80 years ago weightlifters discovered one of the most effective methods for improving technique, consistency, and conditioning.

 

This method is called On-The-Minute Training and in this article I’ll break down how this method started, why it works, and give you four different programs to implement in your training. 

 

P.S. You can watch the video version of this article here, or at the bottom of the page.

 

The First On-The-Minute Weightlifting Program: Joe Mills' 20 in 20 Workout

The first On-The-Minute program I can find was written in 1967 by legendary weightlifting hall of fame coach Joe Mills. 

 

Joe coached some of the most famous American weightlifters of the time like Bob Bednarski, and Mark Cameron, who was the youngest and lightest American to Clean and Jerk, and whose American record stood for 45 years! 

 

One of Bob's famous workouts that his athletes often did was called the "20 in 20" Workout.

 

How the Mills "20 in 20 Workout" works:

 

The goal is to successfully complete 20 lifts in 20 minutes.

 

Warm up to about 70% of your snatch, then start a running clock, and at the beginning of every minute perform 1 rep, resting the remainder of the minute. 

 

After 5 minutes and 5 successful lifts, add 3-5kg and repeat - 5 more singles, each at the beginning of every minute, and after 5 more successful lifts in 5 minutes, add another 3-5kg and do it again.

 

Once you’ve completed 15 singles in 15 minutes, then you can add a little bit of weight each minute for the remaining 5 lifts, aiming for around 90% for your last lift. Then, rest 5-10 minutes, and repeat the same exact workout for the Clean and Jerk.

 

This workout is brutal, if you’ve ever done it you know how hard it is - but more importantly, you probably found out that you don’t have nearly the consistency or conditioning needed to complete all the reps without any misses.

 

How To Progress the "20 In 20" Workout

 

From what I was able to find, a lot of the “program” happened in the moment.

 

If you made all 20 lifts the week before, then this week starts at 2.5kg heavier than last week. If you only completed 15 or 17 lifts, stay at the same weight and try again until you get to 20. 

 

Having done this a few times, here’s my recommendation:

 

If you’re new to the lifts or relatively strong but not conditioned, then try this out as written for the snatch, but for the clean and jerk, either...

• Do on a separate day to reduce the fatigue from snatches
• Lower starting weight by 5% or as light as needed to make all lifts
• Increase the interval from every minute to every 90 seconds 

 

Try this workout once per week for 4 weeks, ideally on the first workout of the week to ensure proper recovery and technical focus. 

 

If you give this workout a try, let me know in the comments below!

 

Why On-The-Minute Training Works

 

They might not have known this in the 60’s, but here’s why on-the-minute training works.

 

A typical weightlifting program will often have about 15-25 reps of Snatch or Clean and Jerk in a workout, but you’re more likely to see that written as 5x3 or 10x2.

 

The Feedback to Fatigue Ratio

 

When you do a set of 3 reps, the first rep will give you some feedback on what you need to focus on for the next rep, maybe it’s footwork, or finishing your pull - and you’ll try to apply that in the second rep and third rep but there’s one problem...

 

The first rep also piles on a little bit of fatigue.

 

This fatigue makes it harder to execute on that feedback. By the time you get to the third rep you’ve got even more fatigue from the second rep. 

 

The tricky part is that IMMEDIATELY after a rep is when the feedback from the lift is freshest in your mind, but it’s also when the fatigue is the highest and hardest to execute on.

 

So, by extending the time between reps longer than you would in a normal set of two or three but not too long that you lose the feedback, you can minimize the negative effects of fatigue while still keeping the technical feedback as high as possible. 

 

The Science Behind On-The-Minute Training

 

If you want to get scientific about it, the olympic lifts use an energy system called the phosphocreatine system (yes, the same creatine you keep forgetting to re-order).

 

This system provides energy for short, explosive exercises that last between 1 and 10 seconds (hint: olympic lifts) before it is used up. It then takes about 30 seconds of rest to replenish up to 70% of it’s stores, and about 3 mins to get 100% recovered.

 

If we’re doing a set of 1 which takes about 1-2 seconds, we can assume we did not use up all of our phospho-creatine stores like we would for a 10 second sprint, and after 30 seconds we can replenish 70% of what we did use, which means your body is capable of being explosive again!

 

This means you can get the same amount of training done, in less time, with higher quality technique.  

 

On-The-Minute Weightlifting Progression 1: Pendlay's Modified Westside Method

 

I’ve been using on-the-minute training in my programs for about ten years, and I first learned this from my former coach, the late, great, Glenn Pendlay.

 

From what Glenn said, he first started experimenting with on-the-minute training after discussions with the legendary powerlifting coach Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell who used similar methods for their speed training days. 

