Ahh what the hell...

Background: Soon to be 44, 5'6" tall, hover around 200lbs. 

Sports History: Former soccer guy, college coach said I was even too small for a soccer player (125lbs as a Freshman) so he made me lift weights.  When my brief and uneventful soccer career ended I kept lifting.  Dabbled in PL and have done Martial Arts (Blackbelt in Hapkido, some Judo tourneys as part of the Hapkido, a few MMA type things).  Liked going to Highland Games but Ifelt I was too small.  Eventually got sick of hearing myself moan so figured I'd give it a go.  Been throwing for about 3 years now.

Health:  Typical wear and tear, nothing odd except that about 2 years ago a piece of my brain exploded, but it's all good now.

Goals:  Along with throwing goals I've set my sights on trying to get the qualifying total for the Pan -Am Masters OL meet when I turn 45.  I'll need a 75kg snatch/100 kg C&J.  If I try for 40 - 45 it would be around 80/105 or so.  Right now I'm at about 65/80 but my form bites.  Oh, and I need to lose 5 or 6 kg...  I did one OL meet in my life and took first in my class...because I was the only one that got in a total.  Of course I lifted less than the Jr. Girls but a medal is a medal.

Program:  I just finished up a Grant project so I now have more time (but less $) than I have for the past several years.  Right now I'm lifting twice a week and doing conditioning stuff twice/week as well.  The lifting is more or less one day OL stuff one day PL stuff. 

OK, here goes, if I can do this, the rest of you should....

50 minute conditioning - XC ski.  First time I got the skis out this year.  It was warm so it would have been betterfor snowshoes...but not really enough snow yet.  It was killer, now I'm glad I have been doing the eliptical for a few months.

I know most of us (including me) have an aversion to anything that might even be considered aerobic, but I'd like to put in a good word for my favorite winter activities Snowshoes and XC skis.  Both are easy to learn, and the basic starter set -ups are relatively affordable.  If you live in a place that only gets one or two big snows a year (Mid Atlantic etc.) you can usually rent XC skis at public golf courses or bike paths.  The skills needed on most golf courses can be learned in a few minutes.  Both activities are easy on the joints, require upper body work and get you out in the woods.  Or at least keep you from the streets...

weight day at St. Lawrence.  Today is a prime example of why I need to start having everything written down before I get started because I just make no sense unless I do.  The original plan was 5 sets of snatches and 3 sets of 3 Front Squats then go to Wal-Mart.  Weights are unfortunately in lbs.  Did I say pounds, I meant kilos, ya it's all in kilos.  OK it's pounds.....

Snatch (working on learning to split snatch): 75x2, 95x2, 115x2, 125x2, 130x1, 135x1, 2x0x145 (Pissed, both pulls were plenty high enough.  Oh well the bar is already on the platform, might as well do some Cl&J's)

C&J's : 145x1, 165x1, 175x1, 180x1, 185x 0  (wierd popped out of my hand and dropped it, that's normaly an easy clean...OK put it in the rack and how 'bout some rear jerks, haven't done those in ages...)

Rear Jerks: 165x1, 175x1, 180x1, 185x1 (Oh ya, wasn't I supposed to do Front Squats?  My legs are kinda sore from skiing and I'm running out of time, OK just a few quick singles.)

Front Squats: 185x2, 200x1, 225x1, 240x1, 255x0 (popped out of my L hand just like when I caught the clean...wtf?...Oh wow it's past 12:00 my wife is gonna kill me....)

Back to "my" gym.  My new bumper plates are here!!!  Sweeeeeeeet!!!

All weights in kg

Clean & Jerks: 40x2, 60x2, 70x1, 75x1, 80x1, 82.5x1 (PR), 85x0 (same deal, lost it forward on the clean)

Overhead Squats: 30x3, 30x3, 30x3 (I'm as flexible as a brick)

Overhead Lunges: 40x6 (each leg 3 reps), 45x6 (each leg 3 reps)

Push Press: 60x2, 70x2, 75x1, 80x1

1 - Arm Nautilus Row: 105x10, 105x10 (1 set each arm), 125x5, 125x5, 125x5, 125x5 (2 sets each arm)

Hey, I lost my sticky!!!!  Am I being punished for being weak?  I'll work harder, I swear!!!

