Kenn, J. A Journey into Olympic Lifting 9-28-13

 

A Journey into Olympic Lifting

Coach Kenn

Big House Power Comeptitive Athletic Training

 

My introduction to the iron game began in the basement of my house on Roger Ave, Inwood, Long Island, when I was 12 years old.  My first training partners were the DeNapoli brothers, Mike and Dom.  I was then introduced to a man, who besides my dad would be a tremendous influence in my life, my high school football coach Rich Mollo.  I blame him for my infatuation with training as it has become ingrained in my daily lifestyle till this day.

 

Lifting weights has given me many things in my life.  The iron game has given me an athletic scholarship, a career, the ability to continue to be a competitor, and a solid work ethic.  I love the training.  I love the process of preparation and how it transfers to competition.  I have been fortunate to have a career that allows me to train on a daily basis and compete in many of the strength disciplines.

After my football career was completed, it was one of my first strength mentors, Frank Mansueto who told me “you are not done as a competitor, time to get on the platform and start powerlifting.”  In 1990, I competed in my first powerlifting meet and my last meet was in April 2012 (still competing).  I have participated in a strongman contest along the way as well as participating in highland games competitions for the first time this year.  I wish I could tell you I was a world champion or even a national champ but, at my best I am a Class II lifter.

I believe my constant and consistent want to train is because I wish I was strong.  I wish I was real man strong, farm boy strong, dip it and rip it strong.  Sorry, I am not.  Hell, I am not even weight room strong.  I admire those who are and love reading about the incredible things athletes are doing in the iron game.

 

At this point in my career, I am looking to acquire a different kind a strong.  I am strong in mind and spirit which leads me to waking every day and working towards a never ending journey of strength.  I still have some goals that I would like to accomplish. This is what keeps the drive alive.  It is that drive that has put me on another journey, the journey of Joe Kenn, Olympic Lifter.

I am one of those guys who believes if you tell someone who you are then you have done it.  You are not a powerlfiter just because you squat, bench, and dead.  If you haven’t posted a total in a meet, you are not a powerlifter.  I can go on and on, but I believe you can see where I am going.  After 35 years of training, it is this mentality that has me committing two of my training sessions per micro cycle to Olympic lifting.  My goal is to compete at next year’s Sorinex’s Summer Strong.  This will be my first attempt of posting a total in an official meet.  I have chosen this meet because it was at this year’s Summer Strong, sitting with good friend and one of my Olympic lifting consultants Travis Mash that I said to myself, time to do an Olympic meet.

My training plan is extremely basic and simple and I have not committed 100% of my training efforts to Olympic lifting.  I am working hard on the timing and technique that is required to master these movements and understand that what I put into this is what I get out of it.  For now, this is where my journey begins, where it goes from here only time will tell.

Below is the routine I am following. It is an extremely basic and modest program. I will be updating our Dartfish TV channel with training footage of my Olympic lifting progress.  Any questions you may have, I will be answering on our member forum.  Thanks for the supporting our site.

 

 

DAILY PREPARATION on Olympic Training Sessions

A – Basic “Release” work – foam roll

B – “Reset” work – Band Movements for shoulder complex, hips, groin/glute, quads Duration 12:00

C – Specific “Readiness” Duration 18:00

2 Rounds

C1a-Glute Ham Raise x10-15

C1b-90 degrees Elbow Pec/Shoulder Stretch on Rack x15 count each

C1c-Totten Upper Body Stretchx20 count

C1d-Snatch Grip behind the Head Press x10

C1e-Overhead Squat x6

 

C2-Pressing Snatch Balance 2×5

C3-Heaving Snatch Balance 2×5

 

Day 1 – Accompanying Video

Duration of total training session 1:40

Clean and Jerk – Prilepin Cycle

Block Clean – Front Squat – Push Press 3×3-5

Snatch Grip Power Pull from Deck – 3×5

Clean Grip Romanian Deadlift – 3×5-10

 

Day 2

Duration of total training sessions 1:30

Snatch – Prilepin Cycle

Clean – Prilepin Cycle

Snatch Grip Deadlift [will replace w Snatch Grip Romanian Deadlift] Various