Takano Athletics

Because of the Iceland Trip, I’m posting the training program for the week beginning on February 13, 2012.

Preparatory Mesocycle for March 17, 2012.  Week 7 of 11

Day 1—Monday (February 13, 2012)

1)Snatch: singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)3                                                     15:15:15

2)Clean & Jerk: singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)3                                           30:45:45

3)Clean Extension: (100%/2)5                                                                                    10:55:55

4)Front Squat: singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)3                                             15:70:70

5)Press: (X/3)4                                                                                                            12:82:82

Day 2—Tuesday

1)Power Snatch: singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)3                                          12:12:94

2)Power Clean & Jerk: singles to max, (max-10, max-5, max)3                                24:36:118

3)Snatch Extension: (100%/2)4                                                                                   08:44:126

Day 3—Wednesday

Rest

Day 4—Thursday

1)Snatch: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, 85%/2, (90%/1)5                                                    13:13:139

2)Clean & Jerk: 60%/2+1, 70%/2+1, 80%/2+1, 85%/2+1, (90%/1+1)4                       20:33:159

3)Back Squat: singles to max, (max-20, max-10, max)3                                            15:48:174

4)Clean Extension: (105%/2)5                                                                                    10:58:184

5)Power Jerk: 60%/2, 70%/2, (75%/2, 80%/1)3                                                          13:71:197

6)Good Morning: (X/5)4                                                                                             20:91:217

Day 5—Friday

1)Power Snatch & Overhead Squat: 60%/2+2, 65%/2+2, 70%/2+2, 75%/2+2           16:16:233

2)Power Clean & Power Jerk: 60%/2+2, 65%/2+2, 70%/2+2, 75%/2+2                     16:32:249

3)Snatch High Pull: (95%/3)5                                                                                      15:47:264

4)Front Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, 85%/2, (90%/2)2                                             12:59:276

Preparatory Mesocycle for March 17, 2012.  Week 6 of 12.

Day 1—Monday (February 6, 2012)

1)Snatch: 60%/1, 70%/1, 80%/1, 85%/1, (90%/1)3 (80%/3)4                                     19:19:19

2)Clean & Jerk: 60%/1+1, 70%/1+1, 80%/1+1, 85%/1+1, (90%/1+1)3, (80%/3+1)3  26:45:45

3)Snatch High Pull: (100%/3)5                                                                                    15:60:60

4)Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, (85%/3, 90%/1)3                                             18:78:78

5)Press: (X/3)4                                                                                                            12:90:90

Day 2—Tuesday

1)Power Snatch & Overhead Squat: 60%/3+3, 65%/3+3, (70%/3+3)3                       30:30:120

2)Power Clean & Power Jerk: 60%/3+3, 65%/3+3, (70%/3+3)3                                 60:60:180

3)Clean Extension: (90%/3)5                                                                                      15:75:195

Day 3—Wednesday

1)Snatch: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, (85%/2)4                                                                 14:14:209

2)Clean & Jerk: 60%/2+1, 70%/2+1, 80%/2+1, (85%/2+1)3                                       18:32:227

3)Snatch Extension: (105%/3)5                                                                                   15:47:242

4)Jerk off Rack: 70%/2, 80%/2, (85%/2)4                                                                   12:59:254

5)Front Squat: 60%/1, 70%/1, 80%/1, 85%/1, (90%/1)4, (80%/3)4                            20:79:274

6)Good Morning: (X/5)4                                                                                             20:99:294

Day 4—Thursday

1)Power Snatch: 60%/1, 65%/1, 70%/1, (75%/1)3, (70%/3)3                                     15:15:309

2)Power Clean & Power Jerk: 60%/1+1, 65%/1+1, 70%/1+1, (75%/1+1)3, (70%/3+1)3

24:39:333

3)Clean Deadlift: (105%/3)4                                                                                       12:51:345

Day 5—Friday

1)Snatch: 60%/1, 70%/1, 80%/1, 85%/1, (90%/1)4                                                    08:08:353

2)Clean & Jerk: 60%/1+1, 70%/1+1, 80%/1+1, 85%/1+1, (90%/1+1)3                       14:22:369

3)Snatch High Pull: 90%/2, (100%/2)3, 105%/2                                                         10:32:379

4)Push Press: 60%/3, 65%/3, (70%/3)3                                                                       15:47:394

5)Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, 85%/2, 90%/2, 95%/1, (85%/2)2                     15:62:409

I normally don’t get involved in discussions on this type of topic because they are a waste of time and energy.  I wouldn’t now except that I do get asked about this topic with some frequency by newbies, and just today I was sent a link on Facebook to a You Tube Video in which Mark Rippetoe presents his arguments on the issue.  The sender of the link was interested in my opinion.  So here goes!

