and changing so by the time I went out for my second attempt, I was feeling a little cold and I'm pretty sure the caffeine was wearing off. The clean was solid but I bucked under the jerk. My coach called for 72kg again and I tried to get myself fired up for it but same thing happened; a really good clean but got crumpled by the jerk.

A lot of this might sound a bit negative and I think the problem here is my expectations were too high. To get 55kg snatch and 70kg clean and jerk only  6 months after an extended layoff due to injury is not too bad at all. It was only this time last year that physios and doctors were telling me I'd probably never lift again.
I'm taking the week to rest and reevaluate, do some mobility work and mentally refocus. My next competition is the Capital Strength open at the gym where I train on December 28th and I'm going to go and do the best I can at that with no expectations.

Expectations lead to disappointment which can take the fun out of lifting. I'm just going to lift and lift as well as I can!

Thanks to my team mates and other coaches for their support and thanks to the Welsh Weightlifting Association for running a really enjoyable event. Can't wait for the next one! 

http://youtu.be/Lb-KQjoSbwQ

Loose like butter + hate = pb :)

Had loads of time to train today so took longer to warm up. Everything felt wonderfully loose as I started to warm up with the bar.
I started with the snatch as usual and worked up to 48kg for doubles and then single at 50, 52, 54, 56. All good. My first attempt at 57kg was a little rushed and nervous and I yanked it off the ground, overpulled it and swung it behind. My next attempt at 57kg was a good lift but I had to stand straight up with it as I rushed it again. My third attempt at 57kg was better. It felt heavy so I stood straight up with it but I'm very happy with that. Another pb since I've been back. I'm almost back to my old numbers from before the wrist injury and I'm much more consistent now. I tore a callous so had to leave it there.

Alex kindly helped me tape up my hand (I have only ever torn a callous once before, about 4 years ago and didn't know what to do with it) and I started warming up the clean and jerk. I went in doubles up to 55kg. I recently had an epiphany that the bar will come down on it's own so I  concentrated on shooting the bar up. This cue worked very well. I went in singles at 59kg, 63kg, 65kg, 67kg, 69kg, 71kg and finished with a solid 72kg. Another pb :)
This gives me a 129kg total and I have now officially beaten my total from the Mullingar Open last year. If I replicate that in competition, I can keep my place in the rankings.
With regards the cue of just shoot the bar up in the jerk; I know I'll need to pull myself under it soon but at the moment, my timing is off. I think I've been so concerned with getting under it that I haven't been getting it high enough to give me time to get under. With this new cue, the jerk feels easier and I've added 4kg in a few sessions. Shoulders hurt less too. There's more there too, can't wait for the Celtic Nations to see what I got :)

I finished my session with some Zombie squats; few sets of triples. I'd been training for about 3 hours at this stage and could only think about my lunch so I wasn't paying too much attention but I think I got to 73kg for a triple. Easy too.

Kiwifit Thursday

Hand was still a little raw so kept it light, focusing on position work. did a few snatches, singles, doubles, triples working up and down the weights.
Few light and fast squats then for a few sets of triples.
Finished off with a few light and pleasant clean deadlift triples.

This light session was very welcome after I got roped in to doing a few light circuits yesterday.

Bum strengthening and general prehab tomorrow. 

I trained again

I warmed up. I trained again. Snatch then clean and jerk then zombie squats. I tore a callous for the first time in about 4 years but Alex helped me to tape it up and I was able to continue training.
Not going to be much to report until after the Celtic Nations competition in Cardiff on December 7th really; I'm just focusing on positional work and mobility. I'm moving well.
Bring it on! :)

I trained

That is all

Harry, don't read this!

Went out to Platinum in Balbriggan to train with a friend. Different sort of a warm-up, no rolling, just lots of band work.

Worked on bench up to 50kg, not bad considering I haven't done it in almost 2 years, maybe more. Made sure I was using my back properly and shoulders felt really good with this.

Did 140kg rack pull for triple for kicks, no warming up. Needed straps for it, grip is weak today.

Next did some reverse hypers and ghr. Used to be my lower back was the only thing working in the deadlift but glutes have now passed it out.

Finished off with some control band pullups and inverted rows. Fun session, really enjoyed it and felt like it could be some use for shoulder power.

Headed to the physio then for shoulder tightness (irony is not lost on me at all) and the knee niggle. She gave me some stretches and exercises to do. Generally I'm in good nick but need more mobility work!

I'm giving up weightlifting to become a professional mobilityer!

Another day, another PB! :D

Great day today. Felt loose even before warm-up. I put this down to some light circuit training with my sister and niece yesterday followed by some mobility work. I already spend about 2-3 hours on mobility a week but perhaps I need more.

Worked on snatch doubles today. Doubled 50kg for four sets; Another day, another pb! No misses at all and they all felt pretty good.

Next I worked up clean and jerk doubles. I doubled up to 55kg then worked on singles to 65kg. I did 3 sets. First set was a little soft and pressy, the other two were essentially good lifts but the jerk was a little delicate. I'm definitely overthinking these. Because the jerk hurt my wrist when I first started training a few months ago and then started hurting my shoulders once I'd gotten over the wrist, I'm just plain scared. I'm going to strengthen up all the positions and be patient and I will eventually get over it.
Bah, too many words; I just need to lift more!

Finished with back squat triples up to 104kg, fairly easy once I embraced the hate.

Good day overall, quite enjoyed that.

DEE SMASH!

