Focus and recovery

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/07/2014 (4266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I am sitting in a café in Bulgaria, trying to put into words what I have experienced.

After meeting Bulgarian weightlifting champion Alexander Varbanov two years ago, I was invited to attend a summer Olympic weightlifting camp in the small town of Shumen in Bulgaria. For the past two weeks, our group of 12 Canadian lifters has been training with Varbanov and other Bulgarian weightlifting legends such as Ivan Abadjiev, Ivan Lechev, and Zlatan Vanev, learning about the famous Bulgarian method that has produced so many world class athletes.

The Bulgarians are known for their extreme training methods, practising for several hours at a time two to three times a day, five or six days per week, lifting a high volume of very heavy weights in comparison to other traditional training systems. Our small Canadian group is comprised largely of amateur lifters, and our coaches adapted the Bulgarian method so that we could experience it for ourselves.

Our daily training regimen involved lifting weights twice a day for two to three hours at a time. Our lifting always included very heavy squats and some variations of the classical Olympic lifts, called “snatch” and “clean and jerk.” It’s hard to believe that I not only survived, but thrived, on this routine, increasing some of my lifts by over 15 kilograms in two short weeks.

The key to our success was carefully planned recovery. Our coaches’ English vocabulary was limited but two words were repeated over and over again; focus and recovery. Every aspect of our camp was planned with these in mind. A typical training day consisted of breakfast, a sports massage, followed by three hours of training, then lunch and an afternoon nap, followed by another massage, three more hours of training, and finally a team dinner. After each training session, coach Varbanov would lead a team meeting, recapping our achievements and giving us specific instructions for recovery. We were encouraged to limit television and computer time, eat well, and get as much sleep as possible. On the weekends we visited historical sites and relaxed at the beach, for much-needed mental recovery.

We worked hard. We were sore and tired but every day we would come back to the small training hall in the morning to start squatting. I loved every minute of it. I have learned that being an athlete is not just about working hard. It is about passion and focus, and that the body can do amazing things if you take good care of it.

Tania Tetrault Vrga is owner and head trainer at CrossFit Winnipeg. Send questions to her at www.crossfitwinnipeg.com