Written by Kiel DiGiovanni | Co-founder
Fact checked by Kirsten Yovino, CPT Brookbush Institute
FACT CHECKED
Let's just get straight to the point - The Olympic games only include 2 lifts; the 'Clean and Jerk' and the 'Snatch'. HOWEVER, there are many lifts and movements that help to improve upon those two main Olympic lifts. Many of these "assistance lifts" are variations (or even simply steps) of the Clean, Jerk, and Snatch movements, which you will learn about in this article. These assistance lifts, of which there are something like 50 of them, are meant to make you stronger and more powerful in the two main lifts and are used in Olympic weightlifting and Crossfit training.
Note: You can do Olympic-style weightlifting without actually competing, of course. Olympic lifts are great for building power, strength and even muscle, which is why many people incorporate Olympic lifts into their weight training programs.
In this post, we cover the follow:
- What is Olympic Weightlifting?
- What is the Snatch?
- What is the Clean & Jerk?
- A brief history of Olympic weightlifting.
- Benefits of Olympic weightlifting (or simply incorporating Olympic lifts into your routine).
- How to do the Clean & Jerk and the Snatch (and which is harder).
- Some of the main Olympic "assistance" lifts and how to do them.
Olympic lifting movements can be done with a variety of equipment, but for the sake of this post and keeping things truly OLYMPIC, we will only focus on some Olympic lifting movements using a barbell.
WHAT IS OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING?
Olympic lifting is a sport that involves lifting a loaded barbell from the ground to up overhead using explosive power. There are only two lifts in modern Olympic weightlifting competitions - the snatch and the clean & jerk (you will learn all about these two lifts so don't worry about what they are exactly for now).
The winner is determined by the combined total weight of both lifts for their respective weight class.
Olympic lifts are powerful movements that require maximum strength and explosion. The goal of Olympic lifting is to clean & jerk and snatch as much weight as possible for one rep.
Olympic weightlifting, while great for physical fitness, IS A SPORT. Moreover, it is not the same as powerlifting, which is a completely different type of weight training.
As noted in the beginning, there are many variations of the two main Olympic lifts and various other movements done in Olympic weightlifting training regimens. These Olympic-style lifts/practice moves work to improve the two main lifts for competition as well as the athletes overall fitness (strength & power).
Note: If you want to take Olympic weightlifting seriously, and potentially compete, or even just learn how to do the Olympic lifts properly, we have a complete Olympic Weightlifting Program for Beginners linked at the end of this article.
What is the Snatch?
The snatch is one fluid movement where the athlete lifts the weight from the ground then catches it overhead with arms straight while in a deep squatting position. The lifter emerges from the squatting position to standing up straight with the weight above their head to complete the lift.
What is the Clean and Jerk?
The clean and jerk is an exercise that has two distinct components. For the first portion of the movement, the athlete cleans the weight from the floor then catches it in a front squat position. The second portion of this lift is done when the athlete jumps into a split stance while pressing the weight up until the arms are locked out. Finally, the athlete must bring their back foot up to the same plane as the front foot to complete the lift.
We will go over how to do both exercises with step by step instructions and common mistakes to avoid, as well as the main assistance lifts used in Olympic weightlifting training, but first let's go over the history of Olympic weightlifting and the benefits of this kind of weight training.
BRIEF HISTORY OF OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting made its appearance in the 1896 Olympic games with two main events; the one hand lift and two hand lift. The one-hand lift was similar to a snatch except that the competitors had to execute the lift with each hand lifting the weight over their head. The combined total of both hands determined the winner. The two-hand lift looked familiar to the clean and jerk. These two lifts were part of the early Olympic games, with their last presence in 1906.
Another weightlifting event of the Olympics that is no more was the clean and press. This event was in the games from 1924-1972. Athletes had to clean the weight then press overhead. Due to inconsistency and difficulty in judging, this event also was dropped from the Olympics.
WHAT ARE THE OLYMPIC LIFT WORLD RECORDS?
Each weight class in the Olympics will have different world records, so we'll only cover the heaviest weight class that lifted the heaviest weights.
