Embarking on a fitness journey is an empowering decision, but navigating the vast world of strength training can be daunting. To guide you on this path, we should lean into the expertise of those we deem knowledgeable and truthful.

The information for this article is largely based on a video shared by Alan Thrall. Alan Thrall is an accomplished strength coach and owner of Untamed Strength, a 24-hour access gym in Sacramento, decided to talk about that.

These principles serve as a roadmap, ensuring that your fitness journey is not only effective but also sustainable.

Read More: 8 Mistakes Everyone Does Trying to Get Shredded

The 10 Commandments of Fitness You Must Obey in 2024

You might be wondering, how can this guy tell me what I need to do to be successful in my fitness journey this year?

Granted, there are a lot of different goals that revolve fitness. You could have decided to do more exercise not to lose weight, neither to get stronger, but just to be healthier. Do these commandments also apply to you then? The answer is yes.

Source: Taco Fleur on Pexels

Although it is typically not a great idea to generalise much, these 10 commandments shared by Alan Thrall are very much spot on regardless of your fitness goals, as long as you have them.

This is not exclusive of one type of fitness person or another. CrossFit, calisthenics, powerlifting, weightlifting, bodybuilder, just a regular gym-goer. For all these people, these 10 commandments of fitness apply rigorously.

How Little Can You Do and Still Grow Muscle?

So let’s take a quick look at what these commandments are and then let us know if you agree or not, because we think you should.

1. Never Take Breaks:
   • Consistency is the cornerstone of progress in the gym.
   • Avoid the pitfalls of intermittent training by maintaining a steady workout routine.
   • Steer clear of the “start-stop” cycle, as breaks can impede your momentum and hinder long-term success.
2. Stick to a Program for 6 Months:
   • Patience is key; real change takes time.
   • Commit to a structured program for at least six months to witness tangible improvements in strength and physique.
   • Avoid the temptation to switch programs too frequently, as it disrupts the adaptation process.
3. Prioritize the Big Three Lifts:
   • Focus on compound movements – squat, bench press, and deadlift – to build a solid foundation.
   • These lifts engage multiple muscle groups, fostering overall strength and growth.
   • Mastering the fundamentals sets the stage for more advanced training.
4. Avoid High-Intensity Workouts:
   • Intensity is vital, but excessive high-intensity workouts can lead to burnout and increased risk of injury.
   • Strike a balance between challenging workouts and adequate recovery to promote sustainable progress.
5. Eat According to Your Goals:
   • Tailor your diet to align with your fitness objectives, whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or performance in a specific weight class.
   • Recognize that nutrition plays a pivotal role in complementing your training efforts.
6. Learn How to Cook:
   • Take control of your nutrition by mastering the art of cooking.
   • Cooking at home allows you to monitor your macronutrient intake and make informed choices about what fuels your body.
7. Invest in Equipment:
   • A weightlifting belt and proper training shoes are valuable investments.
   • These tools enhance stability, support, and safety during heavy lifts, contributing to more effective and secure workouts.
8. Master Your Technique:
   • Technique mastery ensures targeted muscle engagement and facilitates steady progress.
   • Repeatedly practicing correct form builds confidence and sets a standard for assessing progress.
9. Never Lie to Yourself:
   • Be honest about your technique, progress, and goals.
   • Lying to yourself hinders growth and may lead to misguided training choices.
   • Objective self-assessment is crucial for sustained success.
10. Go All In:
    • Make fitness an integral part of your lifestyle, not just a sporadic activity.
    • Prioritize sleep, nutrition, and stress management outside the gym to optimize overall health and well-being.

Embracing Allan Thrall’s 10 commandments of fitness provides a blueprint for a transformative fitness journey. By fostering consistency, patience, and a commitment to continuous improvement, these principles empower individuals to navigate the challenges of strength training successfully.

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned lifter, integrating these commandments into your regimen will pave the way for a fulfilling and enduring fitness experience.

