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Zach Even-Esh

Blog » 3 Simple Tips To Improve Olympic Weightlifting & Get STRONGER

3 Simple Tips To Improve Olympic Weightlifting & Get STRONGER

by Zach Even - Esh 5 Comments

Pisarenko-Squat

Here's a cool question that came in the mail box and I wanna answer this question more in depth for you with some sample workouts:

Zach,

I've been following you for awhile and now that I'm not an active trainer at my local CF box, I have slowly pieced together a garage gym to call home.

Which program from your Online Training would you recommend to

A) build my strength and ....

B) stay on top of Oly/CF type movements?

I know I desperately need the strength build up, but I don't want to lose focus of the kick ass fun stuff like the Snatch and C&J.
Thanks for your time and keep up the great work!
Bryant

ANSWER:

I recommend using Garage Gym Gladiators.

Here is Why......

The G3 Program incorporates the following:

- Powerlifting / Basic Barbell Lifts

- Variations of The Olympic Lifts such as Power Clean, Hang Clean, Power Snatch & Hang Snatch during almost Every Training Session.

As An Alternative, During those Olympic Lift variations, you can simply utilize the full Olympic Lifts.

So if The Hang Clean is listed, hit full cleans or the clean & jerk that day.

If hang snatch or power snatch is listed, hit the snatch.

You did mention CrossFit so a heads up is NONE of my programming is constantly varied. You WILL go through training phases with mini cycles. We're regularly working on improving your strength, explosive power, adding functional muscle, improving GPP and keeping / improving your mental toughness.

- Sprinting / Jumping / Athletic Movements incorporated each session.

- Bodybuilding Work to keep joints healthy and to add size and strength. Look at the Bodybuilders of the 60s, 70s and early 80s. They were STRONG! When I talk about "bodybuilding", THAT is what I am describing vs what many associate bodybuilding with today.

Chet-Yorton-Curls2

- Mental Toughness / Durability Work with Short Conditioning / Met Con Work.

With a 3 days per week program, you have FREEDOM to do extra or further individualize on the other days. With your focus on The Olympic Lifts, You can choose an additional 2 or 3 days to work strictly on your Oly Lifts.

I recall hearing a conversation from Coach Rippetoe about how too many novice lifters are solely concerned with technique on Olympic ifting so they don't go heavy enough on the Oly Lifts, hence, they don't get Stronger.

Of course, when you look at the best Olympic Lifters, they are STRONG. They are built like TANKS.

That reminds me of a story, about 10 years ago, when I had a conversation with a Romanian Weightlifter. He told me that the Romanians would often hit other barbell lifts such as squats, deads, rack pulls, bent over rowing, etc with VERY heavy loads in the 1 - 5 rep range and THEN they would use the Oly Lifts with moderate weights and focus on speed & execution. I know, shocking, right!?

I wasn't shocked and neither should you. Listen to John Broz and Travis Mash talk about Weightlifting. They are having their Weightlifting Team destroying the gym on a daily basis with high volume and heavy lifting. I see Travis has built up his teenagers to Squatting over 500 lbs.

I always say......

You Can't Fake Strong

Which program is THE Best? Who is right? Which is better? The one that produces results, of course. Period. The way to getting stronger is in the program AND the attitude you bring.

What does this mean?

I believe MANY programs work when YOU put in the WORK. The type of gut busting work that scares away MANY others. THAT type of work!

If you're tired of being average in the gym you must stop training average and destroy your average goals.

Here's 3 Things I feel are KEY to getting STRONGER, in any lifting endeavor.

1) Get training partners who push you & vice versa. Great training partners are golden. You NEVER want to be the weakest guy in the room. NO training partners? I feel your pain. I find a way to get fired up and intense. My other option is to find an excuse. Excuses suck. I hate my OWN excuses. I feel like a loser when I make excuses and that fires me up even more.

Join an online team and compete against others virtually. Something is better than nothing. NO time or sense waiting for the "perfect opportunity" because that day never comes!

2) Technique is critical in ALL lifts but the way to get stronger is to move the weights faster, add weight to the bar and eat to support your training. Yes, I know, that is ground breaking news but I'm shocked at how many people SAY they want the results but then they don't follow those 3 rules with dedication.

