LiftHard Chinese Weightlifting System Based upon the highly successful Chinese methodology that has propelled China into weightlifting superstardom. Huge thanks to my former coach, Coach Wu for all the information he’s shared with me and how he’s taught me to dissect and analyse information presented. Thanks to the Malaccan, Malaysia government for importing such a wonderful coach to Malaysia.
Seriously…..you guys will listen to these two guys. And get strong. Now, we’ll go through this system in chapters. I will write, the way I think and make it as simple as possible. Do NOT speed read this. Analyse what I’m saying and dissect it and come back to me on how you think I can improve the knowledge I’m about to share. I will also sound a little weird sometimes because I’m trying to convey the message.
Chapter 1: Psychology. -
Intention. When training, it would be recommended to have a partner. In training, we’ve this saying “51% of the job’s in the head” and this is to explain intention. The intention we’re talking about here, is important to everything. When you approach a person you like, your intention is different. When you see someone you dislike, your intention is different. But it’s still a human being you’re approaching. In training, you must have the right intention, thus when going to the gym, you must set the right intention based on the purpose of training on that day. If it’s a snatch technical session, don’t go there with an intention of seeing how heavy you can get. Keep with the plan. Patience. What if you don’t feel like training that day? Tell someone, you’re going to hit a certain amount of weight a certain amount of technical proficiency, a certain amount of reps, whatever. And then video it to show to that individual. Take longer warm-ups. Do something innovative that’s specific to yourself to help you train that day.
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Partners. You need to also have a partner preferably to challenge you. Ever had one of those days, where you’re just not feeling it? And then suddenly your mate comes in the door, or some cute chick comes in and you’re suddenly energized to train again? That’s the power of a partner. If you can, get a partner to lift with you. If it’s someone who isn’t at your level, then give the individual a deficit that’s suited to his or her skills. Example, you squat, 200KG. This person squats, 150KG. Give the person a 50KG handicap advantage and compete against this individual. Admittedly, if you have someone who’s on your level or very close, the competition does feel a lot more intense and you’ll be able to push more effectively.
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Learning to feel. My coach thinks this is a psychology topic, so I’ll go with the man. Learn to trust your instincts. Be in tune with your body and study the rhythm of your body. This is a strange concept I agree where we’re living in a culture where things are dictated by lawyers, accountants, the president of world bank all of which are about as creative as dried wallpaper. On days that you’re feeling like a world champion, understand that feeling and remember it. Try to store this emotion and flow of your body. Learn to jot down what difference in terms of how you think, on that day compared to the usual other days when your performance is “normal”. On bad days, jot down what you believe caused it. A lot of things happen mentally, more than we are willing to admit. Preferably, avoid media or news that’s depressing. Be in tune with happiness not sadness. Remember this term “Find the feeling”.
Chapter 2: History to Chinamen Strength The Chinese are genetically a smaller race compared to the rest of the races in the world. To demonstrate their strength meant to have to tweak technique till they could lift more. Chinese lifters probably aren’t the strongest in terms of their squats or pulling strength, but the efficiency in their technique allows them to lift the weights necessary. This however, isn’t to say they aren’t strong. They know that getting stronger required more volume, required greater technique, required more speed to break through the portions of the lift where they find most difficult. This is why, feeling it is especially important. Also recovery was a huge factor because they needed the volume but they could not keep training the same movements. So an idea popped out to one of the pioneering Chinese weightlifting coaches who recently left us. His name was Chen Jingkai. Why don’t, we build strength, the way we build a building? We don’t have to just build one wall that might fall should a wolf come and huff and puff it away. We can gradually build all four walls, and it’ll be much stronger than just one wall. This is the basis, of the Chinese system. Building, all the walls together. It seems now; the walls have grown to be an octagon shaped wall. Now through the years, the Chinese have tweaked it so much that I believe Director Jingkai himself would be confused if he actually looked at it at first glance. But the theory behind it remains. You much build strength, power, balance and skill. You need to understand the history of this system, to implement it correctly.
Chapter 3: The System Guidelines Here are the GUIDELINES. Do NOT be stifled by guidelines. Guidelines are there, to light your path. It’s not a master and commander relationship. Be ready to stray away slightly so you can learn more. Do not “know” too much. Try more than know. RPE -
Rate of perceived exertion is very important. The higher your RPE, the less your volume. The lower your RPE, the higher your volume. Every rep and set range that’s prescribed has a (+- 1) range. So if I say, 5 reps, it can be 4 or 6 too.
