Below is the recommended training to taper down for an Olympic weightlifting competition. This taper should be used for a competition that carries some weight for your training. If you are a National competitor then I would not use this taper for a small local meet. This taper is designed to help you peak for a big meet. For instance, if you have circled a meet on your calendar that you are planning to use to qualify for the American Open or National Championships then this is the taper I would recommend. However, if you have already qualified for a National meet and are planning to compete in a local meet (as you should) then it’s probably a better decision to train through that competition and not taper. You can only peak so many times each year and peaking too many times can hurt your numbers in competition. Bottomline: Use this taper to prepare for meets that you need to do well in.
3 Week Competition Taper:
Week 1:
Monday:
Snatch + Hang Snatch: Max
Snatch High Pulls @ 15% more than Max Snatch + Hang Snatch
Clean + Hang Clean + Jerk: Max
Clean Pulls @ 10% more than Max Clean + Hang Clean
Back Squat: Find 5 RM
Tuesday:
Power Snatch + Snatch: Find Max
Power Clean + Clean + Jerk: Find Max
BN Push Press: Find 3RM
Wednesday:
Snatch Max
Snatch High Pulls: 3 sets of 2 @ 110% of Max just found
Front Squat: 3 sets of 3 reps @ 100% of CJ max
Friday:
CJ Max
Clean Pulls: 3 sets of 2 @ 110% of Max just found
Push Jerk + Jerk Grip OHS: 4 sets of 3 + 1
Saturday:
Snatch to first miss above 90% then 3 sets of 2 @ 90% of that miss
CJ to first miss above 85% then 3 sets of 1 @ 90% of that miss
Front Squat: Find 3 RM
Week 2:
Monday:
Snatch Max
CJ Max
Backsquat: Find 1RM
Tuesday:
Snatch: 4 doubles @ 80%
Snatch High Pulls: 3 sets of 3@ Max
2 Cleans + 1 Jerk: 3 sets @ 80%
Wednesday:
Find Snatch Opener: The weight you plan to open with in competition
Find CJ Opener: The weight you plan to open with in competition
FS: Find 1 RM
Friday:
Power Snatch From Hang: 4 sets of 2 @ 80% of max snatch
Power Clean + FS + Split Jerk: 3 sets @ 80% of max CJ
Saturday:
Max Competition Style: Allow yourself 3 total misses from opener on for Snatch and 3 misses for CJ
FS: 80%/3, 85/2, 90/1, 95/1, 85/3
Week 3:
Monday:
Snatch Hit Opener
CJ Hit Opener
Jerk From Rack: 3 singles @ 85% of Max Jerk
Tuesday:
Power Snatch + OHS: 3 sets of 2 @ 75% of Max Snatch
Clean From Power Position + Push Jerk: 3 sets @ 75% of Max CJ
Front Squat: 4 sets of 1 @ 85% of Max FS
Wednesday:
Snatch to opener
CJ to last warm-up weight before opener
Clean Pulls: 4×1 @ opener
Friday:
Power Snatch to 75% of Max Snatch
Power Clean + Split Jerk to 70% of Max CJ
Saturday: Competition/ PR Day