Monday: Haven't trained since Thursday so I spent a little longer warming up, foam rolling, mobility, activation etc.
Snatched up to 49kg for five doubles. I had a couple of misses along the way but these were very much a lack of concentration and rushing it off the ground. When I took my time setting up, they were great. I'm very happy with this; like the last couple of weeks doing doubles and triples, these are numbers that I never would have hit before. I continue to be amazed by my new found consistency.
Even though the knee feels fine, I'm still a little nervous of full cleans so I just worked on power clean triples. I worked up to 60kg for a few sets of triples. These are so much fun; DEE SMASH! Again, these are numbers I haven't hit before but when I lifted before, I always focused on singles and never did doubles above 80% and rarely did powers. I'm really enjoying the variation.
Finished with a few sets of front zombie squat triples at 64kg. Felt great for the upper back and shoulders. I quite like these.
Great day training, I'm happy with how things are going :)

Tuesday: Couldn't sleep last night and was weak as a kitten. Worst day ever. Had very little time to train so rushed warm-up. Rack jerked up to 58kg for doubles, got squished, knocked back to 55kg for doubles and got a mix of a few good reps and got squished and pressed out a few times. At least the shoulders didn't hurt which makes me quite happy. I'd rather be weak than injured!
Finished with 5x5 snatch grip deadlift no hook (SGDNH) at 64kg which were doable once I turned off my brain. Bah, gotta have the bad days to know when it's good!

I'VE GOT THE POWER!

Warm-up: check
Had a small bit of a knee twinge from the cleans on Tuesday night; think I caught one slightly off to the side so being my usual over cautious self, I decided to stick to powers today. I worked up to 47kg for four very easy sets of doubles. These were fun! DEE SMASH!
Tried out a few rack jerks then and got up to 60kg before the shoulders said no. I just have no strength with these at the moment even at light weights because I'm too nervous about the rotator cuff twinges, even before it starts hurting. I'm overthinking them. I've still got the benefit of the positional work even if it was slower than sludge.
Can't wait to get this sorted.

I love snatches and power snatches! That is all :)

Good snatch, pity about the jerk!

Wasn't particularly sparkly heading in to training today but I've had good days when I'm feeling crap before so I ploughed ahead with warm up and started snatching as usual. I worked on complex of snatch and two overhead squat. As per a strategic Argentinean weightlifting plan. I was taking random weight jumps of 3kg followed by 6kg. Everyone knows that the Argentineans are a fantastic weightlifting nation.

After 40kg, I started taking 2kg jumps and was great with 42, 44 and 46kg but failed 48kg twice. Was overthinking and yanked it off the floor, not controlling it at all.
Dropped back to 43kg and worked up again, 45, 47, 49 and 50kg. The 50kg was good but not as pretty or as solid as I would have liked. I had to stand up with it straight away but got the overhead squats okay. Wrists both felt a little grumpy with that so I was happy enough to leave it there.

I started warming up the clean and jerk carefully then and wrists felt fine; overhead squats have always been a bit of a challenge for my wrists, even before I injured it.
I worked up to 55kg or so on clean and jerk doubles but one of my rotator cuff muscles (probably teres minor) got very stabby. Discretion being the better part of valour,  Coach Harry and myself decided to leave the jerks there and tried to just clean. This was also sore by this stage. I tried to do just RDLs but my entire shoulder joints were hurting pretty bad. I've learned my lesson with training through pain so I left it there reluctantly.

I reckon a few days off the clean and jerk and I'll be okay but I'm going to have to go to a witch doctor and get this sorted once and for all. It could be worse, at least I can still snatch.

Boo boo :'(

I had very little time to train today so I did my basic warm-up and did a load of activation and stretching in between my warm up sets with the bar.
I worked on snatch triples up to 42.5kg for three triples and 45kg for three triples. These were all speedy and great. I'm very consistent with these now, it's great!

Next I went on to clean triples and worked up to 65kg for three triples. These were hard! First two sets were good but I missed the second rep of the third set and determined to finish the set, I went for it with the third rep. Baad move! I caught my finger between the bar and clavicle and squashed it reeeal good. It's not a show stopping injury but it's one hell of a boo boo. Ran out of time so left it there.
Great day, these are numbers I wouldn't have dreamed of for triples in the  'before time'. Stronger is better :)

GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER

It was late when I got to training after a busy day today.
I didn't have my usual 3 hours to train so had to get through it fairly fast and prioritise my warm-up.

Started with a snatch complex of snatch and 2 overhead squat, taking bigger jumps than I normally would. I worked up in doubles of the complex until 40kg then just singles.
All felt easy peasy. Finished with 2 sets at 44kg, a set at 46kg and a set at 48kg. Could have done more but plan was to do 44kg and didn't want to wander too far off course!

Next was clean and jerk complex of 2 cleans, a front squat and a jerk. I worked up to 3 sets at 55kg, 2 sets at 60kg and a set at 62kg.
It's weird, there was no hate and no adrenaline; I was actually feeling quite tired and unsure I'd be able to get through them but it was fine. The weights just went up and there was no drama. The jerks were a definite effort but there was no danger of missing them.

I finished with some back squats. I've had a checkered history with these due to anterior hip impingement and subsequent labral damage in my right hip. Keeping on top of the pre-hab has been a challenge and it means that sometimes I have to go a few weeks or even months without being able to squat but things have been good lately so I went for it today, feeling out the weights until I got one that felt challenging but controllable. 90kg x 5 felt grand, 95kg x 5, still easy so just threw on 100kg, did 5 easy reps and left it there.

