saturday 16th june

Saturday at GoLift A brilliant session at HQ with plenty of sound advice and encouragement from the coaches.Enjoyed Lifting with big Dave and Darragh from cross fit. Snatch 40x3; 40x3; 50x3; 50x3; 60x2; 60x2; 65x; 65; 65x; 70; 73x; 73x. Struggling a bit with the snatches but things improved a bit when I started lifting the bar slower off the floor in the first pull. Was hoping for 80 next sat but this looks very unlikely. Had 73 twice but fell onto knees. Snatch Balance 40x3; 40x3; 50x3; 50x5; 60x4. Clean and jerk 40x3; 40x2; 50x3; 60x2; 70x2; 80x2; 90; 100x; 100x. Very close with 100 first time but couldnt clean it 2nd time. Might nail it on sat. Squat clean/power jerk/ front squat 40x3; 50x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x4 Plan for ulsters next week is to try and improve a few masters records if possible. Snatch 70; 76; ?? c&j 90; 96; 100. As usual, I will go for max. Thanks to all the coaches and organisers. Myself and son thoroughly enjoyed the session and the great company.

thurs

Didn't get through alot of lifting this week. Struggled with snatch technique and not getting above 80%, Decided to give clean and jerk another go tonight after last night's aborted attempted. Trying to shake of a slight shoulder strain Clean and jerk 40x3; 40x3; 50x3; 60x2; 65; 70; 80; 90. Clean 95. Spurred on by my son who is beginning to motivate me when I need the push. 90 was a very easy jerk but feel that with proper technique, I have a hellof a lot more in me. Brendan junior was excellent giving me feedback on my split and has obviously learned alot from Pete and Ronnie. He insisted on me doing bar work later and putting myself into the correct jerk/split position. I realise that flexibility in the main problem and I have to do a bit of work here. I watched brendan clean and jerking the other day and was impressed with his technique. 90 tonight was good because this is what i want to start with in the ulsters. The snatch could be a problem but this wont stop me enjoying the competition. As usual, I wont chicken out and will be trying to squeeze as much as I can in terms of poundages. 2 weeks out my current thinking in terms of attempts is as follows. Weight 84 Snatch 70; 76; 78. This might be very tough but I will, as sure as hell, have a real go. Clean and jerk 90; 96; 98

irish senior championships UU mAY 2012

decided to compete after a bit recent doubt. Training has not been going too well recently but hoped that today would be a 'spring board' to better lifting. The first hurdle for me was to make the 85kg class to give me the opportunity to go for a few irish masters records. Left home at 8.15am to make the weigh in comfortably. Weighed in at 84.4kg. Getting in to better physical shape but still have a bit of trimming to do around the mid section. Did my warm ups with Rob who is a real power house with Pete being a good help during warmup. Failed one of my warm up 65's which wasn't going to put me off. Snatch 1 68kg. Fairly comfortable. Pleased to get this out of the way. Snatch 2 73kg A new irish masters mark but Pete quite rightly reminded me to keep my concentration Snatch 3 75kg. Nearly walked off platform but just about got this lift; very happy Clean and jerk The warm up went quite smoothly. The cleans as usual very hard but I feel very strong in the jerk. Improving a little in the split but still jumping out too quick. Warm up to 85kg. Felt happy now taking 88 as an opener. Clean and jerk 1 88kg Tough clean but easy jerk Clean and jerk 2 92kg Horrible clean but solid jerk for a new total record Clean and jerk 3 95kg Nightmare clean, just got it and an ugly jerk but 3 lights for a new clean and jerk and total mark Total = 170kg Over the moon to get 6 lifts and 170kg total at this stage after a tough few months. A sort of reward for sticking it out through a few tough months. This gives me a bit lift up to the ulsters and leinsters. Technical advice From Pete. Some good advice on the pull in the snatch and position of the feet From Ronnie. Standing too far forward before the jerk and jumping out of the jerk [which pete has been telling me also. I wanted to lift well today as part of the go-lift team and try to choose the right weights for me. As usual, I went to max in snatch and didn't leave anything else in the tank. Getting to know the go-lift' lads a bit better. A good bunch of lads. Pete has the balance right as a coach. Telling me just the right amount of info and not putting me off. Targets Simply to work hard and sensibly and improve technique. Continue to trim away at stomach fat and become a healthy lifter.

