The Performance Menu Journal

02/02/2024

Weightlifting Programming: A Winning Coach's Guide
by Bob Takano

Weightlifting Programming: A Winning Coach’s Guide by Bob Takano is the most thorough English-language book available on the subject of program planning for Olympic-style weightlifting. Takano covers the theoretical and practical issues, the biological and mathematical underpinnings, and provides a straightforward process for developing training programs with plentiful examples.

NOTE: Holiday delays are extending time for books to ship by as much as 2-3 weeks! Ordering from Amazon.com is likely to be faster. by Bob Takano 7 x 10" 244 pages See Kindle EditionSee iBook Edition Weightlifting Programming: A Winning Coach’s Guide by Bob Takano is the most thorough English-lang...

01/02/2024

Sn**ch With No Jump

Learn how to perform it, why to use it, how to incorporate it into your training program, variations and more!

https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercise/400/Sn**ch-With-No-Jump/

The sn**ch with no jump can be used to help improve balance, leg drive power and timing, bar-body interaction, and timing of the pull under in the sn**ch. Set your sn**ch starting position, but with your feet in your squat instead of pulling stance. Note that the exercise can be done in the pul

30/01/2024

Positivity for Productivity in Olympic Weightlifting
by Greg Everett

A practical guide for weightlifters and coaches on using positivity to improve the effectiveness of training and coaching

A practical guide for weightlifters and coaches on using positivity to improve the effectiveness of training and coaching

29/01/2024

Not A Speed (Panda) Pull... Just Being Lazy

Pulls serve a number of purposes and the emphasis changes with the variation, but what never changes is the need to always train proper balance, timing and control.

I discourage speed pulls for most of you because they’re tough to truly do well—most people just cut the extension short to pull down, which means training a worse finish in the sn**ch and clean.

So either do them or don’t—don’t do the weird gray area pull that’s training every aspect poorly.

If you tend to cut your pull short, stick to conventional pulls and dial that in.

If you’re good at finishing your pulls but are slow to transition or pull down, then try adding some speed pulls along with your conventional pulls.

And keep yourself honest with regular video checks—don’t get lazy.

Pulls serve a number of purposes and the emphasis changes with the variation, but what never changes is the need to always train proper balance, timing and c...

15/12/2023

Pause Squats For Olympic Weightlifting

Pause squats are effective at building leg strength in the lowest range of motion, increasing rate of force development, strengthening the trunk and a more upright squat posture, and improving mobility. They’re a smart addition to almost any lifter’s training at least at some times.

That said, I often combine pause squats in a set with at least one normal tempo rep, especially with front squats, for a few simple reasons:

First, it allows the loading to be a little heavier while still benefitting from the pause.

Second, we still want to train the timing and neurological elements of bouncing out of the bottom, as well as condition the joints, to support the clean, which is one reason it’s more important to include normal tempo reps for the front squat than back squat.

And finally, while pause squats build basic trunk strength well, we also need to build the strength to stabilize during a more dynamic and potentially imperfect motion through the bottom. Again, this is even more true for the front squat, in which we need to be able to resist the force as we hit the bottom that’s trying to collapse the rack and trunk forward.

When you first introduce pause squats to your training, you’re likely going to have to use as much as 15-20% less weight than you would normally for a given number of reps, but with consistent training, that gap will close significantly. Make sure to pause at least 2 seconds to get the maximal benefit.

Try including pauses in one of your squat days for at least a few weeks to see how it helps.

Pause squats are effective at building leg strength in the lowest range of motion, increasing rate of force development, strengthening the trunk and a more u...

