The Sport of Weightlifting Series Book 3 Training Manual - Nodrm

The Sport of
Weightlifting Series
Book 3: Training Manual
By Jim Napier
The Sport of
Weightlifting Series
Book 3: Training Manual
By Jim Napier - Copyright © 2017
Note of Rights: All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, otherwise, without the prior written
permission of the author. jimnapier @sbcglobal.net.
Notice of Liability: The information in this book is distributed on an “as

is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the
preparations of the book, the author shall not be held liable to any person
or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused
directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book.
About the Author

Jim Napier graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1963.
Was captain of the track team and placed second at the Texas HS State
Meet in the Discus in 1963. Attended Howard County Junior College on
an athletic scholarship and placed second in the Junior College Nationals
in the discus in 1964 and 1965. Attended TCU on an athletic scholarship.
Received a degree in Physical Education in 1968, taking courses in
(physics, statistics, biology, kinesiology and Anatomy).
Jim was National Weightlifting Champion in 1977 in the 82.5 kg
class and placed second at Nationals in 1975, 1976 and 1978. Set four
American records in the snatch, including a Pan American Record snatch
of 140 kg in the 75 kg class, American Record snatch 142.5 in the 75 kg
class in 1978, and National record snatch of 155 kg in the 82.5 kg class in
1979. Set National and World Record in Masters Division.
Jim has been a member of Spoon Barbell Club Weightlifting Team
since 1974 and inducted into Texas Weightlifting Hall of Fame 2009.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction
Common exercises
Chapter 2
Learning vs. Training
Main Objective
Function of the Assistance Lifts
Controlled Actions
Coaching Responsibilities
Watchful Eye
Advise & Consent
Collaborate
Producing a Non-Dependent Athlete
Coaching Beginners
Coaching Late-Comers to the Sport
Chapter 3
Times-in-motion
Overloading
Automatic Reduction in the Level of
Intensity Manipulating the Primary Loadings
Knowing Times-in-motion
Chapter 4
Separation
Squat Routines
Training the Squats and Pulls
Relativity in Weightlifting
Chapter 5
Training the Competition Lifts
Training the Snatch
Repetitions vs. Amount of Weight
Chapter 6
The Assistance Lifts
Functionality of the Squats and Pulls
Chapter 7
Training the Squats
Repetitions in the Squats
Frequency and Volume of the Squats
Temptations
Training the Front Squat
Chapter 8
Training the Pulls
Snatch and Clean Pull to Full Extension with Straight Arms
Keeping the Pulls in Sync
How to Approach the Pulls
Manipulating the Primaries
The Difference Between Snatch and Clean Pulls
Is Weightlifting a Strength Sport?
Chapter 9
Training the Auxiliaries
Auxiliary Exercises
Pause Squats (Tempo Squat)
Muscle Snatch
Snatch Balances
Snatch off Boxes
Cleans off Boxes
Hang Snatch and Cleans
Jerks from a Rack or off Boxes
Cleans Only
Good Morning Exercise
Stiff Legged Deadlifts (RDLs)
Pulls off Boxes
Chapter 10
Volume
The volume of Squats and Pulls
Chapter 11
Variations
Power Snatch
Power Clean (& Jerk)
Power Jerk
Snatch Without Moving the Feet
Clean Without Moving the Feet
Snatch Grip Variations
Clean Grip Snatches
Squat Depth Variations
Squats with Width of Feet Variations
Pulls to Mid-Thigh and Midsection
Pulls with Grip Variations
Chapter 12
Building a Training Program
Elements of a Training Program
Assorted Auxiliaries
Training of a Novice Lifter
Training the Intermediate Lifter
Training the National Level Lifter
Training the International Level Lifter
Training the World Class Lifter
Chapter 13
Training vs. Peaking
Chapter 14
Effort vs. Actual Amount
Appendix A
Adjusting the Incremental Increases
Appendix B
Using the Incremental Increases to Increase Volume
Appendix C
The Average Monthly Intensities Sliding Average
Appendix D
Table of Separation
Appendix E
Equivalence Tables
Appendix F
General Breakdown of the Snatch and Clean & Jerk
Anatomy of the Snatch
Style Variations
The Power Snatch
Anatomy of the Clean
Anatomy of the Jerk
Jerk Variations
Jerk Recovery Variations
Times-in-motion
The Value of Times-in-motion
Chapter 1
Introduction
The purpose of training is to improve the performance of the athlete.
Without doing any training, this leaves the athlete with only performing
their event during competitions. In the distant past, this may have been the
case, and just the very gifted athletes who could perform proficiently
without any training would finish on top. Over the decades, since the first
modern-era Olympics of 1896, training has evolved into a cottage industry
of its own. In the beginning, training was more about exercises called
calisthenics.
Calisthenics exercises consist of a variety of gross motor movements
—running standing, grasping, pushing, etc., often performed rhythmically
and generally without equipment or apparatus. They are, in essence, body-
weight training. They are intended to increase body strength, body fitness,
and flexibility; usually conducted in concert with stretches. When
performed vigorously and with variety, calisthenics can provide the
benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving
psychomotor skills such as balance, agility, and coordination.
Over time, calisthenics became a warmup protocol for the major and
minor sports in the school systems, such as football, baseball, basketball,
track & field, intramural activities, and other sports. While some forms of
calisthenics have survived the test of time, most of the concepts about
strength and conditioning using calisthenics have dropped by the wayside
in favor of more rigorous exercises, such as weight training and other
forms of exercises using an implement that affords more resistance than
just the body.
Common exercises
In addition to the various stretches, some of the more common
callisthenic exercises include;
Lunges
Performed by bringing one leg forward and almost kneeling on the
back leg. Once the front leg creates a perfect 90-degree angle, stand up
and alternate legs, keeping the back straight and chest out.
Jumping Jacks (Star Jumps/Stride Jumps)
Performed by jumping to a position with the legs spread wide and the
hands touching overhead and then returning to a position with the feet
together and the arms at the sides. Sometimes known as jumping jacks and
stride jumps or side-straddle hops in the US military.
Squat jumps (Toyotas/Box Jumps)
Performed by entering a squatting position, then using a plyometric
jumping movement to jump as high as possible.
Sit-ups
Performed by lying down with the back on the floor, knees bent, and
bottoms of feet against the floor. The athlete lifts the shoulders off the
floor by tightening abdominal muscles and bringing the chest closer to the
knees. The final movement is to lower the back to the floor with a smooth
motion.
Crunches
Like the sit-up, except instead of bringing the whole torso area closer
to the knees, the athlete performs only a concentrated but shorter
movement of the abdominals, by lifting the shoulder blades off the floor,
and tighten the abdominals.
Push-up
Performed face down on the floor, palms against floor under the
shoulders, toes curled upwards against the floor. The arms are used to lift
the body while maintaining a straight line from head to heel. The arms of
the subject should go from fully extended in the high position to nearly
fully flexed in the low position, while the athlete makes sure to avoid
resting on the floor. Resting is only done in the high position of the
exercise. Chest, shoulders, and triceps are trained with this exercise. By
furthering the range of motion, what is often called a push-up, by pushing
the shoulders downwards at the top the serratus anterior comes further into
play.
Pull-ups
An overhead bar (sometimes called a chin-up bar) is grasped using a
shoulder-width grip. The subject lifts their body upward, chin level with
the bar, and keeping the back straight throughout. The bar remains in front
of the subject at all times. The subject then slowly returns to starting
position in a slow controlled manner. This exercise primarily trains the lats
or upper back muscles, as well as the forearms. An underhand grip
variation or chin-up trains both the back and biceps.
Chin-up
Much like the pull-up, except that the athlete reverses the hand
placement. The hands are facing the person as he pulls his body up using
the chin-up bar. Unlike chin-up counterpart the pull-up, the chin-up
focuses on the bicep muscles rather than the Latissimus dorsal muscle.
Squats (without barbell)
Standing with feet shoulder width apart, the subject squats down as
far as possible, bringing the arms forward parallel to the floor. The subject
then returns to standing position. Squats train the quadriceps, hamstrings,
calves, and gluteal.
Calf-raises
Standing on a platform with an edge where the heels can hang (e.g., a
curb), lift the body on the balls of the feet. The subject then slowly returns
to starting position. This exercise works the gastrocnemius and to a lesser
degree the soleus. Seated calf-raise works the soleus.
Dips
Done between parallel bars or facing either direction of trapezoid bars
found in some gyms. The athlete crosses the Feet with either foot in front,
and the body lowered until the elbows are in line with the shoulders. The
subject then pushes up until their arms fully extend, but without locking
the elbows. Dips focus primarily on the chest, triceps, and deltoids,
especially the anterior portion.
Hyperextensions
Performed in a prone position on the ground, the individual raises the
legs, arms and upper body off the ground.
Leg Raises
Lying on the back, hands in fists under buttocks, move feet up and
down.
Plank
Plank is the name for holding the 'top' position of a push-up for
extended periods. The primary muscle involved in this exercise is the
rectus abdominis.
Generally, most of these types of exercises have become sport
specific, depending on the athlete’s needs at any particular time. These
exercises have given way to the training of the snatch and clean & jerk by
using the barbell instead of just the body, as described in the following list;
1. Lunges: Split Jerks
2. Jumping Jacks (Star Jumps/Stride Jumps): Moving the feet
outward during a snatch or clean to receive the weight.
3. Squat jumps (Toyotas/Box Jumps): Pulls
4. Push-up: Overhead Stability for the snatch and jerk
5. Pull-ups: The shoulder girdle for supporting the snatch and jerk
overhead
6. Squats: For the pull, jerk and recovery after receiving the snatch
and clean
7. Calf-raises: Pulls
8. Hyperextensions: Pulls
Before the 1960s these exercises were all an athlete had available to
use to improve their proficiency outside of doing their event(s). In 1960
the Universal Gym was invented and marketed to almost all the schools in
the Nation and many fitness centers cropped up as the idea of exercise
went from just using the body to using more resistance from a machine.
Free weights gradually found their way into the school’s athletic systems
during the 1960s on a minimal basis and began to grow during the 1970s.
Nowadays, just about every school in the country has weightlifting
barbells and platforms where athletes can execute both powerlifting and
weightlifting movements for training purposes.
The weightlifter’s training before the 1970s consisted mostly of
bodybuilding exercises and powerlifting type squats and deadlifts. Even
today, the lifter still considers the squats and deadlift (pulls) as strength
lifts and the snatch and clean & jerk as quick lifts. I believe this to be a
fundamental mistake made by the weightlifter. The squats and pulls should
be considered quick lifts as well. Otherwise, the squats and pulls will be
out of sync with the velocity requirements inherent in the competition lifts.
The lifter should replace the slow grinding squats and pulls (deadlifts) with
non-decelerated actions to meet or exceed the speed requirements in not
only the snatch and clean & jerk, but in other sporting events as well.
Chapter 2
Learning vs. Training
The purpose of training is to improve the performance of the athlete
and get them in shape for their competitions, not necessarily for addressing
technical problems. Most technical issues need to be corrected in the very
early stages of learning before any serious training takes place. What if the
coach had to continually correct the arm motion of the sprinter or stride or
their technique in the starting blocks. Sprinters, in fact, all track & field
athletes, have already learned their events early on in their career, usually
in their freshman or sophomore year in high school, and subsequently the
athletes only need to train to increase their performance or just to get in
shape well enough to perform at the most efficient level. Since track &
field athletes have to try out for the team, the coach usually knows who to
pick based on the athlete's skill level. The track coach has little time to
spend on teaching but needs that time to train the athletes so they can
increase their performance. The coach might give some advice, but they do
not have time to be correcting massive errors that the athletes should have.
If track athletes don’t produce up to the coach's expectations, he can kick
them off the team. In most cases, the vast majority of learning a skill is the
responsibility of the athlete, not the coach, per se.
Most field event problems are self-correcting or self-evident to the
track & field athlete through the trajectory, flight of the implement,
fouling, missing a height, in the high jump or pole vault, or not jumping
far enough in the long or triple jump. Even so, problems concerning
technique would have manifested themselves early on in the athlete’s
career during the time they were learning their event. It would be
extremely rare for a track athlete, in their second year in competition, to
have a technique issue they could not correct themselves in a short period
or go on the internet and watch the best athletes in the world, past and
present, and mirror those technical skills.
The sport of weightlifting is no different from the field events in track
& field. Repeated precision comes from repetition. Once the lifter has
learned to lift with precision and is proficient to a degree necessary to
begin training, they need to hone-in proficiency to an extreme exactitude
from one lift to the next and for every rep executed in training every
session. Erratic lifting must be eliminated for the lifter to reach their full
potential, whatever that full potential happens to be.
Main Objective
The main objective of training is to prepare the lifter for the next
competition and hopefully some increase in performance since the last
competition. Another fundamental reason why the lifter must become
extremely precise in their mechanics and consistent velocity is so more
time can be devoted to developing the squats and pulls. Too much energy
spent doing endless snatches and clean & jerks and other assorted auxiliary
exercises mean less energy can be dedicated to those two assistance lifts
that are arguably as important, if not more so than the competition lifts
themselves. Once the lifter cannot squeeze-out any more progress, solely
from the competition lifts, they must at the earliest time switch the
emphasis from the lifts to the assistance lifts. The squats and pulls are
designed to help increase the snatch and clean & jerk by allowing the
larger muscles of the legs, hips and back to take the brunt of the training
load.
Function of the Assistance Lifts
The squats and pulls are not used for training purposes merely to
make the lifter stronger. The word strength must be defined before it can
be used as a descriptor which carries anything meaningful.
The standard definition of strength is; the act of being strong or being
able to exert force. This definition is a little vague or inadequate for the
sport of weightlifting.
My definition of strength for the weightlifter is; the ability to produce
the same times-in-motion regardless of the mass.
Using the formula F = ma and where (a) is constant (one-second), the
accelerated velocity is dependent on (t) time over (d) distance and must be
the same one-second regardless of the mass; then the mass will be in
equilibrium to the forces placed on that mass.
When the accelerated velocity is slower than one-second, then the
mass is out of equilibrium, and not enough force will be produced to move
the mass in one-second. The one-second time-in-motion has more to do
with the sport of weightlifting than powerlifting or other strength sports
where a decrease in force and velocity is an acceptable method to move
the mass. In the snatch and clean & jerk those forces produced must be in
equilibrium to the mass, where (a) is a constant of one-second for the
snatch and the clean from the platform to receiving the weight (lock-out
position).
With the above definition, the assistance lifts purpose and functions
can be ascertained, and are listed as follows;
A. Overcome Force (unidirectional motions)

B. Produce Force (bidirectional motions)
C. Controlling Force (both unidirectional and bidirectional motions)
Overcoming Forces
1. Liftoff (1st pull)
2. Non-Timed Rebound (standing up from of a dead stop)
3. The Drive in the Jerk (starting the drive from a dead stop)
The lifter must at the point of liftoff overcome those forces created by
a motionless mass. It is the lifter that must move to cause that mass to
move. Without a timed-rebound, in the snatch or clean, forces have to be
overcome and standing up becomes less forceful (slower). The jerk drive
is also a change in direction from the dip to the drive, and when the change
in direction is slower than usual, the lifter has to overcome those slower
actions (less force produced), and the lifter will miss the lift, in most cases.
Force Production
1. 2nd Pull to Full Extension
2. Timed Rebound in the Snatch and Clean
3. Downward Pull to Lock-Out in the Snatch
4. Downward Pull to Parallel Position
5. Downward Drop to Secure the Jerk Lock-Out
The 2nd pull is a maximal velocity driven motion where the lifter
produces maximal force in a vertical direction. The timed-rebound is a
change in direction where the lifter produces force caused by a change in
direction to stand up in one-second or faster. When the change in direction
is a quick and controlled force is generated and the necessary momentum
to lock-out the weight overhead.
Recovering from the jerk after the lock-out is not force-dependent but
is timing and balance and control dependent, this includes step-outs or
wind milling actions after or during the recovery.
Controlled Actions
All the forces produced or overcome must be controlled from start to
finish during any lift. Controlled actions are the essence of precision lifting
where the lifter has complete control over all their mechanics of motion.
The lifter must be able to move through any lift with complete control over
exactly what they want their body to do, and never allow the barbell to
control those mechanics.
Again, anyone can learn how to lift well enough to begin pushing for
PRs or competing in meets, but the question is not can they start training,
but should they. I guess it depends on how serious the weightlifter is about
the sport. If not that serious then it doesn’t make much difference if the
lifter starts out learning the lifts well enough to start setting PRs right away
and entering meets with a less than proficiently developed technique. If the
lifter is serious about the sport and wants to develop their full potential and
compete at Nationals, Worlds and perhaps the Olympic Games, then the
goals of training are based on learning how to lift and train correctly
enough to have a shot at reaching those goals. Learning how to lift well
enough to start setting PRs and competing in meets will only bring about
erratic lifting and technique problems that would not need to be
continuously corrected had they spent the time learning how to lift with
precision and smooth, consistent accelerated velocity before training
commences.
Being constantly aware of one’s technique from lift to lift and making
sure they do each rep is executed with precision and velocity is part of
training, once the lifter has already developed their skills to a high degree
of proficiency. Being able to control all those motions that will be needed
to become proficient, takes patience and time for those abilities to develop
and take effect well enough to begin the rigors of training. It will,
however, be time well spent.
Coaching Responsibilities
The main purpose of coaching is to manage the athlete’s abilities, not
create those abilities for them. The coach is there for motivation,
assistance, and teaching as well as learning. In team sports, individual
performance is dependent on the skill of the teammates to not only do their
job but to be able to interact with each other as needed for the sake of the
team. The team concept is secondary in individual sports, especially in
weightlifting. Being part of a weightlifting team provides some degree of
motivation for each, but the individual’s performance, as far as winning or
losing, is not dependent on that team member’s performance.
The following are some of the duties a weightlifting coach might
have with regards to training an athlete;
Programming
Once a coach accepts the responsibility of coaching a lifter, be that
lifter a beginner or experienced, they are in charge of overseeing the
lifter’s training. A significant responsibility of coaching is programming
the lifter's training sessions. Programming includes the weights to be
handled, the sets and reps, order and type of lifts to be executed, and the
number of sessions per week.
Programming is predictive and not reality, so the coach or lifter
should adjust the program to keep the lifter from overloading or
overtraining or in rare cases adjustments might have to be made because
the load was lighter than predicted. Most coaches tend to program on the
high side, and after a while, the lifter incurs an automatic reduction in the
average level of intensity. This automatic reduction can go unbeknown to
either lifter or coach unless systems are in place to detect it. My book, The
Sport of Weightlifting Series: Book 2 explains in detail how these
safeguards work to identify automatic reductions in the levels of intensity.
I will reiterate more on that as this book unfolds.
Video
The ability to take video has been around for decades and is even
cheaper and easier nowadays with the cell phone. Most lifters, outside of
putting their video on social networks, don’t do much with those videos
besides watching themselves. Some coaches use the video and other sports
applications to measure some of the motions, especially the trajectory of
the bar or bar path. Few, however, think about measuring certain parts of
the lift as merely how much time it takes in seconds and fractions of
seconds. The coach should learn which elements of the lifts are essential to
time and after filming the lifter’s training session, the coach should try to
record those times in a spreadsheet along with the lifts associated with
those times. The following are the times-in-motion that should be noted
and used to help keep the training between the competition lifts and the
squats and pulls in sync (equilibrium);
1. Overall Time-in-motion: From the platform to standing up with the
weight should be 2.5-seconds or faster in the snatch and the clean. Times
over 2.5-seconds should be considered overloading, and the lifter should
avoid times over 3.0-seconds at all costs. Three-seconds is so slow it can
cause the lifter to become stagnant before reaching full potential.
2. Time to Full Extension: From the platform to where the lifter’s
head is at the highest trajectory point, excluding any float time. The lifter
should attribute float-time to pulling under the weight (3rd pull). The time
to the full extension should be approximately 0.67-seconds. The coach or
lifter should time the pull to full extension during a snatch or clean but not
during a pull. Pulls decelerate faster near the highest trajectory point than
they do when going to full extension during a full movement. This time
does not need to be written down, but some idea of each lifter’s time to the
full extension should be known, especially if it is slower than 0.67-
seconds.
I have recorded times as fast as .6 seconds to full extension and .3.0-
seconds to lock-out from full extension by Akakios Kakiashvilis from
Greece. He was very consistent at these times in both lifts. Kakiashvilis
was by far the exception to the average of 0.67 and 0.33-seconds. I have
also recorded times as slow as 0.8 and 0.4 seconds from even a few top
lifters. The slower times do seem to reflect those lifters not lifting what
they would be capable of lifting had their times-in-motion been faster. The
times-in-motion are relativistic to the individual since they incorporate
each lifter's reaction time and physiology concerning bodily proportions.
The main thing to keep in mind is that once the lifter has ingrained the
times-in-motion, in conjunction with technical proficiency, they will be
difficult to change and will stay with the lifter throughout their career.
About the only thing that can alter the particular times-in-motion would be
fatigue, or lack of effort, or the applied force needed to achieve those
times. Times can also be faster with lesser weights, usually, at 75% or less
the lifter can produce some marginally quicker times, but it is best to try
and maintain some consistency in the times-in-motion for the sake of
precision or repeated precision for training purposes.
3. Pulling Under the Weight: From full extension to where the arms
are locked-out in the snatch, and in the clean to where the bar comes to
rest on the shoulders. This time should be approximately 0.33-seconds.
The total time from the platform to lock-out in the snatch or
receiving the
weight on the shoulders in the clean should be one-second or faster. These
times are also not necessary to write down but are very important to know,
because slower than 0.33-seconds can cause problems with securing the
weight overhead. For example, lifter's who miss a weight in front or in
back is a result of certain phases during the pull being too slow to produce
the force necessary to make a good lift.
4. The Jerk Drive: From the lowest position at the dip to where the
arms are entirely locked-out (this does not include the recovery after the
arms are locked-out). The jerk drive to lock-out should be approximately
0.5-second.
5. The clean & Jerk: From the platform to where the arms are locked-
out in the jerk (this does not include the recovery after the arms are
locked- out). This time should be an average of what the lifter achieves in
training, and this average should become ingrained eventually to where
every clean & jerk will be very close to the same overall time. Most of the
top lifter’s times are between 3.5 and 6 seconds. The clean & jerk’s overall
time-in- motion should become habitual, including all the incremental
increases from the empty bar to the final top-ending weights used in
training and all attempts in competition. The precision of style is
dependent on the times- in-motion becoming habitual.
6. The squats (ascension time): From the lowest trajectory through
ascension should be one-second or faster. The one-second squat will be
explained later on in great detail.
7. Pulls: Primarily from the platform to just below the knee joint
should be approximately 0.33-seconds and this time should be used to
monitor the top-end weight the lifter should handle in training. The squats
can have some deviation as regards to the one-second ascension times as
long as no deceleration occurs, but the pulls should always be at the same
accelerated velocity as the competition lifts. Pulls achieved slower than the
0.33-seconds to the knees would be considered unnecessary overloading.
(See photo above)
Watchful Eye
The coach should be a second pair of eyes for the lifter that carefully
looks for several elements that the lifter is unable to see or sense;
A. Watch for deceleration issues:

1. During the Pull to the Knees (see above photo)
2. Standing up after receiving a snatch or clean
3. During a Squat or Pull
4. During the Execution of all Auxiliary Exercises
B. Look for unusual fatigue that might affect the amount of weight
handled for any particular session and subsequent sessions. Fatigue issues
should never go unchecked because those can cause long term problems if
overtraining sets in or the lifter incur an injury. Injuries are most common
after long periods of unnecessary overloading (deceleration) has occurred.
C. Watch for erratic lifting when it is a departure from the typical
precision of the lifter. A lifter going from repeated precision to erratic
lifting might also be having fatigue and deceleration issues.
D. Watch for possible minor aches and pains the lifter might not say
anything about, but keeps touching or poking at a specific area of the arm
or knee, for example.
Advise & Consent
The coach should become an adviser to the lifter and not just
someone who controls every aspect of the lifter’s training. Lifters will
have questions the coach cannot answer, and it is up to the coach to find
out those answers if they can. The more the lifter advances, the more the
coach should act primarily as adviser or counselor, and allow the lifter to
make most of their own decisions, and this should occur gradually over
time.
Collaborate
A coach should always collaborate with the lifter as much as is
possible in the early stages and certainly a considerable amount in the later
stages of development. The coach and lifter should work together on the
programming, goals and all aspects concerning the lifter’s training from
the early beginnings to the end of their career. The lifter should never be
left out in the dark about any decision concerning them and their sport.
As stated before: a coach’s responsibility is to manage the athlete’s
abilities, not create those abilities. The athlete is solely responsible for
their technical skills and progress within the sport. The athlete is also
responsible for the coach they have chosen to train them. Usually, these
things can work themselves out, but there are times when an athlete will
feel the need to change coaches.
Producing a Non-Dependent Athlete
There could be times when the coach is not able to attend a
competition their lifter is competing in, nor should it ever be necessary. It
is up to the coach, and the athlete also bears some responsibility, to make
sure the lifter is capable of competing without the coach’s presence,
including the circumstances when the coach cannot be at every training
session. The athlete should assume the responsibilities of that coach and
take the necessary video for the coach and lifter to study later on.
Besides the absence of the coach, the lifter should always be made to
feel like they are capable of making suggestions regarding their training.
Too much dependence on a coach will not, in the long run, produce an
athlete that is capable of handling important decisions as they grow into
the sport.
Coaching Beginners
The most critical time in a weightlifter’s career is when they begin
learning how to do the snatch and clean & jerk movements. As I stated
before, some coaches merely teach a lifter how to lift, like a swimming
coach teaches a swimmer how to swim, to be drown-proof, but not how to
compete.
Technique becomes similar at the highest levels in all sports. There is
no difference in technique among weightlifters; however, there are many
different styles or form variations. For any athlete to attain the highest
level of proficiency possible, they must produce maximal controlled
accelerated velocity with extreme efficiency of motion. These two
elements lead those top athletes to the same conclusion where technique is
concerned. Learning how to be that proficient is not just a requirement it is
mandatory, and it must occur before actual training begins and before the
lifter starts attempting PRs. PR chasing requires a beginning lifter to train
on an uncontrollable level where they must become erratic to set a gym
PR. The lifter who starts out setting gym PRs willy-nilly and frequently
will achieve only one thing; they will become stagnant before they reach
their full potential. Those gym PRs will be impressive, and everyone will
be amazed and willing to cheer them on to even more spectacular PRs, but
the meets will be frustrating, and the lifter will never be able to live up to
those expectations felt in the gym, nor attain their full potential.
The lifter should remember, that training has one principal purpose
and that is to prepare the lifter for competition, not for setting gym PRs.
Gym PRs must be pre-arranged during the writing of the program and
never allow the lifter to set PRs on days they feel good, just because they
feel good. But most importantly, they should never set PRs if they have
not learned how to lift at an optimal level of proficiency, and with an
exactitude of motion and precision with maximal controlled accelerated
velocity.
Technique’s focal point must be for producing maximal momentum
while receiving the weight at the lowest possible trajectory point. In the
snatch that lowest receiving position would be the full squat position and
in the clean the receiving position would be at parallel or a little below
parallel. The feet need to be thrust outward far enough to allow for the
lowest receiving position possible, but also compatible with the lifter's
ability to spread the feet outward. The pull to full extension is far less
critical than pulling downward to receive the weight. The pull to full
extension must be precise, smooth and controlled so the lifter can execute
the downward pull with maximal controlled velocity.
Upon receiving the weight, the lifter should commence an immediate
timed-rebound through those contractions that will create a quick change
in the upward direction. The upward direction must be as fast as possible,
so the lifter expends minimal energy and the jerk can be executed with the
same maximal controlled velocity during the drive as the downward pull
when receiving the weight.
Once the lifter has thoroughly mastered the above criteria, developed
precision of motion using those technical aspects and they can make those
motions repeatedly with near maximal weights continuously, they are then
ready to begin the rigors of training.
The lifter cannot effectively achieve progress when they have
ingrained erratic motions into the lifter’s mechanics and style. Too much
time could be spent trying to correct something that the lifter cannot fix,
and all the lifter will have to show for their efforts are some gym PRs and
a few meets where they did okay. For the beginner, it is never a race to see
who can set the most gym PRs, but who can become the most proficient.
There are many ways a coach can teach a beginner the basics of
lifting, but whichever way the coach chooses it must include those
elements I mentioned earlier. It might take longer teaching one method
over another, but if the result is a proficient lifter then how long it might
take is irrelevant. However, some people will never be able to learn these
intricate basics, and while they might learn how to lift well enough to
compete, it will mostly be little more than a passing fancy, because they
will never be able to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Trying to fix problem
areas that have been staunchly ingrained is futile because the fixes will
contain the same problems.
Even if a lifter becomes proficient, there is no guarantee they will
have the desire, determination or guts to lift the big weights when they
finally get there. They might have confidence problems, or they might lose
interest. Of course, the coach cannot control all issues, and they should
leave the things they cannot manage to destiny.
Coaching Late-Comers to the Sport
The older the person is when they start into the sport of weightlifting
the harder it will be to teach them to be proficient and lift with precision.
The best time to start a sport would be at age 12 or younger. At age 25 or
older it becomes more difficult to extract enough potential for the lifter to
be competitive on the National level; however, the lifter can do it, but the
window of opportunity is very narrow. It takes about 4 to 6 years to
develop full potential, and that would put a 25-year-old at age 29 or 31
when they hit their peak performance level. They would only have one or
two years to excel on the National level. Again, desire and determination
also play a role in how much success an athlete will have over time.
Another factor for the older lifters is the training should promote longevity
in the sport, i.e., through non-decelerated actions, and few if any injuries.
The older beginner would still have to become proficient before they
begin training. Allowing any lifter to move forward who has not become
technically precise in their mechanics of motion and ability to apply
smooth continuous accelerated velocity to each lift is a colossal mistake
and will require a lot of time to fix the various problems associated with
beginning training too soon.
The coach has the responsibility to teach their lifters how to lift
correctly, so they don’t have to be fixing things constantly. Teaching
lifters only how to lift, but not how to train or how to be competitive
should be a correction the coach makes to themselves.
Chapter 3
Times-in-motion
Calling the squats and pulls assistance lifts might be an
oversimplification. While the squats and pulls should never take the form
of another event equal to the competition lifts, where the lifter trains for
absolute PR amounts, the lifter should increase the squats and pulls, but
they should increase those squats and pulls with non-decelerated actions.
The back and forth manipulations between the assistance lifts and the
competition lifts is necessary to make sure those lifts stay linked and stay
in close agreement velocity wise and in equilibrium, where equivalent
force is concerned.
The central element to watch out for during the training of the
primaries is overloading of the muscular system where no apparent benefit
is derived. Overloading can be hard to detect, especially when the lifter is
not filming and timing their lifts to make sure they are not decelerating.
The following are things that could cause overloading;
1. Any snatch or clean that takes longer than 2.5-seconds.
Overloading would consist of the differential in weight achieved at a
slower time, 3.0-seconds for example, and what the lifter could achieve at
2.5-seconds. If the differential is 25k, then that would be the amount of
overloading, even if that overloading were caused by fatigue from a
previous workout or doing too many reps, it would still be considered
overloading and would not be beneficial to the overall development of the
lifter. The lifter can link the 2.5-seconds overall time-in-motion to the 1.5-
seconds ascension time in the squats. The lifter can link the one-second
ascension time in the squats to a 2.0-seconds overall time-in-motion of a
snatch or clean.
If slower times are mainly caused during the ascension of the snatch
or clean (usually the clean), then the overloading would be contributed to
deceleration, and that would have to be addressed by lowering the weight
or making sure the squats and pulls are not being trained using decelerated
actions.
Some lifter’s take their temperature to make sure they are not
becoming overtrained or as a way to manage stress levels. Times-in-
motion can serve the same purpose as a thermometer. If the times-in-
motion are beginning to slow down, then the lifter could be overloading
their muscular and adrenaline systems, or they could be accumulating
fatigue from subsequent workouts. A thermometer will only tell the lifter
they are overtraining, but unlike times-in-motion, the temperature of the
body will not tell them by how much they are overtraining. If the overall
time in the clean & jerk is slowing down to 3.0-seconds instead of the
normal 2.5-seconds, that 0.5-second differential will tell that lifter to either
back off the clean & jerk’s intensity or volume. The differential might
direct them to other areas of training that they should adjust to bring those
times back in sync.
2. Overall time from the platform to locking-out the jerk takes longer
than average.
The lifter should train the clean & jerk whereby they will be acutely
aware of the rhythmic nature of the whole lift including the time between
the clean and the jerking of the weight overhead. An example of
overloading would be where the lifter took one-second longer to do a clean
& jerk that they usually can do one-second faster. Unnecessary
overloading caused by a technical error or an error in the amount of weight
chosen should still be considered overloading.
3. Pulls where the bar travels to the knees in a slower time than 0.33-
seconds.
When doing pulls of any variation the time to the knees should be
0.33-seconds (just below the knee joint). Pulls should be monitored to
make sure there is no deceleration whereby those additional loads are
causing the time-in-motion to slow down. Slow grinding pulls will only
make the lifter slower during the 1st pull and when standing up with the
weight. They also put a lot of undue stress on the lower back muscles, hips
and knee joints. Slower 1st pulls also create slower 2nd pulls, and thus
slower 3rd pulls.
While it is true that doing heavy decelerated pulls will make the lifter
stronger, it will also make them slower. There has to be a decision made as
to whether the lifter wants to bully the weights up or use smooth
accelerated velocity and finesse to lift the weights. The latter is much
easier on the lifter both mentally and physically and will result in a far
more proficient lifter.
4. Squats that are slower than one-second or begin to decelerate.
All squats achieved with deceleration should be considered
overloading. The true definition of overloading, in the sport of
weightlifting, is decelerated actions. Some might think overloading is a
good thing, and it can be as long as the times-in-motion are at the right
velocity. Doing 200k in the back-squat in one-second and then in the next
set the lifter 220k in 1.7-seconds is overloading, and the lifter should not
have attempted the 220k. The lifter needs to be aware of the velocities they
are generating and know how much weight is going to cause them to slow
down too much to maintain acceleration. Even if a lifter has done a
particular amount of weight in the squat in one-second, or without any
deceleration, but on a certain day those same weights decelerate, then that
would still be overloading, and the lifter should reduce the weight or end
the exercise.
The greater the amount of deceleration there is during the training
sessions then the faster the lifter will reach a point of stagnation before
reaching their full potential. Slow grinding squats and pulls are the
harbingers of just about everything bad that can go wrong with a
weightlifter’s career. There are exceptions to this claim, but the lifter
should base their expectations on reaching full potential.
Another problem is that it’s much more impressive for one lifter to
claim they can back-squat 220k and clean & jerk 160k, over another who
claims they can back-squat 190k and clean & jerk 160k. The unknowns are
the ascension times of those squats. In the first case, the ascension time
was 1.7-seconds, and the later was one-second. The back-squat number, of
220k, was more impressive in the first case, and that is what lifters tend to
lean toward without questioning the efficiency of that back-squat as it
relates to the clean & jerk. The efficiency quotient between the clean &
jerk and back-squat is as follows;
Lifter 1: 160k / 220k = 73% efficiency quotient

