Monday 8.6: Cleans, Front squat, Row, Hspu, Ball slams

Monday. Strength, power cleans (max 100kg). Emom x 10min, odd min: hang power clean + power clean, even min: hang squat clean + squat clean (max 80kg). Emom x 10min: hang squat clean + squat clean @ 90kg. Front squat 5x1 (max 125kg). Metcon, 6rds of: 250m row, 7 hspu, 14 medball slam. Time, 12.40.

When you have training partner like Jasper at the gym, the session is destined to be a good one. It took me a good 2 hours at the box as I was in no rush at all. It was a lot of cleans this time. First power cleans building up to a heavy single. Then complex work, and finally a metcon with Jasper. Good times!

Jasper dominating the bell

Strength.

• Power clean (2x70, 2x80, 2x85, 1x90, 1x95, 1x100kg, failed at 105kg)

My original plan was to hit the combination cleans that I did afterwards but this came out of blue. Just wanted to get couple of heavier power cleans under my belt before getting some sweat on. My max power clean is 103kg. It has improved about 10kg in the past months. It used to around 90-95kg for some time but then at this new training place I got a new record. Now I got greedy and wanted to break that by going after 105 kilos. That left a little too much in front and I wasn't able to front rack it properly. But 100kg lift was quite decent.

Power cleans

Complex.

• Every minute on the minute x 10 min
• Odd min, hang power clean + power clean
• Even min, hang squat clean + squat clean
• 1-4min: 70kg
• 5-8min: 75kg
• 9-10min: 80kg

This was fun. There could have been more reps as I felt like the recovery time was a bit too long. Power versions were tougher obviously. Squat cleans were light weight but powers had me keep the loads moderate. Good time to focus on bar paths. Barbells were between 70-80kg. Okay I have done hang powers at 90kg so there was time to climb up. Actually, it came to my mind I should do hang power clean sets at heavier weights.

Complex recap

Complex.

• Every minute on the minute x 10min
• Hang squat clean + squat clean @ 90kg

The previous complex was a lot of fun so I decided to add some weight and skip the power part of it. Simply hang squat and full squat cleans. Took them by dropping the bar between reps. Tried to keep the bar close and drop down faster.

Very good complex. The weight was such that it made me sweat a lot but the bar came up and down smoothly. I felt only happiness when cleaning the barbell =) There was a lot of cleans taking place today. First power cleans for a heavy single, then 20 minutes of complex work. I hope I had the same skills for snatch as I have for cleans.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to say these are the most beautiful lifts in the world but I've been able to build them up so that they are consistent and I always know that lifts close to my 1RM are coming up any day. Situation is a whole lot different with snatches.

You never know how those look in my case =) It's a mystery, and the bar path tends to vary too much. Technique and mobility are much further away from being right on the spot. Of course that would improve just by concentrating more on those lifts.

Squat.

• Front squat 5x1 (120, 122, 125, 125, 125kg)

Not planned, just wanted to hit couple of heavier singles. Took triples at 90, 100, 110kg before hitting these singles. They were okay, you'll see the last one on the video below. It was good to have heavier lifts in the books.

Front squat 125kg

Metcon. Time, 12.40

• 6 rounds of:
• 250m row
• 7 handstand push-up
• 14 medball slam

We did this together with Jazz. Good one. Lots of breathing. Both were very consistent, and had pretty much identical round times. This was supposed to be a 12min amrap, and it was but we decided to finish the last round, and the time stopped at 12.40.

We had two concept2's at the gym but my rower's monitor was black so I timed the first round from Jasper's monitor, and then decided to row for 50 seconds which was pretty close to 250m. Had the damper setting at 10, and gave it a good rage when pulling the strokes.

Hspu's were fine. I thought of having 10 reps per round, and that might have been a good idea. Went unbroken easily on these. On the other hand, would 10 reps have been too much in order to finish them ub each round. Don't know. These felt great anyway.

Medball slams are under appreciated. We've done them before with Jasper and they have proved out as a great element for heavy breathing. The balls are light (6/9kg) but they work well for their purpose. Total of 14 slams after hspu's were a good way to keep the heart rate up. All three elements were great for good intensity. No reason to slow down. Just keep moving. We recovered quickly after this one. Felt great!