Wooden Platform, Iron Men!

[dlocas7]

Hi!

I think this forum is where I belong.
In general, I am interested in "old school" strength. My journey began in January 2013 when I was still a young man at 40 years old. I bought a barbell with olympic plates, a pair of dumbbell rods and some standard plates... I have been training at home ever since!

My favorite lifters are = John Davis (several times world champion and twice gold olympic medalist, active 1938-1956), Yuri Vlasov (several times world champion, olympic champion in 1960 and silver medalist in 1964, active 1953-1967 *He is still with us!) & Norbert Schemansky (several times world champion, olympic champion in 1952 and four-time olympic medalist, active 1946-1968).

Here's what a Snatch looked like in 1952, from the world-record holder at the time, John Davis...


Same lifter, same year, performing a step-back clean before a lay-back Press for an Olympic record...


I am a rather heavy lifter = 6 ft 1 in. and currently weighing around 260 lbs.

My best gym lifts are a Clean & Press (strict) of 239 lbs and a Deadlift (conventional) of 554 lbs. All my plates have been weighted. They're a little on the heavy side, and it makes a difference mentally to know that 5 wheels with my weights is actually 504 lbs instead of 495!

Here, Yuri Vlasov training. He stood 1.85 m (6 ft 1) and weighed around 125 kilos (275 lbs) in that video. I really like seeing how fast he could pull my PR deadlift when he performs a double in the clean pull using 250 kilos (551) at 1:12 in the footage... This is the weight the Russian commentator gives; sorry, but there are no English subtitles in this one (I would listen to such training videos over and over when I was studying this language).


I lift at home with iron plates and I can relate to these iron-plate lifters so much better! When he performs a double in Press, he first muscle cleans the bar and you'll notice there's no contact between him and the bar during the second pull. It was forbidden by the rules back then, so everybody was lifting like that. The bar had to be lifted "clean". Hence the term. Cleaning and snatch-pulling barbells that way (with no contact) tends to develop a lot of mass in the upper body. I'd say most of my biceps comes from the act of repeatedly muscle-cleaning or muscle-pulling the bar, then lowering under control back to the floor every single time.

I am currently on a program that calls for three sessions per week. The weeks alternate between the Clean & Press and the Muscle Snatch; each session ends with some Snatch Deadlifts plus one or two assistance lifts.

Let's go!

[dlocas7]

My Deadlift PR from 2017:


My Press PR from 2018:

[dlocas7]

I will start this log from where I began my current cycle. I have done a short preparatory phase before starting to work in triples.

Wednesday July 29th

Clean & Press (5 x 5 at 70%)
128 lbs x 1 x 5 lifts
148 x 5
168 x 5 x 5 sets -- putting 100% effort on each rep!

Clean High Pull
220 x 3
250 x 3
270 x 3
290 x 3 x 2 sets -- all sets without straps

Deadlift (5 x 5 at 67.5%)
300 x 4 -- without straps
370 x 5 x 5 sets -- 100% effort on each rep!

One-arm strict Press
56.5 lbs x 5
74 x 5 x 3 sets -- not to failure (2-3 reps in tank)

Dumbbell hammer curls (simultaneous)
51.5 pounders x 5
56.5 pounders x 5, x 4, x 4 -- one rep left in tank on each set

[dlocas7]

Saturday August 1st

Clean & Press
128 lbs x 1 x 5 lifts
148 x 5
168 x 5 x 5 sets

Muscle Snatch
128 x 3 x 2 sets
148 x 3
168 x 3

Snatch Pull
219 x 3
249 x 3 x 2 sets
269 x 3

Snatch-grip Deadlift
280 x 4
340 x 4
370 x 4 x 3 (felt harder than last week due to some lower back fatigue)

Stiff-leg Deadlift
320 x 8 x 2 sets

[dlocas7]

Monday August 3rd

Snatch Pulls off 6-in. blocks (off blocks is easier on lower back, especially at such a lighter weight)
128 lbs x 5, 148 x 5, 178 x 3, 200 x 3
219 lbs x 3 x 5 sets -- nice work on the second pull

Dumbbell hammer curls
56½ pounders x 2
56½ pounders x 5 x 3 sets -- First time doing 3 x 5 reps with these!