Lifter 2: 160 / 190k = 86% efficiency quotient
The 86% is more proficient than the 73% rather than merely the
amount of weight lifted regardless of the time-in-motion. The first lifter in
question will reach stagnation before the second lifter, because
deceleration leaves less room in which the lifter can improve, and because
there will be an enormous amount of overloading, over time, concerning
those slower decelerated squats.
5. Slower pulls than 0.33-seconds to the knees.
Not as much of a problem with overloading as the squats, but over
time this can cause some issues. It is best to try and keep any deceleration
in the pulls down to a minimum. The majority of pulls should be in the
0.33-seconds range to develop a greater ability to overcome those forces at
liftoff. Pulling times begin to degrade exponentially once the time to the
knees is slower than 0.33-seconds.
Pulling slower intentionally is only efficiently achieved when the
lifter has enough separation between the clean & jerk and clean pull to be
able to pull at 0.33-seconds with more control than they would be able to
without that separation. In this case, the slower pull would be slower than
0.33-seconds, and that can disrupt the smooth continuous acceleration
through the whole lift. In other words, intentionally slowing down is fine
as long as the lifter is still capable of pulling at 0.33-seconds and it is not
as effective if the lifter is forced to slow down because they are unable to
pull at 0.33-seconds with control.
Pulling slower unintentionally would be considered deceleration and
overloading. When added to the squats being decelerated the amount of
accumulated overloading during a season can be staggering and most, if
not all problems concerning recoverability of the lifter, erratic lifting,
imbalances within some regions of the muscular system and the lifts
themselves, can be attributed to those decelerations.
Overloading
The amount of overloading that can occur during one month of
training can be extreme if the lifter is always doing decelerated squats and
pulls (deadlifts) and deceleration during parts of the snatch and clean &
jerk. The athlete continuously training the squats and pulls with extreme
deceleration can cancel out a week worth of volume and can cause an
automatic reduction in the level of intensity, or worse an injury. Automatic
reductions in the intensity levels is a lot like a sprinter trying to run at
100% of effort during the whole training session. Of course, constantly
training at maximal efforts would force a reduced level of intensity until
the athlete backs-off the training or they take some time off. Sprinters are
aware of how long they can train and at what levels of intensity they can
train at; however, the sprinter is not dealing with anything other than their
bodyweight. The weightlifter is always tempted to increase the weight on
the barbell to a level that can begin to cause the times-in-motion to become
slower or deceleration to occur.
Automatic Reduction in the Level of Intensity
An automatic reduction is a phenomenon similar to muscle
protection, but in this case, the mind is protecting itself from becoming
harmed. These types of reductions can occur unbeknown to the lifter or the
coach. They result in long periods where progress is slow or halted or can
result in injury if the lifter continues to train too long and hard while they
are in an automatic reduction period. Times-in-motion can act as a
governor that keeps these reductions in check, and the times-in-motion can
be used to detect these reductions when the overall times start to slow
down. At any time a lifter’s progress is beginning to slow way down or is
halted longer than what should be reasonable for the lifter’s age and the
level they have reached, then it should become evident they are in an
automatic reduction in the level of intensity. The automatic reduction
needs to be addressed as soon as possible so overtraining can be averted,
as well as a possible injury.
Manipulating the Primary Loadings
As discussed in the book Programming Basics, programming is the
art of adjusting and knowing when to make those adjustments. There is a
balancing act between the squats, pulls and the competition lifts and
between each of those lifts as well. If the athlete doesn't keep the lifts in
equilibrium to each other, the training can become out of sync, and this
can impede the progress of the lifter. Impediments to progress are mainly
caused by the primary lifts and their variations and not the auxiliary
exercises. Auxiliaries only become an impediment when they are trained at
too high a level of intensity (over 80%) for too long a period and trained as
intensely as the primary lifts. As long as the athlete keeps the auxiliaries in
their proper place, the only adjustments to the programming should come
from the primaries.
The lifter should base the following spreadsheets on a lifter with a
120k snatch and 150k clean & jerk, a 180k back-squat in one-second and
150k front squat in one-second. All back-squats are one-second, and the
overall times-in-motion in the snatch and clean & jerk are posted. The
lifter is several months away from the next competition so there will be
more emphasis placed on the squats than the competition lifts.
Table 1
Date Snatch Clean & Jerk Back-squat C&J Equivalent
Day 1 100 x 5 x 1 (2.4) 120 x 3 x 1 (2.3) 140 x 5 (.75) 159
Table 1: The lifter executes the snatch and clean & jerk at 80% with
the top-end weights. Eighty percent is probably a bit too high a percentage
for this period of training where the lifter is emphasizing the squats and
pulls. The 80% or even 85% for one particular workout is alright as long
as the average monthly percentage is less than 80% or somewhere around
78% to allow for the squats and pulls to increase yet still maintain the one-
second squats and 0.33-seconds pulling time-in-motion.
Table 2
Day 1 100 x 5 x 1 (2.4) 120 x 3 x 1 (2.3) 160 x 2 (.80) 159
Day 2 85 x 4 x 2 (2.3) 100 x 5 x 1 (2.1) 150 x 4 (.75) 163
Table 2: Day 2 is more in line with the goal of increasing separation

between the squats and clean & jerk. The average intensity on day 2 for
the snatch and clean & jerk was around 70%, and the equivalent clean &
jerk from the back-squat was 163k or 108% of PR.
Table 3
Day 1 100 x 5 x 1 (2.4) 120 x 3 x 1 (2.3) 160 x 2 (.80) 159
Day 2 85 x 4 x 2 (2.3) 100 x 5 x 1 (2.1) 150 x 4 (.75) 163
Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises
Table 3: Day three is composed of auxiliary exercises. Those

exercises that contain snatch or clean & jerk motions should be trained at
about 70% effort or about the same as the regular competition lifts. If the
assistance lifts are trained at a higher level of intensity than the
competition lifts that can create overloading and create a negative impact
on developing separation and keeping the competition lifts honed in at the
monthly level of 80%.
Table 4
Day 1 100 x 5 x 1 (2.4) 120 x 3 x 1 (2.3) 160 x 2 (.80) 159
Day 2 85 x 4 x 2 (2.3) 100 x 5 x 1 (2.1) 150 x 4 (.75) 163
Day 5 90 x 6 x 1 (2.3) 110 x 3 x 2 (2.2) 170 x 3 (.90) 163
Table 4: In this hypothetical, the lifter has achieved some separation

between the actual clean & jerk PR and the equivalent clean & jerk at
108%. It lifter should understand that in weightlifting there are should be
no PRs in the back-squat or pulls. There are only indicators and
benchmarks based on non-decelerated actions. Back-squats in 1 .0 should
be realized or be equivalent based on all reps being the same time-in-
motion.
During a phase where the lifter emphasizes the squats and pulls the
separation can be greater, but it will revert somewhat during the peaking
phase. At this point, the squats and pulls should be maintained with less
volume, while the snatch and clean & jerk are honed in at a higher level of
intensity from 80% to 90%.
Now let’s take the same lifter and assume they are lifting without regard
for times-in-motion or decelerated actions, and more concerned with
squatting by the numbers.
Table 5
Day 1 110 x 2 (2.8) 140 x 3 x 1 (3.1) 200 x 2 (1.7) 146
Day 2 120 x 1 (3.0) 135 x 3 x 1 (2.9) 190 x 4 (1.8) 142

115 x 2 x 1
Day 5 140 x 2 x 1 (3.0) 215 x 1 (1.9) 146
(2.9)
Table 5: Generally, when the squats are pushed to extremes using
deceleration the snatch and clean & jerk numbers might stay in line, but
the overall time-in-motion will be much slower, changing from less than
2.5-seconds to over 3.0 seconds. The equivalent clean & jerks from all
those heavier squats were less than what they were when the times were
one-second or faster. The heavy, slow decelerated squats cause the
competition lifts to become slower during some of the transitional parts.
Worst of all the slower overall times and decelerations are accumulating a
considerable amount of unnecessary overloading on the adrenaline and
muscular systems. Deceleration takes longer to recover from, and the lifter
is, eventually, forced into a reduced level of intensity, where gains will
become slower, and stagnation could finally set in completely halting the
progress towards full potential.
After an automatic reduction in intensity sets in, the lifter starts
looking for gimmicks to help them recover from all the brutal grinding
decelerated squats and pulls, and those 90% or more competition lifts they
have been doing continuously. The Cryotherapy, deep-message, special
diets, and supplement industry depend on it, as do the chiropractors, and
sports doctors. I’m not assuming that no overloading will occur if there is
no deceleration, but the chances are much less. The ability to proceed
toward full potential is less hindered, because not only will the lifter
recover faster between sessions, they do not have to think about stressful
workouts, or at least there will be far less stressful workouts to ponder
over. Stress is another factor in keeping lifters from reaching their full
potential.
Sports such as weightlifting, swimming, and track & field are not
about whipping the mind into a frenzy in some attempt to destroy the body
or else. It’s about knowing limitations and having patience. It’s about
knowing how to relax and be calm regardless of what is happening around
you. It’s about concentration and exactitude during training and knowing
those qualities are more important than a single moment of glory in the
gym or on social networks.
Knowing Times-in-motion
It is essential for the coach or athlete to video and to record their
times-in-motion, so there is no question about whether they are
decelerating or not. Times do not lie, and the lifter cannot escape the
reality of those times. Times-in- represent the ability of the lifter to deal
with the laws of physics in a genuine sense instead of fooling themselves
into thinking they are moving faster than they are or if they are squatting
too much weight due to deceleration. Knowing is always better than not
knowing. It’s the first step that’s the hardest, but after a while, it gets
easier and those times will start to make sense, and the lifter can program
the training around those times instead of pulling numbers out of thin air.
The difference between a back-squat of 250k in 3.0 seconds and one
of 200k in one-second is huge. The 250k in 3.0 seconds has an equivalent
one-second squat of only 150k. Anyone claiming to have a big back-squat
might well have a big back-squat, but if the ascension time is 3.0 seconds,
it’s a slow back-squat without any particular use unless the lifter wants to
pull or push a boxcar over railroad tracks. The 150k is force equivalent but
does not mean the lifter could not clean & jerk more than 150k x .86 =
129k, although it could. In most cases, the lowest clean & jerk that a 250k
back-squat in 3.0 seconds might yield is around 160k, but a 250k in one-
second yields a 215k clean & jerk, almost assured, due to the laws of
physics which control the one-second times-in-motion during a snatch or
clean.
Table 6
1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4
100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170
110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180
120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190
130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200
140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210
150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220
160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230
170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240
180 185 190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250
190 195 200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260
200 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270
210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280
220 225 230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290
230 235 240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300
240 245 250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310
250 255 260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320
260 265 270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330
270 275 280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340
280 285 290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350
290 295 300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360
300 305 310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370
310 315 320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 375 380
320 325 330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 375 380 385 390
330 335 340 345 350 355 360 365 370 375 380 385 390 395 400
340 345 350 355 360 365 370 375 380 385 390 395 400 405 410
Light Gray = Weightlifters Dark Gray = Powerlifters
Table 6 was created to illustrate the difference in ascension times in

the back-squat between weightlifters and powerlifters. There is some
overlap, but on average that overlap is minimal. I have timed the super
heavyweight lifter Behdad Salimi from Iran doing a 350k x 2 back-squat
in 1.2-seconds, which was equal to 340k in one-second and that falls in
line with the table. There are always exceptions, but there are no
exceptions with the correlation between the lifter’s clean & jerk meet PR
and their one-second back-squat. The squats for the weightlifter are force
production based, and those of the powerlifter is for overcoming forces.
The super heavyweights will typically have a lot of separation
between their back-squat and clean & jerk, mainly because most of them
cannot squat below parallel, so those times are skewed compared to the
lifters that go below parallel. In Salimi’s case, his 340k in one-second
would be around 307k in one-second from a lower depth, and that would
equal 340k x .86 = 264k. His best was 255k in competition and 260k in
training. The lifter should interpolate the squat times for different depths.
The weightlifter cannot cheat the devil, like a powerlifter can, as far as
manipulating the time-in-motion and depth. Or they can, but for the
weightlifter, their squats should be equivalent.
The lifter's back-squat and pull to full extension, during a full
movement, should be equal to 0.67-seconds.
These times are indisputable. Any attempt, by the lifter, to squat more
weight slower, and think that will have a positive impact on their progress,
will be confronted with the cold hard reality of physics. Those slower
times only produce the force necessary to move that mass at that slower
time and not move that mass at those times needed to achieve a snatch or
clean & jerk (primarily the clean & jerk).
Chapter 4
Separation
An athlete should not overlook the importance of the overall times-in-
motion (from the platform to standing up), because those times are a
linking-mechanism between the assistance lifts and competition lifts.
Those times are critical for training purposes, for being able to make
beneficial adjustments during a training session and for subsequent
sessions. As the squats and pulls begin to decelerate the overall times in
the comp lifts will start to get slower. The non-decelerated squats and pulls
act like a governor that keeps the overall times-in-motion of the snatch and
clean & jerk in sync or equilibrium. If the squats and pulls are always
trained using slow decelerated actions the overall times in the snatch and
clean & jerk can become slower. Maximum decelerated squats, and pulls
can only produce minimal times-in-motion in the competition lifts, yet
conversely, those competition lifts cannot progress themselves or the
assistance lifts.
The snatch and clean overall times should be maintained at 2.0 to 2.5-
seconds in conjunction with the squats at one-second to 1.5-seconds
respectively. These overall times from the platform to standing up are
dependent on the non-decelerated squats and pulls. The pulls need to be
achieved in 0.33-seconds from the platform to the knees with at least
100% of PR. When the 0.33-second pull slows down, the excess weight
that is pulled in slower times will be considered unnecessary overloading.
The primary objective of training, aside from preparing the lifter for
competition, is to create as much separation as possible between the squats
and pulls and the competition lifts. Without that separation, the lifter can
impede or halt their progress before they have reached their full potential.
At some point, usually, after about two years of training not counting the
learning process, training should be focused on creating separation. Some
separation should exist at all times until the lifter retires from the sport.
The separation will be at its highest at the moment the lifter has reached
their peak level of performance, and it will begin to subside from that
point on, depending on how long the competitive fires burn.
The lifter should reduce the volume and intensity of the snatch and
clean & jerk on an average monthly basis to produce separation. Once the
lifter has learned how to lift with extreme precision and proficiency and
can produce smooth continuous acceleration and have ingrained the times-
in-motion in all the primary lifts, they will be able to back off the loading
of the snatch and clean & jerk and begin emphasizing the squats and pulls.
The average monthly intensity should be around 80%, and the snatch and
clean & jerk for any one session should not exceed 85%, during the
training phase. During the peaking phase, of about two months before a
major competition, those monthly averages for the snatch and clean & jerk
will gradually increase from 80% to about 85% to hone the lifts in for
competition. The lifter should reduce the volume of the squats and pulls
enough to allow the competition lifts to gain back performance. The
intensity of the squats will remain about the same, and the pulls will be
reduced back to 100% or less of PR.
To be clear separation is not a strength cycle or strength routine. It is
merely a shift in the level of intensity between the competition lifts and the
assistance lifts. The energy stores of the snatch and clean & jerk during the
training phase will be reduced and placed into those assistance lifts. There
will be little change, outside of whatever progress is gained, in the average
intensity of the squats regardless if the lifter is in the training or peaking
phase. Only a conditioning phase would see a significant reduction in
intensity and an increase in volume in the assistance lifts.
The main difference between the training phase and peaking phase
will be a slight increase in the average monthly level of intensity in the
snatch and clean & jerk. Since the lifter is already training the squats and
pulls at specific times-in-motion the only possible change would be a
reduction in the volume to allow those snatches and clean & jerks to be
honed in at a higher level of intensity to ready the lifter for competition.
This reduction is no different from any other sport, where the athletes
during the offseason attempt to make gains in the weight room, especially
the throwers in track & field and competitive swimmers who engage in
what they call dry-land training. Football players also do more strength
training in the offseason, and the intensity of football training is reduced or
postponed for several months during each year.
The idea of training 24/7/365 is a poor concept but is being adopted
more and more by many sports. Weightlifting has always been a 365 day a
year sport. The idea of an offseason has never entered anyone’s mind, let
alone the forbidden concept of backing off the snatch and clean & jerk for
any length of time for any reason whatsoever. The weightlifter has a built-
in hidden fear of losing everything they have achieved if they don’t
continuously train the primary lifts and many of the auxiliary exercises at
breakneck levels of intensity from week to week and year to year. The
thought of backing off for even a week is considered to be a weakness in
itself. The only time they do back off is after all that long hard, and heavy
training has taken its toll, and they receive an injury or get burned out
mentally and physically enough to call it quits, sometimes permanently.
However, an involuntary reduction in the level of intensity has usually
already set in before the lifter gets injured or overtrained from all the “long
and hard” training.
Instead of making the snatch and clean & jerk do all the work, the
lifter should allow the legs and back to take the brunt of the loading for the
most extended periods during the year, especially during the training
phase, and even the tampering phase right before a contest. Those muscles
can stand the loading more frequently and far more intently than the snatch
and clean & jerk. It is also much easier to progress the snatch and clean &
jerk through those assistance lifts than it is to try and make gains through
the competition lifts. The snatch and clean & jerk cannot progress the
squats and pulls it is the other way around. Creating separation must be
correctly done for it to work effectively.
Squat Routines
Some lifters engage in what is called a squat routine. Most, if not all,
squat routines are born out of strength sports like powerlifting and other
strongman type sports. Pushing the squats for a few weeks at a breakneck
pace to gain a few kilos on an already decelerated IRM is mostly futile and
incurs an enormous amount of overloading that would be extremely
antagonistic to the competition lifts. On top of doing the squat routine, the
weightlifter will still be handling high-intensity loads in the snatch and
clean & jerk, which defeats the purpose of a so-called squat routine, if
there is any purpose at all. Squat routines carry a guarantee that the lifter
will add 5k to their back-squat in just a few weeks. The only thing that
happens is the lifter’s slow twitch fibers are conditioned enough to move
slower to achieve the 5k increase. It’s a con game because it’s from the
aerobics of the decelerated squats that creates the increase. There will be
no increase in the velocity of those squats and no increase in the snatch or
clean & jerk from any squat routine.
If an athlete holds any squat routine to a one-second squat for every
rep executed within that routine, then that routine would more closely
resemble the type of training of the squats and pulls the weightlifter should
be doing. Any gain in the squats and pulls that does not contain a specific
and consistent time-in-motion is of no value whatsoever to the
weightlifter.
Example: a lifter with a 150k back-squat in one-second does 160k in
1.2-seconds. These are equivalent, and the lifter makes no gain, but if the
lifter achieves the 150k in 0.9-seconds, then that would be equivalent to
160k. It is much harder to produce 10k of increase doing time-controlled
squats, but that 10k increase would be equal to an increase in the clean &
jerk of 8.6k, well worth the effort spent. (see Appendix E)
Training the Squats and Pulls
Training is mostly a philosophical construct which is controlled by
belief and sometimes superstition. The idea of not lifting heavy all the time
for fear of losing the ability to lift heavy, especially in the meets, is born
out of never having trained correctly even to know if they did train
correctly they would still do well in competitions. The lifter creates a sort
of Catch-22, and the lifter always testing right before a meet is often met
with failure. The lifter holds the training blameless, and they continue to
train long and hard and heavy in hopes that the next time will be different,
but it never is because it can’t be. The lifter has ingrained a system of
failure within the whole construct of that training system. When I say
failure, I mean failure as far the lifter is concerned. Usually in the form of
not doing more than what they achieved in the gym or what they wished to
achieve or thought they could have achieved.
It’s not the lifter’s fault in most cases, because they are merely doing
what everyone else has been doing for decades. They see top lifter doing
things, and the lifter assumes that is how they became top lifters, without
actually knowing how they achieved those levels. They see films about
Bulgarians training, but the Bulgarians edited those films, and they took a
lot out of context, so no real trace of how the Bulgarians training exists. It
is just assumed they trained long and hard and heavy all the time;
however, this is no more possible than going to the Moon in a rowboat
(without the considerable use of PEDs). The Bulgarians, Russians, Chines,
and others are all human, and all have the same hours in the day to train,
same as anyone else. It all boils down to doing the minimum amount of
work necessary to produce maximum gains. It would be foolish to train
longer
and harder than was necessary or beneficial. The human body requires
time to recover and heal from specific loadings, and if the athlete doesn't
take time to recover, that training might produce zero gains or possibly
even negative increases. There is a rather small window of opportunity for
the weightlifter to advance their skills and that is about 4 to 5 years, and
within those 4 or 5 years, there are only a few months out of the year that
can be used to produce peak performance. The athlete should spend the
rest of the time training for those windows of opportunity; thus, the larger
muscle groups, the legs, hips, and back, must be developed to handle those
peaking phases for the major competition(s).
The reason most weightlifters have to be always fixing things or
working on weaknesses is due to the overloading from decelerated squats,
pulls and parts of the lifts as well as some of the auxiliary exercises that
the lifter trains at too high a level of intensity. Of course, there will be
imbalances and weaknesses in the lifter’s muscular system, because the
lifter has built those into the very system they use for training. By the time
they fix one thing another one crops up, in a strange game like Whack-A-
Mole.
Lifters who think they can keep their competition lifts honed in at top
levels all the time and also increase their leg and back strength at the same
time are being somewhat delusional, certainly are not using common
sense. The assistance lifts can become antagonistic to the competition lifts
if great care is not taken to make sure those lifts stay in sync with each
other and the lifter correctly links them by time-in-motion and repeated
precision.
Conservation of Energy - No system without an external energy
supply can deliver an unlimited amount of energy to its surroundings. The
lifter only has a finite amount of recoverable energy to spend during each
training session, and if the lifter executes all lifts at peak energy levels,
those levels must be reduced to conserve what energy is available for the
whole. If the lifter trains only one then that one lift will increase faster than
if they train two and two will progress more quickly than three and so
forth.
Since the legs, hips, and back are doing the brunt of the work
anyway, it makes no sense to try and train all the primaries at the same
level of intensity all the time. It makes no sense, and it cannot be done
effectively at any rate. No doubt it is more fun to do snatches and clean &
jerks and auxiliary exercises than squats and pulls, but how fun something
might be
should not be the determining factor, nor should thinking that doing
endless reps in the snatch and clean & jerk will create a pathway to fame
and fortune. It will mostly just make the lifter tired and reduce the energy
stores needed to build the separation between the assistance lifts and those
competition lifts.
We will now look at a year of training for a lifter who has been lifting
for about a year and has lifts of 120k and 155k, and a back-squat of 180k
in one-second and clean pull of 150k in 0.33-seconds to just below the
knee joint. This particular lifter has successfully developed proficiency in
both precision and velocity in all the lifts. The lifter is a year away from a
major competition, and they have established goals of 130k and 170k. The
lifter can arrive at their goals in the back-squat by calculating the
following;
Back-squat Goal
170k / .86 = 198k back-squat in one-second.
170k x 130% = 220k back-squat equivalent in one-second or approx.
110% of separation.
Clean Pull Goal
170k x 110% = 187k in 0.33-seconds.
In the case of the pulls, these weights and time-in-motion need to be
an actuality and should not be an equivalency.
The only goal for the snatch and clean & jerk during this training
phase keeps the lifts honed in with exacting precision and velocity at 80%
to 85% of PR, and the lifter should lower the average monthly level of
intensity enough to allow for those goals above to be met or exceeded. It
usually takes an average level of intensity of just under 80%, depending on
the level the lifter has reached and their weight class.
There should be no effort to try and push the snatch, and clean & jerk
during the training phase as the lifter creates separation. The lifter should
place the brunt of the loading on the larger muscle groups that are going to
be used to overcome force, and not those muscles used to produce speed.
The lifter must have full confidence in their ability that if they increase
those squats and pulls that will automatically increase the competition
lifts; therefore, this should be considered off-season training where more
emphasis is on the assistance lifts. The auxiliary exercise must also be
backed off the same as the competition lifts. It will do no good to go 100%
effort in the auxiliary exercises and try and create separation in the squats
and pulls because the effective rate of progression will be reduced or
placed into those auxiliary exercises instead of the squats and pulls.
Table 7
Date Snatch Clean & Jerk Back-squat Clean Pull
Jan Averages 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 165 / 106% / 180 150 (.33)
Table 7: After the first month of training, the lifter held the monthly
average in the snatch and clean & jerk to 73%. They maintained the squat
at an equivalence of 180k in one-second, and the pulls stayed about the
same. The overall times-in-motion of the snatch and clean & jerk were
exceptional, and hopefully, the lifter will continue to create separation.
Table 8
Monthly
Snatch Clean & Jerk Back-squat Clean Pull
Averages
January 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 150 / 97% / 180 150 (.33)
February 85 (70%) (2.0) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 185 155 (.33)
Table 8: After the 2nd month the average of the snatch and clean &
jerk dropped to 72%. The overall times-in-motion are holding good at 2.0
seconds. The back-squat improved to a 185k equivalent and the pulls
increased by 5k.
The volume must also be commensurate with the reduced level of
intensity in the snatch and clean & jerk as well as the volume and intensity
in the auxiliary exercises. By reducing the intensity of the auxiliary
exercises more exercises can be added as long as the volume does not
interfere in the creation of separation.
Table 9
Monthly
Averages
January 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 150 / 97% / 180 150 (.33)
February 85 (70%) (2.0) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 185 155 (.33)
March 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 190 160 (.33)
Table 9: The lifter achieves some separation in both the back-squat
and the clean pull. The lifter is on schedule to meet or exceed their goals.
Let’s assume there is a competition at the end of April and the lifter
will enter it on condition of staying at or under their current meet PRs to
go 6 for 6. There will be no peaking for this meet, so the lifts will not be
honed into the new levels that might be available to them due to those
increases in the assistance lifts over the last three months. The lifter should
not ever lose sight of the significant reason for training, which is the major
competition at the end of the year. The main reason for holding back is to
ensure that training does not have to be disrupted by unnecessary
overloading in a meet that holds no particular value, other than the lifter
using it as a workout and to see how those weights that used to be PRs feel
after they have created separation.
Table 10
Monthly
Averages
January 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 150 / 97% / 180 150 (.33)
February 85 (70%) (2.0) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 185 155 (.33)
March 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 190 160 (.33)
April 90 / 75% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 100% / 195 160 (.33)
Meet Results 105, 110, 115 135, 140, 145
Table 10: The meet went well, and the lifter went 6 for 6 and was
able to achieve 95% of their best total. The meet should not disrupt the
training, but the week or two after any competition should be scheduled
with 60% to 75% intensity in the snatch and clean & jerk and also some
reduction in the squats and pulls. After a week or two of lighter loading,
the training can resume as scheduled. Training through meets means
precisely that, but it also says the lifter should not attempt to do anything
that would cause them to fail at going 6 for 6. The reductions in those
attempts must be voluntary.
The months January through April consist of lifts between 65% and
85%. There could be a few lifts scheduled over 85%, but those should be
well planned for in advance and not executed because the lifter feels like
doing more.
Table 11
Monthly
Averages
January 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 150 / 97% / 180 150 (.33)
February 85 (70%) (2.0) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 185 155 (.33)
March 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 190 160 (.33)
April 90 / 75% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 100% / 195 160 (.33)
May 85 (70%) (2.0) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 100% / 195 160 (.33)
Table 11: In May the squats and pulls were maintained as they were
before the meet. The competition lifts were reduced a bit due to the one-
week reduction after the meet. The 195k back-squat equivalent is equal to
a 167k clean & jerk. There should have been indications in the last
competition when doing the 145k clean & jerk that 167k might be
possible. These are feelings the lifter must have to continue to train instead
of always testing themselves to see how much they can lift or usually how
much they can’t lift.
Table 12
Monthly
Averages
January 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 150 / 97% / 180 150 (.33)
February 85 (70%) (2.0) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 185 155 (.33)
March 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 190 160 (.33)
April 90 / 75% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 160 (.33)
May 85 (70%) (2.0) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 160 (.33)
June 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 165 / 106% / 200 165 (.33)
Table 12: The month of June is auspicious. The equivalent clean &
jerk to a 200k equivalent back-squat in one-second is 172k. This effort
means the lifter created some separation between the goal of 170k and the
equivalent clean & jerk. The pulls have also shown signs of increasing and
are about where they need to be for a 170k clean & jerk.
With such an increase in separation and already being on goal, it
might be time for the lifter to attempt a snatch and clean & jerk at 90% of
those goals. The lifter can calculate the snatch by using the snatch to clean
& jerk ratio, which would be 120k / 155k = 77%. The clean & jerk attempt
would be 90% of 172k = 155k land the snatch would be 77% of that or
120k. These are the same as the lifter’s meet PRs. These calculations
should be a good indicator that the training is working. Exceeding current
PRs in the gym is fine as long as those PRs contain precision and the 2.1
or 2.0-seconds overall time-in-motion in the clean portion, and the lifter
scheduled the attempted PR(s) in advance. It is not that critical during the
training phase that the lifter set PRs. The separation taking place should
bring the competition lifts along with those separations, and the weight
will automatically increase even if the lifter maintains the average monthly
percentage at just 80%.
The sport of weightlifting is not just a physical sport; it is also a
mental sport. Just about every incremental weight handled should be an
indicator of what the lifter is capable of lifting on that day. The lifter
should dial in those delicate feelings where a certain weight does not have
to be lifted to know how much they could lift on that day.
For example, if the lifter has a clean & jerk PR of 150k and does 80%
as a top-end weight, but it feels like 75% then it is a good indicator that he
might have done more than 150k that session; however, holding back can
prime the muscles, adrenaline and the mind for greater achievements when
the time comes. Holding back the snatch and clean & jerk in training and
allowing the larger muscles to do the majority of the workload will
eventually bring those snatches and clean & jerks up gradually and
assuredly without actually having to set gym PRs in those lifts.
Table 13
Monthly
Averages
January 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 150 / 97% / 180 150 (.33)
February 85 (70%) (2.0) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 185 155 (.33)
March 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 190 160 (.33)
April 90 / 75% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 160 (.33)
May 85 (70%) (2.0) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 160 (.33)
June 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 165 / 106% / 200 165 (.33)
July 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 165 (.33)
August 95 / 79% (2.2) 125 / 80% (2.2) 165 / 106% / 205 160 (.33)
Table 13: In August it is obvious the lifter’s indicators are up

considerably from January, and some adjustment in the loading of the
snatch and clean & jerk should be made to accommodate those indicators.
The 205k back-squat equivalent is equal to a 176k clean & jerk. The clean
pull needs some work to bring it in line at around 170k in 0.33-seconds.
The lifter might increase the average monthly intensities to 80% for
September and October. The last two or two and a half months before a
major meet the lifter can increase the average intensity to 85%. During this
time the squats and pulls will be maintained at those equivalents needed to
meet or exceed those goals set in January.
It is during the peaking phase, and the first month of that peaking
phase where the lifter can push the snatch and clean & jerk, but only what
they can do and still maintain the overall times-in-motion of less than 2.5-
seconds. It should not be that difficult to keep the overall times at 2.0-
seconds if they have ingrained that time and the lifter only handles the
weights that will result in the 2.0-seconds.
It is also important to realize that the squats and pulls cannot be
trained excessively just because the lifter purposely holds back the snatch
and clean & jerk and auxiliary exercises. If too much energy is expended
doing more than is necessary in the squats and pulls that will defeat the
purpose of keeping the competition lifts honed in at those specific times
and with precision.
Table 14
Monthly
Averages
January 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 150 / 97% / 180 150 (.33)
February 85 (70%) (2.0) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 185 155 (.33)
March 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 155 / 100% / 190 160 (.33)
April 90 / 75% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 160 (.33)
May 85 (70%) (2.0) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 160 (.33)
June 90 / 75% (2.1) 115 / 74% (2.0) 165 / 106% / 200 165 (.33)
July 88 / 73% (2.1) 113 / 73% (2.0) 160 / 103% / 195 165 (.33)
August 95 / 79% (2.2) 125 / 80% (2.2) 165 / 106% / 205 160 (.33)
September 95 / 79% (2.2) 125 / 80% (2.2) 165 / 106% / 200 165 (.33)
October 100 / 83% (2.2) 130 / 84% (2.2) 170 / 110% / 210 170 (.33)
November 100 / 83% (2.2) 130 / 84% (2.2) 170 / 110% / 210 170 (.33)
December 100 / 83% (2.2) 130 / 84% (2.2) 170 / 110% / 210 170 (.33)
Meet 133 170
Table 14 only shows averages. It would be up to the lifter and coach

to determine the daily programming of the snatch and clean & jerk for any
particular session. As mentioned before; training is a process whereby the
lifter is getting themselves ready to do their best lifting in the meet, not in
the gym, at least as regards to the snatch and clean & jerk. The legs, hips
and back need to be developed for those heavier loads that will come
during the competition. Gym lifting is fine if that is what the lifter wants to
do and nothing more, or just do big lifts in the gym and dream about doing
big lifts in meets.
Creating separation takes patience and confidence. It also takes an
ability to feel the weights as indicators of what they are capable of doing,
so they don’t have to. A snatch using 80% of PR should actually feel like
80% of that PR and never more. When 80% lifts begin to look and feel
like 100% efforts, then the first thing to do is make sure the squats and
pulls are not decelerating.
Without knowing the times-in-motion, it would be near impossible to
be able to create separation, because the lifter would have no way on earth
of knowing where they were with respect to those squats and pulls and
would not have a clue how to adjust the loading of either the competition
lifts or the assistance lifts. The squats and pulls would degrade into a crude
strength cycle or squat routine and those results would have little impact
on the competition lifts.
Relativity in Weightlifting
In weightlifting all things are relative. A novice lifter snatching a
100k PR is the same as a lifter snatching a 200k PR. The efforts are the
same, but the force production and possibly the accelerated velocity is
different. The same novice with a 100k snatch should have about a 125k
clean & jerk, which is an 80% ratio between snatch and clean & jerk. The
lifter with a 200k snatch should have about a 250k clean & jerk with the
same 80% ratio. The difference in training methods would be the number
of sessions which creates the additional volume needed to progress, but the
average monthly intensities will be similar or relatively the same.
Let’s say a super heavyweight has a snatch of 200k and does a muscle
snatch with 100k and a lifter with a 100k snatch PR is impressed by the
numbers, but 100k muscle snatch is only 50% of 200k, and that would
equate to a 50k muscle snatch for the 100k snatch PR. Just about
everything the top lifters do can be broken down into the same relative lifts
everyone else does.
Being impressed with the big numbers of the top lifters instead of
how those lifters are training to produce those big numbers is a mistake
almost everyone has made or could still be making. The same laws of
physics bind the top lifters in the world as everyone else. The one-second
time-in-motion binds everyone's PR clean & jerk and snatch from the
platform to receiving the weight. The top lifter’s one-second back or front
squat must be in equilibrium with their competition lifts the same as
everyone else. The top lifters train using non-decelerated actions the same
as everyone else, or the same as everyone else should be training.
Chapter 5
Training the Competition Lifts
Besides those manipulations between the competition lifts and
assistance lifts, there has to be some manipulation between the snatch and
clean & jerk. While the lifter should train the snatch at an equal to or less
than monthly average level of intensity, they should also prepare the
snatch using a little more volume over intensity. The snatch is a little more
balance, and timing intense than the clean & jerk which requires more
repetitions, but not higher levels of intensity than the clean & jerk. If the
lifter trains the snatch at a higher monthly level of intensity than the clean
& jerk, the lifter can become a snatch specialist where the correlation
between the snatch and clean & jerk can exceed 80% and can even reach
near 90%. As a general rule 80% is an excellent average monthly level of
intensity for a lifter, who has not yet reached their full potential.
Table 15
Month Snatch Clean & Jerk
Monthly Ave Jan 83% 79%
Monthly Ave Feb 85% 77%
Monthly Ave Mar 82% 80%
Total Quarterly Averages 83.33% 78.67%
Table 15: A lifter with a snatch PR of 140k and clean & jerk of 170k
would be training their snatch at 117k monthly average and the clean &
jerk at 134k and 117k / 134k = 87% when the actual correlation is 140k /
170k = 82%. By the lifter placing more emphasis on the snatch where
more energy and stress is absorbed, over time the clean & jerk can become
less proficient while the snatch might gain some proficiency or stay
stagnant. The clean & jerk will become somewhat erratic in competitions,
where the lifter can see swings in performance than the snatch.
When the snatch drifts too far ahead of the clean & jerk in monthly
average, there should be some adjustments made to bring it back in line
with the clean & jerk.
Table 16
Month Snatch Clean & Jerk
Monthly Ave Jan 83% 79%
Monthly Ave Feb 85% 77%
Monthly Ave Mar 82% 80%
Total Quarterly Averages 83.33% 78.67%
Monthly Ave Apr 78% 82%
Monthly Ave May 79% 82%
Monthly Ave Jun 77% 84%
80.67% 80.67%
Table 16: It took three months to bring the lifts back in line. This
gradual manipulation would be preferable to a drastic change, which could
disrupt the training of both lifts and cause the clean & jerk to become
overtrained if trained at too high a level of intensity for too long.
These manipulations are only a concern of the primaries, not the
auxiliary exercises. Auxiliary exercises should never interfere in the
training of those primaries in any way whatsoever. Otherwise, the delicate
intricacies between the primaries can be disrupted and making
determinations concerning adjustments between those primary lifts could
become very difficult.
Example: The same lifter above with a 140k snatch and 170k clean &
jerk, trains the snatch and snatch off boxes at the same level of intensity,
but those top-end weights executed off boxes are 104% greater than those
off the platform. The lifts the lifter performs off boxes should not be
included in the monthly report, because the inclusion of those lifts could
skew the monthly average at a higher percentage.
Table 17
Month Snatch Snatch off Boxes Clean & Jerk
Monthly Ave Apr 109 120 140
Monthly Ave May 110 115 140
Monthly Ave Jun 108 120 143
Total Quarterly Ave 80.67% 84.5% 80.67%
Table 17: In this example (as in table 16) the primaries are in sync at
about 81% each, but if the lifter takes the snatches off boxes into account
the snatch will be skewed to a higher monthly average. If the lifter tries to
offset the snatch from boxes by increasing the intensity level of the clean
& jerk or by including the same percentage level of cleans from boxes,
that will begin to create a problem with the training of the assistance lift
and those can become out of sync with the snatch and clean & jerk.
Any attempt to try and incorporate partial lifts into a primary lift will be
fraught with a multitude of problems, among which would be excessive
and unnecessary overloading, as well as a setback in the creation of
separation. The athlete can make a good argument for keeping the snatch
at a lower average monthly intensity level than the clean & jerk because
the clean & jerk is composed of two moving parts instead of one. Even
though it should be thought of and trained as one lift the reality of the
matter is the clean & jerk is actually two-thirds of the competition lifts and
not just half, at least as far as the energy distribution is concerned. The
lifter might reduce the intensity level of the snatch and increase the
volume, while they might increase the intensity level and reduce the
volume of the clean &
jerk.
The following spreadsheet will show how the coach or lifter can
manipulate the volume and intensity of the snatch and clean & jerk to
balance out those higher levels of intensity of the clean & jerk over the
snatch. I used the same lifter with 140k snatch PR and 170k clean & jerk
in the example.
Table 18
Incremental Increases for a 140k snatch and 170k clean & jerk
Snatch 20 40 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 135 140
Clean &
20 60 80 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 165 170
Jerk
Table 18: From the incremental increase table the lifter can
determine their working weights, which should be an incremental increase
and not a percentage value where that value is figured down to the last
kilo. In this case, 80% of 140k would be 112k so that the lifter would use
110k instead of 112k. Staying within those incremental increases will
create some habitual ingrained actions for training and competitions.
Table 19
Date Snatch Clean & Jerk
Day 1 80% / 110k x 3 x 2, 5 x 1 82% / 140k x 3 x 1
Day 2 Auxiliaries would be at 75% or less
Day 2 75% / 100k x 5 x 2 80% / 130 x 4 x 1
Day 3 Auxiliaries would be at 70% or less
Day 4 85% / 120 x 5 x 1 90% / 150k x 1
Table 19: The lifter will be more responsive to those incremental

increases if they do not change them around, except as the lifter’s PR
increases. Even PR increases will not affect those incremental increases all
that much where the lifter cannot gradually become acclimated. The
average weekly levels of intensity in the auxiliary exercises should be less
than that of the primaries. It is not the actual percentage of each auxiliary
exercise but the genuine effort, which could be less than the actual
percentage. In other words, most auxiliary exercises should be almost
effortless in execution at 70% or 75% effort.
The previous table could represent more of a peaking phase where
greater than 85% is scheduled. Most of the training will not differ that
much from one session to the next, for the same reason that the lifter
should strictly follow the incremental increases, and that reason is to
ingrain habitual actions so the lifter will be more responsive to those
incremental increases. This habitual action can create a situation where the
lifter should be able to determine what their maximal performance could
have been by how they performed with the top-end weight that session. If
the top-end weights are too closely measured out at exacting percentages,
then those feelings cannot be ingrained as effectively. It takes a certain
amount of habitual practice to become good at any particular skill.
The majority of the training of the primaries will be somewhat
mundane and routine, so the auxiliaries can be used as a variation to help
relieve some of that mundanity. To be clear, however, those athletes who
enjoy the mundanity of training usually wind up being better off for it.
An athlete can defeat the sole purpose of training by trying to find too
much variation to relieve that mundanity. Precisely what can happen when
auxiliary exercises are used to fix something or make a particular lift more
proficient. The primaries are a separate body of work and only by doing
those primaries correctly and in balance with each other can technical
deviations be fixed, if the lifter can fix it at all. Auxiliary exercises are also
a separate body of work, and the lifter cannot use them for anything other
than their actual intent, which is working those muscle groups that do not
always get worked as much as those used doing the primaries. The
auxiliaries come under the header of fitness more than they do training,
certainly not for fixing anything. The athlete should look at the complete
body of work of those auxiliaries as something that can aid the overall
fitness, mobility and flexibility of the lifter, but not any one particular
exercise being something that can be used to correct technical issues. The
lifter should not be training in the first place if they have not already
become technically proficient or they should be able to adjust for an
imperfect rep with the very next rep, or set, or in the next training session.
This following table shows what the lifter might base the incremental
increases on particular PRs. Each lifter should determine their incremental
increases and from the empty bar to their PR should be about ten
increases. If the lifter needs additional warmups, then a particular
incremental can be executed more than once. If they feel like they don't
need as many incremental increases, they should have been doing less in
training. The lifter should have established those incremental increases at
the onset of the competition cycle.
Table 20
100k Totals
Snatch 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 42 43 44 45
Clean &
25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 54 55
Jerk
150k Totals
Snatch 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 63 65 67
Clean &
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 79 83
Jerk
200k Totals
Snatch 20 30 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
Clean &
40 50 60 70 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
Jerk
250k Totals
Snatch 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 95 100 105 110