Lasha Takahadze of Georgia, in the 109+kg (239.8lb) weight class set the newest world records at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with a 265 kg (583lbs) clean and jerk and a 223 kg (490.6lbs) snatch. The Olympic world records for women were also set in Tokyo by Li WenWen of China in the 87+ kg (191.4lbs) weight class with a 170kg (374lbs) clean and jerk and a 140kg (308lb) snatch.
Considering all of the world records are recent, it’s clear that the sport is only getting more competitive, and people are getting stronger, but how they are getting stronger is for another article.
BENEFITS OF OLYMPIC LIFTS
There are numerous health benefits of performing Olympic lifts.
Let's have a look at some of them below:
- Lose Fat: You can burn tons of calories by performing Olympic-style lifts because they require explosive movement while engaging multiple muscle groups. While we enjoy bodybuilding exercises, we know that 10 reps of power clean get us far more winded thus burn more calories than 10 reps of biceps curls. Olympic lifts are great for building lean muscle, burning calories, and enhancing full-body strength.
- Targets Full Body: Olympic-style lifts work the whole body from the legs, glutes, core, arms, back, and shoulders. Using muscles from head to toe to execute these lifts results in improved coordination, more true strength, power, and explosiveness.
- Improve Mobility: Mobility is essential when doing Olympic lifts because you're using muscles throughout your body while moving through a wide range of motion. Moving a weight through this ROM while under control keeps the joints fresh and limber but strong. Olympic weight lifters aren't only super strong but also incredibly flexible.
- Reduce Injury: Olympic lifts can help protect you against possible future injuries if done properly. These full-body movements will improve your mobility, flexibility, balance, stability, and strength. In addition, by regularly performing these movements, you'll move better during everyday life activities, which reduces the chances of throwing out your back or twisting an ankle.
- Get More Explosive: Performing Olympic-style lifts will push you to become more explosive than other compound lifts such as squats, deadlifts, or overhead presses. Speed is a vital component to pull off successful Olympic lifts. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are recruited to help perform Olympic lifts, resulting in running faster and jumping higher.
- Improve Bone Density: Olympic lifts put enough stress on the legs, hips, spine, and arms to help promote new bone growth and improved bone density. This is vitally important as we age to help prevent bone fractures and osteoporosis.
- Better Posture: Olympic lifts rely on the posterior chain of muscles on the backside of the body. By strengthening the posterior chain, you'll create more balance and stability that can help alleviate posture problems caused by hours upon hours of sitting at a desk.
Before we move onto how to do the Olympic lifts and assistance lifts, let's go over several main terms you'll see throughout:
Snatch: This is an exercise where you'll lift a weight from low to overhead in one continuous movement. It is the continuation of the clean; instead of stopping at a racking position, you will bring the weight up higher until your arms are fully extended above your head.
Clean: This is an exercise where you'll lift a weight from a low position to a high position in an explosive movement. The top position is also referred to as the racking position, which can be chest or shoulder height.
Jerk: This is the movement where you'll lift the weight from the racking position at the shoulders to overhead by dipping at the knees, then explosively pressing upwards, then landing with legs in a split stance (split jerk) or even stance (squat jerk or push jerk). The most common form of the jerk for professionals is the split jerk as it is the most efficient method, but any jerk can be used. In a clean and split jerk, you'll land in a split stance then must bring your back foot to be even with your front foot while keeping the weight above your head with your arms extended.
Rack Position: The rack position refers to when the bar rests on the front of your shoulders and clavicle with your hands bent back to support it during the clean and jerk. When you squat down, which is basically a front squat, you are holding the back in a rack position. In a Snatch, you will not being using a rack position, but rather an Overhead position, which means you will be holding the bar with your arms extended overhead.
Receiving Position: Receiving (or delivery) refers to how your feet are positioned when you get under the bar during a clean, jerk or snatch. For example, with a jerk, you have several receiving positions - split jerk, power jerk, squat jerk.
HOW TO DO A CLEAN & JERK
This exercise is one-half of the Olympic weightlifting events. The clean and jerk is a fantastic exercise to display power, technique, and brute force. The clean and jerk will help improve your explosiveness, mobility, balance, and core strength. In addition, this is a calorie burner as you engage muscles throughout your body.
- Set up the bar over the balls of your feet with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Reach down to grab the bar just wider than shoulder-width with both hands using an overhand or hook grip.
- Start with the bar over your toes, back straight, and shoulders above the bar.
