Monday 21.9: Snatch, Snatch pulls

Monday. Snatch triples, 6x3 (50kg). Snatch pull triples, 6x3 (60-80kg).

Somehow I never achieved the killer mode this Monday towards the training session. Usually I'm waiting that eagerly, it's something I need right after a long work day. It's a way to level things, and zero my thoughts. Without a good training session I don't relax perfectly. However, today's session was not a success. Okay, there were good things too, and those are the ones I got to focus on.

Oly.

• Snatch, 6x3 @ 50kg
• Snatch pulls, 6x3 (60, 60, 60, 80, 80, 80kg)

Something positive has happened on my mobility. Snatch in the bottom position was okay today, and I didn't feel like tight at any stage of the snatches. Hips and shoulders were both feeling alright. What bummed me a bit was that my plan also included heavy back squats but my back started to get stiff during the session which caused 90kg's to feel heavy on the squat. I really wanted to do those back squats.

On the bright side, snatches felt better than normally. Even depth was better than regularly. I got good teaching tips from one crossfit coach. Very valuable coaching from this guy. He told me to pay attention to my shins in the starting position. The point is to keep them as vertical as possible. It doesn't come easy but I'll try to focus on that in the future. Another thing is to keep the eyes directed straight ahead or even a bit higher. Currently I'm keeping my eyes to the floor. This enables me to open up my hips better in the future, and that is exactly what I need.

After couple of sets back squats I loaded the barbell again for snatch pulls. In the beginning I had 60kg bar, then jumped to 80kg. Focus was exactly on these two things. Shins vertical and eyes up. Start position still felt kind of awkward but it will get better for sure.

Wednesday 17.6: Ohs, Snatch pulls, Pull-ups, Du's

Wednesday. Ohs triples (up to 75kg). Snatch pulls 3x5 (up to 100kg). Metcon, 5rds of: 10 ohs (40kg), 15 pull-ups, 30 du's. Time, 12.22. Accessory, 3rds of: 500m row, 20 ghd.

Long session at the gym. Good warm-up, no rush. Got my hips and shoulders ready for some action. It was overhead work pretty much today, assistance stuff for snatch. Metcon consisted of ohs and pull-ups, which are poison to me as a combination. Finished the session with some light work.

OHS.

• Complex, 1 snatch balance + 3 ohs (40, 50, 60, 65, 70kg)
• Overhead squat 3x75kg

This was basically overhead squat triples but I started almost every set with a snatch balance. Only the last set was a pure ohs triple without the snatch balance. Just pushed the barbell to straight arms before squatting. In Denmark I didn't finish the 75kg triple and it got me thinking there's a possibility I have never got a3 reps at this weight. Don't know, it is possible but I just don't remember it. That was enough for the day on this movement for me. Felt pretty good on the overhead squats this time!

Recap

Pulls.

• Snatch pulls 3x5 (90, 100, 100kg)

This is something I've found very useful. It teaches me lots of patience for snatch. And the bar path looks to be much better, way more correct than before. That makes me smile big time. Plus it's great to get some pulls done as deadlift has been out of question for about 3 weeks now. I told you some time ago there is some weird pain in my left ribcage when pulling heavy loads from the floor or alternatively when sneezing / coughing.

Everything else is okay, no pain at all. But on these occasions there is an internal pressure which I do not like. These 100kg pulls are so light that it doesn't matter. But for snatch grip pulls it is quite a load. I'll have these in my repertoire in the near future just to teach my body. Weight was good.

Metcon. Time, 12.22

• 5 rounds of:
• 10 overhead squat, 40kg
• 15 pull-ups
• 30 double unders

Huh, it was known already beforehand that ohs and pull-ups are a difficult combo for me. That means to say it is useful to practice that. Ohs was unbroken each round, pull-ups were so for 2 rounds. The following were 8-4-3 for each of the remaining 3 rounds. Double's had trips in 2/5 sets. Three sets were good. This one made me breath hard for sure, and muscles got tired during the course of the workout.

Finisher.

• 3 rounds of:
• 500m easy row
• 20 ghd sit-ups

After writing down what work I had been doing I sat on the rower to get my thoughts together, and did a little cash out in the end. Rowed with easy pace for 1.5km, it was somewhere between 1.50-1.55 per 500 meters. Ghd's were there just to get some core work done in the process.

Saturday 13.6: Snatch pulls, Snatch

Saturday.Snatch pulls 5x3 (max 100kg). Emom x 21min, snatch (max 64kg).

