2013 Nationals

USAW Nationals recap media all in one place!  Full list of results from USAWeightlifting.

Whats Going On

Just a few things about whats going on.

This is the latest Weightlifting Scoop Podcast! It features Travis Cooper and myself along with the New MDUSA member Matt Bergeron.




 The SISU Strength and Conditioning Center (aka Crossfit Smithfield)  is starting to take shape!  We are expecting to get more equipment from MDUSA shipped in the next few days.  I will post more pics of it once we get it all set up!  If your ever driving down (or up) I-95 in Smithfield NC, we are right off the highway, so feel free to stop by for a visit.  Deacon and I are very excited about the Grand Opening on May 18th (I'll post more on that soon too)

We also got a new Videographer at MDUSA, he does a really good job.  Welcome to the team Justin!

 


This is just one of the pics of the new MDUSA gym, this is only half...

 


Last of all the Collegiate Nationals Weightlifting Championships are this weekend.  I am going to be competing in a separate Pan American Championships Qualifier session in hopes to qualify for the 2013 Pan Am Championships.  Travis Cooper and Chris Gute will also be there!

Technique

Working on your technique can be one of the most irritating things about Olympic Weightlifting.  It takes more than hard work to fix it, you need the eye of a good coach.  But that is not available to everyone, so you make do with what you got. Let's say you start out by going to a seminar taught by Glenn Pendlay, Don McCauley, or even myself. That is a great starting point.  But don't stop there,  things like these videos are the bread and butter to lifters who are working on their own and coaching themselves.  I can speak first hand about this because I coached myself for over a year before joining the MDUSA team.

When I first started weightlifting, I took a short 4 week class (2 days a week). I got the basics down and most importantly I got hooked to weightlifting.  My technique was always a little "rough" to say the least.  I knew I could do more and be better with the right direction, so I set a goal to find a coach.  I took a seminar with Don McCauley before I tried out for the Muscle Driver Team.  During the seminar, everything made sense and I was moving really well (I even Power Cleaned 140kg which was a PR at that time). Don had introduced me to sweeping the bar, and it made a HUGE difference.



After the seminar I kept trying to train myself the way Don had taught me.  It was terrible, I couldn't move right and the bar would never get into the same spot.  I was not lifting like I was when Don was giving me the right cues.  I was very frustrated.  I realize now that the reason I couldn't lift right was that I was fighting against my well rehearsed bad technique.  I should have reinforced what he taught me by looking at videos of lifters who he had coached or mentioned at the seminar.  Once I actually started doing that, my technique started to make a "permanent" change for the better.  Videos like these would have made it even better. In the end, when you are frustrated and mad because of weightlifting, watch these videos again and again. This will  help your body and brain make the connection about what you're supposed to be doing when you lift. And most importantly, keep at it!

Recovery

Shoulder pain tends to be an issue among Olympic Weightlifters.  I have had issues with my shoulders as well.  Massage and Chiropractic are great but getting a massage multiple times a week is not always realistic. A good addition to your recovery process is a self massage trigger point tool.  Body Back Buddy is a sturdy tool to help get hard to reach trigger points.  This tool is sturdy enough to push through thick muscles like your upper traps so you can get to trigger points on the supraspinatus and rhomboids.  It is also versatile enough to comfortably get trigger points on your neck, lower back, and glutes.  In the end having more tools in your recovery arsenal will help keep your body healthy and the Body Back Buddy  is a good one to have.  I have them on sale at TatumTrained.com if you are interested!

Week 4 Day 5

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 1 at 70%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 at 70%

PM
Snatch Max

Clean and Jerk Max

Week 4 Day 4

No Hook Grip No foot movement snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with good form (light)

Jerks off the blocks
3 sets of 3 reps with good form (light)

Front Squat
1 set of 4 reps with 87-89%

Week 4 Day 3

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Clean
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Push Press Bar Behind Neck
3 sets of 6 with 2:30 rest (try to match week 2 weight)


PM
Snatch off the blocks (bar close to knees)
Work up to a heavy double

Snatch pull high pull+ snatch high pull+ snatch off the blocks
Stay about 20% lighter than snatch off the blocks and work on form

Clean+ clean and jerk off the blocks
Work up to a heavy weight

Romanian Deadlifts
1 set of 5 reps (heavier)

Week 4 Day 2

Snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with 65%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 rep  with 65%

Squat
1 set of 6 reps with 82-84%

Week 4 Day 1

AM
Snatch
2 sets of 3 reps with 120sec rest about 80%

Clean and Jerk
1 set of 2 reps with 2 minutes rest about 80%


PM
Snatch
Work up to a heavy double

Low Hang Snatch
3 sets of 3 reps with more weight than last week

Clean Clean Jerk
Use more than last week

Clean and jerk x2
1 set of 2 reps with similar weight as last week

Week 3 Day 5

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 1 at 70%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 at 70%

PM
Snatch Max

Clean and Jerk Max

Week 3 Day 4

No Hook Grip No foot movement snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with good form (light)

