As I mention below, after about two years of not doing a snatch, I hit 85% of my all-time best result this week. How is this possible?
Positive Transfer
The answer is that I’ve benefitted from what’s known as “positive transfer” from the normal training I do on a regular basis. In short, the squats, pulls, and presses I do on a weekly basis have developed stretch that has allowed me to maintain most of my snatching ability, despite not doing that actual lift in a long time.
“As a rule, generalized, lower-skill activities tend to transfer better to more specific, higher-skill activities, as opposed to vice versa.”
Perhaps a more relatable example would be as follows: the first time you ever deadlifted, how much could you lift? 135? 185? 225? Perhaps even more? Whatever your answer, one thing is clear: your deadlifting strength didn’t come from deadlifting. It came from other activities – perhaps things as seemingly unrelated as walking, climbing stairs, cycling, and so on.
RELATED: Do Similar Exercises and Drills Transfer to Specific Sport Skills?
How Skill Transfer Works
As a rule, generalized, lower-skill activities tend to transfer better to more specific, higher-skill activities, as opposed to vice versa. This is why most athletes will benefit most from common exercises like squats and presses than they would from Olympic lifts.
Finally, when it comes to transfer, specificity rules the day. A pianist will have an easier time learning to play the harpsichord than will a drummer. Taking that example into the weight room, bar dips will improve bench press strength better than curls or calf raises. Close grip bench presses will transfer even better.
This Week’s Training
I initiated a deload/contrast week on Thursday of this week, which is why my weekly volume is down a bit. I’m starting to integrate a bit of Olympic lifting in anticipation of possibly competing in an AAU weightlifting meet in early May.
Surprisingly, in my first snatch workout in many months, I hit 154lb quite easily. My best competitive snatch ever was 180lb (at 228lb bodyweight, by the way), so needless to say, I was quite encouraged by that. In addition to that, I hit some really nice squats and pulls, so all in all, a satisfying week.
That’s all for now. Enjoy the videos and please leave your comments and questions below!
Weekly Training Volume: 45,404 lb (Last Week: 56,692 lb)
Significant Lifts:
- Squat 335×2, 315×4
- Power Snatch 154×1
- Deadlifts 455×1
- Push Press 160×1
- Power Clean 215×1
Monday, November 10, 2014
Bodyweight: 199.6 lb
Volume: 12,206 lb
Squat
Set 1: 45 lbs × 5
Set 2: 95 lbs × 5
Set 3: 135 lbs × 5
Set 4: 185 lbs × 3
Set 5: 225 lbs × 2
Set 6: 275 lbs × 2
Set 7: 315 lbs × 2
Set 8: 330 lbs × 2
Set 9: 335 lbs × 2
Set 10: 315 lbs × 4
Power Snatch
Set 1: 45 lbs × 5
Set 2: 65 lbs × 3
Set 3: 110 lbs × 2
Set 4: 132 lbs × 1
Set 5: 154 lbs × 1
Overhead Squat
Set 1: 45 lbs × 3
Set 2: 45 lbs × 3
Set 3: 45 lbs × 3
Deadlift
Set 1: 225 lbs × 5
45-Degree Back Extension
Set 1: 120 lbs × 10
Set 2: 120 lbs × 10
Set 3: 120 lbs × 10
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Bodyweight: 198.6 lb
Volume: 14,458 lb
Bench Press
Set 1: 45 lbs × 5
Set 2: 95 lbs × 5
Set 3: 135 lbs × 5
Set 4: 185 lbs × 3
Set 5: 205 lbs × 2
Set 6: 225 lbs × 2
Set 7: 235 lbs × 2
Set 8: 240 lbs × 2
Set 9: 240 lbs × 2
Set 10: 225 lbs × 2
Set 11: 215 lbs × 3
Set 12: 215 lbs × 3
Military Press
Set 1: 45 lbs × 5
Set 2: 65 lbs × 5
Set 3: 85 lbs × 5
Set 4: 95 lbs × 3
Set 5: 105 lbs × 2
Set 6: 105 lbs × 3
Chin Up
Set 1: +25 lbs × 6
Set 2: 8 reps
Set 3: 6 reps
Set 4: 6 reps
Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 70 lbs × 10
Set 2: 70 lbs × 10
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Bodyweight: 199.2 lb
Volume: 7,805 lb
Power Clean
Set 1: 65 lbs × 5
Set 2: 95 lbs × 5
Set 3: 135 lbs × 3
Set 4: 165 lbs × 1
Set 5: 185 lbs × 1
Set 6: 185 lbs × 1
Deadlift
Set 1: 135 lbs × 3
Set 2: 135 lbs × 31
Set 3: 225 lbs × 3
Set 4: 315 lbs × 1
Set 5: 405 lbs × 1
Set 6: 435 lbs × 1
Set 7: 455 lbs × 1 (Video of sets 5-7 with commentary below)
High-Bar Squat
Set 1: 95 lbs × 10
Set 2: 95 lbs × 5
Set 3: 135 lbs × 5
Set 4: 185 lbs × 2
Set 5: 225 lbs × 1
Set 6: 275 lbs × 1
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Bodyweight: 201.4 lb
Volume: 10,935 lb
Push Press
Set 1: 45 lbs × 5
Set 2: 75 lbs × 5
Set 3: 95 lbs × 3
Set 4: 115 lbs × 5
Set 5: 135 lbs × 1
Set 6: 150 lbs × 1
Set 7: 160 lbs × 1
Power Clean
Set 1: 45 lbs × 5
Set 2: 95 lbs × 3
Set 3: 115 lbs × 3
Set 4: 135 lbs × 2
Set 5: 165 lbs × 1
Set 6: 185 lbs × 1
Set 7: 195 lbs × 1
Set 8: 205 lbs × 1
Set 9: 215 lbs × 1
Bench Press (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 110 lbs × 10
Set 2: 140 lbs × 10
Set 3: 180 lbs × 10
Life Fitness Dual Pulley Row
Set 1: 60 lbs × 10
Set 2: 60 lbs × 10
Set 3: 60 lbs × 10
Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 70 lbs × 12
A big believer in practicing what he preaches, Charles Staley trains and competes just like his clients. Every Friday you can read what Charles has done in his workout sessions.
