CLUTZ Training Templates, Exams of Sport Studies

Download CLUTZ Training Templates and more Exams Sport Studies in PDF only on Docsity! By: Connor Lutz CLUTZ Training Templates First off, thank you for taking the time to support me as a coach and as an athlete. I appreciate every single person that takes the time to read through the PDF and gives the templates a try. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. This program isn’t recommended for individuals with any pre existing or chronic injuries that haven’t been evaluated by an accredited health care professional. Nor is it recommended to follow this program without appropriate coaching or safe lifting technique. While it is fairly common knowledge and socially accepted that squats can cure many life-threatening diseases, it is not yet scientifically proven and any lifter choosing to partake in this program is doing so by accepting the inherent risk that comes with intensive exercise. Overview It is important to understand that both the Beginner and Intermediate Clutz training templates are not intended to be utilized as an entire training system. Each lift is individually periodized over the course of the 7 week training cycle leading to a “test day” or meet. The templates can certainly be used over and over again manipulating the available options to improve performance but doing this for an entire year for an example may not be the most effective method for long-term athlete development. These templates are designed to give lifters the experience of how I myself train as a lifter, while aiming to improve trainee’s work capacity, training frequency and technical proficiency. Definitions of Beginner and Intermediate: The beginner template is designed for a lifter that is competent in the squat, bench press and deadlift but has never trained specifically for strength or powerlifting. The beginner template will begin to introduce lifters to an increased training volume and frequency in the 3 powerlifting movements. This template can also be used by lifters who only wish to train 3 days a week. The intermediate template is designed for lifters who have trained using a volume based training approach to strength in the past. This template involves a lot more freedom than the beginner template and as a result requires lifters to be able to make their own informed training decisions. The intermediate program involves training 4 days a week with a much greater total work load than the beginner template. Starting the program So you’ve decided to invest the next 7 weeks of training in one of the two training templates. Now what? Start by entering your best competition lifts in corresponding cells in the top left corner of the spreadsheet. These can be entered in either kilograms or pounds. The lifts don’t have to be done in a competition movement don’t stress yourself out. Take your best estimate. In general the secondary movement percentages are fairly low and they shouldn’t cause you to fail reps. If you happen to choose some type of overload movement such as reverse bands or block pulls add 15-25% to the corresponding competition lift regardless of what you think you can achieve in that movement. For example: You squat 400lbs and want to use reverse bands. Enter 460-500lbs in the reverse band 1rm slot. This will get you “overloading” in the appropriate intensity ranges on the template. Overload principles shouldn’t be applied to drastically surpass your competition lift, but to overload the volume of an intensity range you other wise couldn’t perform. The last box you will need to fill in, on the top left corner of the spreadsheet will be the “increment” box. This will round all of your training numbers to whatever increment you choose. Ie. Choosing 2.5 will round all of the numbers to an increment of 2.5 (350, 352.5, 355 etc). Choosing 10 will round all of your numbers to an increment of 10 (350, 360, 370 etc). Choosing 1 will round all of your numbers to an increment of 1 (350, 351, 352 etc). Select whichever is the most appropriate for the plates you have available at your gym. For users of the Beginner Template: Week 5 Day 5 includes a “plus set” on the bench press. In my experience lifters new to training with a higher frequency bench press approach make progress fairly quickly and the weight you entered at the start of the template may no longer be appropriate after a month of training. On this day attempt as many competition quality reps as possible and enter the reps achieved in the yellow box. This will adjust the final week of the program to allow for more appropriate loads before testing in week 7. For users of the Intermediate Template: There will be one more box to fill in and that will be Week 1 Day 6 “Overload Bench”. Clicking this cell will once again drop down a menu with the option as to how you wish to overload your bench. This can be done in anyway you choose. The overload weights will be generated off of your competition bench press but loads may have to be adjusted slightly depending on the movement of choice. Ex, board heights or band tension for reverse bands. Should the lifter not have access to bands, boards or a slingshot device (boards can be made for under $5), Pin presses are acceptable; however, not desired. The overload repetitions should be taxing on the nervous system but not physical or visible grinders. Weekly Schedule Now that all of the exercises are chosen with appropriate training maxes entered into the sheet you should be looking at your very own customized CLUTZ training template. How should these days be structured over the course of a week? For users of the Beginner Template: The beginner template is three days a week with training on days 1, 3 and 5. What that means is train for one day, rest for one day, train for one day, rest for one day, train for a day rest for two days. Repeat. For example: Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday Thursday Saturday. I know a lot of new trainee’s want to get into the gym and train like a maniac when they first begin but rest and recovery is extremely important and something that needs to be trained as well as the lifting itself. Let your body adjust to the volume and the calculator. If you aren’t training for a competition, feel free to re-test your touch and go bench press on test day. Out of all the Powerlifting movements the bench press is the most effectively trained with a high frequency. On either template you will bench every session you are in the gym. The secret to benching a lot is to bench a lot. Due