 

Interestingly, Westside used and adapted a lot of their methods for powerlifters from soviet weightlifters training, so it’s kind of neat to see a weightlifting coach like Glenn learning this method from a powerlifting coach in the 90's, who learned his methods from soviet weightlifters in the 70’s, all while Joe Mills was doing it in the 60s!

 

Westside Barbell's On-The-Minute Dynamic Effort Method

 

The Westside approach focused on performing strength exercises like squats and bench presses with an emphasis on speed, but Pendlay eventually adapted it for the olympic lifts, which are already speed lifts. 

 

Their approach was called the Dynamic Effort Method, and they would do a 3-week progression starting with 50% of their 1RM + bands or chains for 8x3 reps on the Bench Press or 10x2 reps on the Squat, and 45-60 seconds of rest between reps.

 

Then, on week 2 do the same thing but with 55% + bands or chains, and 60%+ bands or chains on week 3. 

 

The goal was to practice moving submaximal weights as fast as possible to develop the ability to move heavier weights slightly faster than you might otherwise, which could help you get through a sticking point in your lifts a little easier.

 

Pendlay's Modified Westside Progression

 

After learning about this from Louie, Glenn adapted the method back to weightlifting, changed the percentages, ditched the bands and chains - mostly, and put it to the test. 

 

Here’s the On-The-Minute Progression I learned from Glenn Pendlay.

 

• Week 1: Warm up to 70% and perform 15 reps in 15 minutes
• Week 2: Warm up to 75% and perform 12 reps in 12 minutes
• Week 3: Warm up to 80% and perform 8 reps in 8 minutes

 

And that was usually the main progression, but sometimes Glenn would add a fourth week with 5 reps in 5 minutes at 85%. 

 

This was used sparingly.

 

I’m not sure why, I never felt like the fourth week had a negative impact, or was all that hard, especially compared to how tough weeks 1 and 2 were. My guess is that it followed the same 3 week progression that Louie Simmons used and Glenn didn’t want to deviate too far from it. 

 

If you’re new to on the minute training, this is where I would recommend you start.

 

You’ll find that you can get into a rhythm and your technique starts to become more fluid and consistent, and if you’re an over-thinker, this will really help you get out of your head.

 

I recommend using this workout early in the week for your lighter, higher volume day - I love doing this on a 4 or 5 day split like this...

 

• Day 1: On-The-Minute Progression + Snatch Pulls + Accessories
• Day 2: Light Jerk Drill + Push Press + Back Squat + Accessories
• Optional Day 3: Power Snatch & Clean + Clean Pulls + Accessories
• Day 4: Heavy Single/Double/Triple Snatch and Clean & Jerk + Accessories
• Day 5: Light Snatch Drill + Strict/Bench Press + Front Squat + Accessories

 

This is the exact split and progression I use in my 12-Week On-The-Minute Weightlifting Program which includes the Modified Westside 4-Week Program!

 

On-The-Minute Weightlifting Progression 2: Heavy Consistency

 

After a few years of doing the same on-the-minute progression, I started experimenting with some different approaches.

 

The next OTM Progression is called the Heavy Consistency Progression.

 

I designed this to be used for athletes who need...

 

• Improved consistency with weights over 80%
• Lots of warm-up reps to feel good at heavier weights

 

Here’s how it works…

 

• Week 1: Warm up to 70% and perform one rep every minute for 10 minutes, then take 4 more lifts. The first two at 75% and the second two at 80%, all on the minute. 
• Week 2: Warm up to 75% for 8 reps in 8 minutes, then 2x1 at 80% and 2x1 at 85%
• Week 3: Warm up to 80% for 6 reps in 6 minutes, then 2x1 at 85% and 2x1 at 90%
• Week 4: Warm up to 85% for 4 reps in 4 minutes, then 2x1 at 90% and 2x1 at 95%

 

These weights get HEAVY, but you must resist the urge to continue building to a max!

 

That is not the goal of this progression. The goal is to get you feeling consistent with those heavier weights in the 80%+ range, not to set PR’s, because you can actually structure that into your training later in the week like this.

 

• Day 1: The HC OTM Progression + Snatch Pulls + Accessories
• Day 2: Lighter Jerk Drill + Push Press + Back Squat + Accessories
• Day 3: Moderate 1-3 Rep Power Snatch and Clean, or Complexes from weaker positions like the high blocks or below the knee hang position + Accessories
• Day 4: Heavy Single Sn/CJ, either attempting a max or aiming for 90% or more + Clean Pulls + Accessories
• Day 5: Light Snatch Drill + Strict Press + Front Squat + Accessories

 

This is the exact split I use in the 12-Week On-The-Minute Weightlifting Program which includes this 4-Week Heavy Consistency Progression. 