Clean &
20 50 70 90 100 110 115 120 125 130 135 140
Jerk
300k Totals
Snatch 20 40 60 80 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135

Clean &
20 60 80 100 110 120 130 140 150 155 160 165
Jerk
350k Totals
Snatch 20 50 70 90 100 110 120 130 140 145 150 155

Clean &
20 70 90 110 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 195
Jerk
400k Totals
Snatch 20 70 90 110 130 140 150 160 165 170 175 180
Clean &
20 90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220
Jerk
450k Totals
Snatch 20 70 90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 195 200
Clean &
20 90 110 130 150 170 190 200 220 230 240 250
Jerk
Training the Snatch

Sets and reps can be varied to relieve the mundanity of the training,
but whether sets of reps can directly increase performance is debatable and
could hinge on the lifter's muscle fiber make-up. In the beginning, gains
will come regardless of how the lifter trains. Those gains will gradually get
harder and harder to come by as the lifter advances in the sport.
There are certain concepts regarding reps that should be understood.
Reps are singles with varying degrees of time between their execution.
The lifter cannot readily correlate repetitions in the snatch or clean & jerk
to a single best effort as the squat can be used to determine a close
approximation of how much can be clean & jerked. The reason for this lies
in the fact that those correlations are linked to the squats and pulls and not
the number of reps a lifter can do in the snatch or clean & jerk. Therefore,
the number of reps achieved in the snatch or clean & jerk is irrelevant in
respect to those reps aiding the lifter in making progress. That progress is
utterly dependent on the assistance lifts, and the ability of the lifter to
create enough separation between those assistance lifts and the
competition lifts to affect a change.
Too much emphasis on repetitions in the competition lifts will
eventually create an automatic reduction in the level of intensity, because
as the competition lifts become fatigued that fatigue will affect the
assistance lifts, and they can begin to decelerate and cause overloading, in
turn causing even more problems for the competition lifts. All of this can
go unbeknown to the lifter or coach if the athlete doesn't keep a journal
and take video of each training session, especially the times-in-motion of
their top-end weights.
Repetitions vs. Amount of Weight
To make sure repetitions do not interfere with the overall training the
amount of the top-end weight for reps should be less than 100% effort
regardless of the number of reps, sets or weight on the bar. The lifter
should execute each rep, irrespective of the time between reps or the
number of reps or sets, with repeated precision and smooth continuous
accelerated velocity. This methodology would eliminate those weights that
might cause erratic lifting to occur after the first few reps or sets. The lifter
will have to be honest and use their best judgment on these matters as
there are no hard-fast rules concerning this subject, other than what I have
mentioned.
While some lifters do have some correlation established between their
PR snatch and best double or triple, the snatch is not dependent on those
doubles and triples, they rely solely on the squats and pulls and,
specifically, the non-decelerated actions of those squats and pulls.
Therefore, those correlations between the snatch and the repetitions are an
illusion; they only exist because the lifter has mentally manufactured that
existence. Attempting to establish a PR triple snatch and thinking that will
automatically increase their 1RM snatch is futile because that 1RM snatch
is solely dependent on the increase from the assistance lifts and also an
increase in the clean & jerk. The clean & jerk must precede any significant
increase in the snatch, or that training is being geared more towards
becoming a snatch specialist.
The lifter should view the execution of doubles or triples as
something that will help create or maintain repeated precision within the
lifter’s technique. Repeated actions help ingrain a particular motion or
action. Repeated actions give way to the term practice, i.e., piano practice
or football practice. All practice is repeated repetitions and repeated with
perfection. I believe it was Tommy Kono who said training should be
repeated perfection or perfection repeated. The idea that somehow doing
repetitions in the competition lifts can promote muscle growth over and
above that which the assistance lifts can produce is somewhat
questionable. The competition lifts only provide motion, and that motion
cannot be progressed by itself. At least this is true once the lifter reaches
that point where their ability to overcome and produce force will no longer
progress by those full movements, and, thus, need assistance to continue
the lifters development.
The lifter would benefit significantly if during the beginning of their
career they used the competition lifts to emphasize both the muscle
building and precision aspects and held the assistance lifts and auxiliary
exercises to a minimum. Once they have become precise, know how to
produce a smooth continuous accelerated action and can receive the
weight at the lowest possible trajectory point by using the least amount of
motion, then they could gradually introduce the assistance lifts into the
mix.
Going for things like double or triple PRs in the snatch or clean &
jerk should never be attempted for any reason whatsoever. There is no way
to correlate these actions, and it takes the lifter out of the training mode
and into a competitive mode and also training for a different event.
Doubles and triples should be just a part of the training, and like auxiliary
exercises should be handled by using weights that do not cause erratic
lifting or changes in those smooth continuous accelerated actions from rep
to rep and set to set.
The following table is a generalized idea of where doubles and triples
relate to the lifter’s percentage of PRs.
Table 21
Lift PR 2 Reps Percentage 3 Reps Percentage
Snatch 100% 90% x 2 85% x 3
Clean & Jerk 100% 85% x 2 80% x 3
Table 21: As long as the lifter maintains precision and times-in-

motion of 2.5-seconds or faster they can extend the number of sets. I based
this table on maximal efforts which would allow for repeated precision and
velocity. If the majority of training is around 80%, on a monthly average,
and the lifter handles no more than 85%, during that month, then the
percentage of a double or triple should not exceed that of the singles.
Precision and velocity are those elements that control the volume and
intensity of training; the volume and intensity should never adversely
control the precision and intensity.
The clean & jerk doubles and triples might be reduced a little more
percentage wise than the snatch, due to the added energy needs and
possibilities of becoming erratic and slower more than when doing snatch
doubles or triples. It’s not a very common occurrence to see top lifters
doing doubles or triples in the clean & jerk and is probably something that
should be reserved for a conditioning phase since it is near impossible to
hold precision and velocity constant when doing reps in the clean & jerk
with more than 80% of PR.
Table 22
Day 1 75% x 3 x 2 (2.2) 75% x 2 x 1 (2.1)
Day 2 75% x 3 x 3, 80% x 5 x 2 (2.4) 80% x 2 x 1, 85% x 1 (2.5)
Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises 75% or less
Day 4 80% x 3 x 3 (2.8) 80% x 4 x 2 (2.7)

Table 22: In the above example the doubles and triples were
beginning to degrade the lifter’s precision and the overall times-in-motion.
By looking at this table, the lifter could readily see that 75% would be the
cutoff for doing doubles or triples and maintaining precision, as well as
faster overall times-in-motion.
The coach’s eye is not just for negotiating through the numbers,
percentages, and volume, but for watching out for erratic lifting, slower
overall times-in-motion, and deceleration. Without that added layer of
protection, the lifter will be shooting in the dark and will never be able to
reconcile those problems created from the erratic and slower times-in-
motion or decelerated squats and pulls. They will forever be trying to fix
something that is being caused by improper training, not by some
perceived muscular imbalance or unresolved technical issues.
Attempting to create some feeling of being in shape by doing doubles
and triples is short lived. At first, the lifter can derive some modicum of
success from doing doubles and triples, because they activate the slow
twitch more than the fast twitch, and as long as the lifter stays in the
double and triple range, they can produce a favorable situation for the
single attempt. It’s more of an illusory feeling and not realistic since those
aerobic qualities must give way to the quicker less aerobic conditions
when the lifter begins peaking for competition and where mostly singles
will be executed to hone back in those precise and quick reactions.
Repetitions in the snatch and clean & jerk should probably be viewed
more as auxiliary exercises where the lifter lowers the weight relative to
the intent for doubles and triples which should be for the lifter to maintain
repeated precision and speed and as a means of conditioning the lifter for
the singles.
Again, there is no way to increase performance by doing reps because
those performances are dependent on the sets of reps achieved in the
assistance lifts directly and the sets and reps performed in the auxiliary
exercises indirectly. The training of the competition lifts during a session
should be in concurrence with the warmup routine and incremental
increases that the lifter will execute in major or minor competitions.
This lifter has a 180k snatch and 225k clean & jerk and 262k back-
squat in one-second. Here are the Incremental increases and spreadsheet
for a training month.
Table 23
Incremental Increases for 405k total (180 and 225)
Snatch 20 60 80 100 120 140 150 160 170 175 180

Clean &
20 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210 220 225
Jerk
Table 24
Week 1
Day 1 140 x 5 x 1, 150 x 1 (2.2) 170 x 1 (2.0)
Day 2 Auxiliary: Snatch Boxes 140 x 3 x 3
Day 3 140 x 2 x 1, 150 x 2 x 1, 160 x 1 (2.3) 190 x 1 (2.1)
Day 4 Auxiliaries: Jerk from box 190 x 3 x 1
Day 5 140 x 2 x 1, 150 x 2 x 1, 160 x 2 x 1 (2.3) 190 x 2 x 1
Week 2
Day 1 150 x 5 x 1 (2.2) 170 x 3 x 1 (2.1)
Day 2 Snatch off Boxes 140 x 3 x 3
Day 3 140 x 2 x 1, 150 x 2 x 1, 160 x 1 (2.3) 190 x 1 (2.1)
Day 5 140 x 5 x 1, 150 x 1 (2.2) 170 x 1 (2.0)
Week 3
Day 1 140 x 5 x 1, 150 x 1 (2.2) 170 x 1 (2.0)
Day 2 Snatch off Boxes 140 x 5 x 1 Other Auxiliaries
Day 3 140 x 2 x 1, 150 x 2 x 1, 160 x 2 (2.3) 170 x 3 x 2
Day 5 140 x 5 x 1, 150 x 1 (2.2) 190 x 1 (2.1)
Week 4
Day 1 140 x 5 x 1, 150 x 1 (2.2) 170 x 1 (2.0)
Day 2 Jerks from Boxes 170 x 3 x 3
Day 3 140 x 2 x 1, 150 x 2 x 1, 160 x 1 (2.3) 190 x 1 (2.1)
Day 4 Auxiliaries: Hang Snatch 140 x 3 x 2
Day 5 140 x 2 x 1, 150 x 2 x 1, 160 x 2 x 1 (2.3) 190 x 2 x 1
155 / 86% (2.27) 180 / 80% (2.07)

Table 24: In the above illustration, the training is reasonably
habitual, and the lifter trained the auxiliaries at a lower intensity level than
the primary lifts. The lifter trained the snatch at 86% and the clean & jerk
at only 80%. Some adjustment should be made to bring the snatch and
clean & jerk more in line at 83% each. The overall times-in-motion were
held steady throughout the month, and the auxiliaries didn’t seem to have
any effect on the training of the primaries.
How the training is sliced and diced as regards to the number of sets
and amount of weight is always dependent on the precision and times-in-
motion of every rep in each set. Without some habitual practice, it can be
challenging to know how much weight can be handled for weeks and
months to effect a change in performance. In general, it will always be the
most amount of weight where the lifter maintains precision and times-in-
motion and the volume is not hindering subsequent workout sessions. This
approach takes time and patience for the lifter and coach to layout the
training and meets those requirements necessary for advancing the
proficiency and progress of the lifter.
Anyone who thinks they can go into the gym and bang away at PRs
from workout to work out and that is what training is all about is being
profoundly misled, and only two things can happen, the lifter will become
overtrained or get injured, or both. Setting PRs is not the end-all purpose
of training. The purpose of training is to condition the lifter to the
expectations of competition, where PRs should be established or at least
where the lifter produces a good performance.
Chapter 6
The Assistance Lifts
For the athlete to use the squats and pulls effectively, the same
general time-in-motion of the snatch and clean & jerk (one-second) must
be cultivated into the squat or pull. The functionality of the squats and
pulls and the athlete achieving full potential is dependent on specific
times-in-motion. The one-second time in the squats must at least be an
equivalent that is no slower than 1.5-seconds or does not cause any
deceleration during the ascension. The pulls have different time-in-motion
parameters so lifter can link the squats to the pulls.
The lifter should tie the functions of the assistance lifts to those
accelerated velocities needed to execute a snatch and clean. In
powerlifting, the squat and deadlift are not velocity dependent because the
greater the mass becomes then the accelerated velocity must decrease to
produce the force necessary to make the lift. In the case of powerlifting,
the accelerated velocity is not a constant as it is for a snatch or clean. The
jerk takes 0.5-second or half the time it takes to do a snatch or clean, but
the jerk is still dependent on the same force production from the one-
second squat.
Note: the optimum time-in-motion for the front or back squat, as far
as the jerk alone is concerned, is 0.67-seconds from full, and 0.5-seconds
from just above parallel. Notice the 0.5 seconds corresponds to the 0.5-
seconds time-in-motion of the jerk from the dip to lock-out.
The debate on whether the squats promote strength is usually a one-
sided debate that comes from those in the strength sports. Most strength
sport enthusiast thinks grinding out a maximum amount of weight
regardless of the ascension time, is what makes athletes strong. Well,
based on their definition of strength, they would be correct; however, the
athlete may well be considered strong, but their muscular system will have
been trained to move slower to compensate for the additional mass where
the athlete calls more slow twitch fibers into action.
The theory that greater resistance creates greater force production has
been around since the advent of the barbell. The only thing greater
resistance creates is an equivalent of force production. Let’s say a
swimmer adds additional resistance to their body, such as weighted
clothing, and begins to swim a 400-meter distance. It is obvious the
swimmer will not be able to swim those laps as fast as they could without
the additional mass; however, they are more likely to drown before
finishing the distance. All the swimmer can achieve from wearing
weighted clothes is an equivalent force, where the forces are the same, but
the changes in acceleration and mass are different. The problem is thinking
that wearing weighted-clothes will make the swimmer stronger. It could
very well make them stronger, but their goal is to swim faster over 400
meters. Considering that merely wearing weighted-clothes the swimmer
will effect a change in their muscular system that is equal to or better than
what they had, to begin with, is absurd. Swimming requires an enormous
number of laps to effect a change and wearing weighted-clothing will not,
and cannot, allow the swimmer to swim the required number of laps. The
only real change occurs when the swimmer takes off the heavy clothes,
and they feel lighter in the pool, and it gives them the illusion they are
faster, but this illusion quickly wears off.
In powerlifting, where the concept of strength and conditioning
originated from, the amount of weight lifted is not dependent on the time-
in-motion of those lifts. Like the swimmer wearing heavy-clothes, the
powerlifter is also free to move as slow as possible to make the weight
successfully. The force is equivalent, but the mass and changes in
acceleration are not. As the mass increases the acceleration must decrease
to allow enough force to be overcome to make a successful lift. In
weightlifting, at least with the snatch and clean & jerk, the accelerated
velocity must be a constant and therefore the mass be in equilibrium with
the force production. When has anyone ever claimed that the snatch and
clean & jerk are good for powerlifters? Never, and no one ever will,
because the Olympic lifts and powerlifting events are antagonistic to each
other. The snatch and clean & jerk are fast twitch dependent, and the
powerlifting squats and deadlifts are slow twitch dependent. Powerlifting
is not reaction-time sensitive as the Olympic lifts are. I am not saying that
some powerlifters don't move fast, some do, but most don't, or they don't
have to move quickly to make a good lift. The weightlifter must move at a
specific time-in-motion for the snatch and clean & jerk to make a good lift.
The big question is why do weightlifters think they need to train their
squats and pulls like powerlifters train their events (the squat and deadlift).
The obvious answer is that the weightlifter doesn’t know any better, at
least in the US, because the sport of weightlifting has been taken over by
the strength and conditioning mentality. Lifters must possess enough fast
twitch muscle fibers to become top lifters, and this precludes them from
being able to decelerate which would prevent them from becoming top
lifters.
The faster the squats and pulls are executed the more the athlete
develops the fast twitch fibers. The slower the squats and pulls are
completed the development switches from fast twitch to slow twitch. It is
more critical the lifter train both the fast and slow twitch fibers at specific
times-in-motion to create a more efficient snatch, clean and jerk motion, as
well as advance the lifter toward their full potential.
Functionality of the Squats and Pulls
The typical answer for incorporating squats and pulls into the
programming is that it makes you strong and you can snatch and clean &
jerk more weight. As already discussed, being strong is antagonistic to
athletic performances, aside from powerlifting and pulling boxcars. The
squats and pulls are correctly named assistance lifts, not auxiliary
exercises and not separate entities that exist outside the competition lifts
which require squat routines or so-called strength cycles.
Functions of the squats are as follows;
1. Assist the pull to full extension
2. Assist the timed-rebound and ascension during the snatch and clean
3. Assist the dip and drive in the jerk
As can be seen, by the above functions of the squats there is nothing
there that applies to anything slow or any actions associated with
powerlifting. There are no functions of the squat in powerlifting because
that is their event, but the squat is not the weightlifter’s event.
Functions of the pulls are as follows;
1. Overcoming forces during the 1st pull
2. The pull to full extension
Both the squats and pulls assist the pull to full extension, and again
there is nothing the lifter should associate with slow regarding the pulls
and squats.
In reality, the functions of the squats and pulls are rather simplistic. I
believe the purpose of those squats and pulls should be to ingrain and
develop an adaptation to a specific time-in-motion associated with the
snatch and clean & jerk, and that adaptation increased where the lifter can
create some separation between the competition lifts and the assistance
lifts.
The functions of the squats and pulls based on time-in-motion;
1. The pull to just below the knee joint should be 0.33-seconds
2. The pull to a full extension should be 0.67-second
3. The dip and drive should be one-second
4. The drive should be 0.5-second
The athlete should associate the times mentioned above with the
snatch and clean & jerk and are the very times that need to be ingrained
into the squats and pulls, but greater than 100% of PR. In other words, the
weightlifter needs to create a separation between what they can do during
a PR snatch or clean & jerk and what they can squat or pull at the same
times-in-motion. Without that separation, the lifter’s progress will become
slow or even halted. The maximum decelerated squat, and deadlift-pulls
are unnecessary and can be antagonistic to the velocity requirements
needed in the competition lifts, as well as produce unnecessary
overloading.
Generally, the time of one-second is a good baseline for the squats,
and the 0.33-seconds pull to the knees. From these particular times, the
lifter can work on getting separation from the snatch, and clean & jerk
meet PRs. The ratios created between the different changes-in-direction
produce a fractal pattern.
Table 25
Partial Motions Time-in-motion
Pull to the knees 0.33
1st Pull 0.5

0.67
2nd Pull 0.17 1.0
3rd Pull 0.33
Dip 0.5
1.0
Drive 0.5
Table 25: These times reveal a mathematical pattern concerning the

following ratios;
The ratio between the 3rd pull and 2nd pull is 2:1
The ratio between the pull to full extension and 3rd pull is 2:1
The ratio between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd pull to the dip and drive is 1:1
Note: There are slight deviations between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd pull,
but the 2:1 ratio from full extension to lock-out is reasonably consistent.
The pull to the knees is sometimes faster than 0.33-seconds in the clean
compared to the snatch and is due to the wider snatch grip placing more
force on the back than on the legs at liftoff (the legs being stronger than
the back). Forces are distributed more equally in the clean, due to the
narrower grip spacing and higher hip starting position.
Since the ratios occur into the snatch and clean & jerk, they must also
occur in the squats and pulls, but this is not the case. The squats and pulls
can be executed with all manner of times-in-motion and with many
different amounts of weight. The lifter is responsible for knowing if they
are moving at the correct velocity that will impart a benefit to their
competition lifts. Generally, correct velocity is based on non-deceleration
during any parts of a lift, including the squats, pulls and competition lifts
as well as the many various auxiliary exercises.
These ratios are a product of a smooth continuous accelerated
velocity, not a jerky or intentionally slow acceleration during the 1st pull,
primarily to the knees or during the dip in the jerk. The ratios hold up even
when the lifter misses an attempt because they can still achieve the times-
in-motion though the speed during the change-in-direction is slower than
the momentum needed to make the lift successfully. Misses are due to the
abrupt deceleration of the barbell before the lifter can brace their position
to receive the weight and the weight is dropping faster than the lifter can
control that weight upon receiving it. The lifter usually drops the barbell
forward or backward, or it comes straight down, and they have to squirm
out of the way. Most if not all misses are the result of a lack of momentum
which is often mistaken for an error in the lifter's technique.
The times-in-motion are not dependent on the height of the lifter; in
other words, a 5-foot-tall lifter will produce the same times-in-motion,
typically, then a 6-foot 6-inch-tall lifter. Since we are not predicating this
on the formula for power, where distance is a multiplier, then the taller
lifter will have to move faster than the shorter lifter to attain the same
times-in-motion. The coach or lifter can use the times-in-motion,
irrespective of the height of the lifter or their weight class; thus, the times
become homogenous for all team members, where force and power might
not be. Using the power formula is far too complicated and relates to the
individual instead of being homogenous. It is more useful to time the
motion of the lifters with video or a stopwatch than to have to use
sophisticated equipment or sports apps, at least, for the general purpose of
training.
Chapter 7
Training the Squats
It’s of no consequence to ask a powerlifter how much they can squat
because they will have a ready answer which will be whatever they have
done in a meet or the gym. If a weightlifter answers this question, they
have no idea how to train the squats or the reason for the squats. The
person asking the weightlifter how much they can squat are seeking an
answer which contains an absolute amount without any regard to the
velocity of those squats.
The sport of weightlifting has a rather odd public image of being a
strength sport like powerlifting or tossing atlas balls around. This image is
perpetuated through the strength and conditioning industry, as well as the
fitness industry. Not all sports are enhanced by moving a mass at
minimum velocities. Most sports require maximal speed against a
resistance. Weightlifting is one of those sports that is velocity driven. How
much can you squat should be answered with I don’t know, I have never
tried a maximal squat, but I can do 250k in one-second. Of course, the
person asking the question will only be able to judge the 250k as an
absolute amount, when in reality the weightlifter could do considerably
more than 250k if there were not any time restrictions during the
ascension. However, those time restrictions are there to keep the
weightlifter from overloading their muscular and adrenaline systems, and
for those squats to be in sync and linked to the snatch and clean & jerk so
the lifter can achieve progress in the competition lifts more effectively and
assuredly.
The commingling of the sport of weightlifting to bodybuilding,
powerlifting, and other strength sports and fitness activities has become an
unfortunate occurrence. The athlete should view the sport of weightlifting
the same as sports like track & field, swimming, gymnastics, and other
Olympic sports, and not as a sport which uses decelerated actions to
produce a result or enhance performance. Anyone who views weightlifting
as a strength sport will have a difficult time reconciling the slower times-
in-motion from the squats and pulls with the accelerated velocities needed
to snatch and clean & jerk big weights. They might also create a situation
where the possibility of a significant injury is personified from decelerated
squats and pulls.
Repetitions in the Squats
Unlike the snatch and clean & jerk, doing doubles and triples in the
squats is more beneficial at the point of consistent maximal velocity.
Where doing doubles or triples in the snatch or clean & jerk, outside of a
conditioning phase, does not create that much of a change, the doubles and
triples in the squats, not only effect change they are almost mandatory for
the majority of training. There are no impediments to doing sets of five or
even ten if done with the right amount of weight. The right amount of
weight for the squats will always be the amount of weight that will not
cause the ascension times to slow down from one rep to the next and from
one set to the next nor cause deceleration.
The variance between the first rep to the last rep should not be greater
than 1/20th of a second regardless of the load. The challenge is not to see
how many reps the lifter can achieve with a certain weight, for that to
stand alone as a PR, but the challenge is to see how many reps can be
completed at the same time-in-motion regardless of the weight. PRs in the
squats should be considered benchmarks and not pushed towards
celebratory achievements that could eventually become roadblocks.
Frequency and Volume of the Squats
The same rules apply to the squats as they do to all the primaries and
even the auxiliaries. Precision and velocity take precedence over volume,
frequency and the amount of weight scheduled. Repeated precision and
velocity apply to all lifts and exercises executed in training. At least to
those amounts of weight where the lifter can control the velocity, and it
doesn’t cause erratic lifting to occur because the weight is too light. Once
precision and velocity begin to degrade during a set, the lifter should
reduce the weight, or the exercise halted, or whatever it takes to bring the
precision and velocity requirements back in sync to the right amount of
weight. Any amount of weight handled without precision, and the right
velocity will produce the type of overloading that can create a negative
return or harm subsequent sessions.
The following table will show how the lifter needs to manipulate the
back-squat volume and frequency to help keep the training from becoming
like a roller coaster ride. The highs and lows need to be smoothed out as
much as possible because it is usually the up days where overloading will
occur because the lifter will be feeling good and will do more than they
should, which is what causes the down days. The lifter in this example has
a 130k snatch and 170k clean & jerk and back-squat of 200k in one-
second.
Table 26
Incremental Increases: 300k total (130 and 170)
Snatch 20 40 60 80 90 100 105 110 115 120 125 130

Clean &
20 60 80 100 120 130 140 150 155 160 165 170
Jerk
Spreadsheet Entries (Week 1)

Table 27
Equiv. Bsq
Date Snatch Clean & Jerk Back-squat
one-second
Week 1
Day 1 105 x 5 x 2 (2.1) 140 x 3 x 1 (2.2) 170 x 4 x 3 (1.1) 190
Day 2 Auxiliary Exercises (75% or Less)
Day 3 110 x 5 x 1 (2.3) 155 x 3 x 1 (2.5) 180 x 3 x 2 (1.2) 185
Day 5 125 x 2 x 1 (2.7) 160 x 1 (2.8)
Averages 113 / 87% (2.37) 152 / 89% (2.5) 103% of C&J 187.5
Table 27: If the athlete does not include the times-in-motion, they
could not deduce very much from the above training. The percentages of
the snatch and clean & jerk were too high for this week. They should be
between 75% and 85%, and if this is a training phase, then the percentage
should be 80% to allow the squats and pulls to increased enough to create
separation. In this case, the back-squat is laboring due to the heavier
snatches and clean & jerks. The assistance lifts are clearly out of sync with
the competition lifts. Even though the 103% is not that far off the preferred
110% of the clean & jerk, the times-in-motion are too slow for these
weights which should all be one-second or a little faster.
The equivalent back-squat in one-second is equal to 161k clean &
jerk (187.5 x .86 = 161) and is 9k less than the lifter’s meet PR clean &
jerk of 170k. The obvious adjustments need to be made with those
competition lifts and not keep the competition lifts the same and do
heavier squats using more deceleration. That could cause the lifter to
become overtrained, and such a situation could take weeks or months for
the lifter to recover.
The overall times-in-motion of the snatch and clean & jerk were
beginning to drop off at over 2.5-seconds and is another telltale sign the
lifter is training the snatch and clean & jerk at too high a level of intensity
relative to the squat velocities.
The following week we can see adjustments were made to the snatch
and clean & jerk, and how the lifter’s squats responded to those
adjustments.
Spreadsheet Entries (Week 2)
Table 28
Equiv. Bsq
Date Snatch Clean & Jerk Back-squat
one-second
Week 2
105 x 5 x 2 135 x 3 x 1 170 x 4 x 3
Day 1 190
(2.1) (2.2) (1.1)
100 x 5 x 1 145 x 3 x 1
Day 3
(2.0) (2.3)
105 x 2 x 1 200 x 3 x 3
Day 5 145 x 1 (2.2) 210
(2.1) (1.2)
103 / 79% 142 / 83%
Averages 109% of C&J 200
(2.07) (2.23)
Table 28: By lowering the intensity of the snatch and clean & jerk to
an average of 81% instead of the 88% in the previous week, this allowed
the squat to be pulled back up and create some separation with a 210k
equivalent back-squat in one-second and a 180k equivalent clean & jerk.
The average equivalent of 200k brings the back-squat back in line with the
170k clean & jerk.
These examples are hypothetical, and the adjustments might take
several weeks to effect a change or bring the primaries back in line or in
equilibrium to where the assistance lifts can create some meaningful and
lasting separation. The auxiliaries also had to be adjusted to allow for
separation. Auxiliaries should be trained at a percentage of effort not an
actual percentage of PR, because auxiliary exercises should never have a
PR associated with them, and percentages are inadequate measures of real
effort. The only measure should be maintaining repeated precision, and
specific times-in-motion, in which case the lifter is free to do as much
volume as they feel is necessary and will not disrupt subsequent sessions.
Temptations
The sport of weightlifting has one thing that other individual sports
don’t have, or in other sports, it doesn’t have as much impact as it does in
weightlifting. That would be temptation. The better a lifter feels during a
training session the more temptation there is for the lifter to attempt lifts
that just because they can do not mean they should. That delicate balance
between the competition lifts and assistance lifts can easily be disturbed if
those temptations are not held in check, at least as much as that is possible.
PR attempts should be scheduled and not attempted simply because the
lifter “feels good.” The squats need to be completely temptation free, as
far as absolute amounts over velocity are concerned. Once a lifter has
trained under a system where precision and velocity are more important
than absolute weight, then those temptations to try something that is not a
part of the overall training regime can be mitigated. The lifter will become
more aware of how beneficial the assistance lifts are when the lifter
adheres to the velocity requirements for the squats.
There are no hard-fast rules the lifter can apply to the percentages,
volume, and repetitions scheduled for any training session. The hard-fast
rules are those that cover what happens when those rules that fall outside
those percentages, volume and repetitions are not followed. Those rules
are those that govern precision and non-decelerated velocities. The
percentages used and the volume of sets and reps attached to those
percentages or amounts of weight can be as much as possible in both
intensity and volume as long as precision and the times-in-motion create
equilibrium and separation. With the governor of precision and
consistency of times-in-motion not in place, the intensity and volume will
create enough overloading, over what is beneficial, to keep the lifter from
reaching their full potential. Stagnation will set in long before the lifter has
reached that full potential. Stagnation usually occurs when the amount of
force the lifter can produce is less than that force needed to increase their
performance. In other words, the lifter has squeezed out all they can from
the squats without relying on decelerated actions. All lifters reach
stagnation at some point in their career, but the top lifters reach that point
at full potential. Once the lifter reaches stagnation, they can only increase
performance by moving up a weight class, but this creates an equivalency
and not an actual increase in production.
Each time a lifter attempts a 100% effort in the snatch or clean & jerk
that effort can take about a week to recover from, but only if the lifter puts
those efforts in place. That would be a reduction in the level of intensity
following such an attempt. If the lifter continues to make those PR efforts
weekly, they will find that their progress will be slower than if they keep
those PRs in check until the competition. Beginning lifters can get away
with just about anything and still make progress. But those bad habits of
always going for gym PRs will eventually catch up to them, and it will be
difficult to change those habits. Another problem with gym PRs is they are
more times than not executed with slower than 2.5-seconds in the overall
time-in-motion. Faster times-in-motion require less time to recover from
since the fast twitch is not as prone to DOMES as the slow twitch.
DOMS: Delayed onset muscle soreness, also called muscle fever, is
the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after
unaccustomed or strenuous exercise.
It is essential the lifter execute every lift in training with repeated
precision and consistent times-in-motion without any deceleration. This
methodology is how lifters can reach their full potential and maintain their
proficiency after they reach full potential.
The following table shows the effective one-second back-squat to
clean & jerk equivalents;
Table 29
Back- C&J Back- C&J Back- C&J
squat Equivalent squat Equivalent squat Equivalent
1 sec. 2.5 sec. 1 sec. 2.5 sec. 1 sec. 2.5 sec
50 43 145 125 240 206
55 47 150 129 245 211
60 52 155 133 250 215
65 56 160 138 255 219
70 60 165 142 260 224
75 65 170 146 265 228
80 69 175 150 270 232
85 73 180 155 275 237
90 63 185 159 280 241
95 82 190 163 285 245
100 86 195 168 290 249
105 90 200 172 295 254
110 95 205 176 300 258
115 99 210 181 305 262
120 103 215 185 310 267
125 108 220 192
130 112 225 194
135 116 230 198
140 120 235 202
Table 29: The lifter should condition the one-second back-squat to

clean & jerk on two priorities. The first is the overall time-in-motion needs
to be 2.5-seconds or faster to utilize the 86% of the one-second back-squat
as an equivalent clean & jerk. The second has to do with the consistency of
those one-second back-squats. Consistency must always take precedence
over one-shot efforts, or efforts the lifter does not repeat within a relatively
short period. Those lifts that fall outside the bell-curve as to their level of
consistency should not be considered either a PR or benchmark.
Consistency is what the lifter needs in the squats, where the lifter needs a
few maximal efforts in the competition lifts to keep those lifts honed-in
when preparing for competition. It is not ever necessary to hone-in the
squats, or it should not be of any concern that the lifter peaks the squats
along with the competition lifts, and should occur by happenstance during
the tapering phase, or the last month before the competition, as the volume
in the squats and pulls are reduced. When time-in-motion is emphasized in
the squats and pulls then only the volume need be reduced and not the
intensity, within reason.
Importance of the One Second Back-squat
Besides the one-second back-squat (or front squat) being used to find
the equivalent clean & jerk, it is also used to keep the lifter from
overloading over what is needed to progress the competition lifts and
back-squat itself. It doesn’t make that much difference if the percentage of
one-second back-squat to clean & jerk is 86% or 83% or 90%. The lifter
should execute consistently the back-squat in one-second and then the
correlations can be determined as to what the ratio of the clean & jerk to
one-second back-squat happens to be.
Example: A lifter has a 150k clean & jerk, and at the same time the
one-second back-squat is unknown, but the back-squat was 190k x 3 in an
average time of 1.4 seconds. The equivalent back-squat in one-second is
180k (190k + 10k - 20k = 180k), and 86% of 180k is 155k. The lifter can
make two assumptions; the first is that the back-squat equivalent to one-
second reveals a potential clean & jerk of 155k or 150k / 180k = 83.33%
instead of 86%. Either one would be acceptable as long as the lifter is still
making progress towards their full potential through the creation of
separation. In other words, the lifter should establish a point of origin from
which to work from, and that point of origin needs to become consistent.
The lifter should tie the effective rate of the one-second squat to the
one-second snatch and clean from the platform to receiving the weight. It
takes 0.67-second to go to full extension and 0.33-seconds to receive the
weight at the fully locked-out position. This one-second must be in sync
with the one-second squat because both are mirroring the same motions.
The one-second back-squat maximum is equal to the one-second snatch or
clean maximum, and no matter how much more the lifter squats over that
one-second back-squat maximum using slower times, those additional
weights will either create separation or overloading.
It might be a month or more before the lifter can reconcile whether
separation has taken place or there was too much unnecessary overloading
occurring. It is important not to allow the times-in-motion to degrade or
decelerate much past one-second or 1.5-seconds. One-and-a-half seconds
seems to be the cutoff point where non-deceleration is possible, once past
1.5-seconds it is impossible to keep from decelerating. Even if the motion
is intentional, it will create unnecessary overloading. When an athlete
moves from acceleration to deceleration, they are moving from fast twitch
to slow twitch reactions. It makes no difference if those actions are
intentional or not. Squatting downward using decelerated movements
works the slow twitch regardless if the lifter can move faster or not. These
slow voluntary actions are called isometric contractions; although they do
contain some motion, they work about the same way as isometrics, which
has been proven to be ineffectual at best.
Attempting to train the squats by moving slower intentionally is like
trying to train a sprinter by making them run in slow motion. Since
weightlifting requires resistance and sprinting uses the body weight of the
sprinter, those resistances can be canceled out, so we are left with two
athletes trying to train their muscular system to move faster by moving
slower.
The 2.5-seconds Overall Time vs. the one-second Back-squat
The purpose of the 2.5-seconds or faster snatch or clean from the
platform to standing up is for that time to mirror the one-second back-
squat. Technical proficiency would require the lifter to execute a clean in
2.0 seconds. That would include the one-second from the platform to lock-
out and then standing up would be one-second. There will always be some
transitional deviations which cause those times to differ or range from 2.0
seconds to 2.5-seconds. The additional 0.5-second should be evenly
distributed over the whole motion from the platform to standing up. If the
lifter places all 0.5-second in the ascension, then that would make standing
up 1.5-seconds and could be a decelerated action, making the jerk more
challenging to achieve. The slower the time-in-motion is then more time is
taken between the transitional phases, such as floating at the top of full
extension, riding the weight downward, racking and positioning the weight
and standing up.
Many lifters find that when executing a snatch, they pull themselves
into the full squat position and then perform the ascension after a complete
stop in that full squat position. It is best to train by using a timed-rebound
because the timed-rebound takes less energy to perform and energy saved
in the snatch can be placed into the clean & jerk later on during the
competition, where it might be needed more than it is in the snatch.
Floating at the top of full extension is contained within the
transitional phase between the 2nd and 3rd pull. The longer it takes for the
lifter to change directions then less momentum is produced toward either
making the lift or being able to lift at full capacity. Floating might only be
1/20th of a second or a bit less, but it is enough time that the lifter will not
be able to reach lock-out before the weight begins to drop down too fast
for the lifter to control the reception, whether it has been locked-out or not.
As discussed before, the weight might be dumped forward, backward or it
will come crashing straight down onto the lifter. These types of misses are
usually mistaken for not finishing the pull or some other technical error
involving the trajectory or path of the bar, however, the problem is not
enough momentum has been produced to receive the weight successfully.
It is the lack of force production during the 2nd pull that causes the
trajectory to deviate too much, not something the lifter had control over at
that time. Usually, the lifter will make the necessary adjustment to the
momentum and make the lift on the next attempt. They also might have to
adjust the velocity during the transition into the 3rd pull.
The main thing is not to allow the overall time-in-motion to be slower
than 2.5-seconds. If the lifter receives the weight in the full squat position
and comes to a complete stop and then stands up, that time does not need
to be counted unless when standing up the time is slower than one-second.
Being capable of doing a dead stop ascension from a snatch or clean is
possible without causing any problems overall if the lifter has enough
separation between the clean & jerk and back-squat in one-second. If there
is no separation then standing up from a dead stop will result in
overloading and slower overall times-in-motion. The following table
illustrates what happens when the squats and clean & jerk are out of sync
negatively and positively.
Table 30
1.0 sec. Back Sq
Snatch Meet PR C&J Meet PR Equivalent C&J
Actual
130 (2.3) 165 (2.4) 192 165
Table 30: In the above illustration, the lifter’s clean & jerk is in sync
with the one-second back-squat and equivalent clean & jerk at 86%. The
overall times in the snatch and clean & jerk are 2.5-seconds or faster.
Table 31
1.0 sec. Back Sq
Actual
130 (2.7) 165 (2.9) 183 157
Table 31: If the back-squat in one-second creates an equivalent clean

