And an Olympic Lifting Experiment:
Have any of you made a decision to follow a training program for a specified amount of time in hopes of making strength gains? Last year, I followed Outlaw’s program and did very well with it. I also attended one of Rudy’s training camps, met Elizabeth Aikinwale, and learned a ton of barbell techniques that I didn’t know prior to that camp! Hello, High Bar Back Squat…we had never been formally introduced. Bottom line, I loved Rudy’s programming because it was consistent and reliable and I had made measurable goals with it. It also allowed for some fun Met Con conditioning workouts along with lots of Olympic Lifting- both things I love to do. However, during the school year, I had a some serious time constraints and usually only completed the gymnastic and strength portion of the programming and my strength gains leveled off….Fast forward to mid-May and I’m ready to try something new and I love Olympic Lifting, so, I’ve decided to follow Catalyst Athletics Oly Program. One week behind their programming and it is a COMPLETELY different ball game.
Program calls for Back Squats Almost Every Day!!! Holy Moly that is a boat load more back squats than I have ever done in my 3.5 years of CrossFit/Oly Lifting. It’s usually only 15-25 total reps, but, I am used to doing HBBS or Low Bar Back Squat only once a week! May be why my hip (bad right hip) has not been so happy the last week. In addition to doing full Clean & Jerk and Snatch 3 days a week and Power Snatch and Power Clean & Jerk two days per week. So far, what I love about it is that the percentages are low- 60-80% most of the time. This means that I can always hit those numbers. I can usually finish in my one hour lunch break {moving faster than I’m sure they’d recommend} and sometimes alternating two accessory lifts such as Good Mornings and Clean Pulls.
Bottom line, I’m half way and loving it, although I miss doing some crossfit movements such as rope climbs! I think that for me, I’ll add in a wee bit more gymnastic/skill/conditioning work on two of the days just so I don’t lose those skills (Handstand Pushups and Ring Dips are seriously valuable and for me I lose if I don’t do}. The reason to do these types of experiments is to find out what works for my body and what doesn’t so that I may help future clients get stronger as well. In addition to the fact that I just love to Oly lift!