I'll bet it's because I edited my first post after I realized I put 85 instead of 80....Can I have my sticky back....please?

C. Smith wrote: I don't get paid enough for this job.

Wow, being half of the coolest couple in strength sports isn't enough for him, now he wants payed....some people....

Thanks for replacing my sticky Craig.

I'm making a change in my program for a bit.  It will go more like this:

Day 1: C&J, Back Squat, Bench

Day 2: Snatch, Front Squat, Military Press

The reason for it is pretty simple....I got new bumper plates and they are soooo cooool.   i want to use them as much as possible.   I love new toys.

OK I feel the need to earn the sticky I was given back...

All weights in kg

C&J: 40x2, 60x2, 67.5x1, 75x1, 80x1, 85x1 (yay), 90xmiss

Squat: 60x5, 70x3, 95x5, 110x3, 122.5x2

Bench Press: 40x5, 60x3, 75x5, 85x3, 95x4

The 85 C&J would not have passed (pressed out), but it went up so I was happy.  Still getting used to squatting without wraps and so low but it will come.

Good one today, I had fun.  Weights all in kg.

Snatches: 20x3, 40x3, 52.5x3, 52.5x3, 52.5x3

DL's: 50x5, 90x3, 102.5x5, 117.5x5, 135x10

Military Press: 20x5, 30x3, 50x5, 57.5x5, 65x5

I worked a lot on the split snatch today.  I really liked it, feel I can get lower this way.  I think this is the way for me to go.  Thanks to Kevin R for the advice.

OK, time for me to whine like a baby, nah my baby is tougher than this...

Struggling with sticking to my "plan".  Right now it's more or less two days of no nonsense basic strength stuff, and two days of doing conditioning.  The conditioning is because a) I like to play outside, and b)I want to be able to walk up stairs without tossing a lung.  The idea is to drop the  (OK, I'll say it...) cardio and add throwing and strongman stuff as the weather changes and the season approaches.   The problem is I feel like I am not doing enough, like I should drop the conditioning and just lift 4 times a week.  I'm actually making some progress especially in the quick lifts, but I just feel I should be doing more.  Maybe I want someone to say "no that looks OK", or someone to say "Here's what you need to do."  Maybe I'm just a whining nerfbag and need a good kick in the ass... 

OK

1/13: 20 minutes "conditioning",  OK it was the eliptical, but it was hard, I swear.

1/14: All weights in Kg.  (Hey, I have metric weights use a calculator if you want)

Clean & Jerks: 40x3, 60x1, 70x3, 75x1, 80x1, 90 missx3 (Damn it!!!), 70x2

Squat: 60x5, 70x3, 90x5, 105x5, 120x6

Bench Press: 50x5, 60x3, 67.5x5, 80x5, 90x7

The squats were really low and learning how to bounce out of the hole.  Freakin mad about missing the 90.  I finaly caught the third one then couldn't get up.  Wierd because 90k is an easy front squat for me, I can get 120 or so on those even without any knee wraps.  Oh well, just be patient...  

Was sick all weekend.  Managed to get out on Saturday to see Carmen (Yes I like Operas, I go a lot) then dinner and barfed it all over the place.  More or less didn't eat for 3 days.  Well, I ate it just didn't stick around.  So today I felt OK enough to get back in the gym.

all in kg.

Snatches:40x2, 50x2, 57.5x1(missed 2nd catch), 57.5x1 (same on second)

DL's: 90x3, 110x3, 125x3, 142.5x3, 160x2, 170x2

Military Press: 40x5, 50x3, 60x3, 67.5x3

Front Squat: 75x2, 85x2, 95x1

The snatches were weak, had no speed.  Pull was OK but just missing any pop.  Probably from being sick.  The front squats were just for technique.  I was trying to figure out what I missed the other day.  allmost didn't include them here, but figured I did them, might as well write it up.

Hey Andrew, I'm trying right now to really get in shape for some serious lifting and have been trying to improve cardio/lung capacity as well as lean out a little without wasting too much time on the cardio machines. I tried these "complex's" and they are kicking my ass. Similar to Wayne's suggestion of short rests during lifting. Consider giving these a try...

http://www.wannabebig.com/training/complexes-for-fat-loss/ - http://www.wannabebig.com/training/complexes-for-fat-loss/

2 of my favorites...