go lift HQ Tuesday

Headed up with son on tuesday to the new hq Brendan jr work with Pete Snatch 40x3; 40x3; 50x3; 50x2; 55x2; 55x2; 60x2; 65x; 65; 67; 70x; 70. Very tough snatching. Can't understand why I havent improved my snatch since feb. clean and jerk up to a couple of singles with 85kg. Still struggling with jerk technique. cleans felt very heavy heading to squad session on sat and hoping that fatigue doesnt get to me too quick. there is a precompetition max session in the afternoon so my targets would be snatch 70-73 clean and jerk 90-95 hoping to maybe be strong enough for a masters record or two next week. looking unlikey at the moment.

fri/sat

aftera tough 2 weeks training wise, things have picked up a bit Snatch up to 65. Snatch balance up to 80 Clean and jerk up to 90. I have to reset my openers for the irish seniors because the snatch is away below par Current ni and irish masters records for m3/85kg are Irish n.i Snatch 72 [myself] 72 [myself, i think] c+j 94 [bs] 97.5 [?] total 166 [bs] 167.5 Snatch I may now have to start with a meagre 65. so maybe 65 70 73 Clean and jerk 90 95 98. I think i could manage a 95 if all goes well for an attempt a new c+j record depending on what others do. A 3rd attempt at a new n.i. mark could be possible for a 3rd attempt.

tough week

No training for almost a week. I have found it tough training on my own recently. I seem to have hit a wall and have been lacking in motivation. Badly needed a few sessions with others but not able to get it organised. competing in irish seniors now seems unlikely for now. Not sure about the son either as he hasnt yet got the confidence to do the lifts at competition. I haven't felt so demotivated for quite a long period.

sat 21 april

Worked very hard this week. snatching a bit below par but other training going well need to get up to go lift more often as i need the competition to push me on. After competition, it will get easier because of the new facility mon to thurs, walked 4x8 miles =32 + 2 on friday and 6 this morning. I would give myself a good pat on the back for the efforts i have made recently. On bad days when i am feeling a bit flat and weak, i still manage to turn it into a very good session Brendan junior is training 3 times per week using low weights. He will probably compete in his first competition on sat 12th may with me following in the 85kg class the next day. my targets are still @85kg snatch 75 and clean and jerk 95. I want to take the snatch, clean and jerk and totla masters records and hopefully improve them but i know i will have competition which will be great. i am slightly concerned about the snatch and i feel that on a really good day i could clean and jerk 100kg. Targets for novembers NI championship are currently snatch 80 and clean and jerk 105. I need 175kg total for the european masters. Big concern is the fact that i am in spain for 3 weeks in august. how will that affect my strength.

sun

10.30am. a 2 mile walk cut short because of the icy wind.

1 hour of strength training with junior. quite tough

4 mile walk with therese

a wee bit of bodybuilding to finish the day. totally shattered now and ready to relax and watch some of the weightlifting that i taped.

sat

Colin came up for a mini session today
Snatch 40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x2; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65; 67; 70
Clean and Jerk 60x2; 65x2; 70; 75; 80; 85; 90.

Very pleased with 70 snatch considering I couldn't even get 62 last wed. Hoping to get a 73/75 at the squad session in 3 weeks
90 clean and jerk was very hard, especially the clean. I am hoping to open with 70+90 in 4 weeks in the irish championships. 75+95 would be great.

Finished with a few light squats with Colin. Good to see Colin again although he was obviously extremely tired and a bit below par.

wed

good session of light bodybuilding. friday is snatch night, hopefully, i can do much better than last time.

Hope to get up to petes again next week and then myself and son attend the first squad session in the new venue in newtownabbey followed by the next competition.

tue

5 mile walk

headed off to rossnowlagh for half a day to plat football with the kids. A few heavy showers but otherwise, a pleasant day.

No lifting today because I was home late.

snatch day

Decided to do snatches a day earlier because I felt no pain/soreness from yesterday's conditioning. Strangely, my strength was quite poor even though I felt fine. I also missed more snatches then usual especially at weight that I never normally fail.

So quite a few snatches were completed with snatch balance and a few squat cleans. This is the first time I have done any squat cleans in 30 months [apart from the odd max clean and jerk session] The left knee is improving but I am not going to push it too much.

Tomorrow, I will do rack jerk, squats and presses.

Irish seniors are 4 weeks from this sat. Not sure if I am lifting on Saturday or Sunday yet.

thurs

Snatch, snatch balance and a few light power cleans. Plenty of volume, low in strength, and failed more snatches than usual

monday

1 hour of back squat and press

My legs are incredibly weak. 70x5 mearly killed me but the knee seems ok.

now for an 8 mile walk. I want to make sure i can easily make weight in 6 weeks

sun

Snatch, snatch balance and clean jerk completed today. Feeling a bit below par after thursday so i had to work hard. Was wasted after these exercises and decided to do squats tomorrow. The knee has held up quite well so I dont want to to push it.

