The document discusses the benefits of utilizing Olympic lifts and variations for sports training. It defines the snatch, clean and jerk lifts, and discusses power versions. Training movements like pulls, lifts, and squats are described to target specific muscle groups. Common errors like early arm pulling, rising hips before shoulders, and kicking feet too wide are explained with potential causes and corrections. Overall, Olympic lifts can increase power, rate of force development, force absorption ability, and changing hip level - all valuable traits for many sports. Coaches are advised to learn techniques properly, keep volumes low, and progress athletes gradually.

1. Utilizing the Olympic Lifts and
Olympic LiftVariations Most
Effectively for your Sport
Lew Porchiazzo III, M.S., CSCS, USAW
Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
for Olympic Sports
University of Michigan

2. Brief Overview
 Defining the Olympic Lifts andVariations
 Review “top down” teaching progressions in
accordance with USAW guidelines
 Identify common errors, potential causes,
and correction of errors
 Benefits of using the movements and their
role within physical preparation and athlete
development

3. The Competition Lifts
 Snatch
 One stage lift
 Requires bar to be lifted from the floor to overhead in one
continuous motion while receiving in a full overhead squat
position
 Clean & Jerk
 Two stage lift
 Clean: Requires bar to be lifted from the floor to the
shoulders while receiving in a full front squat position in
stage one
 Jerk: Requires bar to be lifted from the shoulders by using
the legs to drive the bar overhead to arms length in one
continuous motion as the feet split to receive the bar

5. Power Versions
 Power Snatch
 Identical to Snatch, except for the squat depth in the
receiving position
 Bar is received in an Overhead Squat position above parallel
(hips finish higher than the knees)
 Power Clean & Power Jerk
 Identical to Clean, except for the squat depth in the
receiving position
 Bar is received in the Front Squat position above parallel (hips
finish higher than the knees)
 Power Jerk: Requires bar to be lifted from the shoulders by
using the legs to drive the bar overhead to arms length in
one continuous motion
 Feet remain parallel to each other and are shuffled out slightly

7. Training Movements: Snatch &
Clean
 Snatch Pull
 Specifically addresses the pull component of the lift
without receiving the bar overhead
 Emphasis placed on forceful push through the ground,
achieving “triple extension”, and finishing with a shrug
 Clean Pull
 Specifically addresses the pull component of the lift
without receiving the bar across the shoulders
 Emphasis placed on forceful push through the ground,
achieving “triple extension”, and finishing with a shrug

9. Snatch & Clean Training
Movements
 Lift Offs (Snatch and Clean)
 Specifically addresses the first pull and
emphasizes proper bar path off the floor
 Develops strength and mobility in the set position
to the top of the first pull

11. Snatch & Clean Training
Movements
 Overhead Squat
 Improve strength and stability overhead through a full ROM
squat
 Develops strength and technique specific to Snatch and Power
Snatch movements
 Front Squat
 Improve lower body strength and torso bracing through a full
ROM squat
 Develops strength and technique specific to Clean and Power
Clean movements
 RDL (Snatch and Clean Grip)
 Improves strength of the glutes, hamstrings, and low back
 Reinforces proper positions to be achieved during Competition
Lifts and PowerVersions

13. Teaching Progressions
 Snatch, Clean, Power Snatch, Power Clean,
Snatch Pull, and Clean Pull all follow a top
down approach
 Positions are as follows:
 Power Position
 Mid-Thigh
 Knee
 Below Knee
 Floor

15. Snatch Snapshots

17. Importance in Learning the
Various Positions
 A lift is not “optimal” if these positions are
not achieved during the movement
 The “Top Down” approach allows athletes to
start with the most simple of the positions
(Power Position) before increasing in
complexity as the positions progress towards
the ground
 Most simple does not mean ineffective or
unimportant

18. Importance in Learning the
Various Positions: Power Position
 Teaches proper vertical positioning of the
torso during the “second pull”
 Achieving a maximal push through Power
Position helps to ensure proper bar trajectory
 Missing/skipping Power Position increases
likelihood of poor bar trajectory

