Tag Archives: olympic lifting

May 26 2013

5.27.13 SWOD

Warmup

Strength

  • Work up to 3 rep max in hang clean
    • Here’s how I “work up” to my 3 rep max (on a good day):
      • 3×3 @ 135 lbs (warmup sets)
      • 1×3 @ 165 lbs
      • 1×3 @ 185 lbs
      • 1×3 @ 205 lbs
      • 1×3 @ 225 lbs
    • Take at least 3 minutes rest b/t heavy sets

Conditioning

Motivation

  • Check out this video of one of powerlifting’s greats: Ed Coan. Note his fluidity and near perfect biomechanics completing these super heavy lifts. Also note, the inspiring 80’s montage music. Beast mode.
May 15 2013

5.16.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • EMOM for 7 minutes (EMOM = Every Minute On the Minute)

Volume (Rest periods should be 60-90 seconds b/t supersets)

This week marks the start of a new series of movements for the shoulders/traps/legs/abs volume workout. Just like Tuesday’s workout, choose lighter weights for this week. Focus on stressing the muscle and maintaining perfect form! We’ll continue to work up in weight over the coming three weeks; no need to get ahead of yourself.

Motivation

  • SwoleFIT brother, Glenn from Kansas City sent me this link. It is perhaps one of the greatest, most underappreciated feats of strength of all time. 
  • Today we salute you, Mr. Steve Schmidt. Sure no one knows what in God’s good name this lift is, nor what purpose it serves. But you still nailed your attempt, just like you did the hordes of fangirls that I’m assuming started pursuing you after this accomplishment.
May 13 2013

5.14.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) Flat Bench– 8 sets of 3 @ 50-60% 1RM
    • This weight should feel fairly light. Focus on slowly lowering the bar to your chest and subsequently exploding with full force/velocity on the way back up.

Volume (Rest periods should be 60-90 seconds b/t supersets)

Today’s volume workout marks the start of another 4-week cycle on a slightly different set of movements. However, the main principles and movement juxtapositions are the same. VERY IMPORTANT– choose lower, easier weights this week and we’ll continue to work up to heavier weights over the next three weeks.

Motivation

  • CT Fletcher at it again— classic quote: “Before you go, can I ask you a question? *pauses* What the FUCK IS YOU WAITIN’ FOR?!??”
  • There should be an app that just plays CJ Fletcher quotes on repeat. It could integrate with your bröötal death metal music and would serve to pump you up like nothing else.
May 5 2013

5.6.13 SWOD

Warmup

Strength

  • Clean and Jerk
    • 3 sets of 3 @ 50% 1RM (warmup sets)
    • 5 sets of 3 @ ~70% 1RM
  • If this movement is new to you, use a very low weight and focus on technique. Power in this movement is derived primarily from hip explosion, so make sure you thrust with your pelvis (seriously) as the bar comes up and you come to the catch portion.

Conditioning

Monday’s workouts are always some of the toughest: this one should get you in gear to dominate the week. Seriously, what in life can bring you down after you beast through a workout, push yourself to your limits, and get those muscles as swole as a schoolbus? Nothing, that’s what.

Motivation

  • Here’s a pretty sick highlight reel of some Olympic athletes competing. It’s pretty amazing to see how much weight these athletes can move despite their low bodyweight. Technique and explosiveness is what enables these athletes to do this; they are moving that bar with a good amount of velocity
Apr 27 2013

4.28.13 MWOD

Rest Day (Physical)
SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY. Today’s physical prescription: do nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Squat*.

Go to church, sit in front of the tv all day, or just snapchat your friends close up shots of your traps. I recommend enhancing this shot by drawing some climbers on said trap(s) as if they’re scaling Mount Everest (which for me they pretty much are).

*Not actual squats

MWOD (Mental Workout Of the Day)

I recently stumbled onto the YouTube channel of Dr. Layne Norton, a:

  • Pro natural bodybuilder
  • Powerlifter who has achieved an Elite ‘Raw’ total classification (617 lb squat, 386 lb bench press, 700lb deadlift in 220lb class)
  • Nutritional Sciences PHD who did his dissertation on the relation of meal frequency to muscle protein synthesis (aka does eating more/less often affect muscle gain)

So far, he is the most credible, unbiased source I’ve found on the Internet (let me know in the comments if there is anyone else I should be following). Below is a great video where he debunks a lot of common myths surrounding protein:

Apr 22 2013

4.23.13 SWOD

Warmup

Dynamic

  • Flat Bench– 8 sets of 3 @ 50-60% 1RM
    • This weight should feel fairly light. Focus on slowly lowering the bar to your chest and subsequently exploding with full force/velocity on the way back up.
    • Rest 45 seconds between sets

Volume (add 5-10 lbs to weights used from workout last week)

So the only modification from the workout last week was increasing the number of sets on the last two supersets. I’m going to plan on changing volume workouts up ever three weeks. Some consistency is beneficial, just make sure to increase the weights by 5-10 lbs on each movement.