6 weeks until irish seniors. Will give Pete a visit when he comes back from turkey and maybe one more visit b4 jordanstown

sat

84.2kg [from 87 on monday] I seem to watch what I eat during the week but self destruct during the weekends. I am going to exercsie more self control in future.

4 mile walk. Had breakfast down town, tasty scrambled egg and toast.

Starting weights at home with son tomorrow. More time warming up in future.

I feel that if I can work my training and not aggravate knee, then when I visit 'go-lift', the competition and atmosphere is going drive me to heavier lifts in future.

6 weeks until irish championships in Jordanstown

Pete's gym

Finally got around to making the journey up to Ballyrobert.

Was still concerned about the knee pain but this didnt hinder me. Brendan jnr got plenty of instruction and encouragement from Pete and he really enjoyed the session.

I lifted with a guy called Ross and we seemed to inspire each other to some good lifting. Ross had a pb of 74 snatch with plenty left in the tank..
Considering how little lifting I have done recently, I lifted much better than I expected. It shows what competition and a good atmosphere does to inspire.
Snatch 40x3; 40x3; 50x2; 50x2; 55x2; 55x2; 60x2; 65; 70; 72x; 72; 74x; 74x. Pete throws in the right amount of technical suggestion.What I do like is that he doesnt throw too many things at me and I understand what he is talking about.
Things to work on:
- position of the feet especially in the receive position
- hips, explosion, bar position too low down on thighs etc
Clean and jerk 70x2; 80x2; 90; 95
Clean 97; 100[ I wrote in my diary yesterday that I wanted to get this by July!!]
Total 72+95=167[although the 95 clean and jerk was a press out]

All in all, a really good session. Delighted that my son enjoyed it and cant wait for the next time.

Rest

The knee has been rested for a few days. I jarred the knee doing power cleans at the weekend and I still have a bit of pain.
Heading up to Pete's gym tomorrow with my son for some coaching. I really hope I can shake off injuries because I feel that I am on the brink of making decent gains

sun

Knee very sore this morning and putting me in bad form which I had to snap out of very quickly. Spent most of the day reading in the bad garden and enjoying the fine weather.

At 6pm, I decided to give clean and jerk another go. The pain was moderate. Common advice is always to rest when injured but I felt that i had nothing to lose. Can't keep stopping every time I get a niggle.
Clean and jerk
40x3; 40x3; 50x2; 60x2. No increase in pain so I continued. 65; 70; 75; 80; 85. 85 clean very hard but jerk very easy. Relieved that pain is not any worse.

Front squat. light reps up to 70. Decided not to squat anymore than this,

Rack jerk
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 70; 75; 80; 85; 90; 95x Very close with 95 which was quite surprising.

injury jinx

decided to get in a good session today.
snatch 40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 50x3; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65; 67; 70x
Very pleased with this but concerned about slight niggling pain in the left knee.

Snatch Balance. As I worked through these, the knee gradually got worse.

Clean and jerk 40. After a 40 clean and jerk, I couldnt lift any more. the pain became very uncomfortable and remained for the rest of the day. I dont know what the problem is but i cant seem to get a decent break from injury.

out of action

spent most of fri and sat in altnagelvin getting poked and prodded by doctor. a scan hasnt identified the problem. go back in on thurs and if no improvement, then surgery.

catn walk or weightlift which is very disappointing. i need to get this sorted now

thurs

No training, too sore.

Unfortunately, I have a little bit of stomach pain today. It maybe only a bit of residue left from last week. Hopefully not a reoccuring problem. This makes me nervous.

bliss

2nd part of midweek programme

Rack jerk
40x3; 40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3;50x3; 50x3; 55x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 70x3; 72; 75; 77; 80; 82; 85; 87; 90. Havent done this exercise for almost a month. Still need improvement in technique. delighted and surprised to get 90 today. I dont think it will be long b4 I get over the 100 again.

Back Squats. Similar lifts up to a max of 90 which is the heaviest I have squatted for 30 months.

Going out for an 8 mile walk. feels gr8 to be doing something after being laid low for 10 days. I should know how I am after the weekend but so far, no pains in the stomach.