Summer seems to be here! I will not complain, this is our favorite time of the year. So we spent the practically the entire day in downtown Helsinki, walking around and making couple of purchases. The city was crowded with people, looked like we were not the only ones. In the evening it was some quality time at the gym with my baby. Snatches all the way.

Pulls.

• Snatch pulls 5x3 (70, 90, 100, 100, 100kg)

Last time I did snatches, there were some pulls right before and it really felt like that is the key for me to better lifts. It creates awareness on the weaker positions of the snatch and it forced me to move the barbell slower up my shins. Now after 3 years of crossfit I realize that. Okay, it has been told before right at my face but the reasoning has been vague so I have ignored that. I'm happy the guys coached me last time on this movement.

Bringing the bar up slower up to my knees allows me to focus on pulling my knees out of the way, and lifting the barbell up to my hips before pulling the bar with traps. Before I have been hasty with my pull and have bounced the bar already from my thighs. This feels much different. Some day it's gonna look like a real snatch =)

Snatch.

• Every minute on the minute
• 1-3min: 40kg
• 4-6min: 45kg
• 7-9min: 50kg
• 10-12min: 55kg
• 13-15min: 60kg
• 16-18min: 62kg
• 19-21min: 64kg

This day concentrated fully on snatches. My confidence level took a huge boost after last snatch day, and it carried through this day. Got to have more of these days when full focus is on snatches. I felt like the bar path was much better on the spot than before, and there was no doubt at any weight whether I'm gonna go under the bar or not. Sometimes in the past I've had those classic doubts before pulling the bar from ground.

Next step is to get used to these heavier weights. Feels kind of funny to say 60+ kilos are heavy but each lift beyond that is actually heavy for me! I want to see this lift become as solid as cleans are nowadays. I'm super happy on the weights I was able to move today, and with zero misses boom!

Mobility is one thing to improve as you probably can see from the recap. Depth is shallow and most of the lifts are power snatches to be honest. I'll take them anyway currently. I'll do my best to go deeper in the future.

Tuesday 9.6: Snatch pulls, Snatch

Tuesday. Snatch pulls 5x3 (max 100kg). Snatch (max 3x60kg).

It was all about snatch work. And finally some light at the end of the tunnel. There was a couple at the gym yesterday and we all did cleans. I noticed already then that these guys are having great technique. Today we got in to talks and it turned out they are weightlifters, and the girl actually had a coach's certificate in weightlifting. I asked for tips on my snatch and it really helped. Appreciate the help I received!

Pulls.

• Snatch pulls 5x3 (70, 90, 100, 100, 100kg)

The key to success seemed to be snatch pulls. My biggest problems include quick first pull which makes it difficult to control the barbell and direct it through a perfect bar path. The barbell was so heavy that it was not going to be too fast. Another thing - and probably the biggest problem - is where the bar makes contact with the body.

It tends to touch somewhere around mid-thigh to semihigh-thigh. Never at the hips though. And that's exactly where it should take place. Having a bigger load on the barbell made me have patience with the pull, and thus the bar touched on the hips every single time.

Recap of the day

Snatch.

• Squat snatch 5x30, 5x40, 5x40, 3x45, 4x50, 3x50, 3x55, 3x60kg

I took the snatches by feeling. Basically the idea was that I wanted to focus on the same bar path as with the snatch pulls. Having patience on the first pull. That was one of the key tips I got today. I really felt I got the contact point much higher today. These are all self evident points but having someone tell it right at your face after your lifts and correcting it right away makes a difference.

All this work resulted in me doing a triple at 60kg which is much better than ever before in my life. Doing them in squat snatches was freaking awesome. Plus, the cherry on the cake was the last rep being the best of them all. Got to work more on this movement now that I got some momentum on =)

Wednesday 5.11: Squats, Snatch pulls, 3-rounder

Wednesday. Strength, back squat (max 127.5kg). Snatch pull triples (max 90kg). Metcon, 3rds of: 600m run, 5rds of Cindy. Time, 20.30.

Went to work for the evening so morning was booked for gym time. I dropped Pauliina to work and started busting off with no rush at all. I took proper warm-up with classic routines spiced with rowing. Because of this painful wrist I had to shoot some more squats, this time back squats. No overhead work for this guy right now. Snatches and snatch balance were in my mind but I put those thoughts aside and come back later when it's possible. It was time for squats, snatch pulls and long metcon.

Barbell.