Now, as we mentioned earlier, this list of commandments is based on a video provided by Thrall. You can also watch the video below yourself, but we must warn you: it is pretty long. How long, you may ask? Above 40 minutes long.

We have probably done a disservice in dissecting 40+ minutes of Thrall’s wisdom and chopped it up into a few sentences – but that is the bread and butter of what he had to say about it. Don’t trust us? Then watch the video below and get even more details about the 10 commandments of fitness you must obey in 2024.

How to Make the Biggest Visual Change To Your Body Quickly

7 Ways to Look More Muscular

Being fit is crucial for several reasons, encompassing both physical and mental well-being. Here are 10 key reasons why striving to be fit is important:

1. Improved Physical Health: Regular exercise and a commitment to fitness contribute to better physical health. It helps in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Physical fitness enhances cardiovascular health, strengthens the immune system, and promotes overall well-being.
2. Enhanced Mental Health: Exercise is not just beneficial for the body; it also has a profound impact on mental health. Regular physical activity releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. It helps alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression, fostering a positive mental state and improving cognitive function.
3. Increased Energy Levels: Engaging in regular physical activity boosts energy levels. It enhances the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, allowing the heart and lungs to work more effectively. This increased efficiency means that daily activities require less effort, leaving you with more energy throughout the day.
4. Better Sleep Quality: Regular exercise is linked to improved sleep patterns. It helps regulate circadian rhythms and promotes deeper, more restful sleep. Quality sleep is vital for overall health, as it contributes to better concentration, mood regulation, and overall cognitive function.
5. Weight Management: Fitness plays a key role in weight management. Regular physical activity, combined with a balanced diet, helps in maintaining a healthy weight. This is essential not only for physical appearance but also for reducing the risk of obesity-related health issues.
6. Increased Longevity: Numerous studies suggest a strong correlation between regular exercise and increased life expectancy. Engaging in fitness activities can add years to your life by reducing the risk of chronic diseases and promoting overall health.
7. Boosted Confidence and Self-Esteem: Achieving fitness goals, whether they are related to strength, endurance, or physique, boosts confidence and self-esteem. The sense of accomplishment gained from overcoming challenges in a fitness journey often translates into increased self-confidence in various aspects of life.
8. Stress Reduction: Exercise is a natural stress reliever. Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, which act as natural mood elevators and stress busters. Incorporating fitness into your routine provides an effective outlet for managing and reducing stress levels.
9. Social Benefits: Fitness activities often involve group settings or communities, providing opportunities for social interaction. Whether it’s joining a fitness class, sports team, or workout group, the social aspect of fitness contributes to a sense of belonging and community.
10. Disease Prevention: Regular exercise is a powerful preventive measure against various diseases. It helps regulate blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

In summary, striving to be fit is essential for a holistic approach to health, encompassing physical fitness, mental well-being, and an overall improved quality of life.

10 Terrible Things To Do Before A Workout

15 Muscle Building Mistakes You Could be Making

12 Must-Have Exercises In Your Training Program

Top Training Programs to Gain Size and Mass

Drills to Improve Olympic Weightlifting Technique

Floor to below knee

Start off using a simple PVC pipe (referred to in the rest of the article as bar). Lower the bar to the initial Clean or Snatch position between your ankles and the middle of your shins, then bring it to just below your knees.

Your upper body remains in the same position, and all that happens is your knees will clear back and push your hips upwards. Keep the bar close to your shins at all times and try this drill for 5-10 reps.

What this drill will help you do is push your knees back. Even without weight you should feel your hamstrings working.

Below the knee to hip

Start with the bar from below the knee and bring it to your hips. This is where many people lose feel of the bar, especially during the Snatch.

Your knees should clear back as you go past them and then reciprocate forward. This drill will improve your knee movement, especially as you get into heavy weights. Perform 5-10 reps.

Hip to snatch

Start with the bar by your hips, then bend your knees slightly and lift the bar, catching it in a full snatch. Perform 5-10 reps.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

Drills to Improve Olympic Weightlifting Technique with Bands

Once you’ve practiced the knee movement, how to get into the hip, and even how to catch the snatch, it’s time to feel the catch. The following three exercises are performed with a band.

