My 2011 Goals

Since I just posted a blog on how to set goals, I wanted to share my goals. And HERE....WE....GO!

Current known Numbers:

Snatch - 100kg
C&J - 121kg (123kg clean)
Squat - 152.5kg
Press - 82kg
Deadlift - 205kg (best of 215kg)
Bodyweight - @ 77kg
Master's Project - Data collection almost complete

Goals	Date to Accomplish
105kg Snatch	4/1/2011
125kg C&J	4/1/2011
227.5kg Deadlift	4/1/2011
87kg Press	4/1/2011
162kg Squat	4/1/2011
78kg Bodyweight	4/1/2011
Master's Project - Completed	4/1/2011
110kg Snatch	8/15/2011
132kg C&J	8/15/2011
235kg Deadlift	8/15/2011
90kg Press	8/15/2011
170kg Squat	8/15/2011
80kg Bodyweight	8/15/2011
Master's Program - Completed	8/15/2011
112kg Snatch	12/31/2011
135kg C&J	12/31/2011
240kg Deadlift	12/31/2011
93kg Press	12/31/2011
175kg Squat	12/31/2011
82kg Bodyweight	12/31/2011
Master's study published in JSCR	12/31/2011

Now that I've shared mine, what are some of your goals? Please share!

What's Your Goal?

As we all say hello to a new year, we should each take a time-out and think about where we are going within the next year. This could be with our training (as it should be), our career, our family life, etc. We should be thinking of all aspects of our life and what steps need to be taken to reach our goals. Wait, what's that?! You haven't set your goals yet?! Why not??

I'm sure you have all heard of S.M.A.R.T. before, right? If not, it pertains to goal setting and stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time oriented. You might be asking yourself, "what does this all mean". Don't worry, I'm going to tell you!

Specific

Just as it should be...goals need to be very specific. Saying "I want to lose weight" is not specific. A better way of stating the same goal, but making it specific, is saying "I want to lose five pounds". Answering who, what, where, when, and how can help make goals more specific. Now we're getting somewhere, but we're not quite done.


Measurable

This serves as a way to realize if a goal has been achieved. Many times the 'measurable' part of a goal might be a number such as reaching a certain body fat percentage. For most of you reading this, it may likely be the number of training session per day/week/month or hitting a certain weight in your favorite (or worst) lift.

Attainable 

We all want to accomplish our goals. Therefore, we would not want to sabotage ourselves by thinking negatively. Focusing on the activities that will produce the goals desired will lead you in the right direction. If you wanted to lose body fat, you would not eat at McDonald's, right? Set sentences for each goal that will lead you down the right path. Also, start each sentence with words that are positive. For example, "I will condition three days per week for twenty minutes". This statement includes a positive start (I will), includes an activity (conditioning), and is specific for frequency (3 days per week) and duration (20 minutes).


Realistic

This relates to the possibility of achieving the goals you set. If you want to add 100 pounds to your squat in a month, this isn't really a realistic goal. Goals have to be challenging, but not so challenging that there is no possible way to achieve them. Sure, you should always be optimistic, but you should also be a realist. Hard work and determination can only go so far before you start regressing, so don't push it. Plan your training and deloads accordingly and watch yourself progress better than ever.

Time Oriented

This allows a certain time point to be established in which the goal should be accomplished. Goals that are too easy to accomplish may be reached too soon, which often leads to a loss of motivation. Goals that are too challenging, and are not accomplished in the set time frame, often lead to a loss of interest. This leads to the person feeling like a failure and ultimately giving up on the goal.

Resources

Let's say you have a friend who is a very knowledgeable strength coach or personal trainer. You're going to use their expertise to help you reach your goals, right? Use the resources you have available to you to reach all of your goals! If your friends have similar goals, make it a competition for added motivation. You can also work with each other to reach your goals. Believe me, it's always easier to reach goals if you have someone helping you along the way. It's as simple as that! This is one of those things that seems simple, but is often overlooked.

Wrap Up

There you have it! All the tools you need to start walking the path to a better you! Follow these simple guidelines to set your goals and you'll be there in no time. Good luck in your endeavors! Train hard, train smart! 

Evolution: Thoughts on Training

I've been thinking lately about how my perspective on training has changed over the years. I started as a high school athlete trying to just "pump some iron" to get big and strong, while trying to learn as much as I could about general health.

I then moved to bodybuilding once my athletic career had ended and I went on to college.This is when I started learning through course work, personal reading, and actual training, how the body responds and is stimulated by training. However, because I only trained with the usual moderate to high repetition, one day per week for each muscle group mentality, I didn't see the whole picture of training. And so the learning continued...