14/12/2023

Moving from Textbook to Idiosyncratic Technique in the Sn**ch and Clean & Jerk
by Greg Everett

Why a solid foundation of textbook technique is important for long term success, and when to experiment with idiosyncratic technique

Why a solid foundation of textbook technique is important for long term success, and when to experiment with idiosyncratic technique

12/12/2023

Jump To Split

Learn how to perform it, why to use it, how to incorporate it into your training program, variations and more!

https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercise/411/Jump-To-Split/

The jump to split trains quick foot movement into the proper split position, and strength and confidence in that position. Place a bar behind the neck as you would for a back squat and hold it tightly against your traps to prevent movement. Brace your trunk and ensure even balance over the whol

11/12/2023

Learn The Olympic Lifts from Greg Everett

Learn the sn**ch, clean and jerk from one of the most recognized Olympic weightlifting coaches in the world using proven methodology. Follow a series of complete sessions guiding you through with easy-to-follow video to learn how to sn**ch, clean and jerk, as well as all the fundamentals critical for beginners to build a strong foundation.

08/12/2023

Your Unreasonable Expectation of Comfort in Weightlifting
by Greg Everett

You need to take care of yourself and be smart, but being a weightlifter means accepting some pain and discomfort along the way.

You need to take care of yourself and be smart, but being a weightlifter means accepting some pain and discomfort along the way.

07/12/2023

Clean

Learn how to perform it, why to use it, how to incorporate it into your training program, variations and more!

https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercise/59/Clean/

The clean is the first part of the second of the two lifts—the sn**ch and the clean & jerk—contested in the sport of weightlifting (AKA Olympic weightlifting). The athlete lifts the barbell from the floor to the shoulders. With a clean-width grip (hands half a fist to a fist-width outside t

05/12/2023

Do You Release The Hook Grip In The Sn**ch?

Whether or not you should keep the hook grip overhead in the sn**ch depends on one thing: can you achieve the proper hand and wrist position overhead, without pain, with the hook or not?

If you can, there’s no need to release the hook grip in the turnover. The benefits to maintaining it are obvious: it’s less complicated, and it’s easier to maintain a tight connection to the bar throughout the turnover.

If your build and mobility won’t allow you to hold the bar properly overhead with the hook, or maintaining it is painful, you’ll need to release it at the end of the turnover. This is more common among men in heavier weight classes.

The goal is to slide the thumb out without opening the grip any more than necessary, and to wait until the hands are turning over and transitioning from pulling against the bar to pushing against it, when there is essentially no tension. This prevents a loss of connection during the pull under and turnover, and allows the release to be quick.

Muscle sn**ches will allow you to practice this release of the hook with a slower motion initially—focus on timing the release as late as possible, immediately before you punch up into the bar.

If you do maintain the hook grip, you still want to avoid gripping the bar too tightly overhead. Excessive grip tension will limit the speed at which you can extend the elbows into a locked position and may even prevent complete lockout. As you finish the turnover, allow the grip to relax just enough for the hand to settle into the proper position for stability and maximal elbow extension.

Also be sure to use the hook grip with all of your sn**ch-related overhead exercises like overhead squats, sn**ch balances and sn**ch push presses to condition your hands and wrists accordingly.

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Please share & subscribe! https://bit.ly/2Z20hpZWhether or not you should keep the hook grip overhead in the sn**ch depends on one thing: can you achieve t...

04/12/2023

Olympic Weightlifting for Sports
by Greg Everett

From the author of what has been called the best book on Olympic weightlifting, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches, comes Olympic Weightlifting for Sports. This book focuses on athletes and coaches outside of the competitive weightlifting world to present a method of teaching the Olympic lifts and their variants simply, safely and effectively to all types of athletes. Also includes information on program design and flexibility training to prepare athletes to perform the lifts.

CLEARANCE SALE We need to clear out stock, so we're dropping the price a ton. By Greg Everett 6x9" 104 pages See Kindle EditionSee iBook Edition See Portuguese Language Edition From the author of what has been called the best book on Olympic weightlifting, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for...

30/11/2023

Pause Jerk Dip

Learn how to perform it, why to use it, how to incorporate it into your training program, variations and more!

https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercise/626/Pause-Jerk-Dip/

The pause jerk dip is a partial jerk exercise to strengthen the dip position—in particular the ability to arrest the downward movement of the weight in order to drive back up. It is not the same as a jerk dip squat. Stand in your jerk drive stance with the bar in the jerk rack position. Brace

28/11/2023

Olympic Weightlifting Program Modification for Injury
by Greg Everett

How to modify Olympic weightlifting training to work around injuries while still being productive

How to modify Olympic weightlifting training to work around injuries while still being productive

27/11/2023

Quit Scraping Your Shins In The Sn**ch & Clean

No, having bloody shins doesn’t mean you’re doing a good job keeping the bar close in the pull—it means you’re doing something wrong, and putting the rest of us at risk for communicable diseases while you’re at it.