- Brace your core, look straight ahead, then lift the bar while pushing your feet into the ground.
- As the bar passes your knees, pull the bar towards your body, then explode into a full-body extension.
- Once the bar is at mid to upper thigh, then drive hips forward and shrug shoulders to pull your body underneath the bar.
- Catch the bar in the front squat position, then stand up.
- From the jerk rack position, transfer the weight to your heels, bend at the hips and knees then explode upwards to drive the bar over your head.
- Land in a split stance with elbows locked, then recover to a standing position.
Jerk Variations:
- Split Jerk: Receiving the bar in a split stance position (as described above) - Most common in competition.
- Push Jerk: Receiving the bar in a quarter squat (or so) bi-lateral foot position. Essentially it's a push press - Infrequently used in competition but common in training.
- Power Jerk: Same as a push jerk but the feet and lift during receiving - Infrequently used in competition but common in training.
- Squat Jerk: Receiving the bar in a full squat - not common in competition (it's a rare method for athletes to use, and if they don't use it in competition, they usually don't in training either).
Common Mistakes:
- Bend Arms Too Early: By bending your arms too early, you won't get the complete power transfer from the triple extension that should take place during the clean. It will be challenging to clean and jerk heavier weights if you rely on using too much upper body strength to get the weight up. How to Fix: Practice pause cleans where you let the bar rest at specific points during the pull to help recognize any possible form issues.
- Bad Front Rack Position: Limited mobility in the shoulders, wrists, and elbows can lead to poor jerk rack positioning. This can also be caused by a lack of control when lowering the bar to the rack position, which can create other issues such as injured shoulders. How to Fix: Work on improving mobility in shoulders, elbows, and wrists by stretching the lats and triceps more often.
- Dipping Forward: Before executing the jerk portion of the lift, if your foot position and rack position is comprised, it will lead to a sub-optimal jerk. How to Fix: Make sure feet aren't narrow and externally rotate toes outwards so that the knees don't buckle in before jerking the weight upwards. Also, try to land in a broader position to increase stability.
HOW TO DO A SNATCH
The snatch is the other lift next to the clean and jerk in the modern-day Olympic games. The snatch is all about technique, power, and finesse, where the clean and jerk requires more raw power. The snatch is a more difficult exercise to execute as you finish off the exercise with an overhead squat; that's why most people will be able to clean and jerk more than they can snatch. Doing snatches results in many benefits as it is a super explosive movement but done with complete control. You can improve your overall power, strength, balance, coordination, mobility, and stability by performing snatches.
- Set up bar over the balls of your feet with feet slightly wider than hip-width.
- Lower down into a squat position and grab the bar out towards the collars using an overhand grip.
- Starting with your shoulders over the bar and a neutral spine, lift the bar up along your legs.
- Once the bar passes, your knees drive hips forward to create momentum.
- Dip your body under the bar to catch the bar in a deep squat while your arms are fully extended overhead.
- Recover from a squatting position until you're standing up.
Common mistakes:
- Poor Starting Position: Similar to the power snatch, the starting position of the snatch can make or break your lift. Starting in the wrong position will result in a lackluster performance. How to Fix: Everyone has slightly different body mechanics, so you will have to find your sweet spot. That said, a guideline to work from is starting with your torso around 30 degrees more than horizontal.
- Hips Open Too Early: It's common for people to extend and pop the hips up too early during a snatch, leading to the bar traveling too far away from the body. How to Fix: Make sure to focus on your torso, staying in the same relative position as you lift the weight off the ground until the bar passes your knees before you pop your hips to help with the second pull of the motion.
- Bar Too Far From Body: A successful snatch will see the lifter treating the body and the bar as one unit while the bar travels upwards. If the bar ends up far away from the body, it's hard to recover the lift because you have to make adjustments in the later stages. How to Fix: Don't open your hips too early. Pull the bar towards the body in a sweeping motion to start the lift.
Is the Snatch or Clean & Jerk harder?
The snatch is a much more complex movement, which makes it harder, and you should be able to use considerably heavier weight with the clean and jerk (once you learn the movements of course).
Nevertheless, if you are just starting out with Olympic lifting, you will want to learn both movements, so you will be practicing both techniques from the start.
