13U Calendar (Years 3 & 4)

Entering the 13U Programs

The overall calendar for our 13U lifters does not change dramatically. What changes is the number of different training programs we use and the number of days per week the athlete trains, while still aiming for 8-9 competitions per year.

During the competition preparation and competition phases, 13U lifters move to four days of training per week. At this point, the objective shifts toward learning how to truly train for the sport of weightlifting. This is also where we begin to see which athletes are ready to make weightlifting a more serious commitment.

The 13U system consists of five primary training phases:

  1. Recovery Light

  2. Recovery Medium

  3. Competition Prep

  4. Competition

  5. Competition Taper

Recovery Light

The Recovery Light Program is used immediately following National Championships and again at approximately the midpoint of the training year.

The purpose is to rest, recover, rebuild, and address weaknesses.

Training drops back to three days per week, and the intensity and overall demands of training are reduced. This gives the athlete an opportunity to recover from the previous training cycle while allowing the coach to spend time addressing technical issues, strength deficiencies, or other areas that need attention.

Recovery does not mean stopping. It means deliberately doing less so the athlete can prepare for what comes next.

Recovery Medium

The Recovery Medium Program continues with the same basic goals as Recovery Light, but begins the process of building the athlete back toward normal training.

Lifters continue training three days per week, while the weights gradually increase over the four-week cycle. The goal is to finish the cycle working with approximately 90% training weights.

This creates a gradual bridge between the lower-intensity recovery period and the more demanding competition preparation phase.

Competition Prep

The Competition Prep Program marks another significant step forward.

Training increases to four days per week, with two days specifically focused on the competition lifts.

Squatting now occurs three times per week, while the remaining work is divided between power variations, technique variations, and snatch and clean deadlifts.

The program follows the familiar four-week progression:

  • Week 1: 80%

  • Week 2: 90%

  • Week 3: 85%

  • Week 4: Maximum week

As always, the percentages are based on the conservative training maximums established within the Sandusky system (now roughly 90% of true maximum). The purpose is to manage intensity and volume while allowing the athlete to continue developing without unnecessarily pushing them toward their true physical limits.

Competition Program

The Competition Program continues with four days of training per week and is very similar to the Competition Prep Program.

The primary difference is the replacement of snatch and clean deadlifts with pulls.

Everything else remains essentially the same. The athlete continues to train the competition lifts twice per week, squat three times per week, and use power and technique variations to support their development.

The transition from deadlifts to pulls represents another step in the athlete's development. We are now able to place greater emphasis on the specific pulling action required to complete the competition lifts while the athlete has already spent years developing the necessary positions and strength.

Competition Taper

The final program in the 13U system is our three-week Competition Taper.

This program is used in its full three-week format leading into National Championships. A shorter version is also used before Virus Series 1.

The purpose of the taper is straightforward: reduce volume while maintaining intensity.

As the competition approaches, the athlete performs less overall work while continuing to handle relatively high-intensity weights. The goal is to allow accumulated fatigue to dissipate without allowing the athlete to lose the strength, skill, and confidence they have developed throughout the training cycle.

Learning to Train

The 13U system represents an important change in the Sandusky Way.

For the first two years, the primary objective has been teaching the athlete how to lift and how to compete. Now we begin teaching them how to train specifically for weightlifting.

Training frequency increases. The number of programs increases. Volume and intensity become more deliberately managed. Recovery becomes an intentional part of the training calendar, and competition preparation becomes increasingly specific.

Most importantly, the athlete is beginning to learn what it means to train like a weightlifter.