Topic: What do you feel is a good progress pace?

[Matt Erdman]

I'm the type of person to set lofty goals... and then not achieve them. So I'm trying to figure a way to keep my feet on the ground, so to speak. I'm sure there is a limit to how fast all the adaptations that are nesseacary can take place. Just wondering what coaches/lifters have experienced. I'm pretty much just considering senior lifters, but anything is welcome. 

I should add that my total is about 2.5x my bodyweight. So no genetic limita are in site. 

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Matt,

I think you are asking an impossible question. Every situation is individual. The first factor it would be related to is your total to bodyweight. The better that ratio is, the slower the progress that would be expected. The next factor would be age, and the next talent. But, those could be out of order in a given situation.

[Rob Macklem]

I'm the type of person to set lofty goals... and then not achieve them.

Why?

I'm sure there is a limit to how fast all the adaptations that are nesseacary can take place.

Those that set WR's have no such limits, the word limitation isn't in their vocabulary.

My answer, but probably not exactly what you're looking for:
You pose an interesting question, because anyone who has taken the sport seriously has been there.
Like Chris says there are  too many factors involved to give an absolute answer. The Russians have published norms(years ago but still applicable) for totals as a lifter progresses thru the ranks in various wt classes. This can give a coach an indication of a lifters potential. Suffice to say a good lifter should always make rapid progress in the 1st 3-4 yrs. The next 2 yrs  tends to be the turning point(IMO); progress can slow or stop. This can be difficult and or frustrating time for both coach and lifter.

At this point typically the "program" is looked at, sets, reps, exercises...that magic formula. It of coarse doesn't exist. All things physical and external are looked at. But;like the song says
"looking for love in all the wrong places".

A starting point is to buy the Weightlifting Encyclopedia by Artie Drechsler read chapter 7; Building the Mind of a Weightlifting Champion (32 pages indepth coverage). This should be mandatory reading after the 1st yrs of training.
The answers are there with certainty...you just have to be honest with yourself and  decide which topics are applicable to you. This is the easy part, implementing the ideas and techniques can initially be much harder than the physical training.

Even the world's best still have goals. Two months ago at the 2007 worlds I got Dmitriy Klokov to sign a few of my photos of him from the 2006 worlds...it wasn't until the next day that I noticed  he had added to his signature on all the photos the number 442.5kg...the World record (standard) in the 105kg class is 440kg. There was very little guessing the significance. (One of the 1st steps in goal setting is to write them down ).

At the worlds I believe a lot of  lifters have equal or similar  physical capabilities, the difference and "edge" is in the  training that goes on in the head.
Sports psychology isn't exclusive for the need to train extremely hard; but it certainly is inclusive to reach the next level.