Takano Athletics

4 February, 2010

Final workout before Saturday’s meet.  Just enough to stimulate the body a little, but not to fatigue it.  PR’s expected in this meet.

Power Snatch: 77 lbs.:35 kg/2 reps, (82:37.2/2)2 sets

Front Squat: 99:45/2, 119:54/2, (124:56.3/2)2

Those of you that have been reading and downloading the Resident Athlete Training Programs from the www.takanoathletics.com downloads section may be wondering about the percentages for power snatches and power cleans because they are never less than 80%, but that is probably too heavy to manage if it is 80% of 1RM of a classic snatch or classic clean.

To set things straight, a well trained athlete at the level that should be using these training programs has a 100% power snatch that is within the 80 to 85% of a full, classic snatch.  The same should be true of the relationship between a power clean and a full clean.

Let’s say for instance that your power snatch is 80% of your full snatch.  Then 80% of your power snatch should be 80% x 80% of your full snatch.  That works out to 64% of your full snatch.  Thus when the program calls for 80% of your power snatch, it is actually using 64% or a little more of your full snatch.

If we look back to the studies on which each of the percentage ranges affect training results, we find that a certain percentage of 60–69% (of the full lift) weights will significantly affect the speed of the full during the performance of the lifts in a competition at the end of the cycle.

Instead of performing 60% of the full snatch in the full snatch movement, the 60% ranges are achieved by employing 80% lifts of power snatches.  The same mathematical ranges apply to power cleans and full cleans.  When planning your training you can either employ a 100% of your power snatch determined empirically, or you can pick a figure that is within the 80 to 85% range of your full snatch.  If your power snatch is too high, or too low you may want to analyze your training and technique to see why you are outside of the classically determined ranges.

If you were to peruse some training programs, the 60% range is achieved by performing classic movements in the 60% range.  This is not the case with these programs and apparently not with Bulgarian training since they have employed the power snatch and power clean to achieve the work in the 60 and 70% ranges.

Before you begin a new training program it is always best to investigate the notation protocol to make sure that you are performing the training at the proper intensity levels.

By the way, week 20 of the Resident Athlete Training is posted in the downloads section.

Good luck with your training!

2 February 2010  (Meet this upcoming Saturday)

Power Snatch: 77 lbs.:35 kg/2 reps, (82:37.2/2)3 sets

Clean & Jerk: 99:45/1+1, 109:49.5/1+1, (119:54/1+1)3

Back Squat: 119:54:2, (143:65/2)3

Both the Indian and Iranian Weightlifting Federations will be allowed to compete in international competitions after they have paid stiff penalties as levied by the International Weightlifting Federation, the world governing body for the sport.

Both federations have been fined $500,000 each in order to keep their licenses as valid members of the I.W.F.

India worked out a deal whereby they would only have to pay $50,000 immediately in order to enter the South Asian Games which started last Friday in Bangladesh.  They will have to pay the rest in installments in order to maintain eligibility for the Commonwealth Games which India is hosting in New Delhi later in 2010.

Iran had three athletes test positive during the past calendar year and a fourth is currently pending.  Double Olympic gold medalist Hossen Rezazadeh is the representative for the Iranian federation and recently met with IWF president Tamas Ajan to negotiate the fine in lieu of a two year suspension of license.

The IWF rule provides that any nation with three athletes testing positive during any twelve month period must be suspended from international competition for a period of two years for the first violation.  This is the first time that the IWF has imposed such a heavy monetary fine in place of the suspension since the inception of the policy.

The IWF has had a tarnished past with respect to doping positives and since the 1988 Olympics has worked to clean up the doping situation.  The International Olympic Committee has warned sports governing bodies that if they do not take stringent action to eradicate doping, they may be removed from the competitive program of the Olympics.  Since all IOC member nations with the exception of the United States receive funding for the Olympic sports from their national sports ministries, the exclusion of the sport from the Games would mean the elimination of funding for that sport on a global scale.

The IWF has, in addition to imposing sanctions against offending athletes and their national federations, also instituted the procedure of testing athletes immediately before they compete in the Olympics.  This process worked remarkably well with only one doping positive of a weightlifter having been determined at the Beijing Games.

Furthermore each member nation must submit a list of eligible athletes well in advance of the Olympics and they are subject to unannounced testing at any time.

I can verify this as I was the assistant coach for the U.S. women’s team to the World’s Championships in Warsaw in 2002.  As soon as we had settled the team into a training camp in Hungary immediately prior to the competition, doping escorts representing the World Anti-Doping Agency showed up at our quarters to obtain a urine sample from one of our team members.  This was completely unannounced and unexpected.  Of course there was no violation as this athlete had been a resident at our U.S. Olympic Training Center and had undergone repeated testing for the several months leading up to this competition.