Olympic Weightlifting Movements -
You will have snatch days (and variation), twice a week. One on focus day, one on strength day. You will clean and jerk (and variation), twice a week. One on focus day, one on strength day. You will do snatch and clean and jerk together (and variation) heavy, once a week. Usually Friday. You will have perfect or near perfect technique in every, single, rep. Even at max or PR. You will build strength in the snatch and CNJ, with variation and repetitions and sets, after you hit your day’s 1RM. The volume that’s scraping the 85+% range will be those that develop your skill in the WL movements. You will change the movements week by week. Every time you come back to a movement, say 3-4 weeks after that you’ve used previously, you should PR. BUT there are some of you that can actually PR the same movements a few times before switching. Do that.
Squat Movements -
You will have 2 squat days at least in a week. 3 is preferred. 4 if you are truly weak in the legs. 5 if your legs are the size of Lindsay Lohan. You need to believe that partials, are key to getting you strong Most but not all squat work should be at 80-88% (higher if technique is better) You need to start believing that squatting between 70-80% for speed, has a purpose too. Squat jumps with minimal knee bend will help you “send” the bar to its place You got to stop squatting ass to grass all the time with the same damn stance every time. Why do you think you squat ATG all the time? Because you’re comfortable with ATG. Want comfort, find a spa.
Pulls -
You will pull often and you will pull as fast you can. All pulls must feel the same as the actual snatch and clean. You mustn’t switch the thought process. If your goal for pulling is for strength, go heavier. If your goal for pulling is for power or technique, work within that “power or technique range” where you feel the most amount of power or control. The shrug is necessary in almost all cases to keep the barbell close.
Press and Rows and Bodyweight Movements -
All these movements, GENERALLY belong in D,E,F Your back is more significant than your shoulder (Yes I said it) You don’t want an excessively tight shoulder girdle, so if you press, you must row You need to handle your trunk stability well. This is why handstands are so important. High rep band pre-hab and unilateral and bodyweight movements will save your tendons and ligaments Always finish your workout with some form of rows (band rows, ring rows, bent over rows [vary grip], etc)
Structural Balance -
If you begin to find that you’re leaning sideways when squatting or pulling, use a mirror to correct it.
Chapter 4: Lifthard Chinese Weightlifting System (LCWS) The Big 8: These are the 8 muscles that can and should be trained daily. RPE between 1-4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Lats Rear deltoid Triceps Abs Lower back Ass Hamstrings Calves
Definitions A: The main movement for that day B: The secondary strength movement to assist the main weakness in “A” C: The secondary power or technical movement, to assist weakness in “A” D: The main ISOLATION assistance to weakness in “A” E: The main isolation assistance muscular weakness F: A bodyweight, unilateral, band assisted movement to address any imbalance Further Explanations Most of these percentages are unimportant. Your feeling, your control and technique is far more important. The % is merely A guideline. The REPS tell a better story than the percentage. If you don’t feel like it’s the right time to max, while the guideline says max, do not max. If you feel like you can max, the guideline doesn’t require maxing, then max. You can choose, to ignore the guidelines, cleverly by listening to your body. Feel it. All % is to be based against 1RM performance on THAT day. Not your lifetime 1RM. Total Tonnage Total tonnage means you will calculate the amount of weights lifted on that day. It should increase every week. Once it starts to be very difficult to hit, you know it’s time to deload slightly for about a week. But don’t stop training. Reduce your weights, reduce your sets, increase your reps. Can I use powerlifting methods? Like the bands? Yes! Of course. It’s a variable, that’ll assist with your squats or overall pull strength. A drill makes holes, a hammer breaks walls. Use the right tools for the right purpose. Culture should have NO influence to your pursuit of strength and happiness. See what I just did there? KungFu & KungFool Exercises KungFu exercises are exercises that you’ve mastered and are comfortable doing it. These are exercises with huge transfer to your movements and will be preferred. These are exercises that have huge transfer to your lifting. You want this list to keep GROWING. How? Glad you ask. KungFool exercises are exercises you suck at. Once you’ve mastered the movement and you don’t hate it anymore (eg, snatch balance, snatch high pull, power jerk, squat jerk), they become your KungFu exercises.
A: This movement should usually be worked to a 1RM with good form (40-50 minutes) -
First work up to movement 1RM Strength day is usually squats. WL day, snatch, CNJ. Squats - 82-88% 1RM, 4-6 sets @ 2-3 reps WL - 85-90% 1RM, 4-6 sets @ 2-3 reps (if feeling good). 75-85% 1RM, 5-7 sets @ 3 reps (if not feeling good) Remember +-1 rule For on clean and jerks, drop by 1 set and 1 rep and play within that % range too. Usually, partial squats are used with full squats. Partial squats, could be, “A” or “B”
B: Main strength assistance to suckiness in “A” (15 -20 minutes) -
If your first pull on that day sucked, you shall pull. If your jerk on that day sucked, you could partial front squat. If your back squat, you kept leaning over, do some extra range pulls. For pulls, go to 1RM (Would probably be between 130-150% of snatch and CNJ max) Then go down and do 4-6 sets @ 3-4 reps @ 85%-90% on a good day. 6-8 sets @ 3-4 @ 70-80% on a bad day. Always base upon your max of that day If doing overhead work, again go to 1RM of that overhead work (snatch balance, push press, push jerk, etc) and follow above guideline. If you choose to snatch and CNJ on this day, after the squats (actually a great idea), try to stick for triples.
