Getting Started in Olympic Weightlifting - Bruce Klemens (1978)

 Strength & Health May 1978

Many individuals shy away from Olympic lifting because they don’t have a top coach to monitor their training. Actually, the only assets that an aspiring Olympic lifter requires are coordination, flexibility, speed and patience. The latter attribute is particularly important.

Many fellows give up Olympic lifting after only a week or two of practice because they feel they can’t master the technique. While no one learns Olympic lifting – or any other sport that involves technique and coordination – overnight, there is no reason why a young athlete can’t be well on his way to becoming a proficient lifter inside of six months.

Before embarking on a specialized lifting program, however, a complete beginner should start out with a standard bodybuilding course for at least three months. During this time, he should emphasize exercises like full squats, upright rows, bent-over rows, deadlifting and overhead presses since they are closely related to the Olympic lifts.

*Bruce is on the far left.  

Once this foundation has been built, he can switch to the following program for six weeks:

Weeks 1 to 6

Day 1

Warmup

Overhead Squat – 4 x 6

Power Snatch – 6 x 5

Snatch Grip Deadlift – 5 x 5

Power Jerk – 5 x 5

Back Squat – 5 x 5

Day 2

Warmup

Power Snatch – 6 x 5

Power Clean – 6 x 5

Power Jerk – 5 x 5

Front Squat – 6 x 3

Hyperextensions – 2 x 10

Day 3

Warmup

Overhead Squat – 4 x 6

Power Clean – 6 x 5

Clean-Grip Deadlift – 5 x 5

Back Squat – 5 x 5

Military Press – 3 x 8

Hyperextensions – 2 x 10

 

Notice that each workout entails no more than 25 sets, which should not tax the endurance of anyone. Also, no poundages or percentages are suggested since a lifter at this stage of the game should be more concerned with learning proper lifting form.

Notice, too, that each training session is preceded by a 15-minute warmup. This should include stretching movements, calisthenics and simulations of the lifts with a broomstick handle.

Never neglect this phase of the workout because it helps to avoid injuries. There is an old weightlifting adage which goes, “If you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to train.”

It’s also a good idea to conclude your workout with a set or two of 10 to 20 situps to taper off. At first, it’s not necessary to employ any resistance I this movement, but they should be performed in a slow, deliberate manner with the knees bent and the back rounded. Not only will this strengthen the abdominal muscles, but it will also relieve any tension that has accumulated in the lower back.

Learning the proper pulling technique for the power snatch and power clean is critical during this formative period. Former national champion Russ Knipp recommends that beginners get the top end of the pull down first and learn the bottom position later.

As applied to the suggested routine, it would be done like this: For the first two weeks, do all of the power snatches and cleans from the dead hang just above the knees. For the second two weeks, do them from the dead hang just below the knees. Throughout the last two weeks of this schedule, they should be done from the floor.

When this stage of development has been reached, it’s an ideal time to learn the squat technique for the Olympic lifts. Disregard anyone who suggest that you learn the split style of lifting first because it’s easier. (edit: this not-so-young admin advocates folks try the split snatch if they’ve got banged up shoulders) This is simply not true! Besides, every single world record holder or world champion employs the squat style of lifting.

So, for the next six weeks your workouts should look like this:

Weeks 7 to 12

Day 1

Warmup

Overhead Squat – 4 x 6

Squat Snatch – 7 x 3

Snatch Pull – 5 x 5

Power Jerk – 5 x 5

Front Squat – 6 x 3

Day 2

Warmup

Squat Snatch – 7 x 3

Squat Clean – 7 x 3

Power Jerk – 5 x 5

Back Squat 5 x 5

Hyperextensions – 2 x 10

Day 3

Warmup

Power Snatch – 5 x 5

Squat Clean – 7 x 3

Clean Pull – 6 x 3

Back Squat – 5 x 5

Military Press – 3 x 8

Hyperextensions – 2 x 10

 

Having mastered the proper pulling form and the squat style of lifting, we’ll turn our attention to the jerk. Since you’ve been practicing power jerks right from the start, the transition to the full jerking movement should be easy.

