Topic: David Woodhouse's The System at Weightlifting Epiphanies

[Shaun Le Conte]

Over at the blog, Weightlifting Epiphanies, there was an interesting post about an article that was written by David Woodhouse of the UK

David outlines his training plan which he calls The System

http://weightliftingepiphanies.blogspot.com/2010/09/davids-delivery.html

My comments are that a lifter would need relatively good weightlifting technique in starting this program since there is so little volume on the sn & cj, but I see he addressed that issue by recommending 20 mins of empty bar or broom work every day. I am not sure that lifting with a bar or broom is a reasonable substitute, but he has experience coaching lifters with success.

I can't be doing any program like this because I train without a platform above a restaurant but perhaps sometime in the future I will again return to heavier lifts

[David Woodhouse]

THat was an early draft. A better version can be found here: http://foxwoodwl.co.uk/testarticle2.html

Basically we do the lifts to maximum, the squats to max triple and train only twice per week. Some of the guys do snatch and clean both workouts - it really depends on their recovey capacity.

[Justin Ott]

THat was an early draft. A better version can be found here: http://foxwoodwl.co.uk/testarticle2.html
Basically we do the lifts to maximum, the squats to max triple and train only twice per week. Some of the guys do snatch and clean both workouts - it really depends on their recovey capacity.

Very interesting read David, I think you are bang on with a lot of what you say. My only point of contention with that program is I personally feel I would not have enough workload to obtain a training effect. I might become undertrained if you know what I mean. But on the other hand I am used to training 6x a week 2hrs a day so I am probably overtrained/fatigued most of the time. There must be a different intersecting point of maximum efficiency for athletes and I guess it is something that can only be found with experimentation. I wonder if you could track the gains made by your group of weightlifters VS. that of John Broz' and see how the two opposite training programs compare. I understand that the variables are many but still would be interesting to see.

[Dave Chiu]

Very interesting combination

of things elsewhere found effective.

What range of volume (reps/sets) and time per wkt

seems to go well w/ the system?

As I get further into my 40s, I find it difficult

to get well-warmed in under 40 min,

and that more than a certain volume

(like 25 lifts of >50% for SN)

makes my energy/technique start to fade --

what do you think about this for the aged?

;-)

[Jesster]

I disagree with the idea of doing the minimal to get a response. Supercompensation is represent by a curve. Doing the minimal could be a stimulus and rest pattern that has you beginning to train to early or too late. Too early: fatigue has not dissipated enough, so you see minimal gains. Too late: fitness has declined.

[David Woodhouse]

I'm not sure I understand your point. Our training frequency is specifically designed to coincide with the peak in supercompensation. It is specific to 'amateur' lifters of a certain ability (Sinclair less than 320)

[David Woodhouse]

Justin - Thanks for your comments. I understand your scepticism and also that when one has spent several years training in a given way it becomes very difficult to change. It's really tantamount to asking someone to change faiths! For several years I lifted 4 or 5 times per week and sometimes twice per day. In 2008 my son was born and due to family 'responsibilities' I was only able to train twice per week. Ironically during this period I discovered that (providing the intensity was maximal) that I could actually EXCEED my previous pbs on the abbreviated program. THis led me to do the reading to find out 'why'?

Interestingly this year I had a knee meniscus injury (and later surgery) that prevented me flexing the knee beyond 90 degrees. For 3 months I performed only ONE exercise twice per week and yet was able to set an all time power clean pb of 147.5!

I genuinely believe that if I were to write you a program you would set pbs.

[Jesster]

I'm not sure I understand your point. Our training frequency is specifically designed to coincide with the peak in supercompensation. It is specific to 'amateur' lifters of a certain ability (Sinclair less than 320)

I believe in the article you quoted a trainer who advised to do the minimal to get a response. I just disagree with using that phrase in a general manner. Reminds me of Prilepin table. Where he had a minimal, optimal and maximal worked out at a given intensity. I'm sure you have worked out the intensity and volume to try and  maximize a twice per week frequency.