Topic: A couple Q's for just getting started

[Brian Randell]

Just going to start Olympic lifting, see how it goes. Maybe when I hit 40 in January I want to do a couple comps and maybe qualify for masters nationals/ worlds.

My main weakness right now is just strength. Technique in anything has always come very quickly, I just need to work some strength. What I am thinking of doing is just using the following lifts to get started for about 6 weeks then re evaluate.

Front Squat
Overhead Squat
Romanian Deadlift
Presses
Snatch pull
Clean pull
Clean
Snatch.

Just really simple, get the strength and feel for the lifts up then take it from there. My question to you guys with your experience is, how should I break that up during the week and what set / rep scheme?

thanks in advance for your assistance.  Oh and btw for 'active recovery and cardio' I am pushing/pulling the neat little 'toy' attached in the pic   

[Matt Erdman]

You don't need a "strength base" or anything like that to start learning the lifts. If you can lift the bar without any trouble, then you have all the strength you need.

Positioning is the most important thing to start with, even more than lifting fast. Once you learn the proper positions you can start picking up speed and building strength. Your overall progress will be better by learning the technique first. If it should come quickly, then you won't have to wait long.

[Jim Hooper]

I think Matt's completely right about building the critical positions first.  Learn great receiving positions, develop sound pulling and jerk drive mechanics, and you're off to the races.

Your slate of movements is super.  One approach that works is to do a full lift, followed by the assistance movements for the opposite lift, on one day, then reverse the array the next training session.  Very simple, you just alternate "A" and "B" days.

For the exercise array you chose, that would look like this:

A Days (Snatch and CJ Assist):
1.  Snatch
2.  Clean Pull
3.  Front squat
4.  Clean grip RDL
5.  Jerk grip presses, push presses and/or power jerks

B Days (CJ and SN assist):
1.  CJ  (or cleans and rack jerks, if you want to practice them separately)
2.  Snatch Pull
3.  Overhead squat (snatch grip)
4.  Snatch grip RDL
5.  Snatch grip presses or push presses (behind the neck)

If you train three times per week, just alternate A and B sessions.  If you go four times per week, something like A, B, off, A, off, B, off should work well.  One nice thing about that arrangement is that you get into all critical positions for all the lifts every workout -- whether in the full "Lift 'O the Day" or in the assistance movements you have chosen for the opposite lift.

Always do the full lifts first, because they are the most complex and technically challenging.  Precede the workout (and each movement, as needed) with a good general warmup and lift-specific mobility movements (e.g., overhead/front squats with the empty bar, lifts with the empty bar, etc.).  If mobility into, and stability in, the receiving positions is an issue, "cool down" at the end of every workout with many overhead squats, front squats, and overhead lunge type movements with the empty bar or very light weights -- many repetitions moving into, and as much time as you can spend sitting in, the receiving positions, to get your body used to them.

Sets/Reps
For snatches, cleans, and jerks, emphasize quality, and technique.  That dictates keeping the rep range low (1-3), because you do not want to flail through the latter reps of higher-rep sets after your ATP is gone and you are huffing and puffing.  Think triples with lighter (50-60% or "light" type loads), doubles in the 65-75% or "medium" range, and singles once you get above 80% or weights that feel "heavy."  When you are learning and trying to get comfortable with the lifts, doing a lot of reps well with 50-80% loads will get you there faster than struggling and making lots of errors with heavier weights.

For the strength/assistance exercises, typical strength building set/rep schemes work well.  Think 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps:  3 x 5, 4x4, 5x3, those types of workouts.  Adjust loads to where the last "work set" is challenging, but completable in good form.  Even in your strength exercises, though, be more "technically conscious" that you would be in a general weight training program:  make the assistance exercises look and feel like the associated component of the full lift as much as you can in terms of positions, tempo, and speed.   You can ingrain all kinds of critical technical skills -- like good starting position, pulling with straight arms, exploding with your legs and hips, timing the shrug at the top of the extension, and so forth -- with every rep of the assistance movements you do.  Start conservatively (e.g., 3x3 or 3x4 sets at a target load) and figure out what your work and recovery capacity is.   Control the volume and intensity so that you get quality training each session.  Build up gradually over the six weeks, and put some lighter, easier days in every several workouts (maybe every 4th or 5th session) where you maintain the mobility and positions, but give your system and joints a little extra chance to recover.

If you use the six weeks to get real solid in the snatch, clean, and jerk receiving positions, and improve your pulling mechanics, you'll have a great base to build on from that point forward.  I think your plan of keeping it simple and working with these types of fundamental movements along with the lifts is a very good approach, and you'll be successful with it.

Good luck, be safe, and have fun.

[Brian Randell]

Thanks guys! Jim, thanks. You had drawn out exactly as I was thinking. Snatch w/ clean pull one day, then CJ with Snatch pull the next.

Since I don't really have 1rm's at this time I am going to go with what 'feels right' for the first 6 weeks then get my 1 RM to base the next cycle on.

I will run the lifts as you suggest, sets of 3 for right now. and hit the Squat, OH Squat and my RDL's with 3x5 (5's are something I have always responded really well to'.

Thanks again guys, I can't tell you how excited and pumped I am to get this started!