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