Made sure to do a bucket load of stretching and rolling afterwards to keep the pain demons away.  It's been a few hours now and so far so good :)
I feel like I've gotten away with murder!
Rest day tomorrow, I reckon I'll need it!

MAXIMUM HATE

Summoning hate demons and getting an all time clean and jerk double pb is all in a night's work...

Warmed up with the usual rolling, glute activation hip stabilisation stuff and shoulder mobilisation.

Power snatched up to 37kg for about five easy singles. Grand.

Did my clean and jerk bar work for a bit longer than usual making sure the little people that live in my back and pull the ropes were all awake and doing their jobs to stabilise my scapulae. Did some stretching, rolling and band pulls between sets. Shoulders were feeling a little tight at rest but didn't hurt on the clean and jerk so I was able to work up to 62kg for doubles. The hate was flowing freely and even though the weight felt very heavy, it seemed to be moving fast enough. I was in a state of alertness that I rarely experience (maybe only in comp). The rest between sets was probably about 2-3 mins but it felt like ages!
This is a 2kg all time pb for doubles even from the before time and I did it for about four sets; all fairly good technique.

Finished with some snatch deadlifts, no hook grip at 62kg for about five triples, easy and nothing to say about these really except that I wish they had been squats (and they will be on Friday once my calf has finally loosened up)

I'm back home almost an hour now and still buzzing, what a great session :)
Just in case I've never said it before, I BLOODY LOVE LIFTING!

Sunday with Schmitz

Had a fun training session with guest coach and weightlifting legend Jim Schmitz on Sunday.

Jim is a weightlifting coach based in San Francisco and was head coach of the US Olympic team three times. He was running a training seminar on the Saturday and stuck around for a bit of coaching and a chat at Capital Strength on the Sunday. I was privileged to be invited to this.

I warmed up as usual. Noticed a pretty bad knot in my right calf but it was okay during warm-up with bar.
Warmed up to 45kg for a few singles and missed most of them. Worst snatch day I've had in a while but I put it down to being a little tired from lifting the day before and the two weeks off snatching before that.
Put the snatch out of my head and warmed up the clean and jerk. I was a little slow and 'dainty' with the lighter weights but by the time I hit around 60kg, the hate was flowing and I was wide awake. Jim was very helpful with this.
I was doing well up to 66kg and 68kg clean was very good but jerk was a little slow so we left it there.

Fun day, got some great knowledge bombs from Coach Jim Schmitz. I'm pretty sure I've added 50kg to my total now!

Best snatches ever

Right calf still feeling a bit tight but I had Coach Alex dry needle it on Sunday so I expect it'll be completely better by tomorrow. It felt better as my warm-up went on and wasn't bothering me at all by the time I was up to my work sets.
Worked up to 43kg for 7 doubles which were all so easy, fast and great. Such a whoosh boom feeling!
Next I did some Snatch Grip Behind The Neck Push Presses And Over Head Squat (SGBTNPPAOHS) up to 41kg for a few doubles. These require a lot of attention but are so much fun! I'm going to do these all the time!
Finished with some floating Romanian deadlifts at 70kg for fives. This exercise is boring. No more words needed.

Great day, best snatches ever!

My retirement from weightlifting

I stopped lifting after the Cork Open as my shoulders were a bit sore but after 2 weeks of aggressive rehab, I'm coming out of retirement!
Rehab program mostly involved rotator cuff work, mid back strengthening with lots of pulls, lots of single arm stuff, loads of stretching, rolling and bum work for hip stabilisation. 2 weeks isn't a lot for this but I will continue with most of it and ease myself back in to lifting over the next few weeks.

Today I was at a squad session that I organised in Asylum Gym in Newtonards. I love training here, lovely Gym. Owner (and top Irish lifter and coach) Neil Dougan really pulled out all the stops to make it a great day. He also took over the coaching and management so that I could lift.

After an extensive warm up, I worked up to a few easy singles on the snatch at 45kg. General all over tightness took much longer than usual to work out but once I hit my stride, I felt great, hitting some nice positions and felt quite fast under the bar. Fatigue set in quite fast though, probably due to the 2 weeks off. I underpulled and missed my 5th single forward, then immediately over compensated and missed it behind. I decided to be sensible so I left it there and went for lunch.
After lunch, we were doing the video analysis. I took my time and worked up to 41kg for a few easy singles. I didn't feel as fast under the bar as in my first session but still good reps.

Moved on to clean and jerk while I was still feeling fairly fresh. This was mostly testing out the shoulders and I carefully worked up to 50kg for singles. Shoulders felt quite good but I noticed right shoulder was feeling a little tight towards the end so I finished with a couple of hate filled clean doubles followed by a few Clean and front squat.

