Destrength Has Awful Priority Management (road to 405 pound jerk)

Thanks, they’ll be staying in the program for awhile. I like them for forcing me to approach the bar calmly and practicing control (and seem to do a better job than just no hand no feet) instead of just muscling it. Though they won’t be getting much heavier, I have 165X2 for 5 sets planned for 5 weeks from now. My last session my consistency was pretty mediocre with probably like 50% being reps I was just happy with, 20% that were great, 15% that had something that I didn’t like and 15% that were shit. So I’ll be pulling back a tad before working back up more.

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8/8/18
Pause squat+squat
315x1+2
325x1+2
335x1+2
345x1+2
355x1+2
365x1+2
375x1+2
385x1+2
395x1+2
405x1+2

Snatch high pulls
225x3 for 6 sets

Close grip incline bench
315x1 still a strong presser
135x25 for 2 sets constant tension

3 sets of hip band walks

My quads died today. Squat strength and stability still coming back nicely.

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Alright I have a GPP session to do this morning, but aside from that my hypertrophy block is done. I am going to rest up for the weekend after the session and start my strength block.

Considerations:

My knee, hip, and back are still relatively fragile compared to what I used to be able to do. I can work off of the floor without any issues as heavy as I want to (haven’t tested it but within reason yes). I still have side imbalances especially in squatting movements so overhead squats need to be taken with caution and snatch balances are off the table (I can do them but risk/reward is not worth it).

Squats I appear to be able to do, but squatting heavy isn’t a priority. I just need to continue squatting and start front squatting and put in quality work without making causing issues for the rest of my training.

Block will last 5 weeks, 3 weeks being 100% just working in the 80-85% range and 2 weeks allowing myself to actually hit weights.

Higher frequency olympic lifting also just isn’t worth it to me right now where my health and fitness is, so I am sticking to 3 days weightlifting sessions and 3 days strength sessions. Continuing to give my shoulders/elbows/wrists a break in the middle of the week.

Monday:
Hang snatches from mid thighs - 4 sets of 2 at 80% add a set every week
Power cleans - 70% of clean for 4 sets of 2 plan to finish at 80% on week 3
Push press+jerk 80% of jerk for 3 sets of 1+1 add sets as I can with 100% accuracy

Tuesday:
Snatch push press+overhead squat - 3 sets of 2+2 starting at 245 add weight each week
snatch high pull - following progresion plan
squats - 3 sets of 5 starting at 365-ish

Wednesday:
No feet, hips, or hands snatches 5 sets of 2
no feet hip clean 4 sets of 3
jerk in split 5 sets of 2

Thursday:
Tempo front squats 5 singles just work on getting into the position, literally just stretching with weights

snatch high pulls

Friday:
Snatches: doubles start at 75% and ramp to 85% in 4 sets. progress from 80% to 90% in week 3
clean and jerks: 2+2 doubles start at 75% and ramp up to 85% in 4 sets. progress from 80% to 90% in week 3
push presses 5 sets of 3 starting at 225 work from there

Saturday:
snatch high pulls progression
jerk supports work up to heavy triple for two weeks, then heavy double for two weeks, then heavy single in the last week. Try to clear 405 for a double/435 for a single
squats: 5 sets of 3 one second pause squats at 365 go from there

Accessory work: I am going through a strength cycle so accessory work is a lot less strict and there’s less of it. 15-20 minutes after every session.

Requirements:

  • twice a week hamstring/glute work (GHRs or hip thrusts or swings of some kind

  • abs once a week

  • obliques once a week

  • lower back once a week.

  • Upper back/lats three times a week.

  • One sled drag/carry like activity once a week (carries can count as upper back, or abs)

  • one unilateral exercise a week

  • jumps/plyometric type work once a week.

After that it’s whatever I want as long as it doesn’t interfere with training. Obviously plenty of stretching/rolling before and after every session religiously. This should greatly improve my consistency with heavier weights while continuing to develop strength in ways that matter for weightlifting and keep my fitness up. I may need to scale back the clean and jerks on Friday (maybe not, we’ll see) with either weight or reps.

