Crossfit Armoury - July 30, 2017: Speciality class: Olympic Lifting

Sunday; July 30, 2017 @ Crossfit Armoury - West

Coach:  AJ Facendi

Thoughts:
Coach informs the class that she will be taking next month (August) off and that there will be a different coach(es) here to teach us.   She advised us during class and as well via our internal communication.  She also revel the entire month of August programming for us.  

Snatches:
Continuing the half lifts; specifically the half squat snatches (pause at catch and hold for 1 second) before finishing the snatch.  The exercise is similar to Wednesday half squat cleans, but instead focuses on snatch work.
Boy, I was in for a surprise when I found how hard it is to hold it half way during the snatch.  Significantly lesser weight than the clean and a real good workout in itself.   I managed to only make it to 105 lb for the pause before switching over to squat santches.  My heavy made it no further than 115 lb
Clean & Jerk:
With more rest between sets, taking a bit more time during each sets.  My time spent at the box is now over the 60 minute limit of the class.  Glad that we can stay later and work thru our lifts.  I'm usually the last person to be putting away the weights, while most of the class are done early (most, like 2/3 of the class) heads off to the other speciality class: gymnastics.   

For me, I'll just focus on one speciality class for now.  Putting my time and effort into this.

My trusty pre-calculated percentage for weights
with reps for each group

As I've done in the last few times, I've started to take advantage of doing my 'homework' early and calculate my numbers before class.  Jotting down the numbers, along with number of reps for each set on a post it note.  

So, during and after each set; I can just focus on loading the weight.  No numbers floating in my head prior or after each lift.   Just load and go, and taking whatever rest my body needs before the next attempt.

My heaviest I could achieve; 185 lb, only 90%
for the Touch and Go Clean + Front Squat

As for today's exercise, it was focusing on a Touch and Go Clean, followed by a front squat.   I was only able to hit my 90% weight of 185 lb.   
I don't have a huge issue with the front squat at this weight, but I do with the clean.  I suspect it that area that I need to focus on.   Using more hip, hip drive to pop up the weight.   A key area where I'm weak at, and it's starting to show when I lift heavy weight.
An observation is that I've been in the past muscling the barbell up, but at some point (which is now), I'm hitting that limit of what I can muscle.  I really need to get this technique correct.   I suspect once I get that down, the numbers will increase.

Homework/Misc:
I'm always so spent by the end of the Clean and Jerk, that I have nothing left for additional work/homework.  Areas where I need to work on are:  releasing and using the hips more, learning to get under the clean , and continue with the previous assigned homework.