Olympic Lift Guide: How to Master Olympic Lifts

Olympic lifts use a weightlifting movement pattern associated with the Olympic games. In the sport of Olympic lifting, the two official lifts are the snatch and the clean and jerk. Perform the snatch with one explosive movement as you lift a weighted barbell from the floor to above your head while lowering your body into a full squat position. Practice the clean and jerk in two movements; first, lift the barbell off the floor and hold it in a rack position in front of your shoulders, then raise the bar overhead with a range of motion similar to that of a push press.

With proper form, Olympic lifts provide a full-body workout that activates muscle groups across your body—including the glutes, quads, hamstrings, delts, triceps, and lower-back muscles. For variations without the squatting movement, try incorporating the power clean or the power snatch into your strength-training program. Work your way up to Olympic lifts by practicing simpler variations like the clean pull, snatch pull, or high pull. If you’re a novice weightlifter, warm up with other compound exercises like lunges, pull-ups, back squats, deadlifts, or bench presses. Remember to start small before working your way up to heavy weight plates.

For snatches, begin by using a weight that you can control for 2–5 sets of 1–5 repetitions. Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Stand directly in front of the barbell with your toes underneath the barbell. Your posture should be tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips with a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
2. 2. Evenly distribute your weight and grip the floor with your feet to create a stable position. Keep your arms long by your sides with a slight bend in your elbows. Pre-tension your shoulders, hips, and core. Inhale and exhale before lowering toward the barbell.
3. 3. Hinge from your hips and begin to bend your hips and knees to lower your body toward the barbell. Your shins should be close to the barbell while remaining upright.
4. 4. Grab the barbell with a wide overhand grip and rotate your shoulders outward to engage your back muscles. Your shoulders should be slightly ahead of the barbell. Your chest should be higher than your hips and your hips should be higher than your knees. All repetitions should begin from this position.
5. 5. While keeping your shoulders over the barbell, start your upward movement by pushing your feet through the floor, keeping the barbell close to your body. As you begin to stand, maintain your back position and keep your shoulders over the barbell. Your chest and hips should rise at the same time while maintaining your back position.
6. 6. As the barbell passes your knees, and your upper body becomes upright, explosively push your legs into the ground as if you were jumping. Your shoulders should still be over the barbell.
7. 7. Once your hips, knees, and ankles are straight, explosively shrug your shoulders. Your arms should still be long and your elbows pointed outward. As your shoulders reach their highest point, quickly pull your body under the barbell while rotating your hands around and under the barbell.
8. 8. Quickly straighten your elbows to push the barbell toward the ceiling and lower into an overhead squat position. Your shoulders and upper back should support the barbell in the overhead position. Your legs should finish parallel or slightly lower than parallel with the floor. You should only lower as far as you can while maintaining a level pelvis and strong squatting position.
9. 9. Stand tall as if you were finishing an overhead squat repetition. Lower the barbell back toward the floor before setting up for another repetition.

For the clean and jerk, begin by using a weight that you can control for 2–5 sets of 1–5 repetitions. Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Stand directly in front of the barbell with your toes underneath the barbell. Your posture should be tall, with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips with a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
2. 2. Evenly distribute your weight and grip the floor with your feet to create a stable position. Keep your arms long by your sides with a slight bend in your elbows. Pre-tension your shoulders, hips, and core. Inhale and exhale before lowering toward the barbell.
3. 3. Hinge from your hips and begin to bend your hips and knees to lower your body toward the barbell. Your shins should be close to the barbell while remaining upright.
4. 4. Grab the barbell with an overhand grip just outside of your hips. Rotate your shoulders outward to engage your back muscles. Your chest should be higher than your hips and your hips should be higher than your knees. All repetitions should begin from this position.
5. 5. While keeping your shoulders over the bar, start your upward movement by pushing your feet through the floor and keeping the barbell close to your body. As you begin to stand, maintain your back position and keep your shoulders over the barbell. Your chest and hips should rise at the same time while maintaining your back position.
6. 6. As the barbell passes your knees, and your upper body becomes upright, explosively push your legs into the ground as if you were jumping. Your shoulders should still be over the barbell.
7. 7. Once your hips, knees, and ankles are straight, explosively shrug your shoulders. Your arms should still be long and your elbows pointed outward. As your shoulders reach their highest point, quickly pull your body under the barbell while rotating your hands around and under the barbell.
8. 8. Quickly punch your elbows forward and rotate your wrist under the barbell to catch the barbell on your upper chest and shoulders and lower into a front squat position. Your legs should finish parallel or slightly lower than parallel with the ground. You should only lower as far as you can maintain a level pelvis and a strong squatting position.
9. 9. Stand tall as if you were finishing a front squat repetition. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Engage your core and lift your chest without extending your spine. Push your head back to create a path for the barbell.
   
10. 10. Begin the jerk by bending your knees to lower your body a couple of inches while maintaining an upright body position.
11. 11. While maintaining an upright position, push your feet into the floor to begin to straighten your legs. As your legs straighten, allow the momentum of your legs to help drive the barbell overhead as if you’re performing an explosive overhead press.
12. 12. As the barbell passes over your head, quickly move one leg forward and the other leg backward. Both of your feet should land at the same time as your elbows finish straightening. Your feet should finish shoulder-width apart. The barbell should be slightly behind your ears, with your head pushed forward to its neutral position. Your chin should be tucked as if you were holding an egg under your chin. Your shoulders and upper back should support the barbell in the overhead position.
13. 13. Your shoulders should finish over your hips. Your front foot should finish flat and you should have an upright shin position. Your back knee should be slightly bent and the weight should be on the ball of the foot, with your heel off the ground.
14. 14. While maintaining the overhead position, take a step backward with your front leg and then take a step forward with your rear leg to bring your feet next to each other.
15. 15. Lower the barbell back toward the floor before setting up for another repetition.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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