Lower back is recovering nicely; should be ready for Wednesday's deadlift session, which will be lower in volume (4 x 4 instead of 5 x 5) and slightly heavier than last week. It will have a good training stimulus and easier to recover from.

[dlocas7]

Clean & Press
128 lbs x 1 x 5 singles
148 x 1
168 x 1
188 x 4 x 2 sets @ RPE 9 (felt heavier than expected)
178 x 3 x 6 sets @ RPE 7-7.5 (felt much better)

First set at 188 lbs...


Deadlift, conventional
229 lbs x 5 -- paying close attention to keeping elbows straight when starting the lift
280 x 3
340 x 4 -- I play the warm-up by ear; this weight always feels light and fast
370 x 1
410 x 5 -- very easy...


340 x 3 x 4 sets --paying close attention to keeping elbows straight when starting the lift...

Dumbbell hammer curls (same weights, total of around 15 reps)
56½ pounders x 2
56½ pounders x 4 x 4 sets -- each rep is done as forcefully as possible!

[dlocas7]

Saturday August 8th -- Press & Deadlift assistance

Clean & Press (strict)
128 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
148 x 4, 158 x 2, 178 x 1
188 lbs x 3 x 8 sets -- My unhappy experiences with other styles of training make me agree with John Davis on this -- If you want to press more, you need to press more and then some more! http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2017/07/im ... tions.html

Muscle Snatch -- These felt very strong and powerful (the key here is to avoid using excessive weights for practice)
128 lbs x 3 x 2 sets, 148 x 3 x 2 sets
158 lbs x 3 x 2 sets

Snatch Pulls -- A natural follow-up after muscle snatching... more emphasis is put on the lower body as the poundage increases
200 lbs x 4 -- Am never afraid to start really light; this improves my technique and strenghtens confidence for the heavier weights
230 lbs x 4 -- I stop the set when I am getting too tired; 5s and 6s with light weights are great to build & improve stamina
250 lbs x 3
270 lbs x 3
290 lbs x 3 -- This was challenging!

Snatch Deadlift (the grip is even wider than for snatch-grip DL and the start position is the same as for Muscle Snatch & Snatch Pull... It works legs a lot)
310 lbs x 5
330 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 3 (filmed) My knees could be farther out on the start position; I will see if this works better for muscle snatches


Stiff-leg Deadlift
320 lbs x 6
340 lbs x 6 x 2 sets (nothing close to failure here; but still a significant weight)

Training time: 120 minutes. Saturday is usually my longest session. I have more time on that day (not working) and I take full advantage of this and improve my drive and stamina with light to medium weights. Such sessions will improve work capacity over time. I lift three times a week and I have been usually doing so since I started in January 2013.

[dlocas7]

Monday August 10th

Clean & Press (strict)
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
148 x 3, 158 x 3
178 x 1
193 lbs x 3 x 8 sets -- Performance took a drop at 4th set... last 2 sets were limit efforts. While most presses are submaximal for training, it is important to have a few very slow presses, so I can practice maintaining proper positions and effort when the press almost stalls. The training weight stays at 193 lbs (80%).

Snatch Pulls off 6" blocks
178 lbs x 5, 200 x 5
220 x 2
230 x 2
240 x 2
250 x 2
260 x 2 -- Good training; nothing really heavy here

Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
56½ pounders x 5 x 2 sets
56½ pounders x 4 x 2 sets

[dlocas7]

Wednesday August 12th

Clean & Press (strict, in the old layback style)
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
148 x 2
168 x 1
178 x 1
193 x 3 x 10 sets -- Everything felt easier tonight than on Monday. I put my belt on from set #5 on. The belt helps getting in a strong layback position and keeping that steady position throughout each lift. I had a slight performance boost in sets #7, 8 & 9. All sets were done with at least some power to spare. Video: set number 7...


The music is very fitting, since this same session could very well have been done in 1958 under similar conditions with similar equipment. Doing 10 x 3 with a significant weight (80% tonight for me) is a type of programming that was used at York Barbell Club in the late 1930's and throughout the 40's and 50's. Tony Terlazzo, John Davis, John Terpak and other greats all used sets across such as 10 x 3, 10 x 2 or 8 x 2 with great success. And you do it quite frequent too, like 3 or even 4 times a week, but you focus on other lifts on alternate weeks (to keep a good balance and prevent too much overuse from setting in).

