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 6th
through 10th 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
