Today's Workout: 120513

Snatch 1-1-1-1-1
Then:
Five rounds for time of:
10 Kettlebell clean and jerks, 1.5 pood each
3 Muscle-ups
Today, we’re working on intrajoint coordination: the synchronicity of multiple joints in space. Like a symphony orchestra, different muscles must come into play at precisely the right moment, and then quickly shut down when not needed.
Good snatches, like muscle-ups, are best done from memory. That means you can’t think your way through them, but instead rehearse small parts until they’re perfect. They both happen so quickly as to require unconscious competence. Practicing bad technique will reinforce bad lifting. Practicing failure – in other words, testing and testing and testing without practicing scaled-down success – will reinforce failure.
In practice, this may look like a very light snatch, done perfectly, or a muscle-up starting from the knees. ‘Greasing the groove’ is a Pavel Tsatsouline phrase that means ‘to practice until it’s automatic.’ And good snatch has to be automatic.
You might be strong enough. You might have drunk 3 PowerThirst, slapped yourself five times, pictured your third-grade teacher…but if the movement can’t be done without thought, you’re attempting the wrong version. The right version of the lift may be a shorter ROM, or a lighter weight.
Never is this tested more than when under fatigue. Neuromuscular coordination is impaired by metabolic waste; different links in the chain of movement may be more fatigued than others; your brain may be headed to the showers. If you’re capable of muscle-ups when fresh, but can’t hit them in the third round, scale down to the highest level of competence at that time. Competence changes every round; lower the weight as necessary, or scale your movements.