Competition Preparation

Weightlifting pre-competition training planning and important matters
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1 month is usually appropriate. Under normal circumstances, week 1 and 2 have a heavy load, reaching 90% intensity and above. As fatigue appears, week 3 uses a small training load, intensity changing from 90% to 60-70%. The fourth week is the final week before the competition. Intensity is gradually increased, from 60% to 90% or above. The training should take into account the athlete's individual situation; unorthodox methods can be used in some cases.

Week 1 and 2: High load, emphasis on strength/fitness and intensity in competition movements, creating fatigue in athlete
Firstly, decrease overall volume, increase intensity. Decrease supplementary movements, increasing competition movements, decreasing weekly no. training sessions, decreasing reps per set. By the second week, intensity reaches 90-95%, but reps and sets reduce (no more than 2 reps per set). Requirements are coordinated movements, accurate and fast. Supplementary moverments will help improving the technique of sn/CJ. Keep an appropriate training volume for legs, arms, core and shoulders but with low number of sets and weights. Athlete should do these with ease.
Secondly, gradually reduce volume and intensity. Exercises should concentrate on competition movements and a few supplementary movements. No GPP. Reduce strength training; should have already stopped heavy good mornings, strict press, squats and narrow pulls. Training dominated by speed and power to create a good environment for recovery.

Week 3: 
First, reduce repetitions where weight is moved overhead, then reduce training sessions per week, meanwhile intensity can go above 80%. This reduces overall load, whilst maintaining a high energy level and helps increase max weight and explosive power.
If the athlete achieves optimal strength results and is very excited then intensity must be controlled. Don't allow the athlete to constantly challenge his max weight to prevent burnout before competition.

Week 4:
Decrease proportion of supplementary movements and decrease intensity. Increase supporting exercises. Decrease training load from 80% to below 60%. Competition movement intensity maintained at 85-90%. If the competition is on Saturday, then Monday should have a snatch and CJ max weight test, with several sets at 70-80% to consolidate technique. Supplementary movements should always be medium weight, low reps and sets. Rest and ball games on Tuesday. Wednesday could have competition movement training, requiring weight to reach opening attempts for 1-2 sets, 1 rep per set, cultivate competition feeling. Appropriately have some support, squat and pull exercises to keep muscles tense. Light weight, fast competition movements on Thursday, emphasising speed, coordination and accuracy, adding in fast pulls if necessary. Rest or some technique work with small weights for ~30min on Friday, keeping bodyweight in check.

Others important factors to pay attention to:

(1) Strengthen ideological education, to help inspire athletes to achieve maximal results.

(2) Ensure a good success rate to build self confidence. Repeatedly practise technique and understand every kind of un-favourable situation and how to deal with them. To guarantee success at opening attempts, that weight should be practised many times before competition, every set aiming to be successful.

If the opener fails, it will influence the next 2 attempts, therefore when planning high intensity work, have a low number of repetitions per set and mix up resting times to help adapt to competition requirements.

(3) Rational planning of assistance movements; pay attention in selection of assistance movements, selecting only those giving the best results. Thesee should be similar to the standard lifts, aiming to help improve coordination and accuracy in the standard lifts. Heavy deadlifts and pause half squats should not be programmed.

(4) Athletes level of excitement must be controlled. Some athletes physical strength and excitement levels can get high, but their control may not be good, they will want to try heavy weights, always secretly adding weight when the coach isn't paying attention. This must not be allowed, and it must be explained the athlete should stick to the program to not lose good competition state.

(5) Bodyweight control. If the bodyweight is not 2kg over the weight class, it can be reduced in the final week before the competition. If bodyweight exceeds 2kg over the weight class, weight control should begin 2 weeks before competition, controlling diet (which should be high protein), eg: beef, egg, multivitamins, salt and other nutritional supplements to prevent muscle cramps. Athletes losing bodyweight should rest a little longer between sets. As the competition draws closer, training load and intensity should gradually reduce, especially in less suitable auxillary work for the given athlete.

(6) Pre competition injury prevention. Athletes must be prepared well for pre-competition training, pay attention to the training, and treat each lift seriously. During the competition special attention must be paid to avoiding injury.

(7) If several competitions are done in a row, there should be no high intensity training between them, only normal training, to help maintain the competition state.