Barry from Weightlifting Epiphanies visited the Eleiko Olympic Weightlifting Academy in Danville, California, where he got the chance to interview Ivan Abadjiev and Alexander Krychev.
Here is part one of the interview.
The goal of opening the Eleiko Olympic Weightlifting Academy was to duplicate what the Bulgarians did after 1968 Mexico Olympics, namely going from zero medals to dominating the 1972 Olympics.
Barry: How would he (Ivan Abadjiev) go about coaching amateurs who could train about 3 to four times a week?
Ivan Abadjiev: Amateurs have to train consistently, not sporadically. They often use too much time for recovery. That is one of the main reason for injuries. After long rest periods, when they start again, they are able to can get under heavier stress, which in turn lead to injuries.
Barry: Would he still use the same training methodology (Bulgarian Method) for amateurs (regarding the choice of lifts)?
Ivan Abadjiev: No, I would not use that same system for amateurs.
He admits that he actually he does not have experiences with amateuers, having trained professionals all his life. So he can’t judge.
Professinals are very specialized and use very few exercises.
