New to olympic weightlifting

[Rain0189]

Hi there,

I've been weight training for almost 2 years, mainly in the form of powerlifting. Recently, I became very interested in the Olympic weightlifting (seeing those lifters life 2-3x their own body weight above their heads really inspired me) so I want to ask some specific training questions regarding Olympic weightlifting. I've looked at the stickies, so the training videos themselves are good enough for me to start. I'll ask the questions in numerical orders so they may be easier to help me out.

1. I heard the weightlifters train almost everyday, perhaps up to 6x a week, and sometimes twice a day. Is this normal? Surely with the low rep training that they do, recovery becomes more important, and training frequency would actually be lower?
2. Should I still train chest? If so, what exercise (I'm planning on keeping the flat barbell bench and ditch the rest) and how often?
3. Should I train deadlift? I heard that's very taxing for the body so it may not always be helpful for the purpose of Olympic weightlifting, but I always thought that a stronger deadlift would benefit the overall lifts.
4. A very important question for me, and it's about deltoids strength. One of the key reasons that I got into Olympic weightlifting is because of the development of the lifters' deltoids. I've been doing seated behind the neck press (works fine for me, as long as I don't go past ear level) and lateral raises (isolates medial and rotator cuff strengthening). I was wondering, what do the Olympic weightlifters do for their DIRECT shoulder workouts? Could you recommend me some exercises, with adequate intensity and frequency?
5. Lastly, diet. Olympic weightlifters are known for their shredded physiques. As a beginner, how will I go about with that? I mean, I know that for one to become stronger, they must eat calorie surplus, therefore weight gains. Is this the same principle for Olympic weightlifting; that I must "bulk", then "cut" to become lean?

I know the questions may have been answered before so please accept my apologies for asking repetitive questions. I would be really grateful if anyone could help me out.

Cheers!

[CelticTheTruth]

Hi there,

I've been weight training for almost 2 years, mainly in the form of powerlifting. Recently, I became very interested in the Olympic weightlifting (seeing those lifters life 2-3x their own body weight above their heads really inspired me) so I want to ask some specific training questions regarding Olympic weightlifting. I've looked at the stickies, so the training videos themselves are good enough for me to start. I'll ask the questions in numerical orders so they may be easier to help me out.

1. I heard the weightlifters train almost everyday, perhaps up to 6x a week, and sometimes twice a day. Is this normal? Surely with the low rep training that they do, recovery becomes more important, and training frequency would actually be lower?
2. Should I still train chest? If so, what exercise (I'm planning on keeping the flat barbell bench and ditch the rest) and how often?
3. Should I train deadlift? I heard that's very taxing for the body so it may not always be helpful for the purpose of Olympic weightlifting, but I always thought that a stronger deadlift would benefit the overall lifts.
4. A very important question for me, and it's about deltoids strength. One of the key reasons that I got into Olympic weightlifting is because of the development of the lifters' deltoids. I've been doing seated behind the neck press (works fine for me, as long as I don't go past ear level) and lateral raises (isolates medial and rotator cuff strengthening). I was wondering, what do the Olympic weightlifters do for their DIRECT shoulder workouts? Could you recommend me some exercises, with adequate intensity and frequency?
5. Lastly, diet. Olympic weightlifters are known for their shredded physiques. As a beginner, how will I go about with that? I mean, I know that for one to become stronger, they must eat calorie surplus, therefore weight gains. Is this the same principle for Olympic weightlifting; that I must "bulk", then "cut" to become lean?

I know the questions may have been answered before so please accept my apologies for asking repetitive questions. I would be really grateful if anyone could help me out.

Cheers!

1. Yes, professional olympic weightlifters train up to seven days a week and sometimes even 2-3 times a day. But they also have no other responsibilities besides lifting and they have their own nutritition specialists, physiotherapists and so on, who will help them with their recovery.

2. Yes, you should still do some chest training. But it is not a priority. I dont do bench press for example, because it messes up my wrists. I still do flys and other chest isolation exercises.

3. Instead of deadlift, try heavy pulls. Pulls from blocks, from ground etc. Make sure you still stay explosive, so do not overpush with the weight. An explosive pull should not look like a deadlift.

4. I do not know about other lifters, but I do all the shoulder exercises out there. Weightlifting itself is already great for deltoids but adding some great assistance exercises to the mix will help you to achieve even greater shoulder strength and hypertrophy. (look at my shoulders )Olympic weightlifting also works the smaller muscles inside the shoulder which usually do not get very much work. Rotator cuff exercises are quite mandatory, I guess.

