BruteForce: Power Overwhelming

[bruteforce]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Do you start to lose power cleans later in a set, or struggling in general?

Sort of struggling in general. I've been having problems keeping the bar close enough to the body to benefit from hip thrust. I think some of the problem was that with less than 135, there wasn't enough weight for me to notice that something wasn't quite right.

Originally Posted by big_swede

Good stuff brute, on the PC's, try moving very slow from the floor, and explode when the bar is just above / around the knees by tripple extension (hip trust). Moving the bar to fast from the floor always messes up my cleans! Dont know if this is the issue but thought i should mention it.

Keep on smashing!

Thanks Swede! I'm going to give this a try. I think I might be drifting too far forward when I try to go really fast from off the floor and that might be contributing to it. I'll get some videos in the next week or so and take a look, I've been so focused on my squats the past few weeks that I haven't thought about videoing anything else.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by bruteforce

Sort of struggling in general. I've been having problems keeping the bar close enough to the body to benefit from hip thrust. I think some of the problem was that with less than 135, there wasn't enough weight for me to notice that something wasn't quite right.

My form with cleans isn't the best either. I try to limit reps to singles so I can focus more on form and technique than effort. But I'm sure the same thing could be accomplished with any number of reps given a good reset.

Anyway, best of luck and hope you iron this out.

[BigJosh]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

My form with cleans isn't the best either. I try to limit reps to singles so I can focus more on form and technique than effort. But I'm sure the same thing could be accomplished with any number of reps given a good reset.

Anyway, best of luck and hope you iron this out.

Rippetoe recommends sets of 3 just for this reason. He argues that this is a lift that requires a deal of technique and higher reps/fatigue has a significant impact on the technical nuances.

[bruteforce]

Originally Posted by BigJosh

Rippetoe recommends sets of 3 just for this reason. He argues that this is a lift that requires a deal of technique and higher reps/fatigue has a significant impact on the technical nuances.

Completely agree Josh.

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

My form with cleans isn't the best either. I try to limit reps to singles so I can focus more on form and technique than effort. But I'm sure the same thing could be accomplished with any number of reps given a good reset.

Anyway, best of luck and hope you iron this out.

I think what I may do tomorrow is start light and increase the weight until my form starts to slip. I'll stick with triples at first, then drop to singles until I'm unable to get them right. After that, I'll drop it 5 or 10 pounds and work from there. 5 reps was fine with light weight, but as it gets heavier, the later ones get sloppy.

Thanks for the advice, I'll try it out and see what happens. I'm already light years ahead of where I was a few months ago, I'm looking forward to this time next year.



On another note, some great conditioning yesterday. Split a couple of truckloads of wood for my dad yesterday. 16 pound maul and 5 hours of swinging it left me pretty worn out, but it was a great time.

[bruteforce]

Hard day today. I don't know if it was the work Saturday or not taking a pre-workout, or what, but reps were not happening today for much anything.

Power Cleans: Took the advice of BtB and Swede, and these actually went VERY well. Thanks for the help guys!
Warm-up
155 x 10 singles over 6 minutes

Squats - Here is where it went a little down hill
Warmup
215x5/3/4/1 It just felt HEAVY today. I might have had more reps if I sacrificed form, but I wasn't willing to do that. 10 pounds extra from last week, but I think I'll stay here and hit it again next monday.

Push Press
165x4/3/2 - on the last set, failed the first and 4th rep just below lockout. Next week I'll get them all.

Farmers
115 per hand x 100 feet. These were tough, but pretty good. +10 pounds from last week.

Overall, not a terrible workout, but tough. Next week I'll come back stronger and get the progression train going again.

[BendtheBar]

5 hours of log splitting would have left me unbearably sore. Glad you didn't push too hard on squats.

[bruteforce]

My arms and hands are pretty beat up from it, my legs aren't too bad, but the lower back was giving out on me after a few reps. It didn't feel sore today, but it took a real beating loading, unloading, and bending over constantly. I'm hoping its up to snuff Wednesday for deadlifts, and I'm pretty sure it will be.

[bruteforce]

GREAT session today. Pullups were a bit disappointing, but as they come at the end of the session, its not too surprising they aren't going anywhere too fast.

Deadlifts
Warmup
395 x 10 singles in 7 minutes. Felt like I had more in me. First 5 singles were done while standing on the platform, standing up for about 20 seconds between reps, resetting, and ripping it off the floor again. Bring on 405

Bench - not as extreme, but pretty damn good still
185x8/5/5 - almost had a 6th rep on the last 2 sets, couldn't quite lock out the left arm. Progress is being made.

Goblet Squat
45x8/8/8 - ATG, knees out, very little tightness in the knee. Felt AWESOME

Assisted Chins
50# assistance x 5/4 - this was as far as we were going today

Overall, best session I've had in a month. Squats are getting better, my knee is feeling more and more healthy, and I'm getting stronger. More people are beginning to notice in the gym, and while its nice, I don't quite like what happens now. I see a lot of younger guys loading up weight they can't handle and let their form go to crap once I walk up to the platform. Then they all come over to me and ask how I got this strong, about my diet, my training, and what special things I do. None of them seem to believe its just busting my ass and eating like a neanderthal.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by bruteforce

GREAT session today.
Deadlifts

395 x 10 singles in 7 minutes. Felt like I had more in me. First 5 singles were done while standing on the platform, standing up for about 20 seconds between reps, resetting, and ripping it off the floor again. Bring on 405

Way to destroy the deadlifts.

Originally Posted by bruteforce

None of them seem to believe its just busting my ass and eating like a neanderthal.

They never do. Sooner or later when you don't reveal magic secrets they start to whisper about what you might be taking.

[MikeM]

Nice deadlifting!

I love Goblets and chopping wood, too.

Just curious, is it always your left arm not locking out on a missed press? I am noticing lately it's always my right arm that is behind or doesn't lock out on bench or OHP when I miss. I wonder why that is? I'm right handed, you'd think it would be the other hand that would be weaker?