For the love of ...., weightlfting

After a while out of action and stomach ailments, I went against the advice of a few and had a lifting session. I am not foolish; any sign of pain and I would stop. Hoping that the problem was just a nasty infection and not muscle or organ related.
Snatch
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65x. The 62's were quite hard but only one failure.
Snatch balance
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 50x3; 55x3; 55x3; 60; 62x; 50x3; 52x3; 55x3; 60; 62; 65
Power clean
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 62; 65; 67; 70; 72; 75; 60x3; 60x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 50x3; 55x3; 55x3; 60x3; 60x3.
Quite a stiff workout to see how the abdomin holds up. 2nd part of the session is completed tomorrow with rack jerk, squats and presses. The key thing for me is to get to Sunday with no stomach pain.

On the mend?

Going to do a light weights session maybe later in the week. Hoping my stomach problems are behind me. Started on a more healthy diet on Sunday; only 2 days done but I am determined to succeed. I have been consuming too much junk food recently and this needs to stop.

The only thing that will stop me doing weights will be from serious injury. Weightlifting is a great distraction which throws up plenty of personal challenges and the main reward being the opportunity to compete all over ireland.

march 2nd

85.4kg

no real pain in stomach this morning.Still plenty of swelling around navel.Will be on antibiotics until at least Wednesday hoping the infection clears up. Stomach still expanded by about 3".

Had 3 doctors opinions to date. none of them no where this infection has come from. Doctor 3ays he is convinced it is nothing to do with weightlifting although lifting is out of the question for now. I need to get back to lifting asap so that I dont fall behind.Irish senior is 10 weeks from Saturday so i dont want to lose too much time.

The big aim for me is next year's irish masters where I hope to be lifting close to 85+105

1st march

86.1kg. been eating badly recently so i am using the first day of march to make a commitment to eating better.



no training or walking for the time being due to stomach problem. Swelling hasn't got any worse so I have to be patient and hope situation improves. Doctors still dont know what caused this problem. the first doctors grasped at the fact that i have been weightlifting caused the problem. 2nd and 3rd doctor dont think it has anything to do with lifting. I have to take at least 2 weeks b4 thinking of lifting again. i really hope 2 weeks off wont cause me to lose strength

stomach problem

Weightlifting comeback seems to have been cut short again.

Have had to leave work today due to massive swelling in the abdomen area. Could be a tear or a hernia or something. can barely sit at the moment. first priority is to find out what the real problem is

injury jinx

stomach pain became increasingly worse yesterday and late into the night. Badly swoolen and with a significant lump under the navel area.

Went to doctor this morning who told me that I have at least a muscle tear in the abdomen but is undecided whether it is possibly a hernia. Told to take a few weeks rest.

More frustration because I have only started back at lifting and iam thoroughly enjoying it but relieved there is nothing serious wrong.

pain

no training today. stomach swollen. cant wear belt. been painful for 2 weeks but got worse since yesterday.

Tuesday regeneration

Headed to Rossnowlagh for half a day to get my head straight and set some new goals. An 8 mile beach walk in fine, mild weather was a joy. A few things need straightened out so I had to do a bit of thinking. Nothing like a good walk to bring clarity of thoughts

Arrived home after 4 and then decided to starta new 12 week weightlifting cycle. The plan is to compete in the Irish Seniors, jordanstown in May and try to increase my lifts.

Snatch 40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 50x3; 50x3; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 55x3; 57x3; 60; 60x; 60
Snatch balance. Plenty of light lights

sat vids

Video compilation of some of saturday's lifts. Sorry for the poor editing, not my strong point

Sunday

Not sore after yesterday's competition although i am a bit tired.

Did 90minutes of bodybuilding today.

Next competition either irish seniors or ulster open or maybe both. 3 months now to get stronger.

My 14 year old son who came down to dublin has now indicated an interest in the sport.

Irish Masters

Heading down to Dublin with Sean, brendan jnr, christopher and cathal to compete in the irish championships. We left Matheravealy at 7am and after spending 1 hour going round in circles in dublin finally reached the Ironside gym in Blackrock.

Weigh in. Brendan 84.82; Sean 85.something. Unlucky for Sean. We both thought we were safe.

The masters lifted first and I decided to, as usual, go by instinct when choosing openers. I decided from the start that I was going to at least attempt an irish masters record at some stage even if i didnt succeed.
Snatch 66; 70; 72** [new master's record] Very pleased to get all 3 at this stage.
Clean and jerk 86; 90; 95xx Couldnt clean 95 and get the c+j record.
Total 162@85kg ; 1st place

All in all, delighted with first competition in exactly 2 years.

