Relevant aspects of the Soviet system of training qualified weightlifters for competitions

Abstract

The first performance of Soviet weightlifters at the Olympic Games took place in 1952 in Helsinki. There they won three gold medals, taking away the palm of the championship from American weightlifters. The basis for the success of Soviet weightlifters on all world platforms was the system of sports training, which was based on the principle of optimal dosing of training load. The use of this system made it possible to form a national team capable of holding a leading position in the world until the end of the 20th century. The aim of the study was to identify the main features of the training process of qualified weightlifters of the Soviet Union, concerning the dosing of loads and the organization of training, in the period from 1972 to 1992. During the preparation of the article, we analyzed scientific and methodological literature on the research topic, and the diaries of eight athletes who underwent competitive training in the main and reserve composition of the USSR national team in the period from 1978 to 1991. In conclusion, we give recommendations regarding the distribution and dosing of the load of qualified weightlifters in preparation for competitions. As a result of the conducted research, we have found that the amount of load by volume in the preparation of weightlifters for competitions should be 1,000-1,300 number of rod lifts per month, depending on the athlete's athletic qualifications. The parameters of the load volume (number of rod lifts and tonnage) increase with the increase in weightlifters' athletic qualifications. Tonnage increases more significantly than the number of rod lifts. At the same time, the training load of qualified weightlifters should consist of 75-85% of sets for 1, 2 and 3 repetitions in jerk and push exercises. We have revealed that qualified weightlifters should perform a new amount of load in preparation for competitions in competitive and specially preparatory weightlifting exercises. The relative intensity of the load in the preparatory and competitive periods of training of qualified weightlifters should be more than 70% in competitive exercises and more than 90% in special preparatory exercises. Load planning of weightlifters in different periods of competitive training should be carried out taking into account the principle of variability, in particular, by various microcycling schemes using several types of microcycles with a load value from 10% to 40% of its total volume per mesocycle. Based on the data on the optimal amount of load in terms of volume and intensity, as well as data on the distribution of load by the number of repetitions in the approach and by types and groups of weightlifting exercises obtained as a result of the study, it is possible to develop universal models of various types of microcycles of competitive training.