Gentle Day: A New Carrot to Chase

by Carl Raghavan, SSC | September 02, 2025

Among the finest adjustments I’ve made to my shoppers’ programming
not too long ago (when the lifter’s prepared) is popping the sunshine day into
one thing really enjoyable: a newbie’s Olympic lifting day. And
earlier than you say, “I’m too outdated, too stiff, and I transfer like I’ve
bought two left ft” – it doesn’t matter. That is Beginning
Weightlifting, the easy model. If you happen to’re already energy cleansing
(which you have to be), I’ll often tack on an influence snatch and a
push jerk to kick issues off.

Why do that? As a result of
every coaching day ought to have a objective. Medium day has a theme:
laborious. It’s robust, and it’s purported to be. Quantity squats and
bench, perhaps a lighter deadlift variation – it’s a little bit of a
grind. Heavy day is enjoyable and slightly scary: the lifter will get to chase
a heavy set of 5 on three lifts, often hitting a PR. However gentle
day? That always turns into an afterthought. A box-checker. One thing
folks really feel like they’ll skip in the event that they’re too drained or too busy.

However when gentle day has Olympic lifts – even simply primary variants
like dangle energy snatches from the hip or a push jerk thrown on high of
an influence clear – it turns into one thing extra. It turns into a ability day,
which makes the day enjoyable and thrilling. A observe day. An opportunity to
study one thing new. And everyone knows folks love shiny new issues. Am
I proper?

It additionally provides gentle day
a way of mission. As a substitute of simply gentle squats, quantity press,
chins, and perhaps some bullshit rows, now it’s about creating
coordination, pace, and timing. It’s enjoyable. It’s athletic. And
crucially, it’s nonetheless gentle. These lifts, by nature, aren’t heavy
– particularly not at first. They’re technical. Which implies they’re
excellent for gentle day.

Right here’s one other enjoyable
discovery that got here out of this: getting lifters to try a jerk
unexpectedly made their energy cleans higher. Particularly for the fellows
who used to catch the bar like a automotive crash. Earlier than, the ability clear
was the top of the carry. A aid. Like “Thank god that bicep
curling-jumping mess is over.” However now? The ability clear is simply the
setup for the primary occasion. And since they don’t wish to make the
jerk any tougher (there’s a joke in there someplace), they begin
racking the ability clear higher, with out being informed. Coach’s tip:
typically the considered a jerk can enhance the clear. Don’t
imagine me? Go ask your spouse (I suppose that is the joke).

Even higher, it vegetation
the seeds of alternative. A few of these lifters may by no means have
thought of Olympic lifting earlier than. However now? They’ve tried an influence
snatch. They’ve nailed a half-decent push jerk. They’re constructing
confidence. And in the event that they ever resolve to go deeper – perhaps specialize
in Olympic lifting, and even do a meet – they’ve already began
paving the best way.

The opposite profit is
broader: it expands your barbell vocabulary. Most individuals who come
by means of Beginning Energy have by no means accomplished a snatch or clear &
jerk. So even when they by no means grow to be aggressive lifters, they’ve
nonetheless discovered one thing new. They’ve developed new expertise. They usually
may even get pleasure from it! Think about that.

I’ve been having a
lot of enjoyable with this – watching lifters progress, stunning
themselves (and typically me) with what they’ll do, actions they
didn’t suppose have been doable at first. In truth, lifts I wasn’t
positive they may handle both. However they’ve nailed them, because of a
stable basis within the fundamentals – constructed from a Beginning
Energy base. Studying to make use of their hips correctly within the squat,
pulling from the usual pulling place in lifting footwear, and
executing a robust lively shrug within the press. These primary human
actions are important, not only for power, however for shaping
future Olympic lifters too.

So if you happen to’re a coach,
or a lifter searching for a bit extra out of your gentle day, do this: add
an influence snatch and end your energy cleans with a jerk. Give gentle
day a objective. Give it some pleasure. And offer you or your lifter a
new carrot to chase.