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Ultimate Punch


8 weeks   |   $29   |   Web, Text, Excel

This training cycle emphasizes overhead strength, stability and speed for the snatch and jerk, without neglecting everything else. It peaks for competition or max snatch and clean & jerk testing.
 
Good For: Overhead strength and stability for the snatch and jerk

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Sample Week

Week 1 Day 1 Monday
Comments (11)  |  Help  |  Programs  |  Exercises

A1. Press in Snatch - 3 x 10
A2. Deadbugs - 3 x 20
 
Ultimate Punch – Week 1 of 8
 
This training cycle emphasizes overhead strength, stability and speed for the snatch and jerk, without neglecting everything else. It peaks for competition or max snatch and clean & jerk testing.
 
Volume: Moderate
Intensity: Moderate
 
Good For:
Overhead strength and stability for the snatch and jerk

Questions? Get answers here or post in comments.
Week 1 Day 2 Tuesday
Comments (2)  |  Help  |  Programs  |  Exercises

  • Tall Snatch - mod wt by feel – 5 x 3
  • Snatch + Overhead Squat (3 sec hold in bottom all reps) – 70% x 3+1 x 5
  • Snatch Pull – 80% x 5, 85% x 4, 90% x 3 x 3
  • Back Squat – 70% x 5 x 4
A1. Pull-up - 3 x max
A2. Weighted Plank - 3 x 20-30 sec
 

Questions? Get answers here or post in comments.
Week 1 Day 3 Wednesday
Comments (6)  |  Help  |  Programs  |  Exercises

  • Hang Power Snatch (mid-thigh) + Drop Snatch (3 sec hold in bottom) – 65% x 3+1 x 5
  • Heaving Snatch Balance – 70% x 3 x 5
  • Snatch Push Press (% of snatch) – 70% x 5 x 5
  • Jerk Recovery (3 sec hold in split after separation before standing) – 2RM
A1. Press in Clean - 3 x 10
A2. Hanging Leg Raise - 3 x max
 

Questions? Get answers here or post in comments.
Week 1 Day 4 Thursday
Comments (3)  |  Help  |  Programs  |  Exercises

  • Jerk Balance - mod wt by feel – 3 x 5
  • Clean & Jerk – 70% x 3(1+1) x 5
  • Clean Pull – 80% x 5, 85% x 4, 90% x 3 x 2
  • Pause Back Squat (3 sec) – 70% x 3 x 4
A1. DB Row - 3 x 10-15
A2. Deadbugs - 3 x 20
 

Questions? Get answers here or post in comments.
Week 1 Day 5 Friday
Comments  |  Help  |  Programs  |  Exercises

Rest day

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Week 1 Day 6 Saturday
Comments  |  Help  |  Programs  |  Exercises

  • Snatch + Snatch Balance + Overhead Squat – 70% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1
  • Clean + Power Jerk + Jerk – 70% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1, 75% x 1+1+1
  • Front Squat – 70% x 3, 75% x 3 x 3
  • 1-Arm KB Bottom-up walking lunge - 3 x 20 steps/arm
A1. Weighted Plank - 3 x 20-30 sec
A2. Weighted Side Plank - 3 x 20-30 sec

*Increase BOLD weights if you feel good.

Questions? Get answers here or post in comments.
Week 1 Day 7 Sunday
Comments  |  Help  |  Programs  |  Exercises

Rest day

Questions? Get answers here or post in comments.




38 Comments
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Jimmy Hedlund
January 24 2020
Is this program appropriate for a beginner? Over head stability is my biggest issue
Jimmy - This program would be doabale, it does focus on overheady stability, so it might be just what you need.

Alyssa Sulay
Durell Cooper
May 6 2020
What is (Bnk)
Behind the neck

Greg Everett
Grg Th
August 18 2020
Would you suggest any modifications for the snatch or its variants to work on keeping the bar close and toward the body after the 1st pull (past the knees)? Ex. hang snatches below the knee in place of programmed full snatches for the same reps, sets and weight?
Probably not unless it's extremely bad. In that case, I'd be more inclined to use a slow-pull snatch rather than any partial.

Greg Everett
Grg Th
August 25 2020
Never have maxed out on my OHS, Sn balance, or jerk BNK. Its been a while since Ive maxed my power clean and F squat as well, though I have a good idea of where its at.
When would you recommend going for some heavy singles in these lifts to get some accurate numbers to use? Just took a week of your 5 week squat bump program and ready to start a new one again.
Jerk bnk is always based off jerk. Snatch balance and OHS can be estimated and if they're not exercises you use regularly, just use your best snatch. If you want to test before you start, you can.

Greg Everett
Grg Th
September 23 2020
Fantastic results from this program.
So much so that my numbers may need to be increased. Just finished week 3 and here are 2 examples that may need to be evaluated:
3RM BTN Jerk: 90kg (best jerk was 85 from the front for 1 )
5RM Snatch push press: 74kg, (best snatch was 63kg)
What would you suggest to input to programmed weights off?
I'd increase those things maybe about 50% of the total improvement for calculating weights on those exercises just so it's not such a dramatic change, and if it feels too easy, then add a bit more by feel.

