Five, Four, Three, Two, One - Done!
Jim Schmitz U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Team Coach 1980, 1988 & 1992 As I stated in my previous previous MILO article, article, "Power Training Training for the +35-year-o +35-year-old ld Strength Athlete," Athlete," most of us can't train like Bulgarians or even young weightlifters in their prime. I once coached and trained America's strongest strongest weightlifters: weightlifters: Patera, Wilhelm, Martinez and Clark, to name name a few. Now I'm coaching more lifters past their prime than looking forward to their prime. These strength athletes want and can still lift some really heavy weights, but they must train quite differently. I am going to present here some training principles and programs for the strength athlete who might be past his or her prime or might not have the time, energy, desire, or ability to train long, hard hours, but would still like to be strong, healthy, and lift some pretty heavy weights, just for the fun of it. Hopefully you already know how to do the Olympic lifts and have some experience and understanding of training and your ability. If you are a beginner, this really isn't the program for you, but of course, if you want to try it, go ahead. If you are a beginner or making a comeback after a long layoff, then do the basic five exercises, exercises, but do them light and for three sets of five reps for one to two weeks. The program consists of the five best and basic exercises for developing strength and power: snatch (S), clean and jerk (C&J), deadlift (CDL), squat (back squat (BS), front squat (FS)), and bench press (BP). However, included in these exercises are variations, such as high pulls (snatch (SHP), clean (CHP)), power snatches (PS), power cleans (PC), push jerks (PJ), and overhead squats (OHS). You could also do dumbell bench presses (DBP) instead of barbell. There is a lot of room for options, provided you do squats, pulls, and pushes. It's very important not to do too many exercises or sets and reps. This is quality training at its optimum. So, here we go; our example weightlifter is 40 years old, weighs 90 kilos and does 90 snatch, 110 C&J, 140 back squat, 130 front squat, 140 deadlift, and 125 bench press. Let's also say as a young lifter he did 110 D, 140 C&J, 180 BS, 160 FS, 180 DL, and 150 BP. Now I will outline a four-week cycle, light (70%), medium (80%), heavy (90%), and maximum (100%), with three workouts per week. Also, remember I write weight weight x sets x reps for only only one set with with that weight, or weight weight x sets x reps ifif more than one set with that weight.
WEEK 1: Light (70%) Workout A 1. S 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3, 65 x 2, 70 x 1 2. SHP 80 x 3 x 3 3. PC &PJ 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 75 x 3, 80 x 2 4. BS 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 100 x 2, 110 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 75 x 4, 85 x 3, 95 x 2 Workout B 1. J 60 x 5, 75 x 4, 85 x 3, 90 x 2, 95 x 1 2. P & SS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3 3. P & SC 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 75 x 3 4. OHS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 55 x 3 5. BP 60 x 5, 75 x 4, 85 x 3, 95 x 2, 100 x 1 Workout C 1. PS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3, 65 x 2 2. C & J 60 x 5, 75 x 4, 85 x 3, 90 x 2, 95 x 1 3. CDL 100 x 2, 105 x 2, 110 x 2 4. FS 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 80 x 3, 90 x 2, 100 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 75 x 4, 85 x 3
WEEK 2: Medium (80%) Workout A 1. S 50 x 5, 60 x 4, 65 x 3, 70 x 2, 75 x 1 2. SHP 85 x 3 x 3 3. PC & PJ 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 80 x 3, 85 x 2 4. BS 60 x 5, 85 x 4, 95 x 3, 105 x 2, 115 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 95 x 2 Workout B 1. J 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 95 x 2, 100 x 1 2. P &SS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3 3. P & SC 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 77.5 x 3 4. OHS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 97.5 x 2, 105 x 1 Workout C 1. PS 50 x 5, 60 x 4, 65 x 3, 70 x 2 2. C & J 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 95 x 2, 100 x 1 3. CDL 105 x 2, 110 x 2, 115 x 2 4. FS 60 x 5, 75 x 4, 85 x 3, 95 x 2, 105 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3
