Focus on the Clean Rack and a Beak-Tweak

Wednesday February 4, 2009

This morning my lower back was much better especially after another long hot Epsom salt bath.

Evening Olympic Assistance Lifts Session:

Z-Health: Neural Warm-up Level 2 (Dynamic Joint Mobility Drills)

Off the Rack Push-Presses (lbs)
45 x 1 x 3
65 x 1 x 3
95 x 1 x 3
105 x 1 x 3
115 x 1 x 2
125 x 1 x 2
95 x 1 x 1
95 x 1 x 3

Front Squats (lbs)
135 x 1 x 5
155 x 1 x 5
165 x 4 x 5
165 x 1 x 7

This training session was done in my basement dungeon .. no bumper plates required .. just an inexpensive Oly bar, some metal plates and a rack stand. Both of the assistance lifts require a solid clean rack to perform correctly and that was the main focus.

Okay, time to fess up and admit that I did do something very dopey on my last set of push-presses when during the 2nd rep of the last set with 95, I focused so much on a big jump upward after the dip that I didn't get my head back in time and subsequently smacked the underneath of my nose with the bar.

I immediately ran upstairs, swearing like a sailor, filled the bathroom sink with cold water and soaked my schnazola. I already have a pretty large proboscis so with the addition of the swelling, I 'm sure this was not something to help me get on the cover GQ. Anyway, not letting a bruised beak ruin my training session I went back down stairs like a trooper and did three more reps to complete the set.

Sets of five rep front squats with 165 was the easiest its ever been but still non-trivial to maintain strict clean rack positioning with upright elbows, an ATG full bottom squat all the while holding a neutral back. I also did them without using wrist wraps a first in several months. The clean rack is still awkward and uncomfortable on my wrists but much less than when I started. Its probably a good year before I can come close to the gumby like wrist flexibility of the seasoned lifters.


Weight: 182 7/8 lbs
Total Volume: 7680 lbs

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Diet and Nutrition:

Goal: 182 lbs by April 2009

Wednesday February 3, 2009

Current: 182 7/8 lbs

I added the a date to my target weight goal to pin it down to a concrete time span. Yesterday was the fourth consecutive day of 100% complaint and another 1/8 lb drop. I was very hungry this morning I'm sure in large part due to the back to back relatively heavy volume training sessions. With complete abstinance from sweets for the last five days, raw baby carrots are now beginning to taste very sweet.

Caloric Consumption log:

Breakfast:

• One bowl of kitchari (yellow mung beans, brown Basmati rice, sweet potato and various exotic Indian spices)
  
• One bowl of u-waved frozen spinach
  
• 4oz of roasted chicken with 3 oz of non-fat organic yogurt
  
• One large banana
  

Mid Morning snack:

• Small handful of raw cashews
• Small handful of raw walnuts
  
• 8 raw baby carrots

Lunch:

• One can of water packed sardines with 4 oz of non-fat organic yogurt
• One bowl of u-waved frozen peas
• One handful of raw cashews and almonds
• 6 raw baby carrots
  

Late afternoon meal

• One half a can of sardines with 2 oz of non-fat organic yogurt
• 4 oz of canned salmon
  
• 6 raw baby carrots
• One large bowl of u-waved frozen peas, green beans and Brussels sprouts
  
• One handful of roasted almonds

Dinner:

• 6 raw baby carrots
• Handful of raw cashews and walnuts
  
• Handful of roasted almonds
• 4 0z of canned salmon with 4 oz of non-fat organic yogurt
  
• One bowl of u-waved frozen peas
• One apple