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8/10/18
GPP session
High knees and light sprints and such to warm up

4 sets of 15m skips

5 sets of 3 broad jumps

5 sets of 3 per side heidans (weird lateral jump thing)

Hand stand practice (managed to get 3 unsupported handstands)

Took about an hour and a half of constant activity. Really loosened up my hips and got me feeling springier and got my first unsupported handstand.

Next off season I think it’d be really good for body awareness/stability if I could do handstand walks and for speed if I could get a backflip.

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That is awesome and not a very easy thing to do.

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Thanks, I don’t think I’ve ever really tried to do a handstand. It took like 10 minutes to figure out how to do one. I like to spend some time on being athletic when I can.

Most (good) weightlifters come from very extensive athletic backgrounds, and there’s a lot of factors to being a good weightlifter other than being brutally strong (though you do have to be brutally strong).

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8/13/18

Mid thighs hang snatch
95x3 for 2 sets
135x2
165x1
180x2 so fucking hard, what the shit
180x2 easy
180x1 straps slipped
180x2 easiest set

Power cleans
215x2 for 3 sets

Push press+jerk
235x1+1 push press was death
250x1+1 easy but shut it down early on a good note

Weighted Dips decided to try Paul Carter’s dip challenge (200x10)
200x2 (first rep was a no rep in all honesty)

https://instagram.com/p/BmcaSFclbP8/

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Shit session scrapped push presses and squats early and did carries reverse hypers and pull downs to knock out accessory work. Did it with too little rest from my last session so back and hips were still tight.

Some days are bad, but that’s lifting. Knocked this one out in the morning since I knew I’d be lifting early in the day ob Wednesday which involves weightlifting so is higher priority that it’s good.

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8/15/18
Took a nap before the gym… woke up at 1AM

8/16/18
no feet no hands no hip snatches
95X3
95X3
95X3
115X2
135X1
145X2
150X2
155X2
160X2 cued meeting the bar/following through, stopped the issues I was having
165X2 probably easiest set after 145

no feet hip cleans
185X2 for 4 sets

jerk in splits
160X2 for 5 sets

squat jumps
135X2
155X2
175X2
185X2
205X2

snatch grip hyper deads supersetted with lu raises
135X8
185X5
205X4 (2 rep PR), 35’sX3
185X6, 35’sX3
135X12, 35’sX3

Extra stretching and rolling.

Feeling good. I did the squat jumps very unusually heavy to see if I could with power. I think I might alternate weeks in jump work. Speed (unweighted), speed strength (very low weight), and power (like today). It’s good to work from different parts of the spectrum, and it helps me see progress every time/stops me from pushing myself too hard every single week and detracting from other stuff.

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Snatches
95x3
95x2
115x2
135x2
135x2
155x2
165x2
175x2
185x2 stopped here

Clean and jerks
135x2
185x2
205x2
225x0 mental I think, need to rebuild first pull though

Clean first pulls
305x3 for 4 sets

Seated band abductions 3 sets

Overhead tricep extensions
135x5
155x2

100 reps of barbell curls

Barbell half moons

Snatches feeling very nice. Not sure what’s going on with my clean

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Jerk supports
135x3
225x2
315x2
365x2
385x2
405x1

One second pause squats
135x3
225x3
315x3
365x3 for 3 sets, moved like speed work

Snatch high pulls
225x4 for 6 sets felt this really hard in my heart and lungs

Kettlebell swings
124x5 for 3 sets, going to probably work on this kettlebell in the winter for hip work

Extra stretching.

https://instagram.com/p/BmrB_O-lhA2/

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Oh yeah, it seems like my damn elbows have finally learned how to lock properly (used to not be able to hard lock them like in the video for jerks).

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F**K me man that was awesome. You keep impressing me.

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This is only the beginning. There is much more to come.

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Mid thigh hang snatch
180x2 for 5 sets, attempted 6 sets but missed one

Power cleans
230x2 for 3 sets. Fuck that clarking bullshit, fixed it with the cue “FAST ELBOWS”.