Let me start out by stating that I don’t know Mark Rippetoe.  I know little about him or his Starting Strength program.

Having said that, this controversy only exists in the minds of people who choose to have to maintain a mind set of this versus that.  I also believe that there is some need to determine that one is superior to the other and that one needs to prevail.  If that’s the way your mind works, go for it!

An exercise, like the Back Squat (I don’t like the term “high bar” and “low bar” because they infer that high bar and low bar are variations on the same exercise), is to be used when it is appropriate to improve the performance of the athlete being trained.  The frequency and loading are dependent on the existing condition of the athlete and the goals to be achieved.  As an example (not an argument), I once had a junior Olympics lifter named Fred Duran who had extraordinarily strong squatting strength, but he needed to develop other aspects of his weightlifting abilities.  I only had him back squat four times during his first year.  He made rapid progress in the snatch and clean & jerk and ended up winning a national championship and establishing a national record.  This serves as an example of appropriate incorporation of an exercise based on need, and not as an argument for the superiority or lack of superiority of back squatting.

There are a variety of reasons to implement back squats in a weightlifting (Weightlifting, and not Olympic lifting, is the name of the sport I coach.) training program.  In addition to the obvious strengthening of knee extensors and the improved hip extension, there are metabolic effects, pre-fatiguing aspects, torso development, and maintenance of ankle mobility.  Since as much of the training should be designed to be synergistic, the back squat effectively improves a number of qualities that are essential for weightlifting.   Many times two or more exercises will affect the same qualities, but to different extents.  This does not mean one should be eliminated from the program design.

The low bar squat is a competitive event in the sport of powerlifting.  It is an event and an exercise for that sport.  Many people like it, are familiar with it, and are adept at coaching it.  Terrific!  It if is helpful in the development of qualities for other sports, that’s fine.  There is no need to put exercises in a hierarchy of value since the value is determined by the specific situation.  Because you like an exercise and are adept at coaching it, that is not an argument to consider it superior to other exercises in all situations and for all individuals.

As to Mr. Rippetoe’s contention that Low Bar Squats would be superior to High Bar Squats for the training of weightlifters, there is an easy solution.  We have an overwhelmingly large population of weightlifters that has performed at the highest levels and has implemented High Bar Squats exclusively.  To substantiate the superiority of the Low Bar Squat, all that Mr. Rippetoe has to do is coach a significant number of weightlifters who train exclusively with Low Bar Squats and exceed the best performances of the existing population of weightlifters.  No controversy there!

With this clean and jerk of 135, Sarah Robles became the strongest woman at the 2012 American Record Makers competition on Sunday, January 29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Sarah also snatched 105 to total 240 which was 84% of the American Record.  This gave her the highest ranking of the event and the $1,000 first prize.  Second place was won by Veronica Aguila of San Diego whose total of 136 was 68% of the American record.  2nd place was worth $500.00.  The third place award of $300.00 was won by Ashley Weber of Waxman’s Gym who totaled 66% of the American record.

Video by Sean Waxman

With this snatch of 102, Nghiep Dinh laid claim to first place in the 2012 American Record Makers men’s weightlifting competition.

Nghiep a five time runner-up at the USA Nationals has been representing my PHAT Elvis Weightlifting Club since the late 1990′s.  This snatch is a good indicator of the world class speed that Nghiep can generate at his 62 kg bodyweight.

His total of 230 was 85.2% of the American Record.  That was enough to defeat Chris Gute in the 85 kg class who totaled 286 for 79.0% of the American Record, and Ben Simonds who lifted a total of 251 kg that was 68.8% of the Junior American +105 class record.

Congratulations, Nghiep!

Video by Scott Miller.

Preparatory Mesocycle for March 17, 2012.  Week 5 of 12.

Day 1—Monday (January 30, 2012)

1)Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/4, (85%/4)2, 80%/4                                             20:20:20

2)Snatch: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/4, (85%/4)2, 80%/4                                                    20:40:40

3)Clean & Jerk: 60%/2+1, 70%/2+1, 80%/4+1, (85%/4+1)2, 80%/4+1                       26:66:66

4)Snatch High Pull: (100%/3)5                                                                                    15:81:81

5)Power Jerk: 60%/2, 70%/2 (75%/3)3                                                                       13:94:94

Day 2—Tuesday

1)Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, (85%/2)2, 80%/2                                             12:12:106

2)Power Snatch: 60%/2, 65%/2, (70%/4)2, (75%/2)2                                                 16:28:122

3)Power Clean & Jerk: 60%/2+2, 65%/2+2, (70%/4+2)2, (75%/2+2)2                       28:56:150

4)Clean Extension: (90%/3)4                                                                                      12:68:162

Day 3—Wednesday

1)Front Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/4, (85%/4)2, 80%/4                                             20:20:182

2)Snatch: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, 85%/2, 90%/1                                                         09:29:191