Great day in all, really enjoyable. I love weightlifting! :)

Cork Open report 2013

I did some very light bar work on the Friday with snatch and clean & jerk then hit the road for Cork. Everything felt super light and easy.
I Couldn't sleep Friday night so I got to the competition venue 3 hours early on the Saturday morning and helped out with the earlier groups weigh in. (Well, I tried to help out but as I was on the very limit of my weight class, I decided to hold off on breakfast and I was a bit dopey with the hunger!)
Finally weighed in almost a kilo under and proceeded to refeed slowly on easily digestible foods: banana, protein muffin- (thanks Mary) meat ball, bit of porridge. taking care to eat really slowly and only have small bits spread out over the hour or so before lifting.
I started my warm-up about an hour and a half before my group was scheduled to start, slowly rolling and mobilising from feet up. With about a half hour before start time, I started on to the bar work. I worked hard on keeping comp nerves at bay and keeping a good mental state while coaches Harry and Alex loaded up my bar and took care of everything else. Most of the time, I didn't even know what weight I was lifting; I was just told when to lift the loaded bar. This worked very well for me and I was in great form when I stepped on the platform. I felt very confident and sure of every lift and didn't have a single miss in either warm-up or on the platform.
I don't remember any of my lifts, just that I felt great in between.
I took a few minutes after the snatches to eat a couple of chocolate covered rice cakes and let my focus drift; I was starting to feel like holding the focus was a bit of work.
The warm-up for the clean and jerk was very similar to the snatch warm-up, I was very switched off to whatever was going on around me and just lifted when I was told to. I didn't miss a single lift in warm-up and once I stepped out to the platform, I had the same confident, happy, calm feeling that I'd had during the snatch. Again, I just remember confidently swaggering up to the bar, * scene missing * lift was good! All three were grand, meaning another 6 for 6 competition.
Later that evening, I found out that my attempts were 48, 50, 52kg on snatch and 62, 66, 68kg clean and jerk leaving me with a 120kg total at 62.2kg
bodyweight for 160 Sinclair points. My personal aim had been just 150!
I'm absolutely delighted with the day, I really enjoyed it and I'm confident that while I lifted the best I could on the day, I'll do more very soon.
I'm a bit less than 10kg off my previous pbs in both lifts and it might take me a little while to get there but I'm enjoying the journey.

I'd like to thank Harry and Alex for being great coaches and taking care of everything so all I had to do was lift the weight. Capital Strength in Dublin 8 is an awesome place to train!

Two out of three ain't bad

Went to Capital today. Usual warm-up and worked up to 46kg snatch for a single. No misses along the way, very solid.
Warmed up to 57kg Clean and jerk. No misses but still felt horribly heavy and Jerk still feels like a mess. I know I should calm down, I'm just getting used to the weight again. I'm pretty sure I could clean and jerk 70kg or more right now but technique might be a bit questionable and I am very against sacrificing technique for weight. It'll happen when it happens. More patience, less rush please!
Finished with some light and fast front squat doubles at 60kg and then some glute work.
Good snatch, grand clean, jerk needs more patience. It'll do for now. Feeling good about Sat.

Taper Tuesday

Spent double extra long warming up and started with 32.5kg snatch drops for triples. Easy.
Snatched 45kg for 4 easy singles. Very consistent :)
Cleaned 52.5kg for 3 doubles, grand.
Backsquatted 80kg fit six easy doubles. Yawn!
Taper week is boooooring! Can't wait for Saturday to lift the fun things with the fun people!

LIFT ALL THE THINGS

Friday: Some rowing, some rotator cuff prehab, some glute things, 130kg man's bar deficit deadlift, 140kg deadlift, an optimistic (but failed) 152.5kg deadlift attempt.

Saturday: Worked up to an easy snatch single at 49kg, missed 50kg 3 times because I got excited and forgot myself, got it with no question on the fourth attempt. Should be easier the next time now I know I have it. I just need to remember to get my feet out.
Worked up to a clean and jerk single at 67kg. I won't say it was easy but there was no question about it and I feel I could do it again on any given day.
Worked up to 84kg for an easy front squat single and left it there.
Now I am just about within 10kg of most of my 'before time lifts' which I have decided to discount as it feels like someone else did them. They are very irrelevant to the way I'm lifting now. Important thing is I feel solid when I lift and I'm (largely!) uninjured. I've a few aches but at least I can train! Great day :)

PR Wednesday Capital Strength

Wow, what a start to the week. PR'd the snatch yesterday and went for clean and jerk PR today. Well, didn't exactly go for PRs but that's how it worked out...

Felt really fresh and full of energy going in to training today. Legs were a little stiff from back squatting yesterday but I knew that would work out in the warm up and I was right.
I did about 5 sets of light power snatches off blocks at 33kg. This was a tactical move to prime the CNS for clean and jerk abuse next! I fired through these then on to clean and jerk warm-up.

Shoulders were feeling great thanks to a session on Monday with the talented Sports Rehabilitator, Kevin Warren (like a physiotherapist, only better. Email kwsportsrehab@gmail.com). I worked up to 55kg for doubles then on to singles. 58kg, 60kg, 62kg good, 64kg great- best jerk yet and 66kg good. Left it there because a 6kg PR is a lot when you're flirting with recovery!
Dropped down to 60kg then and all over the place! Couldn't lift my hat!! Few pathetic attempts at 60kg clean and jerks, then 55kg and called it a day and went on to clean grip Capital deadlifts. 3 sets at 85kg and then I went for a nap on the giant squishy sofa. Even some dark chocolate, a banana and a protein shake weren't enough to keep my brain awake in the car on the way home (luckily I was the passenger!)
I'll sleep well tonight, happy with how my lifting is progressing.
I'm starting to set my sights on my pre injury numbers. Sooon.....