Sean lifted brilliantly to get all 3 snatches, especially his final lift of 65kg,He got his first 2 c+j's and was very unlucky not to get his final 85kg due to majority decision with the judges.

The day was a bit long for the kids but they thoroughly enjoyed watching their parents have a go.

A great venue and really appreciate the friendliness of all the people invloved including the lifters

no lift

decided against doing any more training and give myself a longer rest. I dont to want to take the minor risk of injury.

Going out later for another 8 mile walk.

Not at the correct weight yet so Friday, I will be eating very light with no breakfast on saturday until after the weigh in


7.30-9.30. very pleasant 8 mile walk. looks like i will make the weigh in at 85.

smoothly does it

pre-competition training

Snatch
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62. Pretty smooth lifting.

Snatch Balance
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x

Power clean and jerk
40x3; 50x2; 60x2; 70; 80.

That's my pre comp olympic training completed. A spot of bodybuilding tomorrow to wrap things up. Big thing now is to make weight on Saturday.

Starting lifts, not sure because the irish records are higher than I thought. Might be out of reach at this stage.

Possibly starting at 66+86.

Very pleased at where I am at after 12 weeks. I have made much more progress than I expected.

All roads lead to Dublin on Sat

records bummer

With all my prep geared towards irish records, I found out today that they were broken in october. Instead of 65+85 they are now 71+94. I may still have a go at the snatch but after 12 weeks, I think these are out of my range unfortunately. At least I know I have competition in the 85 class

sun foot injury

decided to go for a walk this morning. Mucking about with my son outside, he was chasing after me and while sprinting away, I hurt the joint near the ankle. I tried to walk on it but had to turn back home after a mile. I went to leisure centre for a bit of training but had to stop after a short period. This wont effect my lifting next week but I just need to rest for a few days.

Next training will be tuesday/wednesday but just light training.

Aimes for Sat in Dublin
Weight 84kg
Snatch 70-72
Clean and jerk 90.

The records for my class are only 65+85 so I will be very disappointed if I dont break them. If I dont break them I will bomb anyway as I am starting at 66+86

sat light press and squatathon

Didn't want to clean and jerk today because:-
1]I dont want to risk last minute injury
2] I didnt want to.

Weighed 85kg this morning which is fantastic considering I was 87.3 on Monday morning.
I will aim to weigh 86 on Monday morning because I will probably consume more food during the weekend. I should be able to make weight next sat comfortably.

Front squat
40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 45x5; 45x5; 45x5; 45x5; 45x5; 45x5; 50x5; 50x5; 50x5; 50x5; 50x5; 55x5; 55x5; 55x5; 55x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 45x5; 45x5; 50x5; 50x5; 50x5; 50x5; 55x5; 55x5; 60x5; 60x5; 70x5

Military Press
40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 40x5; 45x5; 45x5; 45x5; 50x5; 55x7; 60x3; 70x

Yes, a hell of a load of light squats

fri

Snatch
40x6; 45x6; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62

Snatch Balance
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x; 40x

That's all today . dont want ot push things 1 weel b4 competition.

thurs

1.5 hours conditioning

1 hour [4 mile walk]

9 days to go until lift off- can't wait

86kg [1 to lose]

jerking around

Late home today so guess what. I f_____g the jerk. Nothing was going to stop me anyway.

11 weeks since comeback and I havent missed one training session. I am quite proud of this.

Session 1 Pre Dinner
Rack Jerk
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 65x3; 70x3; 75x3; 80; 85x Didnt attempt this. 80 was a press out and sluggish. Not feeling strong today.
Back Squat
40x5; 40x5; 45x5; 50x5; 55x5; 60x5; 65x5; 70x5; 75x5; 80; 85.

Session 2 after dinner
Power Jerk
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 70x3; 75; 77; 80.
Back Squat
40x5; 40x5; 45x5; 50x5; 55x5; 60x5; 70x5.

Happy enough. Not really feeling it today but happy with volume.

Now, a bit of rest for an hour before a 2 hour 8 mile walk in the wind and rain.

close to dislocation

Snatch
40x3; 40x3; 42x3; 42x3; 45x3; 45x3; 47x3; 47x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65; 55x3; 60x3

SnaTCH Balance.
After Sean's cheeky 65, I had to go heavy today
42x3; 47x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65; 70; 75*pb; 80x [close to dislocation] 77x [nearly wrecked shed] Exciting going heavier. I will have a snaych balance of 90kg by the summer. The legs are getting stronger.

