Olympic weightlifting

Olympic weightlifting is the sport of the snatch and the clean and jerk, both of which take a barbell from the platform to overhead.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.} The snatch does it in one explosive movement in under a second.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.} The clean and jerk has two stages: the clean brings the bar to the shoulders, then the jerk drives it overhead with coordinated lower and upper body effort.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.} ISSA calls the snatch more technical and says the clean and jerk allows more weight.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.} Both rely on explosive ankle, knee and hip extension rather than arm strength, with the bar kept close to the body.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.}

The NSCA’s program design guide describes these lifts as a power stimulus because they require acceleration through the whole propulsive phase.^{2Hoffman, NSCA’s Guide to Program Design, p. 129.} It places the greatest power output commonly at 70% to 80% of one-rep max.^{2Hoffman, NSCA’s Guide to Program Design, p. 129.}

In practice

• ISSA recommends low reps at 80% or more of one-rep max to build strength.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.} It cautions that a client who lacks that strength may perform the lifts without improving force production or vertical jump height if the loads are too low.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.}
• Rippetoe and colleagues recommend heavy loads moved quickly for power training, using the snatch, clean and jerk, and their derivatives.^{3Rippetoe et al., Practical Programming for Strength Training, 3rd ed., p. 66.}
• ISSA describes cables, bands and medicine balls as often safer, less technical alternatives for power work.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.}
• Power lifts aren’t spotted.^{4Haff and Triplett (eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed., p. 370.}

What performance gains are reported?

ISSA says research suggests Olympic lifting can improve vertical jump, sprint speed and force production.^{1International Sports Sciences Association, Strength and Conditioning, p. 346.} The NSCA’s program design guide describes limited research on power training with these movements, citing one study in which untrained men improved jump height and 10 m sprint performance after eight weeks.^{5Hoffman, NSCA’s Guide to Program Design, p. 130.}