If you want to get your lifts up, you need to squat, squat, squat, and squat right?
yes and no. This is where it gets a bit dicey. To put it simply, if you clean 110k but can back squat 190k and front squat 170k, there’s an issue here don’t you think?
You probably need to work on your technique and specific strength, this mean to focus on the lifts. But what if you squat 130k and can Clean 120k? Then you need to get that leg strength up!
It all seems pretty straight forward, right? The problem I’ve found is that the lifters have a hard time understanding and ACCEPTING that something will go down. We can usually break the lifters into two categories:
The Strength Guy:
If you want to be successful in Weightlifting and have a massive squat but your Clean and Jerk pales in comparison, you’re probably going to have to focus on your lifts and that means your total volume will increase toward the lifts NOT the squats. Unfortunately this is where pride gets in the way, just keep reminding yourself that in OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING we DON’T test you on your squat strength! And if you still can’t get over that, than you should probably go into Powerlifitng….nothing wrong with that at all.
The Technique Guy:
Just like the “Strength Guy” it’s a hard pill to swallow, but you just need to realize the bigger picture. While your technique will drop down a bit, your overall performance level will increase as you increase your weak points, and maintain your strengths. Once you go through a strong phase of a strength block, you can than start back up into more of a balanced program. This should set you up for some nice PR’s!
This is a great article that discusses the use of the squat with high level lifters, a must read if you’re into Weightlifting: click here
[…] Every good Weightlifting Coach knows that it’s subjective to the person and depending on what their needs are- strength or technique, I talk about that briefly Here. […]