Felt a bit of knee pain so decided not to do any more today.

Now it is time for another 7.5 mile walk starting at 7.45. This will take 2 hours.

strike when the iron is cold

Saturday
Didn't get up until 12. Needed a long sleep after a tough week. Feeling a bit sore from yesterday.

Mentally decided to do my lifting on Sunday which took a bit of pressure off. Took 10 mins to get my head right before lifting.Once again, the key was "can i turn a potential bad session into a really good one. Got myself in a positive frame of mind. Below is my weekend lifting.

fri

didnt feel lik doing anything today after a difficult day and week. all mental reserves depleted. Decided to go out immdiately after work and try and get through a decent snatch session
Snatch
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 50x3

40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3

50; 52; 55; 57; 60x

50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62

55; 57; 60

Snatch Balance
40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 50x3

40x3; 45x3

50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65; 67*pb; 70*pb; 72*pb. 7.5 increase. Nearly gave up after a horrendus 65 but the next three were smooth but tough

All in all, a very good session considering how I was feeling all week.

thursday

1 hour of light bodybuilding.

hoping to walk 8-10 miles tonight.

Not sure about weight. Not going to weigh in until a week b4 competition. Hope to be 85kg by then

wed

rack jerk up to 87

presses and squats. decent enough session

9pm. went for a 7.5 mile walk with colleague. Time to start trimming down

tuesday pain

7.45 -3.15

Short day today due to several heated arguments which drained me today. Left early for once.

3.30 - 4.30
Snatch 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 52x3; 55x3; 57x2; 57x; 57; 50; 52.

Encountered some left hip pain for the first time today while trying to lower the hips in the pull. I have felt slight pain and pressure over the past few month while climbing stairs. I hope this isnt the start of a more serious hip problem. The ironic thing is that I think I improved my snatch technique today


Snatch Balances. Plenty of exercises here without further hip pain
Power clean. 40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 45x3; 50x3; 50x3; 55x3; 55x3; 60x3; 60x3; 65x3; 65x3; 67x3; 67x3; 70; 72; 75; 77

4 mile walk

mon

87kg. horrendus weight issue. been eating junk now foe week. trying to stop today

4 mile walk in the freezing weather, 6 layers on. Seriously reducing food intake today. Must make the weight in 3 weeks. No other training today

Sunday

Feeling a bit better today. Did some bodybuilding in the leisure centre to try and make up for yesterday's awful lifting

sat

lacking in energy and motivation today but still managed to do some light lifting

clean and jerk only up to 75. Terrible technique on 80 clean and very lucky not to sustain a back injury

Did some presses and front squats but nothing worth recording.

friday evening

Got my training completed early today
Snatch Wave 1
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65x; 65x

60 and 62 were comfortable but a bit disappointed not to get 65. No negativity allowed. I then proceeded into :-
Snatch wave 2
40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65; 67; 70x Very pleased with this but had 70 overhead.

Realised that I had the strength for 70 so took some smelling salts, chalked up, russian music and the 70. Got it. Great feeling after only 10 weeks

Snatch Balance.
I complete 7/8 sets up to 62kg until I had no strength left

thursday

a small amount of aerobic work. Finding it hard to lose excess weight but very pleased with weightlifting progress. 10 weeks done and thoroughly enjoying it

wednesday

Completed mid week session with more rack jerks and some back squats. Some bodybuilding after in rlc

Tuesday night

84.6kg.
This is the tenth week since I returned to weightlifting. Fantastic

Very pleased with tonight's volume. really enjoyed session. Snatch technique seemed out of sync but didnt drop any.

Snatch
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 60; 60; 60; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 60; 60; 60; 60
Snatch Balance
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3
Power clean
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 62; 65; 67; 70; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 62x3; 65; 67; 70
Rack Jerk
40x3; 40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65; 70; 75; 80; 60x2

Snatch balance was good today. I can't get much higher in the power cleans because technique breaks down. I found an old tip that ronnie gave me 2 years ago and this might have helped a bit.
Tomorrow I finish with a few light jerks, a good squat session and some presses.
Friday is next snatch night. Hopefully Sean comes up.

monday

85.6kg.

not as sore today after a good weekend.

