Better, stronger, older

[kderbyshire]

Hi, my name is Katherine, and I'm a (whispers) weightlifter.

Started out doing Crossfit, decided that the olympic lifting piece was more fun, and have been seduced by the Dark Side with a little help from its evil minions, Shannon and Tamara.

I'll be 45 this year, weigh a little less than 58kg, and looked at the various qualifying totals for my group and said "Huh. I can do *that!*" I can't quite yet, but getting there.

I'm working with a USAW Club Coach here in the Seattle area. This is my first "official" week of workouts. (Weights in pounds.)

Tuesday:
Max height box jump -- 22"

Power snatch: 1x21, 1x31, 1x36, 1x41, 1x46f (press out)
10x1x41
Squat clean: 1x32, 1x37, 1x42, 1x47, 1x52, 1x57, 1x62f (high catch)
10x1x57
Rack jerk (front rack): 1x32, 1x42, 1x47, 1x52 -- went up, but ugly, and left elbow sore
10x1x47

Started to run out of time here, since I had an appointment. Cut back the sets.
Front squat: 4x3x83
Snatch grip dead: 4x3x103 Had trouble keeping back tight, may want to cut the weight a little. Was pretty sore Wednesday.

Thursday:
Depth jumps: down 6", up 18", x 10

Power snatch: 1x21, 1x31, 1x36, 1x41, 1x43.5, 1x46, 1x48.5 (press out)
5x1x46 -- decided I was pressing these out, too, so dropped down
5x1x43.5
Squat clean: 3x1x32, 1x42, 1x47, 1x52, 1x54.5, 1x57, 1x59.5, 1x62, 1x64.5 (high catch)
And here my troubles began
1x62 -- high catch
2x59.5 -- still catching high
1x57 -- *still* high. This is getting ridiculous.
6x1x52
Rack jerk: This went better. 1x32, 1x37, 1x42, 1x44.5, 1x47, 1x49.5, 1x52, 1x54.5, 1x57 -- getting marginal.
10x1x54.5

Back squat: 6x3x100
Deadlift: 6x3x110

[Puffin]

Welcome to the Dark Side. We totally have pie. <3 <3 <3

Have been wondering if you were going to post here - that's a LOT of work to start, good job! I don't know how much I'll end up commenting, but you can bet I'll be lurking encouragingly! (if that's even possible)

Nice start!

[kderbyshire]

Yeah, it's a lot, although part of that is my inability to figure out what weight I should be using. Working on that. It's also only two days a week, at least for the time being. (Plus a third day of plyometrics work, which I probably won't bother posting.) We'll see how it goes.

Katherine

[kderbyshire]

Really happy with today's workout. Big jumps relative to last week.

(Weights in pounds)

Power snatch
3x21, 1x31, 3x41 (fussing with form), 1x43.5, 10x1x46

Sometimes I think my form is actually getting worse, but I think what's really happening is I'm just more aware of it. These were definitely better than the same weight last week.

Squat clean
1x32, 1x42, 1x52, 1x57, 1x59.5, 1x62, 1x64.5, 1x67, 69.5f (missed the catch)
10x1x67 These were solid. Very happy. BOOM.

Rack jerk
1x32, 1x42, 1x47, 1x52, 2x54.5 (didn't like first one), 1x57, 1x59.5, 1x62, 1x64.5f (press out)
10x1x62

Neither the jerks nor the cleans were true PR weights -- I've C&Jed more -- but they both represent big jumps since I started really thinking about form. I don't know if my previous PRs would actually hold up with judges, but I'm pretty sure these would.

Front squat 6x3x83

Snatch grip deadlift
3x103 -- these were too heavy. Back rounding.
5x3x98 -- better

Katherine

[yoshidragonaga]

Good work! Great progress!!
My coach calls these a technique PR

[kderbyshire]

Thursday (weights in pounds):

Depth jump: down 6" up 18" x10

power snatch:
Snatches were out of sync today. Inadequate warmup? Just an off day? Who knows. I do know I was jumping backward on the cleans, too, so that could be part of the problem.
1x32, 2x37, 1x42, 10x1x44.5

squat clean:
1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x63, 1x65.5, 1x68, 2x70.5f (lost these forward)
10x1x68

rack jerk:
1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x60.5, 1x63 (too ugly)
10x1x60.5

Back squat 6x3x103
deadlift 6x3x113

Reverse hypers 3x10

[kderbyshire]

(Weights in pounds)

Felt fine Tuesday, but like warmed-over death Thursday. Gave myself permission to suck, but didn't actually do too badly.

