3 Reasons Why Coaches Should Program Weightlifting More Frequently (and How)

Like any skill-dependent sport, Olympic weightlifting demands high degrees of motor control, neurological stimulation, and force capacities. While advancements can surely be made training the formal lifts (snatch, cleans, and jerks), many lifters can benefit from training weightlifting specific movements more frequently.

Here’s why.

Skill Development

At a recent discussion with Max Aita of Juggernaut Training Systems, the concept of Stimulus, Recovery, Adaptation (SRA) was discussed, specifically when addressing technique in Olympic weightlifting. Due to the motor patterning, speed component, proprioception, and technical mastery needed to execute a lift, weightlifting programs should employ snatches, cleans, and jerks (and/or their variations) frequently, as in nearly every day.

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Because weightlifting is dependent on bar patterning and an awareness of the relationship between the barbell and lifter, athletes need to see technical and strength workouts for weightlifting as two separate entities to best maximize performance. Much like other skill-based sports (baseball, track and field, etc) technique must be constantly trained to allow for the expression of an athlete’s maximal capacity.

Address Specific Faults

There are very few recreational lifters (basically everyone who does not receive compensation for their weightlifting efforts) out there who have perfect technique. Training less frequently will impede the coach’s and athlete’s ability to not only program specific drill and technical work for the athlete, but also train the fuller versions of the lifts as well (which should be done on a regular basis to increase the training program’s application to competition). Increasing the frequency at which one can train (even if only 20-30 minutes) can have a significant impact on a lifter’s technique and skill mastery.

Enhanced Movement and Mobility

Like most mobility and movement practices, acute effects can compound into long-term adaptations. Likewise, in the event you stop and don’t move in similar patterns, movement specificity is lost.

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By including drills that express full range of motion and control (or mobility and corrective exercises set to address deficiencies), lifters can potentially speed up a their timeline to success.

How to Program Weightlifting More Frequently

Below are four ways coaches and athletes can program more weightlifting derived movements into daily routines.

1. Varied Intensities

In a recent article I discussed how coaches and athletes can manipulate relative training intensities to have lighter, moderate, and higher intensity loading days. By cycling the intensities, specifically implementing more lower intensity training (70-75% of rm) you can increase a lifter’s technique, speed, barbell awareness, and even work capacity.

2. Complexes

Complexes are a great way to build in lifts and movements that can address a lifter’s individual issues, yet still tie the partial lift into the fuller, competition version. By including complexes, such as these one’s for increased confidence and technique, you can increase a lifter’s exposure to sound barbell patterning, acceleration, and address their individual concerns more frequently.

3. Weightlifting Assistance Exercises

Assistance training, specifically movements that affect positioning  in the snatch, clean, or jerk, can be added into other non-weightlifting intensive days to develop positional strength, awareness, and confidence. Movements like behind the neck push presses, high pulls, and belt squats can all lead to muscular development and can positively impact movement patterning.

Final Thoughts

While many athletes have conflicting schedules that may not allow for daily and/or almost daily training, coaches and athletes should do their best to program weightlifting specific movements as frequently as possible to best address individual limitations and needs.
Additional resources, such as weightlifting articles, videos, and athlete/coaching forums set out to analyze technique to teach lifter’s outside of the gym can also be a very helpful training tool.


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