I MADE IT! My first ever 10 minute 16kg GS Snatch set! And Tuesday Training

Today was a big, big, huge deal!  It started out a bit shaky though.

Tuesday workouts are pretty good, and by good I mean hard!  I get to the gym about 30 minutes before class and warm up with some odds and ends, sometimes I work out video swing routines, sometimes I throw a snatch test in.  At 6:00am I start an hour long group class that starts out with a solid 30 minutes of interval swing training (600-800 reps).  We then move my group on to some overhead skills, and combine them with goblet and front squats as ideas for the last 15 minutes of class. This last part of class consists of everybody pretty much putting together the skills we practiced into combinations that they need most in their workouts/practice, still adhering to intervals, usually 1 minute long w/30 sec rest (or longer work, sometimes continuous 5 and 10 minutes).

My group leaves, and I then may do a GS set (or two) if I've not worked too hard.  I have a couple of private sessions, and somewhere in between or afterwards I do 15 minutes of Get Ups, 30 reps total, light bell (10-12kg), just practicing the movement, not really "training" it (yet).

First thing this morning I knew I had to complete two 10 minute GS sets at some point today.  It was my intention to get to the gym early and complete a 16kg jerk set (30/30 done 5x5, in 10 minutes), train with my class, take a bit of a break, and hit the 10 min 16kg snatch after some coffee and sugar! (usually whipped cream in my coffee!). But I woke up with my back feeling too tight to warm up sufficiently in time to leave me enough time to complete a 10 minute set...oh, but I also realized as I got to the gym I forgot my lifting shoes at home!  And I don't mind snatching all day without lifting shoes, but my shoes are kind of my security for jerks.  So two strikes, actually three. Tight back, no shoes, no time.

I know if push comes to shove I can take a nap early afternoon, wake up and have Mark coach me around 3:30-4:00pm....and that's what I was going to have to settle for.

After I did my Get Ups I decided to head for home, got my second cup of coffee (with whipped cream) and felt a second wind coming back...well, enough of a second wind!  Not perfect, but better than waiting out the rest of the day to finish what I knew was going to be a momentous set.  My very first 16kg GS snatch set (one hand switch).  All by myself (well, and my IPad!), I got home, went straight into the garage gym, put on my shoes, and started warming up (again!)

First my jerk set.  That's another blog post in itself so I'll keep it short.  I managed 5 minutes on my R, and only 4 minutes on my L.  So, 9 minutes total.  My goal for the August meet is to complete the 10 min set, and I'm confident that I will, in fact, do that.  But, if the jerk were only as easy as the snatch (for me!) then...well, then I'd have to move up to the 20kg!  So I better enjoy where I'm at! lol

OKAY!  Finally!  A 20 min rest between with a few snatch sets of 10/10 w/12kg.  I decided to not even pick up the 14kg.  I mean why?  What for?  I had enough work coming.  I guess now is a good time to mention the last shaky variable.  I've been so consumed with keeping the callus build up on my hands at a minimum that I think, no, I know, I shaved the skin on my palms potentially too thin.  They were like a baby's butt!  Not exactly good either.  I could feel the tenderness with the 12kg, how could I expect the 16kg to feel? Well, I kind of knew the answer to that question, but too late. I had work to do.  What's a small tear anyway?

91 reps R (switch at 5 minutes), 72 reps L

It's really the last minute that is entertaining.  Nothing like attempting "dead snatches" to show commitment to not giving up!  lol

Although it would seem looking at these numbers that my R is stronger than my L, the opposite is true!  But I've already been snatching for 5 minutes by the time I get to my L, so I find myself slowing down at the hand switch, not really recovering...something I've got a plan for.  As far as my technique.  I know my 20kg snatches showed better technique, but for anybody tempted to critique, please take into consideration that I am brand new to this sport and I have a lot of "hardstyle" patterning to contend with.  I also have a lot of "hardstyle" strength that allows me to power through much of what my technique lacks, and I know that!

The points of technique I was focused on during this particular set was the timing of getting the bell to float in front of me so I could skip my palm and spear the handle so it would land in the correct position.  I find if the bell does not land in the correct spot I simply cannot hold onto it at the top of the snatch, so it kind of takes care of itself!  The nice thing about the snatch as opposed to the jerk is that you have a chance to reposition your grip with every rep!  In the jerk, it's very difficult to reposition, at least it is for me.

Breathing was also at the top of my consciousness.  The rest?  Well, the rest came and went!

All I know is that I MADE IT!  And I will improve and, I WILL MAKE IT IN AUGUST!

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Tuesday group training

I came across an old video of my "Hungarian Hundred Snatch workout" from almost two years ago!  I forgot how much fun it was so I incorporated some of it into my group class this morning.  The bulk of the workout was: (w/14kg)

360-480 swing reps (
160-240 snatch reps
42 minutes

I may journal and post the entire workout because it was so much fun and scalable to most..but for now I just want to celebrate my first 10 minute, 16kg GS snatch set!