Olympic programming/Reduced number of squat sets

[RobLikesBrunch]

Hey,

Until recently, I was doing the advanced novice program (http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wi...Novice_Program).

Since then, I've decided to get into Olympic lifting and it has thrown my programming out the window. I'm still just learning the Olympic lifts and am getting a hang of things, and as of now, my coach is being fairly loose with what I do each day. I suspect that part is this is simply because I'm just starting out, but also because he's simply lazy and knows that I'm only sticking around for the summer and doesn't want to invest time in me.

Maudlin complaints aside, I try to get as much training in as is reasonable outside of Olympic lifting and am having a little difficulty managing it all. I'm often fairly wiped out after my Olympic training (it's MTWF) and I'm finding it difficult to get through another workout afterwords (I'm doing strength training on Mondays and Fridays).

Right now, I sort of picked some random shit and made it into a workout. I'm more ignorant than I'd like to be and it's likely I'm doing some stupid shit. Anyway, here's what I have:

Mondays:
5x2 Front Squat
5x3 Press
5x1 Deadlift
3 sets of dips
3 sets of chin ups

Fridays:
5x2 Squat
5x3 Bench Press
3 sets of pull ups
3 sets of curls (you might disdain me for these, but I have great difficulty developing arm strength and they've helped)


Right now I'm considering changing the squat to 5x1 instead of 5x2. I'm 6' tall, 173ish (I know, need to eat more, blahblahlbah. I'm starting 1/2gomad and actually tracking my calories to force myself to eat 5000+ a day. I'm looking to be in the 94kg weight class, so gains need to be made!) but I'm squatting in the low 400s (and I go down far below parallel, some people say too far--they're legitimate squats) and a single set of squats is a considerable effort for me....and two sets just feels tolling (not to mention I have to rest 10+ minutes). I've been going up 10lbs every session, but I expect that to slow down soon. I have a twin who's squatting in the upper 400s and only does a single set, and he told me that once he decreased to 1 set, his squat soared up and went better in general.

Doing only 1 set seems like a big departure from the 3 sets described in SS. Is this really a good move? I sort of see it like the single set deadlifts. My squats are pretty damn heavy, and doing more than one set just seems like too much to me. I should add that I have never, since I started doing SS in January, failed a set of squats. So I don't think they're too heavy....they're just getting hard; it seems screaming has been a recent development in my lifting.

I know I just unloaded a lot of information for a relatively simple question, but I'd like some general advice on my programming, how stupid it is and what can be improved. I feel very anxious about making programming decisions (instead of just blindly following what it says in SS, etc) and don't feel I have enough experience to come up with anything reasonable.

I don't have cleans/Olympic lifts as they're taken care of when I'm being coached.

[Greg C]

Here's some stuff to read:

http://www.mikesgym.org/programs/index.php

http://www.irongarmx.net/phpBB2/view...p?f=5&t=214298 (make sure you read the links over at bb.com (I know))

http://www.cathletics.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=14 (some decent tidbits here)

http://www.cathletics.com/daily/date...thname=January (use the pulldown menu under training cycles for ideas)

This'll get you started reading.

[Tamara Reynolds]

My programming right now is all heavy singles. I snatch and clean and jerk 5 days a week, squat 3 days a week, and front squat 2 days a week. I'm also pressing and deadlifting. Although it is a big change, and I have felt a little beat up, I have still been able to consistently hit above 90% on all my lifts. In fact, I set a press PR on Thursday and then another one today.

I can't continually squat sets of 5 and still recover with my Oly schedule. No way. Singles are less volume but at a higher percentage of my max, and the decreased volume is designed to allow for that recovery. It's only been a few weeks, but I really like it so far.

[Greg C]

I'd actually like to try Broz's training scheme (the IGX thread), but at 41, I suspect I would simply die rather than recover before I ever adapted. Although he evidently still does that (essentially max effort on the quicks each day, back off 20-30kg then doubles on each, then heavy squats, front or back each day - sometimes PR, sometimes not, whatever he can handle) - program seems kind of self-regulating, but as I am a wuss, I suspect I would regulate to not worth the effort.

[Tamara Reynolds]

I'd actually like to try Broz's training scheme (the IGX thread), but at 41, I suspect I would simply die rather than recover before I ever adapted. Although he evidently still does that (essentially max effort on the quicks each day, back off 20-30kg then doubles on each, then heavy squats, front or back each day - sometimes PR, sometimes not, whatever he can handle) - program seems kind of self-regulating, but as I am a wuss, I suspect I would regulate to not worth the effort.

I, in fact, suspect that I might die from my current programming. But, the self-regulating happens, and I don't think I've been as much of a wuss as I thought I would be. I can't jerk 5x a week yet, and I doubt I ever will be able to. My shoulders just can't deal with it. But, I mix in behind the neck jerks, which don't kill me as much, and then I'm pressing. So, I still go overhead every day.

[Greg C]

My next quarter of programming has me going overhead 4-5 days/week (Pressing and quick lifts combined). I'm working to find ways to increase my strength while increasing the number of weekly efforts working the olympic lifts. I'm using 5/3/1 on squats (and will transition the other lifts as it becomes necessary) as I feel that kind of intermediate strength program will allow me to have the extra focus on olympic lifts. I'll try this for the quarter, then probably try something else. Possibly ladders as they have a self-regulating component to them.

[Per]

My programming right now is all heavy singles. I snatch and clean and jerk 5 days a week, squat 3 days a week, and front squat 2 days a week. I'm also pressing and deadlifting. Although it is a big change, and I have felt a little beat up, I have still been able to consistently hit above 90% on all my lifts. In fact, I set a press PR on Thursday and then another one today.

I can't continually squat sets of 5 and still recover with my Oly schedule. No way. Singles are less volume but at a higher percentage of my max, and the decreased volume is designed to allow for that recovery. It's only been a few weeks, but I really like it so far.

I do the same but 4 days a week, 2 is max days. I also do alot of reps on squats after max attempts.

and Tbone, do you do regular presses or push presses? Presses dosent seem to help my jerk at all.

[RobLikesBrunch]

Here's some stuff to read:

http://www.mikesgym.org/programs/index.php

http://www.irongarmx.net/phpBB2/view...p?f=5&t=214298 (make sure you read the links over at bb.com (I know))

http://www.cathletics.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=14 (some decent tidbits here)

http://www.cathletics.com/daily/date...thname=January (use the pulldown menu under training cycles for ideas)

This'll get you started reading.

Thanks for the links and everyone else for the general advice/experience. I'm still reluctant to make further programming decisions myself, but I'm going to go over these with my coach and try to formulate something decent for a novice lifter like myself.

[Greg C]

I do the same but 4 days a week, 2 is max days. I also do alot of reps on squats after max attempts.

and Tbone, do you do regular presses or push presses? Presses dosent seem to help my jerk at all.

In general, push presses and heavy jerks (doubles and triples) are what you need to do for jerk training imo. Regular press is a good exercise, but there is just about zero correlation to a well-executed jerk.