& jerk which is less than what the lifter has clean & jerked, the overall
times-in-motion have to be slower to compensate for the slower back-
squat. It makes no difference how much the lifter can back-squat using
slower times because the lifter should interpolate the slower squat to a
one- second back-squat. The above lifter might have as much as a 250k
back- squat, but the ascension time would be 2.34 seconds. A 250k back-
squat in one-second would be equal to a 215k clean & jerk. It is the
overloading of the additional 67k from 183 to 250k that causes the overall
times to be slower. This particular lifter would be in stagnation mode with
a correlation of back-squat to clean & jerk of 66%. The lifter unable to
achieve the standard ratio of 80% of the clean & jerk to back squat. 165k /
80% = 206k back squat in approx. 1.5-seconds. For most lifters who train
without actually timing their squats and using those times to formulate a
training regime, the 80% standard ratio can quickly turn to 75% or less, or
it can fluctuate wildly.
Table 32
one-second Back Sq
Equivalent
130 (2.0) 165 (2.1) 210 180
Table 32: In the above illustration, the lifter has created a separation
of about 110% between the clean & jerk and squat, which is about the
amount necessary to be able to train at and reach full potential. The
separation enables the lifter to achieve their competition lifts at near
maximal overall times-in-motion (2.0 seconds maximal optimum time).
Faster overall times in motion produce less stress and lots of room to
progress towards full potential. The lifter can realize that potential clean &
jerk, but they might only realize it at overall times slower than 2.5-
seconds. For the lifter to maintain a separation of 110%, the lifter has to
progress the back-squat in one-second along with the clean & jerk at the
overall time-in-motion of 2.5-seconds or faster.
Table 33
one-second Back Sq
Equivalent
140 (2.0) 175 (2.1) 225 192
Table 33: The lifter should accompany the 175k clean & jerk with a
225k back-squat in one-second. If a major meet comes along, then the
lifter would be free to attempt the 190k clean & jerk, as long as it is
something that they felt they were capable of doing in 2.5-seconds or
faster.
Note: The lifter should achieve separation with equivalencies, not
actual one-second back-squats or clean & jerks. The actual lifts and times
should progress through those equivalencies. In the above illustration, for
example, the 225k equivalent back-squat in one-second could be produced
by doing the following;
185k x 7 sets x 5 reps @ 1.2-seconds = 225k back-squat in one-
second. The lifter might not do 225k in one-second, but the combined sets
at 1.2-seconds average time would be equal to 225k in one-second. At
least those forces that are necessary to be able to clean & jerk 192k. These
are both unrealized potentials. Separation must come before progression,
or there will be no progression. Equivalent back-squats in one-second must
be consistent from one squat workout to the next regardless of the weight
or number of sets and reps.
It is difficult to achieve equivalent back-squats consistently with
lighter weights or weights less than the lifter’s clean & jerk. The lifter
should achieve times of 0.7-seconds with the lifter’s clean & jerk PR. 165
x 5 @ .7 = 215k equivalent one-second back-squat and that is equal to a
185k equivalent clean & jerk. So, it doesn’t take that much weight to stay
separated, but it does take velocity; the type of velocity that will keep the
competition lifts in sync with the assistance lifts.
Separation Table
Table 34
Clean & Jerk Back-squat 130% Clean Pull 110% Equivalent C&J
@ 2.5-seconds @ one-second @ 0.33-seconds 86% of BSq
50 65 55 56
60 78 66 67
70 91 77 78
80 104 88 89
90 117 99 101
100 130 110 112
110 143 121 123
120 156 132 134
130 169 143 145
140 182 154 157
150 195 165 168
160 208 176 179
170 221 187 190
180 234 198 201
190 247 209 212
200 260 220 224
210 273 231 235
220 286 242 246
230 299 253 257
240 312 264 268
250 325 275 280
260 338 286 291
270 340 297 292
Table 34: The table above represents the equivalent of a clean & jerk
to a one-second back-squat of 130% of PR clean & jerk at 2.5-seconds or
faster. These equivalents are strictly a measure of separation; they do not
mean the lifter is capable of achieving those equivalencies in the clean &
jerk. It says there is enough separation to allow the lifter to continue
progressing toward their full potential and execute the current clean & jerk
with precision and smooth accelerated velocity and a time-in-motion of
2.5-seconds or faster from the platform through the ascension. While the
back-squat of 130% in one-second can be an equivalency, the lifter should
execute the pulls at 110% of current clean & jerk PR.
The squattier the lifter is the more the depth in the squat might be
restricted and therefore if the lifter is unable to squat below parallel there
needs to be an adjustment. In the case of the super heavyweight that has a
250k clean & jerk, the lifter should execute the 325k back-squat in 0.67-
second instead of one-second. The pulls would not be affected, and if the
lifter achieves the 0.33-seconds to the knees, then that would be equivalent
to a one-second full back-squat.
All times-in-motion need to be individualized and adjusted to match
the lifter’s particular physiology. I based my findings on averages from a
wide range of lifters from many countries. However, most adjustments
would be minimal, since it’s the laws of physics that are controlling those
equivalent forces and the lifter is just the machine, so to speak, used to
create those forces against a particular mass.
Training the Front Squat
The front squat is similar to the back-squat as far as how the coach or
lifter calculates the equivalent force. The main difference is the amount of
weight the lifter can handle in the front squat will be less than that of the
back-squat. Some lifters do not do front squats out of the rack and only do
the back-squat, usually for reasons concerning forces that cause pain to the
knee joint or possibly the hips or other areas of the body. Some lifters
emphasize the front squat primarily in an attempt to create separation with
that lift. The problem with squats in general, especially the front squat, is
that it is much easier to take the weight out of a rack and squat rather than
clean the weight, as in the case with the front squat. The value of the front
squat, as an assistance lift, is predicated on the one-second time-in-motion
consistently executed in training.
If both the back-squat and front squat are trained using maximal
weights without regard for the ascension times where deceleration is
extreme (over 1.5-seconds), then the unnecessary overloading will also be,
and mediocrity will set in. The main reason for maintaining consistent
times-in-motion which do not cause the lifter to decelerate is so all the
primaries can be trained at the right intensity levels to affect a change.
If the lifter emphasizes the back-squat over the front squat, then the
front squat should be deemphasized and vice versa. Training both lifts at
100% effort and volume, even where the lifter adheres to non-deceleration,
it can still create some mediocrity between those two lifts as well as the
other primaries. It can also keep the lifter from creating separation
between the squats and competition lifts.
I used a lifter with a 130k snatch PR and 170k clean & jerk PR to
illustrate what happens when the lifter trains both the front and back-squat
at maximal volume and intensity.
Table 35
Snatch 20 40 60 80 90 100 105 110 115 120 125 130

Clean &
20 60 80 100 120 130 140 150 155 160 165 170
Jerk
Table 36
Monthly Back Front Snatch Clean
Snatch C&J
Averages Squat Squat Pull Pull
1 104 140 180 163 125 169
2 108 144 183 166 128 170
3 106 142 177 159 132 173
4 108 144 182 161 130 170

Total
82% (2.5) 84% (2.7) 106% (1.2) 95% (1.3) 99% (.33) 100% (.33)
Averages
Table 36: The first thing that will be affected by doing too many
fronts and back-squats at full training capacity will be slower overall
times-in-motion of the competition lifts, and usually the clean & jerk more
than the snatch. Since the clean & jerk contains a front squat then the
doubling down on both the back-squat and front squat can cause the
overall times-in-motion to become slower than usual.
Besides causing slower overall times-in-motion in the competition
lifts, training both squats at full capacity can keep the lifter from creating
separation between the assistance lifts and the competition lifts. There are
just not enough energy stores to create separation and stave off mediocrity
at the same time and doesn't account for all those additional problems the
lifter can cause when they train the auxiliary exercises at too high a level
of intensity. Keeping good records on the times-in-motion and average
monthly intensities there should be enough data to make determinations
concerning the scheduling, programming, and adjustments needed for all
the lifts and exercises, to keep the primaries in sync.
Generally, the front squat falls in line with the clean pull, where
intensity levels are guided by the clean & jerk meet PR. The front squat
and pulls could almost mirror each other in the average monthly intensity
levels. For the lifter to maintain the monthly average or equivalent average
of 100% of meet PR clean & jerk, the times have to be one-second in the
front squat and 0.33-seconds in the clean pull. Only by maintaining this
particular times-in-motion can separation from the clean & jerk be
achieved. If the back-squat is being used to create separation, then no
attempt at separation should be made by training the front squats for that
purpose. The lifter should hold back the front squats enough to allow the
back-squat to separate. In this case, the back-squat should be backed off to
allow the fronts to separate. I illustrated this method in the following table.
Table 37
Monthly Back Front Snatch Clean
Snatch C&J
Averages Squat Squat Pull Pull
1 104 140 172 172 125 169
2 108 144 173 175 128 170
3 106 142 168 174 132 173
4 108 144 171 177 130 170

Total
82% (2.3) 84% (2.5) 100% 103% 99% (.33) 100% (.33)
Averages
Table 37: In the above illustration, the lifter is not emphasizing the
back-squat as much, and the average intensity is just 100% of the clean &
jerk. The front squat is allowed to create separation and has gone from
95% to 103% average intensity. The reduction in the back-squat has
allowed the fronts to increase and also the deceleration in the lifter reduced
the intensity of the competition lifts. The lifter could eliminate the back-
squat, save for a few light back-squats as auxiliary exercises in a morning
session or at the end of training.
The lifter should understand that other factors can cause the overall
times-in-motion of the competition lifts to be slower than 2.5-seconds. If
the average monthly level of intensity of those competition lifts reaches
too high a level, then the average level of intensity needs to be adjusted to
bring those times back in sync. If the average monthly level of intensity is
higher in the snatch than the clean & jerk, that will cause the clean & jerk
to degrade or stagnate. Progress in the snatch is dependent on the
improvement in the clean & jerk and not the other way around.
The volume of reps and sets is all determinative, based on the ability
of the lifter to maintain the one-second ascension times regardless of the
number of sets and reps. Setting up a squat routine based where the lifter
keeps the one-second times (or faster) is fine as long as they maintain
those times. The lifter should carefully choose weights that will guarantee
they will achieve the one-second or faster times with every rep in every
set. The times should not slow down gradually from the 1st rep to the last,
as when doing a set of 4, 5 or even 10. The times within those sets should
all be very close to the same time. If the lifter starts to decelerate during
any rep, then the set should be halted.
Table 38
Front Squat in one-second and the Equivalent in Reps
1 rep 3 reps 5 reps 10 reps
50 40 30 5
60 50 40 15
70 60 50 25
80 70 60 35
90 80 70 45
100 90 80 55
110 100 90 65
120 110 100 75
130 120 110 85
140 130 120 95
150 140 130 105
160 150 140 115
170 160 150 125
180 170 160 135
190 180 170 145
200 190 180 155
210 200 190 165
220 210 200 175
230 220 210 185
240 230 220 195
250 240 230 205
260 250 240 215
270 260 250 225
280 270 260 235
Table 38: This table reflects maximal effort one-second squats and
how much those maximal efforts produce when doing reps. For training
purposes, over long periods those maximal efforts must be tempered down
to reflect what the lifter is capable of doing from workout to work out and
not carry over any unnecessary overloading that can hinder those
subsequent sessions.
Assuming a lifter can front squat 150k in one-second and also clean
& jerk 150k in 2.5-seconds then those lifts are in sync. The amount of
weight the lifter should handle will mirror the monthly average intensity
levels of the clean & jerk unless the lifter achieves some separation. The
lifter should achieve separation for the competition lifts to progress. Most
lifters who do not measure their times-in-motion make progress because
they have created separation through equivalent means, unbeknown to the
lifter or the coach. The lifter might assume they progress because of the
number of sets and reps and weights they schedule, but progress can only
come from the equivalencies that create equilibrium between all the
primaries. Progress can occur in spite of the programming, as long as some
of that programming creates enough separation and that separation is force
equivalent to the one-second squats and 0.33-seconds pulls and is why
some powerlifters can make the transition to weightlifting. Their
equivalent one-second back-squat is sufficient enough to allow them to
reach a decent level in the sport; however, in most cases, the powerlifter
turned weightlifter will continue to hammer out the slower decelerated
squats they did in powerlifting, and this will cause stagnation to set in
sooner than later and keep them from reaching their full potential. No
question two of the top powerlifters who turned weightlifters were Paul
Anderson and Shane Hamman. Both were able to transition and set world
and national records; however, their squats were non-decelerated squats, at
least there was very little deceleration even in their powerlifting event
squats.
Separation in the front squat would be around 110% of clean & jerk
meet PR in one-second. As explained before, to get to 110%, the
competition lifts will have to be manipulated at an average level of
intensity to allow for such a separation. The lifter should not reduce the
average level of intensity in the competition lifts to such a low level that
the competition lifts cannot stay honed in enough to allow that separation
to be effective. Approximately 80% or a bit less, and no lift over 85% for
both the snatch and clean & jerk should be sufficient for creating
separation and being able to hone the competition lifts back in quickly
before a major competition.
Chapter 8
Training the Pulls
The pulls are somewhat of a puzzle. The purpose of doing pulls can at
times seem illusory since every snatch and clean contains a pull. The pulls
are also dependent on the squats for their progression. Unlike the squats,
the lifter cannot correlate the pulls cannot to other lifts that would give any
meaningful result.
Pulls compete with the energy stores of the other primaries, so the
athlete should determine a proportionality between the volume and
intensity concerning the pulls vs. squats. The intensity level of pulls could
pose more of a concern to the progression of the squats and subsequently
the competition lifts. Energy and time wasted can never be regained.
The more emphasis the lifter places on trying to increase the pull as a
deadlift movement, the more that will harm the process of creating
separation. The squats and pulls need to be in sync with each other, and
they should be in sync with the competition lifts.
I would consider the pulls to be extremely important and probably
just as delicate as the competition lifts, at least where precision and
specific times-in-motion are concerned. The lifter should follow a
methodology that would eliminate any attempts at maximal deadlifts or the
application of times-in-motion slower than what the snatch or clean
requires. The squats have some wiggle room as far as deceleration is
concerned and even squats achieved in 2.0 seconds can still be correlated
back to a one-second squat. The pulls have no wiggle room or a way to
correlate back to a timed pull equivalent. Pulls tend to drop off
exponentially after 110% of the snatch or clean PR, and for some lifters,
they drop off after just 100% of PR.
Pulls tend to be either non-decelerated or decelerated. There is no in-
between of any consequence compared to the squats because there is no
wiggle room between a 100% snatch or clean & jerk and a miss at 101%.
The pulls would have the same drop off in efficiency as the competition
lifts. Any pull executed using decelerated actions, regardless of the amount
of weight, would be unnecessary overloading. Hence, the majority of pulls
should be performed using 105% of PR or less, depending on how fast the
lifter can execute the pulls between 100% and 105%.
While separation can be achieved doing the squats through
equivalencies, there are no equivalencies for the pulls; however, there is
some separation the lifter can create, and that would be during the 1st pull
or the pull to just below the knee, the lifter should measure this portion
when doing pulls to full extension or pulls to the midsection.
Snatch and Clean Pull to Full Extension with

Straight Arms
When doing full extension snatch and clean pulls, the arms should
remain perfectly straight as they would be when doing a snatch or clean to
full extension. Since the lifter must decelerate sooner when doing pulls,
over regular snatches or cleans, the only meaningful time-in-motion the
lifter can ascertain is the pull to just below the knees, which should be
0.33-seconds or 10/30th of a second on a 30-fps camera. As long as the
time-in-motion is 0.33-seconds, the lifter can handle as much weight as is
possible, of course, the lifter should predicate that on maximal speed, and
not program any extreme volume or frequency greater than the squats or
competition lifts.
As discussed before, the snatch or clean high pull is an auxiliary
exercise and should not be trained along with the primaries or as a
combination with a primary except when the lifter trains both as auxiliary
exercises and as a percentage of effort, not of PR, so those do not interfere
in the training of the primaries. Adding a high pull before a snatch or clean
(combination) will only create an equivalency, and will not and cannot
create separation or a means for which the lifter can progress the snatch or
clean & jerk. The lifter can only progress the clean & jerk through a
system of separation through the one-second front or back squat.
Snatch or clean high pulls do not create a more proficient pulling
motion because the snatch and clean pull don't contain a high pull because
at the position of full extension the lifter's arms are straight and the lifter
starts pulling under the weight and not pulling upward. Pulling under the
weight is a rotational action and not an upward pulling motion. The high
pulls are strictly for warmup purposes with very light weights or as
auxiliary exercises, but with much less weight than the lifter’s PRs or 80%
or less. The high pull with light weights warms up the whole shoulder
girdle area and stretches out that area to ready it for the training of those
top-end weights. Not to be used in conjunction with those top-end weights.
The execution of extreme high pulls with maximum weights does two
things; it creates the wrong pathways that the lifter cannot execute when
doing the regular snatch or clean. The deceleration at full extension when
doing the high pulls doesn't match the same motion where the arms are
straight at full extension, and the elbows rotate around to receive the
weight, they do not pull upward and then rotate.
Allowing the weight to be lowered down slowly after a pull is also a
form of isometrics and there has never been any research to prove
isometrics has any benefit. Moving slowly intentionally, other than when
handling very light incremental weights, has no validity in athletics for any
reason whatsoever. But again, if the lifter wants to do things like
isometrics or slow-motion lifting, then those should be handled as
auxiliary exercises and never mingled with the primaries, outside of
warmups with the empty bar or something less than 50% effort.
Keeping the Pulls in Sync
The pulls don’t require any complex training as the squats might. A
simple diet of doubles and at times triples should suffice, and from a
continuation of the intensity of the snatch or clean & jerk.
Table 39
Snatch 20 40 60 80 90 100 105 110 115 120 125 130

Clean &
20 60 80 100 120 130 140 150 155 160 165 170
Jerk
Table 40
Snatch 115 / 90%
Clean & Jerk 155 / 90%
Snatch Pull 115 120 125 130 140 - 145 110%
or
Clean Pull 160 165 170 180 185 / 110%
Table 40: The squats are trained between 100% and 130% of clean &
jerk PR and the pulls between 100% and 105% of snatch and clean & jerk
PR. This particular motion needs to feel like cutting butter with a knife. If
some consistency can be achieved by doing more than 100% of PR and
still maintain the 0.33-seconds to just below the knee, then this type of
separation will be beneficial. Pulling separation is maximized at 110% of
snatch and clean & jerk, although any pull the lifter executes at over 105%
in 0.33-seconds would probably be a one-shot deal and not something they
could do on a consistent basis in training. During the peaking phase, the
percentage should not go over 100%, and the volume reduced to allow the
squats to stay at their average level of intensity.
Repetitions in the Pulls
The number of reps will depend on the ability of the lifter to maintain
the 0.33-seconds time-in-motion. After measuring enough pulls these
times should become ingrained enough to know if they are slowing down
or not. The lifter’s sense of how fast or slow they are moving during a lift
must be highly developed, and that requires constant measuring of the
times-in-motion.
Table 41
Snatch PR 85% of PR Snatch 90% of PR Snatch 95% of PR Snatch
100 85 x 4 90 x 3 95 x 2
150 128 x 4 135 x 3 142 x 2

Table 41: This is a generalized example of how the reps should affect
the amount of weight handled, and keep the time-in-motion at 0.33-
seconds. If the lifter with a 150k PR snatch can do 135k for 3 reps and 3
sets in reasonably rapid progression, and maintain the 0.33- seconds, then
they should feel free to continue as long as they can maintain the correct
pulling velocity for each rep in each set. The pulls should be increased
incrementally the same as the snatch or clean & jerk or squats, where
working up in sets of reps the top-end weight should be a single set unless
the lifter reduces the weight enough to be able to do multiple sets with the
same weight. Like the squats, when the pulls begin to decelerate the lifter
should halt the exercise or reduce the weight.
When executing the pulls to full extension, the arms should stay
straight at full extension, and no bending occurs after the lifter attains full
extension. The lifter can and should shrug the shoulders, and the ankles
will automatically extend. Again, the lifter should consider high pulls light
warmups or auxiliary exercises and never an attempt to see how high a
maximal amount can be pulled by using the arms.
How to Approach the Pulls
Since the pulls are closely related to the same motion used when
doing a snatch or clean, these assistance lifts should be approached exactly
like the lifter approaches the bar in competition. The use of straps should
be limited to repetitions unless there is a need to protect the calluses from
tearing. Pulls are not just for assisting the pull to full extension, but also to
help develop the grip. Being able to do more weight with straps than
without straps means the lifter can handle more weight, but that could
cause unnecessary overloading. Unnecessary overloading can harm
subsequent workout sessions. As stated previously the lifter should never
train the pulls like a deadlift. Unlike the squats, where the lifter can
tolerate some slower times-in-motion as long as there is no deceleration,
the pulls must be at least 0.33-seconds to the knees or the exact time-in-
motion the lifter is used to generating to the knees. The pulls are more
speed specific than the squats. The squats are more motion specific than
the pulls, i.e., the lifter must perform the squats the exact same way they
perform the clean for receiving the barbell and standing up, and the lifter
should perform the pulls with the exact same speed the lifter uses in the
competition lifts.
Manipulating the Primaries
The following table illustrates how the lifter should train the pulls
along with the other primary lifts. The lifter, in this case, has a snatch of
140k, clean & jerk of 170k and back-squat in one-second of 200k.
Table 42
Incremental Increases: 310k total
Snatch 20 40 60 80 90 100 110 120 125 130 135 140
Clean &
20 60 80 100 120 130 140 150 155 160 165 170
Jerk
Table 43
Front Back
Date Snatch C&J Sn Pull Cl Pull
Squat Squat
Month 1 110 133 147 178 172 192
Month 2 108 134 144 183 173 187
Month 3 112 134 146 182 175 190
Month 4 111 133 147 184 169 193
Averages 79% (2.2) 79% (2.1) 104% (.33) 107% (.33) 101% (1.0) 112% (1.0)
Table 43: This table shows where the limitations of the assistance
lifts lie regarding the competition lift’s PRs. The assistance lifts average
intensity levels should not vary that much to those top-end weights
handled from workout to workout. Volume in the pulls is about the only
element that needs to be manipulated, especially during the peaking phase
where the lifter should decrease the volume, and even the intensity should
be lowered to just at or under 100% of PR. This process will allow the
squats to maintain around the same levels of intensity and volume;
however, the volume in the lifter should lower the volume in the squats,
and the intensity should be maintained to allow the competition lifts
intensity levels to increase for a short period, to hone in those lifts at near
maximal efforts. The times-in-motion are all within the velocity
requirements of each particular primary lift.
Table 44 shows the snatch and clean & jerk trained at too high a level
of intensity the first two months and adjustments made to bring them back
into sync.
Table 44
Front Back
Squat Squat
Month 1 123 151 147 178 172 192
Month 2 127 153 144 183 173 187
Averages 89% (2.6) 89% (2.7) 104% (.33) 106% (.33) 101% (1.3) 1.11% (1.4)
Month 3 105 126 146 182 175 190
Month 4 101 124 147 184 169 193
Averages 74% (2.0) 74% (2.1) 105% (.33) 108% (.33) 101% (1.1) 113% (1.1)
Total 81.5% 81.5%
105% (.33) 107% (.33) 101% (1.15) 112% (1.25)
Averages (2.3) (2.4)
Table 44: In the first two months the competition lifts were trained at
89% which is too high a level of intensity for the lifter to create or
maintain separation between the squats and competition lifts. This level of
intensity can cause the squats to decelerate too much and the overall time-
in-motion of the snatch and clean & jerk to be slower than 2.5-seconds. In
this case, it is easy to see that the higher intensity training of the
competition lifts is causing the problems with the times-in-motion. The
pulls would be unaffected. The lifter adjusted the average monthly level of
intensity to the competition lifts, and that allowed the time in the squats to
increase from 1.4 seconds to 1.25 seconds. The average intensity in the
competition lifts was bought down to 81.5% for both lifts.
What happens when the assistance lifts are trained using slower
times, and more weight I have illustrated in table 45.
Table 45
Front Back
Squat Squat
Month 1 110 133 172 210 182 215
Month 2 108 134 169 208 184 212

Month 3 112 134 171 211 175 214
Month 4 111 133 170 205 182 213
Averages 79% (2.6) 79% (2.7) 121% (.83) 123% (1.7) 106% (1.7) 126% (1.8)
Table 45: When the lifter trains the pulls and squats as they would be
in powerlifting, where there is no restriction on velocity, the lifter must
reduce the overall times-in-motion considerably, and the assistance lifts
are rendered ineffective for developing force production. Some pretty
impressive numbers can be put up as regards to those particular lifts, but
the effective rate of return has diminished to the point where the lifter is
well on the way toward stagnation or injury. When those limitation
safeguards on time-in-motion and intensity have been stripped away the
lifter is free to challenge every lift and every exercise in every workout, as
a maximal effort. There is no way to determine what adjustments need to
be made because when the squats begin to decrease in intensity
involuntarily, the lifter will merely double down on those squats and make
the problem even worse. When the times are unknown to the lifter the
issues with training can build-up, and they will begin looking for solutions
that do not exist. As the competition lifts start to stagnate due to the slower
overall times-in-motion caused by, the heavier slower squats and pulls, the
lifter will merely assume they need to push the squats and pulls to even
more extremes, when the opposite is true. Too many lifters have grown up
believing that more is better and the heavier and grinding a lift is the more
strength the lifter develops. Unfortunately, this is not true for any athlete,
except for those engaged in strength sports like powerlifting and
strongman competitions.
The Difference Between Snatch and Clean Pulls

The only difference between a snatch pull and clean pull is the width
of the grip since there is no 3rd pull executed on either the snatch or clean
pull, and this creates a bit of a paradox, since the difference between a
snatch pull and clean pull is 85%, and the difference between a snatch and
clean & jerk is 80%. The snatch pulls can be executed at a higher level of
intensity and still maintain the 0.33-seconds time-in-motion.
The following table shows a lifter with a 200k clean & jerk and 160k
snatch and the top-end weights of the pulls based on those lifts.
Table 46
Snatch Snatch Pull Clean & Jerk Clean Pull
160k / 80% 170k / 85% 200k / 100% 200k / 100%
Table 46: The snatch pulls need to be trained at 170k instead of the
160k when handling 100% of snatch PR. The snatch grip pulls will help
the clean grip pulls, since it’s only the width of the grip that is being
considered and not any major technical concerns when there is a 3rd pull
involved.
Is Weightlifting a Strength Sport?
The sport of weightlifting might exhibit specific properties of a
strength sport, but the reality is entirely different. All sports that contain a
change in direction will require maximal accelerated velocity to be in sync
with those changes in direction, regardless of the resistance or mass. In
weightlifting, all the primaries must be in sync with those changes in
direction at all times during training, and among those primaries
individually, also regardless of the resistance placed on those changes in
direction.
While there is some complexity to programming, most of the
complexity is tied into doing too much with too many lifts and exercises
without any consideration of the times-in-motion of those lifts and
exercises. The lifter should view each assistance lift as a cause and effect
relationship, instead of a means to an end.
Strength is defined differently in powerlifting than in weightlifting. In
weightlifting, strength is the ability to maintain the same times-in-motion
regardless of the mass. In powerlifting, strength is the ability to slow the
times-in-motion down to overcome that additional mass. Slower velocities
in the squats and pulls, in weightlifting, are antagonistic to those velocities
contained in the snatch and clean & jerk.
The sports of powerlifting, weightlifting, and bodybuilding are as
different as night and day and should never be mingled together to form a
training regime. If this were not the case, then why do powerlifters and
bodybuilders not use snatches and clean & jerks as part of their training
regime? They don’t do those lifts because the training of those lifts is
antagonistic to their particular sport, and there would be no practical
reason for them to do such. By the same token, why do weightlifters think
they need to do powerlifting type squats, deadlifts, and bodybuilding
workouts? Well, they don’t work for the same reason powerlifters, and
bodybuilders don’t do snatches or clean & jerks. Now the fitness industry
has commingled just about every sport and exercise imaginable, but the
fitness industry is not bound by the strict structuring contained in other
sports. Doing a snatch or clean & jerk in the fitness world is no different
from doing a kip-up or double-under. All exercises carry the same value
and are all pushed to mediocrity. Some light bodybuilding exercises can be
functional for the overall fitness of the muscular system.
Chapter 9
Training the Auxiliaries
Exercises are for conditioning and overall fitness of the muscular
system, not an event to be trained at anywhere near the same intensity
levels as the primaries. Auxiliary exercises are not meant to be used to fix
anything wrong with the lifter’s technique, because, for one thing, the
lifter should not be training if they are unable to maintain repeated
precision and speed, for another the motions are too similar to be used to
fix anything.
The lifter should train the auxiliary exercises mentioned in chapter 5
should at 80% or less, but in no way should those exercises interfere with
or commingled with the training of the primary lifts. The sessions should
be broken down into either primary lifts or auxiliary exercises. In most
cases, the lifter should schedule the auxiliary exercises after the primaries,
or in separate sessions.
If the lifter trains the snatch at 80% during a particular session and
the snatch off boxes is also scheduled then those snatches off boxes should
be executed at less than 80%. Both the volume and percentage should be
less in the snatch off boxes than off the platform.
As soon as the bulk of training is composed of more auxiliary
exercises than primaries, then the lifter is not training, they are exercising.
Table 47
Date Snatch C&J Bsq Fsq Cl Pull Sn Pull Aux 1 Aux 2 Aux 3
Day 1 X X X X X
Day 2 X X X X
Day 3 X X x X X
Day 4 X X X
Day 5 X X X X X
Day 6 X X X
Totals 3 2 2 1 1 1 5 5 5
Table 47: There were 10 primaries and 15 auxiliary exercises
scheduled during that week. If this continues and both the volume and
intensity of those auxiliary exercises are equal to or greater than the
primaries, then the lifter is doing nothing more than exercising. The
chance of creating any separation is improbable if not impossible.
If the auxiliary exercises are at a lower level of intensity and volume
than the primaries and they do not disrupt those primaries in any way, then
the 10 to 15 variation will not be as much of a problem. The coach or lifter
should make sure the volume and intensity of the auxiliaries are less than
the volume and intensity of the primaries.
The lifter should train the partial lifts at a lower level of intensity. If
they are training the clean & jerk at 85%, then the hang clean should not
exceed 80% of effort, certainly not 85% of PR or even 80% of PR. At any
point during the week where the lifter trains any partial lift at a higher
level of effort than its full movement counterpart, then the partial lift is
being trained as a primary lift instead of as an auxiliary exercise, and the
lifter should avoid this practice.
The lifter needs to develop the critical motor pathways for the snatch
and clean & jerk off the platform. Those full movements cannot
effectively stay in sync when they are being trained to do something
different at the same level of intensity and volume. When the partial lifts
surpass the snatch or clean & jerk in volume and intensity, then a complete
change in those pathways will take place, and the snatch and clean & jerk
off the platform will become more difficult to keep honed-in from one
session to the next. And, can create imbalances in the lifting; what some
call weaknesses or things the lift needs to fix. It then becomes an endless
cycle of fixing parts of lifts by increasing the volume and usage of those
fixes. Eventually the lifter rarely ever does a snatch or clean & jerk off the
platform, and the technical proficiency of the lifter will begin to degrade.
The three most problematic auxiliary exercises, which are never
thought of as auxiliaries, but are considered primaries, is the snatch off
boxes, cleans only and jerks out of the rack. These three lifts can play
havoc with the lifter’s motor pathways if those three lifts are emphasized
more than the competition lifts or trained as if there is no distinction
between doing cleans only and jerks out of the rack as doing the clean &
jerk. The lifter cannot develop the subtleties contained in the transitional
phases between the clean and the jerk or the 1st pull and 2nd pull in the
snatch when performing partial movements. These subtle changes are one
of the big reasons the lifter should train the partials at lower levels of
intensity and frequency than the primaries.
The precision achieved when doing a clean might not be, and usually
is not, the same precision needed when doing the clean & jerk. The clean
itself does not require a great deal of thought or motor control over racking
the weight in preparation to jerk it. Racking it is good enough. If too many
cleans, without jerks, are executed in training, and the lifter doesn't
establish those motor pathways for the jerk, then preparing for a meet, it
will be very difficult, or too late, to hone those skills back in.
Doing cleans without a jerk is sort of like pole vaulting by just
working on the run-up and planting of the pole and then running over the
pit instead of taking the vault. While pole vaulters do work only on their
plant, it is mostly for getting their stride down, but even so, they aren’t
foolish enough to train the run-up more than the whole event or think that
the run-up and plant are causing them to be less proficient during the vault.
The lifter ascertains inefficiency by doing the full movements, and the liter
can only fix their technical style by doing the full movements.
Doing a snatch off boxes is like trying to pole vault from the takeoff
position. I am just trying to convey how an event the athlete partially
executes changes the dynamics of the whole event, to how those motor
pathways sense those changes. It might seem like doing snatches off
boxes, with more weight than the lifter can snatch off the platform, is a
good thing, but it only seems that way. While the action might resemble
doing a snatch, it has been altered to be a completely different event. It is
those subtle transitional changes during the full movement that needs to be
trained and ingrained with precision and velocity. Leaving out those
transitional phases cannot possibly aid any particular lift to be more
proficient or precise. All auxiliary exercises can do is work specific
muscle groups that do not get worked the same way or as much as those
used when doing the primary lifts. Auxiliary exercises and partial
movements are not magical nor is any one particular exercise more useful
than another. They represent a whole system for extra-conditioning,
mobility, and flexibility of the muscular system.
Fixing problems is not or should not be considered a part of training.
If a lifter is having issues with their technique, they need to stop practice
and start back into a learning mode. If they were not having problems
before, then obviously it must be the training that is causing the issues. In
most cases, deceleration or the manipulations in volume and intensity are
wrong. If a good record of the times-in-motion is being kept and recorded,
then it can be straightforward to determine where problems might exist
and just as easy to adjust or correct those problems promptly, so the lifter
loses very little training.
The hang snatch and clean should fall into the same category as
lifting off boxes. These should be trained at a lower average monthly
intensity level than the primaries and not exceed 80% effort. Lowering the
intensity does not mean the lifter should add more volume. The lifter
should execute each auxiliary exercise with a specific number of sets and
reps for each exercise, and that should not change, unless it interferes in
the training of the primary lifts.
The pulls, the lifter should consider as auxiliary exercises, are those
where the elbows are raised-up very high, and the bar reaches near the
chest or neck of the athlete. These types of pulls should also be done with
extremely light weights because they are mostly for stretching and
warmup purposes. The lifter should never use the high pull in conjunction
with a primary lift, in a combination, for any reason whatsoever. The
motor pathways of an extreme high pull are different from those during a
regular snatch. When the lifter performs these types of pulls in
combination with the top-end weights in the snatch, they cease to be
auxiliary exercises and become a new event. The lifter at that point must
train their pathways to do that event which by its very nature creates
mediocrity in the snatch. Any benefit the lifter thinks they derive from
doing a snatch pull/snatch combo is only causing mediocrity. Doing such
combinations as an exercise is fine as long as the weight is considerably
less than any amount handled as compared to the primaries.
The following spreadsheet shows the variances that should exist
between the primary lifts and the auxiliary exercises;
Table 48
Weekly Back- Sn off Jerk off Hang Muscle Good
Snatch C&J
Averages squat Boxes Rack Clean Snatch Mornings
Week 1 75% 75% 100% 70% 70% 70% 50% 50%
Week 2 85% 90% 110% 80% 80% 80% 50% 50%

