Technique is more important than heavy training

Blog by: Ricky Bakker

Who does not know that expression? Everyone does, and I hear around me that technique is extremely important. I think so too. But do we really do that, and is that really something that you have to do endlessly. I ask myself out loud.

In my new training method, well Wim’s, technique stands central, we are also critical of the technical part. But we also work hard, we also lift relatively heavily. Because that is ultimately our goal. Getting stronger!

For me it remains difficult, I want to see those pounds on the bar. Prove that I have become stronger. Wim ensures me that I give gas but not tooooo much. Going heavier than the schedule is a no go (in his opinion).  But will I than become stronger?

Yes absolutely, last week I ended with the most stable squat on high kilos ever. 🙂 Oh and you saw the speed of my deadlift and that in 1 set for 3 reps.

Do you know what a good techniuqe does with my body? It reduces my muscle pain / injures, without having to go to the physiotherapist. So form is more important than I thought.

Since I am at Wim, we evaluate each session. Sometimes short (I’ve often hear more tension here, double elastic, etc.) and sometimes longer about the way how to train (attitude / mental approach).  The always recurring questions: what do you see yourself?  What do you think of it yourself? What did you feel? They ensure me that I am not a robot athlete but someone who thinks, feels and learns.

Evaluating helps me to see where the mistakes are, what is going well, what is improving and gives me the opportunity to adjust thimgs during my training.

My progress is in various parts. Nice that this is taught to me.

Recovery training……. only really recovery training tomorrow :-)

Still have this happy  feeling inside me,  about the fact that I squatted  (half) suit yesterday.

It will take some time control it again and manage the pressure. Hopefully an equipped meet will be held in a few months time. The nationals end this month comes too early, because I’ve got another mission to take care of 🙂

Today’s training (60 minutes)
Squats 3×3 130kg (pause)
Deadlift 3×3 160kg
Bench press 3×3 110kg

First (half) suit training squats and sumo deadlifts after more over a year…..

Today I had my 1st (half) suit training, since January 2017 (just before my operation)…….. Three words to describe this feeling………. IT FELT AWESOME….. like a little kid in a candy shop or toy store 😀 ………..

Most important thing to know when you start up your suit training:  don’t be obsessed to hit the right depth on your first suit training…. Start to get used wearing the suit and treat it like it is your friend. The suit is made to help you squat bigger weights….. just like the feeling of insecurity. This feeling is your biggest friend when you give it a place to be there and support you, to give all what you have got. All of your feelings are there to help you at the moment you feel it. The feeling of insecurity is there, because that moment is important for you and feeling the feeling of insecurity gives you the opportunity to focus on your technique to fullfill your goals…. Nothing more or less…..in the beginning and at the end feeling insecure is your biggest friend like failing is your biggest master 😉 please read the final blog of Iris aka powerlifter.nl, click here!

Back to my training today…… Although I’m an equipped lifter, wearing the suit (half) it felt strange and tight for now 🙂 With that knowlegde I  excecuted my sets rep for rep….. Just to make each rep a little bit deeper than the previous one. For today it felt awesome. When I will wear a looser suit in the future and my bodyweight will be -120kg again, hitting the depth will be easier and also control the pressure in my head. Last week I squatted 212,5kg on the Master Classic Powerlifting Nationals and today 3x235kg half suit 😉

Sumo deadlifting with (half) suit is a NO GO for the future. It was nice to do, only I felt to much pressure in my head at the start of the movement till the lock out. So I’m pleased with this result, so I can continue the way I did with my conventional deadlift where I control my breathing and pressure very well. Last week I deadlifted 242,5kg, so 250kg+ will be possible in the future.

