The first one has you lift 3x/wk, the latter 4x/wk , which means that if I'd do it 3x/wk it becomes essentially a 16-wk program.
My first idea was to go with the Australian one as I really prefer lifting 3x/wk but upon comparing the auxiliary lifts, I really preferred the American program, esp since I'm preferring chins over extra pressing as well as a lot of people I know, do box jumps.
I'd like to ask whether anyone has done one or both of these programs and/or could comment on it.. especially on whether both programs would be suitable for someone who's not a novice anymore but doesn't feel she's intermediate yet.
Don't you have a coach? If you don't, you should get one and follow what he/she recommends. You're still a novice. (I'm barely out of the beginner stage myself)
Was very pleased to hear back from Burgener himself.. no idea he was such a respected coach.
Told me that everyone, including novices could use the program as it's based on %s of 1RM and therefore is adaptable.
Mkay.... well, the purpose of a coach, IMO, is to do several things:
1. Design a training program based on YOUR needs
2. Ensure you are performing the lifts in a consistent, safe, and technically proficient way
3. Kick your ass when it needs to be kicked
So I'm a little surprised that yours will give you no guidance on the first item, since presumably from watching you do the lifts he/she can see where you need more or less work.
Originally I'd wanted to go with a German program, but those people (responsible for selling the program that comes on a cd-rom) never got back to me either, just like Ian.
Mike Burgener OTOH is totally awesome in the feedback he gave to me.. thought the program wouldn't need any further clarification, but apparently I was wrong.
The most difficult aspect was understanding what a particular exercise referred to as a % of 1RM. Turns out that quite a few exercises are not done with reference to their OWN 1RM/100% but as a % towards either the clean or snatch. Or in some cases the other way round. Way different!
This is not always obvious from the get go as I e.g. did a Romanian DL on the 2nd workout, where the task was to do 5 sets of 8 reps @ 85%.. hmm wasn't the 8RM supposed to be 80% of your 1RM?
Leafing forwards brings me to sets of 5 reps @ 100%.
Hmm I suppose this is either a mistake with the RDL exercise being a % of a different exercise OR
are you supposed to improve on your lifting capacity so quickly you can do 5 reps at your previous 1RM (100%?).
It can't be as a % of DL since most people DL more than they RDL.
In any case.. it's really neat to actually do a program that's entirely geared towards 1 goal, doing a meet. Even when I'd not do one, it's still fun.
Mkay.... well, the purpose of a coach, IMO, is to do several things:
1. Design a training program based on YOUR needs
2. Ensure you are performing the lifts in a consistent, safe, and technically proficient way
3. Kick your ass when it needs to be kicked
So I'm a little surprised that yours will give you no guidance on the first item, since presumably from watching you do the lifts he/she can see where you need more or less work.
For sure..
I would say that the program matters very little for someone just learning the lifts. Just getting practice is what is going to make the biggest difference.
I don't know shit all about olympic lifting, but from powerlifting when I get a new guy its just the very basics until they get the hang of things. Just working on technique on the main lifts and unless form is looking very good, weights are not going to get all that heavy.
That's probably quite right, but I was getting bored from not getting much additional work from my trainer, so added some stuff on my own which really helped like OH squats, split squats as well as drop snatches/snatch balances.
This particular program does quite a lot of partial stuff which I like & enjoy.
The tweaking needed is mostly re-interpretations of %s since nearly everything goes back to either a snatch or a clean/jerk , which are too low for making the extra stuff challenging unless the %s are based on that lift itself (or a xRM of it)
Deciding between 2 Oly programs
(I'm barely out of the beginner stage myself)
Linear Mode