19. Importance in Learning the
Various Positions: Knee
 Performing the movements from the knee
adds a dynamic component to the lift
 Proficiency in that position is largely affected by
strength in the RDL
 A clear understanding that a proper RDL
movement is vital to the success of the lift
 Additionally, Power Position must not be ignored
 An RDL in which the bar is accelerating through
Power Position prepares the athlete for greater
success in completing the movements from the
knee

20. Importance in Learning the
Various Positions: Floor
 Performing the movements from the Floor
requires the athlete to combine all of the
skills previously learned
 With proficiency, it will allow for greater
maximal loads to be lifted
 Proper bar path off the floor
 Bar must be pulled towards the shins as the shins
push back to prevent poor positioning when it
reaches the Knee and ultimately Power Position

21. Jerk Training Movements &
Teaching Progression
 Military Press
 Improves shoulder strength and stability overhead
 Teaches proper bar bath and positioning of the body in
controlled manner
 Push Press
 Improves shoulder strength and stability overhead
 Improves dip and drive mechanics that are similar to,
and will transfer well with, the jerk
 While dip and drive is similar to the jerk, unlike the
jerk, once the drive phase has ceased, there is no
rebend of the hips and/or knees to receive the bar
overhead

23. Common Error #1
 Pulling with the arms too early
 Potential Causes:
 Elbows behind the bar in set position
 Insufficient push from the legs
 Potential Effects:
 Bar loops from the body
 Bar is not pulled high enough to receive in the proper
racked position
 Correcting the Error
 Reinforce pulling with straight arms during the movements
 Perform pulls with arms remaining straight the entire time
 Arms serve as “tow ropes”
 Turn elbows out along the bar

24. Common Error #2
 Hips rise before the shoulders as bar separates from the floor
 Potential Causes:
 Rushed first pull
 Back not set tight with an arch locked in
 Head and eyes down in the set position
 Potential Effects:
 Bar does not come in towards the shins and creates excessive horizontal
movement
 Bar loops from the body
 Athlete jumps forward
 Extension through the second pull occured with chest not vertical
 Excessive strain on the lower back and submaximal knee extension
 Correcting the Error:
 Implementing Lift Offs and reinforcing smooth push and tight back
 Emphasize hips and shoulders rising together
 Set the eyes in a neutral position straight ahead

25. Common Error #3
 Pushing to the toes too early
 Potential Causes:
 Pressure in the foot is too far forward towards the toes early in the lift
 Bar does not take the correct path off the floor and travels around the knees
(knees don’t push back)
 From the Knee, pressure in the foot gets shifted too far back and “rocked” onto
the heel at the bottom of the RDL and forces a “roll” to the toes through Power
Position
 From the Knee, knees are too quickly returned under the bar on the ascent from
the bottom of the RDL
 Potential Effects:
 Submaximal extension through the second pull
 Bar drifts and may increase the difficulty of the catch
 Correcting the Error:
 Reinforce keeping the weight shifted back and knees pushed back until the chest
becomes vertical
 Differentiate between shifting the weight back and “rocking” the weight back in
the RDL
 Emphasize patience before speed

26. Common Error #4
 Feet kick out excessively wide to catch a clean/power clean or
receive a snatch/power snatch
 Potential Causes:
 Rushed/incomplete second pull
 Pulling too much with arms so bar doesn’t reach maximal height
 Lack of strength in respective squat positions
 Changing level AT the hips not OF the hips
 Potential Effects:
 Injury at the hip, knee, or ankle
 Correcting the Error:
 Implement Front Squats and/or Overhead Squats to improve strength in
those positions
 Use combination movements of Power Clean + Front Squat or Power
Snatch + Overhead Squat to reinforce the proper movement patterns
 Educating and reinforcing the concept of changing level at the hips

27. Benefits
 Increased Power Production
 Power outputs have been measured 3 and 4 times
greater at the top of the second pull in both the Clean
and Snatch compared to the Back Squat and Deadlift,
respectively
 Power = Force xVelocity
 Velocity = Distance/Time
 Relatively, heavy loads traveling a greater distance over a
shorter amount of time results in larger power outputs
compared with Back Squat and Deadlift
 Where can gains in sprinting speed and jumping
height be made?
 Where is that valuable?