Table 48: These are weekly averages and shows how the auxiliary
exercises should be lower than the primary lift averages. The auxiliary
exercises should not exceed 80% of effort regardless of how high the
average is for the primaries. The muscle snatch should not exceed 50% of
snatch PR, and absolutely no press-out should occur. The back squat is a
percentage of the clean & jerk when the lifter performs non-decelerated
action.
Those auxiliary exercises which contain parts of the primaries should
be handled very carefully and always with less emphasis than those
primaries. No PRs should be attempted, for the sake of setting a PR, in an
auxiliary exercise for any reason whatsoever.
Auxiliary Exercises
Auxiliary exercises are massive in number as well as the things they
are claimed to fix or aid. As I said in my book on Programming Basics,
auxiliary exercises are primarily for the conditioning and fitness of the
lifter’s muscular system as a whole. Whether any of these exercises can be
used to fix a problem or weakness is highly improbable. For the whole
muscular system to work effectively, all the muscles need to be exercised
and not just those used when doing the snatch and clean & jerk or squats
and pulls. This process is mostly for the wellbeing of the athlete so they
can avoid becoming stale or avoid a possible injury.
I will discuss a few of the most popular exercises since there are too
many to review them all, and many are so similar as to be redundant. The
athlete should eliminate redundancy as much as possible so that they can
maximize the value of each auxiliary exercise.
Pause Squats (Tempo Squat)
Pause squats or tempo squats are purported to aid the squats in their
progression; The lifter does not claim that these types of squats will assist
the competition lifts, which right off the bat is somewhat suspicious. Here
again, we are dealing with equivalent forces where the longer the lifter
pauses in the bottom of the squat before ascending the slower that
ascension will be creating an equivalent of force, but an inequivalent
ascension time between doing a pause and not doing a pause. The problem
is if too much weight is used then the time-in-motion during the ascension
will be decelerated. If the lifter uses just enough weight, so the ascent is
one-second or non-decelerated, then there is no point in the pause. If the
lifter trains the squats in case they might get stuck in the bottom, then they
are more likely to get stuck in the bottom, as that type of training becomes
a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The lifter should never train for what might happen but should
prepare for exactly what they want to happen.
All exercises where the lifter performs pauses, or slower motions,
they are primarily working the slow twitch, and those muscles can be
antagonistic to the development of the fast twitch fibers. It would be like a
sprinter training like a 1,500-meter runner instead of a sprinter. Over time
the sprinter would get slower because they are not training the muscles
properly.
Isometrics have never been proven to be of any benefit. Using
extreme non-deceleration in any lift or exercise is antagonistic to the
development of the fast twitch and slow twitch. The slow twitch needs to
be trained at the right velocities just as much as the fast twitch. If size and
amount of weight were all that mattered in weightlifting, then the
bodybuilders and powerlifters would be king of the platform.
To put it crudely, slow means strong and fast means stronger. For
example, a speeding car that weights 3,000 pounds plows into a brick wall
at five mph will do no damage compared to that same car hitting the wall
at 60 mph. The faster car produces more kinetic energy, more velocity and
greater force upon impact.
A weightlifter attempting to stand up out of a clean where they have
sat for over a second might well stand up, but the chance of making the
jerk is remote. The energy required to produce momentum for the jerk has
to be there, and there is no way I know of to train for that other than using
a timed-rebound and velocity when doing the squats.
Muscle Snatch
The muscle snatch is a stiff-legged snatch, where once the knees are
locked they do not re-bend upon receiving the weight. When the action
turns to a press-out from eye level, it is no longer a muscle snatch or stiff
legged snatch, but it turns into a continuation press with a wide grip. It
loses any resemblance to a snatch if it ever had any outside of the stiff-
legged snatch. In reality, there is no such thing as a muscle snatch. It was a
concoction dreamed up by someone watching top lifters warmup doing
stiff legged snatches with very light weights. It soon became a challenging
event where the lifter exerted maximum effort when the weight was
pressed-out instead of smoothly snatched overhead. Stiff legged snatches
are excellent exercises with very light weights and for warming up
purposes, but the heavy muscle snatches where the lifter decelerates to
lock-out will do two things; 1. Teach the lifter to press-out their snatch or
jerks and 2. Cause future damage to elbow flexibility and possible injury
to the shoulders.
When an exercise becomes a challenging event where the lifter can
set PRs, those so-called challenging events can become antagonistic to the
training of the primaries.
Snatch Balances
Another great exercise that lifters often challenge themselves at
where they handle maximal weights is the snatch balance. Putting more
weight overhead than the lifter is capable of putting overhead in a snatch
from the platform is somewhat puzzling. Besides creating an event that
will compete with the primary lifts the act of jerking a weight overhead
and then squatting down has nothing to do with the snatch. It is nothing
more than a full squat jerk with a wide grip. It might well help the squat
jerk, but not the snatch because balance problems originate from the
platform during the pull to full extension and during the receiving part of
the lift.
It is never what the lifter calls an exercise, but what matters is how
they execute the exercise. Snatch balances are ideal when the athlete uses
the right amount of weight or around 80% of effort. Eighty percent should
be sufficient to work those muscles and attain more flexibility. The lifter
should not use the snatch balance to fix balance problems or weaknesses,
but for exercise, flexibility and overall fitness and mobility.
Snatch off Boxes
Doing snatches off boxes has been around since the 1960s or possibly
even earlier. It has become an event in most cases, although some top
lifters don’t do them and some do. It is near impossible to claim there is a
profound hidden and mysterious benefit to doing snatches off the boxes. It
mostly becomes a belief. One thing for sure is that beginners should never
do this exercise until they have thoroughly developed their technical
proficiency and precision of lifting in all the primary lifts, for those motor
pathways to become dominant.
The ratio of 2nd pull to 3rd pull when doing the snatch off boxes
changes from 2:1 to 1:1, which means the 2nd pull is slower than it is
when pulling off the platform. This ratio is due to the change in
acceleration starting at the 2nd pull position instead of off the platform.
Again, we have a situation where the equivalent force is in play instead of
any actual benefit. Sure, more weight can be handled off boxes as an
event, but the lifter achieves more weight because of the elimination of the
1st pull, and there are no forces to overcome, produce. The forces are
canceled out, and if the lifter tried to snatch off the boxes without straps,
they could not do any more than they could off the platform without
straps, depending on the strength of their grip. The difference would be
marginal in any case.
The excuses for doing snatches off boxes are numerous, but for the
most part, the lifter bases the exercise on something much more nefarious
than just saving the legs. The snatch off boxes is easier to do than doing
snatches off the platform. Handling more weight is sadly the main reason
lifters perform and train the exercise as an event, merely because they can
do more weight. Doing maximal weight is the same reason lifters like to
see how much they can squat regardless of the deceleration or time-in-
motion.
A serious lifter should never fall into the trap of doing an exercise as
an event just because they can do more weight or set a PR doing
something they should not be doing. Auxiliary exercises should never have
PR attached to their name for any reason whatsoever. The lifter should
stay just south of PR and sometimes a great deal south, where auxiliary
exercises are concerned.
Cleans off Boxes

By placing the barbell on boxes to do a clean, puts the lifter in such
an advantageous position it changes the lift to not much more than a front
squat. The clean & jerk is highly dependent on the 1st pull, so there is little
benefit to bypassing that position when doing cleans off boxes. Another
problem in doing cleans off boxes is there is not enough momentum
produced to receive the weight without it crashing down on the lifter with
greater force than usual. The timed-rebound is near impossible to execute
when the weights handled are near maximal.
As an auxiliary exercise when minimal weights are used (80% or
less) the clean off boxes can be a good exercise if PRs are not attempted or
turned into an event. Since the clean is not as timing intense as the snatch,
it is unclear what benefit the lifter can derive from doing cleans off boxes.
Each lifter has to make these decisions, but decisions based on actually
gaining proficiency from whatever auxiliary exercise they use, and not just
because they like doing it or because everyone else does it; because not
everyone else does.
Hang Snatch and Cleans
The hang snatch and clean are good exercises, but should never be
contested or trained as an event where the lifter is establishing PRs in the
belief that doing PRs in these exercises will directly produce a change.
Progress in the competition lifts is benefited indirectly from auxiliary
exercises and never is it a direct benefit. Indirect from the bulk of those
exercises the lifter should train at manageable volumes and efforts which
will not interfere in the primary lifts and the creation of separation.
Again, the hang snatch or clean does not fix anything, and it does not
create a more technically proficient lifter. These exercises are strictly for
aiding in conditioning those muscles that the lifter doesn't use like those
used when training the primary lifts. There is also some benefit to the
mobility of the lifter. If a lifter has technical problems in the pull to full
extension then doing hangs will contain the same issues, however, lifting
from the hang eliminates most of the causes of those problems; the 1st pull
and transition into the 2nd pull. The hang snatch and clean eliminates
those two elements, the same way lifting off boxes eliminate them.
Just remember these auxiliaries are exercises and the lifter is meant to
perform and treat them as exercises and nothing more and nothing less.
These exercises are not the same as doing the primary lifts, and the lifter
should never consider them as important for any reason whatsoever. Once
hangs are thought of and trained as exercises, then doing a hang from
below the knees, above the knees, from an upright position or power
position, makes more sense. These three positions can be included in the
same set if the lifter feels like doing them that way, as long as the amount
of weight is reflective of an exercise weight and is not in any way 100% of
effort.
Doing a hang clean and then a clean & jerk from the platform as a
combination should also be considered an exercise, not as something that
will progress the lifter directly, only because they push that particular
exercise to establish PRs. This type of methodology does not work,
because the event is the clean & jerk not the hang clean & jerk with straps.
Any lift that is not an event is an exercise only, an essential exercise, but
not anywhere near as important as the primaries.
Jerks from a Rack or off Boxes
Everyone can jerk more out of a rack than they can after cleaning the
weight, because there is more energy there to perform the jerk when it
doesn’t have to be cleaned first, however, in competition the lifter must
clean the weight first. Jerks out of the rack should never be trained as an
event or with the same frequency or intensity as the primary lifts. The jerk
out of the rack is not a primary lift, and the lifter should never train it as
one. An occasional attempt at 100% effort is okay, but doing a jerk
routine, like a squat routine would not be advantageous. That type of
energy should go into the clean & jerk. The jerk out of the rack or off
boxes is an excellent exercise as long as relatively light weights are used
(80% or less).
Any jerk made out of a rack or off boxes that exceeds the lifter’s
clean & jerk PR could be considered overloading since the lifter is not
capable of putting that same amount of weight overhead after a clean. The
idea, or wrong idea, that putting more weight overhead will somehow aid
the clean & jerk is misguided. The clean & jerk is dependent on the squats
and pulls and the clean & jerk not the jerk out of the rack. There is just no
way I know of to link the jerk out of the rack to the clean & jerk in any
meaningful way; indeed, the lifter cannot correlate it accurately enough to
be of any use. Since there is no clean executed the jerk out of the rack
cannot be a predictor or indicator. It just is what it happens to be.
If the weightlifter wants to get strong, then I suggest going out and
pulling a load of boxcars or moving atlas stones. Weightlifting is a sport,
and the lifter should emphasize the primary lifts over all others to achieve
the result desired. All other lifts, exercises, etc., are essential, but in a
much different way. They are collectively necessary and cannot be linked
or manipulated to progress those primary lifts directly. They are the
weightlifter’s weight training, and the primary lifts are the weightlifter’s
events, as explained in my book Programming Basics.
Cleans Only
Doing cleans without a jerk should only be done when the lifter has
some injury that might keep them from jerking the weight. The lifter
should not perform the clean without a jerk unless the lifter has an injury
that precluede them from performing the jerk. The event is called the clean
& jerk, and although it is made up of two separate lifts, the lifter should
train it as one lift. When cleans are executed without the jerk that
transitional phase between the clean and the jerk is left out, and that
particular transitional phase is vital for developing the conditioning and
balance needed to aid in a successful jerk. Doing cleans without a jerk
should be treated as an auxiliary exercise and not as a primary lift.
Good Morning Exercise
One of the few auxiliary exercises that have the word exercise in its
name. These are excellent for exercising the lower back muscles and
reinforcing the pulling motion, at least through the 2nd pull to full
extension. The lifter should not handle a lot of weight, nor is there any
need to handle heavy loadings in this exercise. Usually, less than 100% of
PR clean & jerk is enough to work the muscles properly and effectively.
Stiff Legged Deadlifts (RDLs)

These are great as a warm-down exercise at the end of a training
session. The back should be kept arched or rigid and the legs as straight as
is possible to allow the weight to be pulled up to a standing position and
let back down to the platform with the legs in the same position going up
as when letting the weight back down. No particular need to move fast,
just a smooth, controlled motion up and down.
Pulls off Boxes
Pulls off boxes starts looking like the lifter is trying to train the snatch
and clean off boxes. Pulls off boxes are inconsequential, but as a variation
exercise with very light-weight (100% of the clean & jerk or less), it has
some value, especially during a conditioning phase where the lifter is
returning to training after a lengthy layoff (one month or more). If the
lifter has some minor injury that keeps him from lifting off the platform
then pulls from boxes have some value.
The above list of auxiliary exercises has one thing in common; they
all contain parts of the full snatch and clean & jerk movements. An almost
endless number of exercises can be created using a barbell, which is fine
as long as the lifter continues to consider them exercises and not claimed
to fix anything or help a particular lift make gains. That is the job of the
assistance lifts not the auxiliary exercises. In reality, any problems a lifter
might have with balance and timing will benefit by making sure those
auxiliary exercises are used as exercises and not for setting PRs or fixing
anything. The lifter will benefit from the overall conditioning, and active
type rest from the heavier loading of the primaries. It will help the muscles
recover from those heavier loadings and induce some added mobility by
doing different movements than the primaries. The primaries are where the
manipulations take place which will further the lifter’s career. Nothing
should interfere in those manipulations, only enhance them through a well
thought out exercise plan.
Other auxiliary exercises, such as good mornings and stiff legged
deadlifts are more akin to the squats and pulls, but would follow the same
logic as those auxiliary exercises that are akin to the snatch and clean &
jerk.
Diagram 1 shows that each of the primary lifts is equal in importance
and the lifter should manipulate them to improve performance, while the
auxiliary exercises should always be held at a lesser degree of importance,
but not neglected or used in any other way except for their collective
importance. Other forms of training or exercise would fall under the
auxiliary exercises in their importance, but never of absolute
unimportance.
There will be times when the lifter emphasizes the squats and pulls a
little more than the snatch or clean & jerk and vice versa. This emphasis is
done through manipulation of the intensity levels, but not always the
volume; the volume can stay about the same.
Diagram 1
Chapter 10
Volume
The coach and lifter place a good deal of emphasis on the amount of
volume a weightlifter needs to program in their training sessions to
progress. Volume is also determinative and based on repeated precision,
consistent times-in-motion, and non-decelerated actions. As long as the
lifter adheres to those elements the volume can be as much as is possible,
as long as it doesn’t interfere with the training of subsequent sessions. The
balancing act is never ending as regards to balancing precision, intensity,
times-in-motion, and volume. Keeping those elements in equilibrium and
synchronized is what allows the lifter to progress and reach their full
potential, based on their own physiological and mental advantages or
disadvantages.
Like most athletic training, the volume is a philosophical concept,
driven by common-sense and not so much motivational aspirations. The
volume must be directly proportional to the amount of progress the lifter
can derive from that volume. If a lifter is spending three hours, five days a
week in training and they have not made any progress for several months
then it should be evident that the volume of training is not working and the
lifter needs to make some adjustments to that volume. Volume can be
affected by the following;
1. The number of days training per week

2. Additional sessions per day
3. The number of reps and sets
Although intensity levels are not always volume driven, it can take a
certain number of incremental increases to reach those higher levels of
intensity, and those additional incremental increases could be considered
extra volume.
The number of days training must produce the results expected. If not
the first impulse is usually to add more days or increase the number of
hours in the session by adding more of the same, instead of reducing the
number of days and keeping the training the same, and see what happens.
Volume and recovery go hand in hand to create the type of
programming that will bring about a positive change in the organism. A
higher volume can create more prolonged periods of rest, so there is no
benefit to merely training longer and harder if the necessary amount of
time is not taken to recover and gain back that which is required to
progress towards full potential. Adaptations take time and patience, and
the lifter cannot force those adaptations. If the lifter increases the volume,
in some expectation that by pushing that volume the organism will adapt,
then a more considerable amount of recovery time will be needed. The
recovery time will be spent getting the lifter back to where they were
before and will not, and cannot, produce a change in the organism. At best
too much volume can create an illusion of progressing where the times-in-
motion must slow down to accommodate those additional increases in
volume, i.e., the overall times-in-motion of the snatch and clean & jerk
must begin to exceed 2.5-seconds to allow for that added volume. The
squats and pulls will also be affected the same way as the competition lifts.
The amount of volume is not nearly as necessary as precision, smooth
and consistent accelerated velocities and specific times-in-motion. If the
lifter doesn't adhere to those elements, all the volume in the world will not
benefit the lifter. If the lifter does adhere to those elements, then there is
no limit to the amount of volume that the lifter can schedule. Let’s take a
look at the following tables to get some idea.
Table 49
Snatch 20 40 60 80 90 100 105 110 115 120 125 130
Clean &
20 60 80 100 120 130 140 150 155 160 165 170
Jerk
Table 50
Date Snatch C&J Back-squat Snatch Pull Clean Pull
Week 1
140 x 3 x
105 x 5 x 1 185 x 5 x 5
Day 1 1
(2.3) (1.3)
(2.3)
130 x 5 x
110 x 3 x 2 120 x 5 x 3
1
Day 2 (2.4) (.33)
(2.4) (2.2) (.33)
Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises 75%

105 x 5 x 1 195 x 5
Day 4
(2.3) (1.1)
115 x 5 x 1 140 x 1 150 x 5 x 2
Day 5
(2.5) (2.2) (.33)
84% / 21 80% / 9 112% / 30 reps

Averages 92% / 15 reps 88% / 10 reps
reps reps 210 / 180
Table 50: The above spreadsheet reveals a lot about that week’s
training. The times-in-motion were in sync, except the squats were a little
slow at just over one second, but at least under the 1.5-seconds threshold
of non-deceleration. The snatch is being trained at too high a level and
should come down to 80% like the clean & jerk. Eighty percent should
allow more energy to be put into the assistance lifts and create some
separation.
The equivalent squat to one-second was 210 for the weeks average,
and the equivalent clean & jerk to 210 in one-second is 180k and show
some separation. The pulls were able to be executed at those high volumes
and intensity levels and still maintain the 0.33-seconds to just below the
knee.
Table 51
Snatch Clean
Date Snatch C&J Back-squat
Pull Pull
Week 2
105 x 5 x 2 140 x 3 x 2 185 x 5 x 5
Day 1
(2.5) (2.6) (1.7)
100 x 3 x 3 130 x 5 x 3 120 x 5 x 3
Day 2
(2.6) (2.4) (.37)
Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises 75%
105 x 5 x 3 195 x 5
Day 4
(2.7) (1.4)
105 x 5 x 2 140 x 2 150 x 5 x 2
Day 5
(2.9) (2.9) (.40)
80% / 44 80% / 23 112% / 30 reps

Table 51: The snatch was lowered to 80%, which was the same
average intensity as the clean & jerk but when the lifter adds more volume
to the competition lifts the times-in-motion of the squats went down even
though the lifter handled the same weight as the week before. The pulls
were not affected. The overall times-in-motion in the competition lifts also
was slower due to the slower times in the squats caused by the increased
volume in the competition lifts. These increases in volume and slower
times can occur within the same workout or be affected in subsequent
workouts, but the results will be similar.
The lifter might think they are having a bad week, and the cause for
that would be unknown if they were not measuring the times-in-motion or
calculating the equivalencies of the clean & jerk to back-squat. The bad
week might be assumed to be caused by a lack of leg strength, which
means more sets of reps in the squats or heavier weights to overcome that
bad week. They might even think the competition lifts were a good week
because of the additional reps with 80% average weight, but these
thoughts would be without realizing the overall times were slower than
2.5-seconds or about 2.65 seconds for each lift. There would be no way to
reconcile the bad week in the squats with the volume in those competition
lifts, without knowing the times-in-motion.
Bad workouts are never reconciled with logical conclusions and
reasonable adjustments but are met head-on with doing more of the same.
Any sign of weakness in one’s ability is always met with frustration or
anger, rarely with reason and common sense. Walking out of the gym
frustrated over a bad day, but not knowing what caused that bad day will
never correct those situations. All the ice baths, deep-messages, and
cryotherapy in the world cannot reconcile a bad day, because without
knowing what caused it, it will continue to happen.
About the only thing volume can do in the competition lifts is create
equivalencies. Snatching 120k x 3 is equal to snatching 125k x 1 and
snatching 110k x 5 is equal to snatching 120k, at least in approximations.
These equivalencies also depend on the length of time between each rep.
In other words, doing repetitions in the competition lifts to create change is
futile. Volume cannot create a change in the organism when that organism
is dependent on being changed through the assistance lifts. Athletic events
contain bidirectional motions that respond best to single best efforts where
the lifter can maintain repeated precision and velocity.
contain bidirectional motions that respond best to single best efforts where
the lifter can maintain repeated precision and velocity.
Athletic motions that require a sudden resolution to performance are
composed of bidirectional movements that are not enhanced by repetitions
which degrade that performance with each subsequent rep, but only those
reps that are the same in precision and smooth accelerated velocity (same
maximal time-in-motion). This method nearly eliminates any repetitions in
the competition lifts where the lifter handles 80% or less and depending on
the number of reps the lifter should lower that percentage even more.
Triple or double PRs in the snatch or clean & jerk should be eliminated,
relegating those triples and doubles to auxiliary exercise efforts.
Even when the lifter performs doubles in the snatch or clean & jerk,
there should be enough time between those reps for the lifter to recover
enough to maintain precision and specific times-in-motion. In most cases
where the lifter is handling 80% or less the reps can be performed in rapid
succession. Repetitions are also excellent for ingraining such things as
precision and velocity, but only when the amount of weight allows
precision and velocity.
The volume of Squats and Pulls
As long as the volume of the squats and pulls does not interfere in the
precision and velocity of the competition lifts the volume can be as much
as the lifter can endure. The chances of large volumes of squats and pulls
not causing issues with subsequent sessions is fairly assured, especially the
squats and pulls contain a lot of deceleration.
As a rule of thumb, the front squat IRM in one-second should be
110% of the clean & jerk, and the back-squat IRM in one-second around
130% of the clean & jerk.
Table 52
PR Clean & Jerk 110% Front Sq 130% Back Sq
50 55 65
60 66 78
70 77 91
80 88 104
90 99 117
110 121 143
120 132 156
130 143 169
140 154 182
150 165 195
160 176 208
170 187 221
180 198 234
190 209 247
200 220 260
210 231 273
220 242 286
230 253 299
240 264 312
250 275 325
260 286 338
Table 52: This table shows what the ideal separation between the
clean & jerk and one-second front or back-squat should be. From the
above table, the number of repetitions for any particular amount of weight
can be deduced for both front and back-squat.
Table 53
PR Clean & Jerk 110% Front Sq x2 x3 x5 x 10
50 55 50 45 35 10
60 66 61 56 46 21
70 77 72 67 57 32
80 88 83 78 68 43
80 88 83 78 68 43
90 99 94 89 79 54
100 110 105 100 90 65
110 121 115 111 101 76
120 132 127 122 112 87
130 143 138 133 123 98
140 154 149 144 134 109
150 165 160 155 145 120
160 176 171 166 156 131
170 187 182 177 167 142
180 198 193 188 178 153
190 209 204 199 189 164
200 220 215 210 200 175
210 231 226 221 211 186
220 242 237 232 222 197
230 253 248 243 232 208
240 264 259 254 244 219
250 275 270 265 255 230
260 286 281 276 266 241
Table 53: The lifter should perform the repetitions in a rhythmic

motion and all in one-second. These would be the maximum amounts
available at a one-second front squat of 110% of the clean & jerk. Since
these are maximum or possibly unrealized potentials, the lifter can use the
percentage of these repetitions from the tables.
A lifter with a clean & jerk of 150k and a front squat in one-second of
165k will have equivalencies in sets of reps as these tables indicate. Since
these would be considered maximum efforts in one-second, the lifter
should make some adjustment to the weight to be able to execute each rep
in every set in one-second.
Table 54
Table 54: It should become apparent that it’s not the amount of
weight per se that the lifter must increase, but they should increase the
amount of weight by using the same times-in-motion or non-decelerated
actions all the time. If the lifter doesn't consider the time-in-motion than
any deceleration can cause those squats to become out of sync with the
competition lifts, as well as the pulls. To create as accurate a picture of
separation as possible, these times in the primaries must continuously be in
sync.
Table 55
Front Squat x 1 3x2 3x3 5x5 2 x 10
165 150 145 125 110
Table 55: The above patterns are created by subtracting 5k for each
additional rep after the first rep and another 5k for each additional set after
the first set. These 5k increments are added up and subtracted from the
IRM front squat @ one-second. The IRM front squat in one-second at
110% of clean & jerk must be realized to utilize the above tables since the
lifter should base those on that IRM.
Table 56
PR Clean & Jerk 130% Back Sq x2 x3 x5 x 10
50 65 60 55 45 20
60 78 73 68 58 33
70 91 86 81 71 46
80 104 99 94 84 59
90 117 112 107 97 72
100 130 125 120 110 85
110 143 138 133 123 98
120 156 151 146 136 111
130 169 164 159 149 124

130 169 164 159 149 124
140 182 177 172 162 137
150 195 190 185 175 150
160 208 203 198 188 163
170 221 216 211 201 176
180 234 229 224 214 189
190 247 242 237 227 202
200 260 255 250 240 215
210 273 268 263 253 228
220 286 281 276 266 241
230 299 294 289 279 254
240 312 307 302 292 267
250 325 320 315 305 280
260 338 333 328 318 293
Table 56: The back-squat will follow the same pattern as the front
squat, except the ideal separation, will be around 130% of the clean & jerk
at one-second. The equivalent back-squat for a 150k clean & jerk is 175k
or 117% of the clean & jerk. Ideal separation would include another 13%
on top of that equivalent.
Table 57
Back-squat x 1 2x2 2x3 2x5 2 x 10
195 185 180 170 145
Table 57: The same lifter with a 150k clean & jerk has a 195k back-
squat @ one-second. The above table shows what the ideal maximums
would be at the various sets of reps. Again, the amount of weight would
need to reflect maintaining the one-second time-in-motion for each rep in
every set or sets. The amount of weight handled is determined by a
Once a lifter starts timing their squats they might get frustrated when
they find out how much the back squat decelerates with 130% of the clean
& jerk, even though it might feel light to them or somewhat easy since
they the lifter is used to handling more weight than 130% at decelerated
times. It takes patience and time to adjust training using specific times-in-
motion and to eventually ingrain those times so they can become habitual
or natural. The key is for the lifter to know when they are decelerating so
they can stop loading the bar or stop doing that additional rep that they
know will be too slow in order to stave off any unnecessary overloading
that can cause the muscles to become less responsive to those changes in
direction during the snatch and clean & jerk.
Decelerated squats and pulls cause the muscles to become similar to
those of powerlifters and bodybuilders, where the muscles become more
tensed and rigid and not pliable or relaxed enough to be as responsive to
those changes in direction during the snatch and clean & jerk. It is a fine
line, but one the lifter should never cross.
High repetitions, anything over three should be considered
conditioning and not become part of the training protocol, especially the
peaking phase a few months before a competition and should include the
auxiliary exercises. It can become a shock to the system to be doing
mostly doubles and singles in all the primaries and then throw in a set of
10 in the squats. This type of drastic change should be avoided at all times
unless the weight is exceptionally light and is used to stretch out instead of
creating separation.
Chapter 11
Variations
Variations are minor changes in the lifter's style that aids the lifter in
training, but does not disrupt the full movement from which they derive
the variation. Variations require the athlete to be mobile enough to change
from one motion to another without any disruption in the precision or
smooth accelerated velocity. Variations should have a purpose and benefit
other than something just fun to do.
Variations in weightlifting do not include partial motions, such as
lifting off boxes or jerks from the rack or hang snatch or cleans. Partial
movements are exercises which do not contain the whole motion of the
snatch or clean & jerk. Partial motions can also include variations, but in
most cases, these might be difficult to perform unless the lifter reduces the
weight enough.
The most common types of variations are as follows:

1. Power Snatch and Clean (& jerk)
2. Power Jerk
3. Snatch and Clean (& Jerk) Without Moving the Feet
4. Snatch Grip Variations
5. Squats with Depth Variations
6. Squats with Width of Feet Variations
7. Pulls to the Midsection (1st Pull)
8. Pulls with Grip Variations
Since the entire motion must be intact to do a variation, there are

fewer variations than auxiliary exercises. The above-listed variations do
not keep the primaries form being primaries. The lifter should continue to
train the variations at relatively the same intensity levels as the primaries.
Those intensity levels might have to be adjusted downward a small amount
to accommodate for some of those variations that will not allow the lifter
to handle the same amount of weight as the primary lifts without
variations.
Variations, like the auxiliary exercises, allow for a greater range of
motion within the muscular system. It also helps stave off the possibility
of becoming stale by making the same motion over and over without any
changes.
Power Snatch
The lifter should make some determination about what they consider
to be a power snatch, as far as the height at which the weight is to be
received, and make sure that height becomes a consistent standard, so
involuntary variations in depth are held to a minimum or eliminated. Any
lift received at just above parallel or higher should count, as long as the
lifter consistently achieves the depth. The power snatch is only a variation
for those who can do a full squat snatch. If the lifter, usually older master
lifters, are unable to do a full squat snatch, then the power snatch becomes
their main event and not a variation. The opposite would occur for the
master lifter, where doing light-weights in the full snatch would be a
variation to their power snatch.
The lifter should use the power snatch as a warmup protocol for the
lighter incremental increases, and as the weight increases, the lifter can
gradually lower the receiving position until they are at an incremental
weight where they have warmed up sufficiently to receive the weight in
the full squat position.
Table 58
Incremental Increases for Lifter with a 130k Snatch and 160k Clean & Jerk PR
Snatch 20 50 70 90 100 105 110 115 120 125 130
Power
x x x
Snatch
Clean &
20 70 90 110 120 130 140 145 150 155 160
Jerk
Power
x x x
C&J
Table 58: For example, the above table shows a lifter with a snatch
PR of 130k, and how the snatch can be warmed up by gradually and
voluntarily lowering the receiving position for each subsequent
incremental increase and the clean & jerk could be warmed up the same
way. For both lifts, this would be done to gradually get the legs used to
receiving the weight at the different heights by riding the weight down
after reception. Riding the weight down eliminates any sudden shock to
the muscular system, and ensure a smooth transition from power to full —
top lifters warmup by using the power snatch and ride down during those
early incremental warmups.
Riding the weight down after reception when doing a power snatch is
strictly for warmup purposes. A real power snatch, regardless of the depth
reception, should be received without riding the weight down, but the lift
should be executed by immediately standing up from the point of
reception.
A power snatch should be precisely the same technically, save for the
height of the reception, as doing a full squat snatch. It takes the same time-
in-motion to do a power snatch as it does a full squat snatch, at least from
the platform to locking-out the weight overhead. It takes one-second
regardless of how low or high the snatch is received. The power snatch
will be an equivalency between the full snatch and power snatch,
irrespective of the receiving height. There will be a proportional drop off
in the mass as the weight is pulled higher. The accelerated velocity and
momentum are the same regardless of the various receiving heights.
However, there will be faster overall times-in-motion (from the platform to
standing up) from a full to a power snatch. The times-in-motion being the
same is what makes these lifts equivalent regardless of the height the
weight is received, or the amount of weight handled.
For example, a full squat snatch with 150k in 2.0-seconds (from the
platform to stand-up) and a power snatch at quarter squat (from the
platform to stand-up) with 135k in 1.5-seconds are equivalent in
accelerated velocity and momentum. There is no difference between a
power snatch and full squat snatch as far as the mechanics of the pull to
full extension and the 3rd pull are concerned. The receiving height and
overall time-in-motion are the only variables.
It would be difficult to correlate a power snatch to full squat snatch,
due to those equivalencies, and there are too many different involuntary
depth variations. Generally, there should be about an 85% ratio of power
snatch to snatch, if the lifter catches the power snatch at about quarter
squat. At lower depths, the ratio increases to eventually become 100%. A
muscle snatch without press-out might be around 60% of snatch. The
variances of mass go from 60% to 100% depending solely on the height
the lifter receives the weight.
When doing doubles or triples in the power snatch, the lifter should
take great care in ensuring each rep is received voluntarily at the same
height. If each rep is subsequently and involuntarily lower, then the weight
should be reduced to keep each receiving height consistent. Deliberately
catching each rep at different receiving depths is different from the amount
of weight causing each depth to be different, due to involuntary actions.
From a training standpoint, the power snatch cannot progress the full
squat snatch because both lifts are technically the same as is the energy or
power output. As stated before the main benefit of doing power snatches is
in the early stages of warming up. There is also some benefit in teaching
beginners the power snatch to show them how to power snatch into the full
squat position. Aside from those two benefits, the power snatch’s
functionality drops off considerably, unless the athlete is mobile enough,
so the motor pathways stay intact when switching from power to full. The
power snatch should be considered a variation if the lifter trains it off the
platform. If the lifter trains the power snatch as a partial lift, they should
regard it as an auxiliary exercise, and the lifter should train it at a reduced
level of intensity and volume compared to the full movement. The lifter
should even train the variation at a reduced level of intensity and volume
compared to the full movement.
Power Clean (& Jerk)
The power clean would follow the same logic as the power snatch.
Although optional, the lifter should follow a power clean by a power jerk
or power split jerk. Receiving the weight at parallel is necessary to execute
the timed-rebound where the legs are used as shock absorbers from
parallel to full, and then a timed-rebound is executed to stand up out of the
clean quickly. Again, catching the weight at parallel without going
downward would only create an equivalency and probably would not be
all that beneficial other than producing some awareness of that particular
position.
Power Jerk
The power jerk is a squat jerk but not a full squat jerk. Most lifters
employ the squat jerk but only squat downward to just above parallel
where the lifter can eliminate balance problems. For those who use the
split style, the squat jerk is an excellent mobility exercise, but again it must
not be turned into an event where the lifter sets PRs or that could interfere
in the progress of the clean & split jerk. The power jerks can be executed
out of a rack or off boxes if the weight handled allows for a smooth catch
on the shoulders after each rep, where the lifter is performing reps. It
would be better to clean the weight first and then do those reps or do them
off boxes where the lifter can drop the weight after each rep.
Variations are not always meant to be directly beneficial, but like the
auxiliary exercises, they are intended to work areas of the muscular system
that do not always get worked without doing those variations. Unlike the
assistance lifts which can be quantified as long as the lifter times those lifts
and no deceleration is being allowed.
Most variations are going to cause a forced reduction in the level of
intensity to around 80% of the primary lift. When repetitions are added
lifter can decrease that percentage accordingly. For example, a lifter with a
meet PR clean & jerk of 150k will be executing the power jerk in the
following way;
Table 59
Average Monthly Intensity x 1 rep X 2 reps X 3 reps
Clean & Jerk 150k 140 135 130
Power Jerk 135 130 125
Clean & Power Jerk 130 125 120
Table 59: 135k power jerk out of a rack or off boxes would be
trained at an average level of intensity of 83% for singles. From there the
intensity drops depending on the reps and if the lift is a clean & power
jerk.
The lifter might possibly be able to do more than 135k in the power
jerk, but it’s not whether the lifter can do more, but if they should.
Keeping the power jerk at average intensity levels less than the primary
will keep that lift from becoming an event and in competition with the
progression of the squats and the creation of separation. The mobility and
working those muscles that don’t always get worked should directly
benefit the clean & jerk without having to push the power jerk out of the
rack towards a PR. Precision and velocity are still the main objective even
when doing variations. All those lifts outside the primaries must be used to
pour into those primaries that which will benefit them and cause them to
progress towards the lifter’s full potential. Setting PRs in those lifts cannot
and will not benefit those primaries. There is simply not enough energy
stores or time available to become great at doing more than the snatch and
clean & jerk.
Snatch Without Moving the Feet
Most lifters should move their feet outward a considerable amount in
order to lower the trajectory of receiving the barbell and create as stable a
receiving base as possible. The lifter should be mobile enough to be able
to change from not moving the feet to moving them outward without any
problems in precision or velocity.
For those lifters that do not move their feet outward then this
variation would have little meaning. This variation has nothing to do with
just pulling the feet upward and then stomping them down again but in the
same position as they were in before pulling them upward. That particular
technical variation has little or no bearing on how much more can be
lifted. The feet must be spread outward in order to enjoy any benefit from
handling more weight than if not spread outward.
The difference in the amount of weight that can be handled by not
moving the feet outward can be around 90% of snatch PR. The same
training protocols should be used when doing this variation as when doing
the primary lift, just the percentages need to be in the right proportions.
For example, if a lifter with a 130k snatch has an average intensity level of
105k then the snatch without moving the feet should be 90% of that or
95k. There could also be a need to lower that 95k a little more, depending
on the precision and velocity of those snatches. Not moving the feet can
cause balance problems and this might be corrected by lowering the
weight.
Clean Without Moving the Feet
This is probably a little more precarious if the lifter is accustomed to
moving the feet outward a good amount in the clean. The weight, like in
the snatch will need to reflect the precision and velocity and not just the
amount of weight in lieu of that precision and velocity. Again, it’s not
about the amount of weight, but about working those muscles that do not
get worked if those motions are not being executed.
Variations are important for the athletic mobility of the lifter, where
certain actions need to be developed alongside those actions that are
primary, because those muscles that are not worked might get called into
action from time to time, depending on the situation the lifter finds
themselves in when underneath a heavy weight.
Snatch Grip Variations
Changing the width of the grip as a variation is good for working the
shoulder muscles that can become stale from always using the same grip
spacing. It also will make the lifter aware of how much difference in the
amount of weight that can be handled when the snatch grip is pulled
inward just an inch each side. It also might create a pathway to changing
the grip if they find a more effective grip spacing along the way. The grip
spacing is a style variation and not a technical variation, but the width of
the grip can have an effect on the amount of weight that can be handled.
The technique of lifting is the same regardless of the grip spacing.
Clean Grip Snatches
Clean grip snatches are great for stretching out the upper back and
shoulder girdle. The lifter will need to work slowly into this variation if
they do not have the flexibility for such a narrow grip. Gradually over time
the grip can be moved inward till it’s the same width or possibly narrower
than the clean grip. This variation would be more akin to an auxiliary
exercise because the amount of weight that can be handled is considerably
less than PR. Usually 70% or less is adequate, as long as the 70% is an
actual reflection of the effort needed to execute the exercise.
Squat Depth Variations
Most lifters always squat down to the exact same depth each and
every workout, year after year. The front squats would tend to warrant that
situation more than the back-squat. The back-squat needs to be trained at
full and at just above parallel. Most snatches and cleans are started off the
platform with the thighs just above parallel and the jerk is also started
above parallel. Receiving the jerk is also just above parallel except for the
full squat jerk. The above parallel squats are functions for the pull and the
jerk and need to be executed in 0.67-second with 130% of clean & jerk
weight. This would mirror the pull to full extension with the same time in
0.67-second. The lifter should be able to back-squat 110% of clean & jerk
in 0.5-second from just above parallel in order to mirror the jerk velocity.
The changes in direction in the jerk and when receiving the clean are
functions of the squat just above parallel. The full squats are primarily for
the ascension during a snatch or clean. Those quick changes in direction
which are not aided by the larger muscles from a full squat position must
be trained to change directions without that help, which can only be
accomplished by doing squats from just above parallel. The squat depths
are also an aid in mobility the same as the snatch or clean at different
depths (power snatch or cleans).
There are some who claim doing full or half squats are harmful to the
knees, depending on which way the wind is blowing. For the weightlifter
the only thing harmful is doing decelerated squats, not the depth of those
squats. There is nothing more harmful to the muscular system and the
joints in the ankles, knees and hips as slow grinding squats. Nothing will
end a weightlifter’s career sooner and nothing will cause the lifter to reach
stagnation sooner than decelerated squats where times can be as slow as
4.1 seconds or where action is stopped halfway up, but the lifter keeps
trying to stand up. There is nothing athletic, smooth or controlled about
decelerated squats. They can cause the back to bow, shoulders to hunch
forward and the hips to shoot back. Non-decelerated squats are much
easier to control, and they develop those muscles which are necessary for
progressing the lifter toward full potential.
Squats with Width of Feet Variations
Squatting with the width of the stance always the same will not work
those muscles that need to be worked in order to allow for all situations.
For those lifters that spread the feet out wide when receiving the weight, it
is odd they use a narrower width stance when doing squats. There should
be some variation so standing up out of a wider stance will not cause any
problems. The usual objection is that a wide stance hurts the knees. That
might well be true with decelerated squats, but non-decelerated squats are
much less stressful on the joints. Besides the lifter will not be handling any
more than they can clean & jerk and if the wider stance is used to clean the
weight, how could doing those same type of squats out of the rack have
any more of an effect on the knees.
Pulls to Mid-Thigh and Midsection