Deadlift (conventional)
229 lbs x 3
280 lbs x 2
320 lbs x 1
390 lbs x 5 x 2 sets (I repeated the set since it is such an easy weight)
340 lbs x 3 x 3 sets

Pike push-ups with my feet on a chair (feels much like an incline press, and it completely deloads the spine)
Bodyweight x 6 x 3 sets (last set was a limit effort)

Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 3 x 5 sets -- once again, 15 total reps, this time with a slightly heavier load.

[dlocas7]

Saturday August 15th

Muscle Snatch -- this is a superb lift for upper body strength
128 lbs x 2 x 3
148 lbs x 2
158 lbs x 2
168 lbs x 3 x 5 sets -- when it's properly done, the transition from pull to press-out is seamless

Snatch High Pulls
200 lbs x 3 x 3 sets

Pike Push-ups, BWT x 5 x 3 sets -- I have corrected my form and now they are harder to do!
This is how it looks like...


Snatch Deadlift -- done with the exact same grip and start position as the Muscle Snatch... this is a superb lift for lower body strength & mobility
200 lbs x 5
240 lbs x 5
280 lbs x 3
320 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 3 x 4 -- this is a fine working weight for now... neither too heavy nor too easy

Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 3 x 4 -- this was easier than Wednesday.

[dlocas7]

Monday August 17th

Muscle Snatch
128 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
148 lbs x 3
168 lbs x 3 x 5 sets -- this weight is getting easier!

Snatch Pulls
200 lbs x 3 x 2 sets
239 x 3 -- A few heavier pulls are good as a warm-up for the Snatch Deadlift, but keeping to high pulls in the 200-220 range is probably the most beneficial for the muscle snatch.
269 x 3

Snatch Deadlift
290 lbs x 3 x 4 sets -- focus on a strong start position with a much easier weight than Saturday... improving the start position will add pounds to the bar! ... and allow me to train safer!

Pike Push ups -- BWT x 3 x 5 sets... I went closer to my feet than Saturday and it was very hard... I weigh about 260 lbs!

Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 4 x 4 sets -- this is a new milestone! I will soon be doing triples with 60-ish pounders! Stronger biceps can't hurt my lifts.

[dlocas7]

Wednesday August 19th

Muscle Snatch
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
153 lbs x 2 x 2
173 lbs x 3 x 6 sets -- getting ahead! First time doing several triples at this weight! Some progress is being made here.
I filmed the second set...


Snatch High Pull -- 200 lbs x 3 x 2 sets

Snatch Deadlift
200 x 5
250 x 5
300 x 3
350 x 3 x 4 sets

Pike Push-ups
BWT x 4 x 4 sets -- I simply adjust the distance between legs and hands to change the resistance; this is very challenging!

Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
61½ pounders x 3 x 4 sets (PR!) -- last set was a limit effort...

[dlocas7]

Saturday August 22nd

Clean & Press -- this week, the focus is on the Press
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
148 lbs x 2 x 2
168 lbs x 1
178 lbs x 1
193 lbs x 3 x 8 sets -- Performance drop on sixth set; sets 7 & 8 were very hard

Muscle Snatch
128 lbs x 5
148 lbs x 5
158 lbs x 4 x 3 sets

Snatch High Pull -- 200 lbs x 3 x 4 sets

Snatch Deadlift (using the same grip as for the muscle snatch, which has my pinkies 5-6 inches from the collars)
250 lbs x 5
300 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 3 x 2 sets -- getting this weight off the floor from this very low start position is getting easier
360 lbs x 3 x 2 sets -- I am in a streak where I strive to increase the training weight; from this rep-set scheme, I can add reps or go heavier, but I will keep doing 4 heavy sets. Eventually, the scheme will become 3-5 x 2 reps and finally 3-5 x 1, but I am in no hurry to get there. Today I only added 10 lbs, but I could have done more.

Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 3 x 4 sets -- I am taking a little step back to consolidate the gains. My plan is to eventually reach the 64's for 5 sub-maximal doubles (64's x 2 is my PR). I am very close to this goal now.

