Olympic lifting programming

[Moriel218]

Hi,

As an extension to this topic http://startingstrength.com/resource...ifting-lp.html, I am reaching the end of LP. Well, at least the LP where I've put quite an amount of time in order to say 'I've squeezed the most out of it'. Sure, if I gain another 20 kilograms, it would go much further, but now after gaining first 20, and not really rushing anywhere, I will start on intermediate programming, and continue gaining. As described in the previous topic, I'd like to take more weightlifting oriented route though, while keeping strength training in focus (meaning Squat, Bench, OHP, and as I said not much deadlifting but I will come back to this again later).

I'm picking one of those programs:

Transitioning to Olympic weightlifting from a general strength background. | Glenn Pendlay, which is basically the same as Justin Lascek's.

or

Monday: Back Squat 3x5, Bench 1x5
Wednesday: Snatch, C+J, Front Squat 3x3
Friday: Back Squat 3x5, Press 3x5, Deadlift 1x5, Chins
Saturday: Snatch, C+J


But I have couple of questions first.

I am not planning to compete in near future. I just want to practice, I enjoy speed/power lifts, and I want to maintain my strength based on slow lifts. I can always do some period of Texas Method, while keeping clean and snatch in it. Hell, I can run cycle of Smolov for squat in CERTAIN period. Otherwise on this type of program, I'd keep practicing C+J and Snatch, and still slowly progressing on pressing, and keep squat in focus.

Since I finally managed to be able to overhead squat(it feels heavy on shoulders, I also had problems with right shoulder so had to get corticosteroid injections, but whatever), and do kind of unstable full snatch, but still a snatch, I need to ask:

1) Why is training assistance movements, like, overhead squat, clean pulls, power clean, and split jerks not recommended in the beginning? I understand that OHS won't improve Snatch by itself, but it doesn't make sense to me that it supposedly doesn't help. I wouldn't even dare making the first attempt of snatch with empty bar had I not successfully overhead squated it. Likewise for C&J - how is training split jerk separately not helping? How will I safely manage to up the weights at some point, if I didn't make sure that technique and stability are right on track to finish the movement?

There's a minor detail I didn't mention anywhere. I train in commercial gym because I have no other choice. Not now. I can't drop the weights. So it would make perfect sense to train separate movements, regardless if I do snatch and C&J just for practice for the first year, without maxing out. So it would improve technique and psychological aspect, and with time my lifts should increase, so once I stabilize at certain weight, I can safely add and handle more, is this not correct?

2) Can I replace Deadlift or RDL from aforementioned programs with just Clean Pulls? Would it not be more productive for weightlifting technique, since low bar Squat already covers the benefits of DL?

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

I'm not an expert on OLY lifting. I just don't have enough experience prepping OLY lifters for competition to speak with a lot of authority on the best methods for training the C&J and the Snatch.

I train a lot of athletes using the power snatch / power clean and what I can tell you is that the omission of the Deadlift is a mistake.

Also you can't train for OLY lifting at a globo gym. Sorry. Missed reps mean loud noises and missed reps are a part of OLY lifting