Best Assistance Lifts for Olympic Lifts:
The best assistance lifts for Olympic lifts are as follows:
- Snatch Pulls (and High Pulls)
- Clean & Jerk Pulls (and High Pulls)
- Muscle Snatch
- Tall Snatch
- Tall Clean
- Hang Snatch
- Hang Clean
- Front Squat
- Push Press
- Push Jerk
- Strict Press
...and overall position drills such as rack position drills and receiving drills with no weight. In fact, position drills are always the best place to start.
When you get the form down pat, some common lifts done in training (at any level) are as follows...
1. POWER CLEANS
The power clean is a fantastic exercise that works the whole body, especially the posterior chain. Power cleans will give you similar benefits of doing plyometrics without the hard impact. You will burn tons of calories, boost your athletic performance and improve your coordination by doing more power cleans.
How to do power cleans:
- Set up the bar over the balls of your feet with feet hip-width apart.
- Lower down into a squatting position to grab the bar just outside your feet with a hooked grip.
- Starting with your shoulders over the bar with a neutral back, brace your core, then lift the bar up to your body.
- Once the bar passes your knees, push your hips forward to create momentum to bring the bar up towards your shoulders.
- Jump and flip your elbows under the bar, then catch the weight with your body under the bar, ending in a partial squat.
- Finish out the lift by standing up strong.
Note: Another variation of the power clean is a hang clean. Instead of pulling from the floor, the weight starts above knee level. This movement requires more upper body strength to complete.
Common Mistakes:
- Setup: One common mistake with the power clean is that people stand too far back from the bar. How to Fix: Start with the bar directly over the middle of your foot.
- Arms Bent: Bending the elbows during a power lean will result in lost energy; this is referred to as arm pull. How to Fix: Think of your arms as ropes with hooks at the end, so the energy from the jump is transferred directly to the barbell.
- Not Leaning Over Bar: When beginning to learn how to power clean, many people resort to deadlifting the weight off the floor rather than cleaning it. How to Fix: Lean over the bar with your chest to enhance the power you create as you extend at the hips.
2. POWER SNATCH
The power snatch is a variation of the snatch where you receive the weight at a high point rather than catching it in a squatting position. This exercise will enhance your explosive power and improve your shoulder strength and overall mobility. By lifting the bar to this high point, you'll improve your pulling force, power, and speed towards the finishing portion of the snatch.
How to do power snatches:
- Set up bar over the balls of your feet with your feet slightly wider than hip-width.
- Lower into a squat position, then grab the bar out towards the collars using an overhand grip.
- Starting with your shoulders over the bar and a neutral spine, lift the bar up along your legs.
- Once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward to create momentum.
- Dip your body under the bar as your hips are fully extended while catching the bar overhead.
- Straighten out knees until you're standing up.
Common Mistakes:
- Elbows Not Locked: Some people tend to catch the bar at the top while their arms aren't locked out at the elbows. This can lead to elbow injuries. How to Fix: make sure your arms are locked out with fully extended elbows before you catch the bar.
- Poor Setup: Consistency is critical when doing the power snatch or regular snatch; all too often, people will make minor alterations with each rep of the snatch. How to Fix: Make sure you start and finish each power snatch the same, find your perfect starting position then make sure to keep drilling the same exact position.
3. PUSH JERK
At first glance, it might seem as if the push jerk is the same as an overhead press, but there are vast differences. The push jerk involves explosive movement by using the legs and upper body, then absorbing the load by positioning the body under the load through bending at the knees and hips. The push press is a less explosive exercise where the knees and hips aren't bent again to catch the weight. By doing the push jerk, you should be able to lift heavier loads than the push press. The push jerk will work the lower body, core, and particularly the shoulders and triceps.
How to do push jerks:
- Set up the bar on a rack around shoulder level.
- Get under the bar while grabbing it with both hands, palms towards the ceiling while your upper arms are parallel with the ground.
- Step back from the rack, setting your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend at the knees slightly into a quarter squat, then explode upwards while pressing the bar over your head.
- As your arms are close to locking out, dip under the bar by bending your knees to catch it as you finish in an overhead press position with your arms locked out.
- Press up through the ground to straighten your legs.
Common Mistakes:
- Locking Out Knees: When performing the push jerk, your knees should be bent when catching the weight overhead. Unfortunately, people tend to lock out the knees after pushing the lift without bending at the knees again before catching the bar. How to Fix: Concentrate on using your knees to help absorb the load as you catch the weight with your arms fully extended.
