(Originally found here, on GreenwoodWeightlifting)
Program Cliffs:
- 10 Week program, 3 days per week
- This a complete cycle, designed to run from a general strength phase up to peaking for a competition
- This program shows loading per session and for the week. This helps give an idea of the training impact, similar to programs that utilize tonnage or total reps
- There is some variability built into the program to allow each lifter to utilize accessory lifts that best suit their needs and address weaknesses
- The second phase also has scheduled 15 minute technique work for refinement
- The % ramps up over the course of the program, with initial phases built more for consistency and strength, and later phases gearing toward heavier lifts
- Greenwood Weightlifting Club also included a couple post-competition phases on their website which serve as conditioning and transitional phases before starting a new cycle
Please review the user comments. One user noted he lifted at Greenwood Club and clarified some information on the cycle.
The source link above has 8 posted files, extending all the way until July 2014. The spreadsheet I have created only uses 5 of those files for the cycle, and includes two additional cycles for post-competition work.
Checking the calendar and starting from the first week in January 2014, this program likely was to last only until around May. I tried to find the exact date of the competition this program peaked toward and one source showed May 2014. This also is logical because the Conditioning and Transitional phases are posted for May and June, and a July program posted in the above link seems to be the start of a new program with lower weights. Also, if I included all 8 files as one giant program, then the cycle would run to high percentages (peaking) and then suddenly revert back into conditioning work prior to doing more lower volume training again. I believe the July 2014 file from the source link is simply the start of a new program.
Just to give you some background. This was the last program that Giles wrote when he was at Bethnal Green. It was the program I trained with when I was there and it is was geared towards getting lifters ready for the 2 main competitions in the UK; The English Championships in January/ February and The British Championships in June/July. Cycles 1,2 and 3 built up to the English. Cycles 4 and 5 Built up to the British.
ReplyDeleteAfter that Giles left Bethnal Green and so the programming from July onwards was not really a full program as he moved to Loughborough to coach the Elite ladies squad.
In my experience cycles 1 and 2 are fantastic for sharpening up the technique in the main lifts and I regularly use those rep and intensity progressions if I want to get greater exposure to the lifts.
Thank you very much for clarifying the cycle dates and the extra info on the program.
DeleteI added a note for other user's to check your comment.
Thanks again!
Thanks for the clarification! So testing was done after cycles 1,2 and 3 were completed? Because cycle 3 has a lot of pulls in it which seems weird for a peaking week before competition. Thanks again!
DeleteThis is by far the best program for begginer lifters(under five year olympic lifting).
ReplyDeleteI have been using this cycle for about 6 months, i feel really comfortable lifting near max attemps, in comparison to the Torokhity programs, in which i felt that when the time came to lift heavy, i had somehow forgotten how to.
My only recommendation would be to not use your true max attemps, maybe 2 - 5% less on Snatch and Clean n Jerk and at least 15 - 20% for front and back squat.
Other than that, amazing program
You say 10 weeks in the description, but I see 16 weeks. What am I missing?
ReplyDeleteHey Robbie,
ReplyDeleteThis may have just been a typo on my part when putting all the sheets together. I'll look it all over to be sure.
For now, consider using cycles 1-5 as suggested above and just plan it out as 16weeks.
What does BWL acronym mean?
ReplyDeleteHello,
DeleteBWL stands for British Weightlifting. The "BWL Auxhillary Exercises" are for accessory exercises that are official from the British Weightlifting organization. In this program, these would just be exercises to help bring up weak points or hypertrophy. You can adjust them to your needs but they are obviously not designed to be taxing.
I can't remember if I found a full official exercise list, but I feel like there was a list somewhere. The BWL website is completely updated now and looking there I only found different courses to take. I didn't find any documents that could help. You may have luck reaching out to Greenwood weightlifting or maybe a British weightlifitng club and see if they can provide you with anything.