Barbell Notes Blog

In this second part of our blog series on the different styles of weightlifting coaching, we will look at the engineer coach. 

Since ancient times, scientists and philosophers have tried to grasp the nature of the world around us through numbers and mathematics. Even though lifting and throwing weights, in one form or another, has been around for thousands of years, capturing the process of becoming stronger, in terms of numbers, didn't happen before the late 20th century.

In the late 1970s, A.S. Prilepin, the head coach of the Russian national weightlifting team, created the first chart on the optimal number of repetitions and intensities that would lead to maximal strength gains in the Olympic lifts, such as the snatch and the clean and jerk. Intensity is captured as a percentage of the maximum weight and athlete can lift: a 70% intensity for a person with a 100 kilo maximum in any lift would be 70 kilos. Easy enough.

All of a sudden, training in Olympic weightlifting was described in terms of various metrics, such as the total number of repetitions performed during a training session, and macrocycles, the volume of training (intensity distribution for each lift across this total volume, average intensity reached on a given training day, etc.). These numbers, however, were not meant to be purely descriptive; they provided a framework for prescribing effective training to weightlifters. Hence, engineering coaching was born.

To start off with, these coaches estimate the total training volume for an athlete or group of trainees for a given period of time, or training cycle. This total volume number will be based on Prilepin’s chart and the work capacity of the athlete(s). Next, the coach selects the exercises, and then the intensity distribution for each, together with the distribution of volume numbers. A lot of calculations are involved, and as anyone could guess, it’s a very time consuming process.

Barbell Notes helps the engineering coach with all of the calculations involved in creating the best training cycle for their athletes. The volume and intensity distribution will be immediately plotted as coaches create the next training routine. They can easily copy and modify any set of training days across various training cycles, and greatly reduce the time they spend writing programs.

But what makes Barbell Notes training intelligence solution really unique is that it doesn’t just allow you to provide your athletes with a program, you can actually follow their performance within the same platform; you can compare the planned workout against their actual training!!! Something not possible with spreadsheets!!! Your athletes can log their workouts with two clicks. They will not only have their percentages, but also their training weights calculated for them. And, they can link their vlog or other videos to their session for you to review and comment.