Greg Everett
Bill Hinchen
October 3 2020
Any suggestions for jerk recovery substitutions? No power racks at my gym. Thanks in advance.
You can do handstand holds and hold all your jerks in the split a couple seconds before recovering.

Greg Everett
Quentin Freeth
October 7 2020
For exercises such as heaving snatch balance, or say day 6 complexes what are the percentages based off? Not like you ever do a 1rm of a heaving snatch balance, but I read somewhere on the site that percentages are of the exercise they accompany unless specified otherwise? Also, in that vein, should pause back squat percentages eg for week 1 be based off of standard back squat 1rm?
All snatch balance variations are based off best snatch balance. If you don't have one, use best snatch as a starting point. All squat variations are based on the primary variation, so yes, pause BS would be off best BS.

Greg Everett
Quentin Freeth
October 29 2020
Hi Greg, how are you meant to use the RMs in week 3 to alter weights going forward with the rest of the program? Are you meant to somehow calculate 1rms from them and adjust weights accordingly?
Unless you actually set a new 1RM (or surpass it with a multiple-rep RM), don't change it. If weights are feeling incredibly light, you can adjust a bit, but you'd need to do it by feel.

Greg Everett
Ove Christensen
January 22 2021
Hey. What is WK 2 weights?
The weights you used on week 2.

Greg Everett
Sam V cote
May 10 2021
At week 3: To confirm, when reaching 3rm, the 90% sets after should be 90% of the 3rm you just did. I am asking because in the spreadsheet the % refers to the actual max of the lift and not the 3rm weight you just did. Thanks !
Correct. Fixed spreadsheet is up if you want to re-download.

Greg Everett
Emma Lundgren
June 20 2021
Is it possible to combine this program with another one - to get he extra overhead strength and stability aspects?
Not productively... My suggestion is to not use this program if you don't believe it's going to work to you. You can add some accessory work if you want, but running 2 complete programs simultanously is a great way to make sure both fail.

Greg Everett
Grg Th
June 25 2021
Great Program! Went from 63/85 to 69/90 last fall, (no WL in between) and 69/90 to 74/97 this summer. Nice progression between the weeks. Weights get heavier, reps get lower. Last 2-3 weeks were super fun heavy stuff! Really helps get you comfy in the bottom positions of snatch, and has improved my jerk tremendously.
Emma Lundgren
June 26 2021
Hey! Continuing on my question above…Yes, combining two programs is mental. What I ended up doing was going with the AKP program but adding in lighter snatch complexes to practice my snatch almost every day (otherwise my gold fish brain forgets what a snatch is and everything goes side-ways) AND add a pause (3-5s) at the bottom of the snatch and any overhead positions like jerks. I’ve also added in some more accessory and mobility work at the end of a session to work on stability issues (press in snatch and press in clean every other day or so).
All basically “borrowed” from this overhead strength program. Sound reasonable?
Yes, that's a better plan.

Greg Everett
Nicole Molokwu
January 29 2022
Hi, just to be clear 5x3 is always 5s 3r unless otherwise indicated right? Sometimes it’s like the reps come first (eg the one with 3+1) so I’m confused.
weight x reps x sets

If there is no weight, sets x reps.

Explained in detail here.

Greg Everett
Justin Negrete
February 16 2022
Any reason to not change C&J 5x3 to 6-7x2 or something similar? C&J triples are a bit too much, especially at these percentages and shoulders start to feel a bit beat up by 4th set.

Also, working up to RMs, would you recommend using the RM reps or just doing singles until close to the expected RM weight?
It's a different training stimulus, which is why it is what it is and not what you suggest...

If you're not able to handle the volume, it's probably not the best cycle for you at this time - you may need to get a bit more conditioned and build up some more capacity before it's effective for you.

As far as RMs go, you don't need to do full reps all the way up.

Greg Everett
Lena Hudson
April 14 2022
To make this a 3 day a week program, would you combine Mon/Tuesday and Wed/Thur or would it be best to do only 3 days and if so which 3 days are best?
Depends on why you need to do 3 days. If it's strictly the weekly schedule, yes you can do as described although those will be very long, tough days. If you need to do 3 days because it's too much volume, you need to cut out the least important parts (for yourself). See this article.

Greg Everett
Matt Cunningham
May 16 2022
Is this one available in Train Heroic?
No, any program that is has a button to buy it there.

Greg Everett
Jorge Sampaio
May 30 2022
What is/are the best day(s) to add:
1 - OHP Hypertrophy
2 - Pull-up + biceps hypertrophy .

Love your programs. Cheers
2 - on the day that already has pull-ups
1 - wednesday

Greg Everett
Caleb Salinas
July 12 2022
My behind the neck jerk is awful. When I’m at 75% on week two I’ve failed multiple times but from the front it’s much easier. On week three the percentage goes up quite a bit, should I stay at a lower percentage to work my technique?
If the problem is limited mobility (usually why bnk jerks are worse), just go from front instead. Otherwise, try warming up with bnk + front, then move to front only when needed to do the workout as prescribed.

Greg Everett
Ivan Gonzalez
May 3 2023
Fantastic program! By the end of the program, I got a 4kg Snatch PR and a 10kg Clean and Jerk PR, so an excellent program if you struggle overhead like I do!