Sharing experience

Session-by-Session Plan for a Base Mesocycle of the Preparatory Period with Three Training Sessions a Day

A. S. Medvedev, Head of the Department of Weightlifting, State Central Institute of Physical Culture (GTsOLIFK), Moscow

English summary of Tyazhelaya Atletika. Ezhegodnik 1983 (Moscow: Fizkultura i Sport, 1983), pp. 59–63: the text is paraphrased, not translated; data tables are given in full with English labels.

Rationale

Results grow only with a steadily rising load (volume, intensity, number and difficulty of sessions, 2–3 sessions a day), which moves the body to a new functional level.
Follows the author’s two-sessions-a-day mesocycles (yearbooks 1978, 1980); tested with the leading lifters of the Dynamo Central Council.

The plan

Week divisions are ours, following the day sequence of the source; days not listed are rest days.

Week 1

Day	Session	Exercise	Weight / sets
Monday	Day	1. Power snatch	up to 70%
		2. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	6 sets
		3. Snatch pull	up to 100%
		4. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	6 sets
		5. Back squat	up to 75%
Tuesday	Day	1. Good morning, seated on a bench	3 sets
		2. Good morning, straight legs	3 sets
		3. Split squats, bar held between the legs at arm’s length (right, then left leg in one set)	6 sets
Wednesday	Morning	1. Power clean	up to 70%
		2. Good morning, straight legs	3 sets
		3. Power snatch	up to 70%
	Day	1. Snatch pull from the hang, bar at mid-thigh	up to 100%
		2. Snatch pull from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 90%
		3. Snatch pull with four pauses (bar below the knees, at the knees, above the knees, lifter up on the toes)	up to 90%
		4. Snatch-grip push jerk (shvung) from behind the neck + squat	up to 80%
		5. Power snatch, bar at mid-thigh	up to 80%
		6. Power snatch from the hang, bar at the knees	80%
		7. Back squat	up to 80%
	Evening	1. Good morning, seated on a bench	3 sets
		2. Power snatch + squat	up to 80%
		3. Split squats, bar held between the legs at arm’s length (right, then left leg in one set)	6 sets
		4. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	5 sets
Thursday	Day	1. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	6 sets
		2. Good morning, seated on a bench	3 sets
		3. Good morning, straight legs	6 sets
Friday	Morning	1. Power clean	up to 70%
		2. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	5 sets
		3. Good morning, straight legs	6 sets
	Day	1. Clean pull from the hang, bar below the knees	up to 75%
		2. Clean pull from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 90%
		3. Clean pull with four pauses (bar below the knees, at the knees, above the knees, lifter up on the toes)	up to 90%
		4. Power clean from the hang, bar below the knees	up to 80%
		5. Power clean from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 80%
		6. Standing press	5 sets
	Evening	1. Power clean	up to 70%
		2. Half-jerk from the racks + jerk	up to 80%
		3. Back squat	up to 90%
		4. Bench press	5 sets
Saturday	Day	1. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	6 sets
		2. Good morning, seated on a bench	3 sets
		3. Good morning, straight legs	6 sets

Week 2

Day	Session	Exercise	Weight / sets
Monday	Morning	1. Power snatch	up to 70%
		2. Power clean	up to 70%
		3. Bench press	6 sets
	Day	1. Snatch-grip push jerk (shvung) from behind the neck + squat	up to 90%
		2. Snatch pull from the hang, bar at mid-thigh	up to 100%
		3. Snatch pull from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 90%
		4. Snatch pull with four pauses	up to 100%
		5. Power snatch from the hang, bar at mid-thigh	up to 70%
		6. Power snatch from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 70%
		7. Good morning, knees bent, + jump	bar up to 50%; 6 sets
		8. Back squat	up to 60%
	Evening	1. Good morning, straight legs	5 sets
		2. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	6 sets
		3. Power snatch + squat	up to 80%
		4. Split squats, bar held between the legs at arm’s length (right, then left leg in one set)	6 sets
		5. Bench press	6 sets
Tuesday	Day	1. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	6 sets
		2. Good morning, seated on a bench	3 sets
		3. Good morning, straight legs	6 sets
Wednesday	Morning	1. Power snatch	up to 70%
		2. Good morning, seated on a bench	3 sets
		3. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	3 sets
	Day	1. Clean pull from the hang, bar below the knees	up to 75%
		2. Clean pull from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 90%
		3. Power clean from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 70%
		4. Clean and jerk from the hang, bar below the knees	up to 80%
		5. Half-jerk from the racks + jerk	up to 80%
		6. Power clean	up to 70%
		7. Good morning, knees bent, + jump	bar 50%; 6 sets
	Evening	1. Power clean from the hang, bar below the knees	up to 70%
		2. Clean pull to knee level	up to 100%
		3. Back squat	up to 75%
		4. Standing press	6 sets
Thursday	Day	1. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	6 sets
		2. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	3 sets
		3. Split squats, bar held between the legs at arm’s length (right, then left leg in one set)	6 sets
Friday	Morning	1. Power clean	up to 70%
		2. Bench press	5 sets
		3. Power snatch	up to 70%
	Day	1. Snatch-grip push jerk (shvung) from behind the neck + squat	up to 100%
		2. Snatch pull from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 90%
		3. Snatch pull to knee level	up to 100%
		4. Snatch from the hang, bar at mid-thigh	up to 80%
		5. Snatch pull with four pauses	up to 100%
		6. Back squat	up to 85%
	Evening	1. Snatch pull from the hang, bar at mid-thigh	up to 100%
		2. Power snatch	up to 80%
		3. Split squats, bar held between the legs at arm’s length (right, then left leg in one set)	6 sets
		4. Good morning, seated on a bench	4 sets
Saturday	Day	1. Power clean from the hang, bar below the knees	up to 60%
		2. Power snatch from the hang, bar at mid-thigh	up to 60%
		3. Good morning, straight legs	6 sets
Sunday	Morning	1. Power snatch from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 60%
		2. Good morning, seated on a bench	4 sets
		3. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	4 sets
	Day	1. Power snatch	up to 70%^a
		2. Clean and jerk from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 80%
		3. Clean and jerk	up to 90%
		4. Clean pull	up to 100%
		5. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	6 sets
		6. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	6 sets
		7. Back squat	up to 75%
		8. Front squat	up to 75%
	Evening	1. Power clean	up to 70%
		2. Half-jerk from the racks + jerk	up to 80%
		3. Clean pull to knee level	up to 80%
		4. Good morning, straight legs	6 sets