 

Using On-The-Minute Training To Prepare For a Weightlifting Competition

 

One sneakier benefit of the Heavy Consistency Method is how useful it can be for competitive lifters.

 

In a competition, you may be either new enough or strong enough that there’s no one else attempting the same weight as you. In this situation you would have to follow yourself - meaning you only get up to 2 mins before you need to take your next attempt, or one minute if someone steals your clock. 

 

If this happens, you need to be conditioned enough to be able to go out and take your next attempt. Doing things like cardio and higher volume training can help, but there’s nothing quite as specific to the demands of following yourself in competition as practicing heavy lifts on the minute. 

 

On-The-Minute Progression 3: The PR Progression

 

Some lifters hit their best lifts with as few warm up lifts as possible to minimize fatigue and feel fresh at heavier weights.

 

However, other lifters hit their best lifts after TONS of reps.

 

In my experience these are usually lifters with less experience in weightlifting. The better at weightlifting you are, the more efficient with your strength you are - which also means that 85% for an advanced lifter feels a lot different for a newer lifter. 

 

The PR Progression works well if you are a beginner or intermediate lifter who still needs lots of practice to get your technique feeling consistent.  

 

Here’s how it works…

 

• Week 1: Warm up to 70% and perform 10 reps in 10 minutes, then 4 more sets of 1, building in weight each set by 5%, so 75%, 80%, 85%, and 90%
• Week 2: Warm up to 75% and perform 8 reps in 8 minutes, then 1x1 @ 80%, 85%, 90%, and 95%
• Week 3: Warm up to 80% for 6 sets in 6 minutes, then 1x1 @85%, 90%, 95%, and 98-100%
• Week 4: Warm up to 85% for 4 sets in 4 minutes, then 1x1 @ 90, 95, 98, and 101%+

 

A quick note - when I do this program I never actually use percentages. Instead, I work backwards from the weight I want to hit on week 4, so try this out and see if it works for you.

 

If your PR is 98kg in the snatch and you want to hit 100kg, and you’re in shape for it - then work backwards from 100kg as the last lift on the last week. 

 

That would look like this...

 

• Week 1: Warm up to 70kg and perform 10 reps in 10 minutes, then 1x1 @ 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg
• Week 2: Warm up to 75kg and perform 8 reps in 8 minutes, then 1x1 @ 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, 94kg
• Week 3: Warm up to 80kg for 6 sets in 6 minutes, then 1x1 @ 85kg, 90kg, 94kg, 97kg
• Week 4: Warm up to 85kg for 4 sets in 4 minutes, then 1x1 @ 90kg, 94kg, 97kg, and 100kg for the PR

 

I prefer this approach, even though it largely looks the same, because it forces you to view your program's weights as stepping stones to your next PR. Plus, it has the added benefit of giving you an idea of what your warm-ups should be in competition!

 

It's easy to write this program down and see how big the weights are on week 4 and think it'll be impossible. This is why progressions are such a big factor in your training. Every good program should be challenging enough that it pushes you beyond your current capabilities but has a manageable starting point that bridges the gap to where you need to be. 

 

If you want to hit big lifts, it takes progressions and weeks of training to build momentum towards the end goal, and this only becomes more true and takes more time to build momentum as you become a more advanced lifter.

 

If you can get this down, you'll master one of the most important aspects of weightlifting training. 

 

This is the exact what I use in the 12-Week On-The-Minute Weightlifting Program which includes this 4-Week PR Progression. 

 

Creating A Long-Term On-The-Minute Weightlifting Program

 

Here's how I would recommend using On-The-Minute Training in a long-term weightlifting program, and this exactly how I set up the 12-Week On-The-Minute Weightlifting Program. 

 

Start with the 4-Week Modified Westside Progression to get consistent with your lighter lifts, especially if you've taken some time off hard training. 

 

Then, run the 4-Week Heavy Consistency Progression or the Joe Mills 20 In 20 Workout to shift your focus towards consistency with heavier lifts. This is perfect right before a competition prep or peaking phase. 

 

Then, run the 4-Week PR Progression to peak your lifts for new training maxes, especially if you are a Crossfitter with limited time to get better at the oly lifts, or Crossfit gym who needs a short EMOM Weightlifting Cycle to run in your classes.

 

Across each of the 4-week progressions, the weights get a little heavier, and the previous progressions prepares you for the next one. If you do this, you’ll have so many chances to develop your consistency that by the time you get to take attempts at PR’s, it’ll feel effortless. 

 

Hopefully this helps you in your training or coaching, if so let me know in the comments! And if you want to watch the video version, check it out below!