I moved to weightlifting, a.k.a. Olympic weightlifting, after completing a practicum for college credit with a local sports performance center which used this style of lifting as the main focus of their program. I figured that in order to properly coach the athletes how to perform the lifts, I would have to be able to perform them correctly myself. And, as they say, the rest is history. As many of you know, this is the style of training I use for myself as a means of competition (and breathing).



Now I am more focused on my career. As I continue to wade through informational overload on a daily basis, I continue to learn what to trust and what is just plain ignorant and misguided. There are those sources that should not be trusted and those that should be checked regularly because of the wealth of information that is provided. I have been very mindful within the past year of where I read my information. It would be a HUGE waste of time to read something and find it to be complete garbage. So, be wary of where you get your information. Don't believe everything you read just because the author has a few letters behind their name. Always ask "who", "what", and "why" when you are reading new information. If these answers check out, you have a good start for learning new, useful information.

It is interesting to look back on where I started and where I am now within my own training. As my thoughts on what it is to be big and strong have changed over the years, I have come to realize that these have meant very different things. I once thought that big and strong was a professional bodybuilder strutting around at 285lbs with 2% body fat. Through the years I've learned that some bodybuilders are strong, but they cannot compare to strength athletes. If we're talking relative or absolute strength, strength athletes will win out nearly 100% of the time. I won't get into the physiology behind it, but suffice it to say that there are two types of hypertrophy adaptations in training and strength athletes get the better end of the deal.

I will continue my relentless pursuit for every detail within the realm of strength training. I know this is something that cannot be accomplished realistically, but my dad had always said that I am stubborn (and a smart-ass). Therefore, I put my head down and keep pushing for more! I suggest you do the same. Train hard, train smart!

Training 12/1 - 12/20

12/1

DL - 70x5,4, 110x3, 132x5, 140x5, Belt -->150x10, 175x3x1
Hang Power Snatch - 40x4x4
Snatch RDL (straps) - 80x6, 90x6, 95x6, 100x2x6
SL Rev. Hypers - 90x12, 140x2x10

12/3

P Snatch - 50x3x3
P Clean - 60x3, 65x2x3
Bench (lbs) - 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 205x1, 225x1, 235x1, 250xmiss

12/4

Snatch - 60x2x2, 70x2, 84x3x1, 88x3x1
C&J - 60x2x2, 84x2, 102x6x1

12/6 (Start of new Pendragon program)

Snatch - 50x2,1/2, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5x4x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1,missJ,1, 110x1
Squat - 90x3, 110x3, 115x3, Belt-->120x8, 130x3x2
WG Pull-ups - 2x12

12/7

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x5x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x5x1
CG RDL - 110x6, 120x3x6
Press - 50x3, 67.5x3, 72x3, 76x2
Ring Shoulder Flx - 3x12+3s hold
Hang Rope Leg-lift holds - 3x10s

12/8

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5xmissF, 1,1,1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x4x1
DL - 120x3, 140x3, 148x3, belt-->157.5x9, 180x1
KB Ring Pull-ups - 10, 16x3x8, 10

12/10

Snatch - 40x2, 50x2, 60x1/2, 72x0/2, 77x1, 82x5x1
C&J - 70x2, 80x2, 90x1, 97x5x1

12/11

Snatch - 50x2, 60x2, 72x2, 77x1, 82x1, 87x4x1
C&J - 60x2, 72x2, 85x2, 92x1, 97x1, 102x4x1
Squat - 70x3, 90x2, 107x2, 122x2, 130x3x2

12/13

Snatch - 50x3,2, 60x1/2, 72.5x2, 77.5xmiss, 82.5x1, 87.5xmiss,miss, 80x2x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x2x1, 110x3x1
Squat - 60x3, 100x5, 115x3, belt-->127.5x5 <--ugly...felt shitty

12/14

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x5x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x5x1
CG RDL - 90x6, straps-->120x5, 140x3x3

12/15

Snatch - 50x2x2, 60x2, 72.5x1/2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5x1, 92.5x1,missF,1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1, 110x3x1
Squat - 92.5x2, 107.5x2, 120x2, belt-->130x2, 135x2, 137.5x2
Rope Hangs - 3x15s
BH Sit-up holds - 3xALAP

12/16

Snatch - 50x2x2, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5xmissF,1, -->DL Pause to PS - 60x3x2
P C&J - 60x2, 75x2, -->only PC no jerks -->85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 90x3x1
Ab wheel RO - 3x12