STP's...w/DB's...standing with a DB in each hand, squat down, place DB on floor and thrust legs behind, still holding DB's...push-up...pull legs back under, squat up and clean DB's...press DB's...repeat.

CSP's...w/KB's...KB in each hand...swing, clean, front squat, press on the way up...repeat

I also like to do a finishing movement at the end of every workout...1 or 2 sets of something like the above just to get the heart/blood pumping madly before ending the workout.

Erik

Thanks Erik, I'm getting lots of good help here.  I think I have a plan...

Today was just more eliptical, a bit beat after last night and have to lift again tomorrow so just kept it simple.  I printed off the article Will linked to and will also use the stuff Erik and Wayne suggested.  Thanks guys.

all in kg

Rear Jerks: 60x3, 70x2, 75x1, 80x1, 85xmiss

Squats: 85x5, 97.5x3, 112.5x3, 125x5

Bench Press: 50x5, 60x3, 72.5x3, 85x3, 95x5

BB Shrugs: 140x6, 140x6

Calf Press (Nautilus Leg Press Machine): 185x20

Been having a lot of knee pain the past few days.  Not sure but it may be time to start wrapping my knees again.  I've been trying to squat ass to floor with only using stuff I could use in an OL meet (neoprene sleeves) but after a month or so it's starting to get to the old soccer knees.  At least I proved I was willing to put the ego away and try it.  I'll give it through next week but if they are still giving me problems I'll wrap up or wear the Inzer knee sleeves.

You may have already heard this from others, but have you tried putting some muscle cream of some kind on your knees before you put the sleeves on?  I tried that on Mike Baab's recomendation and it really feels good.  I myself have never had any knee problems and may just be a mental thing, but it gets me through.

Where is the knee pain?  If its under the patella or on the medial side try just an ace bandage (4") and wrap under the patella medial wards...  These are allowed in O-lifting meets...

Tiger Balm in the mornin'

Sounds like a particularly taxing day for your CNS.

Good.

1/25 kg, exceptfor DB Hammers (set is in lbs)

Snatch:40x2, 50x2, 55x1, 60x1 (ugly), 65x

DL: 90x5, 110x3, 117.5x5, 135x3, 150x5

Military Press: 40x5, 50x3, 57.5x5, 65x3, 72.5x1

DB Hammer Curls: 45#x16 (8/8), 50#x18 (9/9)

BFS Machine Crunch: 55x15

I'm thinking of going back to a seperate Olympic Day versus including those lifts in with the others.  It would go back to looking like this.

Week A

Day 1 - Snatch, Clean & Jerk

Day 2 - DL, Press (+ accessory stuff)

Week B

Day1 - Snatch, Clean & Jerk

Day2 - Squat, Bench

vs. the way I have things now

Day1 - Snatch, DL, Press

Day2- C&J, Squat, Bench

The part of me that wants the first option feels that these workouts are to much for one day, and they are beggining to drain on me.  The part that wants to keep the second option thinks I am just being a big p*ssy and need to shut the f%ck up.  Any thoughts?

OK, my absolutely anal plan for the next 6 weeks....

                  Weightlifting Cycle

Started to make a small change in the conditioning workouts. 

Today I took a set of 12, 18 and 24" plyo stools and set them up by the eliptical.  It was 5 minutes on the eliptical then jump on each of the stools smallest to highest 1 at a time for three cycles. So it was 5 minutes then 12,18,24,12,18,24,12,18,24.  I repeated the whole eliptical + jumps cycle 3 times.  Have to admit it weren't pleasant gettin my hairy little self up on that taller box for the last sets.

Lousy workout today.  We got hit with a snowstorm and had to cancel our after school program so I couldn't do squats or Benches (I promised I wouldn't do those unless someone else was at least in the room).  So today it was:

Clean&Jerks (kg): 40x2, 60x2, 70x1, 75x1, 80x1, 85x0

Nautilus BP machine (lbs): 110x5, 150x5, 180x5, 210x5, 240x3

Calf Press on the Nautilus Leg Press Machine (lbs): 410x25, 410x20

Eliptical 10minutes

Good stuff Gnome.  Keep working hard.  Surgeon is going to let me start jogging soon...maybe I'll try skiing. 