5. No bulk-cut. Just try to keep the food healthy. Olympic weightlifting will help with the looks, you just have to provide your body with enough protein.

my 2 cents

[olyw8lifter]

Hi there,

1. I heard the weightlifters train almost everyday, perhaps up to 6x a week, and sometimes twice a day. Is this normal? Surely with the low rep training that they do, recovery becomes more important, and training frequency would actually be lower?
2. Should I still train chest? If so, what exercise (I'm planning on keeping the flat barbell bench and ditch the rest) and how often?
3. Should I train deadlift? I heard that's very taxing for the body so it may not always be helpful for the purpose of Olympic weightlifting, but I always thought that a stronger deadlift would benefit the overall lifts.
4. A very important question for me, and it's about deltoids strength. One of the key reasons that I got into Olympic weightlifting is because of the development of the lifters' deltoids. I've been doing seated behind the neck press (works fine for me, as long as I don't go past ear level) and lateral raises (isolates medial and rotator cuff strengthening). I was wondering, what do the Olympic weightlifters do for their DIRECT shoulder workouts? Could you recommend me some exercises, with adequate intensity and frequency?
5. Lastly, diet. Olympic weightlifters are known for their shredded physiques. As a beginner, how will I go about with that? I mean, I know that for one to become stronger, they must eat calorie surplus, therefore weight gains. Is this the same principle for Olympic weightlifting; that I must "bulk", then "cut" to become lean?

I know the questions may have been answered before so please accept my apologies for asking repetitive questions. I would be really grateful if anyone could help me out.

Cheers!

1. Like Celtic said, professional weightlifters do this, but only after they have built up to it over several years of training. Beginners should not just jump right in to this type of training. Over time, say a couple of years if they are going to try and compete at the top levels, you would increase your training frequency up to this level.

2. You can still train chest, just so long as it doesn't interfere with tightness in the chest and shoulders (overhead positions for the snatch and jerk).

3. I wouldn't train deadlift specifically, but train heavy pulls (like deadlift but maintain positions of the lifts).

4. Most of the time you can just put in extra pressing (i.e. push press, power jerk) work at the end of your workout to bring up the shoulder strength.

5. I don't eat any specific diet and stay right around where I need to. again, Celtic nailed it right on. No bulk-cut, just eat a little above maintenance and get enough protein in, work hard and your physique will work itself out.

I would recommend going to www.pendlayforums.com and checking out the beginner programs in the articles section for where to start. Also, the videos on Cal Strength will be invaluable to learning the lifts on your own if you can't make it to a coach.

I would recommend finding a coach to learn the lifts. You can also check out T-Nation forums and go to the Olympic lifting forum for people who lift in UK (there's alot on there) for people you may get some hands on coaching from.

[Rain0189]

Thanks for much for your help, guys! I'm liking the training style already! Just a couple more questions:

I understand that direct shoulder workouts shouldn't be too much different from before. How often should I directly train them? I really do want to focus on my shoulder quite a bit, at least at this initial stage. Finally, are there any videos that would show me how to safely put away the weights if I fail lifts? For example, I don't know how to do that for back squat and snatch (I would imagine it would be very dangerous when the weights go past your delts and I wouldn't know what to do because the movement is so fast).

Really appreciate your help.

[CelticTheTruth]

Thanks for much for your help, guys! I'm liking the training style already! Just a couple more questions:

I understand that direct shoulder workouts shouldn't be too much different from before. How often should I directly train them? I really do want to focus on my shoulder quite a bit, at least at this initial stage. Finally, are there any videos that would show me how to safely put away the weights if I fail lifts? For example, I don't know how to do that for back squat and snatch (I would imagine it would be very dangerous when the weights go past your delts and I wouldn't know what to do because the movement is so fast).

Really appreciate your help.

Do the variations of olympic lifts first and after you have finished the explosive movements, do your direct shoulder isolation exercises.
Snatch miss in the front:

Snatch miss in the back: just let your hands fall backwards and jump in the front yourself, letting go of the bar.

Missing back squat: last seconds of the vid.

[Rain0189]

Thank you, buddy.

