NAIM SULEYMANOGLU’S TRAINING PROGRAMS FROM THE 4 FIRST YEARS OF HIS WEIGHTLIFTING CAREER


This information is based on the lectures of Ljubomir Iliev. He kept the lectures to the Finnish weightlifting coaches in Finland, on 2 – 13 September 1986. Mr. Iliev was working as a researcher in the Institute of the Sport Sciences in Bulgaria. His team was producing studies and knowledge for the use of weightlifting coaches in Bulgaria. Also the head coach of the Bulgarian national team (Mr. Ivan Abadjev) used this information in his work.
The Bulgarian weightlifting was based on the sports schools. There were 15 sports schools and weightlifting was on the schedule of 12 sports schools. The lifters were chosen to the schools after hard tests at the age of 11. After school (at the age of 18) they moved to the sports clubs and the best ones to the national team.
There were 58 professional weightlifting coaches (plus 18 half professional coaches) in the sports schools. Besides the actual sports schools there were also sport classes in the normal schools and on those classes there were 18 coaches.
On those days there were 6000 weightlifters and 4000 of them were junior lifters. The schools produced the lifters to the coaches of the junior national team and the best ones were picked up to the national team.
The weightlifting coaches of Bulgaria are very highly educated. It takes 4 years to graduate for a coach from the university. Every coaches and also teachers who are teaching physical training in the schools have to study weightlifting at least 6 months. So, in the schools every teachers of physical training can train lifters who are beginners.
Naim Suleymanoglu was born on 24 October1967 near the border of Greece. Naim Suleymanoglu’s parents were tobacco farmers and very short, father 141 cm and mother 138 cm. His school teacher looked at the boy and said that you could be a good lifter. He started to coach him. The teacher saw that the boy controlled the bar excellent way and that he had good mobility. After couple of months the teacher sent Naim to the sports school which was 30 km from his home village. started weightlifting training on September 1977 at the age of 10. At that time he was 118 cm tall and weighted 24 kg.
According to Mr.Angel Spassov, he was lecturing in Finland on many strength symposiums during 80s, Suleymanoglu’s biological age was more than his calendar age (at the age of 14 his biological age was about couple of years more).

1st YEAR 1.10.1977 – 30.9.1978 (10 – 11 years old)

During 1.10 – 31.12.1977 he used exercises as followed:
Snatch related movements
1. Snatch from the blocks
2. Jerk from rack behind the neck with snatch grip
3. Snatch squat
4. Snatch
Clean and jerk related movements
1. Power jerk from rack, first jerk behind the neck others from shoulders
2. Jerk from rack, first rep from shoulders and the other reps behind the neck
3. Clean and jerk
4. Front squat
5. clean from the blocks
6. clean
The weights on those movements were approximately 80 % of his body weight. He used a special bar (light bar). When he better his technique, the intensity of the training was raised up smoothly

During 1.1 – 30.9.1978 Suleymanoglu used a program as followed:

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY (TRAINING AT 17.00 – 19.00 O’CLOCK)
1. Snatch 100 lifts
2. Clean and jerk 100 lifts
3. Clean from the blocks 100 lifts
4. Front squat 100 lifts
5. Jumps 50 jumps (at the start position upper body leaning forward mimicking classical lifts, a stick behind the neck)

TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY (TRAINING AT 17.00 – 19.00 O’CLOCK)
1. Power snatch 100 lifts
2. Power clean 100 lifts
3. Back squat 100 lifts
4. Snatch pull 50 lifts
5. Clean pull 50 lifts
5. Jumps (same as on Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

All the movements were done by 10 repetitions per sets








2nd YEAR 1.10.1978 – 30.9.1979 (11 – 12 years old)

His records were on the snatch 50 kg and on the clean and jerk 60 kg

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY
1. Snatch
70 %/3x5 + 80 %/3x5 + 90 %/2x5 + 70 %/5-6-7x3
2. Power clean and jerk
70 %/3x6 + 80 %/3x6 + 90 %/2x5 + 80 %/3x5
3. Front squat
70 %/5x5 + 80 %/5x3 + 90 %/3x4 + 80 %/suitable x 3
4. Clean pull
70 %/5x5 + 80 %/5x3 + 90 %/3x4 + 80 %/suitable x 2

TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY
1. Snatch from the blocks
70 %/3x4 + 80 %/3x5 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2
2. Jerk from the rack
70 %/5x6 + 80 %/3x5 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2
3. Back squat
70 %/5x5 + 80 %/3x6 + 90 %/2x5 + 70 %/suitable
4. Jumps
bodyweight /10x10

3rd YEAR 1.10.1979 – 30.9.1980 (12 – 13 years old)

His records were on the snatch 75 kg and on the clean and jerk 95 kg. Bodyweight was 42 kg.

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY
1. Snatch
70 %/3x4 + 80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x1 + 80 %/suitable x 2
2. Clean and jerk (one clean + 1-3 jerks)
70 %/1-3x3 + 80 %/1-3x3 + 90 %/1-2x2 + 100 %/1x1 + 80 %/5x2
3. Back squat
70 %/3x4 + 80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2
4. Snatch pull
70 %/3x4 + 80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2

TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY
1. Snatch from the blocks
70 %/3x5 + 80 %/5x3 + 90 %/2x4 + 70 %/suitable
2. Jerk from the rack
70 %/4x3 + 80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x3 + 70 %/suitable x 2
3. Front squat
70 %/3x3 + 80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x3 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2
4. Snatch pull
70 %/3x4 + 80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x3 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2


4TH YEAR 1.10.1980 – 30.9.1981 (13 – 14 years old)

His records were on the snatch 85 kg and on the clean and jerk 110 kg. Bodyweight was 48 kg.

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY (MORNING 10 – 12)
1. Snatch
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/5x3
2. Clean and jerk
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 90 %/2x4 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/3x3
3. Back squat
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/3x5 + 80 %/suitable x 2
4. Snatch pull
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/3x5 + 80 %/suitable x 2

MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY (EVENING 16 – 18)
1. Clean and jerk
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x3 + 80 %/5x3
2. Snatch
80 %/3x5 + 90 %/2x3 + 70 %/suitable x 2
3. Front squat
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/3x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2
4. Clean pull
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/3x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 80 %/suitable x 2

TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY (EVENING 16 – 18)
1. Snatch from the blocks
80 %/5x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 90 %/2x2 + 80 %/5x2
2. Jerk from the rack
80 %/3x2 + 90 %/2x2 + 100 %/1x2 + 90 %/2x2 + 80 %/3x2
3. Front squat
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/3x3 + 100 %/2x2 + 90 %/3x2 + 80 %/5x2

TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY (NIGHT 19.30 – 21.30)
1. Power snatch
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 80 %/5x3
2. Clean and jerk
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x2 + 80 %/5x3
3. Front squat
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x3 + 100 %/1x2 + 90 %/2x3 + 80 %/5x3
4. Clean pull
80 %/3x3 + 90 %/2x3 + 100 %/1x2 + 90 %/5x2
5. Jerk starts from the rack
110 %/10x5
6. Jumps
10 kg/10x5


Naim Suleymanoglu was elected to the junior national team on 1982 and Ivan Abadjev started to coach him. He won gold medal on the 52 kg weight class at the Junior World Championships 1982 (august) in Brazil at the age of 15. He did 110 + 140 = 250. His front squat record was 165 kg and back squat record 180 kg.