Training and CSCCA Action

Training and CSCCA Action

The CSCCA is a yearly trek for us. It is an opportunity for strength coaches to come see our wares and just get to hang out with them. Well those that want to anyhow. The most common question is whether we have anything new. Usually yes and this year was no exception so as not to let anyone down. And as new goes, I also took our new guy Ryan this year. Not only was it his first conference, but also his first plane ride(s). When he got in our car I already had his song qued up, Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” and dedicated it to him. He was already a bit nervous. We also kidded him about puddle jumpers and rooming with an almost 50 year old guy with a CPAP and walking around in me undies. He took it all well and survived the plane ride besides my heckling. I even handed him the emergency procedure card in jest referencing Fight Club. He was good except for the turning of the airplane where you bank left or right.

We arrived with no issues. Slight delay taking off but smooth nonetheless. Leaving a day early so we could be rested up putting the booth together turned out to be a good idea. We had to reassemble our racks and actually lost one of the support rails that goes down the middle. Zip ties to the rescue. It took longer then I thought so I was glad on a lot of fronts.

This show is always good because you get to talk with all the vendors as well. Opportunities and awesome training information always happens at this show. I had a couple of great conversations with Chris Duffin about his training for the 30 straight days of doing a 800lb squat-his recovery, what it took mentally and physically, compensation from the training,etc. He went on to do 800×5 at the show, his plan was 8×6 but ran out of gas and from what I gathered was still beat up from the 30 days of 800lb squats. I am sure he will detail this out so I won’t tell too much.

To the right of our booth, a couple guys were setting up. They were both older then me but after a certain point we are all old guys. He could not walk too well and spent a lot of time sitting in the chair over the next couple of days talking with people who came to see him. He is an Olympic lifter and coach with a large understanding of the sport and has written extensively on it. They also sold lots of great manuals translated from Russian works. I ended up getting 5 or so especially at 20 bucks piece. That is a steal. That is a small background. I am not good at just walking up and getting to know people. It is awkward for me and unpleasant as my anxiety flutters up and gets in the way. So I would go over and take a look at the manuals and no one would say anything and I walked away. This probably happened at least once more. So not much was said to these two guys especially the main guy.

The conference is a couple of half days and one full day so you gots to cram a lot of yakin’ in a short time. So Old Coach is sitting in his chair starring at us which seems like the entire time with some fart face look or if you like Grumpy Old Man (we will just say GOM). It is uncomfortable sometimes and I often think, if this is not any fun, why are you doing it? I also say this to myself A LOT when I get in my own GOM-nis. The conference goes on. Ryan is hustling talking to people and so on it goes.

GOM is back to staring and mean mugging. It is very quiet in the hall at the time as one of the big name speakers is talking. I finally say,’ They have a lot of good speakers and I guess so and so is speaking now.” Well you would have thought the world ended as he launched in a tirade on this particular speaker ended up calling him a snake oil salesman. He showed me many photos of olympic lifters in various positions of missing a lift bent in so many positions you would surely think they tore or broke something. But in fact, all of these lifters got up and walked away unscathed it would seem. I already knew where he going the second he showed me the pictures and talked about how injuries were on the rise because of this other style of lifting, mobility and the what not. As you know I know a few things about injuries, surgery, rehabbing your self back, etc and obviously training. I let him ramble on like I didn’t know anything at all though. He had to get it out and anything I said would have elicited the dreaded snake oil salesman reference and another tirade on how bad this style of training is or possibly any style.

Time will pass your ass by and does. Often we get stuck in the only way we learned it as gospel. If it was good enough for me, it is good enough for you. Just a parameter thing in your brain and how ya learn. We all try to make it fit in the groove we used to first learn. I can say my mentality was similar when I first learned Westiside and had some success. But after a taste of success, we all realized in order to move up we had to adjust things that weren’t pure Westside. That is the story of all training in every sport, you have to adjust and try other training. Nothing is new and the only time it is new is when YOU personally find it and use it. That to me is the best kind of new- self discovery new. I continually look for training I have not encountered before. Successful training will always be a hodgepodge of many disciplines not any one style. You have to be willing to listen and learn from them all. But you also have to try them before you say they suck or they are a snake oil salesman. Until you know, you don’t know. Don’t be a GOM!

The rest of the trip went off without a hitch. Ryan is now no longer the last American flight virgin in our crew. He got to go to a high class steak joint. Although he did not finish said steak dinner which is unconscionable to me. Each night I would eat a pint of ice cream from the hotel after a very large meal which I don’t think he had seen before. He did try to bet me I couldn’t eat the whole pint after one meal and I told him that wouldn’t be a good idea. He was dead wrong on that each night. I did spare him some of the old man walking around in his undies. Probably still got enough to scar his retinas. As with anything, if you aren’t having any fun with it, then why do it.

5/14

* Activations

* High volume upper body

* Hammer pull down 8×20. 8×10 mixed with chest supported row 8×6 with 30 sec rest per set

* Standing long strap ab pulldowns 8×8 30 sec rest

* One arm obliques with strongman farmers 8×8

* Hammer press 8×20 and 8×8 with 30 sec rest

* Farmers walk 20 sec on 20 sec off for 10 minutes

* Hammer pause shoulder press 8×8

5/13

* Activatons

* stepmill 20 mins

5/7

* Activations

* Upper body sled 3laps

5/2

* BT in guts for 10 mins

* Reverse hypers 4×12

* Leg press wide stance 8×8 30 sec rest

* Leg press close stance 8×8 30 sec rest

* Rigged up strong band on deadlift platform on one side and did wide pulls. After awhile I added chains ending with 8 or 9 chains for 8 reps a set. 8×8

* Got another idea to get the Bosu ball and putit under the band set up for some zerchers. Had to drop to a light band for 5×8

* Reverse hyper to loosen up 3×12

5/1

2 laps with sled with new draggin harness. One with two plates and one with one plate. Sorta whipped my ass a bit

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