Training methods and planning

From the Experience of Preparing K. Osmonaliev, Champion of the XXII Olympic Games

R. A. Roman, Cand. Sc. (Pedagogy), and E. E. Rysin, Moscow; S. D. Itkin, Frunze

English summary of Tyazhelaya Atletika. Ezhegodnik 1984 (Moscow: Fizkultura i Sport, 1984), pp. 29–33: the text is paraphrased, not translated; data tables are given in full with English labels.

Kanybek Osmonaliev, born on 19 November 1953, began weightlifting on 20 November 1970, aged 17, at 150 cm and 48 kg. He won world titles in 1978, 1979 and 1981 and the Olympic title in 1980. His early progress was very fast: he made the Master of Sport standard in March 1973, after 2 years 5 months of training, and became a Master of Sport of International Class in March 1976, after 5 years 5 months. By the end of his second year he had reached the level typical of the strongest lifters at that training age, and in years 3 to 5 he even gained faster than their average; later his results matched their averages (Table 1).

Table 1. Osmonaliev's results, body weight and height by year of training

His preparation for the Moscow Games can now be assessed against known average volumes and intensities for comparable lifters. The final stage had two cycles: 11 March to 12 May, ending with the individual USSR championship, and, after five days' rest, 18 May to 19 July, with the Games on 20 July. Each had 5 preparatory and 4 competitive weeks.

Volume

In the preparatory period he did 3210 lifts in 5 weeks (2795 per 4-week month) in the first cycle and 2844 (2447) in the second (Table 2). The competitive month brought 1139 lifts before the USSR championship and 1669 before the Games. Against the averages, his volume was higher in the preparatory months, lower before the USSR championship and higher before the Olympics; in every period it rose in the first weeks and dropped in the last two.

Table 2. Barbell lifts in different exercises per monthly training block

* In brackets, averages for comparable lifters.

The main exercises (snatch, clean and jerk, clean pulls, squats) average 73% of lifts in the preparatory month and 75% in the competitive month, about 1570 and 1090. Osmonaliev did fewer only in the first cycle's competitive month, yet squats were too few in the second cycle's preparatory period, and clean pulls in both competitive months.

Intensity

Intensity can be judged from average training weight and from the number of lifts at 71% and above and at 90% and above in the snatch and clean-and-jerk exercises, and at 101% and above in pulls and squats (Tables 3 and 4). For comparable lifters the averages at 71% and above are about 486 in the preparatory and 448 in the competitive month, and at 90% and above 66 and 81. In the first cycle's preparatory month he made 796 such lifts, 132 of them at 90% and above, more than average. In its competitive month he made only 331 lifts at 71% and above, in the authors' view too few; he repeated his previous result at the USSR championship thanks to 98 lifts at 90% and above.

Table 3. Average training weight in different exercises

Table 4. Lifts at medium and maximal intensity

* In brackets, averages for other lifters.

In the second cycle intensity was very high in the snatch in the preparatory period and about average in cleans and jerks. In the competitive period the snatch was average and cleans and jerks slightly below: cleans at 71% and above were optimal in total but too few at 90% and above, and jerks at 71% and above slightly under average.

In clean pulls the first cycle's preparatory weight was apparently too high, with many lifts at 101% and above then but too few in the competitive month; in the second cycle the preparatory weight was too low and both periods had too few such lifts. Squat weights and lifts at 101% and above were adequate only in the first cycle's preparatory period. His squat then stood at 170 kg, against an average of 187.5 kg and a minimum of 175 kg for his category, so he needed leg work above the average, and the lack of leg and pulling strength kept him from improving his jerk. Other weights were about right, except snatch pulls, too heavy in the preparatory periods.

Repetitions, tempo and last maximal lifts

Preparation also depends on multiple repetitions (4 or more per set) and on slow-tempo, yielding, holding and mixed exercises. Table 5 shows much repetition work in the preparatory periods; in the competitive months the main exercises had an optimal amount, presses and bends little. Slow-tempo, yielding, holding and mixed exercises were rare: 261 lifts in four months, about 65 a month.

Table 5. Lifts in sets of four or more repetitions

His last maximal lifts before the Games came 5 days out at 90% and 9 days at 95–100% in the snatch; 11 days in the clean and jerk (90%, 95%, 100%); 9 days in squats (over 100–110%); and 20 days in clean pulls (over 100–110%).