Push press+ jerk
115x3 push
115x3 jerk
165x1+1
205x1+1
235x1+1
255x1+1 hard as fuck push press
255x0 missed push press
255x0 guess I didn’t have my power today/fatigue set in

GHRs
25x3
25x2
25x1

Standing ab wheel
4 sets

Extra stretching

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8/22/18

Feeling kinda sick.

Drop snatches
Many sets (probably 10) up to
185x2

Squats
Unracked 315 and it felt bad. Shitty peg I set it at? Think the peg was too high and messed with set up

Snatch high pulld
225x2 for 6 sets

Leg presses
3pl8x10
4x10
5x10
6x10
7x10
5x50 constant tension rep

Rock climber one hand pull ups
Bwx1 for 4 sets per side, worked down to crease of arm

Hip band walks
3 sets

Alright session. Gotta figure out what is going on with my squat. The strength was there today but I think there was some set up weirdness going on. In any case, going to do general leg stuff on days like this to make sure I keep my legs trained when my squat isn’t behaving.

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I think I am just going to do a peak and get some accurate maxes. My training cycle and recovery has been weird with injuries.

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8/24/18

snatches
6 singles at 200, missed 2 of them

clean and jerks
225X1
245X0 missed clean

Back did not appreciate this so took a couple days off and decided to do some block and pull cycle that works on form and consistency (with a peak, not a very long program and allows for heavy singles to get a feel for my numbers anyway)

8/27/18

block snatch pull+snatch from mid thigh
general warm up with pulls and squats and such
60kgX2(1+1)
65kgX2(1+1) for 3 sets
70kgX2(1+1) for 2 sets

block clean pull+clean from mid thigh
60kgX2(1+1)
80kgX2(1+1)
90kgX2(1+1) for 3 sets
100kgX2(1+1) for 2 sets

clean deadlift to knee+clean pull
90kgX3+1 for 3 sets
100kgX3+1 for 2 sets

front squats
110kgX3 for 2 sets, shut it down here for my hips and because I was getting a bad headache/light headedness from the heat.

So far I like this, good way to get better without hurting my back. It’s a 5 times a week program but I can do a general day on one day if I feel so determined to do 6 times a week. The squat numbers are meant for speed and volume (all fairly easy but enough sets and frequency to get stronger) so I should for the most part be able to do the prescribed work.

8/28/18
Jerks
40kgx3
60kgx3
80kgx3
90kgx3
95kgx3
100kgx2
107kgx2
115kgx2

Below knee hang power clean
70kgx3 for 4 sets

Snatch push press + overhead squat
90kgx3+2 for 4 sets

Supported one arm ring dips
Bwx4 per side
Bwx3 per side
Bwx1 per side

Scorchingly hot in the gym, so hot I felt like I couldn’t breath and I broke out into a hard sweat just being in the gym shirtless before warming up. Supposed to be worse tomorrow though it’s also supposed to be thunder storms for a week straight so this unforgiving humidity and sunlight should go away to make it liveable if I push through.

Also has anyone else had their chalk turn to paste because of sweat and humidity and the outrageous amounts of chalk you are using to keep the sweat away? That’s a new experience for me.

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8/29/18

Hottest day yet and didn’t get as much sleep as I wanted the night before and today was just busy. Was very tempted to move today to the off day I have but that’s bullshit.

Block snatch pull+ snatch from knee
70kgx2(1+1) for 3 sets

Block clean pull+clean from knee
97kgx2(1+1) for 3 sets
105kgx2(1+1) for 2 sets

Snatch deadlift to knee+snatch pull
65kgx3+1 for 3 sets
70kgx3+1 for 2 sets

5 broad jumps

3 sets of standing ab wheel

Gotta stretch tonight. Feeling good and crisp, working on technique and all. I need to do more GPP/hypertrophy work, I’ve neglected it this week from being busy/the crushing heat putting a cap to my session time and stamina.

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