Quote:
Originally Posted by GratefulCitizen
Goals/considerations/restrictions/principles/etc.:
-Simplicity
-Improves general health/ joint stability, etc.
-Low risk of injury
-Maximum results for training time invested (Pareto principle)
-Self-adjusting to changing fatigue levels, etc.
-Doesn't cause undue stress or fatigue which might interfere with work or other activities.
-Increases strength and speed (always finish strength goals before moving on to endurance)
-Validated by results in others
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Been at this program 7 months now.
Getting ready to start another cycle.
Status on goals:
-It has been simple to implement and sustain.
-Joints are all doing fantastic, general health is doing fine.
-No injuries.
-I'm satisfied with the results relative to training time.
-It has been very effective in terms of self-adjustment.
-Has been completely compatible with long work weeks and a manual labor job, fatigue and soreness haven't been excessive.
-Strength has steadily increased, haven't tested speed.
-Proving effective with my son as well.
Starting out, I hadn't done any serious weight training for more than a decade.
At the time: just shy of 43 years old, not quite 6'2" barefoot, weighed about 170 lbs.
-Would've been lucky to put up 190lbs for a single on flat bench then, and did 95 lbs for the core weight in high-catch power snatches.
At the end of this cycle: weigh about 175 lbs, body fat is a little lower now.
-Put up 280 lbs on flat bench (with room to spare) for 4 singles last week, barely missed 295 lbs.
-Used 135 lbs for the core weight on power snatches.
Recently, I haven't been trying to make the catch on the heavier power snatch workouts within a cycle (too hard on the rotator cuff muscles) and just did high pulls instead.
There's some technique/skill issues to address, but I'm still getting the bar 5 1/2 - 6' off the ground for the 150-160 lb pulls, probably enough for a high catch.
In terms of powerlifting, the deadlift is normally about 3x your high-catch power snatch.
Back strength and grip strength have come along well (I don't use the "hook grip" on power snatches, but may need to if the weight keeps climbing).
Hands-only rope climbs are easy, haven't tried pull-ups, but there's probably similar transfer.
Overall functional strength is doing well.
Helped a bar back change out a full keg (half-barrel) last month.
Could pick it up, put it on my shoulder, duck through doorways, and handle it like it was a toy.
Similar stunt was quite difficult 2 years ago.
My son is 15 years old, about 6' 3" barefoot, around 145lbs, hardly any body fat.
He has a 6' 6" wingspan, with most of it coming from arms rather than shoulder width or hand length.
He's been doing this about 6 months.
Starting out, he couldn't quite get 95 lbs on flat bench, and could just barely catch 65lbs on power snatch.
He put up 140 lbs on flat bench last week, and catches 100 lbs (way up there...) on power snatch with room to spare.
Subjectively, he's observed dramatically improved quickness/explosiveness on the basketball court as well as significant improvements in everyday functional strength.
Gonna keep on the program for a few more cycles, and see how much the progress continues.
Seems to be working.
Some things learned:
-Taking a long, hot shower just before working out (especially in winter) has made a HUGE difference in preventing soreness, particularly with joints/tendons.
-Erring on the side of picking lighter weights/shorter sets for/within a training cycle is better than picking heavier weights/longer sets.
-When doing 2 workouts the same day (different exercises) it's better to separate them into 2 sessions than doing them in one long workout session.
-Tend to get better progress when the workouts are kept under 45 minutes.
-Resist the urge to change the programmed lifts during a cycle. Just see it through to the end and adjust weight levels in the subsequent cycle (recycling the same weight if necessary).
-Don't worry about how you "feel", follow the programming.
-Don't do extra stuff in the gym, follow the programming.