^a The source prints this value as “70°/о”, a scanning slip for 70%.

Week 3

Day	Session	Exercise	Weight / sets
Monday	Day	1. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	6 sets
		2. Good morning, seated on a bench	6 sets
		3. Split squats, bar held between the legs at arm’s length (right, then left leg in one set)	6 sets
Tuesday	Morning	1. Power clean	up to 70%
		2. Standing press	4 sets
		3. Power snatch	up to 70%
	Day	1. Snatch from the hang, bar at mid-thigh	up to 80%
		2. Snatch	up to 80%
		3. Snatch pull	up to 100%
		4. Good morning, knees bent, + jump	bar 50%; 4 sets
		5. Front squat	up to *%^b
		6. Bench press	4 sets
	Evening	1. Power snatch	up to 70%
		2. Snatch-grip push jerk (shvung) from behind the neck + squat	up to 80%
		3. Snatch pull to knee level	up to 90%
		4. Snatch-grip high pull, bar from mid-thigh	4 sets
Thursday	Day	1. Power clean	up to 80%
		2. Clean and jerk from the hang, bar below the knees	up to 70%
		3. Clean pull, slow (10 s) + clean pull, fast	up to 80%
		4. Back squat	up to 60%
		5. Good morning, straight legs	6 sets
	Evening	1. Good morning, seated on a bench	6 sets
		2. Snatch-grip press behind the neck	6 sets
		3. Power snatch	up to 75%
Saturday	Day	1. Power snatch from the hang, bar at the knees	up to 70%
		2. Power snatch, bar at mid-thigh	up to 80%
		3. Snatch pull	up to 100%
		4. Front squat	up to 60%
		5. Standing press	6 sets

^b The percentage for this exercise is lost at a page break in the source (“weight up to …”, and the next line starts with item 6).

Structure of the mesocycle

3 weeks, 17 training days, 32 sessions: 7 days with three sessions, 1 with two, 9 with one.
35 exercises, 5 of them “additional” (see the 1982 yearbook): snatch-grip press behind the neck, snatch-grip high pull from mid-thigh, seated and straight-leg good mornings, split squats with the bar between the legs.
Low volume in the classic lifts (once each) and in split-style assistance lifts (snatch 2, clean and jerk 3 times).
Lifts from every phase-boundary position (below the knees, knees, mid-thigh); isometric work via the paused pulls.
Each session has one focus, snatch or clean and jerk, which proved more effective.

Methodological recommendations

Body positions

Four-pause pulls: bar at knees — shins vertical, shoulders ahead of the bar; bar at mid-thigh — shoulders over it, feet flat and arms straight just before. Calm transitions, 3–4 s holds.
Split squats: front leg does the work, rear leg straight, trunk upright. High → medium → full depth (thigh on calf, acute knee angle) as hip mobility and front-thigh elasticity improve. Slow pace to avoid injury.
Additional exercises: maximum range of motion; weight 70–80% of maximum.

Repetitions and sets

Exercise group	Reps per set	Sets per exercise
Additional exercises	3–6	as given in the plan
Main exercises, first sets	4–6	3–8
Main exercises, final sets	1–3	3–8
Split squats	2–4 on each leg	as given in the plan

Minimum bar weights

Exercise	Weight not less than
Squats	50%
Snatch and clean-and-jerk exercises	60%
Clean pulls	70%
Snatch pulls	80%

Load achieved in the field experiment

Indicator	Lifts of the bar (average)
Total for the mesocycle	2600
main exercises	about 1600
additional exercises	1000
Week 1	800
Week 2 (“shock” week)	1300
Week 3	500

Use as guidelines only for athletes who have mastered the preparatory-stage plans of the 1978 and 1980 yearbooks.