Again, rest 60-90 seconds between supersets and choose moderately heavy weights while still maintaining perfect form.

Motivation

  • Comin’ atcha again with another classic from BroScienceLife, indubitably the best Youtube channel besides “Life According to Jimmy.”
Apr 14 2013

4.15.13 SWOD

Warmup

Strength

  • Work up to 3 rep max in power clean (sub hang clean if you don’t have bumper plates/ don’t feel comfortable doing power clean in your gym)
    • Here’s how I “work up” to my 3 rep max (on a good day):
      • 3×3 @ 135 lbs (warmup sets)
      • 1×3 @ 165 lbs
      • 1×3 @ 185 lbs
      • 1×3 @ 205 lbs
      • 1×3 @ 225 lbs
    • Take 3-4 minutes rest b/t sets to allow for full recovery

Conditioning- “Prometheus”

  • 5 rounds- 8 Thruster (115#), 20 sit-ups, 8 SDHP (Sumo Deadlift High Pull) (115#), 20 DU (Double Unders)
  • Prescribed Rest (b/t rounds): 60-90 seconds

I did this workout back on 3.25.13, and it was pretty sick. Sick enough in fact to get its own name as I introduce the SwoleFIT GOD WORKOUTS aka

>>>>>>> GODSWOD <<<<<<<

Crossfit has its girl workouts, and SwoleFIT now has GODSWODs. Each one will be named after some significant character in mythology and will be guaranteed to deliver a sick pump.

For those of you that don’t know, Prometheus was pretty legit. He was a member of the elite race of Titans— “immortal HUGE beings of incredible strength and stamina.” He is credited with stealing fire from the deities on top of Mount Olympus and bringing it down to earth for us puny, un-swole humans to use in order to cook our chicken breasts so that we might become swole.

Use a weight appropriate to your strength level for the thrusters and SDHP’s. Sub jumping jacks for the DU’s if you don’t have a jump rope. As much as possible, rest only during the prescribed rest interval.

Post times of “Prometheus” to comments.

Motivation

  • Any time you think are strong or big, think again. You’re human, therefore you’re not a titan, therefore you aren’t. That’s Prometheus below (clearly swole as a bus).

Apr 8 2013

4.8.13 SWOD

Strength

  • Deadlift (sumo stance)- Work up to 3 rep max
  • Sumo stance deadlift activates the quads/hams/glutes much more than a conventional deadlift; it’s good to mix up these stances in your training regimen.

Conditioning

  • 5 rounds– 8 power snatch (95#), 20 sit-ups, 10 push press (95#), 20 reverse lunges (10 each leg- quick/explosive reps, alternate legs, use bodyweight)
  • Prescribed rest (b/t rounds): 60 seconds
  • If you are uncomfortable doing snatch, sub power cleans.

Post times of conditioning workout to comments.

Motivation

  • Check out this sick, new iPhone case that serves as both a workout aid and a bludgeoning device. Awesome and practical.

Apr 4 2013

4.4.13 SWOD

Dynamic

  • Box Squat– 5 explosive sets of 3 reps @ 50-60% 1RM (make sure the box is low enough to where your hammies are parallel to the floor at the squat’s lowest point)
  • Deadlifts– 3 explosive sets of 3 reps @ 50-60% 1RM

Conditioning

  • 5 rounds- Clean and jerk (155#) x 5, 10 TTB (toes to bar), 20 DU (double unders) 
  • Prescribed Rest (b/t rounds)- 60 seconds

Sub lower weights as necessary. If you can’t do the TTB, sub hanging knee raises. If you can’t do the DU, sub 30 jumping jacks.

As you may notice, I always program my conditioning workouts for 5 rounds. Why? 5 rounds usually take about 8-15 minutes to complete, which is about the ideal duration for maintaining high intensity throughout. #broscience

Post times of conditioning workout to comments.

Motivation

  • Check out this compilation video from DeFranco’s gym in New Jersey. A lot of NFL prospects will train here for the combine. After a couple months of this stuff, their speed/strength is on a whole. ‘nother. level. 
  • The workouts in this video make me/look really hard.