As it currently stands it appears as though the sport of weightlifting is taking whatever feasible measures are available to eliminate the use of illegal performance enhancing substances.

Last week before the meet at San Juan Capistrano on February 6

1 February 2010

Snatch: 77 lbs.:35 kg/1 rep, 77:35/1, 87:39.5/1, (87:39.5/1)2 sets, 92:41.8/1, 92:41.8/1, (97:44/1)2, 97:44/1

Front Squat: 97:44/1, 119:54/1, 143:65/1, 153:69.4/1, (159:72.1/1)3

29 January 2010

Snatch: (77 lbs.:35 kg/1 rep)2 sets, 87:39.5/1, 92:41.8/1, (92:41.8/1)5

Back Squat: 121:55/2, 147:66.7/2, 165:75/2, 175:79.4/2, 175:79.4/11

28 January 2010

Power Snatch: 77 lbs.:35 kg/2 reps, 82:37.2/32, (87:39.5/2) 4 sets

Power Clean and Jerk: 99:45/2+1, (109:49.5/2+1)4

Push Press: 99:45/2, (104:47.2/2)3

Snatch Extension: (109:49.5/3)4

Front Squat: 99:45/1, 119:54/1, 129:58.6/1, 139:63.1/1, 149:67.6/1

An apology:  My router went down and I was without internet connection from the 26th of January until I was able to get a new router that worked and hooked it up on the 31st.  So sorry!

Training program from 27 January 2010 for meet on 6 February 2010

Snatch: 77 lbs.:35 kg/2 reps, 87:39.5/11, 92:41.8/2, 97:44/1, 87:39.5/3, 92:41.8/2, 97:44/1, 87:39.5/21, 92:41.8/2, 97:44/1

Clean & jerk: 99:45/2+1, 109:49.5/2+2, 119:54/2+1, 124:56.3/1+1, 109:49.5/2+2, 119:54/2+1, 124:56.3/1+1, 109:49.5/2+2, 119:54/2+1, 124:56.3/1+1

Back Squat: 99:45/2, (143:65/2)2 sets, 163:74/1, (173:78.5/1)3

Power Snatch: (77 lbs.:35 kg/1 rep)3 sets, 82:37.2/1, (87:39.5/1)2, 92:41.8/1, 92:41.8/1*, (82:37.2, 87:39.5/1, 92:41.8/1)2

Power Clean & Jerk: 99:45/1+1, 109:49.5/1+1, 114:51.7/1+1, 119:54/1+1*, 109:49.5/1+1, 114:51.7/1+1, 119:54/1, 109:49.5/1+1, 114:51.7/1+1, 119:54/1+1

Front Squat: 119:54/1, 124:56.3/1, 129:58.6/1, 134:60.8/1, 139:63.1/1, (144:65.4/1, 149:67.6, 154:70/1*)3

3 personal records today.  We are into the pre-competition phase and the training takes on a Bulgarian flavor.

Iran turns up 4th doping positive

Iranian superheavyweight Saeid Ali-Hosseini has recently turned up a positive B sample, although the result has yet to be published on the IWF website.  This means that Ali-Hosseini will join Anoush Armak, Rashid Sharifi and Omid Naiij Kenari as suspended athletes by the International Weightlifting Federation.  This total of 4 doping positives exceed the IWF limit of 3 over a 1 year period that normally triggers a two-year suspension for the offending nation.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Hossein Rezazadeh, the caretaker of the Iranian Federation, has recently been meeting with IWF president Tamas Ajan to consult on whatever punitive actions might be taken against Iran.

Iran’s high profile weightlifting program has recently been on the verge of improving its international results, and this would be a serious setback.  Weightlifting and wrestling are considered to be the two most popular sports in Iran.  A two year suspension would mean that Iran would have to forego participation in the Asian Championships and World Championships through 2011.  The 2011 World’s will be the qualifying event for the 2012 Olympic Games scheduled for London.  Any nation not participating in 2011 will not be granted any berths among the 250 competitors scheduled for inclusion in 2012.

Indian Weightlifting Federation left on its own to raise $500,000 fine.

Both the Indian Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association have turned their backs on requests from the newly reformed Indian Weightlifting Federation to provide funding to pay the $500,000 fine imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation for the seven doping positives attributed to Indian weightlifters during a 2 month span in 2009.  The fine must be paid before the Indians are considered eligible to participate in the 2010 Commonwealth Games scheduled for New Delhi.

A failure to pay the money would mean that India would become the first nation prevented from entering its own athletes in a major multisport event on its own home soil.  I believe that one of the provisions set forth by the International Weightlifting Federation in order for Indian avoid a four-year suspension was the replacement of all sitting administrators of the Indian Weightlifting Federation.  Raising such a large amount of money could prove daunting to an entire newly group of sports administrators.