PR Tuesday Kiwifit

Very happy with training today, felt very strong!
Warm-up was a complete pain in the neck though, I was dying to get through it to pick up the heavy thing! It takes as long as it takes though so after my usual warm-up, I did some drop snatches up to 32.5kg for triples. Easy, not really worth talking about.
Next I started snatching. I worked up to 37.5kg for triples, taking a few sets twice to make sure I was warmed up properly. Then I did 2 singles at 40kg, 42.5kg. Then I did 6 singles at 45kg which is a 2kg pb since I've started back training. It felt really easy, can't wait to see what's there for the Cork Open!
Next, I back squatted up to 85kg for 6 triples. Again, easy peasy! I'm happy that I'm using my glutes properly in this, it feels like I'm hitting much better positions and much stronger too. I could have done more weight but I'll be honest, the number on the bar is starting to sound scary, just because I remember how hard it was and how long it took to hit these numbers before so in my head, it sounds heavy. This will be my new challenge to overcome.
I finished off with some snatch grip Capital deadlifts up to 75kg for what was supposed to be 2 sets of 5 but left hand slipped a little on the 5th rep of set 2 so I dropped it back to 70kg for set 3. This was grand. Back, legs, glutes felt strong, I just need to catch the grip up.
All in all, a great day; I'm feeling really strong. I hope I can hold this feeling for the next ten days!
Think I'm going for a PR on the clean and jerk tomorrow. Can't wait to see what I got :)

Couples Training at ECB and an unexpected pb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUbUI58MUV0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Great day at ECB squad today. Nice crowd. Also, I had a bit of cake last night at a wedding and I reckon that fuelled my lifting today. I felt so much more energetic and stronger than I have all week!
As this was the end of a bad week, plan was to keep it fairly light so after normal warm-up I started with snatch drops at 30kg for a few sets. These were much steadier and faster than the last time I did them, feel I'm starting to get the hang of them.
Next I went on to cleans and worked up to 63kg (bodyweight) for triples then 65kg for a few doubles which were easy. The last rep of the last set was a tiny bit forward and wasn't as fast to stand up as the rest but still good. Very happy with these and that's a pb for clean doubles, even from the before times!
Left it at that then, dying to get stuck in to training next week. More cake!

Short and sweet

In light of the rubbish training this week, kept it light and easy today.
Usual warm-up followed by power snatch doubles up to 35kg. I probably didn't give these as much attention as I should have but I don't respect 35kg as a weight. There's still a bit of bruising on snatch contact so I was feeling a bit tender but I can work through it so it's not a problem.

Front squats then; worked up to 76kg for a few triples. These felt really nice. I have much more control of my positions and I can feel my glutes working much better than they were in 'the before time'. My glute work during my enforced convalescence has definitely paid off.
Squad training in ECB tomorrow, hopefully get a new pb of some sort.

Good days middling days and awful days

Tuesday I was busy so I just did an hour of training in Kiwifit. Shortened warm-up, rack jerks up to 35kg for triples trying every combination and permutation of movement possible to get my brain to do a short controlled dip and a snappy drive, getting under the bar. I got a few good jerks and I know what it feels like when I get it right but getting it right is still a bit of pot luck.
When I got frustrated with the jerks, I moved on to overhead squats, few triples at 35kg. These were fine and too light to comment on.
Rested Wednesday on coach's orders and trained in Capital on Thursday morning. This is a particularly good time to train as there's usually a good crowd around and a good buzz.
I wasn't too sure about the shoulders or the snatch contact at all so I spent a bit longer warming up than I normally do.
Turns out that the few days off were enough to sort out snatch contact issues. I worked up to 40kg for triples but technique and timing were very off for some unknown reason. I had quite a few misses and took a number of sets a few times on the way to 40kg. I was feeling very frustrated and getting a bit grumpy so I walked away and did some glute activations for a bit. I came back and worked up again from 35kg to timed singles at 43kg. Most of these weren't too bad but much more effort than the 43kg triples of the week before.
Tried warming up the clean and jerks and shoulders said no at 25kg. I cleaned up to 59kg for triples and 61kg for doubles for about 6 sets. Felt satisfyingly heavy but good. I caught one or two a little forward out of the few sets but no major issues.
Finished the session with some clean deadlifts at a weight too low to be mentioned.

Not one of my best days training, feels like a pretty crap week actually. Not bad in terms of weight lifted but in terms of niggles and aches stopping me from doing the training I want to be doing. I just have to keep reminding myself, as I remind my clients and my training friends, this is temporary. There'll be good and bad training days and weeks and months. I just have to keep in mind that this time last year, I couldn't train much at all and be happy with what I got. Hopefully next week is better, the Cork Open Competition isn't too far away now.
A positive outlook and a sunny disposition will see me through to then!

Here's some training footage from Monday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KE5IDGMugY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Monday madness

I'm still having issues with my snatch contact and need a few days to heal up so after my usual warm up of rolling, stretching, mobility and activations, I started on snatch drops. I worked from the bar up to 30kg and wasn't happy with my movement so I went back down to the bar and worked back up to 30kg. I still wasn't happy but stand-in-coach Ed said to leave it there so I moved on to clean and jerk.
I worked up to 55kg for doubles again and * insert jerk whinge here*
Just can't move the way I want to. I've been concentrating on a shallower dip but the weight keeps on driving me lower than I'd like. I also have glute control issues with my feet in this narrow position and my knees come in causing me to split too narrow and making me wobble side to side. I can't decide whether to drop the weight or stick at this one until I get it right.
I'm going to try doing some partial squats in that position with a band around my knees to cue the glutes in this position and that should show up any other issues that need to be worked on.
Next exercise was snatch grip deadlift, up to 80kg for 6 x 3, resting about 30-60 seconds between sets. Easy, more weight and longer rest next time.
Finished with some sexy back squats which have never felt so good. 75kg x 5 x 5 with 1 minute rest between sets. Never thought I'd be able to do this exercise again!
Good day, took me awhile to get going but felt strong once I was warmed up properly.

