Greetings Brothers. I have been olympic lifting for about 12 years now, moving from the masters 65-69 years class, 70-74, and now 75-79. I have set about 80 state records in various weight and age categories, and am finally in a class where there are only my own records to break. At the moment, following advice i ought to build up my stamina, am doing a 3 month 10x10 program. 4 exercises, twice a week, and other stuff on other days. then I will get back to heavy stuff and serious snatches and C+J’s. My last training session was Thurs 9’th Feb.
My man! I am definitely in for this log, and will be keeping up very closely with the updates. Aside from starting early, what recommendations do you have for a new Weightlifter?
Greetings IronOne. Did a couple of years of weight training in my late teens, till i was shoofed off to the country for my apprenticeship training. Certainly not a natural, and trained at home with a barbell. Best i did was a press with 175 lbs (bodyweight 160), and a bottom up parallel front sq with 300 lbs. At 28, and now married, went again to the country for a promotion - for 38 years. Pretty much away from weights, travelling for my work in a 10,000 square mile district. But i was a confirmed physical culturist ---- exercise running, 20 years of competitive swimming, Tai Chi 40 years practice and teaching, Yoga practice and teaching, Reiki to master-teacher level, Subtle body dynamics. Got the axe in my job at 64, and could go to a gym again. Thought masters OL might be fun, so spent 2 years learning the trade in a small country gym, no platform, iron weights. Then travelled 130 miles for contests for a few years, then moved to the city. I take care to avoid injury. Did my back in at one stage, and spent 9 months lifting seated in a chair. Another time my left knee began to hurt in a deep sq, so i spent many months doing quarter sq’s and split lifts with my good leg forward. Currently i hurt my shoulder when i started doing BP after a 10 year break, so in my current program i am doing the OLs in lieu of BP. I have reduced my training to twice a week, because it takes me longer to recover.
I had to start giving myself more rest after I turned 40. I used to never rest longer than two minutes between sets and now it can be between three and four for heavy sets.
Thank you, Destrength, for your kind words. i was fortunate in that i followed the iron game with magazines and books since i was young. When i moved to the city and a real lifting gym, i already knew just about everything. They looked on me as some friggin guru and let me do my own thing. Their technique pointers and encouragement were very helpfull. Doing a program a national coach made out for me, i hurt my back, badly, right off. Since then, i have done my own thing. No matter what outlandish experiment i might try, they seem to assume it is something intelligent and thought out. If you are just starting out, good coaching is ideal, even advice from fellow lifters. Failing that, you can learn an awful lot from the net, watching big contests and u-tube lifts.
I would recommend not going too heavy too often. Build great technique with lightish weights, and gradually build up, keeping an eye on style.
greetings Paules. Early on, in competition, i really struggled because i had to do my lfts one after another, as there was no one as weak as me. They say you get 2 minutes rest, but by the time you get your head right and walk from the warmup area to the bar, it’s pretty much one minute. So i based my training on one minute rests between sets to get used to this. Worked ok for snatches, but had to rest longer on C+J and squats.
Certainly it is not ideal for building power and strength because the body needs a heap more time to do things properly. What you are doing is a lot better, but i have gotten used to working as fast as possible.
The only time i take proper rest is when i am tuning up for contests, transitioning from reps to singles.
Getting into this flexing thing. After many years of systems training, driving with every muscle that can be engaged to expedite a lift, am now engaging specific targeted muscles on the lighter warmups, as well as the finisher flexing sets.
single leg heels raises and pushups on my off days. And 2 days of exercise walks. And swimming 3 days - it’s really hot. We have beautiful white sand beaches.
This is the end of my 3 month program. If i were to continue, i would freeze weight increases, until i could finish the program quicker. As the weights went up and up, i found i had to have more rest to keep going.
New program starts next week. heavier weights, a 4-way total body split, which showed some promise the last time i tried it. Will continue off day pressups and SLHR. Want to hit delts and calves with specialization. And do heavy lifts.