Tomorrow night, back to snatch and snatch balance.

less than 4 weeks to 1st competition in 2 years. Really looking forward to this.

sat

some bodybuilding

friday night [sean's]

Snatch
40; 45; 50 55 60x 60 40 45 50 55x3 60x2 55x13; 57x3
Rack JERK 40X3; 50X3; 60X3 40 50 60 70 75 80 85 92X
Back Squat 40x10; 50x10; 60x10; 70x5; 80; 40x20; 50x15; 60x5

Good session. Snatch technique felt better than before.

pain in the neck

84.8

neck pain again but a bit better. should be ok for snatchathon in seans

went to derry, big meal therefore heavy tomorrow

wednesday

didnt weigh in today

Woke up with alot of neck pain. feels like a trapped nerve. long stressful day at work, home very late. No energy to do anything. 2 hour sleep, half an hour chat with Sean before kicking my toes against the stairs, using alot of foul language following by nil sympathy from my wife.

tue- tricks of the mind

85.3kg

Long day at work. 7.45am to 5pm.
5.30-6.30 4 mile walk

Not feeling it today. Went out to the gym several times and couldnt raise any enthusiasm. I tried to think of a way to get started.

Finally managed to squeeze in some rack jerk b4 dinner
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 70x3; 60x3; 60x3; 62; 65; 67; 70; 72; 75; 60x3; 60x3; 62; 65.
After dinner
Power Clean 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 65
Back Squat 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 70x3; 60x5; 60x5; 40x10; 42x10; 45x16; 47x10
M.Press 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60; 60; 60; 60; 60; 60; 40x10; 42x5; 45x5; 47x5.

This ended up being a really rewarding session.

Monday 16th

Feeling fine today so I decided to have the snatch night a day early.
Snatch
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 50; 52; 55; 57x; 57; 60; 62x; 62; 55x; 55; 57; 60; 60; 60.


A few unexpected failures at low weights but not just as sharp tonight. All of the 60's apart from 1 62 in video below. Not too impressed with technique tonight. too much jump and hips still too high.

Snatch Balance 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 52.

No knee pain tonight which is a relief. Decided not to push it any further. Tomorrow is power clean, rack jerk, squats and press.

From tomorrow, I am going to post my weight in kg. This might give me the incentive to cut down a bit.

Sunday

decided out of boredom to go to the gym but after 2 minutes realised that i was too sore so i decided to do 40 minutes of aerobic work

Sunday

sat afternoon

An hour of solid bodybuilding to compliment yesterday's lifting. Now for a few days off b4 Tuesday's snatch session.

Diet didnt go too well today but have decided to make a fresh start on Monday morning. I need to discipline myself a bit better.

max night in NWBC

Sean came up for a weights session and as usual it was thoroughly enjoyable.

I was a bit worried b4 the start because I had quite a painful neck strain which made the pull uncomfortable.
Snatch 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 50x3; 55x2; 57; 60; 62; 65x; 65; 67x; 67; 70x. Very pleased with 67. 70 was too heavy for me.

Clean and jerk 40x2; 50x2; 60x2; 65; 70; 75x; 75; 80; 90; 92x.
Total 67.5+90=157.5. This is the qualifying mark for the british masters but i wont be able to compete until 2013. Very pleased with progress after 8 weeks. I should be able to beat the irish masters records.

A little bit concerned with a bit of knee pain when doing a few light squats. The clean and jerk takes quite a bit out of the legs.

Sean 60+80 but was definately below par probably because of recent great lifting and high volume but still a sterling effort.

Overall, highly enjoyable. Cant wait until the next one

wednesday

1 hour of light bodybuilding. Rest now until Friday evening.

Weight has moved up to 85kg due to poor diet over the las t 2 weeks. I need to make sure I make 85kg for the next competition

tuesday no-lift

I decided to cancel today's lifting due to fatigue. No catching up to do or guilt complex. I have to listen to my body. Been very very tired recently and doing alot of sleeping.

Tomorrow I will do some light bodybuilding and rest for Friday's lifting.

Therese asked me what I want to do for my birthday on Friday. I told her that I want to lift weights.

monday

4 mile walk. Rest day. Tomorrow is snatch night

Later on I was trying to think of something to do. Snatch sounded good. Starting to love this lift and because I felt fairly fresh, I decided to do this a day early

Snatch 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65x; 65x; 65x; 65x;50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65x; 60.

Snatch Balance 42x3; 47x3; 52x3; 57; 62; 65x; 65; 40x3;42x3; 45x3; 47x3; 50x3.

Very satisfying night even though strength was a bit under par but got as much out of this as I could. Trying hard to keep butt low but plenty of work to do.

Sean might be coming down on Friday. A snatch session will be very interesting

Sunday

Slept most of the day. the recent late night finally caught up with me.