Deadlifts and kipping pullups

Had a women's deadlift class in Kiwifit on Friday night and the group stayed after to train heavy with me. Some really strong women, very inspiring!
I worked up to a comfortable 140kg x 2 and left it there on coach's orders.
This morning I trained at Capital. There was a great buzz about the place, couldn't ask for nicer people or a better lifting atmosphere.
I'm having some temporary issues with snatch * ahem * contact and so I worked on snatch drops instead, up to 29kg and 31kg for a few triples. This exercise feels quite alien to me as I haven't done it in about 2 years and so I was in no rush to add weight, I just wanted to get it right and get under the bar fast.
Next I worked up to 55kg for doubles on clean and jerk. Clean is a non issue as usual. The jerk felt much better today and I could feel when I dipped too deep and got my timing wrong. I got a few good reps anyway which felt so easy and I could feel when I wasn't doing them right which is the first step towards improving a technique flaw.
Finished with five sets of 70kg front squat triples and some GHR action.
Good day, every session feels like I'm improving and getting better which is very satisfying. I don't feel too far away where I left off. I just have to be sensible and not push too fast too soon. This is easier said than done; I'm starting to feel quite impatient to get more weight on the bar in every lift and the little voice of reason in my head is getting quieter as my wrist feels better. Just one more challenge to overcome.
Rest tomorrow and back hard at it Mon morn.
Dee out yo. Have a nice weekend :)

Back on track

Back to training yesterday, all signs of disease almost gone.
Did my usual warm-up, I'm getting a little speedier with it now as I get used to the routine.
Spent a little longer warming up snatch with bar and worked up to 43kg for doubles. This was about as much as I've ever doubled, even when I was snatching 60kg as I used to be very inconsistent. Having said that, I did have 2 misses out of about 5 sets but I have a tendency to rush the second rep. When I slowed down a little and set up properly for my second rep, everything went great.
Started clean and jerking then and got up to 55kg for doubles. Clean is fine but I have a long history of over thinking the jerk. I didn't miss any of them, most of of the jerks just felt wrong. It did get better as the session went on and the last set was the best but I'm getting a bit frustrated that I just don't seem to be getting it. More work is needed on these and I've a feeling this is going to be a bit of a journey until I get it right.
I was a bit tired after all of that so I just did some isometric overhead bar holds and some GHR.
Today I'll spend a bit longer doing upper back and glutes also, deadlift. I might finally get to lift something properly heavy! Can't wait :) I'll let you all know how I get on with it later.

Plague!

There is a view of athletes and personal trainers and other sporty, fit healthy people that due to their healthy lifestyles, they don't get sick. I don't know who holds this view exactly (possibly just me) but it always comes as a nasty surprise when I find myself spluttering and sneezing along with everyone else.
It's been almost a year and a half since my immune system defenses have been compromised and I'm really taking it well at all.
I never know whether to train through a cold or not (I tell my clients to rest until they are feeling better but I'm different, right?) so I left that decision to Harry, my coach.
After four days rest (climbing the walls!), I went back to training today and what a great day it was!
My shoulders are usually tired by the time I get to the jerks at the end of a session. As a result, I haven't had enough jerk time lately. This is not good enough considering the jerk is my weakest lift of the three so we started with rack jerks today. I worked up to 49kg in triples then a double at 52kg and finished with a double at 55kg. All felt really good and shoulders were nice and loose. I caught the 55kg set with my feet a bit narrow but still felt like a nice powerful lift compared to the rubbish jerks I've been doing lately. Shoulder health is so important for powerful jerks!
Moved on to snatching then, everything felt great from the first set. As the weight increased, I had a slight tendency to catch a bit forward on my toes but I reckon this is due to the fact I'm still not comfortable in the bottom position. This is flexibility rather than technique which will come with time (and hard work). I'm also still struggling to remember to drop the weight between sets, this could be a large part of why my shoulders have been tightening up!
Worked my way up to 42kg for doubles on the snatch, my 1rm from the comp last week! Plenty more there too :)
Finished off with fives on the back squat, three sets at 70kg. These were easy but given my previous poor movement pattern in the squat and subsequent hip injury, it's very important that I use my glutes properly and don't rely on my overly developed quads.
Great day despite my lingering plague. Rest day tomorrow on coach's orders (which I know are correct but don't want to admit that). More training Thursday evening. Hopefully I'll have kicked this embarrassing cold by then!

First miss

After three months of training, I had my first miss today. I know it's not a big deal; it's kind of like thinking you've some tea left after you've drank it all. Still, three months with absolutely no misses is a good streak!

I warmed up as usual and started snatching. I worked up to 34kg for triples and then up to 39kg for doubles. I was focusing on getting my feet out and not forward or up and forgot that for one set. I reckon the 3 months of not missing made me a bit complacent and I slightly underpulled and dropped it forward. I made sure the rest of the reps and sets were good though.
Next I did triples of snatch grip first pull to the knees with 60kg for 3 sets. Felt easy for that exercise but hard to believe I ever snatched that!
Next I worked up to 30kg for behind the neck snatch grip push press and 3 overhead squat. Sounds more complicated than it was! Hardest part of this is on the wrists but feels like it's good for strengthening them up. I did about 3 sets. Flexibility was good in this, movement felt nice.
Finished off my bar work with 3 sets of 5 bottom up back squats at 80kg. Again, easy weights for me but I'm being careful not to increase the weights too soon and injure something. Better safe than something something.
Still had buckets of energy so supersetted 3 x 12 GHR with 3 x 12 leg raised inverted rows. Really concentrated on glute and lower back control and wile it's still challenging, I felt like I did this well.

