Day 2

Today was a light day. I just wanted to get a couple snatches in and get the feel for doing them blindfolded. It was a little awkward but it really forces you to feel the snatch and get into a rhythm.
Training Day 2
Corrective shoulder exercises
Snatches 24kg 50L/50R blindfolded

Back to the drawing board

Well it's about 2 weeks post competition and about 6 weeks pre competition. I figure it's time to get back to the bells and get my act together so I can finally get this CMS monkey off my back and get back to my dust collecting 32's. I used alot of backs in that last sentence. I came up 10 reps short on the snatch but it's ok because I know what I did and I have a plan to fix it. That's why I love competition. You really find out what you're capable of both mentally and physically. You find out how far down you can dig, and then you discover your weakness, you work so hard to correct it and come back stronger only to find another weakness.
Current weakness: Left shoulder range of motion and lack of proprioception
How I plan to fix it: I've developed a new program at the Underground Athlete
ATAC (advanced techniques for assessing and correcting). There are three parts ATAC-Lower extremities, ATAC-Upper extremities, and ATAC-Trunk and Spine. Six weeks is spent in each area correcting postural and movement asymmetries. I will use the ATAC-Upper extremity program to enhance range of motion and proprioception in my left shoulder. I will document training and progress for 6 weeks.
To specifically enhance proprioception in the snatch, I will be doing all snatch sets blindfolded. It sounds a little nuts but I think it will work.
6 week training microcycle...
Day 1
30sec work 10sec rest
Round 1 & 2
Switch leap box jumps
135lb Keg clean and stabilize
trx body row- isoexplode 15sec/15sec
50lb dumbbell curls
Pull up - burpee combo
Bungee resisted lateral jumps with toe touch
Heavy bag

Round 3
1min work 10sec rest
Same circuit followed by 3min long cycle 2/24kg @ 6rpm

A Day Of Thanks

Thanksgiving is a day to relax, eat, watch football, but most importantly reflect and thank those who have impacted our lives. It’s a day off for me, which is great because it means I actually have the time to update this blog. Some strength and conditioning coaches I see are able to write 2-4 times a day. I don’t think they actually train anyone ;) For those that know me, know that I can be stubborn. I like to do things myself even if it means doing it the hard way. I don’t ask for anyone else’s help but I am so thankful to those who give it. This year has been absolutely amazing. I opened up UA in Fairfax, Virginia after a lot of disappointments, headaches, and a couple temporary locations. In less than a year the gym has really transformed. Every week there is something new. Literally it has been a dream come true.

Growing up my mom kept a journal / photo album called “school days.” It included every grade from kindergarden to my senior year. Each year had topics like teacher, best friends,pets,sports, and dream job. Each year also included a school picture (man I had a couple awkward years). Looking back through the school days album I realized a couple things.. 1) I had an almost unhealthy obsession with He-man and Alf. 2) I always loved sports and music. 3) I had a lot of the same friends from kindergarden to 12th grade. 4) I wanted to be a lot of things growing up, a police man, an astronaut, a teacher, a professional baseball player, but then 10th,11th,and 12th grade all I wanted was to own a gym. I’ve read several books that said “have a dream, write it down, think about it everyday, and it will happen.” Apparently that stuff actually works! So there, dreams actually do come true, and I am watching mine in real time, but I wouldn’t be if it weren’t for some very special people. So I would like to take this day to specifically thank David L. and Lisa W., Taylor C, Sara M, and Cristal S for all your knowledge, patience, and support! It would be impossible to pay you back for everything you have given me, but I will try. Also, thank you to everyone that trusts me with your health, wellness, strength and conditioning. And of course, thank you Diesel for making me laugh everyday, keeping my stress level low, and making sure I get my exercise.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Inch by Inch Rep by Rep

Recently hard times are falling on many of the people I care about most. Everyone is feeling the effects of this financial crisis, stress is high, injuries are occurring, sick family members are taking turns for the worse. Times like this make it tempting to turn off the lights and crawl in bed and stay there. It's hard to believe that the pain will end, but it will. If you can reach down deep and convince yourself to keep moving forward inch by inch; if you can bare the pain and continue doing the things you need to do, you will embrace and eventually overcome the pain and be a stronger person because of it. It's amazing the similarities between life and girevoy sport. In both it's the little things that matter most. If you can endure the pain, do those little things, and keep moving forward inch by inch, rep by rep, you will be succeed.

stiff but not stuck

With 2 pretty decent workouts in a row I'm feeling pretty good. Like the title says, I'm stiff but at least I'm not bending over and getting stuck. I'm getting a wall plaque for the UA 100 Workout Hall of Fame. Anyone can get on the plaque just send me a video of you completing the UA 100.
Wednesday Workout
UA 100 Workout
3minutes at each station. Running clock. No rest
100 reps at each station in allotted time.
box jumps-push ups-squats-16kg swings-plank outs- 1/4 get ups- 45lb barbell curls
Thursday Workout
20 minute 1arm jerks 24kg. (1min on 1min off. 15rpm)
many swings, long planks on kbs, good fridays

jc

BACK in the saddle

First of all I'd like to say how proud I am of myself for coming up with such a clever title. :) My back is starting to come around. I'm learning what I can and can't do with it. After several days on ice I can bend over without much problem now. So against my better judgment, I started training again last week. I'm starting with the basics and just working at getting my strength back up. Last Thursday I threw in a 10 minute jerk set with 2 20kg. Saturday's workout was a basic upper body strength / hypertrophy day. Monday I hit the legs pretty hard with 450lb hack squats / 1025lb leg presses / bulgarian squats / calf raises. Tuesday was the first time I really touched the 32kg since the arnolds. It felt good to hold that familiar piece of steel again, and hold it I did, for a long time because it wasn't going up that often haha. I decided on a 20 minute OAJ set to get used to the feel of it in the rack again without putting too much load on my back or my still recovering legs. After the jerk set I just did 20 minutes of freestyle with the 16kg. Stay tuned, better workouts to come.

UPDATE

Well it's been awhile since I've done some serious training. I've had a couple days of feeling good where I threw in a 10:00 snatch set with the 24kg but for the most part I've been resting. I've been to my chiropractor for ART 3 times. Diagnosis - torn SI ligament on the right side. This weekend I did a workshop with Nico Rithner from Colorado Kettlebell Club. The workshop went well and I was feeling decent. I did some demonstrations and did a 10:00 snatch set with the 44. I thought I was on my way to recovering until this morning Tuesday Cinco de Mayo. I had a 5:30am UA HardCORE class. All it took was unloading the olympic bar to give me that familiar feeling of losing my breath and not being able to stand up. I'm going to commit to ice and rest now because I need to put this behind me.