Decided at 4pm not to lift today because i am very fatigued and not feeling it. Concert at 7.30 in derry.

Decided at 4.30 to do alittle clean and jerk after all because i dont want to have to complete saturdays lifting on monday and upset my plans.

Feeling full of food and not motivated, i decided to do a bit.
40x2; 40x2; 60x2; 65; 70; 75; 80. Decided that was that. pleased with 80 although very hard.

I put 87.5 on the bar to look at it and went into the house. Then Sean's recent lifting came into my head and i thought 'i owe him one for his brilliant recent snatches"

I got the 87.5 although with a tough clean and ugly press out.

Finished the session with a few presses up to 65 and a few front squats.

restathon/foodathon

Decided to rest my body today and have a well earned rest. feeling a little fatigued after yesterday's snatching. Will go for a decent clean and jerk tomorrow.

Went to donegal with dad and brian and had a bit of a cliff top walk. Nearly froze to death. Had a meal and dessert and then continued to eat for the rest of the day.

I have now got the date for the irish masters - 18th feb. 6 weeks away so tomorrow, i totally dedicate myself to clean diet and getting in shape for dublin. Strangely enough, the dublin open is a week after but unlikely for me to compete 2 weeks in a row but who knows.

Sean's inspired

Weekend session 1

Didn't feel like lifting today. Sore after yesterday but focus a bit on what Sean achieved the other day and decided to give it a lash.

Snatch 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 62; 65; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60x3.




Very pleased to get up to 65 while keeping my snatch form. The 60x3 was inspired by Sean's lifting. Delighted to do this at this stage. Satisfying to nail 3 in a row without jumping forward. I seem to be keeping the arms straight much later in the pull. Total thanks and regard given to Sean for this

Snatch Balance 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 52; 55.

thursday

A really good session at the local leisure centre. Plenty of good assistance/supplementary exercises. Flexibility improving.

This now week 7 for me and still lifting. I can't believe how much I am enjoying this. Technique improving slowly.

Very interested in joining 'go-lift' but living in Strabane makes the journey's for now difficult. I could do with the coaching and the buzz of squad sessions. Maybe I will eventually be able to link with someone and share the travel.

Tomorrow night is snatch and snatch balance with clean and jerk and the rest on sat. Will meet up with sean later in the month for another 'max' session. Sean's lifts are about 'to go through the roof' Next snatch competition will be interesting.

The irish masters records are modest at 65+85. At the moment i can see my starting lifts being 66+86. 70+90 would be fantastic for mid feb.

Wednesday 'B' session part.

Felt inspired today with Sean's lifting yesterday. It is great that we can feed each other at the moment. Long may it continue.

Rack Jerk 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3; 70; 72; 77; 87* The 87 was an ugly press out. More about this later. Anyway,an ugly 87 at home is a good lift in competition. A 90 clean and jerk is a possibility in feb. Would be very pleased with that at this stage.


Back Squat 40x3; 47x3; 52x3; 57x3; 62x3; 67x3; 72x3; 77; 82
Press 45x3; 47x3; 52x3; 57x3; 62.

82 in the back squat gave me a slight twinge in the back. Definately backs up my plan to squat light for a few months. My squat clean is coping with the jerk anyway.

Dinner

During dinner, I thought a bit about my rack jerk and how poor it feels so a thought came into head and I decided to try it out

Rack Jerk
40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65; 70; 75; 80. The technique felt considerably better, film to follow.


Back Squat 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3; 60x3; 65x3
Press 40x3; 45x10; 50x7; 55; 50x5; 50x5
Deadlift 92x3; 102x3; 112x3; 122x3.

All in all, a good session. Next up is Friday night snatch night.

tue

Snatch 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 40x3; 42; 45; 47; 50; 52; 55; 57; 60; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55x3

Tried very hard today to improve technique by rotating my elbows. I think I can definately see some improvement in the start of the pull.




Snatch Balance 42x3; 47x3; 52x3; 40x3; 45x3; 47; 50; 52. Found these very tough today so decided not to push it.

Power Clean 40x3; 40x3; 45x3; 50x3; 55. Again, I went light today to see if I could improve my technique

Monday

One hour of light bodybuilding today. Some sit-ups and stretches as well

Tomorrow evening is snatch and snatch balance.

Next big max session is possibly going to be in Cookstown when Sean comes up again.

After 6 weeks, progress is going well, although I have the usual technical problems.

My aim of 66+86 to break the irish masters records have now been revised a bit. My aim for mid feb competiton is around 70+90 for a 160 total.