Good training session, rest day tomorrow.

Monday Capital, Wednesday Asylum

Even though I was feeling good after the competition and hadn't pushed myself, Harry thought it best to take it fairly easy so after my usual super long mobility warm up, I worked up to 30kg for a few triples on the power snatch. Grand. Shoulders were still very tight so just did some power clean doubles at 50kg.
Finished with some jerk technique work with just the bar.
Went to Kiwifit later and had some time before my first afternoon client so I did some shoulder prehab (lots of pulling in different planes) and some glute things (Bulgarians)
Plan was to head to Asylum on Wednesday to check it out for a possible woman's squad session and do some training while there so took Tuesday as a rest day.
Arrived at Asylum in the early afternoon and it was nicely busy under the watchful eye of one of Ireland's best coaches and top lifter, Neil Dougan. Seems to have a good atmosphere, great equipment and a really good space, this is a lovely place to train if you're up North.
After the journey up from Dublin, I was eager to get stuck in to training so I got through my warm up a little faster than usual.
Power snatched 35kg for 6 easy doubles (that was my max snatch 2 weeks ago!)
Shoulders still a bit stiff so just cleaned and went up to 55kg for 3 easy doubles.
Finished off with some GHRs on the only GHR machine I've ever found that fits my shorty legs so well!
Nice easy session and lots of banter.
Back to Capital tomorrow, looking forward to that :)
I've been having things too easy in training lately, it's about time for a tough one!
Will report back on that tomorrow afternoon.

Capital Strength Open 14 Sept 2013

I was nervous as hell, a lot more than I thought I would be. Considering this was just a training competition and I wasn't going for personal bests I really thought I would just take it in my stride but the excitement of my first competition back started building about Tuesday and I was like a kid before Christmas!
Weighed in a comfortable 62.5kg, 500g underneath the limit of the 63kg class (the weight class I always lift in) and after helping out with the women's weigh in and half the men's, I started my usual rolling, stretching and mobility. There are certain things I like doing differently on competition day than every other training day but my warm up isn't it.

Did the usual bar work and light positional work and then worked up to 37kg snatch in doubles and singles. I was one of the last to open in my group so I had plenty of time. Apart from being really nervous (and enjoying that "I'm on a roller coaster" feeling) I felt pretty strong and as seems typical for my lifting at the moment, positions got better as the weight went up. This means I'm still getting used to the positions and also means I need to do more drilling and volume at higher weights.

Opened with 38kg which was easy, then went 40kg which was easy but not as technically pretty and finished with 42kg,  not a bother.

Took a couple of minutes to be happy and chill out and then started clean and jerk warm up. Again, everything felt better as the weight went up. I wasn't as nervous during clean and jerk warm-up and everything just went up without drama. Worked up to 53kg on the warm up platform then opened with an easy 54kg. Went 57kg then 60kg, all quite easy and no drama.

I'm still lifting well within myself and plan to keep it that way for awhile. I really enjoyed the camaraderie with Kortney, Sari and Alex, my fellow Capital Strength teammates. This is something I've never experienced before and is down right cool! Great lifting from all of them, we have a very competitive team.

I came first in the 63kg class with a 102kg total at 62.5kg bodyweight which I'm delighted with for my first comp back.

Next competition is about four weeks
away and I have lots of work to do, getting more comfortable in the snatch and clean, improving ankle flexibility and sorting out a few issues with my jerk. Can't wait until tomorrow to get started!

Last training session before comp

Buzzing with energy when I rolled up to Capital Strength this morning! Did my usual warm up of rolling, stretching, mobility drills and bar work. Took about 30 minutes today.
Worked the snatch up to 30kg for triples then up to 37kg for a couple of singles. Again, technique felt better as the weight got heavier showing that I'm still getting used to the movement again. More technique work needed, but isn't there always?!
Took a very short water break and started warming up the clean and jerk. Worked up to 51kg for doubles and 54kg for a single and while the jerks felt quite heavy, I wasn't in danger of failing any. I haven't actually missed any lifts at all since I've been back training about three months so I suppose I'm doing okay!
Did some light front squat triples at 60kg then, trying to go very slow and keep full tension in legs, hips and back all the way through.
Finished off with 3 sets of 10 on Capital's new GHR device. Fun day, one of the first sessions that I wasn't dead tired at the end. Maybe there's hope for me after all!

So excited about Saturday's competition. I'm not nervous, just really excited, like can't sit still kid waiting for Christmas excited! No goal weight, I'll just go in and have the fun. Videos and write up here Sat evening. Bed now, big rest day tomorrow zzz

Three days in a row

Feeling a bit tired today after training two days in a row but I was at Capital Strength so I trained anyway. Stamina and strength seem to be slow enough to come back.
Spent extra long warming up and felt okay when I started to snatch. Upper back was still a little stiff and needed some extra rolling.
Power snatched up to 32kg for triples. They felt easy enough but I was still moving a little slow, missing some pop.
Power clean and split jerked up to 44 kg for doubles (c,j,c,j) and the first set felt so heavy I couldn't believe it. Proof that it's all in my head and I'm still getting used to the weights; by the 5 th set, it didn't feel too bad at all.
I left it at that then. I need to get back to squatting to get my strength back up but apart from that, if I'm patient, everything will fall back into place. A year and a half is a long time off consistent training.
Feeling pretty wiped now, time for dinner! Rest day tomorrow methinks.
Slowly slowly catchy monkey...

