The Week That Was - 4/8 - 4/14

4/9
Sots Press + Russian Balance (3+2) 40x1x2
Muscle Snatch + OH Sqt + Balance (1+2+1) 50x1 60x1x2
Floating Snatch (two pulls) 50x1x2 60x1x2 70x1 77x1 85x1 90x1 95x1 100x0x2 87x1 92x1 97x1 100x0
Sn+Abv Knee Sn+OH Sqt+Balance - 70x1 80x1 85x1
Floating CJ (2 pulls) 60x1x2 90x1x2 105x1 115x1 122x1 125x1 (prob should have hit one more at 120 just to feel it)
Klokov Complex - 95x1 102x1 107x0x2 (missed push press both times)
Back Squat barx5 70x5 100x5 125x5 130x5 135x5
Neck x90
Traction

4/10
Planks x120
Sots Press 3x5 @ 40kg
Pwr Snatch - doubles up to 75x2, then 60x2x3
Pwr Clean - doubles up to 105x2
Front Jerk - 70x3 90x3 90x2 100x2 110x2x2 120x2x2 130x1x3 120x2x3 120x4
Chinese DB Rows - 85x10+10 100x10+10x3
Chins/Standing Abs/GH Raise - four sets of each

4/11 (Back is starting to feel a little dodgy. MUST STAY HEALTHY)
Sots Presses and Muscle Sn + OH Sqt + Balance for warmups
Low Block Snatch - 60xsome 70x2x2 80x2 87x2 92x0 92x1x3/80x2x4
Low Block CJ - 60xsome 90x2x2 110x1 120x0 120x1x3/100x2+1 100x3 (no jerk)
Front Squat 70x5 70x3 100x3 120x3 125x3 127x1 120x3
Hip Thrust - 70x10 110x10x2
Grappler Abs and Heavy Hypers - Three sets each
Traction

4/12 (@Centennial Weightlifting)
Snatch to 70x1x3
CJ to 90x1x2

4/13 (@ Centennial Weightlifting; Back and legs are SHOT. Training on Friday was unwise)
Snatch to 85x1 90x0
CJ to 90x1

4/14
Muscle Snatch + OH Squat (1+3) 60x1x3
Front Squat 60x3x3 70x3 100x3 120x2 135x1 145x1 (I semi-attempted 150 but some jag walked right in front of me as I unracked it, so I took that as a sign and moved on.)
1 1/4 Front Squat 110x2x2 100x3x4 (basically
Low Handle Prowler + RDL - Three trips
Push Press 50x5x2 70x5 80x5 85x5x5
Traction

I've always done better when I train more so I'm trying to add sessions. I'm looking for 6-7 sessions a week, with two sessions on Sunday. The second session on Sunday is purely for GPP purposes to get a head start on recovery for the start of the training week on Tuesday. I usually finish my Sunday AM around noon and don't have another training session until Tuesday afternoon; basically 52hrs to recover.

More than anything I want to string together a solid amount of training without injury or time off. To this end, I'm 99% sure that I will be skipping Highland Games this year. Just too much wear and tear on my back and it basically shuts down my lifting for six months. Over the last year or two I haven't been able to string more than twelve weeks or so together without having to take some time off for injury, competition, etc. The last time I put together a good stretch of injury free training together is when I was doing strongman. Definitely the strongest I've ever been in my life at that time. I am looking forward to an epic summer of training and gains.

The template I'm trying to get to right now looks something like this:

Tuesday - Complexes/doubles/lot of volume Back Squat 3-5x5
Wednesday - Overhead Work, Pwr Sn/Pwr Clean, upper body assistance + aerobic work/sled drags, etc
Thurs - Singles off boxes/hangs/pauses, Front Squat 3-5x3
Sat - Max Snatch and CJ or something similar (timed reps, split sessions, etc)
Sunday AM - Squat (singles/doubles), Push Press (currently either 5RM or 5x5), assistance work
Sunday PM - Big Circuit tempo work

Once I get through the meet, this will refocus to squats and pulls with less emphasis on the competition lifts. I'll detail that a bit more as I get it written up. It'll look something similar to what I was doing while my hands were broken/sprained. I plan to run the Safety Squat bar again and try rotating squats a bit like Brandon Lilly's Cube Method or Joe Kenn's Tier Method. Should be really interesting and cool, or a total shitshow. Either way, we'll all learn something. :)

Training is still based off of Glenn Pendlay's intermediate template that he writes about here. Monday and Friday are logical off-days (work schedules and whatnot) and I'm more comfortable having longer sessions during the week or doing double sessions on Saturday/Sunday than I am in not having a day or two completely out of the gym. I don't LIKE taking off days but I know that I tend to under-recover and my lifts go swimming in the piss-warm waters of mediocrity until I pull my head out of my ass. Just better for my general well-being/body/mind/social life/etc.