26 September 2009

20 kg snatch:
max attempt:
60L/60R - new PR.

I am loosely following non-OTW, multiple switch routine which, according to some, should not result in the improvement of GS numbers. Yet the progress is apparent.

It is not a secret that I believe that volume training should be the backbone of GS training. Gradually build the volume and then increase the intensity - with or without the concomitant decrease in volume. An attempt to define mathematical aspects of GS training has been done on this blog a while ago. Just a little reminder: intensity in GS is reps per minute or total number of reps in a set. So longer set (more reps) is more intense than a shorter one (fewer reps).

High intensity training is also important, but just like max attempts in powerlifting or olympic lifting it should not be used often. There are two problems with intensity: it is more likely to result in injury and it is mentally hard. Yeah, yeah, "no pain..." and shit like this. I am not interested in olympic achievements. On the contrary, my main goal actually is to stay injury free. And looking forward to workouts is another one. In any case, from what I read in most endurance sports athletes do not train by doing max or near max efforts every session.

I said couple of times that in my opinion volume forces improvement in technique. Catherine Imes says not necessarily. Of course "not necessarily"! Is there any method that will enforce the technique "necessarily"? Any magic guaranteed way? Not even presence of the best coach in the world can guarantee that.

Let me explain what I mean by volume leadin to better technique. First, technique generally gets better from doing lots of repetitions, and volume training results in a lot of repetitions. Just before I get objections: not mechanical or mindless repetitions. On the contrary, the trainee should analyse every one of t5hem and pay attention to the efficiency and economy.

Second aspect of volume training - curiously - has been addressed by Catherine herself. A while ago she posted something about long sets teching you "to survive". It is true: long sets lead to fatigue, and you have to adjust your every little move to squeeze another few reps out of the set.

A while ago there was a post on the Russian forum http://girinavsegda.forum24.ru/ The adminitstrator of the forum posted his recommendation for developing the technique of jerk:

The bell 16 kg is jerked with one arm at maximal tempo and for maximally possible duration. The goal of the workout is to reach maximal exhaustion, when there is no strength to continue jerks. This is where actual work on the technique starts: you literally begin to jump up, pushing the bell with the whole body and momentarily dive into minimal dip. This is important when starting to learn jerk: you squeeze another 10-15 reps this way and then switch hands. This way you find your optimal technique, unlike trying to copy someone else's which might not fit you just like someone else's clothes...

This is obviously true for any other lifts. I can just see the advocates of long sets point the finger at me: "Aha! Long sets!" But they would be wrong. You need fatigue to improve the technique, and multiple switches allow plenty of that. During snatching with multiple switches you experience fatigue several times - unlike in one long set. You can even regulate the degree of this fatigue by chosing the number of reps to switch. Switching every 10 reps will cause less pronounced fatigue than every 20 or 30.

During continuous snatching with multiple switches you also learn to pace yourself, just like during max sets: you know that you have to get to these 200 reps. Likewise, you have to pay attention to the economy of your lifting. So you get most the benefits of max set and at the same time get more conditioning, simply because you are able to lift for more reps. And if you are paying attention to the technique more reps will translate to technical improvement.

To summarize this blubber - multiple switches are good for GS.