So long as Luke Skywalker doesn't cut my arm off!

Duncan McWampa

OK, I'm a lying sack o' shite.  I like using the bumpers even when I don't have to.  They are cool....

all in kg

Squat: 60x5, 90x3, 105x5, 120x3, 130x3

Bench Press:60x5, 70x3, 80x5, 90x3, 100x3

Snatch: 50x2, 50x3

Snatch Grip Power Shrugs (off a bench): 60x3, 70x3, 80x3

Today was sort of a make-up day for the lousy workout last Thursday.  These were the weights I was supposed to do then. 

All in kg

DL: 60x5, 90x3, 110x5, 127.5x5, 145x6

Push Press: 40x5, 52.5x5, 60x5, 67.5x7

Front Plate Raises: 10kx20, 15kx15

Plate Twists:  Stacked up bumpers: 5,10,20,20,10,5  went Right to Left stacked them one at a time then back Left to Right.  Did the whole cycle for 5 sets (both sides) no stopping.

In kg except where noted

Squat: 60x5, 80x3, 97.5x3, 112.5x3, 125x7

Bench Press: 50x5, 60x3, 80x3, 85x3, 97.5x5

Snatch Grip Power Shrugs: 70x4, 75x4, 60x5

Nautilus Machine Calf Press (lbs): 410x20, 410x20

OK, I was happy with today.  Not much compared to most of the guys here  but today was good for me.  The squats were the strongest since I ditched the ego and the wraps and started going deep.  I felt like I could have gotten more reps.  The benches were the most I'd done for 5 in ages.  I didn't like the shrugs so I dropped the weight and focused on a better pull and extension.  As for the calf presses, looks like I need to do something different.  that's all that stack has, and I don't know if I can add DB's to it.

Last night I was abducted by aliens.  They took me to their planet using a teleport system.  They are very smart but not strong because of a slightly weaker gravitational field.  While I was there I managed to win their Worlds Strongest Man, International Lowlands Games Championships (slight variant caused by differences in their planets plate dynamics) and qualified for their Olympic games in weightlifting.  Not sure if my wife will let me go so i told them to give the spot to someone else.....there, maybe now I'll get some comments..... 

Gnome,

What kind of tempo do you keep on your bench press?  Are you focusing on a smooth press or an explosive movement?

Conditioning day:

Here was the circuit...5 min Eliptical, 2 sets of plate twists (both sidesx2) 5,10,20,20,10,5 kg, 3 sets of box jumps (18",24"), 5 minutes of the Kettler rowing machine.

I did three circuits of that.  By the last one I was kind of beat up. 

Sorry had to mix the kg, with some #.

DL (kg): 60x5, 90x3, 120x3, 135x3, 152.5x5

Push Press(kg): 40x5, 50x3, 55x3, 65x3, 72.5x5

DB Hammer Curls(#): 100x7, 90x10 (50's and 45's)

Battery Hold(#): 20x40seconds, 20x28seconds, 20x39 seconds (used a wrist roller type device)

I'll comment later, my 6 year old is bugging me to use the computer...

OK, happy with the Push Presses.  Doing the Militaries until I stalled was a good idea.  That seemed to really help get my Push Press moving.  The hammers and hold were because I have some log press stuff coming up, and a block hold in an event I hope to do in June.

I found a place that will sell me some old kegs cheap.  I'm debating between getting the stuff from Slater to make a log or a set of Pendlay Do-win lifting shoes for my birthday.  Not sure which one to get first.  Any thoughts?

Conditioning day:

15 minutes Concept 2 rower (set on highest resistance)

15 minutes Eliptical

5 minute break, while I tried in vain to figure out a way to do farmers walks.

10 minute back on the rower.

At SLU so everything is in lbs.   This workout had an odd order to it which is part of occasionally lifting at a campus fitness center...

