What is Olympic Weightlifting?

It’s a sport in itself, but you don’t need a singlet or gold-medal aspirations to benefit from increased power, mobility and speed.

Training at the Olympic lifts involves two Olympic lifts: the snatch (where the bar goes from the floor to overhead in one movement) and the clean and jerk (where you ‘clean’ the bar to your shoulders, then overhead). Other derivatives include the overhead squat and snatch pull. It often gets lumped together with CrossFit and taught as a fast-paced combination class.

Although it’s a sport in itself, the lifts are difficult to learn and most people do other sport-specific derivatives,” says coach Alex Adams. “It develops power, speed, mobility and strength, so it improves work in other sports.

It’s not exactly entry-level. “Too frequently, lifters have good power but need more mobility, flexibility and balance,” says Adams. The starting position is a great way to improve knee and hip flexibility. “But because the cardio output is reduced compared to other circuit-type workouts, Olympic lifts aren’t ideal if you want to work until you’ve pushed your technical limits.”

Build Power: The Workout

“Most sessions will begin with snatch or a snatch variant,” says Adams. “It takes the most speed to execute so it comes when you’re freshest. I usually do full lifts on the same day but vary the exact exercise to limit the crossover and fatigue. Most sessions will have five key lifts, but not all five, but rarely both. Assistance work like pressing, rowing and back and abs exercises last.”

1) Snatch pull

Sets: 4 Reps: 5

It’s easier than the full snatch but still a power generator. Set with your hands wide, drive up from the floor by extending your hips. When the bar is mid-thigh, drive up, shrug and rise onto your toes. Drop, reset, and go again.

2) High hang clean

Sets: 4 Reps: 3

Start with the bar at your thighs and use the hook grip. With a vertical jump, then do a small shrug before bending your arms to whip the bar to your shoulders.

3) Front squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 4

Take the bar out of a rack with it resting on your shoulders. Squat down with your weight on your heels, and drive back up.

4) Bent-over row

Sets: 3 Reps: 8

Bend forward at the hips, and pull the barbell up to your sternum. Pause, then lower.

5) Hanging leg raise

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

Hang from a bar with your legs straight. Bring them up until they’re at 90° from your torso, pause and lower.

Instant Expertise

Learn the hook gripTuck your thumb under your first two fingers. “It secures the bar much better and limits tendon shearing,” says Adams. “Most weightlifters should use it. It’ll also help you deadlift.”

Don’t say “squat clean”“That’s a CrossFit thing,” says Adams. “In reality, every clean starts in a full squat depth unless stated otherwise, so you don’t need to say it.”

Know your power hangs“The terminology is fairly simple: power variations are lifts that are caught above half-squat height,” says Adams. “And ‘hang’ catches are from anywhere from the knee to mid-thigh, depending on what you’re working on.”

You’ve Made It When…

You can clean and jerk your own bodyweight. “That’s my initial benchmark, but if you’re doing it well you can then progress to snatching bodyweight,” says Adams. “It requires very good mobility, flexibility and balance to perform the Olympics lifts safely.”

Photo by @marcuschanmedia 

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