The Olympic lifts consist of the snatch and the clean and jerk. Both lifts are practically a full-body workout on their own. Used properly, they can build muscle, increase power and burn fat. Both lifts require practice to achieve proficiency, but once this is achieved you will be on your way to improved health and a complete body composition change. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Snatch
The snatch consists of pulling a weight from the floor to overhead in a single movement while squatting under the bar to catch it, then standing up. This lift heavily works the muscles of the back, legs and abdominals. Your shoulders and arms work to stabilize the bar overhead. Regardless of gender, this is an excellent lift for developing total body strength and power. The snatch generates a great deal of power, and the higher you pull the bar, the more power you have to generate.
Clean and Jerk
The clean and jerk is the second lift performed in competition. The clean consists of pulling a barbell to your shoulders in a single movement while squatting under to catch it, followed by rising from the bottom position. You jerk the bar by dipping slightly then explosively driving the bar overhead while spreading your feet to decrease the distance you need to drive the bar up overhead to catch it. While you do not have to pull the bar as high in the clean, you can use more weight so there is a similar level of work done on both exercises. The jerk generates more power than any other lifting exercise ever measured.
Sample Workout
You can perform both lifts in the same workout, and if you perform one lift better than the other, start with the lift you need more practice on. Generally, snatch first followed by the clean and jerk. Keep the repetitions per set low. No more than three reps per set, and if you are training with heavy weight or your technique needs work, train with single repetitions so you are fresh for every attempt. You are not just building strength or burning fat, you are developing skill, and there is no place for sloppy work. To get in enough volume, perform multiple sets, even 10 or 12 sets of single repetitions, with as much rest as you need in between sets, but strive to keep your workouts under an hour.
Training Week
To train the lifts, if you are training both in a single workout, lift only three times per week and give yourself at least one day of rest between workouts. If you are training only one lift per workout, you can train them on different days and train up to six times per week, assuming you keep your training volume low. The amount of assistance work you perform will also have an impact on how much you can train, so if you are doing a lot of squatting and other movements to build strength and power, it will take you longer to recover.
References
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Biomechanical Analysis of Women Weightlifters During the Snatch; Donald Hoover et al.; August 2006
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; The Three-Dimensional Kinematics of a Barbell During the Snatch of Taiwanese Weightlifters; Tam Chiu et al.; June 2010
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; Power Production By Olympic Weightlifters; John Garhammer; Spring 1980
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