Monday, August 23, 2010

32kg snatches and the Joe Mills Olympic weightlifting template




The video above is of some RKC hardstyle 32kg kettlebell snatch finishers to a Olympic weightlifting session. It was over two years ago that I snatched this once with my right arm .. I'm pleased with the steady progress since. Speaking frankly, these do not look as smooth as 24kg snatches however that will improve over time as well.


For this particular Olympic weightlifting session, I used a template developed by the famous lifter, Olympic champion and coach, Joe Mills. It works great with two lifters alternating and I was extremely fortunate that fellow master lifter, Richard Maloon, trained both sessions and introduced me to this program. I had become very frustrated lately with the long commute to the club so instead I have been training the lifts in my basement.

The program consists of graduated 21 singles of snatches followed by 21 singles of clean & jerks, both full squat lifts. Roughly starting with your 1RM snatch,
  • Subtract 25kg and do five singles with that weight.
  • Add five kilos and do another 5 singles.
  • Again add five kilos and do another 5 singles.
  • Do five more singles adding 2kg to each rep.
  • If all lifts are made try a bonus lift by adding another 2kg.
If the bonus is made start the next session 2kg more than the start of the previous session. If lifts are missed, subtract 2kg to start the next session. There is no required assistance work; just the lifts. I've done this program twice now, and does not leave much left for anything else. For details on the Mill's program check out the wonderful article, here, by Coach Gary Valentine, who train under coach Mills.


Although pleased to be snatching the 32kg for reps, to put things in perspective, below is a video of the extraordinary Derek Toshner, RKC II, setting the record of 207 snatches with the 32kg bell in ten minutes (also know as the UST or "Ultimate Snatch Test"; for more records go to Jared Saviks site, here). Derek, a former Div III National Record for as 10000 meter relay team member, is also a serious rock climber .. these guys are known to be exceptionally lean and powerful so his performance below not too surprising. Also a shout out to rep counter Melissa Schmidt, RKC, who recently earned her RKC title and was on Team Hartle, the same RKC instructor certification team I assisted on back in July.








Thursday, August 19, 2010


Afternoon Kettlebell Session on lawn outside my office building.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

24kg snatch:
5 x 10/10
Time: 100 reps in 4:38

24k MP
10 x 1/1
1 x 2-rung ladder

The 24kg snatch 5 minute snatch test is getting easier with five sets of ten each side. Or more honestly, easier but still far from "easy".

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Morning Olympic Weightlifting Session at Donny's Industrial Bay:

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

Snatch (kg):

40 x 1 x 4
50 x 2 x 2
55 x 1 x 2 10

I had to leave as soon as my back acted up on my second rep with 55. The long commute to Donny's does not seem to go well with lifting there. As a result, I made a decision to train at home if I trained at all.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Afternoon Kettlebell Session on lawn outside my office building.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

24kg x 11 x 10/10 snatch

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Evening Kettlebell Session in my basement

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

32kg x 3 5/5 snatch

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Afternoon Kettlebell Session on lawn outside my office building.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

32kg x 5 x 10/10 One-hand swing
32kg x 2 1/1 Push Press
32kg x 2 x 2/2 Push Press
32kg x 2 x 2/2 C&PP


Evening Olympic Weightlifting Session in my basement.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

Joe Mills Template:

Snatch (kg):
40 x 5 x 1
45 x 5 x 1 10111
50 x 5 x 1 11011
52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62 x1

Clean & Jerk (kg):
60 x 5 x 1
65 x 5 x 1
70 x 5 x 1
72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82 x 1

This was the first time Richard Maloon and I alternated as we trained using the Joe Mills template. I made all 42 lifts again so next session I start with 42/62.


Friday, August 27, 2010

Afternoon Kettlebell Session on lawn outside my office building.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

24kg x 11 x 10/10 snatch
24kg x 2 2-rung MP
Double 24kg x 1 x 3 MP

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Morning Olympic Weightlifting Session in my basement.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

Joe Mills Template:

Snatch (kg):
42 x 5 x 1
47 x 5 x 1 10111
52 x 5 x 1 11011
54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64 x1

Clean & Jerk (kg):
62 x 5 x 1
67 x 5 x 1
72 x 5 x 1
74, 76, 78, 80, 82,84 x 1

For the 2nd time Richard Maloon and I alternated as we trained using the Joe Mills template. I made all 42 lifts again so next session I start with 44/64.


Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Afternoon Kettlebell Session on lawn outside my office building.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

300 We are Sparta! 24kg snatch complex ladder

Left:
1. One-hand swing
2. Clean
3. Press
4. Front Squat
5. Snatch
6. Swing transfer to right

Right:
1. One-hand swing
2. Clean
3. Press
4. Front Squat
5. Snatch
6. Swing transfer to left

This is one rung. The sequence (the 2nd rung) is then repeated but each lift is done twice. This results in 3 reps per arm for each of the five lifts.
Number of completed two rung complex ladders: 10
Total reps: 300

It was 95 deg and humid. I started the first five ladders every two minutes but then slowed down so that the next five ladders took over thirteen minutes. A very simple but very demanding session.

Evening Olympic Weightlifting session in my basement.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

Joe Mills Template:

Snatch (kg):
44 x 5 x 1
49 x 5 x 1 10111
54 x 5 x 1 11011
56.58,60,62 x1

Clean & Jerk (kg):
64 x 5 x 1
69 x 5 x 1
74 x 5 x 1
76, 78, 80, 82,84,86 x 1

Again Richard Maloon and I alternated as we trained using the Joe Mills template for the 3rd time. I made all 42 lifts with a string of 126/126 made lifts over three sessions. Next session I start with 46/66.

Saturday, September 3, 2010

Morning Olympic Weightlifting Session in my basement.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

Joe Mills Template:

Snatch (kg):
46 x 5 x 1
51 x 5 x 1 10111
56 x 5 x 1 11011
58 x 2 x1 01
60 x 2 x 1 01
62 x 1

Clean & Jerk (kg):
66 x 5 x 1
71 x 5 x 1
76 x 5 x 1
78, 80, 82,84,86,88 x 1

Today my training partner Richard participated and didn't miss a lift. As a result he moves up to 44/64. I had a tough time with the snatches, missing 4 of the 20 lifts (no bonus) and as a result following the rules of the template have to drop down 2kg for the start of next snatch session to 44kg.

Somehow I gutted it out with the clean and jerks and didn't miss a lift and actually got more confident as the weights got heavier. As a result I will start c&j's at 68kg next session.

Sunday, September 4, 2010


Afternoon Kettlebell Session at Ogunquit Beach, Maine

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

300 We are Sparta! 24kg crazy combo:
Various combinations of
1. front squats
2. one-hand swings
3. two-hand swings
4. presses
5. push-presses
6. snatches
Total: 300 reps

Another great day at the beach. Plenty of rest between sets as I trained in the wet sand facing the surf.

Monday, September 5, 2010

Evening Olympic Weightlifting Session in my basement.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

Joe Mills Template:

Snatch (kg):
44 x 5 x 1
49 x 5 x 1
54 x 5 x 1
58,60,62,64,66 x 1
68 x 1

Clean & Jerk (kg):
68 x 5 x 1
73 x 5 x 1
78 x 5 x 1
80, 82,84,86,88 x 1
90 x 4 x 1 0111

This was the fifth session I used the Joe Mills template but the first time I trained using it without a partner. Fortunately, I was well rested and sufficiently psyched to get through it.

The snatches were so easy I gave myself an additional bonus and easily made 68. This is still only 85% of one 1RM of 80kg but I purposely started this program very conservatively to build confidence as I had struggled greatly with regaining my previous groove.

In the clean and jerk, my only miss was my first jerk with the 90kg bonus. The clean was so surprisingly easy I rush the jerk. I then proceeded to clean and jerk 90 three more times to prove the missed jerk was an anomaly. Next session I start the lifts at 46/70.

Tuesday, September 6, 2010

Afternoon Kettlebell Session on lawn outside my office building.

Z-Health R-phase Level 2 Dynamic Joint Mobility:

300 We are Sparta! 24kg swing medley:
10 x ( 10 left, 10 right, 10 2-hand) swings
Total: 300 reps

Pressing :
24 kg x 1/1 MP
24 kg x 1 x 2/2 MP
24 kg x 1 x 3/3 C&P
24 kg x 1 x 4/4 C&P
24 kg x 1 x 5/5 C&P
24 kg x 1 x 6/6 C&P
32 kg x 1 right MP
24kg x 1 x (8 left, 10 right) C&P
24kg x 10/10 Viking Push Press
32kg x 1 x (2 left, 5 right) Viking Push Press

This was a fun session as we had three additional lifters I trained all participating. Every lifter made a some kind of pressing PR .. lots of encouragement. This was a little more volume than typical. The ten sets of 30 rep swing combo of ten left, ten right and ten two-handed was more challenging then I thought it would be. OTOH, presses felt very strong.

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