3)Clean & Jerk: 60%/2+1, 70%/2+1, 80%/2+1, 85%/2+1, 90%/1+1                           14:43:205

4)Romanian Deadlift: (95%/4)5                                                                                  20:63:225

5)Press: (X/4)4                                                                                                            20:83:245

Day 4—Thursday

1)Back Squat: 60%/3, 70%/3, (80%/3, 85%/2)3                                                          21:21:266

2)Power Snatch & Overhead Squat: 60%/4+4, 65%/4+4, (70%/4+4)2, (75%/2+2)2  40:61:306

3)Power Clean & Power Jerk: 60%/4+4, 65%/4+4, (70%/4+4)2, (75%/2+2)2            40:101:346

4)Snatch High Pull: (100%/3)5                                                                                    15:116:361

Day 5—Friday

1)Back Squat: 60%/2, 70%/2, 80%/2, 85%/2                                                              08:08:369

2)Snatch: 60%/1, 70%/1, 80%/1, 85%/1, (90%/1)3                                                    07:15:376

3)Clean & Jerk: 60%/1+1, 70%/1+1, 80%/1+1, 85%/1+1, (90%/1+1)3                       14:29:390

4)Press: (X/4)5                                                                                                            20:49:410

Here are the results!  The winner was Sarah Robles!

One of my new lifters messed up the second rep of a set of three a few days ago.  After the set he asked me if he should do it over.  I told him, “No!”  I explained that when I program 3 reps (or whatever number), I want him to do each one as well as is possible, but I don’t want him to develop the mentality that he can do it over if he makes a mistake.

The reason for this is that I want my athletes to understand that they are to focus on the task at hand and to complete it to the best of their abilities.  If they miss, they miss.  No do-overs.  After all, isn’t that what sports are all about?  If you miss the outside jumper, or the field goal, or the third clean & jerk, you miss.  You lose.

If I assign 60%/3, 70%/3, (80%/3)4, that’s 18 reps.  I expect every rep to be as good as can be.  If you miss 50% of them, then you miss 50% of them.  You may not feel good about it.  You may feel incomplete.  There will be a another training session the next day.  Do better at that one!

This may actually cause some athletes to review their circumstances.  Were lifts missed because the lifter stayed up too late the night before.  Perhaps the last meal was not consumed far enough in advance of the training.  What can be adjusted may have to be adjusted.  This type of mentality may help to elevate the importance of the training in the athlete’s mind.

All the lifters that have been with me for a while know they’re getting the week’s program in time to organize their schedules as much as possible.  Some workouts may be relatively easy, but others are going to be particularly demanding.  Knowing this in advance causes them to pay more attention to their daily regimens.  They all know that there will be no do-overs.

Now this doesn’t mean that I can’t add an extra set here or there for a particular exercise for an athlete that is in need of more work in that area.  That’s a separate issue.  That’s part of the art of coaching.  Likewise I may reduce some of the volume for an older or heavier lifter by a set or two here or there, and that too, is part of the art of coaching.

The whole training process is meant to prepare the lifter for competition.  This preparation encompasses both physical and psychological preparation.  In the case of psychological preparation the missing of a repetition means no redemption.  This is the negative reinforcement that should cause the lifter’s attention to be more focused as each repetition is attempted.

Hope this helps!

You’re probably like a lot of people who’ve tried the Olympic lifts or heard a lot about them.  You might have seen someone performing them in your gym or a wide range of lifts on You Tube.  But there is absolutely nothing like watching great weightlifting live and in person.

I’m telling you what I told a radio station once when the disc jockey asked me why the public should show up to watch the weightlifting at the Goodwill Games where I would be coaching the U.S. team.  “You need to show up and be in the building and feel the walls shake when the weights are dropped from overhead.  You need to hear the sound and feel the vibration in the floor.  Only then will you realize that you are in the presence of the most powerful human athletes.  So show up and behold something that you might never see again!”

I still feel that way and I urge those of you within reasonable proximity to join me at the Los Angeles Fit Expo this Saturday and Sunday at 12:00 noon to watch some of the best lifters in the U.S. compete for a combined prize of $3600.00.

Competing on Saturday will be many times national silver medalist, Nghiep Dinh, last year’s Record Makers champion Anthony Pomponio, national junior champion Anthony Vong and national school-age champion Luca Perretti.

On Sunday come and watch our top Olympic hopeful Sarah Robles, former national champion Kathy Redcher-Bowling and Mexican national junior champion Karl Hernandez lift big weights.

It’ll be sunny at 1201 South Figueroa St. with temperatures in the mid to high ‘70’s both days.  Stop by the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center and make use of the discount coupon to gain admission to this meet and hundreds of vendor booths and other exhibitions for just $15.00.  You’ll enjoy yourselves!