Dr Mel Siff Discusses the Olympic Press

Author: Dr Mel Siff Blog  //  Category: Dr Siff on Resistance Training, Dr Siff on Training Theory, Soviet/Eastern Bloc Training, Weight-/Olympic Lifting

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Mel Siff:

<If one could Press a heavy load, then one could easily jerk at least that
same amount and usually about 20kg more, so that many big pressers could
defeat a lifter who had a good snatch, but a weak jerk.>

A member wrote:

<<Not necessarily, in my humble opinion. A jerk and the press aren’t that
closely related as they seem to be.

Obviously if your press is larger, so is your jerk. But superior technique is
a must for a big jerk. My current 1RM press is 65 kilos and my 1RM jerk is
75. Obviously technique has a lot to do with it. I have a relatively strong
press considering my experience in weightlifting but as you can see, the jerk
is a lot about technique and agility in the legs. As an example is a lifter
in the gym where I train who has a 80 kilo press for 2-3 reps and has a max
jerk of 135 kilos. His massive load in the jerk comes from technique.>>

Mel Siff:

*** Note that I stated “usually”, not “always”. My remark was based on many
years of competitive and refereeing experience with the Press. And to back
this up, here are some randomly chosen Presses and C&Js of a few top lifters
from the good old Pressing days up to 1972: Read more…

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Dr Mel Siff and The Final Word on Weighlifting Pulling Technique?

Author: Dr Mel Siff Blog  //  Category: Dr Siff on Olympic Weight Lifting, Dr Siff on Resistance Training, Soviet/Eastern Bloc Training, Weight-/Olympic Lifting

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Here is some more feedback from various experts on weightlifting pulling
style (some names have temporarily been withheld until such time that the
persons concerned join our list):

1. This letter was sent to me by one of the most famous Eastern European
lifters, a legendary world champion and one of the few in the world who ever
managed to snatch twice bodyweight in the heavier divisions:

The topic of the week [on the weightlifting pull] was very interesting to me.
I do have only one problem with the flatfooted pull. As they say, “the
flatfooted pull will give you flatfooted results”. We certainly don’t want to
get that. We do know for a fact that the lifters are trying their best to get
to fully extended position before get under the bar. I do not see it
happening, by staying on your heels. Another small detail – if you go to an Read more…

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Dr Mel Siff Answers More Kettlebell Questions

Author: Dr Mel Siff Blog  //  Category: Dr Siff on Resistance Training, Soviet/Eastern Bloc Training, Weight-/Olympic Lifting

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A member wrote:

<Dr Siff, the information on the kettlebell training was informative. Many of
the studies and techniques can be found in Pavel Tsatsouline’s ‘The Russian
Kettlebell Challenge.’ I purchased a solid kettlebell (KB) from
www.dragondoor.com after previously purchasing kettlebell handles from
www.ironmind.com . The benefit of the handles is that weight can be added to
any amount versus the fixed weight of the solid KBs (16 kg, 24 kg, and 32 kg).

The disadvantage, for myself, of the handles is that for cleans, presses,
jerks, etc (overhead movements) the plates slide around and are not too
stable. The handles are great for pulls, swings, extended pulls from blocks
while the solid kbs are more stable for overhead movements.

Dr Mel Siff:  Are there actual studies or references to Russian scientific journals in
Pavel’s book? If so, please cite some of them here for our interest.

A Member wrote:

<As one gentleman stated in a past post, it is easy to overtrain with the kbs
as the tonnage mounts very rapidly especially in high rep swings, cleans, Read more…

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Dr Mel Siff Talks Soviet Autogenic Training in Weightlifting

Author: Dr Mel Siff Blog  //  Category: Dr Siff on Brain - Neuroscience, Dr Siff on Training Theory, Soviet/Eastern Bloc Training

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The following article discusses use in weightlifting of the mental
preparation technique known as “autogenic training”.

Autogenic Training in the Heavy Training of Elite Weightlifters

Semuk A, Arkhangorodsky Z & Zaitsev Y

Weightlifting Yearbook 1982 (translated by Bud Charniga and available at
www.dynamic-eleiko.com)

It has been shown (AV Alexseyev, 1968, 1969, 1978; Zakharov, 1971; Filatova,
1975, 1979) that autogenic training (AT) is an important means of
restoration, a psychoprophylactic and a psychohygenic to the athlete’s body.
However, up to now few studies have investigated the effect of prophylactic Read more…

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Russian Weightlifting Metabolism and Diet

Author: Dr Mel Siff Blog  //  Category: Dr Siff on Nutrition, Dr Siff on Training Theory, Soviet/Eastern Bloc Training

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The following extracts from a Russian text on metabolism and nutrition for
weightlifters will provide some useful information for those who recently
have been asking about the Russian approach to these topics.

Metabolic Changes in Weightlifting

K Korovnikov, N Yalovaya, G Azizbekyan, V Belyaev, R Bolkhovsky

[Tables excluded - for the full text, see 1984 Russian Yearbook translated by
Bud Charniga, www.dynamic-eleiko.com]

Essential reconstruction of the metabolic exchange processes designed for
economising the functions of physiological systems and raising of the body’s
stability to extreme influences takes place during adaptation to large
physical loads. Sharp metabolic changes in response to training loads of
large volume and intensity and insufficient recovery of the important
functions of the body’s systems can be factors which limit an athlete’s work
capacity and the effectiveness of his training. In connection with this it is
extremely important to reveal the metabolic peculiarities and the possibility
of affecting certain metabolic processes which are important for increasing Read more…

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