Goals

[Aaron Salter]

I'm trying to determine a competitive lift for my weight class. Currently I weigh around 65 kg so I have to figure out whether I'll go up to 69 kg or down to 62 kg (most likely up to 69 kg). Currently my max for Snatch is 52 kg and C + J is 72 kg. I'm looking to enter a meet next August 2013. What would be a good goal to strive for? Thanks!

[Greg Everett]

For next August, you can make some pretty ambitious goals - that's a long time. I would suggest looking up the qualifying totals for the American Open and use that as a basic reference point. If you're training consistently, hard and not doing other things, you may be able to make those totals by then.

This year's 62 total is 180; 69 is 216. So you'd need to add a minimum of 56kg to your current total, or 23kg to each lift. That's doable in a year if you're relatively new, which I'm assuming you are. 2kg/month on each lift (or slightly more since it's not a full year). I would aim for that and adjust as you go.

[Javier Sanjuan]

Adding on to what Greg said, you're going to pack on a lot more mass if you're training consistently. Being an old wrestler and now making weight for weightlifting meets, I know that I always wished I could be heavier (even though I always cut weight). If you go 69, you'll have the opportunity to a) be comfortable with the mass gain that will come as a result of extensive training and b) be able to take training weights more seriously and relate them to what you'll be opening with and striving for on competition platforms. You'll be more comfortable with knowing that, if you consistently hit a X-kg snatch while weighing 70 kilos during training sessions, you'll be able to hit that on competition day because you'll only be cutting one kilo to make weight rather than the eight kilos to get to 62 and being extremely sluggish/hungry.

My recommendation: go 69. Your numbers will jump up, too.

I hope this helps,
Javi

[Michael McKenna]

Aaron, have you tried to work with a local Coach yet? Your goals will be easier to achieve working with a coach and other lifters. Within an hour drive of you is Cara Heads, Olympian and American Record Holder; Rick Bucinell, Masters World Champ and Grand Master, who totals over 300 and is in his mid 40s; The DAC in Baltimore, where a three time National Champ (Mary Hyder) coaches, also, Garret Walters, American Open Champion, trains there; Frederick Weightlfting has at least one National Qualifier and several other quality lifters there; South Baltimore Crossfit has another few American Open level lifters, SSPT in Rockville has a lifting program, Leo Totten has sessions twice a week in Westminster/ Littlestown, and I have 10 sessions a week an hour North of Baltimore. Oh, and there's the Dumbarton Gym, where Team Baltimore Trans, and Crossfit silver Spring, which has a dedicated lifting program. Additionally, there are several smaller groups training in the area. Work with people; there is no substitute for a team experience.