Breaking Down E=ep^2: Peaking For Nationals & AO Finals
6 Minute ReadThe E=ep^2 cycle will challenge you more mentally than it will physically but if you dial up your best effort every session, you are guaranteed to set new personal records!
What’s the most important aspect of this cycle?
Our primary focus is on preparing for PR opportunities in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk. To that same point, you will have an opportunity to PR your total in week five and week six of this cycle. Be mindful of your recovery strategies; make sure to prioritize your sleep and nutrition.
As we get closer to competition, your training body weight should be no more than 2-3% above your competition body weight. If you begin to plan for your weight cut now, you will avoid the stress of having to make a more severe cut right before competition day.
Why do we have Front Squat before the Olympic lifting variations on Monday?
This gives us a slightly different stimulus. It will get our legs warmed up and sets the tempo for the heavier attempts throughout the week.
Ditching Your Weightlifting Straps
You’re encouraged to use weightlifting straps when performing Power Snatches but as the cycle goes on we want to unwind the straps a bit. Here’s the schedule:
Starting in week two, ditch your weightlifting straps through all of Monday’s Snatch work. In week three, try to go through all of Monday’s training session without straps and again without straps for your warm ups on Friday.
By the time we get through week four (which is essentially a deload week), we want to go “strap free” through week five and six in the Snatch. What’s the reason for this?
Come competition day you are not permitted to use weightlifting straps. We want our preparation to mirror that competition environment as closely as possible during our last few weeks of training, which is the WHY behind systematically limiting your use of weightlifting straps.
Click here to grab a pair of Cal Strength Weightlifting Straps for under $10!
Preparing for Competition Day
One of the more challenging aspects of preparing for your competition day is the selection of Openers and Competition Attempts. While there are several factors to consider, we tend to follow the structure outlined below:
Snatch Competition Attempts
Opener (First Attempt): 92 – 93% of your 1RM Snatch
Second Attempt: 95 – 96% of your 1RM Snatch
Third Attempt: 100% of your 1RM Snatch (or the weight you need to medal or keep yourself in the competition)
Clean & Jerk Competition Attempts
Opener (First Attempt): 94 – 95% of your 1RM Clean & Jerk
Second Attempt: 97 – 98% of your 1RM Clean & Jerk
Third Attempt: 100 – 101%* of your 1RM Clean & Jerk
*For your third Clean & Jerk attempt, you need to put on the bar what you need to win or secure a medal.
Summary
We embark on this six week realization cycle that will ultimately lead us into a taper for Nationals / AO Finals. The E=ep^2 cycle follows the exact structure we used to guide Wes to his 399kg Total at the Pan Am Championships in 2019 and we are very excited to see how everyone performs.
How Do You Access The E=ep^2 Cycle?
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About Dave Spitz
He is the founder and head coach of California Strength. Dave holds recognition as a USAW Senior International Coach and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist. He’s spent the past 15+ years coaching athletes in Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit and the NFL.
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