5-Day-A-Week Training - Bob Hasse

Joe A. Grantham.
Heavy Jerks off the rack build jerking power.

Top Photo - proper starting position for all pulls.
Bottom Photo illustrates slight dip used in power cleaning.

Pushing power for the press is built by - Pressing!
Incline presses can at times be substituted.

5-Day-A-Week Training
by Bob Hasse (1959)


Keep in mind that this program is not for the beginner or the bodybuilder. It is for an experienced lifter who is faced with the problem of keeping his pushing, pulling, and squatting power on an even keel.

As most lifters know, three types of movements are necessary to develop power for lifting maximum poundage in the three Olympic lifts. The first is pushing which is developed by the various pressing movements, jerks, and all overhead lifting. Next is pulling, which all types of cleans, dead lifts, and high pulls develop. Last is squatting, in which front, back, half, and quarter squats are the main exercises. Squats are a necessity for the split as well as the squat lifter. Strong legs enable the lifter to come up with heavy cleans with energy to spare for the jerk. Squats have also been known to help the lifter in the press for they strengthen the legs, hips and lower back to provide a solid foundation for the lifter to press from. The importance of pushing pulling power need not be explained.

Many lifters find that they cannot get all there types of movements in their training schedule. Some say they can’t do squats and dead lifts in the same workout, others cannot find time. Those who are able and can find time complain that they cannot give both the attention they deserve.

Five-day-a-week training can be the solution. It is nothing new. The better lifters have been doing it for years and because of it they are “the better lifters.” Those who do not aspire to be world champions will find it makes regular workouts shorter, and the usually “rest” day training periods can be made very brief. Diet and rest, of course, are important factors to consider in this type of training schedule.

Many who are used to training days a week may find the going rough at first but after the body adjusts itself and adapts to the new frequency it will be found more beneficial. Some days the lifter may not feel like training but if he will train anyway he may find that he is strong that day. If things continue to go hard after the first couple of sets he may cut down on the weight, but he must work out anyway for it is important never to miss a training period.

If the lifter finishes a workout and feels as though he could do more that day, he should take a shower and go home. This excess energy will come in handy for the next scheduled day’s training period.

The following are a couple of points to be remembered. Five-day-a-week training should not be practiced for more than four to six continuous weeks at a time. If practiced any longer the lifter becomes stale and loses all desire to lift heavy weights. The lifter should never try his limit in training except when scheduled to do so. He should do low reps so that he can put everything he has into each individual repetition, for this helps build the explosive power which is necessary to lift heavy weights. The lifter should keep warm while training, for in lifting heavy weights and performing low reps it is easy to get cold between lifts and the body is prone to injury when cold.

Here is how it works. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the lifter does pushing and pulling movements. Tuesday and Thursday he does squatting. Below is a sample workout for the lifter whose best lifts are Press 200, Snatch 200, Clean & Jerk 250, and Squat 350.


Monday & Friday

Press
135x6
155x4
170x2
180x2 (4 sets)
190x2 (2 sets)

Power Clean
200x1
210x1 (2 sets)

High Dead Lift (High Pull)
225x4
250x2
275x2
300x1 (2 sets)


Wednesday

Press
Same as Monday & Friday

Snatch
135x6
155x4
170x2
180x2
190x1
200x1

Jerk
135x6
185x4
205x2
225x2
240x1
250x1


Tuesday & Thursday

Squat
225x8
275x6
300x4 (5 sets)


In the press, the last set with 190 is pressed as many times as possible. When three reps are reached, five pounds are added the following workout. The same holds true for the power clean and the high dead lift. In the squat, the lifter should try to get six reps on the last set, and when this number is reached five pounds should be added the next training period. In the snatch and jerk the lifter may add weight whenever he feels able, without losing proper form.

Two weeks before a meet or personal record attempt the lifter should discontinue squats (the Tuesday & Thursday workouts). With the elimination of these two training periods the lifter will possess a greater amount of energy for the Monday, Wednesday, and Friday workouts. Regular split or squat cleans replace the high dead lifts. If the lifter is weak on the snatch he may do snatches on Monday and Friday and cleans on Wednesday. The Wednesday before the meet should be the last training day and on this day he should work up to the planned starting poundage in each of the three lifts. This workout should be brief and form concentrated on.