This post is covering part of chapter three of Laputin and Oleshko’s “Managing the Training of Weightlifters.” Chapter three is the meat of the book and the information here is dense. Many will recognize some of the information in this as it shows up in a lot of strength and conditioning programs, although since people don’t read closely a lot of people get it wrong.
Let’s start with two important pieces of information. First, the book is about the training of Olympic-style weightlifters, and the goal is to develop really high level weightlifters. Second, the focus is on what they can do in competition. Everything else is just getting us there.
With that in mind, the authors begin by discussing the sports training process. In their view it should achieve the highest results possible for a given athlete. It should do this in the shortest possible time and do it at the correct time. The training process should also expend as little strength as possible achieving all of this. In other words, training should be focused and efficient. It also makes no sense to peak the athlete two weeks after the Olympic Games, we need them peaked when it matters.
In weightlifting, exercises are used to transform the athlete from where they are to where we want them to be. This is planned and systematic, it is not random or left to chance. To transform an athlete from one state to another, we must know where the athlete is currently. We must also be able to describe where we want them to be (in quantitative terms).
We should assess the effectiveness of the management of training by looking at a number of things. First, the percent improvement in planned results relative to initial results (where are they vs. where they started vs. where they should be). Second, the preciseness of achieving those results at the time needed. Third, the number of training sessions necessary for achieving the planned results (fewer is better). Finally, the duration for which results at the planned level can be held.
The authors note that since the body does not “want” to adapt, there is a need for a diversity of physical exercises – not necessarily an increase in the volume of work. They state, “…the results from mechanical increasing of training loads are almost exhausted.” This means that new training methods are needed to keep the body adapting. My Westside friends will recognize this philosophy. Now, it’s important to point out that this advice is for high level weightlifters that have been training for years. We can’t keep increasing the volume for them and they will eventually plateau with the weight, so new training methods are necessary for these athletes.
Programs must be monitored and corrected constantly. Adjust by seeing if the athlete is progressing as we have forecasted.
The authors spend pages describing sporting form, which is a term often used in Soviet literature. This refers to the state at which the athlete is best prepared to achieve sport results.
In the authors’ opinion, fatigue is an obligatory condition for raising sport work-capacity, necessary for sporting growth but must be done correctly.
The correct assessment o of sporting form and the state of trainability is as important as the achievement of results. Criteria for this include the difference between achievements of the previous large training cycle and the results achieved in the current cycles. Also the difference between the results of a control competition and the first competition of the large training cycle. The quantity of the results within the determined zones of sporting form (i.e. special exercises and tests), should be no less than 95-97% of personal records. The average time interval between results which lie within the zones of sporting form mentioned above. Finally, the general length of the period during which results do not decrease below a certain level in the limit of the zone. In other words, how long can we hold our peak?
The information in this post just covers the first 14 pages of chapter three. The chapter is 48 pages long! The next post will cover the authors’ thoughts on the competition period.
Laputin, N.P. and V.G. Oleshko. (1982). Managing the Training of Weightlifters. Zdorov’ya Publishers, Kiev. Translated by Charniga, Jr, A. Published by Sportivny Press, Livonia Michigan.