WEEK 3: Heavy (90%) Workout A 1. S 50 x 5, 60 x 4, 70 x 3, 75 x 2, 80 x 1 2. SHP 90 x 3 x 3 3. PC & PJ 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 80 x 3, 87.5 x 2 4. BS 60 x 5, 90 x 4, 105 x 3, 115 x 2, 125 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 100 x 2 Workout B 1. J 60 x 5, 85 x 4, 95 x 3, 100 x 2, 105 x 1 2. P & SS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3 3. P & SC 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 80 x 3 4. OHS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 100 x 2, 110 x 1
Workout C 1. PS 50 x 5, 60 x 4, 70 x 3, 75 x 2 2. C & J 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 97.5 x 2, 102.5 x 1 3. CDL 110 x 2, 115 x 2, 120 x 2, 127.5 x 1 4. FS 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 95 x 3, 105 x2, 115 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3 WEEK 4: Maximum (100%) Workout A 1. S 50 x 5, 60 x 4, 70 x 3, 80 x 2, 85 x 1 2. SHP 95 x 3 x 3 3. PC &PJ 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 80 x 3, 90 x 2 4. BS 60 x 5, 90 x 4, 110 x 3, 125 x 2, 135 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 100 x 2 Workout B 1. J 60 x 5, 90 x 4, 100 x 3, 105 x 2, 110 x 1 2. P & SS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3 3. P & SC 60 x 5, 70 x 4, 80 x 3 4. OHS 40 x 5, 50 x 4, 60 x 3 5. BP 60 x 5, 85 x 4, 100 x 3, 110 x 2, 120 x 1 Workout C 1. PS 50 x 5, 60 x 4, 70 x 3, 77.5 x 2 2. C & J 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3, 100 x 2, 105 x 1 3. CDL 115 x 2, 120 x 2, 125 x 2, 135 x 1 4. FS 60 x 5, 90 x 4, 105 x 3, 115 x 2, 125 x 1 5. BP 60 x 5, 80 x 4, 90 x 3
There might be a tendency to want to lift more and do more sets and reps. Resist the temptation to do more; your knees, back and shoulders will appreciate it, big time. If the jumps between weights are too big, then take smaller, more comfortable jumps and add a set or weight at the end, but only do one rep. However, with practice and training you should be able to take the bigger jumps. When you finish the four-week cycle, start over again and adjust your weights where you can. If you are going to compete in a competition, then train light the week before. If you prefer to or can only do this power strength program twice a week, then do programs A and C, eliminate B, but put Bs bench press workout in program C. You can vary your exercised depending on how you like to do them, that is, all power snatches, or from the hang or off the blocks or combinations. But stick to the basic five, snatch, clean and jerk, deadlift (high pulls are in the deadlift category), squats, and bench presses (inclines are included here). I've included some combinations such as PC & PJ, which is power clean followed by push jerk, that is one power clean and one push jerk for each rep, or five PCs and one PJ after the last PC. P&SS and P&SC mean you power the first reps and squat the last rep; a set of five reps is four powers followed by one squat. Also, thoroughly warm up with at least 15 minutes of stretching all your joints and do lots of warm-up lifts with an empty 20-kilo bar. And do plenty of stomach exercises, sit-ups, leg raises, crunches, etc., and do them at the beginning of your workout, right after your stretches. I recommend two sets of 25 sit-ups, followed by side bends and trunk twisting, and then two sets of 25 leg raises. Cardiovascular exercise, jogging, bicycling, swimming, cardio machines, or whatever should be done on alternate days, not your weightlifting day. Twenty minutes of cardio won't take away from your strength; more than that mi ght. If you want to add some weight training (bodybuilding) exercises, do so after you have done the above basic five. Also, follow the same principles as your power training, not too many exercises and sets and reps: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 will work very well. However, for weight training exercises I recommend 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 for sets and reps. Be very patient, persistent, and conservative in your training and weight selection, and respectable weights and gains will happen. And most important of all your muscles and joints will feel great. Oxford University researchers presenting at the November American Heart Association Scientific meeting advised that high fat/low carb diets, such as the once popular Atkins diet, actually undermine the heart's energy stores. "The heart requires energy for contractions," explained Dr. Damian Tyler. "You do see similar patterns in a more severe form in patients with heart failure, and type 2 diabetics also suffer from lower energy stores." The long-term meaning of this research will take time to define. It is clear, however, that high fat/low carb diets do affect the heart.
