The Weight Lifting Thread

[andygates]

That's a fecking huge weight.

I wonder how the campaign to get para weightlifting into the 2012 programme is going on? 

[Jasmine]

His power to weight ration would to be odd.  Dwarfism usually creates bodies with distorted proportions.  If he were a midget, with ordinary proportions, it would be a different story.

Paralympic powerlifting only uses benchpress.  The weight category is the only category, no split per disability, so bigger upper body to smaller lower body is better. 

[andygates]

Plus, short arms = less far to lock out.  Apes have trouble with bench (though they shine at deadlift: the Librarian would be ace at it).  All manner of biomechanical funnies come into play!

(Ignore my ramble about campaigns, I got two things confused: there's a regular powerlifting campaign, and a recent talent hunt for para powerlifters)

[Jakob]

102% day in O-class, so a couple of new PRs

Progression was

Snatch: (Based on a PR of 50kgs)
35% x 4, 50% x 3, 65% 3, 77% x 3, 85% x 2 , 90% x 1, 95% x 1, 97% x 1, 100%x 1, 102% x 1

52kgs in snatch. (previous was 50kgs). Frustrating thing was that most of my pulls on 55kgs ended at eye-height, but I just never got under it!. It's there (+ more), I just need to work (alot) on snatch-drops.

C&J: (based on 70kgs)
, 50% x 1+3 jerks, 65% x 1 + 3, 77% x 1+2, 85% x 1 , 90% x 1, 95% x 1, 97% x 1, 100%x 1, 102% x 1


Almost same story with Clean&Jerk.
New PR at 75kgs, which I actually pressed out rather than jerked. (Again, I stop going under the bar, once it gets heavier). Had multiple attempts at 77kgs, but started to struggle with the clean and when I finally cleaned it, my arms were dead and failed on the jerk.

Front squat: (based on 80kgs)
65% 3, 77% x 3, 85% x 2 , 90% x 1, 95% x 1, 97% x 1, 100%x 1, 102% x 1

Then front squatted 86kgs (previous was 80kg, quite a few months back), mostly so I could say I'd done BW. There's more in that, but I was tired at that stage.

Next week will be light weights and back to focus on technique. (Which I need..badly!)

[Rich753]

Pretty damn good - three x PBs!  Think you are entitled to be a bit tired on the front squats 

I'm having an easy week on the arms - did lots of pullups/chinup before Christmas and forearms/elbows/tendon thingies got overstressed I think so a short layoff with stretching, self massage and range-of-motion exercises.

[Jakob]

I find O-lifting relatively easy on the arms, as you rarely actually lift with your arms, except when you do it wrong!. I got a shoulder issue at the moment and are limited in what I can do, but O-lifting is actually ok.
 The key issue at the moment, is that I get scared of going under the bar once the weight creeps up.
I need to do some work to prep for the 'grace' challenge tomorrow. (I'll do sets of 10 C&J @ 62kgs) and then I think I'll do a load of snatches at 30-35kgs to build that 'go under the bar' confidence.

[andygates]

I know that fear!  Can you set a static bar (in a cage or similar) and practice the duck-under component?  Or is that not sensible..?

[Jakob]

I know that fear!  Can you set a static bar (in a cage or similar) and practice the duck-under component?  Or is that not sensible..?

No cages.
I think just practicing with lighter weights and doing snatch-drops/balance is the way to go.
I guess to make it more realistic, I can just start from the hang position, so that I wont pull it so high. (And I get to practice my my hip pull as well)

[Flying_Monkey]

I've been told to concentrate on building core strength by my swimming coach, so no crazy arm and shoulder stuff, and definitely nothing that might tear things right now... so I'll be easing back on the heavy stuff.

[Rich753]

My pilates guru and sports masseuse tells me my arm problems are tendonitis, probably caused by the multiple small muscle fibres in the forearm clumping together.  So friction massage, hot 'n' cold are the answers.  Feel better already 

[Jakob]

That's enough weights for me for a few days!

Last night was '85%' night, so a chance to work more on technique.

Snatch-deadlift, snatch-pull, snatch, progression up to 85% of 1RM. (Based on 55kg)
Still struggling with the 2nd pull, but the odd one here and there started to feel better.

Clean (no jerk), progression up to 85% of 1RM, repeating 70%,80%,85% 3 times (75kg base)
Last rep at 85% was very good.

Back-squat, similar deal, but with 3x3rep at 85% (110kg base). I haven't done back-squats for a while, but the  
last set was remarkably easy, making me think a new PB should be achievable.

Then, today at the work out, it was first 5x5 hang-power clean at 70% (~50kgs) and then 3x3 hang-squat-clean at 80%.

Then the workout, (working in pairs, alternating after each round) was:
5 deadlift
5 hang-squat-clean
5 push-press.
We used 95lbs/43kgs.
AMRAP for 15 minutes. We managed 18 rounds, but as I still don't have the flexibility to rest the bar naturally on my shoulders doing cleans, this was murder on wrists/forearms and it took 2 hours before my forearms stopped hurting. (I got supertight forearms from 10 years of kendo, which doesn't help).

