Week 8

Day 1
Clean and jerk: 5 singles @ 90% or higher
Clean pull: 3 sets of 3 reps @ 95-105% (of max clean)
Back squat: 5 sets of 3 reps

Day 2
Snatch: 5 singles @ 90% or higher
Snatch pull: 3 sets of 3 reps @ 95-105% (of max clean)
Front squat: 3 sets of 3 reps

Day 3 (optional)
Power snatch: 3 singles @ 80% or higher (of max snatch)
Power clean + power jerk: 3 singles @ 80% or higher (of max clean and jerk)

Day 4
Snatch: 1RM
Clean and jerk: 1RM
Back squat: 3RM

We are changing things up a little this week and focusing more on heavier singles in the snatch and clean and jerk. The goal each day is to get to 90% on either the snatch or the clean and jerk, and if it feels good to continue to push the weights up heavier if possible. Otherwise, we just get some good reps in at 90% and try to build consistency and familiarity with those heavy weights. Start counting once you get to 90%, and take no more than five attempts at that weight or higher, whether you make your lifts or not. These are NOT days to miss a bunch and hope to get lucky and make a PR. We want to continue to push heavier weights and also build consistency!

I am including pulls this week instead of the deadlifts. The key to executing this properly is to keep the bar close to your body at all times. At no point should the bar be more than a few centimeters away from you, and really it should be in contact or nearly in contact at all times. This includes the contact at the hip and after! Your hips should NOT be moving horizontally and sending the bar out in front of you upon contact, and this drill will teach you not to do that. Rather, the bar and hips should meet together as you extend your legs and hips vertically. We will talk more about this on Tuesday. The weights chosen should allow you to be fast at the top of the lift. These are not deadlifts, they are pulls, and they are meant to be fast and explosive at the top!

The powers on Day 3 (if you do them) should be done with technique that exactly mimics that of the full lifts. The ONLY difference between a power snatch and a full snatch is that there is more weight on the bar so you have to meet it lower. The feet should land in exactly the same position. The goal is always to tighten up against the bar immediately, and the only thing that changes where you stop is how high your leg and hip extension was able to get the bar at the top of the pull. Do NOT go heavier if you cannot make your powers look like the full lifts!

For the squats, we are just continuing the linear progression. Keep adding weight little by little and getting stronger and stronger.