• Back squat 3x100, 4x112.5, 4x127.5, 4x127.5, 4x127.5, 5x127.5
• Snatch pull 3x40, 60, 70, 80, 90kg

Even though Smolov is over I'll keep on checking the program and what it would have to offer. I completed the first half of the program called "Base Cycle", then chilled during the "Switching". Now it would be time to hit the "Intense Mesocycle", which is based on the new 1RM. It seems to be based on percentages. Today it showed me various sets at 65-75-85% of my max load. This time I followed them closely.

Yesterday was a rough day on the legs. First, it was front squats, then 2k row and finally 50 pistols in metcon style. My butt cheeks and legs in general are sore from that session. So today was not the ideal starting point for back squats but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. One freak thing was that I squatted outside the safety rack. It's been very long since squatting there. It was mentally a different thing.

The sets at 85% (127.5kg) were pretty tough but manageable anyway. Had they been heavier I would have moved the bar inside the rack just in case. It felt great to have some squats in my system, I enjoy them a lot! Luckily so because legs better be in shape.

Metcon. Time, 20.30

• 3 rounds of:
• 600m run
• 5 rounds of Cindy (5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats)

I had pull-ups in my mind for today's main element. Benchmark workout Cindy is something you can mix up with pretty much anything you come up with. Cindy is 20min amrap of pull-ups, push-ups and air squats, a good test of fitness, classic crossfit stuff. I put together running and these benchmark elements and the end result was very good.

What got me on the positive side was the small variance on the lap times. I had to use treadmill because there's no access outdoors from our gym. Treadmill was set at 14km/h. I really haven't thought about it at all whether it's faster or slower had I ran outdoors. I'd think this machine has that positive side that it keeps your pace the same, you just got to keep lifting your legs and keep going.

On that 5 round Cindy I did each round as fast as possible, then took a short recovery and complete another round. Kept this strategy for every single round during this workout. That turned out to be a good call and probably the reason why I was able to have a steady pace all the way. All movements were unbroken.

Sunday 5.1: Ring skills, clean/snatch technique, du's

Sunday. Ring skills. Technique, clean pulls & snatch pulls. Workout, emom for 20min. Odd min, 5 power clean, even min, 30du.

Lighter day, for a while. Concentrated in skills and technique. Ring mu progressions for some time, then pulls on cleans and snatches, trying to find a good spot for the "bounce". Finally I took a workout with light cleans and double unders, for technique and skills.

Ring skills. Ring muscle-up progressions

• 10 sets of 2 ring rows + 1 transition
• Ring mu attempts

I want to be better at muscle-ups, both bar and ring versions. Need to be working harder on those. More frequently and more progressions. Got to be doing pull-ups higher than normally: chest-to-bar's and belly-to-bar's. I can nail bar mu's always when I try them but I want to make them more effortless. Want the pull-up be so high I don't have to struggle on the transition stage. Same with the ring mu's, or actually even more. There have been some days I haven't got any reps even though I've tried them multiple times. Today was one of them.

That's why I'm gonna do more of progressions for full reps. I've checked Austin Malleolo's muscle-up drills video for couple of times and tried to absorb the tips he's given. I did 10 sets of a ring row slash transition complex It looks so easy when you look at someone else do it but when you hold the rings with a false grip it immediately feels heavier. The grip is not comfortable at all but is kind of mandatory, at least in the beginning. In case I would be able to pull myself higher, false grip would not be needed anymore. That's what I've learned.

These sets were very good drills to get better at ring mu's. Need to be doing more of these.

Recap

Technique. Numerous sets of:

• Clean pulls
• Snatch pulls
• 50kg barbell

Toni has been giving some tips for me on my oly lifts, or to be more specific, my pulls on clean and snatch. The spot where I bounce the bar from my thighs is somewhere on my mid-thighs which is way too low. Being able to locate the bar higher - "on the pocket" - would create more power on the pull and the bar would travel in a more vertical path upwards. It would also help to on the landing position as I wouldn't be jumping forward on the heavier weights.

So we've been trying to spot the bar higher when we have trained together. Today I put only 50kg on the bar and focused on completing better pulls. And once I was concentrating on this, I believe I was able to get it higher. But it needs lots of thought because otherwise I'll get back to my old habits of bouncing it from too low. I worked on both clean and snatch pulls.

Workout. For technique

• Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes
• Odd minutes, 5 power cleans, 50kg
• Even minutes, 30 double unders

This workout was light in nature. There were a good number of clean pulls and I wanted to get some full reps technique-wise too. No surprise that my focus was on pulling the bar from as high as possible. Toni I need you to give some thoughts on my performance on the pulls and power cleans.

