Hungarian Training Program Part 1 - Denis Reno (1979)

 Weightlifter's Newsletter September 1979

*If anyone happens to have their copy of Dennis Reno’s Weightlifter’s Newsletter from October or November of 1979 handy, we’d appreciate the rest of the notes from the Hungarian coaches presentation. 

 

Notes from the National Sports Festival Seminar with Hungarian National Weightlifting Coach Andras Orvos – July 26-29, 1979

Editor’s Note – I’m going to try to type this as it was given, but including the addition of answers to questions that were asked from the floor. Note that this is a plan for athletes that are free to train 8 to 10 times a week and is used for Hungary’s top weightlifters. Throughout, I will try to suggest modifications to the program which will fit it to an American’s 3 to 7 workouts  a week schedule. Rather than try to copy exactly this program for your own, instead try to study it and try to understand the mix in exercises, the variations in sets, reps and intensity. Understand that it is quite easy to overtrain – but undesirable to not train enough. It’s a bit of an educated trick to put your body through exactly the correct amount of work – however, there is an amount of work that will give you maximum results for your body. Dennis Reno

SESSION 1 – LONG RANGE PLANNING - A FOUR YEAR PLAN

In Hungary, selected athletes all go on a four year plan of training. Selected athletes are those who are aiming for the next Olympics four years from now, and even others who may be more realistically aiming for the Olympics eight years from now. 

Questions from the floor about starting ages brought the following:

In Eastern Europe, athletes start general training at about 11 years of age. This means train in a variety of sports and not specialization in any one. This continues for about 4 years. At about 15 years old, an athlete can start specialization in weightlifting. Remember, he has already been introduced to the sport of weightlifting, most likely learning correct style but not attempting any limit poundages. 

How much progress can a 15 year old expect? In the unlikely case he keeps his bodyweight the same, the lifter can increase 30 to 60 percent in his top lifts in the first 4 year plan. Also, most lifters peak in 9 to 10 years after starting. The first 5 or 6 years are years of rapid growth. The 6^th through 10^th years are of slower growth. After that, you generally have some stagnation in growth, even decline. 

Back to the Four Year Plan Outline – 

• First Year: Primarily stamina and strength training, with less emphasis on competition and performance
• Second Year: More emphasis on competition and performance.
• Third Year: A higher level of stamina and strength training with some emphasis on competition 
• Fourth Year: All emphasis on competition (Editor’s Note – this will be expanded on later)

In Eastern Europe, a great emphasis is placed on classification, so setting goals in lifting may be tied to climbing to a higher classification. This ties in with setting goals for planning weights to be used during the four year plan. Considerations must be made to include a lifter moving up in weight classes. When a lifter moves up is very important to his career. (How to determine this was a decision of the lifter, the coach and the doctor. Doctor’s have pretty good guidelines to help determine how tall and large a person will grow and we have as many good doctors as the Hungarians. D. Reno)

WEIGHTLIFTING TRAINING EXERCISES (The numbers next to the exercises are code numbers. Rather than write out the exercises, Hungarians know what the numbers mean and use them to simplify making up routines. Notice that code numbers 1 and 2 apply to snatches and snatch type exercises; 3 and 4 apply to clean & jerks and related exercises.)

*This indicates exercises which are always included in programs

A. Competition Lifts

1 & 2 Snatch

3 & 4 Clean & Jerk

B. Assistance Exercises for the Snatch

*11. Half snatch (body only drops to where legs are parallel to the platform, not full squat.)

*12. Power Snatch (there is no rebending of the legs.)

13. Half snatch from blocks (bar above knees)

14. Full snatch from blocks (bar above knees)

15. Full snatch from thighs

16. Snatch from standing (drop snatch)

*17. High pull – wide grip

18. High pull (wide) from blocks (to 105% of workout max.)

*19. Shrug (wide) (to 115% of workout maximum)

*20. Shrug (wide) from blocks (to 130% of workout maximum)

C. Assistance Exercises for Clean & Jerk

*31. Half Clean (as in half snatch, halfway between power clean and full clean, and completed with a power jerk)

*32. Power clean (no rebending of the legs – like Mills Power Clean)

33. Power clean from blocks.

34. Full clean from blocks

35. Full clean without standing up (dump it!)

36. High pull – narrow grip

*37. High pull (narrow) from blocks

*38. Jerk from rack with split

*39. Jerk from rack, no split

*40. Shrug – narrow – grip

*41. Shrug (narrow) from blocks

42. Jerk dip rebounds

 

D. General Conditioning for both the Snatch and the C & J

*51. Press (standing military)

*52. Push jerk

53. Incline and Bench Press

*54. Back Squats

*55. Front Squats

*56. Shrugs – lifter on blocks (In this version, do not use leg drive but rather start out with a rounded back to give the muscles a longer stretch. Pull up as far as possible, even leaning backward. This is only for the ADVANCED ATHLETE and can be worked up to 100% of day’s maximum snatch for 2-3 reps.)

*57. Good mornings

58. Shrugs

 

E. Supplementary Exercises

61. Weight swinging – 10 reps (to 30kg for up to 60kg class; 40kg for 67 ½ & 75; 50-60kg for heavier)

62. Swing and throw – to 18-20kg (don’t try this one in your weight room)

63. Long and high jumps – standing (on jumps, land in the full squat position)

64. Dips

65. Pull-ups

66. Universal Gym exercises

F. Loosening and Stretching Exercises

71. Broomstick – snatch grip

72. Lightweight power jerks

73. Wrist turns and lifts

74. Side bends

75. Frog jumps

76. Toe raises on block

77. General loosening calisthenics

G. Supplementary Sports

Track and field, swimming, skiing, running – before training, not after, and only 400 meters broken up into shorter sprints.

 

That’s all folks.  Hoping someone can dig up their old copy of Weightlifter’s Newsletter and share the remainder of the presentation.  There’s a secondary purpose to this blog, and that is to try and preserve the iron history that would otherwise just fade into obscurity.  There’s not much you’re going to find on Hungarian weightlifting from the 60’s and 70’s, despite producing some pretty good athletes, such as the legend Imre Foldi.

https://youtu.be/AhJK8u17JU8?si=IPHL0q2yneETujtF

This edition of the newsletter also contained coverage of Senior National's from '79. Cool to see a time when powerlifting and weightlifting we're still linked enough to warrant coverage for both. Also saw a photo of Ricky Dale Crain who recently passed away (RIP)!