Next test will be a bench press session with a very loose shirt 😀 Last Friday I bench pressed wearing the Titan Super Ram. Maybe I will do that next week Sunday….. Keep you posted ofcourse. Check out the video below of today’s (half) suit training 🙂

F A I L I N G I S Y O U R B E S T M A S T E R

F A I L I N G  I S  YO U R  B E S T   M A S T ER
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Eight weeks back I had no idea where I got myself in to. I think I know a lot more since then, but I am still searching fore  some overall clarity. I am learning new stuff by doing new things.  It gives me a new understanding about what I’m capable of doing. Am very gratefull for it.
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Overall I can say that some things feel good and a lot feels akward. And that akward feelling makes me somewhat insecure. It’s not a big deal…but enough of a deal for me to point it out. Knowing that it eventualy will make me embrace that feeling.  As I heard today (watching the Winter Olympics) that even the best of the best (top) atheletes have insecurities.

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This week most things I planned went as planned!
Particularly me following my training in the order I’m supposed to: 1,2,3, 4 and not 1,3,2 and 4. ?

I wouldn’t be me (silly human) if I didn’t mess something up. Ofcourse misloading plates during one of my work outs. Due to lack of my counting ability. This mistake came to bite me in the a$$ during this central training. I wasn’t able to hit all the numbers like I wanted to. Well you live and you learn right?

And F A I L I N G is a part of that. I’m learning to accept and adapt to this roalercoaster ride. Eventhough it’s difficult from time to time. But I’m learning from the best Master.

Untill we meet again..

 

 

Wobbly squats with 70kg dumbells & bench press with Titan Super Ram

People know that I’m an equipped lifter instead of a classic lifter. Classic lifting is just ‘like training’. Now I’m back in training and I have control over my breathing, so I can control the pressure in my head, equipped lifting it starts to itch again……. Therefore today I added the Titan Super Ram in my training 🙂 Last Sunday I ended with 127,5kg in my 3rd attempt and today I bench pressed 3x140kg using my Titan Super Ram 😀 

The question is now: Shall I do some squats on Sunday, wearing a suit  (half) which is loose and knee wraps and show the difference between classic squats and equipped squats? what do you think? Leave comment below 😉

I started the training with wobbly squats instead of 15kg dumbell (each side) I added 35kg dumbells (each side) just for fun 3×3 130kg (total weight) with pause 🙂 and deadlifting 3×2 190kg.

Born Strong – Documentary

Great documentary. When you have seen this video. No words are needed anymore….. about how my mind works 😀

Wobbly squats, bench press and chain deadlifts…… and ready for sleeptest

This I had a ligth weight session, ofcourse 😉  And I added bands with dumbells and chains to the excersises squats, deadlift and bench press.
Below an impression of today’s training.

Squats (wobbly) 3×2 90kg + 30kg dumbells + 20kg chains
Deadlift 3×2 160kg + 20kg chains
Bench press 3×2 70kg + 20kg plates + 20kg chains

Also I had an appointment for my sleeptesting for tonight. Looking like the man of six million dollar 😀 ……. I thought by myself…. I can also visited the trainstation and just walk around without my jacket…… Curious what they call a measure during the night and what the outcome will be of this test. On 19th Februari I will know more…..

 

Next recovery session…..

Recovery sesion 2 🙂 30 minutes trainingsession…

It felt okay to train such a short time….. Physical my body feels good. So now I take the time to recover from my mental effort. During the Fox Gym Cup meet I kept myself away from the crowd and listened to 80’s music all the time. Nevertheless I feel a mental fatigue and therefore I trained yesterday and today only for 30 minutes.  Click here, to watch the video of my meet 😉

Today’s light weight recovery:
Squats 3×3 110kg (pause)
Deadlift 3×3 140kg (stop after lift-off)
Bench press 3×3 90kg (2 stops)

Just recovery training….

Still pleased with my result of yesterday meet. Most of all that I’m lifting on the platform again….. and now I have to wait for the first upcoming meet in September 🙁 😉  Blog of yesterday meet, click here!

Today light weight recovery:
Squats 3×3 120kg
Deadlift 3×3 150kg
Bench press 3×3 95kg

35 minutes session 🙂

Totaloverview of my Powerlifting meets

Click on picture, to enlarge 🙂