Need a workout regimine for high school weight lifting team

**Big "D" Daddy** · 11-27-2002, 07:47 AM

I am starting my first year as a high school weight lifting coach and have a lot of good routines to increase bench, but need some input on clean and jerk. If anyone could give me a workout regimine that I could share with my guys, I as well as they would be extremely thankful.

**musclehed275** · 11-28-2002, 10:01 PM

Im a high school football coach, and also coach the weightlifting team...I have formulated a workout routine, incorporated some westside, and used years of experience(20 yrs to be exact) and have come up with a good routine...Whatever you do coach, dont do what 99.99999% of football coaches do, since there is a lot of kids training at one time, they use circuit type training...this is garbage!
clean and jerk routine...what you should do is have 2 days in the week devoted to strengthening that lift! heres how i do it, and my boys got really strong...I trained the JV boys this last summer, and they were stronger than the varsity! Lets use monday and thursday as an example...monday would be the day to train the clean and jerk itself...I usually warm them up, then have them do 2 sets of 3 at around 80%.. then some plain power cleans w/out the jerk2 sets of 3..then some clean sqauts...have them do a clean, then front sqaut the weight...Ill have them do sets of 4-6 here, then do some lat work and bicep work..ill usually have then do chins 3 sets of 8, bent rows, same, and some barbell curls and hammer curls...a lot of my boys forearms and bis are so weak they suffer in the clean and jerk! the next week have them go up to 85% for 2 sets of 3, the next week90% 2 sets of 2..then the next week, try a new max!
For thursdays workout, take 40% of there one rep max on the clean and jerk, and have them do 9 sets of 2 reps, with 45 seconds rest between sets, work on form etc...have them focus on speed! This is what this workout is for, to develop speed and explosion! Tell them to clean it as fast as possible...sometimes with this age group, coordination is off, and you will have to lighten the weight to insure they are getting speed with it! after the speed reps, have them do hanging high pulls, 3 sets of 6...upright rows 3 sets of 8, shruggs, 3 sets of 6..and some stiff legged deadlifts, 3 sets of 8, and leg curls 3 sets of 8...I usually have them do there leg training before all of this, 3 sets of 5 squats..
this routine works! My guys got really strong with this! give it a shot coach!

**Cubanito17** · 11-29-2002, 10:22 AM

muscle I was tought from an OLY lifter not to do biceps if I wanna perfect the clean b/c it gets in the way?!? and it sounds like you were saying in their that their bi's aren't helpin them clean?

**musclehed275** · 11-29-2002, 02:29 PM

That is true if the biceps get too big, as you stated, it gets in the way..When your resting the weight at your chest, before jerking it, big biceps can get in the way...but i have never had a high school kid develop his biceps so big, that they got in the way! If you do have this problem, just do the hammer curls...You need to do some sort of bicep work, or you could possibly tear them..I did that in the 80's, didnt train my bis, and tore one deadlifting....my physician, which was a sport physician for the buccaneeers, told me you must train bis to keep them from tearing in lifts such as cleans and deadlifts...he had a couple of the buccaneers come in that tore biceps from cleaning, and the strength coach at the time didnt believe in bicep work...

**Cubanito17** · 11-30-2002, 08:57 AM

Musc thanks for telling me this I only have 17 inch guns so I don't have that problem but the last time I trained bi's was back in OCT 2001 I think i'll start training them again so I don't tear one like you did. Thanks for the pre warnin

**PhatBack** · 12-01-2002, 09:57 PM

Sounds like a great routine.....what sort of core upper body exercises did u have them do? and how did u incorporate them into the program?

**musclehed275** · 12-02-2002, 06:45 PM

I have them do 2 days...max effort bench day, and speed day...Max effort day would be benches (off the chest) with either bands or chains, work up to a set of failure of triples, after benches usually incline barbell or dumbell presses, 3 sets of 5, close grip benches 3 sets of 5, tricep extentions 3 sets of 5, and some pressdowns 3 sets of 8...I usually change the assistance work for tris and chest every 4 weeks, ex....after benches, do incline barbell for 4 weeks, then switch to dumbells, do the same with tricep stuff, you could do rack lockouts, close grip, instead of regular close grips, just change it up....on speed day, pick 40% of one rep max, 8 sets of 3 reps with concentration on speed!!!!!! Work on explosion! Its not for a pump or a burn, just to work the fast twitch fibers..a lot of the kids say, this is too light, go to heavy, and dont get the speed work! after this , do a high rep sets of flys 30-40 reps for endurance, then some overhead push presses, then super set side laterals with rear raises! thats it!!!They grow like weeds and get as strong as hell!

**Big "D" Daddy** · 12-03-2002, 07:52 AM

Hey man , I really appreciate the input. I am starting unofficially with them this week and will give this a try. I will keep you informed of their progress.