4. SQUAT CLEAN
This exercise is described as the first part of the clean and jerk, one of the two Olympic lifts, or a combo of the power clean and front squat. This is an excellent exercise to increase power and strength throughout the body. The squat clean is a bit more technical than a power clean, as you have to catch the weight while coming into a squatting position.
How to do squat cleans:
- Set up bar over the balls of your feet with feet hip-width apart.
- Lower your hips down and back, then grab the bar just outside of your feet with both hands using an overhand grip.
- Start with your shoulders over the bar and core braced, then lift the bar up your body using your lower body force.
- Similarly, to the power clean, once the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward to create momentum, lifting the bar towards your shoulders.
- Jump and shrug your shoulders while flipping your elbows under the bar and catch it as you're in the bottom portion of a front squat.
- Push through the ground and contract your glutes to bring your body into a standing position.
Common mistakes:
- No Triple Extension: The squat clean includes a triple extension of the ankles, legs and hips will help generate more power. Often people neglect using the ankle extension or the shrugging of the shoulders to help increase the power output. How to Fix: Focus on the coordination of these body cues, make sure your ankles are fully extended as your shoulders are shrugged.
- Improper Timing: Beginners to the squat clean have difficulty getting the timing correct in dipping their body under the bar to catch the weight. How to Fix: Focus on improving the elbow turnover and hip movement to get in position to catch the weight.
- Elbow Positioning: Keeping your elbows in the wrong position while completing the lift can make it more challenging to stand up due to a lack of stability. How to Fix: Catch the weight with your elbows down.
5. CLEAN GRIP FRONT SQUAT
The front squat is a bit different from the rest of the Olympic lifts as it doesn't require explosive movement. The front squat is included in this list because the body positioning is mimicked in other exercises such as the squat clean. Apart from the positioning of the bar, the front squat differs from the back squat as more mobility is required to pull it off. The front squat also works the anterior muscles of the body more than a back squat, including the quads and core.
How to do front squats:
- Set up a bar in the squat rack, then get under it so the bar is level with the front of your shoulders.
- Grab the bar with both hands slightly wider than shoulder-width while bringing your elbows up so that your upper arms are parallel with the ground.
- Step back from the rack, then get into position with your feet slightly wider than hip-width.
- Brace your core, then lower your hips down and back in a squatting motion until at least 90 degrees or a tad more if you have the mobility to do so.
- Push up through the floor while squeezing your glutes until you're standing up.
Common Mistakes:
- Lowering Elbows: Many people start to lean too far forward when doing front squats, and their elbows drop down, which means they're not dropping their hips down and back far enough. How to Fix: Focus on keeping your upper arms parallel with the ground throughout the movement.
- Rounding Back: Having the load at the front of your body can lead to the upper back rounding forward. How to Fix: Concentrate on keeping your spine straight and shoulders back throughout the exercise.
- Leaning forward: By not sitting into your heels, you might end up leaning your body forward while doing front squats. How to Fix: Push down through your heels to keep your body upright during the exercise.
Clean Grip Front Squat Demo on Youtube
Assistance Lifts for the Clean & Jerk
Clean Deadlift:
Clean Pull:
Block Clean:
Tall Clean:
Hang Clean:
Split Jerk:
Squat Jerk:
Clean and Press:
Assistance Lifts for the Snatch
Snatch Deadlift:
Snatch Pull:
Tall Snatch:
Muscle Snatch:
Block Snatch:
Hang Snatch:
Want to start Olympic Lifting? This program/guide will teach you everything you need to know (the above was just a taste):
The Ultimate Olympic Weightlifting Workout Program for Beginners
FINAL NOTE:
Although there are only two main Olympic lifts, the snatch, and clean and jerk, several Olympic-style lifts can offer some tremendous benefits if done correctly. It takes hundreds if not thousands of hours to perfect the Olympic lifts, so start with some of the more basic ones like the power clean or front squat before taking on the more advanced movements. We recommend that you record yourself while doing these lifts to see what your form looks like so you can make necessary adjustments to improve.
Let us know your favorite Olympic style lifts in the comments below.
Master the Two Main Olympic Lifts:
Kiel DiGiovanni
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