[dlocas7]

Monday August 24th

Clean & Press
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
158 lbs x 4
178 lbs x 2 x 8 sets -- this was about 4-5 reps left in tank; I had to take 15 lbs off the bar, as 193 lbs for doubles would have had me work around 2 reps shy of failure, which is still too close for the type of work I was doing. As it often happens, I had a slight performance boost on the last two sets. I was giving everything I had in each rep, otherwise this style of training won't work! The goal here is max strength.

Muscle Snatch
128 lbs x 5
148 lbs x 4
158 lbs x 3 x 4 -- not really giving a hard pop on the bar, but relying more on sheer upper-body power; this lift is a lot of fun!

Snatch High Pull -- 200 lbs x 3 x 2 sets

Snatch Deadlift
250 lbs x 5
300 lbs x 3 x 4 sets -- very easy, yet I noticed a slight drop in bar speed on sets #3 & 4. My lower back feels awesome!

Hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 2 x 5 sets -- again, I am adjusting the reps to work my sets with more reps in the tank; the dumbbells were really flying up! Yes, very low reps! I just want stronger biceps and sturdier tendons and I don't give a damn about how big my arms are (they're 18 inches). Low reps and even heavy singles work fine on hammer curls, especially when leaving reps in the tank.

That was a lot of good work. Even when working farther from failure, it is still hard work because I am giving 100% of effort into each and every lift! Can't wait for Wednesday's session!

[mgil]

Welcome aboard! Solid lifts, @dlocas7.

[dlocas7]

Welcome aboard! Solid lifts

Thanks! I used to be in Muscle & Brawn forum, from 2014 to 2017 when it was closed down; it was run by powerlifter Steve Shaw/Bearded Beast of Duloc. As I wrote above, I think I belong here. There are many very good lifters here. It's like joining a strong gym!

[dlocas7]

Wednesday August 26th

Clean & Push Press (clean from the hang at the hips)
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
158 lbs x 2
178 lbs x 2
200 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
219 lbs x 2 x 5 sets -- I only did the first two sets with a clean from the hips, as it feels very awkward to me (like driving up a hill in the wrong gear) and it was too distracting. The remainder of the sets were done with very easy cleans from the floor so I could really focus on my push presses. All sets were stopped well short of failure. Here is the first set...


Clean & Press (clean from the hang at the hips)
168 lbs x 3 x 5 sets -- wow! my elbows feel fine, thanks to stopping my sets with so many reps in reserve! Here the clean from the hips makes perfect sense, since I am basically catching the bar above my head when I go through the full motion from the floor (and I don't like to hold back on power when I clean).

Clean Deadlift -- I am giving my knees and hips a break from the snatch start position!
250 lbs x 5
320 lbs x 5
370 lbs x 3
410 lbs x 3 x 4 sets --- I filmed the first set...


Stiff-legged Deadlifts from 4½ inch blocks
340 lbs x 5 x 2 sets -- I didn't do more sets because my lower back was getting too much fatigue. Anyway, the posterior chain was pretty well trained with the clean deadlifts.

Dumbbell hammer curls
54 pounders x 3
59 pounders x 2 x 5 sets --- just punching the clock with a fun lift at the end of this two-hour long session.

[dlocas7]

Saturday August 29th

Clean & Press
128 lbs x 2 x 3 sets
158 lbs x 2
178 lbs x 2 x 6 sets
200 lbs x 1
220 lbs x 1 x 2 sets -- these two lifts were limit efforts, which they were not supposed to be; I am unpeaked and detrained with these weights.
178 lbs x 2 x 4 sets

Clean High Pulls from 6-inch blocks
250 lbs x 2 x 5 sets -- I am using more straps now, because... I have done so many lifts without straps that I improved my grip quite a bit, but now I have started to get inflammation and I need to let the tendons rest for a while.

Snatch Deadlift -- my legs are getting stronger!
200 lbs x 5
250 lbs x 5
300 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 2 x 5 sets -- this weight is getting easier
390 lbs x 1 -- this was an easy single
420 lbs x 1 (PR) filmed...

[Wilhelm]

Hey, @dlocas7, belated welcome.

Good to have you here. \o/

[dlocas7]

Hey, @dlocas7, belated welcome.

Good to have you here. \o/

Thanks! @Wilhelm