28. Benefits
 Increased Rate of Force Development
 Patience before speed
 Although an increase in velocity exists as the top of
the second pull approaches, amount of force applied
through the ground dramatically increases at top of
the second pull
 Where can gains in first step quickness and
reaction rates be improved?
 Where is that valuable?

29. Benefits
 Ability to absorb force
 Application of force through the ground is
important, but in many sports, especially contact
sports, ability to absorb force is a valuable
characteristic
 Where can gains in absorption of force be
made?
 Where is that valuable?

30. Benefits
 Ability to rapidly change level at the hips
 The ability to change level at the hips is critical in
the success of athletes over a large spectrum of
sports
 Where can gains in the ability to change level
at the hips be made?
 Where is that valuable?

31. Suggestions
 Educate yourself
 Attend USAW Certification Course
 Read current peer-reviewed literature
 Speak with other qualified coaches
 Perform the movements yourself
 Be patience in the learning process
 This is supplemental to the sport
 Less hours in training=longer time to improve proficiency
 Keep it simple and progress only as they demonstrate
ability to do so

32. Suggestions
 Be aware of volume and intensity during the
training year
 Volume and intensity are inversely related+
 Typically sets of 5 reps or less
 As number of reps increase, quality of movement may
decrease
 Peak power achieved approximately between 70%-
85% 1RM.
 Consider this intensity range in-season or during a
peaking phase
 Don’t let numbers govern a training session
(especially a max testing session), let technique
do so

33. Suggestions
 Teach someone how to miss an attempt and have
them practice it
 Never use a spotter for Snatches, Clean, Power Snatches,
Power Cleans, Jerks, and Power Jerks
 Avoid the use of straps for Snatches, Clean, Power
Snatches, and Power Cleans
 It could lead to problems in catching/receiving the bar
and/or in missing a lift attempt.
 Don’t implement it if you don’t feel comfortable
teaching and coaching it to the number of athletes
that will perform it
 The benefits and transfer of these movements lies in
the quality of movement, not in it’s presence within
the program

36. Works Cited
 Bartonietz, K.E. Biomechanics of the snatch:Toward a higher training
efficiency. Strength Cond. J. 18:24–31. 1996
 Garhammer, J. A Review of Power Output Studies of Olympic and
Powerlifting: Methodology, Performance Prediction, and EvaluationTests. J
J. Strength Cond. Res. 7(2): 76-89. 1993
 Garhammer, J. A Comparison of Maximal Power Outputs Between Elite
Male and Female Weightlifters inCompetition. International Journal of
Sport Biomechanics. (7): 3-11. 1991
 Gourgoulis,V, Aggeloussis, N, Garas, A, and Mavromatis, G. Unsuccessful vs.
Successful Performance in Snatch Lifts: A KinematicApproach. J Strength
Cond. Res 23(2): 486-494. 2009
 McBride, J.M.,T.Triplett-McBride,A. Davie, and R.U. Newton. A
Comparison of Strength and Power Characteristics Between Power Lifters,
Olympic Lifters, and Sprinters. J. Strength Cond. Res. 13(1): 58-66. 1999
 Schilling, B.K., M.H. Stone, H.S. O’Bryant, A.C. Fry, R.H. Coglianese, and
K.C. Pierce. Snatch technique of collegiate national level weightlifters. J.
Strength Cond. Res. 16(4):551–555. 2002
 Souza, A.L., S.D. Shimada, and A. Koontz. Ground Reaction Forces During
the Power Clean. J. Strength Cond. Res. 16(3):423-427. 2002
 Drechsler,A. (1998). The weightlifting encyclopedia a guide to world class
performance. Whitestone, NY: A isA Communications.

37. Contact Info
 Office: (734) 936-7924
 Email: lewporch@umich.edu