Olympic Weightlifting Training Diary Week #2: Sore Knees & PBs

This training log diarises the journey of David Heppenstall, a Welsh Champion Olympic Weightlifer, as he attempts to qualify for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

You can read the introduction to this series here.

Week Commencing June 10, 2013

Monday

Snatch off blocks (below knee) 5×2 @ 85kg

Snatch pulls off blocks up to 1RM then 5×5 @ 70% (190kg /150kg)

Front squats 6×4 @ 80% (140kg)

Started this week with quadricep tendinitis. Everything was sluggish.

The snatching was terrible as my movement was slowed by the soreness in my knees/quads.

I did end with a PB set of 5 with 85kg – ironic since I had struggled through the entire workout.

Snatch pulls went much better due to the lack of lower body movement needed. I ended with a 1rm of 190kg – ecstatic with that.

It’s a movement which helps develop the second pull (hips and up), developing strength to rip the bar overhead.

Front squats were a bust. I managed 3 sets at 140kg, and then dropped the weight to 130kg and forced out a set of 12 reps before collapsing in a pathetic heap on the floor.

Not a fun session.

Tuesday

Clean and jerk complex – up to max weight then 5x @ 70% – clean pull + power clean+ front squats + jerk (off blocks)

Clean pulls off blocks up to 1RM then 5×5 @ 70%

Back squats 6×4/5 @ 160kg

This was a much better session than the previous one. I iced my knees about an hour before training which really helped loosen everything up.

I prefer doing complexes at this stage of a cycle because it mixes up the exercises, and it also develops consistency when using blocks as it forces you to get under the bar quicker and with more confidence.

Clean pulls went great. I managed a 255kg clean pull, then I dropped down to 140kg and did 20 reps as it felt incredibly light.

Back squats went well, I didn’t feel my knee soreness as much as yesterday so these were standard for me.

Wednesday (overhead work)

Snatch balance up to 1RM then 5×5 @ 90kg

Power jerks 6×3 @ 105kg+

Power press 5xAMRAP @ 75kg

Bench press up to 1RM (PB 130kg)

Snatch balance is a great upper body exercise which helps shoulder stability and strength at the finish of the snatch when you have the bar overhead.

I’ve been progressing well with this with a current PB of 121kg. I then dropped to 90kg for 5×5 to keep developing consistency and confidence in powering the bar overhead.

Power Jerks are exactly how they sound. Not a split jerk and more of a power press. This again provides a different style to the split jerk I use and it’s a great strength developer. I managed a PB of 115kg.

Again, a standard addition to any weightlifter is the push press. I am going for AMRAP (as many reps as possible) in order to improve my conditioning.

I kept telling myself improvement only comes through repetition.

Then bench press – because I’m still a bro at heart!

Thursday/Friday

I decided to have off in order to rehab my knees for some max attempts next week.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about any of the training methods mentioned above, or about the sport of Olympic Weightlifting in general, drop me a message in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you.