Continuing to work squat technique

Saturday May 9, 2009

Having felt fine after Thursdays session and yesterdays OHS, I was able to endure the heaviest session since being sick. As previously noted, all Olympic lifts (snatch / clean-and-jerk) are full squat lifts in keeping with my intent to train my body to get squat under the lifts.

Snatch (kg)
20 x 2 x 5 Hang-snatch, snatch-balance
25 x 1 x 5 Snatch-balance
31 x 1 x 5 Snatch-balance
40 x 2 x 3 Snatch
45 x 1 x 2 Snatch
50 x 1 x 2 Snatch

Clean (kg):
40 x 1 x 3
50 x 1 x 3
60 x 1 x 3 Missed first one
65 x 1 x 2
70 x 1 x 2
75 x 4 x 2

Back Squat (kg)
60 x 1 x 5
70 x 1 x 5
82 x 6 x 5 (70%)

After completing my bar warmup, I moved up a bit twice to work the snatch balance with a little more weight. Afterwards, Coach Fuller had me focus on maintaining the same back angle from the ground to the pulling position. He also suggested I lower my hips a tad prior to starting the lift. Second, he had me relax my arms through lift off until the second pull. I made decent progress in both. In fact I think performed the smoothest 50kg squat snatch to date. The next thing he wants to work on my snatch is to let bar continue its upward motion after the pull and drop under as it rises.

I transitioned to cleans before I became too fatigued with snatches. Again I got coaching assistance to remind me to keep my back angle constant as I pulled off the floor. These did feel heavy but solid. However, the back squats were very taxing. I had to focus very intensely each rep of each set always going ATG and keeping the weight towards the rear of my foot. This really worked the quads to the extreme. My knees felt great late into the evening which is indicative of good squatting form.