3) Find a local competition and sign up for it. The fear of showing up weak will piss you off for greatness and inspire you to attack your training.

I remember when I started The Underground in my garage I signed up for the TSC (Tactical Strength Challenge). My disdain for losing pushed me to destroy myself in my garage! I was fired up like a madman leading up to that challenge. I took first in the country back then.

I hit my first ever 500 lb deadlift, snatches the 53lb Kettlebell 130+ reps in 5 minutes & did 17 pull ups. The pull ups weren't so hit but my snatch and deadlift beat others. That was about 11 years ago!

Although The G3 program is not 100% dialed in for a Weightlifter, you WILL get Stronger & More Explosive and you WILL hit the Oly Lifts on the regular. If you're a hard charger, then hit 2 or 3 days of JUST the Olympic Lifts.

Here's a Sample G3 Training Week Screen Shot:

Garage-Gym-Athlete-May-2016

Things you don't see on the screen shot are the mobility work, the banded work for shoulder health, notes on each exercise and of course the prior weeks that built our athletes up to this training cycle of higher volume and intensity.

The training cycle prior to this had the athletes hitting Power Snatch & Power Clean 2 x Week. The training will vary on the barbell but we're always working on getting stronger, tougher, faster. Use the flexibility to just hit Oly Lifts.

Give it a 3 month honest go and then take it from there. No program works when you blend 3, 4 or 5 programs together. Put your blinders on and charge forward.

Focus & Dedication is "the secret".

We ALL know what it takes and the Ultimate factor determining your results is DOING the damn thing.

Although I currently train 5 days week, I was often locked in with 3 sessions per week as a busy guy since college days. Hence why I keep Garage Gym Gladiators at 3 x week. Other members hit bodyweight on their days in between. Others focus on Snatch or Clean & Jerk. Others rest up and just spend time with family or friends, etc.

I know most will get overwhelmed with 5 days per week so I leave the flexibility to do more AND you can hit me up on the private forum if you have questions.

Myself and the Team members will Help.

The community support is Awesome!

Wanna Get STRONGER?

Bigger, Tougher, Faster?

Garage Gym Gladiators is the Way.

Here's a GREAT Testimonial from one of our Team Members, Chris Tucker:

Tucker-Garage-Gym

Get after it and make it happen.

Live The Code 365,

--Z--

Join The Team

Garage Gym Gladiators HERE

GarageGymGladiators500x500

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Filed Under: Articles, AWESOME Life, Bodyweight Bodybuilding, Live The Code, Mental Toughness, Motivation, Muscle Building, Nutrition, Old School Strength, Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting, Q & A, Strength Building, Zach's Workouts Tagged With: bodybuilding, chet yorton, crossfit, deadlift, G3 Training program, garage gym athletes, garage gym gladiators, garage gym workout, golden era bodybuilding, how to get strong, john broz, old school strength, oly lifts, olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, rack pulls, romanian weightlifting, squat, squat every day, tactical strength challenge, travis mash, zach even - esh

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Comments

  1. John McGuinness says

    at

    Zach,
    Love reading your blogs because they always fire me up!
    I know that you don’t program the workouts for Silverback STRONG, but do those include the Olympic Lifts at all?
    I have similar goals to the gentlemen who asked the original question and was thinking of adding another day or two of Olympic Lifts to Garage Gym Gladiators.
    However, I was just curious.

    Thanks Z, you’re the man!
    John McGuinness

    Reply
    • Zach Even - Esh says

      at

      John, hey brother! I’ll ask Andy to comment below as he programs.

      Stand by!

      Reply
    • Andrew Wary says

      at

      John,

      The Silverback strong program does not include any barbell Olympic lifts as it is based around the 3 powerlifts. It does however include ‘olympic’ kettlebell exercises such as the snatch and clean and jerk as accessory movements. If you have any more questions about the program feel free to contact me via here or awary75@gmail.com.

      Andy

      Reply
      • John McGuinness says

        at

        Awesome. Thanks a ton guys, I really appreciate it!
        Both programs look bada$$ so I am thinking about alternating between the two for a few months at a time.

        Thanks again,
        John

        Reply
        • Zach Even - Esh says

          at

          Yes, some guys are doing that, some are members of both ha ha

          There’s crazy and crazier!

          Reply

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