Up to this point, our two previous programs have been of six weeks duration. Take note that the next exercise plan is only intended for four weeks of use.

Weeks 13 to 16

Day 1

Warmup

Jerk from the Rack – 7 x 3

Squat Snatch – 7 x 3

Snatch Pull – 6 x 3

Front Squat – 6 x 3

Hyperextensions – 3 x 8

Day 2

Warmup

Jerk from the Rack – 7 x 3

Squat Clean – 7 x 3

Clean Pull – 6 x 3

Back Squat – 6 x 5

Military Press – 4 x 6

Day 3

Warmup

Squat Snatch – 7 x 3

Squat Clean – 7 x 3

Power Jerk – 5 x 3

Back Squat – 6 x 5

Hyperextensions – 3 x 8

 

Completing the preceding program means that the trainee should possess all of the necessary skills that are required in the various facets of Olympic lifting. All that remains is to put these skills together… and that’s the purpose of the next program. Instead of doing cleans and jerks separately, this time the complete movement will be done. Clean each weight twice and then jerk it twice.

Weeks 17 to 20

Day 1

Warmup

Squat Snatch – 3,3,3,3,2,2,2

Clean & Jerk – 7 x 2

Snatch Pull – 6 x 3

Back Squat – 5,5,5,4,3,3

Hyperextensions – 3 x 8

Day 2

Warmup

Squat Snatch – 7 x 2

Clean & Jerk – 7 x 2

Clean Pull – 6 x 3

Back Squat – 5,5,5,4,3,3

Military Press – 4 x 6

Day 3

Warmup

Power Snatch – 5,5,4,3,3,3,3

Power Clean – 5,5,4,3,3,3,3

Power Jerk – 5,5,3,3,3,3

Front Squat – 6 x 3

Hyperextensions – 3 x 8

 

After four weeks on the 17-23 routine, try yourself out on the snatch and clean and jerk. Begin doing triples with fairly light weights and work up to your maximum on each lift. At this point, the lifter must determine his strengths and weaknesses so he can tailor his future training sessions to meet his needs.

Also, he should start to calculate his training poundages on a percentage basis. This simply means that during a particular training session the athlete will only work up to a certain percentage of his limit instead of going all-out at every workout.

For example, if you were scheduled to hit 85% in the snatch on a given day and your best in that lift was 140 pounds, then 120 would be your top snatch poundage for that workout. Percentages for the snatch pull and clean pull are based on one’s maximum snatch and clean and jerk. However, the percentage system is not used for remedial exercises like hyperextensions.

For the best results, the third weekly training session should be varies as follows: One week work up to three sets of doubles in the snatch and clean and jerk with 87.5% Also, include a limit triple in the squat.

The next time, work up three singles in both lifts with 92.5% and three reps with 87.5% in the squat.

On the third week of this cycle, work up to your absolute limit in the “Olympic two” and conclude with three sets of squats at 75%

Intermediate Routine

Day 1

Warmup

Squat Snatch – 7 x 3 (last 3 sets at 80%)

Snatch Pulls – 6 x 3 (last 3 sets at 110%)

Power Jerk – *misprinted in article* (last 4 sets at 75%)

Front Squat – 6 x 3 (last 2 sets at 85%)

Hyperextensions – 3 x 8

Day 2

Warmup

Power Snatch – 5,5,5,4,3 (last set at 75%)

Squat Clean – 3,3,3,2,2,2,2 (last 3 sets at 82.5%)

Clean Pull – 6 x 3 (last 3 sets at 105%)

Jerk from the Rack – 3,3,3,2,2,2 (last 2 sets at 85%)

Back Squat – 6 x 5 (last 2 sets at 75%)

Day 3

Warmup

Squat Snatch

Clean & Jerk

Back Squat

Military Press - 4 x 6 (last 2 sets at 70%)

Hyperextensions – 3 x 8

 

That’s it! Not too bad, huh? Once the lifter has finished the intermediate training schedule, he should enter a novice or local weightlifting contest. He may also find it quite helpful to attend some of the bigger contests so he can analyze the technique of the advanced lifters.

Good luck!