C: Main power or technical assistance (15 minutes tops) -
To address technical or power deficiency in that day’s technique. 4-6 sets @ 2-3 reps for power 8-10 sets @ 3-5 reps for technique Percentages are difficult to explain on this day. Feeling, however should be comfortable and in control. Example: Panda pulls, high hang snatch pulls, behind neck push press, rack jerk for reps,
The reps tell a better story. Always remember that. D: Main Isolation (10 minutes) -
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At this point, you want to begin thinking “muscular” and “biomechanics”. You want to go for 6-8 reps here onwards if the movement has an eccentric portion. 15< reps if no eccentric. If your hamstrings are weak, use things like Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, good mornings with bands hanging Kettlebell, extra range deadlifts, back extensions, glute ham raises, kettlebell swings (high reps, no eccentric), ball tossing 4 sets should be sufficient
E: Isolation Muscular Assistance (10 minutes) -
You’re attacking another muscle group that is weak. If on that day, you feel your hamstring truly is weakest, move to a 1-3 RPE movement. Attack it with 20-30 reps. Up to 50 reps. 3 sets should be enough.
F: Final assistance (10 minutes) -
About now, if you did it right, you should feel like a wet noodle. Some bodyweight, isometric, band work, bodybuilding; pre-hab work should be done at this point. Sprints, box jumps, broad jumps, some wrestling,
Extra Note -
ABC are all interchangeable DEF are also interchangeable ABC can also be done in DEF But DEF should not be done in ABC
Example: 2 week training log Week 1 Day 1: Snatch Day Hang snatch to 1RM (130KG). 2x2 @ 120KG, 4x3 @ 116KG Triple pause snatch pull to 1RM (155KG), 5x4 @ 140KG Panda pulls, 130KG 8x3 Romanian deadlift styled pulls to feel glute and hamstrings, 110KG x 6 x 4 Wide stance squats with Kettlebell, 3x50
Week 2 Day 1: Strength Day Front Squats with weights on the edge of bar (177KGx1). Then hung bands with 24KG/each bell for instability. 68KG+100KG plates x 5 x 2 TNG Snatch grip deadlift, 6x6 @ 160KG Feeling awful…move to D Kettlebell Swings, 32KG x 4 x 25 (feeling better now) Snatch from high hip for technique, 70KG x 7 x 3
Day 2: Strength Front Squats to 1RM (180KG), 3x2 @ 160KG Snatch from high blocks (previous tested 1RM was 132KG), 105KG x 4x3 Quarter front squats (210KG) x 5 x 10 Bulgarian Lunges with kettlebells hanging off bands (60KG), 3 x 15 Ring rows for weak back, 3 x 30 reps
Day 2: Snatch Day Snatch from block above knee, 131KG. 4x3 @ 121/124/121/125KG Snatch balance to 1RM, 150KG x 1, 120KG x 3 x 5 Hang Panda pulls, 7 x 3,
Day 3: CNJ 1 Pull + 2 clean + 1 jerk complex to 1RM (150KG), 5 x set of complex @ 120KG Behind neck jerk to 1RM, 160KG, 3 x 2 @ 155KG. Feels easy, 162KG x 1 Power clean + push press to 120KG (1RM), 5x3 @ 110KG. Every rep, clean again Clean pulls, 5x3 @ 170KG. Band triceps extension, 4 x 50 reps with light band
Get the idea now?
Day 4: Strength Back squats with wide stance to 1RM (220KG), 5 x 3 @ 200KG Sumo deadlift, 6x2 @ 200KG Snatch Balance, 5x3 @ 140KG Step-Ups carrying a partner on back, 3x20 each leg Eat a goat and die Day 5: Snatch/CNJ Classic snatch to 1RM, 131KG (PR!) then 128KG x 4x1 Clean from block to 1RM, 155KG, then 148KG x 2 x2 Speed Squats @ 40% squat 1RM, 8 x 2 A crossfit wod to combine DEF (strict pull-ups x 5, kettlbell clean and press x 10, renegade rows x 20, 3 rounds) Extras: -
Finished every workout this week with GHR because back was feeling tight