Double unders were okay. Not perfect though but still okay. Couldn't go unbroken. As you see my first reps tend to suck compared to the ones from 5-rep on. My body bends too much in the first reps and I have to bend my knees too. After couple of jumps I get a hold on the movement and it feels much better. At that point I get a good confidence on the jumping too. Still need to be doing more work on the form.

Wednesday 20.11: Snatch complex, snatch pull

Wednesday. Snatch complex, 6 sets of: 2 power snatch, 2 squat snatch, 2 overhead squats. Strength, snatch pull 5x5 (max 80kg).

Today was reserved for snatch training. I can't say it's strength training as such but more like technique work. There's a lot of work to be done before I can claim it as strength work. Anyway, I wanted lots of reps so I ended up doing a complex. Felt very tired in my upper body today and therefore didn't get the best out of it at all. I was thinking about hitting heavier weights on the snatches but that wasn't possible this time. That's why I finished it off with snatch pull training.

Snatch complex. 6 sets @ 40kg.

• 2 power snatch
• 2 squat snatch
• 2 overhead squats

This sounded like a perfect plan for my technique training. I wasn't satisfied with the way I performed today. As I just described it's difficult to do snatches for strength as I need to keep the weights moderate. Especially when doing squat snatches. That's a bit awkward my power snatch is heavier than squat snatch. It should obviously be the other way around. That's the reason I'm working towards improving my hip mobility and upper back mobility to find the squat snatch position more comfortable and natural. After the complex I took couple of 50kg snatches, then dropped it and decided to work on my snatch pull.

Snatch pull. 5x5 (50, 70, 70, 80, 70kg). This might actually be quite a good idea to work on occasionally. You can stack more plates on the barbell and practice on the first and second pull. Idea is not to go under the bar at all, just go until the shrug stage. I felt good about this one. And believe me, that 70kg bar felt light after having went for 80kg. That might be a good plan to do couple of heavy snatch pulls before doing actual snatch training. What do you think?

Impressive lifts in there

Saturday 6.4: Snatch, snatch pull, squat, metcon

Saturday. Snatch 6x5 (max 50kg), snatch pull 5x5 (max 70kg), back squat 5x3 (max 120kg). Metcon of rowing and burpees.

This was day number 3 of Diane Fu's oly lift day. Three strength elements for one day is a lot and it's difficult to get the best out of each of them. I managed to get 2/3 well =) In addition I took a metcon, which only purpose was to get my heart pumping wildly. Toni had a rest day.

Strength. Snatch, snatch pull and back squat.

• Snatch 6x5 (40, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50kg)
• Snatch pull 5x5 (60, 70, 70, 70, 70kg)
• Back squat 5x3 (100, 110, 120, 120, 120kg)

Snatches went well. One month ago 52.5kg was my PR number. Then, in Crossfit Open 13.1 I managed to push through some barriers and create a successful 60kg lift. I believe I've snatched only 2 times after that? The previous one was earlier this week. Then I did triples with 50kg, today managed to go for 5 x 5's with same weights. Extremely happy to the results! See below for one set of snatches.

Snatch, 5x50kg

The second strength element was a new one for me, snatch pull. It is a supportive movement for snatch, similar elements can be utilized for cleans as well. Had no idea what weights would be right suitable for me so I started with 60kg and then upgrading it to 70kg. This seemed like a good idea. I believe I could have pulled a bit heavier load but there was another thing to consider here, as my grip started to get slippery. I thought about trying the last set with 80kg but left it to future.

Snatch pull, 5x70kg

After having taken quite a number of snatch-related sets I moved on to back squats. My lower back was stiff from the very beginning after the snatches and squats didn't feel that good today. 120kg was surprisingly heavy and I didn't troy go beyond that weight. Two out of three went very well, the last strength element was more like a semi result.

Metcon. Time 11.24

• 4 rounds of:
• 500m row
• 15 burpees

My goal was to make my heart scream and I reached this goal just perfectly. I was very happy with the way I was able to carry out this workout. Pace for the rowing was constantly between 1.45-1.50, mostly around 1.48 as I recall. All 60 burpees went unbroken all the way. I was also happy with the transitions. Once I stopped rowing I didn't stay catching my breath, instead I forced my chest down for the first burpee. Once the first burpee was done, there's no reason to stop moving. After burpees I tried to get a grip on the rowing handle as soon as I had the straps on my feet. I'm pleased that I didn't waste that much time and forced myself to keep moving. Good training day so to say!