Jerks off the blocks
3 sets of 3 reps with good form (light)

Front Squat
2 sets of 2 reps with 3 min rest 88-90%

Week 3 Day 3

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Clean
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Push Press Bar Behind Neck
3 sets of 4 with 2:30 rest (more weight than last week)


PM
Snatch off the blocks (bar close to knees)
Work up to a heavy triple

Snatch pull high pull+ snatch high pull+ snatch off the blocks
Stay about 20% lighter than snatch off the blocks and work on form

Clean+ clean and jerk off the blocks
work up to a heavy weight

Romanian Deadlifts
2 sets of 10 reps (light)

Week 3 Day 2

Snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with 65%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 rep  with 65%

Squat
3 sets of 4 reps with 3 min rest with about 86-88%

Week 3 Day 1

AM
Snatch
5 sets of 3 reps with 120sec rest about 75-80%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 2 reps with 2 min rest about 75-80%


PM
Snatch
Work up to a heavy double

Low Hang Snatch
3 sets of 3 reps ( about same weight as week 2)

Clean Clean Jerk
More than last week

Clean and jerk x2
3 sets of 2 reps with more than last week

Week 2 Day 5

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 1 at 70%

clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 at 70%

PM
Snatch Max

Clean and Jerk Max

Week 2 Day 4

No Hook Grip No foot movement snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with good form (light)

Jerks off the blocks
3 sets of 3 reps with good form (light)

Front Squat
3 sets of 3 reps with 3 min rest 86-88%

Week 2 Day 3

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Clean
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Push Press Bar Behind Neck
3 sets of 5 with 2:30 rest (more weight than last week)


PM
Snatch off the blocks (bar close to knees)
Work up to a heavy double

Snatch pull high pull+ snatch high pull+ snatch off the blocks
Stay about 20% lighter than snatch off the blocks and work on form

Clean+ clean and jerk off the blocks
Work up to a heavy weight

Romanian Deadlifts
2 sets of 5 reps (heavier)

Week 2 Day 2

Snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with 65%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 rep  with 65%

Squat
3 sets of 5 reps with 3 min rest with about 82-84% 1RM

Week 2 Day 1

AM
Snatch
5 sets of 3 reps with 90 sec rest about 70-75%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 2 reps with 2 min rest about 70-75%


PM
Snatch
Work up to a heavy triple

High Hang Snatch
3 sets of 3 reps with more weight than last week

Clean Clean Jerk
try to use more than last week

Clean and jerk x2
3 sets of 2 reps with more than last week

Week 1 Day 5

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 1 at 70%

clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 at 70%


PM
Snatch Max

Clean and Jerk Max

Week 1 Day 4

No Hook Grip No Foot Movement Snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with good form (light)

Jerks off the blocks
3 sets of 3 reps with good form (light)

Front Squat
3 sets of 4 reps with 3 min rest  84-86%

Week 1 Day 3

AM
Snatch
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Clean
3 sets of 2 with about 70%

Push Press Bar Behind Neck
3 sets of 6 with 2:30 rest

PM
Snatch off the blocks (bar close to knee height)
Work up to a heavy triple

Snatch pull high pull+ snatch high pull+ snatch off the blocks
Stay about 20% lighter than snatch off the blocks and work on form

Clean+ clean and jerk off the blocks
work up to a heavy weight


Romanian Deadlifts
2 sets of 10 reps (light)

Week 1 Day 2

Snatch
3 sets of 2 reps with 65%

Clean and Jerk
3 sets of 1 rep  with 65%

Squat
3 sets of 6 reps with 3 minutes rest with about 80% 1RM

Week 1 Day 1 Advanced

This is the start of a new program!  It would be good if you have done the two programs prior to this one to help prepare you for the volume of this one.  This program has days where it is training twice a day.  I recommend that you get at least 4 hours between sessions and no more than 6 hours.  The percentages are only recommendations and don't need to be followed exactly +/- 5-10% is fine depending on how your feel that day.


AM
Snatch

3 sets of 3 reps with 90 seconds of rest with about 70% 1RM

Clean and Jerk

3 sets of 2 reps with 2 minutes of rest with about 70% 1RM

PM

Snatch

Work up to a heavy triple

High Hang Snatch

3 sets of 3 reps with about 20% less than what you snatched (work on form)

Clean + Clean & Jerk

Work up to a heavy weight

Clean and Jerk x2

3 sets of 2 reps with about 20% less than Clean + Clean & Jerk

140/160

For those of you who have read some of my other blogs you will know that I am big on setting goals.  I recently reached a goal I had set for my self over a year ago.  140kg snatch and a 160kg clean and jerk for a 300kg total.

