Saturday was a snatch day with front squats. 10 sets of snatch at either 1 or 2 reps each set. Snatch went well. I am still working on speeding up the last half/last quarter of my pull right before and during acceleration of the bar when it come in contact with my hip. We've figured out I don't know where to go once the bar gets about mid thigh... but were working on that. every day. every rep. I am getting better and I can say that with full confidence (which doesn't always happen- and sometimes I have to say that through gritted teeth). After snatch I started my front squats. They. Were. A. Mess. I had a hard time completing the lifts and had to drop the weight a lot. (more than I wanted/was okay with- annnnd then the serial killer look came out.) I don't think I was upset about not being able to complete the lifts, but I was more upset about not feeling strong and not being in positions I needed to be in to complete the lifts. It was down right awful. I was on the verge of tears because I was so frustrated. I started to question my own strength and abilities. not good. Because after that things went down hill very quickly and rapidly and it was hard to pull myself out of my mood and feelings of inadequacy. God bless Ellyn and Lorie for putting up with me when I get like that. Because I know I am not pleasant to be around (and that's putting it SOOO nicely!). So thanks for not giving up on me and your patience...
Wow. That wasn't as short as I was hoping or intending, but I got the important parts in there. Monday is a new day- many people don't like Monday's because it's the start of a new week- but if you think about it, Monday is an opportunity to put the past behind and move forward. Monday: a new practice. a new day. Leaving the low point of the weekend behind me because this is a new day. A fresh start to take the lessons of the lifts from last week and build on them (yes, even the lessons in the missed lifts- because sometimes the missed lifts have the biggest lessons of all).
Today was a snatch day. It seems like that's what all of my days are!! :) We did 3 working sets of a hang snatch and a snatch. Hang snatches were done off of blocks because Ellyn and I are trying to stop my awful habit of swinging my hips back and dropping the bar down before I move the bar up. When the blocks are there the only place I have to go is up! First set went well- it felt smooth, close, quick and I may have even used my hips to accelerate the bar up and over my head... crazy thought right?! The next two sets of hang snatches weren't as pretty or as smooth as the first.. I'm still trying to get a feel/rhythm and comfortability with the hip portion of the lift. It felt like the hip "oomph", foot positioning (not quite as many crazy feet!), starting position, pull, lift off, speed and finish of the snatches was better and more consistent than it had been- ever. Not where it needs to be, but CLOSER! I'm feeling better and better about the progress that's being made with the snatch- still a lot to go but it's SO much better.
RDLs are something I need a lot more work on. I am extremely weak (about 100kilos too weak) in my hamstrings and that needs to be fixed so I can get in the positions I need to to be able to snatch properly. We had to take the weight down from what we originally planned so I could get into the proper positions and start building up my strength. I think Ellyn was surprised when she asked me if I was okay with the weight being so 'light' and taking 30kilos off- when I said yes. I know doing more weight and doing the lifts incorrectly wont do anything to help me and I am okay with looking like a 3 year-old with my babyweights on the bar and doing the lifts correctly. Perhaps it's a lesson in humility. I don't have it all together like I often like to think I do. But in order to get better I've got to turn my weaknesses into strengths. Here's to getting better!
Back squats were the last big thing we had to do today. This weekend when I struggled with my front squats Ellyn mentioned that I don't take every weight seriously when I'm squatting- and I think that showed this weekend. And I did not want to have a repeat of the nonsense that I went through with the front squats. I did a much better job treating each weight like it was going to be a challenge and I focused more on my form than I usually do. The result was positive and the sets went well.
One of the biggest challenges I've come across since working with Ellyn and even being up in MA training on a daily basis- is the mental game. It's got to be there every.single.day. There's no break from the mental prep and focus. It crosses over in every part of my day- from start to finish. How much I'm sleeping to what I'm eating and when, to the work schedule I keep... a majority of my thoughts should be along the lines of how will this affect my lifting... is this a good thing for me or a bad thing- and not just today or tomorrow, but long term. What's going to get me to where I need to be? No mental days off. And that's a big change from being at Wake and going in to do my lift and making the lift or missing it and then leaving. I didn't grow much doing it that way. Some times growing is painful, scary and uncomfortable- but when you grow and do all of the things you never thought you could or would do- there's no other feeling like that!
Now that all the heavy (ha!) stuff is done... please enjoy my teammates Derek and Joooooohh ice bathing. together. If this doesn't brighten your day nothing will!
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