to the high frequency of bench pressing it is extremely important to have your technique at a level that you are not going to injure yourself. Benching often isn’t hazardous to the body so long as you are doing it in a safe manner. Take a look at this video if you are unsure of your technique, or seek out a qualified coach. As previously stated, I recommend pausing every rep in training on the chest. There are multiple benefits to this, the biggest being that it is how you will compete on the platform. Benching on the Beginner Template: The bench press on the beginner template is generally linear with constant weekly volume and a manipulation in training intensity. This means that even though the weights and volumes stay constant over the course of a training week each day is successively more challenging. Week 5 day 5 gives the lifter an opportunity to realize their gains by attempting a plus set. What this means is you will attempt as many competition quality reps as possible at the prescribed weight. Whatever number of reps you achieve can be entered in the yellow box. This will adjust the remaining weeks of training leading up until test day. Benching on the Intermediate Template: The intermediate template begins to adjust lifters to benching at greater overall training volumes and frequencies than the beginner template. It also begins to introduce a greater level of periodization as well as some secondary movements: the 3 count pause bench, the touch and go bench and the overload bench. 3 count pauses: The 3 count pause bench is completed by performing a standard bench press but holding the bar static on the chest for a full 3 seconds before completing the rep. Getting a training partner to count out the seconds aloud will help keep you honest. The purpose of this movement is to build starting strength in the bottom portion of the lift while engraving appropriate technique and motor patterns under heavy loads. Touch and Go Bench Press: The touch and go Bench Press is utilized in this template as a secondary movement to the competition style paused bench. Because all other reps on the program are expected to be paused, the touch and go “plus” sets are used as a volume overload technique. When performing these sets the goal should never be to go to failure and you should never miss a rep however the goal is to achieve a rep or two more than that training days prescribed reps. These plus sets can also be used as a gauge in progress should you run the template more than one time over. If it is possible to achieve a rep PR following some intensive volume then your bench is likely on the right track! Overload Bench: The overload bench isn’t designed to push lifters way beyond their natural strength levels, it is used as a neural stimulus and a volume overload in an intensity range you wouldn’t otherwise be able to handle. You can choose to overload in whatever method you find best suits your own training but I find slingshots, boards or reverse bands to be the most realistic and effective methods. The weights are calculated off of your competition style bench and if possible find the appropriate level of overload to keep those weights applicable. Depending on your own personal strengths and what is available to you in training you may need to adjust those numbers to achieve appropriate bar speed. Should the lifter not have access to bands, boards or a slingshot device (boards can be made for under $5), Pin presses are acceptable; however, not desired. The overload repetitions should be taxing on the nervous system but not physical or visible grinders. Deadlifts Deadlifts on the Beginner Template: The deadlifts on the beginner template have the lifter ramping up to one progressively more challenging top set per week before backing off for a fairly hefty amount of volume work! While the top set is likely the most exciting lift of the day, the back off sets are what drive progress. Technique is of the upmost importance on these sets. We want to begin to increase the volume at which you deadlift without taking a trip through snap city. Deadlifts on the Intermediate Template: Deadlifts on the intermediate template increase drastically in volume and intensity. It is important your deadlift technique is safe before we begin to take this next step in both volume and frequency. If you are not comfortable with your deadlift technique seek out a qualified coach or utilize the beginner template with an appropriate secondary movement to performed squats and deadlifts. Exercises that fall into this category include: -Shrugs -Any type of horizontal or vertical row -Pullups - T-Bar Rows -Chest supported rows -Lat Pulldowns - Barbell Rows -DB Rows -Towel Rows… Just kidding -Facepulls -Rear Delt Flies -Cuban Presses -Seated DB Cleans -Etc. You can make up your 50 lifts on any day using any combinations of these exercises although I would suggest keeping the reps between 10-25 per set. So some examples include: Facepulls 2x25 or T Bar Rows 3x10 + Shrugs 1x20 Warming Up It is important to note that the weights listed on the Clutz program sheets are the working weights. That means that each lifter is responsible for warming up in such a way that they feel prepared and ready for the training weights that day. Absolutely do not walk in, put the prescribed weights on the bar and begin the sets. Even if the weights for the day seem light, perform atleast 5-6 warmup sets in prior to the prescribed weights. I’ve mentioned it before, train to train, don’t compete in training. The more warmup sets you do the more total work you are accumulating on that given day. Again, this can make training more difficult without changing the training intensity of the program. The one thing to avoid is to doing so many warmup sets that the working sets become too difficult due to fatigue. This is going to be different for every lifter depending on your work capacity and conditioning. The one exception to this would be on a competition or test day when the goal is lifting as much weight as possible. With that in mind, here is an example warmup progression to working weights at 80%: Foam Roll/ Lacrosse Ball/ Mobility Work 2x5-10 @25% 2x5 @40% 1x5 @55% 2x3 @70% working sets @80% Closing thoughts! I wish everyone the best of luck with the program, if there are any parts that are still unclear feel free to get in contact with me and please share any success you have with the program! Never be satisfied with where you are at now and forever look towards bettering yourself in the future. As always, Stay Strong.