The primary pull would be the pull to full extension without bending
the arms after full extension is reached. The pull to mid-thigh or to the
midsection would be a variation. Both should be executed as primaries,
however. Since more legs are used when doing the pulls to the
midsection, a little more weight can be handled than the pulls to full
extension, and still maintain the 0.33-seconds to just below the knee joint.
Pulls with Grip Variations
Since pulls do not contain a 3rd pull, the grip variation is taken care
of between the clean grip pulls and snatch grip pulls. Some additional
variation can be used by widening the snatch grip as far out as is
comfortable and as far as the bar will allow. This will have much the same
effect as lifting off a raised platform or a deficit pull. Pulling or lifting off
a raised platform to create a deficit mostly creates an equivalent weight
and nothing is actually achieved aside from the lifter having to begin the
lift with a bowed back, which is not recommended. Simply squatting down
lower to begin the pull should be sufficient for working the legs for the 1st
pull.
Chapter 12
Building a Training Program
Putting all the pieces together to form a training program is easy if
either the clean & jerk is known or the back-squat in one-second or weight
and time that can be equivalent to one-second is known.
Example 1: This lifter is new to the sport and is 12 years old and has
a clean & jerk of 45k, and this is all that is known. From this, his other lifts
can be deduced or calculated with some degree of certainty.
Table 60
Clean & Snatch Front
Back-squat Snatch Pull Clean Pull
Jerk (80%) Squat
Beginning of 1st Month
45 36 52 45 36 45
Table 60: The weights above should be the maximum this lifter
should start training with, as long as they have developed precision and
velocity and understand how to squat and pull using non-decelerated
actions.
The first thing would be to hold the snatch and clean & jerk at 80% of
those lifts in the above chart and allow some separation to occur between
the squats and pulls before increasing the snatch or clean & jerk. The lifter
at some planned time or the end of each month, as long as the lifter is
creating separation, they should be tested.
Table 61
Jerk (80%) Squat
End of 1st Month
45 36 57 50 40 50
Table 61: Since the lifter achieved some separation they will be
ready to attempt PRs in the snatch and clean & jerk in a practice
competition. As this lifter is young and has developed precision and
velocity, the PRs should come close to what the back-squat will yield or
57 x .86 = 49k, and the snatch should be 80% of that 49k or 39k.
Table 62
Jerk (80%) Squat
Beginning of 2nd Month
49 39 57 50 40 50
Table 62: Assuming the lifter reached those goals in the above table,
those snatches and clean & jerks should be trained at 80% for the next
month so the lifter can create more separation.
Table 63
Jerk (80%) Squat
End of 2nd Month
49 39 65 55 44 55
Table 63: Based on the 65k back-squat in one-second the equivalent

clean & jerk should be 56k and snatch would be 45k.
It might seem like the progress is slower than it should be, due to the
age and proficiency of the lifter, but pushing the snatch and clean & jerk
for PRs on a constant basis will not, in the long run, develop the lifter’s
full potential, especially if pushed to squat amounts that cause
deceleration. Pushing the snatch and clean & jerk without doing squats and
pulls is not much better either. The lifter should develop all the primaries
as a unit where times-in-motion and precision are the main emphases of
training.
A beginner need only be tested once to find out what they are capable
of in either the snatch, clean & jerk or back-squat after they have
developed precision and velocity. The sets of reps will always be
commensurate with creating separation and producing even more precision
and technical skills to receive the weight at the lowest trajectory point
possible in the fastest overall time-in-motion, using the least amount of
effort. These are the criteria that are critical for developing a lifter’s full
potential. There are faster ways to fame and fortune, but they require
decelerated squats and pulls and a lot of PR chasing, and while it might get
the lifter to a decent level faster than a more efficient approach, it will
never allow the lifter to reach their full potential. It’s the slow twitch fibers
the lifter needs to develop for those reaction times required during those
changes in direction when the lifter handles maximal weights at the elite
level.
The lifter need not introduce auxiliary exercises until they have
reached an age and level where those type of activities would be
beneficial. The primaries should be sufficient for developmental purposes
in the short term.
The primary lifts are somewhat formulaic in their properties
concerning times-in-motion, and the sets of reps are more philosophical.
No one knows how many sets of reps it takes to promote muscle growth
which will advance an athletic motion. Most programs are either pulled
out of thin air or copied from other coach’s or other lifter’s training
regimes. The number of sets and reps probably doesn’t matter all that
much when using precision, velocity, and times-in-motion instead of the
amount of weight alone. The data collected will cause the training to be
self- correcting when things get out of sync.
When the lifter uses the competition lifts as a means to an end, where
they perf great volumes of repetitions are being executed they also become
more akin to bodybuilding or powerlifting type routines; however, neither
bodybuilding or powerlifting events incorporate athletic motions where the
changes in direction require maximal reaction and momentum to execute
those performances. The high reps are more associated with aerobic type
events where the change in acceleration slows down to allow the lifter to
move more mass. This method is essentially what all aerobic sports are
based on; where slower times-in-motion to move the body over greater
distances or use those slower times to move greater masses. The
weightlifting events do not possess any of those properties that would
require any aerobic qualities, in fact trying to develop those aerobic
qualities is antagonistic to those weightlifting events. Aerobic type training
would only make sense in a conditioning phase after the lifter has taken a
few months off after a major competition, to gain back performance and
begin getting back into shape to enter back into the rigors of training.
The main purpose when learning the competition lifts is to develop
precision by maintaining smooth and continuous accelerated velocity.
Once the lifter has thoroughly become proficient in the technical aspects
where the least amount of effort will produce the best result, i.e., the
minimum amount of momentum needed to receive the weight at the lowest
possible trajectory point and achieved without decelerated actions, the
lifter is ready to begin training in order to progress their performance. The
number of repetitions needed to advance that performance is one, but with
enough weight to maintain proficiency and allow separation to be created
and maintained.
The snatch and clean & jerk are best served by always doing singles
instead of rapid repetitions. Repetitions are fine for conditioning phases
and when light-weights are handled in the auxiliary exercises, but not for
the primary competition lifts. That one single effort achieved with
perfection and precision and with the right time-in-motion is worth all the
reps in the world that are erratic and slow, and regardless of the amount of
weight on the bar. A personal record set in the gym using erratic
movements carries no value whatsoever. Every single effort when training
the snatch and clean & jerk must be precise and velocity driven, including
PRs. These standards of excellence must be maintained in training at all
times for the lifter to be able to deal with whatever circumstances might
arise during a competition. The more precise the lifter is the more
confidence they will have in training and competition, as long as that
precision is qualified as being technically proficient.
Elements of a Training Program

1. Number of Sets and Reps
Sets and reps are directly related to how the training can be
manipulated to create separation and allow the larger muscle groups to
take the brunt of the loading while keeping the competition lifts honed in
at approximately 80% of PR.
Table 64
Day 1 75% x 5 x 1 75% x 1
Day 2 80% x 3 x 1 80% x 3 x 1
Day 3 75% x 5 x 1 75% x 1
Day 4 80% x 3 x 1 80% x 3 x 1
Table 64: The above table reflects a percentage of PR and the

number of sets of singles. Remember if doubles or triples are scheduled
those are only equivalent to the single and in most cases less equivalent,
due to the buildup of fatigue from each subsequent rep. The underlying
purpose of doing sets of singles is to continue to practice precision and
smooth continuous accelerated velocity for each single, as it hopefully will
be executed in competition. The number of singles between the snatch and
clean & jerk is equal to the same amount of lifts the lifter will perform in a
contest, which of course is six in total. The lifter can manipulate the snatch
and clean & jerk as to the number of singles, such as 2 in the snatch and 4
in the clean & jerk or whatever combination might suit that particular
session, considering which assistance lift is going to be scheduled.
Table 64 cont.
Date Snatch Clean & Jerk Back Sq Clean Pull
Day 1 75% x 5 x 1 75% x 1 100% x 5 x 3
Day 2 80% x 3 x 1 80% x 3 x 1 105% x 5 x 2
Day 3 75% x 5 x 1 75% x 1 110% x 5 x 2
Day 4 80% x 3 x 1 80% x 3 x 1 100% x 5 x 2
Basically, in the above table, where I added the squats and pulls, the
squats are being scheduled on a day when the snatch and clean & jerk are
at 75% of PR, and the pulls are scheduled when the lifter trains the
competition lifts at 80% of PR. The lifter bases the squats and pulls on a
percentage of clean & jerk PR.
3. Order of the Lifts
Ordering the lifts doesn’t take much deliberation unless the lifter
trains the auxiliary exercises at the same level as the primaries, in which
case the training will soon become chaotic, and the lifter will become
erratic or overtrained or both. The training of the primaries needs to be
somewhat habitual. The auxiliaries can be executed at the end of the
session or on a day where only auxiliaries are scheduled.
Day 1
Snatch
Clean & Jerk
Back-squat or Front Squat
Day 2
Snatch
Snatch Pull (full extension)
Clean & Jerk
Day 3
Snatch
Clean & Jerk
Back or Front Squat
Day 4
Snatch
Clean & Jerk
Clean Pull
There could be days when only auxiliary exercises are scheduled, but
wherever auxiliary exercises are scheduled, they should not ever exceed
the primaries in intensity or frequency, such as doing snatches off boxes
more frequently or intensely than the primary snatch.
Doing squats before doing the snatch and clean & jerk is fine as long
as the snatch and clean & jerk are reduced enough in intensity to allow for
fatigue and possible erratic lifting from fatigue if the lifter doesn't lower
the intensity. Generally, the larger muscle groups should follow the
training of the competition lifts to allow as much precision as possible
without any intentional disadvantage created beforehand. An Intentional
disadvantage will only produce an equivalency and not a change.
4. Incremental Increases
The incremental increases and percentage of PR of those increases
should be determined before training begins.
See table of incremental increases below;
Table 65
100k Totals
71% 78% 84% 91% 93%
Snatch 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 42 43 44 45
67% 73% 78% 84% 89% 95%
Clean
25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 54 55
& Jerk
150k Totals
60% 67% 75% 82% 90%
Snatch 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 63 65 67
60% 66% 72% 78% 84% 90%
Clean
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 79 83
& Jerk
200k Totals
59% 65% 71% 76% 82% 88%
Snatch 20 30 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
70% 74% 78% 83% 87% 91%
Clean
40 50 60 70 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
& Jerk
250k Totals
73% 82% 86% 91%
Snatch 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 95 100 105 110
71% 79% 82% 86% 89% 93%
Clean
& Jerk 20 50 70 90 100 110 115 120 125 130 135 140
300k Totals
74% 78% 81% 85% 89% 93%
Snatch 20 40 60 80 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135
67% 73% 79% 85% 91%
Clean
20 60 80 100 110 120 130 140 150 155 160 165
& Jerk
350k Totals
71% 77% 84% 90% 94%
Snatch 20 50 70 90 100 110 120 130 140 145 150 155
72% 77% 82% 87% 92%
Clean
20 70 90 110 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 195
& Jerk
400k Totals
72% 78% 83% 89% 92%
Snatch 20 70 90 110 130 140 150 160 165 170 175 180
68% 73% 77% 82% 86% 91%
Clean
20 90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220
& Jerk
450k Totals
75% 80% 85% 90%
Snatch 20 70 90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 195 200
68% 76% 80% 88% 92%
Clean
20 90 110 130 150 170 190 200 220 230 240 250
& Jerk
Table 65: Once the lifter has determined their incremental increases
and percentages of those increases it will give them a handy guide to go by
for training purposes. It is best to keep the incremental increases intact
rather than bend those increases toward the percentages. For example, a
lifter with a 250k total only has one incremental increase for each lift that
is equal to 86%, i.e., 95k snatch and the 120k clean & jerk. These lifts can
be matched up, but the others will take some adjusting. Doing odd
incremental increases using change plates is not a good idea since that will
make the lifter out of their habitual training mode as far as those
incremental increases are concerned. Match percentages as close as
possible, but maintain the integrity of those incremental increases.
The number of training days per week or sessions is directly
proportional to the level the lifter has reached. Training too long and hard
before the lifter is ready to train at all is a colossal mistake. A beginner
needs more time to recover from workout to workout than lifters who have
reached higher levels in the sport.
A lifter’s career can be broken down into different levels of
proficiency
1. Beginner
Any lifter who has not yet learned how to lift with precision and
smooth accelerated velocity and with a high degree of technical
proficiency and has not been cleared to begin the rigors of training.
2. Novice
A lifter who has been cleared to start the rigors of training but has
only one or two meets under their belts, usually a 1st-year lifter.
3. Intermediate
Intermediate lifters are traditionally in their 2nd year and can win on
a local level but have not qualified for National events.
4. National Level
Lifters who have qualified for National events, but have not qualified
for International events.
5. International Level
Lifters who have qualified for International events but have not
reached the A session in those events.
6. World Class
Lifters who have been selected for World or Olympic Championships
and are qualified to be in the A sessions.
Table 66
Weight National International World
Beginner Novice Intermediate
Class Level Level Class
5 days wk. 6 days wk.
3 days wk. 3 days wk. 4 days wk. 5 days wk.
7 sessions 9 sessions
W49 70 100 120 150 180 190
W55 80 110 130 160 190 210
W59 90 120 140 170 200 230
W64 100 130 145 190 210 240

W64 100 130 145 190 210 240
W76 105 135 150 200 230 250
W81 110 140 160 210 235 275
W87 120 150 170 220 250 285
W87+ 130 160 180 240 260 300
M61 120 150 200 225 280 310
M67 130 170 220 290 310 340
M73 140 180 240 320 335 360
M96 150 190 260 330 345 370
M102 160 200 270 350 355 390
M109 170 220 280 360 375 410
M109+ 180 240 290 370 400 440
Table 66: This table gives a very general idea of the top-end totals
that fits each level of proficiency as well as the training frequency, all
subject to many variables. My experience levels are general since the new
weight classes have not been around long enough.
As the lifter progresses in both proficiency and experience, they can
increase the number of sessions per week, provided they have the time to
do so. For most lifters who have not reached the level of a professional
athlete, the lifter can restrict the number of days per week according to
their job and family responsibilities. Remember, a beginning or novice
lifter will make gains regardless of how long or hard they train or if they
hardly train at all. It’s when those gains start becoming hard to come by
that training must be conducted on a level that will allow the lifter to
continue toward full potential. It is best if the lifter starts training correctly
from the beginning by emphasizing precision and velocity over the amount
of weight handled. If not, it is never too late to begin training correctly.
Training of a Novice Lifter
Example of a novice lifter with a total of 130k (55k and 75k), with a
back-squat in one-second of 85k. The lifter has created separation, and all
squats are one-second or faster. The incremental increases are determined
first before the training can be programmed.
Table 67
Incremental Increases for a Novice 77k: 130k total (55k and 75k)
Snatch 20 25 30 35 37.5 40 42.5 45 47.5 50 52.5 55
Clean &
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
Jerk
Table 67: The incremental increases will always follow the same
pattern throughout the lifter’s career; only the weights will change as the
lifter attains higher levels in the sport. These increases are for ingraining
those habitual patterns as an unconscious effort where the lifter only has to
concentrate on each lift and not be concerned with how much weight to
load on the bar.
Table 68
Snatch C&J Bsq Fsq Sn Pull Cl Pull
Day 1 40 x 6 x 1 55 x 6 x 1 70 x 5 x 5 55 x 5 x 3
Day 2 37.5 x 10 x 1 50 x 1 65 x 3 x 2 75 x 5 x 2
Day 3 42.5 x 3 x 1 60 x 3 x 1 75 x 7 x 2 55 x 5 x 2
Table 68: This table shows how the lifter should generally conduct
training. The manipulations will depend on many factors that even the
coach will not be aware of at the beginning or until times-in-motion have
been measured. Beginners and novice lifters will be doing more repetitions
in the competition lifts, working on precision and velocity. The assistance
lifts will also be emphasized more for the ascension velocity, making sure
each rep is the same time-in-motion from rep to rep and set to set and
allowing the assistance lifts to increase along with the snatch and clean &
jerk. No attempt to create separation needs to begin until the lifter has
reached the intermediate level.
Training the Intermediate Lifter
Table 68
Incremental Increases for Intermediate 77k: 190k total (85k and 115k)
Snatch 20 30 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
Clean &
20 40 50 60 70 80 90 95 100 105 110 115
Jerk
Table 68: After about one year of training the novice has reached the
intermediate level where they are competing on the local level and
possibly capable of winning some of those meets. The above incremental
increases are indicative of the snatch and clean & jerk PRs. Another day
was added to the weekly schedule, and this addition will be conditioned on
how well the lifter can continue to progress. Merely adding more
frequency does not always guarantee increases in performance and these
additions must be carefully monitored as to their benefit.
Table 69
Snatch C&J Bsq Equiv. Bsq Equiv. C&J
90 x 3 x 1
Day 1 65 x 3 x 1 (2.1) 130 x 5 x 2 (1.2) 145 125
(2.2)
Day 2 Assorted Auxiliaries @ 75% effort or less
95 x 2 x 1
Day 3 70 x 4 x 1 (2.2) 110 x 5 x 5 (1.0) 150 129
(2.2)
95 x 1 x 1
Day 4 70 x 5 x 1 (2.2) 140 x 1 (1.0) 140 120
(2.2)
68 / 80% 93 / 81%
Averages 110% / (1.13) 145 125
(2.17) (2.2)
Table 69: Once the lifter has created separation it must be maintained
throughout their career by manipulating the competition lifts as far as
average monthly intensity is concerned and primarily during the training
phases, not the peaking phases or a conditioning phase. The volume of the
competition lifts need only be enough to keep those lifts honed in at 80%
of PR in preparation for the peaking phase.
Indicators: Particular weights and times-in-motion that will indicate
how much of an assured increase in performance is possible.
In the table above, those indicators are the equivalent clean & jerk
and also the faster than 2.5-seconds overall times-in-motion. The
and also the faster than 2.5-seconds overall times-in-motion. The
indicators assure the lifter they are capable of doing more in the snatch and
clean & jerk without having to do it or expend the energy and stress on
trying to increase performance in the gym. The lifter should save the
performances for the meets or controlled practice meets. Auxiliary
exercises are poor indicators, and the lifter should never use them for
predicting performance. Times-in-motion correlated to each primary lift
are the only valid predictors of performance.
Training the National Level Lifter
Table 70
Incremental Increases for National Level 73k: 270k total (120k and 150k)
Snatch 20 40 60 70 80 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
Clean &
20 50 70 90 100 110 120 130 135 140 145 150
Jerk
Table 70: After about a year or so at the Intermediate Level, the lifter
has reached the National Level with a 270k total. Another day of primarily
auxiliary exercises was added to the weekly schedule about eight months
ago.
Table 71
Equiv.
Snatch C&J Bsq Equiv. C&J
Bsq
95 x 3 x 1 120 x 3 x 1 170 x 4 x 3
Day 1 185 160
(2.1) (2.0) (1.2)
100 x 5 x 1
Day 3 130 x 1 (2.1) 190 x 1 (1.0) 190 163
(2.2)
105 x 3 x 1 135 x 3 x 1 140 x 5 x 2
Day 5 185 159
(2.2) (2.2) (.80)
100 / 83% 128 / 85%
Averages 111% / (1.0) 187 160
(2.17) (2.1)
Table 71: The lifter has maintained separation maintained since the
Intermediate Level. These snippets of time do not show the intermediate
growth of the lifter. That progress should be continuous and gradual until
the lifter has developed full potential. Without the creation of separation
based on times-in-motion progress can be erratic, slow or become stagnant
before the lifter reaches full potential.
Training the International Level Lifter
Table 72
Incremental Increases for International Level 85k: 350k total (155k and 195k)
Snatch 20 50 70 90 100 110 120 130 140 145 150 155
Clean
20 70 90 110 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 195
& Jerk
Table 72: The lifter has increased bodyweight over the following
year and has reached the International Level. Selection for international
teams is determined by the level of competition within each country.
Table 73
Equiv.
Snatch C&J Bsq Equiv. C&J
Bsq
Day 1
Morning
120 x 3 x 1 150 x 3 x 1 180 x 4 x 2 (.70) 230 198
Session
Session 130 x 3 x 1 160 x 3 x 1 230 x 4 x 1 (1.0) 250 215
Day 3
Morning
120 x 4 x 1 150 x 2 x 1
Session
Evening
140 x 3 x 1 170 x 3 x 1 230 x 5 x 1 (1.0) 250 215
Session
Day 5 130 x 3 x 1 160 x 3 x 1 250 x 1 (1.0) 250 215

133 / 86% 163 / 84%
Averages 121% / (1.0) 250 211
(2.20) (2.10)
Table 73: The lifter doesn't count the morning sessions intensity
toward the weekly or monthly average since a wide range of variance can
be scheduled, and it would skew the main sessions average level of
intensity. The lifter should keep a record of the morning session levels of
intensity separately, and that can be used as a comparison if training is not
going as planned.
The lifter has created a separation of 110% in the equivalent clean &
jerk to PR clean & jerk, and this is all that is needed to propel the lifter on
to becoming a world class lifter. While it might seem a difficult or
impossible task to continue to progress the back-squat using the non-
decelerated squats all the time, it is not only possible it is necessary for the
lifter to always leave enough room to progress within, until the lifter has
reached full potential. The lifter can achieve progress from just about any
point of origin, except some of those points will lead to stagnation sooner.
One of those points of early stagnation is decelerated squats and pulls and
deceleration during parts of the snatch or clean & jerk, along with any
additional decelerated actions among the auxiliary exercises.
Training the World Class Lifter
Table 74
Snatch 20 50 70 90 110 130 140 150 155 160 165 170
Clean &
20 70 90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 200 210
Jerk
Jerk
Table 74: The lifter after about five years of training has reached the
World Class Level where they will be competing for possible medals in
the A session at Worlds and the Olympics.
Snatch C&J Bsq Equiv. Bsq Equiv. C&J
Day 1
Morning
130 x 4 x 1 170 x 2 x 1 230 x 1 (.70) 260 224
Session
Evening
140 x 3 x 1 180 x 3 x 1 250 x 4 x 1 (1.0) 265 228
Session
Day 3
Morning
130 x 2 x 1 160x 4 x 1
Session
Evening
150 x 3 x 1 180 x 3 x 1 220 x 5 x 2 (1.0) 265 228
Session
Day 5 150 x 3 x 1 180 x 3 x 1 270 x 1 (1.0) 270 232

147 / 86% 180 / 86%
Averages 126% / (1.0) 267 229
(2.20) (2.10)
Table 74: This table for the world-class level lifter, follows the same
pattern throughout the lifter’s career as far as the training phases were
concerned. The main emphasis is always on separation and developing and
maintaining at least a 110% difference between the equivalent clean & jerk
and actual PR clean & jerk. The overall times-in-motion of the snatch and
clean & jerk must also maintain their consistency, and there should be
little difference between the lifter’s overall times-in-motion in training and
the overall times-in-motion of those actual PRs achieved in competition.
Chapter 13
Training vs. Peaking
The transition from the training phase, where separation is being
created, to the peaking phase should be a somewhat gradual transition, so
the heavier loadings in the competition lifts do not shock the system. It
should not take very long to bring the competition lifts back into peak
condition. How long it takes will be conditioned on the age of the lifter,
whether they have reached full potential or not and possibly the weight
class or body weight of the lifter. Generally, two months before a
competition should be set aside for the peaking phase to hone the
competition lifts back into competitive shape. Peaking Phase Transition
Table 75
Clean & Front Snatch
Date Snatch Back-squat Snatch Pull
Jerk Squat Pull
Gradual
Gradual
Increase in Reduced Reduced
1st Increase in Reduced Reduced
intensity Volume & Volume &
Month intensity Volume Volume
Not over Intensity Intensity
Not over 95%
95%
Reduced Reduced
2nd Not over Reduced Reduced
Not over 90% Volume & Volume &
Month 90% Volume Volume
Intensity Intensity
Table 75: The last two months before a major competition is not the
time to be trying to gain performance. The primary goal is to get the lifter
in the best shape possible for the competition, not to set PRs in the gym.
Those PRs need to be achieved in the meet, or during the training phase as
a scheduled event.
By reducing the volume and intensity in the pulls and some of the
volume in the squats, those energy stores can go into increasing the
intensity level of the competition lifts. There has to be some give and take
where an expenditure of energy is concerned. Attempting to make last-
minute gains in the squats and pulls can cause an adverse effect on the
lifter properly peaking for competition.
Table 76
Snatch 20 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 125 130 135
Clean &
20 60 80 100 110 120 130 140 150 155 160 165
Jerk
Table 76: In this example, the lifter has a total of 300k, and during
training, some separation was created with an equivalent one-second back-
squat at 205k and was consistent at doing pulls with 110% of PR @ 0.33.
The back-squat was equivalent to a 176k clean & jerk and 179k / 165k =
107% or 7% of separation. The following table 77 will only be showing
the snatch, clean & jerk and back-squat training for the peaking phase. The
pulls we can consider to be reduced in volume and intensity so those pulls
with 100% of PR or less will be somewhat effortless to redistribute
available energy.
Table 77
Date Snatch C&J Bsq Equiv. C&J
Week 1
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 130 x 3 x 1 170 x 3 x 3 (1.0) 172
Day 2 100 x 4 x 1 130 x 1 150 x 3 x 1 (.50) 181
Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises Reduced Intensity & Volume
Day 4 110 x 4 x 1 140 x 1
Day 5 110 x 1 150 x 1 200 x 1 (.90) 181
Averages 78% (2.2) 83% (2.2) 105% (.80) 178
Table 77: After the first week there has been some increase in the clean &
jerk’s average level of intensity from 78% to 83%. The snatch’s average
level of intensity was unchanged, and it is better for the clean & jerk to be
greater than the snatch, than the other way around. The lifter should
maintain the squats with an equivalent clean & jerk of 178k, which is 2k
more than the 176k. This increase is a good sign since there was a
reduction in volume in the squats. The highest snatch was 81%, and the
highest clean & jerk was 91%, which was probably too high at this point.
Both lifts should be gradually increased from a high of 85% to 95% during
the first month in the peaking phase. There will need to be an adjustment
in the following sessions as far as the intensity level of the clean & jerk is
concerned, to compensate for the heavier loading on day 5.
Table 78
Week 2
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 120 x 3 x 1 190 x 2 x 1 (.80) 185
Day 2 110 x 2 x 1 130 x 4 x 1 190 x 1 x 1 (.80) 181
Day 4 110 x 4 x 1 140 x 2 x 1
Day 5 120 x 3 x 1 150 x 3 x 1 170 x 3 x 3 (.90) 181
Averages 81% (2.2) 82% (2.2) 111% (.80) 182
Table 78: In the 2nd week of the first month of the peaking phase the
snatch and clean & jerk average level of intensity have gradually been
increased from under 80% to just over 80%. The heaviest snatch was 89%
of PR, and the clean & jerk was 91%. These are good percentages of PR at
six weeks out. The back-squat continues to show good signs with the
equivalencies in the clean & jerk at 182k. The overall times-in-motion at
2.0-seconds are holding up and indicates that if the lifter exceeds the
competition lift’s PRs the overall times should be 2.5-seconds or faster.
The incremental increases should also be tapering down from doing
doubles up to 80% of PR to gradually only doing doubles up to 60%
unless more warm-up is needed. Tapering the incremental from doubles to
singles is another way to manipulate available energy and direct that
energy into the competition lifts and the back-squat. The workouts will
begin to resemble exactly how the lifter will be warming up in the
competition, as far as those incremental increases are concerned. The first
two attempts in the snatch and the 1st attempt in the clean & jerk will also
be practiced a few times before the meet.
Table 79
Week 3
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 130 x 3 x 1 170 x 3 x 3 (.90) 181
Day 2 110 x 2 x 1 130 x 4 x 1 190 x 1 (.80) 181
Day 4 110 x 4 x 1 140 x 2 x 1
Day 5 125 x 1 155 x 1 215 x 1 (1.0) 185
Averages 82% (2.2) 84% (2.3) 115% (.80) 182
Table 79: With five weeks before the competition, the lifter should
emphasize the heavier snatch and clean & jerks on the weekend, or the
same day the lifter will be competing. 125k was 93% of PR and 155k was
94% of PR. These should be the highest intensity levels achieved before
the competition, and the lifter can repeat it in week 4. The squat should be
reduced to mostly singles until the competition, but not any amount of
weight that might cause deceleration.
Table 80
Week 4
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 130 x 3 x 1 170 x 3 x 3 (.90) 181
Day 2 110 x 2 x 1 130 x 4 x 1 190 x 1 (.80) 181
Day 4 110 x 4 x 1 140 x 2 x 1
Day 5 125 x 1 155 x 1 215 x 1 (1.0) 185
Averages 82% (2.2) 84% (2.3) 115% (.80) 182
Table 80: In week four the training can be precisely the same as
week three as far as the levels of intensity and volume are concerned. This
period should be the last week for going over 95% of PR in the snatch or
clean & jerk.
Table 81
Week 5
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 130 x 3 x 1 180 x 1 (.70) 181
Day 2 110 x 2 x 1 140 x 4 x 1 200 x 1 (.80) 189
Day 4 100 x 4 x 1 130 x 2 x 1
Day 5 120 x 1 150 x 1 200 x 1 (.90) 181
Averages 82% (2.2) 84% (2.3) 117% (.80) 183
Table 81: In week 5 with three weeks left, the highest snatch and
clean & jerks should be held to 90% of PR or 120k and 150k respectively
for week 5 and 6. The emphasis is on the overall times-in-motion of those
lifts.
Table 82
Week 6
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 130 x 3 x 1 160 x 3 x 2 (.60) 185
Day 2 110 x 2 x 1 140 x 4 x 1 220 x 1 (1.0) 189
Day 4 100 x 4 x 1 130 x 2 x 1
Day 5 120 x 1 150 x 1 200 x 1 (.90) 181
Averages 82% (2.2) 84% (2.3) 117% (.80) 185
Table 82: Week 6 was similar to week 4. The squats continue to

show some increase as far as the equivalent clean & jerk is concerned.
This period should allow for new meet PRs where the overall times are
2.5-seconds or faster.
Table 83
Week 7
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 130 x 3 x 1 170 x 1 (.70) 172
Day 2 110 x 2 x 1 140 x 4 x 1 210 x 1 (1.0) 181
Day 4 100 x 4 x 1 130 x 2 x 1
Day 5 115 x 1 140 x 1 190 x 2 x1 (.90) 176
Averages 80% (2.1) 83% (2.2) 115% (.87) 176
Table 83: Week 7 has an average level of intensity of 81.5% in the