140/160 was my outcome goal.  I also set smaller goals to help me reach that goal; which where to get a weightlifting bar, find a training partner, get sponsored, find a coach, and compete at a national level.  So after I set these goals I first went to the Arnold Classic (which was a the national championship in 2012) and competed against people who where far my superior as an 85kg lifter.  I snatched 130 and clean and jerked 153 at that meet for a 10th place finish.  A few months latter I got a chance to try out for Glenn Pendlay's new Muscle Driver Team! If I got on the team it would help me to get to train with a Pendlay weightlifting bar, have great training partners, get a coach, and get sponsored.  It sounded to good to be true.

Coach Pendlay ended up inviting me to the team about a week after the meet.  So we moved out to the Charlotte area so I could train full time with Team MDUSA.  6 months later I finally met my outcome goal of 140/160 as a 77kg lifter (a weight-class lighter).  How all these things worked themselves into place was a blessing.  Even though there were times when not getting a Snatch PR in over a year was discouraging, I focused on the getting the process goals completed which led to an achieved goal.

Now it is time for me to set new goals

Outcome Goals

1. Clean and Jerk 170kg
2. Compete at an International Level 
3. Total over 304kg in competition

Process Goals

1. Get soft tissue work done at least once a month
2. Compete with more 77kg lifters in training like Chris Gute and Jake Rubash 
3. Get at least a 290 kg total on Max Out Fridays!

Thanks for reading

Stay Strong,

James Tatum

Week 4 Day 5

Max Effort Snatch

Max Effort Clean and Jerk

Week 4 Day 4

Power Snatch
3 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest with same weight as last week

Week 4 Day 3

Snatch
5 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes of rest with 75% 1rm

Clean and Jerk
5 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes of rest with 75% 1RM

Front Squat
3 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest use same weight as last week

Week 4 Day 2

Power Clean
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes of rest

Week 4 Day 1

This week we will be doing less volume.  Focus mostly on keeping good form and moving fast.

High Hang Snatch
2 sets of 2 reps with 90 seconds of rest keep weight light and work on form

Snatch from Floor
2 sets of 1 rep with 90%

Clean and Jerk
2 sets of 1 rep with 90%

Back Squat
1 sets of 5 reps use more weight than last week

Week 3 Day 5

Snatch
MAX

Clean and Jerk
MAX


Squat (1 rep max on front squat then follow it with as many back squats as you can get with the same weight)
1 set of complex

Week 3 Day 4

Power Snatch (1st from the Hang, 2nd from the floor)
3 sets of 2 reps with 2 minutes

Snatch Pull (Up fast down in 5 seconds with arched back)
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest

Week 3 Day 3

Snatch
5 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest with 90% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Clean and Jerk
5 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest with 90% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Front Squat
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest use more weight than last week

Week 3 Day 2

Power Clean
5 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes rest

Clean Pull (Go up fast and come down in 5 seconds with an arched back)
5 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest

Week 3 Day 1

High Hang Snatch
2 sets of 2 reps with 90 seconds of rest keep weight light and work on form

Snatch From Floor
8 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest use 85% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Clean and Jerk
5 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest use 85% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Back Squat
3 sets of 5 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest use more weight than last week.

Week 2 Day 5

Snatch
Max

Clean and Jerk
Max

Squat (1 rep max on front squat then follow it with as many back squats as you can get with the same weight)
1 set of complex

Week 2 Day 4

Power Snatch (1st from the Hang, 2nd from the floor)
3 sets of 2 reps with 2 minutes

Snatch Pull (Up fast down in 5 seconds with arched back: not like video its just funny)
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest

Week 2 Day 3

Snatch
8 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest with 85% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Clean and Jerk
8 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest with 85% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Front Squat
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest use more weight than last week

Week 2 Day 2

Power Clean
5 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes rest

Clean Pull (Go up fast and come down in 5 seconds with an arched back)
5 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest

Week 2 Day 1

High Hang Snatch
2 sets of 2 reps with 90 seconds of rest keep weight light and work on form

Snatch From Floor
8 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest use 85% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Clean and Jerk
8 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest use 85% 1RM

Rest 15 minutes

Back Squat
3 sets of 5 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest use more weight than last week.

Week 1 Day 5

Week 1 Day 5
Snatch
Max

Clean and Jerk
Max

Squat (1 rep max on front squat then follow it with as many back squats as you can get with the same weight)
1 set of complex

Week 1 Day 4

Week 1 Day 4
Power Snatch (1st from the Hang, 2nd from the floor)
3 sets of 2 reps

Snatch Pull (Up fast down in 5 seconds with arched back: not like video its just funny)
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest

Week 1 Day 3

Week 1 Day 3
Snatch
7 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest with 85% 1RM

High Hang Snatch
2 sets of 2 reps with 90 secons rest (stay light and keep good form)

Clean and Jerk
7 sets of 1 rep with 2 minutes rest with 85% 1RM

Hang Clean + 3 Jerks
2 sets of 2 reps with 90 seconds rest (stay light and keep good form)

Front Squat
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest

Week 1 Day 2

Week 1 Day 2
Power Clean
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes rest

Clean Pull (Go up fast and come down in 5 seconds with an arched back)
3 sets of 3 reps with 2 minutes and 30 seconds rest