Tuesday:
Finally nailed 24" max box jump.

Power snatch: 3x32, 1x37, 1x39.5, 1x42, 1x44.5, 1x47, 2x49.5f (press out)
10x1x47 (Only 5# short of my all-time PR, and with far better form.)

Squat clean: 1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x63, 1x65.5, 1x68, 1x70.5, 1x73 (high catch)
10x1x70.5

Rack Jerk:
1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x63. Misread my notebook and thought I had made this weight before. I hadn't. But now I have. :-)
1x65.5f not quite...
10x1x63

All three of these were "technique PRs." Very happy.

Front squat 6x3x83 These are starting to feel light. Was planning to add 5# next week, but may hold off because of illness.
Snatch grip deadlift 6x3x98

Reverse hypers 3x10

Thursday:
Just did the technique work. Thought heavy triples (deadlifts and squats) would be too taxing. Am pretty happy with what I did, though.

Power snatch: 3x32, 1x37, 1x42, 1x44.5, 1x47, 1x49.5f (very close, will probably get it next time)
10x1x47

Squat clean: 3x43, 1x53, 1x63, 1x65.5, 2x68 (high catch)
10x1x65.5 (This was the only one that was really off today. Whatever.)

Rack jerk: 1x43, 1x53, 1x55.5, 1x58, 1x60.5, 1x63, 1x65.5, 1x68f (very close, probably get it next time)
10x1x65.5

So maintained the snatch, slipped back on the clean, and increased the jerk. Given how I feel, I'll take it!

Katherine

[mhansbrough]

Looks like you're making good progress. It's an awesome sport isn't it!!

[kderbyshire]

Sick last week. No workouts, just happy that I've got more respiratory capacity than I actually need. Still not 100%, so I eased off the weights and tried not to be too ambitious.

(weights in pounds)

Tuesday:
24" box jump
power snatch: 3x32, 1x37, 1x42, 2x44.5, 1x47f
10x1x44.5

Squat clean: 1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x63, 1x65.5, 1x68
10x1x68

Rack jerk: 1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x60.5, 1x63
10x1x63

Front squat 6x3x73# -- these were light, but legs were still sore Wednesday. Glad I backed off.
Snatch grip deadlift 6x3x93# -- I've decided I really dislike the knurling on the Eleiko bar. :-(

Thursday:
depth jump, down 6" up 18" x10. Made a few at 24", then started missing and banged up my shins. :-(

power snatch: 3x32, 1x37, 1x42, 1x44.5, 10x1x47
snatches still out of sync. I'm blaming the week off.

Squat clean: 1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x63, 1x65.5, 1x68, 1x70.5, 1x73, 1x75.5, 1x78f
10x1x75.5 These were mostly solid. My all-time PR is only 79.5, so I'll beat it next week at this rate.

Rack jerk: 1x43, 1x53, 1x58, 1x60.5, 1x63, 1x65.5, 1x68, 1x70.5f almost...
10x1x68

Both cleans and jerks were "technique PRs." (Really like that phrase.) Go me.

Right. But I said I wasn't going to be too ambitious, so...

Back squat 6x3x93#
Deadlift 6x3x103

Reverse hyper 3x10.

Katherine

[Ryan.Johnston]

Hello there, you look like you are progressing along well and enjoying it.

I am not a coach but sometimes I have that problem of catching a snatch or clean too high and it becomes like a power variation. I asked my sometime coach about it and he said it was common among beginners and would iron itself out once you get faster under the bar. Hang lifts apparently help.

With becoming more aware of your body, it seems to happen in all kinds of sports. I can remember wrestling for about six months and not even having to watch my opponent. I could just feel when he was going to shoot for a leg or when I was being lifted, where my body was and such.

With weightlifting now, I can feel myself cutting the pull, when I have solid posture and so on. Something just clicks and I don't even have to think about getting a good second pull as the bar seems to pop up by it's own accord if I get the first pull right.

Anyway, good luck and I will keep reading your logs. You will hit your goal and surpass it, no doubt.