competition lifts. This period is the last week where 90% is scheduled. If
the lifter shows signs of fatigue doing the competition lifts, then the lifter
can reduce the 90% to 85% or whatever it takes to get back on track.
Table 84
Week 8
Day 1 100 x 3 x 1 130 x 3 x 1 165 x 3 x 1 (.70) 176
Day 2 100 x 2 x 1 130 x 4 x 1 200x 1 (1.0) 172
Day 3 110 x 1 130 x 1 165 x 3 x 1 (.70) 176
Meet 138 172
Table 84: The average intensity for the week out from the meet was
80% for the competition lifts. The typical day for auxiliary exercises was
eliminated, due to the upcoming meet preparations taking precedence.
The lifter should adjust the weights as soon as it becomes evident
there is a problem with precision and velocity; usually it’s a sign of fatigue
over what is considered normal levels for training purposes.
Equivalent clean & jerks can be good predictors if the lifter
consistently achieves 110% of PR. In this case, 172k meet PR was 104%
of 165k, and the average equivalent PR was 181k. The lifter received
about 42% of the 16k difference between 165k and 181k.
Without knowing the times-in-motion, it is near impossible for a lifter
to reach full potential because it is the times that keep the lifter from
decelerating and overloading unnecessarily. As long as they are aware of
the harm decelerated actions can cause the muscular system then much of
the problems associated with decelerated squats pulls, and other exercises
can be mitigated.
Chapter 14
Effort vs. Actual Amount
In all sports, especially weightlifting, the athlete must understand and
exactly know what effort they are placing into their event or training
regime. When the effort calls for 75% or 90%, those particular efforts
must be precisely 75% or 90% and not 100%. If the athlete isn't acutely
tuned into those specific efforts, they can begin to fool themselves as to
how well the training is actually proceeding and eventually all that
overloading will cause them to become overtrained. Being overtrained
does not always mean a complete collapse of the muscular system, but it
can mean there will be an automatic reduction in the level of intensity.
Example: A lifter has been training at 90% with 140k in the snatch,
and their PR is 155k. They have caused an involuntary reduction in the
level of intensity to develop and all they can snatch is 140k, but they
continue to believe this is still 90% of PR. Deep down they can feel that
the 140k is near maximum effort, but instead of reducing the loading to
where the lifter basis the 90% on the 140k they persist in treating the 140k
as 90%. If this continues, the lifter will become overtrained, and it can take
several months to recover and get back to where they were before.
The idea behind having pre-set incremental increases is to be able to
ingrain those feelings at each incremental level to be accurate as to the
percentage of effort and accelerated velocity or time-in-motion needed to
make each increase. As the lifter moves up through those incremental
increases, they must be aware of how each incremental increase feels as
compared to how they usually feel, keeping an eye out for unusual changes
which could be caused by overloading in previous sessions. This
awareness is essential for those days when the lifter is down a bit, and they
planned a heavier session. Knowing how the weights feel, the lifter can
avert overreaching in that session, by backing off the pre-programmed
numbers enough to avoid causing problems in subsequent workouts. If the
incremental weights feel as they usually do, the lifter can complete the
program as planned.
There should be no difference between the amount of effort the lifter
puts into a lift and the actual effort it takes to make that lift. Lifters who do
not lift or train by feel will always be overloading and in a constant state of
a reduced level of intensity. This reduced level is similar to people who
have no pain threshold and are constantly injuring themselves unless great
care is taken to understand those feelings.
Weightlifters can develop a bizarre sense of numbness to the amount
of weight and how that weight is affecting their muscular and other bodily
systems. An acute level of desensitization can occur over the years of
training at 100% of effort (not maximum amounts). 100% effort means the
weight feels and look as if it is a maximum load, instead of 85% of PR, for
example. A weight looking and feeling heavier than usual is usually
caused by decelerated actions or where the velocity is not in equilibrium to
those forces needed to make the weight feel and look like 85% instead of
100%.
A beginning lifter who did not learn how to lift with technical
proficiency and precision, as well as the right accelerated velocity or
times-in-motion, will always find it challenging to be able to train by feel.
Those 85% efforts will turn into 100% efforts, if they have never timed
their lifts and trained under such a system where the lifter ingrained the
times-in-motion, so they know, to some degree of accuracy, how much
force it will take to make the lift and that those forces are in equilibrium to
the mass.
Too many weightlifters believe being strong means the lifter can
grind out of a lift and still make the weight. This belief places the wrong
emphasis on the wrong muscle fibers. In weightlifting, strong must include
accelerated velocities and exclude all decelerated actions in all lifts and
exercises. It is the decelerated actions that cause the lifter to become
desensitized to those efforts and lose any sense of feel that could be used
to avert overloading or overtraining.
Table 85
Snatch PR 90% (Actual) 90% (Unequal) Overlaod
150 (2.3) 135 (2.15) 135 (3.0) 25k
150 (2.1) 135 (1.95) 135 (2.5) 55k
Table 85: For 90% of 150k PR to be equal to 90% effort the lifter
must execute the 135k at 2.15 seconds overall time in motion. As the time-
in-motion slows or degrades that 90% effort becomes greater than 90% or
reaches 100% effort or failure. Of course, all snatches where the lifter
achieves 2.3-seconds from the empty bar to 150k will be considered non-
decelerated.
When the times-in-motion become slower than the ones achieved at
100% effort, then those could be considered decelerated actions.
Table 86
Snatch 60 80 90 100 110 120 130 135 140 145 150
Times finite finite 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.15 2.2 2.25 2.3
Table 86: As the amount of weight decreases from the 100% actual
effort achieved in 2.3.0-seconds the times become faster to a point where
they become finite (as fast as a lifter can move regardless of the
resistance). These incremental increases have nothing to do with the actual
percentages of PR. Their importance is for the lifter to be able to judge
their velocity and precision as they move from one incremental increase to
the other. This ability is why lifters should never train using percentages
that have been programmed or pulled out of thin air. Percentages should
reflect the overall monthly levels of intensity and not used for the training
of the lifts unless the lifter is accurately monitoring the times-in-motion.
At 135k, which is 90% of PR, the effort will not be 90% if the time-
in-motion is slower than 2.15 seconds, and it will not be in equilibrium
with the snatch PR of 155k if the time is slower than 2.3-seconds.
Table 87
% 60% 67% 73% 80% 87% 90% 93% 97% 100%
Snatch 80 90 100 110 120 130 135 140 145 150
Times finite 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.15 2.2 2.25 2.3
Table 87: If the time-in-motion is slower than 2.3.0-seconds it could

be considered decelerating, but not overloading until those times are
slower than 2.5-seconds. Suffice it to say, for percentages of PRs to be
actual percentages of PRs; the times-in-motion must be representative of
those percentages; otherwise, 90% will not feel or look like 90% efforts.
It is the coach’s responsibility to know when the lifter is decelerating,
or there appears to be a change in the accelerated velocity or time-in-
motion so that the lifter can adjust the weight at that time. If the lifter is the
coach, they will have to learn how to be honest with themselves about
these matters concerning deceleration and times-in-motion. A lifter is only
cheating themselves, by allowing deceleration to be used, to do more
weight than is beneficial to the long-term growth of the lifter.
Weightlifting is a speed sport that happens to include increases in the
implement up to levels where force is not in equilibrium to mass, rather
than an implement that is of a constant mass. The lifter should define
strength as an accelerated action and not a decelerated action.
The squats also pose a problem with perception concerning effort vs.
the actual amount of weight. The squats are subject only to the same
velocity that the lifter produces through the full movement of the snatch
and clean & jerk. The ascension time-in-motion can only measure the
effort in the squats because moving slower can produce a feeling of less
effort than when moving faster. Lifters who do not time their squats cannot
make a valid assessment of whether a squat was easy or not as far as the
actual effort is concerned, but they can only determine effort by how much
force they had to overcome during decelerated actions. If the squat was
slow, then it was harder to achieve than one that was faster. However, it is
always the slower decelerated squats that are presumed to be beneficial in
the development of strength. Where the lifter defines strength as a
decelerated action, then this would be true, but for the weightlifter,
decelerated actions are antagonistic to the production of momentum.
Table 88
IRM Squat Equivalent Amount @ one-second Percentage
175 @ one-second 175 @ one-second 100% effort
190 @ 1.3.0-seconds 175 @ one-second 92% effort
220 @ 1.9 seconds 175 @ one-second 80% effort
250 @ 2.5-seconds 175 @ one-second 70% effort
Table 88: When the ascension times in the squat is slower than the
equivalent one-second time and the weight and times are equivalent then
the amount of effort the 175k is to the slower squat decreases, as does the
ability of the lifter to do the equivalent (175k) in one-second. For the lifter
that always trains their squats at one-second or faster, the opposite would
be correct.
Table 89
IRM Squat Unequal Weights and Times Percentage
175 @ one-second 175 @ one-second 100% effort
175 @ one-second 190 @ 1.3.0-seconds 109% effort
175 @ one-second 220 @ 1.9 seconds 126% effort
175 @ one-second 250 @ 2.5-seconds 143% effort
Table 89: As the lifter becomes accustomed to doing the one-second

times-in-motion, the slower squats and greater weights will become more
difficult to achieve because the emphasis on what is considered effort has
switched from deceleration to acceleration. The fact that all these squats
and times are equivalent doesn’t matter, only whether the squats are
accelerated actions or decelerated actions matter, at least where force
production matters, as well as the ability of the lifter to keep those one-
second squat times in sync with their snatch and clean & jerk times.
It is no more possible to develop faster times by moving slower with
heavier weights than it is to develop big slow grinding squats by moving
faster. The more aerobic the slow twitch fibers become, the less
reactionary the fast twitch become, and vice versa. Splitting the difference
will only make both mediocre.
Appendix A
Adjusting the Incremental Increases
Table A1
100k Totals
71% 78% 84% 91% 93%
Snatch 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 42 43 45
67% 73% 78% 84% 89% 95%
Clean &
20 24 28 32 36 39 43 46 49 52 55
Jerk
Table A1: From this table of incremental increases, it can be readily

apparent they don’t line up linearly with the percentages. This defect will
always be the case, so it might be necessary to make adjustments that will
get those percentages as close together as is possible for each session.
Table A2
100k Totals
71% 78% 84% 91% 93%
Snatch 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 42 43 45
67% 73% 78% 84% 89% 95%
C&J 20 24 28 32 36 39 43 46 49 52 55
Table A2: Usually the snatch numbers need to be moved over one
space to the right or left, and the percentages line up a little better. It never
will be exact but should be close enough so the increases can stay more in
line. When both snatch and clean & jerk are being trained, which should
be the majority of the time, the lifter should use the lesser snatch
percentage if it happens to be a few percentages higher than the clean &
jerk. In the above instance, the snatch percentage of 91% would be
reduced back to 84% if the lifter trains the clean & jerk at 89%. The lifter
can train the snatch at the same percentage, but never higher than the
monthly average. Best to always try and keep equal or lower than the clean
& jerk so the lifter will not need to make the adjustments concerning those
monthly averages.
Table A3
200k Totals
59% 65% 71% 76% 82% 88%
Snatch 20 30 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
70% 74% 78% 83% 87% 91%
Clean &
20 40 60 70 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
Jerk
Table A3: The snatch needs to slide to the left one space to line up
better:
Table A4
200k Totals
59% 65% 71% 76% 82% 88%
Snatch 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
70% 74% 78% 83% 87% 91%
Clean &
50 60 70 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115
Jerk
Table A4: If the lifter uses the 100k clean & jerk as the top-end
weight for a particular session then instead of programming 75k for the
snatch at 88%, the 82% or 70k snatch should be programmed.
Day 1
Snatch 65 (76%)
Clean & Jerk 90 (78%)
Day 2
Snatch 75 (88%)
Clean & Jerk 105 (91%)
The lifter needs to be careful not to push the snatch up to where the
clean & jerk will be forced into a higher percentage than is beneficial for
training purposes and for creating separation. The clean & jerk should be
programmed first to make sure it falls in the 80% monthly intensity
category and then the snatch can be programmed afterward.
It is inadvisable to go into the gym and go over 85% in the snatch,
just because the lifter feels good. Knowing the lifter should train both lifts
at the same level the 85% clean & jerks could become less precise. The
overall time-in-motion is slower than 2.5-seconds or what is typical for the
lifter or worse the lifter misses those higher percentage clean & jerks
because they have become 100% efforts, due to the heavier snatches.
Table A5
300k Totals
74% 78% 81% 85% 89% 93%
Snatch 40 60 80 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135
67% 73% 79% 85% 91%
Clean &
60 80 100 110 120 130 140 150 155 160 165
Jerk
Table A5: In this table, the percentages line up about as good as it

gets without using smaller incremental increases, which is not advisable. If
the coach or lifter program the snatch at 81% with 110k then the clean &
jerk would need to be programmed at 140k (85%). If this is too much
weight, then the clean & jerk can be lowered to 130k (79%), and they
would work the snatch at the top-end with 105k (78%). Again, the
incremental increments should be ingrained and become habitual for both
training and competition. It is essential the lifter associate the feel of each
incremental so they can use that feeling as indicators for how much they
could have done that session at 100% effort, without attempting those
100% efforts.
Table A6
400k Totals
72% 78% 83% 89% 92%
Snatch 70 90 110 130 140 150 160 165 170 175 180
68% 73% 77% 82% 86% 91%
Clean &
90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220
Jerk
Table A7
400k Totals
72% 78% 83% 89% 92%
Snatch 20 70 90 110 130 140 150 160 165 170 175 180
68% 73% 77% 82% 86% 91%
Clean
20 90 110 130 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220
& Jerk
Table A7: Again, the snatches had to slide over to the right to match
up better; however, in this case, just about all the snatches are a small
percentage higher than the corresponding clean & jerks, so more care will
need to be taken when programming, so the snatch is not trained at a
higher level of intensity for the month.
Appendix B
Using the Incremental Increases to
Increase Volume
Table B1
Incremental Increases for National Level 77k: 270k total (120k and 150k)
Snatch 20 40 60 70 80 90 95 100 105 110 115 120
Clean
20 50 70 90 100 110 120 130 135 140 145 150
& Jerk
It’s not always just the top-end weights that help aid in the
development and progression of the lifter. The incremental increases can
be used to produce a change in the organism as well, as well as get the
lifter in shape to even go through those incremental increases as they reach
their top-end weights or as they reach their last warmup before their 1st
attempt in competition.
Snatch 40 x 3, 60 x 3, 70 x 2, 80 x 2, 90 x 2, 95 x 1, 100 x 1
Snatch Top-end 105 x 5 x 1
In day one, the additional reps in association with the incremental

increases add 16 repetitions to the workout even before the lifter reaches
the top-end weight. This type of conditioning work is more beneficial than
jumping too quickly to the top-end weight by only doing half the number
of incremental increases. The lifter needs to be in good condition for those
incremental increases for training and competition, to ensure the lifter is
warmed up enough for their attempts, and those incremental increases do
not cause any unnecessary fatigue before they take their 1st attempt.
The lift might only perform the triples or doubles in the incremental
increases up to around 75%. The repetitions can be rapid or sets of singles,
or whichever is best for the lifter to be able to maintain precision and
velocity during every increase and with the top-end weights. As mentioned
before, once the lifter has developed repeated precision and consistent
times-in-motion and they can adhere to those parameters throughout every
session, the road to success is directly through the volume of the primary
lifts. The lifter should achieve that volume, so it doesn't cause an
automatic reduction in the intensity levels.
Clean & Jerk 50 x 3, 70 x 3, 90 x 2, 100 x 2, 110 x 2

C&J Top-end 120 x 1
The additional volume can replace the necessity for increasing the
average monthly intensity levels and causing problems with the creation of
separation or maintaining that separation already achieved.
Appendix C
The Average Monthly Intensities Sliding
Average
Percentages can be somewhat deceptive between a lifter with a 200k total
and one with a 450k total. The percentages of PR tend to skew the actual
effort it takes to do those percentages of PRs.
Diagram C1
The chart above shows how percentages skew as the total increases.
This skewing is because 10k carries the same value as the proficiency of
the lifter increases. A super heavyweight with a 200k snatch will be doing
less weight at 80% compared to a lifter with a 100k snatch doing 80%.
200k x 80% = 160k

100k x 80% = 80k
While the lifter’s 80k is only 20k less than the 100k PR, the super
heavyweights 160k is 40k less. The 160k would feel much lighter to the
200k lifter than the 80k would to the 100k lifter. To bring it back in line
the percentage would have to be adjusted upward the greater the weights
become.
180k / 200k = 90%
The reason for this paradox is because the lifter drives the increases
by the time-in-motion or the 2nd law of motion and not the formula for
Hp. Percentages are not a good measure of effort: See chapter 16.
The adjustments would have more meaning during the peaking phase
where the lifter will be going to 90% or a little more. During the training
phase, it might be best for the average monthly intensity to be under 90%
or somewhere in between 75% to 85%, depending on the level reached.
The adjustments don’t need to be made until the lifter reaches totals over
350k where they can be more pronounced and staying at 80% might not be
as beneficial as it is to those totals less than 350k.
Average monthly intensities will also need to be adjusted for age
since younger athletes tend to recover quicker than older athletes. Younger
lifters can handle some additional increase in those average monthly
intensities, with the same caveat of maintaining precision and velocity and
those higher intensities do not hinder the creation of separation or
subsequent sessions. They must also be alert to any deceleration during
any squat or pull or during parts of the competition lifts.
Using times-in-motion as training parameters are much easier on the
muscular and adrenaline systems, and over the long, arduous career of the
athlete this will promote longevity and the journey toward full potential
will be more assured. If weightlifting is three dimensional, then time-in-
motion is the fourth dimension. Knowing only three dimensions will not
allow the lifter to understand where they are going or how they will get
there.
Appendix D
Table of Separation
The following tables calculate what the separation should be
concerning the meet PR clean & jerk. These are reasonably accurate
representations, based on an athlete with good reaction time and athletic
skills. The back-squat @ one-second is 130% of the clean & jerk, and this
puts the equivalent clean & jerk at 110% of meet PR. The athlete derives
separation from the clean & jerk and back-squat or front squat, depending
on which lift they emphasize.
Front squat separation would be 110% of meet PR, and the equivalent
clean & jerk would be whatever the lifter could front squat in one-second
or 110% of clean & jerk whichever is greater.
Clean Snatch Back Sq Equiv. Front Sq Sn Pull Cl Pull

& Jerk (80%) (1.0 sec.) C&J (1.0 sec.) (.33 sec.) (.33 sec.)
50 40 64 55 55 44 55
55 44 72 61 61 48 61
60 48 78 67 67 53 67
65 52 85 73 73 57 73
70 56 91 78 78 62 78
75 60 98 84 84 66 84
80 64 104 89 89 70 89
85 68 111 95 95 75 95
90 72 117 101 101 79 101
95 76 124 107 107 84 107
100 80 130 112 112 88 112
105 84 137 118 118 92 118
110 88 143 123 123 97 123

120 96 156 134 134 106 134
125 100 163 140 140 110 140
130 104 169 145 145 114 145
135 108 176 151 151 119 151
140 112 182 157 157 123 157
145 116 187 161 161 128 161
150 120 195 168 168 132 168
155 124 202 174 174 136 174
160 128 208 179 179 141 179
165 132 215 185 185 145 185
170 136 221 189 189 150 189
175 140 228 196 196 154 196
180 144 234 201 201 158 201
185 148 241 207 207 204 207
190 152 247 212 212 167 212
195 156 254 218 218 171 218
200 160 260 224 224 176 224
205 164 267 230 230 180 230
210 168 273 235 235 185 235
215 172 280 241 241 189 241
220 176 286 246 246 194 246
225 180 293 252 252 198 252
230 184 299 257 257 202 257
235 186 306 263 263 205 263
240 190 312 268 268 209 268
245 194 319 274 275 213 274
250 198 325 280 280 218 280
255 202 332 286 286 222 286

260 206 338 291 291 227 291
It is common knowledge that the late great Vasily Alekseyev could

front squat 270k and I feel confident that front squat did not contain any
deceleration and the accession time was probably one-second. According
to the tables that would be equivalent to around 245k. The 245k is close to
the clean & jerks he was doing at the time. He would have to have been
doing 285k front squat in one-second or equivalent to achieve his 256k
clean & jerk WR in 1977.
Currently, Artem Okulov, an 85k lifter from Russia, has done a 290k
back-squat in 1.5-seconds which is equivalent to 265k in one-second and
that is equal to a 228k clean & jerk. The 228k would be 108% greater than
the 212k recently performed at the 2017 European Championships. I have
timed several top lifters, and they all display the same pattern as far as
their times-in-motion are concerned and the separation they have created.
Appendix E
Equivalence Tables
The following tables show the equivalent reps to a 1RM back-squat in

one-second. 5k per rep is a stable conversion rate. Each rep in each set
needs to be one-second and without any form breakdowns. The times need
to all be the same or a very narrow range of variance, i.e., 0.9-seconds to
one-second would be acceptable, but 0.8 to 1.5-seconds would not create
the one-second average time for the total number of reps, but even if it did
the wider variance in times should not be considered acceptable.
The tables that follow show a range of time from 0.5-second to 1.5-
seconds. Slower than 1.5-seconds would constitute deceleration. It is
possible to move faster than 0.5-second, but those would constitute
warmup weights.
Equivalent Sets of Reps to a IRM Back-squat in one-second
1 & 2 Sets of Reps @ one-second
Bsq
x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
1.0 sec.
50 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
55 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
60 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
65 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
70 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
75 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
80 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
85 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
90 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
95 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
100 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
105 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
110 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
115 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
120 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
125 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
130 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
135 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
140 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
145 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
150 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
155 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
160 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
165 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
170 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
175 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
180 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
185 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
190 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
195 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
200 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
205 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
210 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
215 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
220 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
225 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
230 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
235 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
240 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
245 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
250 250 245 240 235 230 245 240 235 230 225
255 255 250 245 240 235 250 245 240 235 230
350k & 4 Sets of Reps @ one-second
Bsq
3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
1.0 sec.
50 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
55 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
60 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
65 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
70 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
75 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
80 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
85 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
90 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
95 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
100 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
105 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
110 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
115 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
120 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
125 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
130 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
135 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
140 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
145 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
150 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
155 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
160 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
165 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
170 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
175 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
180 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
185 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
190 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
195 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
200 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
205 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
210 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
215 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
220 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
225 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
230 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
235 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
240 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
245 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
250 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
255 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
260 250 245 240 235 230 245 240 235 230 225
5 Sets of Reps @ one-second
Back Sq
5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
1.0 sec.
50 30 25 20 15 10
55 35 30 25 20 15
60 40 35 30 25 20
65 45 40 35 30 25
70 50 45 40 35 30
75 55 50 45 40 35
80 60 55 50 45 40
85 65 60 55 50 45
90 70 65 60 55 50
95 75 70 65 60 55
100 80 75 70 65 60
105 85 80 75 70 65
110 90 85 80 75 70
115 95 90 85 80 75
120 100 95 90 85 80
125 105 100 95 90 85
130 110 105 100 95 90
135 115 110 105 100 95
140 120 115 110 105 100
145 125 120 115 110 105
150 130 125 120 115 110
155 135 130 125 120 115
160 140 135 130 125 120
165 145 140 135 130 125
170 150 145 140 135 130
175 155 150 145 140 135
180 160 155 150 145 140
185 165 160 155 150 145
190 170 165 160 155 150
195 175 170 165 160 155
200 180 175 170 165 160
205 185 180 175 170 165
210 190 185 180 175 170
215 195 190 185 180 175
220 200 195 190 185 180
225 205 200 195 190 185
230 210 205 200 195 190
235 215 210 205 200 195
240 220 215 210 205 200
245 225 220 215 210 205
250 230 225 220 215 210
255 235 230 225 220 215
260 240 235 230 225 220
Equivalent Sets of Reps in Faster Times to a IRM Back-squat
in one-second • 1 & 2 Sets of Reps @ 0.9 seconds
Bsq .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
55 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
60 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
65 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
70 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
75 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
80 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
85 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
90 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
95 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
100 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
105 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
110 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
115 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
120 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
125 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
130 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
135 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
140 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
145 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
150 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
155 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
160 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
165 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
170 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
175 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
180 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
185 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
190 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
195 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
200 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
205 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
210 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
215 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
220 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
225 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
230 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
235 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
240 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
245 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
250 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
255 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
260 250 245 240 235 230 245 240 235 230 225
265 255 250 245 240 235 250 245 240 235 230
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
55 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
60 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
65 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
70 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
75 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
80 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
85 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
90 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
95 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
100 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
105 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
110 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
115 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
120 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
125 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
130 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
135 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
140 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
145 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
150 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
155 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
160 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
165 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
170 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
175 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
180 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
185 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
190 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
195 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
200 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
205 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
210 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
215 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
220 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
225 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
230 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
235 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
240 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
245 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
250 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
255 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
260 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
265 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
in one-second • 5 Sets of Reps @ 0.9 seconds
IRM Bsq .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec .9 sec
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 20 15 10 5 0
55 25 20 15 10 5
60 30 25 20 15 10
65 35 30 25 20 15
70 40 35 30 25 20
75 45 40 35 30 25
80 50 45 40 35 30
85 55 50 45 40 35
90 60 55 50 45 40
95 65 60 55 50 45
100 70 65 60 55 50
105 75 70 65 60 55
110 80 75 70 65 60
115 85 80 75 70 65
120 90 85 80 75 70
125 95 90 85 80 75
130 100 95 90 85 80
135 105 100 95 90 85
140 110 105 100 95 90
145 115 110 105 100 95
150 120 115 110 105 100
155 125 120 115 110 105
160 130 125 120 115 110
165 135 130 125 120 115
170 140 135 130 125 120
175 145 140 135 130 125
180 150 145 140 135 130
185 155 150 145 140 135
190 160 155 150 145 140
195 165 160 155 150 145
200 170 165 160 155 150
205 175 170 165 160 155
210 180 175 170 165 160
215 185 180 175 170 165
220 190 185 180 175 170
225 195 190 185 180 175
230 200 195 190 185 180
235 205 200 195 190 185
240 210 205 200 195 190
245 215 210 205 200 195
250 220 215 210 205 200
255 225 220 215 210 205
260 230 225 220 215 210
265 235 230 225 220 215
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
55 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
60 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
65 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
70 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
75 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
80 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
85 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
90 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
95 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
100 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
105 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
110 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
115 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
120 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
125 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
130 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
135 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
140 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
145 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
150 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
155 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
160 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
165 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
170 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
175 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
180 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
185 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
190 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
195 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
200 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
205 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
210 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
215 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
220 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
225 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
230 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
235 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
240 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
245 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
250 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
255 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
260 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
265 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
55 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
60 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
65 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
70 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
75 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
80 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
85 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
90 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
95 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
100 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
105 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
110 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
115 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
120 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
125 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
130 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
135 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
140 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
145 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
150 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
155 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
160 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
165 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
170 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
175 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
180 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
185 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
190 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
195 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
200 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
205 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
210 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
215 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
220 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
225 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
230 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
235 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
240 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
245 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
250 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
255 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
260 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
265 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 10 5 0 0 0
55 15 10 5 0 0
60 20 15 10 5 0
65 25 20 15 10 5
70 30 25 20 15 10
75 35 30 25 20 15
80 40 35 30 25 20
85 45 40 35 30 25
90 50 45 40 35 30
95 55 50 45 40 35
100 60 55 50 45 40
105 65 60 55 50 45
110 70 65 60 55 50
115 75 70 65 60 55
120 80 75 70 65 60
125 85 80 75 70 65
130 90 85 80 75 70
135 95 90 85 80 75
140 100 95 90 85 80
145 105 100 95 90 85
150 110 105 100 95 90
155 115 110 105 100 95
160 120 115 110 105 100
165 125 120 115 110 105
170 130 125 120 115 110
175 135 130 125 120 115
180 140 135 130 125 120
185 145 140 135 130 125
190 150 145 140 135 130
195 155 150 145 140 135
200 160 155 150 145 140
205 165 160 155 150 145
210 170 165 160 155 150
215 175 170 165 160 155
220 180 175 170 165 160
225 185 180 175 170 165
230 190 185 180 175 170
235 195 190 185 180 175
240 200 195 190 185 180
245 205 200 195 190 185
250 210 205 200 195 190
255 215 210 205 200 195
260 220 215 210 205 200
265 225 220 215 210 205
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
55 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
60 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
65 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
70 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
75 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
80 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
85 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
90 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
95 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
100 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
105 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
110 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
115 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
120 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
125 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
130 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
135 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
140 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
145 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
150 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
155 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
160 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
165 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
170 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
175 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
180 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
185 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
190 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
195 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
200 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
205 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
210 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
215 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
220 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
225 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
230 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
235 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
240 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
245 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
250 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
255 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
260 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
265 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 10 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0
55 15 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 0
60 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
65 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
70 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
75 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
80 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
85 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
90 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
95 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
100 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
105 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
110 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
115 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
120 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
125 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
130 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
135 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
140 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
145 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
150 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
155 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
160 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
165 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
170 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
175 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
180 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
185 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
190 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
195 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
200 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
205 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
210 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
215 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
220 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
225 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
230 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
235 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
240 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
245 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
250 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
255 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
260 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
265 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 0 0 0 0 0
55 5 0 0 0 0
60 10 5 0 0 0
65 15 10 5 0 0
70 20 15 10 5 0
75 25 20 15 10 5
80 30 25 20 15 10
85 35 30 25 20 15
90 40 35 30 25 20
95 45 40 35 30 25
100 50 45 40 35 30
105 55 50 45 40 35
110 60 55 50 45 40
115 65 60 55 50 45
120 70 65 60 55 50
125 75 70 65 60 55
130 80 75 70 65 60
135 85 80 75 70 65
140 90 85 80 75 70
145 95 90 85 80 75
150 100 95 90 85 80
155 105 100 95 90 85
160 110 105 100 95 90
165 115 110 105 100 95
170 120 115 110 105 100

175 125 120 115 110 105
180 130 125 120 115 110
185 135 130 125 120 115
190 140 135 130 125 120
195 145 140 135 130 125
200 150 145 140 135 130
205 155 150 145 140 135
210 160 155 150 145 140
215 165 160 155 150 145
220 170 165 160 155 150
225 175 170 165 160 155
230 180 175 170 165 160
235 185 180 175 170 165
240 190 185 180 175 170
245 195 190 185 180 175
250 200 195 190 185 180
255 205 200 195 190 185
260 210 205 200 195 190
265 215 210 205 200 195

