Topic: Weightlifting progress and training programs

[Andy Dick]

Here is my two cents...I totally agree with what has been said about speaking to your coach.  A lifter needs clear lines of communication with their coach at all times.  Even if you think your coach is having a bad day you need to be able to speak to him at all times and discuss all aspects of your program with him.  If your coach is worth anything he will have good scientific reasons for doing what he is doing.  Also, if you have a good enough relationship with your coach ask him if you can try it for a week or so.  If you listen to your body you will know if it is starting to take a toll on you.  I also agree with what was said about other training methods work differently for other people.

Now as far as you questioning your coaching, that is normal to do so since you are driven to success as we all are.  I do not know how long your coach has coached you but as time goes on he will know what you respond to the best.  However, I have seen many times were lifters have tried to do more than the coach has recommended and as a result they have stalled in progress or only seen minimal gains.  I being one of them, because I tend to do too much especially days I feel really good I go really heavy (my coach is very far away and I receive my workouts by email so he is not around to tell me to back off).  By the time I realize I have been doing too much it is too late.  I am coming off of 2 months of doing no olympic lifts (1 week off because of battling bad patellar tendonitis for many months and then a quad strain for a month until the pain was so bad I needed a break, a second week was added because once that started to clear up I found I had both hamstrings strained).  Then because it was taking a while to come back from the strains I have only been able to squat for the past couple weeks, not to mention the huge strength losses I suffered.  So take it from me sometimes you need to realize your coach may know best.  When I learned my lesson I was already 2 months into injury.  I tried to work through it and cut it back some but it didn’t help.

Also, the other problem with your friend's style of training is that beginning Olympic lifters at the beginning see much progress because it is something novel their body so gains will progress quickly.  This is especially true as your technique moves more toward efficiency.  The other issue is as you said he will lift for 1-1.5 hours on the lifts with many misses.  This is the most troubling thing to me.  As the saying goes "practice makes permanent."  A fellow lifter once told me to do many lifts where you miss is a bad idea because you are only teaching yourself to miss.  What that means is you need to do more lifts that are successful because you will as a result do more successful techniques and you will fully tax all the muscles as you would need them in the lift.  Plus if your lift is a result of bad technique you are only engraining bad technique because you are doing so many of them wrong.  If you are doing 25 snatches and only make 10 because you failed to catch the other 15 then you are not training all the muscles as you would need them in the full lift.  Why not do 10 good lifts maybe 13 total with 3 misses attempting a new PR and do 12 pulls or another assistance exercise that will increase your chances to hit more effective lifts?

[7thLifter]

Thanks for the reply andy!

I agree with you. My coach said that everything will come to terms, and I shouldn't worry. Though to be honest, 2 days ago i had a not so good training session and got really frustrated. I've never really been frustrated like this, not that I can remember. It's been 3 months and my old strength is nowhere to be found.

I do understand what you are saying here. If I train too much, I may not get any results.

As for my friend, well yes he does have more unsuccessful lifts than me, that much is true. But this is hard to say to be honest...he has more misses than me, but also has way more attempts. Still it's like you said, when one is a beginner one progresses quickly, I have and he has. The only difference is, he has continued to make progress whereas  I have stalled thanks to the 2 week break...a break I was reluctant to take in the first place, but decided to listen to my coach. And now I only grow frustrated because I end up more or less disappointed after almost every training session as I realize that I'm weaker than I was before, and my strength is not coming back. To be honest, if regaining my strength takes much more than it already has, I will know that my coach basically screwed me...

[Andy Dick]

I would ask your coach why you went on the 2 week break.  Not sure why you did that.  I can tell you taking 2 weeks off will hurt your strength.  Before my "break" I was back squatting 350 lbs x6 now all I am able to hit 315 lbs x2 on a good day.  In my opinion that will be the hardest thing for you is coming back.  You will eventually come back that I am sure of you just need to be patient.  The most you can do from here is keep lifting hard obviously, and talk to your coach and pick his brain on what he is trying to accomplish.  Then you should be able to make an educated decision.

[7thLifter]

I would ask your coach why you went on the 2 week break.  Not sure why you did that.  I can tell you taking 2 weeks off will hurt your strength.  Before my "break" I was back squatting 350 lbs x6 now all I am able to hit 315 lbs x2 on a good day.  In my opinion that will be the hardest thing for you is coming back.  You will eventually come back that I am sure of you just need to be patient.  The most you can do from here is keep lifting hard obviously, and talk to your coach and pick his brain on what he is trying to accomplish.  Then you should be able to make an educated decision.