[skuraishi]

Hi there,

I've been weight training for almost 2 years, mainly in the form of powerlifting. Recently, I became very interested in the Olympic weightlifting (seeing those lifters life 2-3x their own body weight above their heads really inspired me) so I want to ask some specific training questions regarding Olympic weightlifting. I've looked at the stickies, so the training videos themselves are good enough for me to start. I'll ask the questions in numerical orders so they may be easier to help me out.

1. I heard the weightlifters train almost everyday, perhaps up to 6x a week, and sometimes twice a day. Is this normal? Surely with the low rep training that they do, recovery becomes more important, and training frequency would actually be lower?
2. Should I still train chest? If so, what exercise (I'm planning on keeping the flat barbell bench and ditch the rest) and how often?
3. Should I train deadlift? I heard that's very taxing for the body so it may not always be helpful for the purpose of Olympic weightlifting, but I always thought that a stronger deadlift would benefit the overall lifts.
4. A very important question for me, and it's about deltoids strength. One of the key reasons that I got into Olympic weightlifting is because of the development of the lifters' deltoids. I've been doing seated behind the neck press (works fine for me, as long as I don't go past ear level) and lateral raises (isolates medial and rotator cuff strengthening). I was wondering, what do the Olympic weightlifters do for their DIRECT shoulder workouts? Could you recommend me some exercises, with adequate intensity and frequency?
5. Lastly, diet. Olympic weightlifters are known for their shredded physiques. As a beginner, how will I go about with that? I mean, I know that for one to become stronger, they must eat calorie surplus, therefore weight gains. Is this the same principle for Olympic weightlifting; that I must "bulk", then "cut" to become lean?

I know the questions may have been answered before so please accept my apologies for asking repetitive questions. I would be really grateful if anyone could help me out.

Cheers!

i can only answer a few of these questions.
1. i train 6 days a week, sometimes 2 days, i'll train twice. it's only because it works for me and i am getting stronger and stronger. sometimes, i train with an olympian and she does train 8 times a week and takes 2 days off. i think it's whatever works for you and how serious you are about it.

3. you should train in deadlift. the deadlift mimics the first pull. it teaches you to keep your hips low (as the most common problem i've seen is the hips go up first and the rest of the body follows) and how not to rush the first pull. do snatch deads and clean deads as both will help you learn the lifts. pulls are necessary as well as they help with the second pull and with keeping the bar close to your body. and most importantly, don't forget to squat: front and back.

5. what everyone else said, just eat healthy. i do find myself getting hungrier more frequently though. i've been packing on the protein and a lot of vegetables.

[jrockit24]

In terms of properly failing a a back squat, I would suggest performing it on an olympic squat rack. You should set the parallel bars on your sides just below the bottom depth of your squat.

If you fail, fall forwards. That way, since the bar is behind your neck, it will be caught by the bars.

This technique can minimize injury, since if you do this lift without a squat rack and fail by letting the bar drop behind you, the bar can hit your legs or lower back, or you can tweak your lower back (personal experience).

I hope this is clear.

Thanks for much for your help, guys! I'm liking the training style already! Just a couple more questions:

I understand that direct shoulder workouts shouldn't be too much different from before. How often should I directly train them? I really do want to focus on my shoulder quite a bit, at least at this initial stage. Finally, are there any videos that would show me how to safely put away the weights if I fail lifts? For example, I don't know how to do that for back squat and snatch (I would imagine it would be very dangerous when the weights go past your delts and I wouldn't know what to do because the movement is so fast).

Really appreciate your help.

[CompleteLurker]

In terms of properly failing a a back squat, I would suggest performing it on an olympic squat rack. You should set the parallel bars on your sides just below the bottom depth of your squat.

If you fail, fall forwards. That way, since the bar is behind your neck, it will be caught by the bars.

This technique can minimize injury, since if you do this lift without a squat rack and fail by letting the bar drop behind you, the bar can hit your legs or lower back, or you can tweak your lower back (personal experience).

I hope this is clear.

Never drop it on squat pins, unless you want a wrecked bar.
Either lay it down slowly when you can't get up from a squat or learn how to drop it with bumpers.

[schabowy90]

Never drop it on squat pins, unless you want a wrecked bar.
Either lay it down slowly when you can't get up from a squat or learn how to drop it with bumpers.

Learning to bail shouldn't affect any part of your body with injury. IMO its the safest way actually. Letting it come down on pins can strain you.

Bailing is quick, clean, and effective.