There are 3 primary reasons for the bar scraping your shins.

First is starting the lift with your shoulders behind the bar. The bar wants to hang directly below the shoulders. If your shoulders are behind the bar, the bar tries to move backward to get under them—but your shins are blocking its path, so it scrapes its way up. Related, be sure you’re not starting the bar too far back over the foot. Fix your starting position so your shoulders are above or very slightly in front of the bar, and the bar is over the balls of the foot.

Second, you need to settle down with your lats. If your posture in the first pull is what it should be, your shoulders will be right above the bar or very close to it, which means it will require very little effort to keep the bar close to the legs below the knees. Don’t grind it into yourself because you just learned about lats.

Finally, even if your starting position and initial pulling posture are good and you’re not freaking out about the lats, you’re still going to snag your shins with the bar if you start opening your hips too soon in the pull, which brings the shoulders behind the bar. Your shoulders should be above or in front of the bar until it’s around mid-thigh.

Conveniently enough, you can practice and fix all of this with a single exercise—a halting sn**ch or clean deadlift. Set the proper starting position, keep the shoulders above the bar until past the knee and don’t push it against your shins, and pause at mid-thigh with the shoulders in front of the bar, and yes—use your lats there to push the bar back into light contact with your legs.

Please share & subscribe! https://bit.ly/2Z20hpZNo, having bloody shins doesn’t mean you’re doing a good job keeping the bar close in the pull—it means you...

10/11/2023

Weightlifting Program Design: The Week Structure
by Greg Everett

A look at how to structure and schedule training in a week of Olympic weightlifting program design.

A look at how to structure and schedule training in a week of Olympic weightlifting program design.

09/11/2023

Power Clean With No Jump

Learn how to perform it, why to use it, how to incorporate it into your training program, variations and more!

https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercise/695/Power-Clean-With-No-Jump/

The power clean with no jump can be used to help improve balance, leg drive power and timing, bar-body interaction, and timing of the pull under in the clean. Set your clean starting position. Note that cleans without jump are typically done with the feet in the squat stance, but because you wo

06/11/2023

Are Masters Weightlifting Programs Gimmicks?

Stacy Asks: Do you think there is a valuable or significant difference between regular lifting programs and ones targeted for masters? I’ve been following the catalyst athletic programs for years and had great progress and success with them. I’m noticing more and more Barbell clubs offering specific “Masters” programming, though. So, I’m wondering if there is something different to those programs that I should be paying attention to or if they are just a gimmick. Your thoughts??

Please share & subscribe! https://bit.ly/2Z20hpZSubmit a question here - https://bit.ly/2OhYXvyStacy Asks: Do you think there is a valuable or significant ...

12/10/2023

Leaving Your Coach

Jen Asks: What are some tips on how to leave a coach/team for another? How do you approach the situation without burning bridges? Or how would you approach the situation?

Please share & subscribe! https://bit.ly/2Z20hpZ Jen Asks: What are some tips on how to leave a coach/team for another? How do you approach the situation w...

10/10/2023

Ask Greg: Learning to Actively Pull Under the Bar
by Greg Everett

Learning how to make the movement under the bar in the sn**ch and clean an active one.

Learning how to make the movement under the bar in the sn**ch and clean an active one.

09/10/2023

Sn**ch Deadlift To Power Position

Learn how to perform it, why to use it, how to incorporate it into your training program, variations and more!

https://www.catalystathletics.com/exercise/443/Sn**ch-Deadlift-To-Power-Position/

The sn**ch deadlift to power position is a variation that artificially moves into the power position and stops short of full extension. It can be used for remediation in lifters who have extraordinary trouble with this phase of the lift, but should be avoided otherwise to prevent lifters from trying