WORKOUT OF THE WEEK # 011
Strength Cycle- Oly Lifting!!
Monday 6th December 2021
Part 1
Squat Snatch Double (TNG)
Intent: This part of the session is where we are primed from our barbell warmup and ready to start loading up the bar. You should look to either hit a heavy lift or work on the mechanics of the squat snatch, depending on experience/ability level.
Approach:
Beginners, use this time to really try and nail the movement of the squat snatch, this is one of, if not the most technical lift that we do. Work with a light weight or even empty bar to dial in on your bar path, for this I would suggest resetting after each rep instead of going TNG as its most likely going to challenge your pick up position too much. Work with the coach on 1 or 2 cues at most, in Olympic Weightlifting there is a lot to think about, especially when learning. Try not to over complicate the process too much and start with nailing that 1 cue, i.e hips shooting up too fast in your snatch pick up position.
Intermediate and advanced athletes, aim to use this time to build to a daily 2rm, this means something heavy for that day, it doesn’t have to be an all time PB. Olympic Weightlifting can often feel frustrating, with some days the bar moving with ease and others where the bar feels really heavy. In addition today there is a focus on the skill of TNG, this requires confidence in holding onto the bar and cycling the bar straight into the next rep, i.e no reseting the bar at the floor. Watch the video demonstration below if you are unsure on how to TNG.
Scaling: Scaling the squat snatch could come in a number of different ways, if you struggle with overhead mobility then we could look at simply going for a power/deep power snatch which will allow you to develop most aspects of the movement. If you struggle with hip/thoracic mobility and can’t get into the correct set up position then we could either work from blocks, or just work from a hang position. In addition to these small scales, if it is mobility based then we can look to some simple drills in between working sets so that we know we are working towards a better position in the long run.
Demo Video: TNG Squat Snatch
Part 2
EMOM X 10
3 TNG Power Snatch
Intent: This element of the session is where we begin the Strength Cycle, this is going to be repeated for the next 8 weeks! In addition there will be a focus on the Power Clean in the exact same format on another day in the weekly programme. The goal of this cycle is to work on heavy barbell cycling in our power variations of Olympic Weightlifting.
Approach: What we are looking for here is to work in adding small increments to this EMOM each week. This could be as small as 2.5kg increments, there is of course lots of repetition, which is exactly what we’re looking for. Practice in heavy Barbell cycling is going to have a great carry over to moving the barbell in a workout such as Isabel (30 Snatch for time).
Beginners, if you are new to olympic lifting, stick to light weight on this, focus on moving the barbell with purpose and hitting all the correct positions throughout the lift. Again, don’t worry about doing these reps TNG if it compromises your pick up position. If you are going very light on this you could potentially up the reps slightly to 3-5r.
Intermediate and advanced athletes, for this pick a fixed weight that you think you could complete with a little extra in the tank upon completion. this should still be heavy but remember this is only week 1 of 8 and we want to see a small increase in weight each week. Focus on hitting some solid snappy lifts with no major technical errors, in terms of TNG try and focus on a smooth adjustment of the feet and moving the bar straight into the next rep.
Scaling: Scale of course by choosing your weight appropriately. Other than that, this will be similar to part 1 of the session, take the bar from a hang position if you struggle with mobility and it allows you to get into a better position.
Demo Video: TNG Power Snatch
Part 3
EMOM X 8
3 Tall Muscle Snatch + 3 Sots Press
Intent: This last part of the session is an accessory/ finisher piece. We want to work on developing bar path and positional awareness in the snatch.
Approach:
Beginners, This is technical so go light, as stated do your best to achieve the best position to your ability. If you need to, scale the reps if 3+3 is too much, to scale the movement follow the suggestecadvice in the scaling section below.
Intermediate and advanced athletes, For this, it’s still most likely going to be light, a snatch grip sots press is a tough position to get into let alone using a heavy weight. We are trying to build strength in the bottom of the OHS and lockout position. See what you can get too as this is going to crop up again in the next 8 weeks.
Scaling: look to use an appropriate weight that you can move well and hit the key positions. For the Sots Press, if you don’t have the overhead mobility to sit into a full OHS you can scale by sitting into a power position. Another potential option is to use a DB and go for a single arm DB sots press, this can be super light and help those that struggle with mobility as having the DB sit on the shoulder makes it a less demanding movement.
Demo Video: Sots Press (Snatch Grip)