[1] Breathing Sq. 1 x 20.
power jerk behind neck. 3 x 5.
heels raise. 3 x 15. flexing and hold at top.
lat machine. 3 x 10. flexing.
tri pressdowns. 3 x 10. flexing.
dumbell rows. 3 x 10. flexing.
split C+J . about 15 sets 2.
rowing intervals.
[2] Paused front sq. 3 x 5.
romanian D.L. 3 x 10.
Clean & Press. 3 x 3.
curls. 3 x 10. flexing.
Horizontal Leg press heels raise. 3 x 15. flexing.
skull crushers. 3 x 15. flexing.
rows. 3 x 10. flexing.
snatch. about 20 sets 2.
rowing intervals.
[3] paused breathing sq. 15 - 25.
J.B.N. 3 x 5.
SLHR. 3 x 15. flexing & hold at top.
palms up lat mach. 3 x 10. flexing.
jerk thrust. 3 x 5.
Clean pulls. 3 x 5.
B.O. lateral raise. 3 x 10. flexing.
C+J. 20 x 2.
rowing intervals.
[4] olympic D.L. 3 x 5.
snatch pulls. 3 x 5.
O.A.M.P. 3 x 10. flexing.
inc curls. 3 x 10. flexing.
S.L.H.R. dumbell. 3 x 10. flexing.
lying side laterals. 3 x 10. flexing.
cable crunch. 3 x 10. flexing.
snatch. 20 x 2.
rowing intervals.
on off days, flexing pushups and SLHR, and exercise walks.
Break in week, baby-ing myself.
tues 13-3-2017.
stick warmups.
breathing sq. 80 k. -20.
power J.B.N. 20 k. - 5.5.
heels raise, flexing. 3 x 15.
lat mach. 100 lbs. - 10.10. flexing.
tri pressdowns. 70 lbs. 10.10. flexing.
O.A. rows. 18 k. - 10.10. flexing.
C+J. stick - 2.2. (20 k) 2.2.2.2.2.2.2.
rowing - 15 secs easy, 15 hard, 30 easy.
This will be an interesting experiment for me. The backbone of the workouts are a couple of heavy strength exercises. Followed by a bunch of isolation type exercises - done light, with flexing. In the past my isolation exercises were all as heavy as possible, and only for a set or two.
Mon 20-3-2017.
Stick warmups.
Paused Breathing Sq. - (70 k.) 15. will add one rep each time til i get to 25, then add weight.
JBN. (20 k) 5.5.5.
SLHR. flexing. 10.10.10.
palms up lat machine. flexing. (100 lb) 10.10.10.
Jerk Thrust. (40 k) 5.5.5.
Cl pulls. (40 k) 5.5.5.
Bent over lateral raise. flexing. (3 k) 10.10.10.
Split C+J. stick 2.2. (20 k) 2.2.2.2. (22.5) 2.2.2.2. (25) 2.2.2.2.
rowing intervals. 30 sec slow/ 30 hard/ 30 slow/ 30 hard.
Greetings Irishman. Thank you for your kind words.
I am sure you will do as well or better when you are my age.
Just recently a number of Babes at the fitness gym where we train asked my wife how old i am, & when told said i looked very youthful & have more flexibility than anyone.
This should cause me embarrassment to be the center of attention. Uh uh. Just love it!
I would have loved to sport the gunz & lats & traps i have now when i was a teen & straight up and down.
There is a comp this Sat, State Masters Titles, but i won’t be competing, though assured of first place in my age group. No one my age is silly enough to be doing olympic weightlifting.
Last comp, - coming out of a 9 month period of light conditioning training, undertaken because i have seen those who have constantly pushed for heavier weights ended with bad injuries, so i decided to alternate periods of light training with periods of going for it. - anyway, when my body felt heavy weight on the platform, no way was it going to crash dive under it, so i did stiff, high splits that earned me red lights.
So now i am rebuilding a low fast technique, gradually increasing weights. It will be a month or two yet before i lift again.
When i was going heavy last i was doing 105 k for 20 breathing squats. Easing back in i started with 80 k, & adding 1 k each breathing sq workout. At 83 now & planning to get to 110 in a year or so.