12/17
SESSION 1
Snatch - 50x2, 60x2/3, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5xmissF, 87.5xmissB,missF, 92.5xmissF,missF,missB, 60x2
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1, 110x3x1
SESSION 2
DL - 70x4, 100x3, 130x5, 150x3, belt-->165x7, 190x2x1
WG Pull-ups - 12, 25#x3x6

12/18

Conditioning
       8 Sledge slams, 3 tire flips, 6 sledge slams, 3 tire flips x 6

12/20

Snatch - 50x3, 60x2, 72.5x2, 77.5x1, 82.5x1, 87.5x4x1
C&J - 60x2, 72.5x2, 85x2, 92.5x1, 97.5x1, 102.5x1,1,1,missJ
Squat - 92.5x3, 107.5x2, 122.5x2, 137.5x2, belt-->145x1, 152.5x1<--ties my PR to date
NG Pull-ups - 12,12,9+3

Lazy or Smart?

It is 5:49pm EST. I'm sitting in my living room watching TV as I write this blog. I haven't done much since yesterday morning, when I conditioned at 8:30am. Sure, you could call me lazy, but do you know what I did during the week? I busted my ass! I deserve to be lazy!

We all get so wrapped up in our training programs that sometimes we forget how important rest and recovery can be. I know this all too well, having just embarked on a hellish training program. Don't forget that recovery is just as important to the overall plan as training and nutrition are. I won't get into all the scientific jargon, but I will send you to an excellent article written by my friend, Ryan van Asten. Check out his article on RECOVERY.

I should have my previous training sessions up by tomorrow morning if I find the motivation to post them  :)
Ah! Motivation, another topic for another blog. Soon to come!

New Training

This week I started a new training plan. I got the template from Mark Cannella when I went through the USAW level 1 course. It is actually from Pendragon weightlifting out of Youngstown, OH. It's a very simple program, but I believe I will make great gains from it. It is very weightlifting specific...5 weeks/6 days per week. Mostly snatch, clean and jerk, and squats. I'm adding a few things to it, but it is very simple. I haven't followed a program with this much frequency, so I plan on easing into the 6 straight days of training. I'll get there eventually...no need to rush.

On another note, I will post my training sessions from the past couple weeks with this new plan soon. Train hard, train smart!

USAW Level 1 Sports Performance Coach Course

Hello, All! I just attended the USAW Level 1 Sports Performance Coach Course this past weekend in Mentor, OH. It was held at The Gorilla Pit and led by Mark Cannella, with help from Dan Bell, Chelsea Kyle, and Mike Cerbus. I have been lifting in the style of weightlifting for over three years now and, while I knew I didn't know EVERYTHING on the subject, I thought I would come into this with little else to learn because of the level of the course. I was definitely wrong! The course started with some lecture, where we learned specific warm-ups and biomechanics of the lifts. After each section, we moved to the practical side of the course. This is an excellent method...learning the material in lecture format and then IMMEDIATELY putting that information into practice. As we all know, there are three styles of learning: tactile, auditory, and visual. The format of the course puts each individual in the best advantage possible to absorb the information through all three styles of learning.

We broke for lunch and I stayed behind to train with Mike Cerbus and Chelsea Kyle, who were there to help Mark with demonstrations and coaching for the course. I haven't been exposed to this level of lifter while training myself too many times, so it was pretty cool. I only worked up to about 88kg in the Snatch and 102kg in the Clean and Jerk, but this was a very helpful session. Mark came in at the tale end of my Snatches and quickly corrected my technique. I am quick under the bar, but do not use my arms enough to pull myself under. He believes if I can fix this I will ad a few kilos to both lifts instantly! I believe him and will definitely start working on this fix!

After lunch, we went through the basics of the lifts and sequences of each. Again, we practiced what we learned in the lecture. We did these for the rest of Saturday's session. Sunday's session focused on strength movements, including squats, pulls, and presses. We also went over program design generalities, such as exercises to include, exercise order, volume, intensity, and progression. Mike and Chelsea commented on their programs, which was most intriguing to me. Mostly this is because, while nearly the same age as them, but of a different experience level, they train completely different than I do. I would like to start training similar (if time permits). Although, I know myself and the volume I can handle right now id nowhere near their volume. I think I could probably handle somewhere in the 5-7 sessions/week range, where they are around 10-12 sessions/week.

A special thanks to Mark, Dan, Chelsea, and Mike for all the fine work you did!

I will be working to increase my training volume/frequency until I am around 10 sessions/week. I think that is a good goal to hit within the next few months. Until then...train hard, train smart!