The Program

I have always responded well to volume. It could be from my days as a swimmer but doing lots of work has always worked well for me. Granted, there are things that I need to focus on when training this way, such as recovery and nutrition, but I think that for the next 5 weeks (I'm one week in) I can handle this sort of lifting. Which is why I'm doing the Russian Squat Program. I have modified it to include 4 lifts. Squat, Bench Deadlift and Press. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. After the 6-week cycle the goal is to hit 105% in all of the lifts.
I have modified the actual program further by including my Frisbee League (on Thursday nights) and olympic weightlifting (Saturday mornings, something to the effect of 3 singles of Snatch and C+J at 80-90%). I may have to drop the Saturday's towards the end to keep progress going and continue to recover properly, but again, I respond well to volume stress.

Brain Trauma to Mimic Symptoms of A.L.S.
Brain Still Developing Into 20's
Me at CT Open - 110kg Snatch - and yes, I am that pale

A legit Recap

The Connecticut Open was an amazing event with some exceptional athletes. Although O-Lifting is not a big sport in the Northeast the quality of competition was fairly solid with competitors from the Dirty Jerz to Maine.

I went 5/6 (3/3 in the Snatch) and posted a PR of a 240kg total and had a great meet for me but mostly it was a great time just meeting people and being friendly with them. I spend most of my time training alone (with the exception of Tanner Cook who did very well at the meet) so it was nice to be in a room with a group of people all working towards the same thing; Different weights and at different times, but the same thing.

The meet was split into 3 sessions: women’s, men’s 85k and under and men’s 94k and up. With so few people this was the best option and definitely saved some time and at the same time allowed athletes to recover between the Snatch and Clean and Jerk.

I haven’t planned or even looked for a meet to do next. The fall Frisbee season is coming up which will be good for my conditioning which has certainly gone by the way-side recently.

I’m back from my honey moon on the Cape and back in the swing of things at work (Ugh, if anybody wants to offer me a job, I’m listening. Should I just start posting my resume around CT and see if I start getting calls?) and at the gym. I’ve been throwing in some metabolic conditioning since the meet to lose a couple of pounds that I’ve gained. The next 6 week cycle looks to be pretty fun. I’m looking forward to it, and Frisbee.

Information Coming Together For Alzheimer's

Professor Yuri Verkoshansky

Pre-Write Up

I swear you'll get more in depth coverage soon, but for right now I'm really tired, and a little bit overwhelmed by other stuff
5/6
110k Snatch (242)
130k C&J (286) (went for 140 and missed it, go big or go home, right?)
240 total
2nd place in 105k division

You Gotta Compete!

So, it finally happened; the day that I had been dreading (not really)/looking forward to for years (literally, 2 years and 3 months). I am now a married man (child). My bride was beautiful and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.

But what I really need to do, is talk about training. Yes, good ol’ weight lifting. I’m on track and I’m on a schedule. 8/1 is approaching and I plan on rocking the shit out of my unitard, err… onsie, err…. Singlet. There is a focus to my training. No session is life or death, but they are all leading to something. 3x5 RDL and FS – Heavy Single mean more now than they did in May.

For this reason, I encourage everybody to compete. I don’t care what it is, compete. Some friends of mine did a sprint tri this past week. All are crossfitters at Crossfit Watertown. All are GREAT people. You can out a lot about yourself in training. Honest. But you won’t know about yourself until you’re standing on the platform or at the starting line.

I hear you. All you people working out to “just get healthy.” Noble. And I approve… to a point. But at a certain time your training needs focus. For me, it’s weightlifting. But it can be anything you want. Find local races here. Local weight lifting meets here and here. Join a masters swim team, sign up for a bodybuilding/figure competition or play in a Frisbee League. I don’t care. Do something where you put yourself out there, your pride on the line and compete. I promise that you will enjoy yourself and find out more about yourself than you ever knew.

As for me, I’m putting on the singlet on the first of August, I’m probably not going to win. I don’t care. Every day I can feel myself getting stronger and better. And for me, it’s all about the goal on the other side.