Squat: 135x5,205x3, 230x5, 265x3, 290x3

Snatch: 95x2, 115x2, 125x1, 135x, 135x1

Clean and whatever it takes: 155x1, 165x1, 175x1, 185x0 (but I got the clean really strong)

BenchPress: 135x5, 175x5, 205x3, 225x2

Wow, miss one workout around here and you wind up at the bottom of the page.

@ SLU (in the USA) so it's all in lbs.

DL: 135x5, 225x3, 280x5, 320x3, 360x4

Push Press: 95x5, 115x3, 130x5, 150x3, 165x3

BB Shrug (power shrug): 295x10, 295x10

Tricep Bar curl: 75x10, 95x6, 105x7

I was pissed about the DL's!  I easily has a 5th one but I lost the grip....I know I have small little claw like hands but so did precious MacKenzie and that little man could pull like a truck.  Need to go back to more grip work especially with the Farmers walks this year. 

Water weight...?

Duncan - Not sure about the weight, I don't have to be under 200 until May 2, so that won't be to much of a problem, I had just kind of thought all the conditioning stuff would peel off some blubber.

Wayne - OK, you definately have my curiosity going.  Quick sketch, say three main points, as to why.

1. SI units aren't of meaningful scale for most applications.  For example, you should have a pretty good idea of what 1 psi feels like, but 1 Pascal is meaninglessly small.  This has a disastrous effect on an engineer's physical intuition:  you have no feel for how big or small things are in a lot of cases.
2. As many conversion factors are needed as in English units, because different realms (thermal, mechanical, chemical, and electrical) operate at different scales.  For example, the Calorie is not an allowable unit in SI, so food energy should only be expressed in Joules.  European labeling includes Calories in parens:  why?  In the English system, a lot of these conversions are built into the units themselves, while in SI they're built into the physical properties of materials and phenomena.  You end up having to look up as many values in SI as you do in English units.
   
3. SI is pervasively violated and misapplied.  For example, the use of kg/cm^2 as a measure of pressure is utterly crazy.  In fact, I've seen it presented as kgf/cm^2 (that's kilogram force), which is not a defined unit (because it's a direct violation of SI).
   

Hmmm....thanks Wayne, neat points and it all makes sense.  #2 really got me thinking about how something I thought of a strength of that system could actually be a problem.

So I guess I'll just have to stick with the argument that I just bought a really cool set of bumper plates and am going to use them for everything I possibly can.  Preacher curls with the EZ curl bar....hand me them bumpers....

Today:

1:15 XC ski.  Really warm and a wet snow.  Terrible for sliding, but made for one hell of a workout.  Really had to focus on the stride and keep the skis on the ground.  Actually had to walk the last bit because I finally had ice clumps I just couldn't get off.  This was almost a strength workout.  Would have been a much better day for snowshoes, might do that tommorrow.

Conditioning day, for the box jumps 1 set is a 12, 18, and 24" box lined up 1 jump on each.

Eliptical (10min), Box Jumps (3 sets), Rowing machine (10 minutes), Box Jumps (3 sets), Eliptical (5 minutes), Box Jumps (3 sets), Rowing machine (5 minutes), Box Jumps (3 sets) 

Thanks guys, I think you are right.  I was really fired up this year about finaly having some more time to put into this so I didn't feel like I was doing things half assed.  I don't mind being last in the Masters I just want to feel I was last in the Masters because that was all I could do.  Not kicking myself because I couldn't lift and throw as much as I wanted.  Now that I have the time and have been training this way the balance does feel pretty cool. And to be haonest at this point in my existence it isn't gonna make a whole lot of difference.  Isn't like I am 30 years old and 275lbs.

Seriously when you look at it from the big picture I am only weak compared to a small and select segment of the population.  Compared to the overall population we all here are pretty strong guys.   Does that make sense? 

Today; in kg except the DB work.

DL: 60x5, 90x3, 115x5, 132.5x5, 150(330#)x6

Push Press: 40x5, 52.5x5, 62.5x5, 70(154#)x4

Dumbell Hammer Curls (#) 100x8, 90x10

Split Squats: 40x6, 45x6

Not happy with the Push presses. Felt really weak there.  The split squats were an experiment.  One which is not likely to be replicated.

45 minute XC ski.  More like sliding in slush, must have been like 40F.  Wet and yuchy, but made for a good workout I guess.