[CompleteLurker]

You won't get a strain from sitting down in a squat and laying the bar down...
Drop it too much and this will happen: (extreme example)

youtube.com/watch?v=tTnzGePw9Yg

gewaltiger has his pins like a foot from his atg squat and he still manages to lay it down, dont know why the heck he doesn't move the pins up a few knotches tho

[wrkoutfrq]

Learning to bail shouldn't affect any part of your body with injury. IMO its the safest way actually. Letting it come down on pins can strain you.

Bailing is quick, clean, and effective.

this... plus knowing that you can bail correctly without it hurting you or the equipment is a huge boost in confidence under the bar. you don't have to worry about anything but moving the weight. if it doesn't move, bail and start over!

[fraverdenstreet]

You won't get a strain from sitting down in a squat and laying the bar down...
Drop it too much and this will happen: (extreme example)

youtube.com/watch?v=tTnzGePw9Yg

gewaltiger has his pins like a foot from his atg squat and he still manages to lay it down, dont know why the heck he doesn't move the pins up a few knotches tho

too lazy, and i kinda like how it stretches me out to lay it down

[astro99]

Hi there,

I've been weight training for almost 2 years, mainly in the form of powerlifting. Recently, I became very interested in the Olympic weightlifting (seeing those lifters life 2-3x their own body weight above their heads really inspired me) so I want to ask some specific training questions regarding Olympic weightlifting. I've looked at the stickies, so the training videos themselves are good enough for me to start. I'll ask the questions in numerical orders so they may be easier to help me out.

1. I heard the weightlifters train almost everyday, perhaps up to 6x a week, and sometimes twice a day. Is this normal? Surely with the low rep training that they do, recovery becomes more important, and training frequency would actually be lower?

2. Should I still train chest? If so, what exercise (I'm planning on keeping the flat barbell bench and ditch the rest) and how often?

3. Should I train deadlift? I heard that's very taxing for the body so it may not always be helpful for the purpose of Olympic weightlifting, but I always thought that a stronger deadlift would benefit the overall lifts.

4. A very important question for me, and it's about deltoids strength. One of the key reasons that I got into Olympic weightlifting is because of the development of the lifters' deltoids. I've been doing seated behind the neck press (works fine for me, as long as I don't go past ear level) and lateral raises (isolates medial and rotator cuff strengthening). I was wondering, what do the Olympic weightlifters do for their DIRECT shoulder workouts? Could you recommend me some exercises, with adequate intensity and frequency?

5. Lastly, diet. Olympic weightlifters are known for their shredded physiques. As a beginner, how will I go about with that? I mean, I know that for one to become stronger, they must eat calorie surplus, therefore weight gains. Is this the same principle for Olympic weightlifting; that I must "bulk", then "cut" to become lean?

I know the questions may have been answered before so please accept my apologies for asking repetitive questions. I would be really grateful if anyone could help me out.

Cheers!

1. It's all about adaptation. I too was dumbfounded when i learned that weightlifters train daily, sometimes even 2x a day, but eventually your body will adapt and you will be BEGGING to train! It can become addictive! In terms of recovery, everyone is different. Just listen to your body and slow down a bit if you feel some strains that could probably lead to a tear. Keep a log of your training frequency to get an idea of your recovery rate.

2. The Chinese national team does benchpress 1x a week, but only as GPE.

3. Yes train the deadlift! Some people don't want to do it because they feel it is too taxing but it really helps with the initial pull. The less heavy the pull feels, the less distracted you will be in terms of executing technique. Once a week is fine. Keep it challenging but not to the point of being over-strenuous. I stop when my back starts to curl then i deload a bit.

4. shoulder exercises:
a. behind the neck snatch grip press - 5-10 reps
b. upright rows - snatch grip - 5-10 reps
c. press - 3-5 reps
d. push press - 1-3 reps
But you can play around with the rep range as you see fit. In terms of intensity, don't go crazy on these, especially the snatch grip behind neck press. I almost tore something going heavy with these.

5. some (if not most) world class lifters train at a weight that is slightly heavier than their weight category, then they cut gradually when it is near the next competition period. I am not sure as to the optimum protein/fat/carb ratio though. (I just make a point to eat a lot of veggies

I am happy that more and more people are getting into o-lifting! Good luck in your training bro!

[olyw8lifter]

Guys, this thread was started over a year ago, I highly doubt that he is still around. I would love for him to come on here and prove me wrong, but the fact that some people have been posting and he hasn't responded has me believing otherwise.