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Training for the
Supertotal
I recently was asked how I would set up a training program
for a person wanting to compete in BOTH weightlifting and powerlifting. Here it is, the program I would recommend for
someone wanting to do both iron sports, and incidentally it’s also a pretty
decent program for someone who just wants to be big and strong.
The basic layout is this.
Monday Back squat
Bench Press
Tuesday
Snatch
Clean and Jerk
Thursday
Front squat
Military press or push press
Saturday
Snatch
Clean and Jerk
An occasional deadlift
Monday is the heavy back squat and bench press day. If you are doing a heavy sets across workout,
like a 5x5 or something similar, this would be the day to do it. On squats you will be using the same form you plan
to use in powerlifting competition. Tuesday will be the lighter day for the
Olympic lifts. If you are doing
technique building variations of the lifts, like hang snatches from the hip or
knee, this is the day. In any case,
moderate weight or even light weight is the name of the game. Thursday is heavy but low volume front squats,
and an overhead strength lift like military presses or push presses. Saturday is your heavy day for the Olympic
lifts, with the occasional couple of singles in the deadlift thrown in after
clean and jerks are done.
Because this program is a compromise, we don’t get to do
what is “ideal” to maximize training affect for any one lift, but, we are able
to do a pretty good job at training all 5 competitive lifts, snatch, clean and jerk,
squat, bench press, and deadlift. Because
the bar is overhead so much practicing the Olympic lifts and this stresses the
shoulders, we only bench press once a week.
Back squatting is only done once a week, but it’s done on the day when
you should be the freshest, and this should keep all the other leg work
involved in practicing the Olympic lifts from affecting your squat any more
than it has to. We pretty much throw
deadlifts out the window, because all the pulling involved in practicing the
Olympic lifts trains the heck out of the pull.
To get ready for a powerlifting meet, about 3 weeks out
you make these simple changes. Monday
stays the same, it’s your “difficult” day for the squat and bench, whatever
that means for the set and rep scheme that you choose to employ. Tuesday gets very, very light. Thursday turns into a “practice” day for squat and bench, if you are going to use
gear this is the day that you would put it on get a little practice lifting in
it. If you’r not using gear, then a few
moderate to heavy singles to practice competition form are in order. Saturday
you come in and pull a few singles on the deadlift, just enough to get a
good idea of what attempts to take at the competition.
The week of the competition, you hit your openers on squat and bench on Monday
(a deadlift that is near your opener should have been hit the preceeding
Saturday), go ahead and practice the Olympic lifts reallty light on Tuesday,
then Thursday come in the gym and do a very light and quick squat and bench session, and I mean
very light. For many people, a few
doubles at 50-60% would be fine for most people, adjust up or down based on
your personal recovery ability.
If you want to enter an weightlifting competition, you
simply turn Thursday into another light practice day for the snatch and clean
and jerk 2-3 weeks away from the contest, which leaves you with heavy squats
and bench presses on Monday, technique practice with moderate weights on the
Olympic lifts on Tuesday and Thursday and a heavy snatch and clean and jerk day
on Saturday.
The Saturday before the competition, you will want to hit
somewhere around your openers or maybe 2nd attempts depending on
your individual recovery ability. The week of the competition, take Monday off,
on Tuesday take snatch and clean and jerk singles in line with your recovery
ability, for most people about 80% of maximum should be about right. One or two moderate sets of front squats and
bench presses can also be done, but don’t go crazy with the weight. If you are “recovery challenged” lighten it
up, especially the clean and jerk. Thursday
will be very light (50-60%) singles in both snatch and clean and jerk.
So there it is, a way to do both sports at once, and a
pretty decent program for getting bigger and stronger to boot.
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