Olympic Weightlifting Programming

[Paul Marchetti]

Hey Guys and Gals!
I'm a 26 YO weightlifter and wanted to start a discussion on how you all program your training (specifically for you O lifters out there..). I've been lifting in general for about 9 years but Olympic lifting for only about 3. PRs are 113 Sn, 140 CJ, 200 bsq, 170 fsq, 515 lb DL all @85 kg.

Main discussion: Do you favor more heavy volume on the classic lifts with little or no assistance (Bulgarian-esque) or do you keep focus on overall strength and boost your lifts by boosting your strength in squats, pulls and presses and do the lift less frequently (Russian-esque?)? I tend to favor the later.

some other things just to throw out there as discussion starters:

muscle snatches- who does them, do you find them useful or just novelty?

rep ranges - whats your poison?? I recently read the Kendrick Farris often uses sets of 10 for things like squats presses, deadlifts, etc,

Belt or no belt?

Training frequency ?

Training splits ?

ok you get the idea. Thanks!
-Paul

[Randall Strossen]

Paul - Ok, I'll jump in and say that many years ago, I hit my lifting belt/its buckle on a snatch or clean, and that's when I quit wearing a belt. Not that this is something to dismiss, but the benefits of wearing a belt on these lifts might be more psychological than physical.

[Colin Anderson]

Chiming in on the belt topic...

I used to wear a belt for most compound movements, until I forgot to take it with me when I went strongman event training one day. I trained as usual, and it really made no difference.

I don't own a belt any more.

[JimSchmitz]

To wear a lifting belt or not is an excellent topic. When I began lifting in 1960 everyone wore a belt because of the standing press, you really needed it for low back support. When the press was eliminated from Olympic lifting in 1972 the use of the belt faded away. At the 2001 World Championships I took stats on who wore a belt or not 10% wore a belt for the snatch and 67% wore one for the C&J for the men. For the women is was it was 32% for the snatch and 72% for the C&J. And I observed in the training hall it was about 90% used a belt for squatting. If you go to the September 2006 Volume 14, Number 2 you can read my article on belts, wraps, and which foot goes forward in the jerk. I think the belt is good if the athlete feels good wearing it. Jim

[Brian Hope]

Hello Paul,

I gave up wearing a belt. I also would end up hitting the buckle. As far as reps I warm up w/ five or so then as I go heavier I go down to 3-1 depending on what percentage I'm working on for the day. Its been a little while since I have done some of these lifts, but I'm slowly getting back into it. I actually followed the program found in Jim Schmitz book/DVD, until my wife accidently tossed it with some other papers. :;dk)