8 Week Olympic Weightlifting Program 

The entire sports life of athletes, and as a result, life in general, is built around several issues: the annual calendar of sports events and the periodization of the training process. The whole routine of a weightlifter is the stages from one event to another: preparation, travel, performances, and rest. Such cases of periodization are both relatively short (2-3 weeks) and very long: months and even years. The longest one is the Olympic cycle with a duration of 4 years. And now imagine hong the strong are physically and mentally those unique athletes who performed for a few and more Olympic cycles and some of them won medals.

As a rule, complex preparation for competitions lasts about 12 weeks, but there are also shorter preparation periods of 7-8 weeks. Such a shortened cycle can be used when the athlete has a good power base and performance.

This is usually possible in two cases:

- the athlete has been fully prepared for the competition for 12-15 weeks, performed at the competition, and after a short transition period (7-14 days) is ready to continue the path to new competitive results;

- the athlete has done a power cycle with an emphasis on leg and back strength & power and is ready to transform basic training into a competitive result.

INTENSO Olympic weightlifting program is designed as a high-intensity and shortened training program to prepare for weightlifting competitions. In fact 8 week olympic weightlifting program consists of 7 weeks + competition week plan. It lacks a general preparatory period in which athletes develop strength potential and performance.

Building a weightlifters training program is a very interesting and complex task that requires a lot of different knowledge and experience from the coach. The main task of a sports training program, using tools such as volume, intensity, and principles of sports training, is to bring an athlete to the peak of their abilities by a certain date, as well as systematically continue to increase results for a long time without harm to their health.

A classic Oly lifting program rule is a snatch day, C&J day, then a mixed day. This alternation helps an athlete to focus on each exercise, as well as their variations. This helps to avoid monotony and adaptation.

An Olympic lift workout has its own structure. The first part is a warm-up, activation and special preparation for the main load, which the coach has planned.

The main load is performed in a certain order: first, athletes perform a block of speed-strength and technically complex exercises: a snatch and a С&J, then variations of auxiliary exercises: pulls, squats, push presses. Strength exercises not only develop the athlete's power, they also help to develop the technique of performing competitive exercises.

Plyometric/jump work and general conditioning are an important part of Olympic lifting training program.. Depending on the level of the athletes and the period of preparation, it can be performed before or after the main load. Undoubtedly, these loads are very important for the development of coordination, speed and technical skills of an athlete.

An important part of the program is strengthening the core muscles. It is not only the muscles of the abdomen that are meant. It is also necessary to work out the small muscles of the obliques, lower back, upper body - chest and shoulder blades. This will help the lifter maintain stability and overall balance during the snatch and clean and jerk.

Intenso CYCLE has a narrower arsenal of exercises compared to the 12-week Male 2.0 program. A wide variety of exercises is justified when an athlete starts training from scratch and needs a versatile training process.

The main goal in Intenso CYCLE is to “break through” a new result through intensive loads in the snatch and clean and jerk and realize the potential of the previously developed base.

However, this program consists of 2 periods:

- special preparatory - 4 weeks;

- precompetitive - 3 weeks;

Special preparatory - emphasis on snatch and jerk complexes in the zone of 80% and above, and on intense pulls and squats. The total volume is high, the intensity is high. In this regard, athletes often have to train in a state of incomplete recovery, which is quite acceptable for this stage of training.

The pre-competition period - strength loads are reduced, the intensity in the snatch and C&J increases. The task of the athlete is to reach the peak of form by the time of the competition, to recover physically and mentally.

From the second training week through the 6th INTENSO CYCLE also includes co-called wave/attack style workouts in Snatch and Clean & Jerk. It means that after finishing warmup sets an athlete increases the weight on the bar to the prescribed intensity, then goes down 15-20% and goes heavy again up to 3-4 waves.

Both intermediate and advanced athletes must keep in mind that this type of training is very intensive and exhausting. Focus and control technique and well-being. Decrease load if needed.

This method has been actively used by world TOP athletes over the past 10 years:

Akbar Djuraev (Uzbekistan) – Olympic Champion

Mohamed Ehab (Egypt) – World Champion

Meso Hassouna (Qatar) – Olympic Champion

Ruslan Nurudinov (Uzbekistan) – Olympic Champion

An example of a 3-session load from 5 day Olympic weightlifting program week:

Session 1

Special warmup

2 rounds

HYPEREXTENSION 15 reps

ABS 20 reps

Main load

Clean PULL till power position + Muscle Squat CLEAN

3 sets × 3+3 reps 

CLEAN&JERK

up to 50% 4-6 sets × 2+2 reps

Romanian DEADLIFT

3 sets × 8 reps 

SUPERSET

Wall sit 4 sets × 30 sec 

BOX JUMP 4 sets × 8 reps 

Session 2

Special warmup

2 rounds

Bird Dog 10+10 reps

ABS 20 reps

Main load

Good Morning

3 sets × 8 reps 

SNATCH

wave 1

50% 2 sets × 3 reps 

60% 2 sets × 3 reps 

70% 2 sets × 3 reps 

75% 2 sets × 2 reps 

80% 2 sets × 2 reps 

85% 1 set × 1 rep 

wave 2

75% 1 set × 1 rep 

80% 1 set × 1 rep 

85% 1 set × 1 rep 

wave 3

75% 1 set × 1 rep 

80% 1 set × 1 rep 

85% 1 set × 1 rep 

Snatch PULL till power position + slowly down

80% 2 sets × 3 reps 

90% 4 sets × 2 reps 

100% 1 set × 1 rep 

Snatch Sots PRESS 

4 sets × 8 reps 

Session 3

Special warmup

2 rounds

SUPERMAN Swim 15 reps

Gakk SQUAT 12 reps

Elbows stretching 6 reps

Main load

Good Morning

3 sets × 8 reps 

Power CLEAN

50% 2 sets × 3 reps 

60% 2 sets × 3 reps 

70% 2 sets × 3 reps 

75% 1 set × 1 rep

80% 1 set × 1 rep

Back SQUAT + Front SQUAT

70% 1 set × 3+3 reps 

80% 1 set × 2+2 reps 

90% 4 sets × 2+2 reps 

Jerk SUPPORT

90% 1 set × 1 rep 

100% 1 set × 1 rep 

105% 3 sets × 1 rep 

BOX JUMP

3 sets × 6 reps

After completing the program and performing at competitions or a MAXOUT training session, I recommend resting or reducing the load to 50-60% for 7-14 days, and after that, depending on the goals and the competitive calendar, return to either strength or competitive programs.

INTENSO CYCLE is made in two interactive visualization versions:

- for the desktop, so that it is convenient to view it on a large monitor screen;

- mobile version for use on a smartphone.

Undeniable Benefits of online weightlifting programming:

- it's more flexible - you have a training plan, the place and time the athlete chooses by themselves;

- it's more affordable – cheap isn't always better, but we all want to save money where we can. If your budget is tight, training by awesome weightlifting program pdf costs less than programming in any barbell club;

- you get professional advice - we all know we need to stay over the bar and be more explosive. But our team is always ready to answer all your questions and give as much advice as you need to achieve that goes way beyond just general advice.

In conclusion, I believe that the INTENSO CYCLE is our best Olympic weightlifting program! It is a joint result of the work of my team and our weightlifting community torokhtiy_gang.

I am sure that INTENSO CYCLE will bring you not only the pleasure of a full and high-quality training process but also the satisfaction of new results and records in the snatch and clean and jerk.