Women's squad session, Capital Strength, Dublin 8

I lifted at a squad session today. Felt pretty good. For the past year and a half, I've been coaching at these things and while I found that very enjoyable, it always made me feel even more like I was missing out on the fun of lifting.
Well not today!
I had a good long warm up, really took my time with both the mobility and bar work. With no expectations, I just lifted what was on the bar in front of me, sometimes doing multiple sets at 60% - 70% weights. I worked up to a very easy 42kg in the snatch, 7kg more than my last max about 3 weeks ago. Lifts got better as the weight went up and I put a little more effort in. Technique and positions are quite good now and consistent, I just have a tendency to be a little slow and controlled off the floor but I speed up as the weight increases. I'm still nowhere near true maximum and I'm happy to take my time and make sure the wrist is okay with each new weight and that technique is still good.
After a short break, I began warming up for the clean and jerk. I should have had more to eat during the break as I was a little tired and sluggish starting off. Again I took my time working up through the weights, doing multiple sets at comfortable weights. I'm still figuring out the best cues and movement patterns for me in the clean and jerk and so I still over think everything. I worked up to 58kg which wasn't as easy as the snatch and didn't feel as solid but was still quite good.
That's a 100kg training total which is a small goal I had for myself. Next goal is 150 Sinclair points.
Finished off with some squats, worked up to 58kg for triples on the front squat. Again, it's all about position, making sure I do everything perfect so I don't injure something again.
Great lifting from all the women there, it's always great to meet up and lift in a supportive atmosphere, something I really missed during my time off.
This week will all be prep for the Capital Strength Open next Saturday, my first competition in over a year. I'm not going to lift heavy at it, I'm just hoping to get comfortable on the platform again. Can't wait!

Deadlift and bench press competition

Saturday 28th October will be Kiwifit's 1st Bench press and Deadlift competition.
Weigh in will run from 10am This is open to everyone, all levels welcome.
We have room for 10 men and 10 women. To book your place, Dee@Kiwifit.ie 0877915646

Special early bird price of €10 for bench press and €10 for deadlift if you pay up by 14th October, otherwise €20 for bench press and €20 for deadlift.

Dee will be running special Bench press and Deadlift workshops in preparation for this competition which will cost €10. Email for further info.

Snatch day

Feeling a little stiff and vaguely DOMSy after yesterday so spent a little longer warming up. Form rolled, stretched, overhead squat with stick then with bar and a few snatch drills up to 25kg. Did a few snatch triples at 25kg from blocks then off the floor.
Worked up to 32kg for snatch triples. Pull is still a bit out front off the floor and I'm working much harder than I think I need to keep it back in. I got a few really good reps though.
Took a break and ate a grapefruit then went on to snatch grip deadlifts. Was bored with the triples format so worked up to a relatively heavy single under the careful watchful eye of Dr. Beard and got a nice enough rep at 90kg. Called it there as I knew I'd just use my quads for any more weight.
Finished off the session with six triples on the front squat with 55kg. Haven't front squatted in a few months due to mix of wrist injury and sore hip so was very happy with no pain here. Also felt I was I using my glutes properly and really driving through the heels with knees out.
All in all a fairly standard day but still looking at it through the shiny eyes of the newly healed. Long may it continue :)

Injuries heal

A year and a half ago, I dropped an 82.5 kg bar on my wrist while performing a clean with poor technique. I was fatigued from doing 2 competitions in the weeks before and should have known better.
The wrist is finally at a place where I can manage the pain effectively and I'm starting to train consistently, although still quite light.
I've lost a lot of strength during my healing time but I've used the time to work on mobility and fix some muscle imbalances that my ego was making me ignore.
Working around such a slow healing injury can be very humbling and frustrating but as the title of this blog states, injuries heal.
Thank f**k for that, I wasn't so sure for awhile there!

I'm training in a place in Dublin 8, Capital Strength. This is a purpose built weightlifting gym with lovely equipment and even lovelier coaches. They're really helping me to manage my training expectations so I don't try and go too heavy too fast and re injure myself while also helping me make the most of this time and do some technique work. While this isn't as sexy or fun as lifting the heavy things, I know it's the best for me and I definitely wouldn't stick to it without having someone other than me to answer to.

I've been back training for about 3 months now. Today I spent about 30 minutes warming up including foam rolling, stretching and some squat drills and then I did some clean and jerk drills with the bar and gradually worked up to 51kg for a few sets of doubles on the clean and jerk. I found this quite tough and I wasn't as consistent as I'd like to be. I felt I was catching the bar a little forward and I wasn't getting my feet out enough. Weird as I never used to have that problem. I had a few good jerks but right elbow felt a little slow and soft in the jerk. This used to be a warm up weight for me but injury doesn't allow for ego! I knocked back to 45kg and did a drop down set which was perfect in every way. Hopefully it won't be long until 50odd feels that way and upwards from there.
Did some clean grip deadlifts, up to 95kg for few sets of triples and finished with some squats from pins, fives at 65 and 70kg.

Progress is slow as heck but I'm enjoying the journey and I'm still very happy and appreciative to be back lifting. It seemed that was never going to happen.

Snatch day tomorrow, can't wait!