My coach has been lifting for many years and has trained lifters as well. I don't understand why he had me take the 2 week break. My back squat has suffered as well. I am also sure that I will regain my strength sooner or later, but it looks like later is more of an option. My coach said I would need the 2 week break so I do not burn out. But it appears to me he was wrong, since my friend took no break and is still making progress.

The truth is, everyone around me is making progress, only I am stalling, I feel weak and kind of useless with not being able to make a good result. Others are lifting decent or impressive amounts of weight, I'm lifting squat... (no pun intended). I feel weak and I hate it. Not because I am weak but because others are getting stronger.

I know I have what it takes to be a good lifter and to be strong and explosive, but the 2 weeks really screwed me to kingdom come...that's what's frustrating...to know I CAN do it, but not be able because of other elements that are now out of my control...

[Sean Hutchinson]

I would ask your coach why you went on the 2 week break.  Not sure why you did that.  I can tell you taking 2 weeks off will hurt your strength.  Before my "break" I was back squatting 350 lbs x6 now all I am able to hit 315 lbs x2 on a good day.  In my opinion that will be the hardest thing for you is coming back.  You will eventually come back that I am sure of you just need to be patient.  The most you can do from here is keep lifting hard obviously, and talk to your coach and pick his brain on what he is trying to accomplish.  Then you should be able to make an educated decision.

My coach has been lifting for many years and has trained lifters as well. I don't understand why he had me take the 2 week break. My back squat has suffered as well. I am also sure that I will regain my strength sooner or later, but it looks like later is more of an option. My coach said I would need the 2 week break so I do not burn out. But it appears to me he was wrong, since my friend took no break and is still making progress.

The truth is, everyone around me is making progress, only I am stalling, I feel weak and kind of useless with not being able to make a good result. Others are lifting decent or impressive amounts of weight, I'm lifting squat... (no pun intended). I feel weak and I hate it. Not because I am weak but because others are getting stronger.

I know I have what it takes to be a good lifter and to be strong and explosive, but the 2 weeks really screwed me to kingdom come...that's what's frustrating...to know I CAN do it, but not be able because of other elements that are now out of my control...

Stop whining and train harder. Two weeks off is nowhere near detrimental to your training. If anything most athletes should do this more often, not completely off but more of an active rest week. If you are not progressing there must be other factors playing into you possibly being over trained. If you are not getting enough sleep, eating enough, or are over stressed it could all effect your training. Lifting is not the only stressor that effects a lifters progress. You could be having girl problems, work problems, etc. Just stay positive and train smart. You have to listen to your body and if your feeling tired and worn out back off but if you feel like you have alot more in you then step it up. Nobody has the perfect training system although there are some great ones out there. You just have to figure out what works for your body.

[7thLifter]

Sean, thanks for your reply as well.

Training hard and trying to get my strength back is what I've been trying to do for the last 3 months or so now. It's not like I don't want to train - I do. I sleep a lot, like 10+ hours, I also eat a lot. I don't have a girlfriend, or any girl troubles for that matter. I don't work either, it's just sports, though I am currently looking for a job. There's really no stress in my life at the moment.

I guess I have not been 100% positive the last couple of weeks, that's true. I'll take your advice. I've been into sports long enough to know that failure or giving up is not an option, at least not for me. I'm not giving up...hell no.

[Sean Hutchinson]

Sean, thanks for your reply as well.

Training hard and trying to get my strength back is what I've been trying to do for the last 3 months or so now. It's not like I don't want to train - I do. I sleep a lot, like 10+ hours, I also eat a lot. I don't have a girlfriend, or any girl troubles for that matter. I don't work either, it's just sports, though I am currently looking for a job. There's really no stress in my life at the moment.

I guess I have not been 100% positive the last couple of weeks, that's true. I'll take your advice. I've been into sports long enough to know that failure or giving up is not an option, at least not for me. I'm not giving up...hell no.

It happens to all of us. I've had points in my lifting where I haven't made progress for quite sometimes. Just gotta stick with it and eventually you break through that wall. Keep your head up!