1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 10 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0
55 15 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 0
60 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
65 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
70 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
75 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
80 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
85 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
90 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
95 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
100 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
105 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
110 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
115 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
120 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
125 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
130 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
135 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
140 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
145 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
150 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
155 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
160 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
165 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
170 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
175 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
180 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
185 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
190 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
195 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
200 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
205 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
210 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
215 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
220 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
225 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
230 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
235 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
240 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
245 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
250 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
255 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
260 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
265 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
55 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
60 10 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0
65 15 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 0
70 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
75 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
80 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
85 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
90 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
95 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
100 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
105 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
110 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
115 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
120 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
125 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
130 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
135 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
140 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
145 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
150 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
155 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
160 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
165 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
170 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
175 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
180 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
185 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
190 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
195 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
200 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
205 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
210 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
215 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
220 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
225 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
230 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
235 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
240 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
245 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
250 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
255 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
260 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
265 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 0 0 0 0 0
55 0 0 0 0 0
60 0 0 0 0 0
65 5 0 0 0 0
70 10 5 0 0 0
75 15 10 5 0 0
80 20 15 10 5 0
85 25 20 15 10 5
90 30 25 20 15 10
95 35 30 25 20 15
100 40 35 30 25 20
105 45 40 35 30 25
110 50 45 40 35 30
115 55 50 45 40 35
120 60 55 50 45 40
125 65 60 55 50 45
130 70 65 60 55 50
135 75 70 65 60 55
140 80 75 70 65 60
145 85 80 75 70 65
150 90 85 80 75 70
155 95 90 85 80 75
160 100 95 90 85 80
165 105 100 95 90 85
170 110 105 100 95 90
175 115 110 105 100 95
180 120 115 110 105 100
185 125 120 115 110 105
190 130 125 120 115 110
195 135 130 125 120 115
200 140 135 130 125 120
205 145 140 135 130 125
210 150 145 140 135 130
215 155 150 145 140 135
220 160 155 150 145 140
225 165 160 155 150 145
230 170 165 160 155 150
235 175 170 165 160 155
240 180 175 170 165 160
245 185 180 175 170 165
250 190 185 180 175 170
255 195 190 185 180 175
260 200 195 190 185 180
265 205 200 195 190 185
in one-second • 1 & 2 Set of Reps @ 0.5-second
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
55 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
60 10 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0
65 15 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 0
70 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
75 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
80 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
85 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
90 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
95 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
100 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
105 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
110 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
115 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
120 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
125 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
130 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
135 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
140 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
145 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
150 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
155 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
160 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
165 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
170 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
175 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
180 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
185 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
190 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
195 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
200 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
205 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
210 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
215 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
220 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
225 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
230 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
235 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
240 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
245 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
250 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
255 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
260 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
265 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
in one-second • 3 & 4 Sets of Reps @ 0.5-second
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
65 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
70 10 5 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0
75 15 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 0
80 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
85 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
90 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
95 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
100 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
105 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
110 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
115 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
120 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
125 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
130 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
135 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
140 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
145 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
150 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
155 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
160 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
165 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
170 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
175 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
180 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
185 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
190 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
195 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
200 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
205 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
210 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
215 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
220 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
225 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
230 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
235 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
240 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
245 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
250 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
255 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
260 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
265 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
in one-second • 5 sets of Reps @ 0.5-second
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 0 0 0 0 0
55 0 0 0 0 0
60 0 0 0 0 0
65 0 0 0 0 0
70 0 0 0 0 0
75 5 0 0 0 0
80 10 5 0 0 0
85 15 10 5 0 0
90 20 15 10 5 0
95 25 20 15 10 5
100 30 25 20 15 10
105 35 30 25 20 15
110 40 35 30 25 20
115 45 40 35 30 25
120 50 45 40 35 30
125 55 50 45 40 35
130 60 55 50 45 40
135 65 60 55 50 45
140 70 65 60 55 50
145 75 70 65 60 55
150 80 75 70 65 60
155 85 80 75 70 65
160 90 85 80 75 70
165 95 90 85 80 75
170 100 95 90 85 80
175 105 100 95 90 85
180 110 105 100 95 90
185 115 110 105 100 95
190 120 115 110 105 100
195 125 120 115 110 105
200 130 125 120 115 110
205 135 130 125 120 115
210 140 135 130 125 120
215 145 140 135 130 125
220 150 145 140 135 130
225 155 150 145 140 135
230 160 155 150 145 140
235 165 160 155 150 145
240 170 165 160 155 150
245 175 170 165 160 155
250 180 175 170 165 160
255 185 180 175 170 165
260 190 185 180 175 170
265 195 190 185 180 175
Equivalent Sets of Reps in Slower Times to a IRM Back-squat
in one-second • 1 & 2 Sets of Reps @ 1.one-seconds
Bsq 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
55 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
60 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
65 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
70 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
75 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
80 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
85 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
90 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
95 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
100 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
105 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
110 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
115 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
120 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
125 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
130 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
135 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
140 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
145 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
150 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
155 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
160 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
165 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
170 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
175 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
180 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
185 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
190 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
195 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
200 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
205 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
210 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
215 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
220 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
225 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
230 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
235 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
240 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
245 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
250 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
255 250 245 240 235 230 245 240 235 230 225
260 255 250 245 240 235 250 245 240 235 230
265 260 255 250 245 240 255 250 245 240 235
in one-second • 3 & 4 Sets of Reps @ 1.one-seconds
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
55 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
60 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
65 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
70 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
75 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
80 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
85 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
90 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
95 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
100 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
105 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
110 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
115 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
120 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
125 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
130 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
135 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
140 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
145 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
150 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
155 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
160 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
165 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
170 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
175 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
180 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
185 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
190 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
195 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
200 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
205 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
210 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
215 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
220 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
225 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
230 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
235 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
240 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
245 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
250 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
255 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
260 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
265 250 245 240 235 230 245 240 235 230 225
in one-second • 5 Sets of Reps @ 1.one-seconds
Bsq 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec 1.1 sec
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 25 20 15 10 5
55 30 25 20 15 10
60 35 30 25 20 15
65 40 35 30 25 20
70 45 40 35 30 25
75 50 45 40 35 30
80 55 50 45 40 35
85 60 55 50 45 40
90 65 60 55 50 45
95 70 65 60 55 50
100 75 70 65 60 55
105 80 75 70 65 60
110 85 80 75 70 65
115 90 85 80 75 70
120 95 90 85 80 75
125 100 95 90 85 80
130 105 100 95 90 85
135 110 105 100 95 90
140 115 110 105 100 95
145 120 115 110 105 100
150 125 120 115 110 105
155 130 125 120 115 110
160 135 130 125 120 115
165 140 135 130 125 120
170 145 140 135 130 125
175 150 145 140 135 130
180 155 150 145 140 135
185 160 155 150 145 140
190 165 160 155 150 145
195 170 165 160 155 150
200 175 170 165 160 155
205 180 175 170 165 160
210 185 180 175 170 165
215 190 185 180 175 170
220 195 190 185 180 175
225 200 195 190 185 180
230 205 200 195 190 185
235 210 205 200 195 190
240 215 210 205 200 195
245 220 215 210 205 200
250 225 220 215 210 205
255 230 225 220 215 210
260 235 230 225 220 215
265 240 235 230 225 220
in one-second • 1& 2 Sets of Reps @ 1.2-seconds
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
55 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
60 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
65 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
70 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
75 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
80 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
85 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
90 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
95 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
100 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
105 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
110 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
115 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
120 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
125 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
130 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
135 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
140 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
145 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
150 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
155 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
160 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
165 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
170 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
175 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
180 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
185 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
190 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
195 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
200 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
205 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
210 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
215 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
220 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
225 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
230 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
235 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
240 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
245 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
250 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
255 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
260 250 245 240 235 230 245 240 235 230 225
265 255 250 245 240 235 250 245 240 235 230
in one-second • 3 7 4 Sets of Reps @ 1.2-seconds
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
55 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
60 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
65 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
70 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
75 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
80 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
85 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
90 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
95 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
100 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
105 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
110 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
115 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
120 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
125 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
130 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
135 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
140 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
145 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
150 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
155 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
160 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
165 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
170 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
175 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
180 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
185 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
190 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
195 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
200 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
205 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
210 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
215 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
220 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
225 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
230 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
235 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
240 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
245 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
250 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
255 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
260 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
265 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
in one-second • 5 Sets of Reps @ 1.2-seconds
Bsq 1.2 sec 1.2 sec 1.2 sec 1.2 sec 1.2 sec
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 20 15 10 5 0
55 25 20 15 10 5
60 30 25 20 15 10
65 35 30 25 20 15
70 40 35 30 25 20
75 45 40 35 30 25
80 50 45 40 35 30
85 55 50 45 40 35
90 60 55 50 45 40
95 65 60 55 50 45
100 70 65 60 55 50
105 75 70 65 60 55
110 80 75 70 65 60
115 85 80 75 70 65
120 90 85 80 75 70
125 95 90 85 80 75
130 100 95 90 85 80
135 105 100 95 90 85
140 110 105 100 95 90
145 115 110 105 100 95
150 120 115 110 105 100
155 125 120 115 110 105
160 130 125 120 115 110
165 135 130 125 120 115
170 140 135 130 125 120
175 145 140 135 130 125
180 150 145 140 135 130
185 155 150 145 140 135
190 160 155 150 145 140
195 165 160 155 150 145
200 170 165 160 155 150
205 175 170 165 160 155
210 180 175 170 165 160
215 185 180 175 170 165
220 190 185 180 175 170
225 195 190 185 180 175
230 200 195 190 185 180
235 205 200 195 190 185
240 210 205 200 195 190
245 215 210 205 200 195
250 220 215 210 205 200
255 225 220 215 210 205
260 230 225 220 215 210
265 235 230 225 220 215
in one-second • 1 & 2 Set of Reps @ 1.3.0-seconds
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
55 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
60 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
65 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
70 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
75 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
80 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
85 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
90 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
95 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
100 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
105 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
110 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
115 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
120 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
125 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
130 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
135 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
140 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
145 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
150 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
155 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
160 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
165 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
170 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
175 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
180 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
185 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
190 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
195 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
200 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
205 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
210 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
215 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
220 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
225 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
230 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
235 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
240 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
245 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
250 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
255 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
260 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
265 250 245 240 235 230 245 240 235 230 225
in one-second • 3 & 4 Sets of Reps @ 1.3.0-seconds
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
55 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
60 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
65 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
70 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
75 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
80 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
85 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
90 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
95 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
100 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
105 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
110 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
115 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
120 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
125 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
130 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
135 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
140 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
145 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
150 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
155 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
160 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
165 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
170 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
175 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
180 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
185 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
190 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
195 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
200 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
205 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
210 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
215 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
220 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
225 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
230 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
235 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
240 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
245 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
250 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
255 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
260 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
265 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
in one-second • 5 Sets of Reps @ 1.3.0-seconds
IRM Bsq 1.3 sec 1.3 sec 1.3 sec 1.3 sec 1.3 sec
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 15 10 5 0 0
55 20 15 10 5 0
60 25 20 15 10 5
65 30 25 20 15 10
70 35 30 25 20 15
75 40 35 30 25 20
80 45 40 35 30 25
85 50 45 40 35 30
90 55 50 45 40 35
95 60 55 50 45 40
100 65 60 55 50 45
105 70 65 60 55 50
110 75 70 65 60 55
115 80 75 70 65 60
120 85 80 75 70 65
125 90 85 80 75 70
130 95 90 85 80 75
135 100 95 90 85 80
140 105 100 95 90 85
145 110 105 100 95 90
150 115 110 105 100 95
155 120 115 110 105 100
160 125 120 115 110 105
165 130 125 120 115 110
170 135 130 125 120 115
175 140 135 130 125 120
180 145 140 135 130 125
185 150 145 140 135 130
190 155 150 145 140 135
195 160 155 150 145 140
200 165 160 155 150 145
205 170 165 160 155 150
210 175 170 165 160 155
215 180 175 170 165 160
220 185 180 175 170 165
225 190 185 180 175 170
230 195 190 185 180 175
235 200 195 190 185 180
240 205 200 195 190 185
245 210 205 200 195 190
250 215 210 205 200 195
255 220 215 210 205 200
260 225 220 215 210 205
265 230 225 220 215 210
in one-second • 1 & 2 Set of Reps @ 1.4 seconds
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
55 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
60 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
65 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
70 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
75 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
80 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
85 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
90 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
95 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
100 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
105 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
110 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
115 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
120 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
125 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
130 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
135 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
140 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
145 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
150 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
155 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
160 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
165 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
170 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
175 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
180 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
185 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
190 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
195 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
200 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
205 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
210 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
215 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
220 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
225 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
230 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
235 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
240 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
245 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
250 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
255 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
260 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
265 245 240 235 230 225 240 235 230 225 220
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
55 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
60 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
65 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
70 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
75 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
80 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
85 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
90 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
95 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
100 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
105 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
110 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
115 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
120 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
125 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
130 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
135 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
140 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
145 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
150 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
155 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
160 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
165 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
170 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
175 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
180 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
185 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
190 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
195 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
200 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
205 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
210 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
215 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
220 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
225 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
230 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
235 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
240 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
245 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
250 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
255 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
260 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
265 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
IRM Bsq 1.4 sec 1.4 sec 1.4 sec 1.4 sec 1.4 sec
1 sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 10 5 0 0 0
55 15 10 5 0 0
60 20 15 10 5 0
65 25 20 15 10 5
70 30 25 20 15 10
75 35 30 25 20 15
80 40 35 30 25 20
85 45 40 35 30 25
90 50 45 40 35 30
95 55 50 45 40 35
100 60 55 50 45 40
105 65 60 55 50 45
110 70 65 60 55 50
115 75 70 65 60 55
120 80 75 70 65 60
125 85 80 75 70 65
130 90 85 80 75 70
135 95 90 85 80 75
140 100 95 90 85 80
145 105 100 95 90 85
150 110 105 100 95 90
155 115 110 105 100 95
160 120 115 110 105 100
165 125 120 115 110 105
170 130 125 120 115 110
175 135 130 125 120 115
180 140 135 130 125 120
185 145 140 135 130 125
190 150 145 140 135 130
195 155 150 145 140 135
200 160 155 150 145 140
205 165 160 155 150 145
210 170 165 160 155 150
215 175 170 165 160 155
220 180 175 170 165 160
225 185 180 175 170 165
230 190 185 180 175 170
235 195 190 185 180 175
240 200 195 190 185 180
245 205 200 195 190 185
250 210 205 200 195 190
255 215 210 205 200 195
260 220 215 210 205 200
265 225 220 215 210 205
In one-second • 1 & 2 Set of Reps @ 1.5-seconds
1 sec. x1 x2 x3 x4 x5 2x1 2x2 2x3 2x4 2x5
50 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
55 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
60 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
65 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
70 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
75 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
80 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
85 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
90 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
95 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
100 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
105 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
110 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
115 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
120 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
125 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
130 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
135 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
140 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
145 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
150 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
155 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
160 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
165 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
170 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
175 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
180 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
185 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
190 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
195 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
200 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
205 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
210 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
215 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
220 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
225 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
230 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
235 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
240 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
245 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
250 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
255 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
260 235 230 225 220 215 230 225 220 215 210
265 240 235 230 225 220 235 230 225 220 215
in one-second • 3 & 4 Sets of Reps @ 1.5-seconds
1 sec. 3x1 3x2 3x3 3x4 3x5 4x1 4x2 4x3 4x4 4x5
50 15 10 5 0 0 10 5 0 0 0
55 20 15 10 5 0 15 10 5 0 0
60 25 20 15 10 5 20 15 10 5 0
65 30 25 20 15 10 25 20 15 10 5
70 35 30 25 20 15 30 25 20 15 10
75 40 35 30 25 20 35 30 25 20 15
80 45 40 35 30 25 40 35 30 25 20
85 50 45 40 35 30 45 40 35 30 25
90 55 50 45 40 35 50 45 40 35 30
95 60 55 50 45 40 55 50 45 40 35
100 65 60 55 50 45 60 55 50 45 40
105 70 65 60 55 50 65 60 55 50 45
110 75 70 65 60 55 70 65 60 55 50
115 80 75 70 65 60 75 70 65 60 55
120 85 80 75 70 65 80 75 70 65 60
125 90 85 80 75 70 85 80 75 70 65
130 95 90 85 80 75 90 85 80 75 70
135 100 95 90 85 80 95 90 85 80 75
140 105 100 95 90 85 100 95 90 85 80
145 110 105 100 95 90 105 100 95 90 85
150 115 110 105 100 95 110 105 100 95 90
155 120 115 110 105 100 115 110 105 100 95
160 125 120 115 110 105 120 115 110 105 100
165 130 125 120 115 110 125 120 115 110 105
170 135 130 125 120 115 130 125 120 115 110
175 140 135 130 125 120 135 130 125 120 115
180 145 140 135 130 125 140 135 130 125 120
185 150 145 140 135 130 145 140 135 130 125
190 155 150 145 140 135 150 145 140 135 130
195 160 155 150 145 140 155 150 145 140 135
200 165 160 155 150 145 160 155 150 145 140
205 170 165 160 155 150 165 160 155 150 145
210 175 170 165 160 155 170 165 160 155 150
215 180 175 170 165 160 175 170 165 160 155
220 185 180 175 170 165 180 175 170 165 160
225 190 185 180 175 170 185 180 175 170 165
230 195 190 185 180 175 190 185 180 175 170
235 200 195 190 185 180 195 190 185 180 175
240 205 200 195 190 185 200 195 190 185 180
245 210 205 200 195 190 205 200 195 190 185
250 215 210 205 200 195 210 205 200 195 190
255 220 215 210 205 200 215 210 205 200 195
260 225 220 215 210 205 220 215 210 205 200
265 230 225 220 215 210 225 220 215 210 205
in one-second • 5 Sets of Reps @ 1.5-seconds
IRM Bsq 1 1.5 sec 1.5 sec 1.5 sec 1.5 sec 1.5 sec
sec. 5x1 5x2 5x3 5x4 5x5
50 5 0 0 0 0
55 10 5 0 0 0
60 15 10 5 0 0
65 20 15 10 5 0
70 25 20 15 10 5
75 30 25 20 15 10
80 35 30 25 20 15
85 40 35 30 25 20
90 45 40 35 30 25
95 50 45 40 35 30
100 55 50 45 40 35
105 60 55 50 45 40
110 65 60 55 50 45
115 70 65 60 55 50
120 75 70 65 60 55
125 80 75 70 65 60
130 85 80 75 70 65
135 90 85 80 75 70
140 95 90 85 80 75
145 100 95 90 85 80
150 105 100 95 90 85
155 110 105 100 95 90
160 115 110 105 100 95
165 120 115 110 105 100
170 125 120 115 110 105
175 130 125 120 115 110
180 135 130 125 120 115
185 140 135 130 125 120
190 145 140 135 130 125
195 150 145 140 135 130
200 155 150 145 140 135
205 160 155 150 145 140
210 165 160 155 150 145
215 170 165 160 155 150
220 175 170 165 160 155
225 180 175 170 165 160
230 185 180 175 170 165
235 190 185 180 175 170
240 195 190 185 180 175
245 200 195 190 185 180
250 205 200 195 190 185
255 210 205 200 195 190
260 215 210 205 200 195
265 220 215 210 205 200
If the lifter can do more than what I calculated in the tables, then they
either have positive separation or negative separation. In which case, they
could adjust the multiplier of 86%. I used the 86% because of the hundreds
of lifters I have used against my formulas the 86% has been the most
consistent, especially when applied towards the overall time-in-motion of
the clean & jerk. Again, lifters with more fast twitch fibers than slow
twitch and with good reaction time and athletic ability will find moving
faster than one-second not as difficult to achieve. Others will need to work
on it so they can develop both the slow and fast-twitch to react quicker.
Lifters with more slow-twitch or slower reaction times, might well have to
move slower and they will be able to reach a decent level in the sport, they
will not be able to compete against faster lifters.
Moving more weight slower and thinking that will create a faster
motion when the lifter reduces the weight is a misunderstanding about how
the muscular system reacts to a stimulus. The fast twitch fibers respond to
the faster squats, and the slow twitch can be developed to handle slower
times-in-motion, but the slow twitch might be ill-adapted to handle non-
decelerated squats. When dropping down from a heavy, slow squat and
then moving faster, it is only the development of the fast twitch that will
allow those faster times, and if the lifter has not developed them for that
task, they will not respond as effectively.
The sets and reps in the above tables are the most common among
lifters, and it should be easy to video and measure the squats and compare
that to the tables in this book.
Appendix F
General Breakdown of the Snatch and
Clean & Jerk
Anatomy of the Snatch

Some people claim that the snatch and clean & jerk are highly
technical movements. They say it takes years to become proficient and
during that time the lifter is constantly working on weaknesses or technical
problems. For some people who might not have the necessary athletic
ability this might be true, but for those who have athletic ability, good
reaction time and desire the snatch and clean & jerk can be easily mastered
in just a few sessions with a knowledgeable coach or simply by watching
the best lifters in the world and mimicking their technical style.
Once the lifter has the basic movements down, as far as what it looks
like, then they only have to transfer over those visuals as their own.
Transferring other athlete’s style or form is nothing new and the best way
to learn how to do a particular movement is first watch the best and then
try and mimic those actions. The most ineffective way to learn how to do
an athletic motion is to have someone tell you how it’s done without
showing how it’s done, or read how to do it in a book, without some
accompanying video visuals.
Photographs are a poor teacher, as are words in a book as far as
athletics are concerned. As an example, how do you get from the position
1 to the position 11 shown in the photos below. It would be very difficult
to explain in words how this lifter has gone from 1 to 11 without knowing
all the positions that are involved. The only change from 1 to 11 between
the legs, hips and torso is the feet are spread out wider, and the arms went
from a vertical position pointing downward to a vertical position pointing
upward. For further analysis more, photos must be included to show as
many positions and transitional phases as possible. Some of the positions
achieved as the weight leaves the platform to where it is received at the
lowest position have been named and some are transitional. It should be
understood that all these positions are all transitional and should be
thought of as one motion, from the platform to full lock-out.
A lot of time can be spent on analyzing these positions and thinking
that certain fixes to these positions can be applied if these positions are not
being correctly achieved. A lot of research goes into analyzing the most
intricate of motions and positions. For the athlete such information can
become somewhat irrelevant to their ability to produce momentum and to
produce that motion which will maximize that momentum. Producing
momentum is synchronized between the CNS and the muscular system
with the aid of the adrenaline system. The technique of the snatch and
clean & jerk must be the same for the top lifters in the world for those top
lifters to be able to train and compete at the same competitive level. The
difference in winning and losing must be reduced to the ambiguous
element of desire, backed up by proper training, rather than which angle or
style variation is considered to be perfection.
Position 1 (Set-Up): The start or set-up position allows the lifter time
to ready themselves for the liftoff from the platform. Right before liftoff
the lifter should relax the arms and arch the back allowing the legs, back
and torso to do the work of the initial liftoff. The concentration should be
on a smooth, continuous accelerated velocity on a conscious level and
allow the unconscious to go through the action instinctively. There should
be no negative thoughts creeping into the lifter’s head and only positive
thoughts about a successful lift. The grip should be secure enough that the
barbell does not rotate within the hand, but not a death grip that will tense
the arm muscles.
Position 2 (Liftoff): When the barbell is just a few inches off the
platform the angle of the back should be set and not rotate downward any
more than it has from the starting position. The angle of the back is
transitional and it is never a static angle except from position 2 to position
3, the end of the 1st pull. The weight should be somewhat evenly
distributed on the feet with the head held up and the back arched using a
good posturing position while going through the lift to full extension. The
weight should travel from the platform to the knees in 0.33 seconds and
with as little effort as possible. You will never see a world class lifter
drags the barbell off the platform. An effortless 1st pull is essential in
progressing the lifter towards their full potential. How the lifter should go
about training for this will be discussed in later chapters.
Position 3 (2nd Pull): The first pull is from the platform to where the
knees and hips begin to push forward. The action between the 1st and 2nd
pull is also transitional and there should be no decelerated actions. The
snatch is about combining various positions into one motion which is
smooth, controlled and the accelerated velocity is continuous to the point
where the arms are locked-out. The 2nd pull takes a very short period of
time to complete, or approximately 0.2 seconds and this added to the 1st
pull should be approximately 0.67 seconds. The barbell will travel the
shortest vertical distance during the 2nd pull, but will receive the greatest
momentum at the point of full extension. The ankle extension is applied to
reaching full extension, but not directly involved in the production of
momentum.
The transitional phases in and of themselves cannot be determinative
as far as absolute proficiency is concerned. Lifters will travel through
these transitional phases using many different style variations and it’s the
maximum velocity that determines those style variations adopted by the
athlete. The general schematic of lifting technology must be the same for
every lifter, not the transitional nuances which are created by the lifter for
their own purpose of producing momentum. These transitional nuances
might even become cultural, because most lifters learn how to lift through
coaches from their own country and they more often than not will try and
emulate the best lifters from their own country. The assumption that China
produces lifters with better technique than other countries would be false
and illogical, as can be seen by looking at how the world records are
spread out over many athletes from different countries. China has better
lifters overall in the lower weight classes is all that can be inferred, not that
their technique is the superior one. Technique must be the same for
everyone, but style variations will be numerous, but should not be
misconstrued as a different type of technique that can produce a better
result.
Style Variations
1. The distance apart the feet are placed for liftoff and when
receiving the barbell at lock-out.
2. The spacing of the grip for the snatch, clean or the jerk
3. The angle of the back at various phases of the pull to full extension
4. The position of the head during various phases of the snatch, clean
or jerk.
5. The style of the jerk used
6. Jumping backward or forward in minuscule amounts
7. Some minuscule arm bending at liftoff
8. Going up on the toes before the power position is reached, but in
the snatch more than in the clean & jerk
9. The amount of lean-back in the snatch or clean
Position 4: The power position is the transition between the 2nd pull
and the 3rd pull. There is nothing mysterious, complex or remarkable
about this position, other than lifters and coaches have seen fit to dub this
position as more important than other positions and have tried to prove it is
determinative. The distance the lifter can travel is very small from the
power position to full extension where maximal velocity is produced, thus
the beginning of accelerated velocity must begin at the start of the 2 nd pull,
not at the power position. The lifter is actually readying themselves to pull
under the bar at the power position.
Position 5: Full extension is the point where maximum momentum is
placed into the barbell. The top of the lifter’s head or apex is at its highest
point, the ankles are fully extended and the arms are straight. The
shoulders are not engaged until the action of pulling downward is initiated.
The lifter will be leaning back at this position enough to pull under the
weight and keep the trajectory of the bar as vertical as possible.
When working on a conscious level, the human mind is poorly
adapted at making split second decisions. By the time the bar reaches the
knees it will be too late to consciously decide to apply maximum velocity.
If the lifter waits till the power position it will be even later. The lifter has
to learn how to unconsciously apply velocity at the start of the 2 nd pull.
This means the 1st pull must be nothing more than an afterthought and be
like cutting butter with a knife; velocity opposed to strength.
Position 6: Pulling under the bar at full extension is commenced
when the shoulders are shrugged. The above photo shows the initiation of
the shoulder shrug as a transitional phase after full extension has been
achieved. The change in direction from full extension to pulling under the
weight is determinative and must be absolute and the greatest momentum
at that transitional position must have been placed into the barbell for the
transition under the weight to be efficiently applied. The pull under the
weight to lock-out should be 0.33 seconds.
Position 7: The only time the arms should bend is when the lifter is
pulling downward to receive the bar at lock-out. The arms are used only to
guide the lifter under the weight, keeping the bar close to the body and
support the weight overhead. There should never by any attempt to induce
height on the bar by using the arms for that purpose. The arms are simply
not strong enough to do anything at that point but cause the lifter to float
too long at full extension, which kills the momentum that is needed to
receive the weight at the lowest possible trajectory point, without the
weight dropping on the lifter with too much force to control the reception.
Position 8: With the right momentum at full extension, the barbell
should be traveling upward while the lifter is moving downward to receive
it. At the moment the lifter begins to pull under the bar the feet can be
moving outward or stay in the same position. From the ankle flex, at full
extension, the feet need to reengage the platform quickly in order to create
a solid base for which to receive the barbell.
Position 9: At the time the feet are reengaged with the platform, the
thighs will be just above parallel and the triceps will be parallel to the
platform. The bar will be around eye level and still moving upward as the
lifter is still moving downward to receive and lock-out the weight.
The optimum time-in-motion from full extension to locking out the
arms in the snatch and receiving the bar on the shoulders in the clean &
jerk should be 0.33 seconds. The ratio of 2:1 between full extension and
receiving the weight at lockout will always be in effect, unless the lifter
has a voluntarily slower pull to full extension and still is able to pull under
the weight in 0.33 seconds. It is the 0.33 seconds time of pulling under the
bar that is critical.
Position 10: The difference between locking out the arms upon
receiving the bar and settling down into the full squat position should be
minimized in the snatch to where the weight does not drop down after
lock-out. The lifter can pull into the full squat position and pause a short
time before standing up or initiate a timed rebound without any pause.
Position 11: From position 10 the lifter might have to settle down
into a lower position after locking out the elbows. Again, the time between
the lock-out and standing up should be minimal or eliminated completely
in the snatch.
The Power Snatch
The Functionality of the Power Snatch
Some determination needs to be made about what is considered to be
a power snatch, as far as the height at which the weight is to be received,
and make sure that height becomes a fixed standard, so involuntary
variations in depth are held to a minimum or eliminated completely. Any
lift received at just above parallel or higher should count, as long as the
depth is consistently achieved. The power snatch is only a variation for
those who can do a full squat snatch.
The power snatch should mainly be used as a warmup protocol for
the lighter incremental increases and as the weight increases the lifter
should gradually lower the receiving position until they are at an
incremental weight where they have warmed up sufficiently to receive the
weight in the full squat position. For both lifts this would be done to
gradually get the legs used to receiving the weight at the different heights
by riding the
weight down after reception, in order to eliminate any abrupt shock to the
muscular system, and ensure a smooth transition from power to full.
Riding the weight down after reception when doing a power snatch is
strictly for warmup purposes. A true power snatch, regardless of the depth
reception, should be received without riding the weight down, but
executed by immediately standing up from the point of reception. A power
snatch should be exactly the same technically, save for the height of the
reception, as doing a full squat snatch. It takes the same time-in-motion to
do a power snatch as it does a full squat snatch, at least from the platform
to locking-out the weight overhead. It takes 1.0 second regardless of how
low or high the snatch is received. The power snatch will be an
equivalency between the full snatch and power snatch, regardless of the
receiving height. There will be a proportional drop off in the mass as the
weight is pulled higher. The accelerated velocity and momentum are the
same regardless of the various receiving heights. However, there will be
faster overall times-in-motion (from the platform to standing up) from a
full to a power snatch. This is what makes these lifts equivalent regardless
of the height the weight is received or the amount of weight being handled.
For example, a full squat snatch with 150k in 2.2 seconds (from the
platform to stand-up) and a power snatch at quarter squat (from the
platform to stand-up) with 135k in 1.5 seconds are equivalent in
accelerated velocity and momentum. There is basically no difference
between a power snatch and full squat snatch as far as the mechanics of
the pull to full extension and the 3rd pull are concerned. The receiving
height
and overall time-in-motion are the only variables.
It would be difficult to correlate a power snatch to full squat snatch,
due to the equivalencies, and there are too many different depth variations.
Generally, there should be about an 85% ratio of power snatch to snatch, if
the power snatch is caught at about quarter squat. At lower depths the ratio
increases to eventually become 100%. A muscle snatch without press-out
might be around 60% of snatch. The variance of weight goes from 60% to
100% depending solely on the height the weight is being received.
When doing doubles or triples, in the power snatch, the lifter should
take great care in insuring each rep is voluntarily received at the same
height. If each rep is subsequently and involuntarily lower, then the weight
should be reduced in order to keep each receiving height consistent.
Catching each rep at different receiving depths voluntarily is different
from the amount of weight causing each depth to be different, due to
involuntary actions caused by a change in mass.
From a training standpoint, the power snatch cannot progress the full
squat snatch because both lifts are technically the same as is the energy or
power output. As stated before the main benefit of doing power snatches is
in the early stages of warming up. There is also some benefit in teaching
beginners the power snatch in order to show them how to power snatch
into the full squat position. Aside from those two benefits, the power
snatch’s functionality drops off considerably, unless the athlete is mobile
enough so the motor pathways stay intact when switching from power to
full. The power snatch should be considered a variation if it is trained off
the platform. If it is trained as a partial lift it should be considered a partial
lift, and trained at a reduced level of intensity and volume compared to the
full movement. All variations should be trained at a reduced level of
intensity and volume relative to the full movements.
Anatomy of the Clean
Position 1: The setup for the clean will be similar to the snatch
except the grip will be narrower in the clean than in the snatch. Some
lifters take longer to set up after gripping the bar and some begin the liftoff
as soon as the grip has been secured. There are numerous personal
preferences involved in what is called a particular style of lifting. Style
preferences have little to do with the basic technique of lifting the barbell
from the platform to full extension.
Position 2: Transitioning into the liftoff the hips will rise along with
the bar to the above position, where the back angle will be locked into
place and the downward rotation will cease. Some lifters will maintain the
same back angle from liftoff to the beginning of the 2nd pull. The arms are
straight and the head is up. Weight is evenly distributed on the feet. At this
point the angle of the back should not change or rotate downward, so the
tension can be shifted from the back to the hips.
Position 3: This begins the 2nd pull into the power position. At the
power position the lifter’s ankle flex will be sooner in the snatch than the
clean. This is because the lifter is not having to produce the same
momentum as in the snatch where the barbell has to be raised to a position
higher than it does in the clean. Note the angle of the back decreased from
its greater angle from the initial liftoff. The back and hips act like levers to
produce torque between the hip and back.
Position 4: This is commonly known as the “power position” and is a
transitional phase between the beginning of the 2nd pull and full
extension. The use of the ankle extension is varied among lifters. Some
begin the ankle extension just a little before the torso is vertical and some
wait for the torso to be vertical before extending the ankles. Again, this is
individualized depending on how much momentum can be produced,
depending on the method best suited.
Position 5: Full extension will look basically the same for all lifters,
some might have to lay-back more than others and this depends on the
momentum or time-in-motion of the pull to full extension. The slower the
time-in-motion the more the lifter will need to lay-back before pulling
under the weight and vice versa. Style variations are generally determined
from those times-in-motion that each individual lifter is able to achieve
and the accompanying transitional velocities.
Position 6: From full extension the shoulders are shrugged in order to
initiate pulling under the weight to receive it. As in the snatch, the times-
in-motion are approximately 0.67 seconds to full extension and 0.33
seconds to receiving the bar on the shoulders from full extension,
commonly known as racking the weight. There is an approximate 2 to 1
ratio between full extension (1st plus 2nd pull and the 3rd pull).
Positions 7: During the 3rd pull the feet are repositioned back to the
platform as quickly as possible, using whichever style is best suited for the
individual. The most common style is shifting the feet outward, which
allows the lifter to receive the weight at the lowest trajectory point and
keep the hips closer to the lifter’s center of gravity.
Position 8: Racking the barbell should occur when the thighs are
parallel. The elbows need to be rotated around and at the highest point
when the barbell comes into contact with the shoulders. Some lifters are
able to keep the hook grip and some have to release the hook grip upon
receiving the bar on the shoulders. Some lifters even receive the bar on the
tips of the fingers. Style variations are dictated by flexibility or personal
preference.
Position 9: This would be the lowest position achieved before
standing up from the clean. The lifter will initiate a timed rebound out of
the bottom position or a double bounce or stand up from a short pause in
the bottom position. These variations might even occur at different times
in training or in competition. The timed rebound using a quick change in
direction to drive the lifter upward is the most efficient variation.
Positions 10: Standing up with the weight should take 1.0 second or
less so the lifter will conserve enough energy for the jerk. This means the
clean from the platform to standing up should be 2.5 seconds or faster. The
slower the overall times are, then there will be more of a chance the jerk
will be more difficult to perform. Most top lifters are able to execute all
their lifts in training and in competition with an overall time less than 2.5
seconds, and some can do it at around 2.0 seconds. This is because speed
is more valuable to the lifter than the absolute value of strength. Strength
should always be defined (trained) as a product of accelerated velocity and
never an exclusion.
Anatomy of the Jerk
The time between the clean and the jerk should be just enough so the
lifter will be able to make the most effective dip possible. The overall time
from the platform to lock-out should be consistent and as quick as the lifter
is comfortable with. This time can be anywhere from 3.5 seconds to 7
seconds, but it should be consistent in training and in competition.
Position 11: Before the dip is commenced the lifter should raise the
elbows and set the upper torso in a stable and rigid position. A deep breath
should be taken right before the dip. The deep breath will help stabilize the
upper torso during the jerk.
Position 12: The dip should be controlled and as fast as the lifter is able to
move and still maintain control and keep the bar in contact with the
shoulders. The more leg drive (speed) the lifter has developed the shorter
the dip will be and if the leg drive is not very well developed the dip can
be very long and even paused at the bottom of the dip. Again, velocity
will dictate much of the lifter’s style of lifting.
Position 13: The drive should be as fast as the lifter is able to move
toward full extension. Full extension will be where the lifter is fully
extended and the bar is still on the shoulders. The ankle flex will be
minimal when the split style is being used.
Position 14: Both feet should return to the platform at the same time
at maximal impact. The toes might come down first, but with little force
yet applied until the front foot has been returned with equal force. The
lifter, once the feet have received the shock of the weight, must push
downward until the arms are locked out. This means the lifter is moving
downward to the point where the lockout can be secured, rather than the
barbell moving upward. The arms should not ever be used to push the
barbell upward, but only used to push the lifter downward. The arms
should stay as relaxed as possible during the dip and drive to full
extension, and come into play at the right time to secure the lockout.
Position 15: The head should move back so the bar will not come
into contact with the chin. The arms should not come into play until the
bar leaves the shoulders and then used only to push under the weight and
secure the lock-out.
Jerk Variations
1. Split with straight back leg
2. Split with bend in back leg
3. Split with extreme bend in back leg
4. Squat Jerk above parallel (commonly known as power jerk)
5. Squat Jerk at parallel
6. Full Squat Jerk
7. Combination of split and squat
Jerk Recovery Variations

1. Front leg first followed by back leg
2. Back leg first followed by front leg
3. Back leg to front leg
4. Standing up out of a squat jerk
Position 16: In this photo the back foot is brought forward to come
into line with the font leg.
The method most used in training and warming up, is for the front
foot to move in toward the lifter first and the back foot is moved in line
with the front foot. The opposite of what is shown in position 16, but this
is actually more common than most would think. It depends on the
trajectory of the barbell. If the barbell is pushed forward a small bit, then
the back foot will move forward before the front foot. Either method can
be used at any time during training or in competition when maximal
weights are being attempted. In other words, whatever can happen will
happen and the lifter must be able to react, as an athlete, to any situation at
any time in order to secure the lift and possibly win the day.
Position 17: About half the world clean & jerk records use this style
and the other half the front foot is brought back and then the back foot is
brought into line. The style variations are dictated by how the jerk was
received and sometimes it is simply a preference. As stated before
technical nuances are created by the lifter to satisfy their ability to produce
momentum and travel through these motions in the most effective manner
that is suited for them for any particular situation.
Times-in-motion
The Snatch
1. From liftoff to full extension: 0.67 sec.
2. From full extension to lock-out: 0.33 sec.
3. From liftoff to standing up: 2.0 to 2.5 sec.
The Clean
1. From liftoff to full extension: 0.67 sec.
2. From full extension to rack: 0.33 sec.
3. From liftoff to standing up: 2.0 to 2.5 sec.
The Jerk
1. From the dip to lock-out: 0.5 sec.
2. From the liftoff to lock-out: A Consistent time-in-motion
suitable to the lifter
The Value of Times-in-motion

It is important to record and come to understand what each time-in-
motion means to each individual lifter. If the times-in-motion are not held
to a strict standard during training, and are allowed to degrade (decelerate),
then over time, the lifter will cease to progress to their full potentiality.
These times-in-motion above are essential for training purposes in order
for the lifter to allow room to progress. Decelerated (grinding) actions over
time will hinder progress. This is because the muscles are not being trained
or strengthened for maximal accelerated velocity, but for slower velocities
that will only allow more weight to be handled in the squats and pulls, but
those squats and pulls will be transferred over as slower times in the 1 st
pull and when standing up with the weight.
The times-in-motion of the squats and pulls must be in sync with the
times-in-motion of the snatch and clean & jerk. The same way the squats
and pulls must be executed exactly the same as the lifter executes the pull
and recovery in the snatch and clean and the dip and drive in the jerk.
Maintaining position and specific times-in-motion are equal in
importance, but greater velocity will always win out over a less than
perfect performance. In reality, moving at accelerated velocities during
training will eventually correct errors and make the lifter more efficient
and more proficient over time. The opposite can be said when slower
times-in-motion are being applied.
For example; if a lifter can handle most of the warmups in 2.5
seconds or faster, but when they get to 90% or more those times begin to
degrade, it is a sure bet the lifter is training the squats and pulls using
absolute amounts instead of specific times-in-motion, regardless of the
amounts.
In training, all that matters, is consistency in both the times-in-motion
and the intensity levels. Without this consistency, the lifter might become
a decent lifter, but will never become a world champion.

The Sport of Weightlifting Series Book 3 Training Manual - Nodrm

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The Sport of

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Notice of Liability: The information in this book is distributed on an “as

About the Author

A. Overcome Force (unidirectional motions)

A. Watch for deceleration issues:

Lifter 1: 160k / 220k = 73% efficiency quotient

Day 1 100 x 5 x 1 (2.4) 120 x 3 x 1 (2.3) 140 x 5 (.75) 159

Day 1 100 x 5 x 1 (2.4) 120 x 3 x 1 (2.3) 160 x 2 (.80) 159

Day 2 85 x 4 x 2 (2.3) 100 x 5 x 1 (2.1) 150 x 4 (.75) 163

Table 2: Day 2 is more in line with the goal of increasing separation

Table 3: Day three is composed of auxiliary exercises. Those

Day 1 100 x 5 x 1 (2.4) 120 x 3 x 1 (2.3) 160 x 2 (.80) 159

Day 2 85 x 4 x 2 (2.3) 100 x 5 x 1 (2.1) 150 x 4 (.75) 163

Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises

Day 5 90 x 6 x 1 (2.3) 110 x 3 x 2 (2.2) 170 x 3 (.90) 163

Table 4: In this hypothetical, the lifter has achieved some separation

Day 1 110 x 2 (2.8) 140 x 3 x 1 (3.1) 200 x 2 (1.7) 146

Day 2 120 x 1 (3.0) 135 x 3 x 1 (2.9) 190 x 4 (1.8) 142

Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises

Light Gray = Weightlifters Dark Gray = Powerlifters

Table 6 was created to illustrate the difference in ascension times in

Meet Results 105, 110, 115 135, 140, 145

Table 13: In August it is obvious the lifter’s indicators are up

Meet 133 170

Table 14 only shows averages. It would be up to the lifter and coach

Monthly Ave Jan 83% 79%

Monthly Ave Feb 85% 77%

Monthly Ave Mar 82% 80%

Total Quarterly Averages 83.33% 78.67%

Monthly Ave Jan 83% 79%

Monthly Ave Feb 85% 77%

Monthly Ave Mar 82% 80%

Total Quarterly Averages 83.33% 78.67%

Monthly Ave Apr 78% 82%

Monthly Ave May 79% 82%

Monthly Ave Jun 77% 84%

Monthly Ave Apr 109 120 140

Monthly Ave May 110 115 140

Monthly Ave Jun 108 120 143

Total Quarterly Ave 80.67% 84.5% 80.67%

Day 1 80% / 110k x 3 x 2, 5 x 1 82% / 140k x 3 x 1

Day 2 Auxiliaries would be at 75% or less

Day 2 75% / 100k x 5 x 2 80% / 130 x 4 x 1

Day 3 Auxiliaries would be at 70% or less

Day 4 85% / 120 x 5 x 1 90% / 150k x 1

Table 19: The lifter will be more responsive to those incremental

Snatch 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 95 100 105 110

Snatch 20 40 60 80 100 105 110 115 120 125 130 135

Snatch 20 50 70 90 100 110 120 130 140 145 150 155

Training the Snatch

Snatch 100% 90% x 2 85% x 3

Clean & Jerk 100% 85% x 2 80% x 3

Table 21: As long as the lifter maintains precision and times-in-

Day 1 75% x 3 x 2 (2.2) 75% x 2 x 1 (2.1)

Day 2 75% x 3 x 3, 80% x 5 x 2 (2.4) 80% x 2 x 1, 85% x 1 (2.5)

Day 3 Auxiliary Exercises 75% or less

Day 4 80% x 3 x 3 (2.8) 80% x 4 x 2 (2.7)

Snatch 20 60 80 100 120 140 150 160 170 175 180

155 / 86% (2.27) 180 / 80% (2.07)

Pull to the knees 0.33

1st Pull 0.5

3rd Pull 0.33