I also noticed today that I can't actually 'feel' my hips engaging, so it's very hard for me to use them more on the pull. I need to figure out a way of becoming more aware of this.

Rest of the week is snowboarding/kendo/snowboarding/coaching(kendo)/snowboarding, so I don't have to lift anything until next O-class on Monday!. (Fresh dump of snow in the local mountains over-rides any gym plans)

[andygates]

One for London gals: Ladies Who Lift  »  strengthambassadors.com (the instructor gives great blog, should be a very fine course if you're tempted)

[itsbruce]

Back in the gym tomorrow.  Cycle 8 miles to the gym for 7am,  warmup, 5x5 Squats, 5x5 press, 1x5 deadlift, pull-ups, shower, cycle final half mile to work, blink at colleagues.  Similar routine on Thursday.  Same routine on Saturday only at local gym, so no cycling.

Eating a bit more this week than last week.

[itsbruce]

Forgive me, Arnie, for I have sinned: it has been eight months since I was last under the bar.  I have lost some strength in that time.  Otoh, I'm back to the 73kg I was at when I first started strength training and I can lift weights I wouldn't have dreamed of back then, and I'm cycling 17 miles a day at the same time, so win.

Started back at lowish weights and not trying the full 5x5 if I wasn't sure.  Anything I can't do 5x5 I'll increasy by 1x5 each time till I am at 5x5, then go back to raising the weight each time.

Squats: 80kg 5x5.  That was a shock.  I was lifting 120kg last year and I don't think I could have done more than 90 at 5x5 today.

Press 35kg 5/5/4 - stalled on the fifth.  Bah, but it's more of a case of remembering the technique and finding the explosive push.

Deadlift 120kg 1x5.  Proportionately much closer to my previous best than any of the others.  Cheered me up.

And I feel amazing!  Haven't done a serious workout for way too long and I'd forgotten how good it makes you feel

[Jakob]

Nice one:)

When you guys say 'squat', do you mean front squat:


Or back squat:


Work is super busy this week and it'll limit the amount of time I can go to the gym (and actually give me some time to heal up a few niggling injuries)

[itsbruce]

Back squat is the default.  Front squats are more of a specialist thing, for practising good posture or as an assistance exercise for clean and jerk.  Back squats are the core of any serious muscle building programme, in contrast.

[andygates]

Likewise.  Squat = back squat unless stated otherwise.

Front squat is very, very good for teaching you to drive from the heels if your a toe-driving recidivist like me.

[Rich753]

I was doing front squats when I started serious squatting becos my shoulders were too stiff to let me get my hands up to the bar. I'd agree with AndyG that front squats do invite heel squatting!  Now progressed to back squats tho' not done them for a while - think they are back on the flight plan for next week.

How wide a stance do you all take?  I know wider is supposed to be better but wider typically means less depth for me.

[andygates]

I have to be quite wide and toed-out to get my belly between my thighs.

[Jasmine]

Just over shoulder width for me.  I feel more stable a little wider, and it sometimes helps with my tendency to lift the heels, but I find I'm more likely to get stuck at the bottom.  No idea why.  I also shuffle terribly between reps mid-set (from 14-15 onwards in the 20 rep set), so if I had them wide I would probably fall over.

[Jakob]

We tend to do more front squats, as it's useful for a range of of exercises (Thrusters, C&J, wallballs)
I still don't quite have the required shoulder/elbow/wrist flexibility, but at least I can now sorta rest the bar on my shoulders.

Width. Just outside shoulders for me, although I have a tendency to go go way wider when doing cleans/snatches, which I really need to stop doing. (bad habit #35).

[itsbruce]

I had forgotten how much you have to eat while training. Having to eat even more, when combining it with cycling 

[itsbruce]

Early morning start again.  I'm remembering how to do this but am still a little shocked by how much strength you can lose in a few months.

Squat: 80kg 5x5.  Nice and smooth.  I can go back to ramping this up by 2.5kg each session.  120kg 3x5 feels a long way away, but it should be much quicker to get from here to there than the first time.

Bench: 45kg 5x5.  Was conservative, given how badly you can hurt yourself if you mess this up without a spotter (nobody else was the weights room at that point).

Inverted rows: 5/5/5.  10/10/10 is the aim, so there's quite some ground to make up before I even think about switching to Barbell rows.

Mmmmmmm, still feeling great to be back.

[Rich753]

IIUC first 6-7 weeks you are mainly recruiting/retraining muscle fibres to perform their alloted tasks, so it's not so much losing strength as muscles "forgetting" what they have to do.  After that it gets interesting 

[ravenbait]

I'm dreading getting back to weights after a 9 month lay-off of all training.

I suspect I'm going to struggle to lift an empty bar.

Sam