Banded snatch press in a hole

Start squatting with the bar behind your shoulders, a band attached to either end of the bar and your feet over the middle of the band. Then press the bar overhead while you remain in the deep squat. Your feet should remain in a squat stance.

The tension becomes greater at the top, but shouldn’t be much at the bottom when the bar is resting on the shoulders.

This Olympic weightlifting drill with a band will create some tension without the need for weights. It will also get you to feel the press you need to perform as you get into the catch position in the Snatch and enhance your ability to receive the Snatch in the deep catch.

Perform 5-10 reps.

Banded overhead squat

With the band in the same position as the banded snatch press, bring the bar overhead and perform a full overhead squat. Perform 5-10 reps.

These two exercises are especially useful for athletes who struggle to press an empty bar, says Miller, as the load is lightened with a band, but the tension is increased.

Pull below the knee to hip with band

With your feet still on top of the band and both ends of the band attached to either side of your PVC pipe, perform exercise 2 again: pull below the hip to knee.

You should start with the bar below the knee where there is no tension and bring it to the hips. The resistance will encourage you to bring your chest forward a little.

The final drill is intended to provide a lot of tension to the hips. This drill will help you prevent your chest going too far behind from the bar and instead encourage it to stay forward while the bar is by the hip.

This in turn will help you understand what it feels like to be more vertical towards the finish of the Snatch or Clean.

Perform 5-10 reps.

Conclusion

Use these Olympic Weightlifting drills in your warm-ups before you get into Snatch or Clean workouts. The whole purpose of these drills is to feel the body parts and activations you’ll need during lifting.

Read more: 7 Best Snatch Accessory Exercises Every Athlete Needs to Use

1: It’s all about the music

The one thing Christmas and CrossFit most definitely have in common is music. Everywhere you go during the pre-Christmas weeks, you will probably hear some form of Christmas songs, most likely Jingle-Bells or Last Christmas. During your WODs you will listen to music also, but quite different in style.

While ripping your heart out during a WOD you need music with a rhythm that gets you into the right mood. Again, that’s a thing Christmas and CrossFit music have in common. If you are planning a Christmas WOD, the right music will be crucial for success. Think of it as a big Christmas party – with a lot of sports!

Therefore, you should get music for the party that is Christmassy and CrossFit-friendly also. The easiest way to do this is to look for Dubstep or similar versions of Christmas-Songs on Youtube – things people will recognise, and that will put a big grin on their face. Get together a nice, heavy playlist and you’re on your way to a great Christmas-WOD.

Source: Crossfit Templar

2. Costumes, baby!

Every good party requires a twist – so why not let people attend your Christmas WOD dressed in season-themed costumes? The costumes don’t necessarily need to be fancy – a little makeup and a Santa hat or elf ears will do the trick. Ask people to be creative and maybe even put up a little costume contest (the prize could be a personal training session with your coach or something similar).

People doing your Christmas WOD in costumes will be loads of fun and most definitely be the source of many happy box memories. Something like „Do you remember when Tom came with that Grinch-Costume to our Christmas WOD?“ will be a perfect opportunity to bring people in your box closer together.

Source: someecards

3. Christmas WOD Party? Piece of cake!

Every good party also needs food, right? So why not ask people to bring some Christmas (and also CrossFit) themed food to the Christmas WOD Party? Things like kettlebell-shaped cookies (you can even buy cookie-cutters for that) or other yummy baked goods in CrossFit forms will work, but also savoury foods like meatballs formed like dumbells can do the trick.

Just consider if there are people at your box doing Paleo or similar diets – and maybe even ask them to bring paleo-friendly food themselves. There are so many cookie- and baking recipes on the Internet which are incorporating the idea of paleo-eating, therefore that shouldn’t be a problem.

The same goes with drinks: Punch or hot spiced wine or even the german Feuerzangenbowle (mulled wine with a rum-soaked sugarloaf lit above it) are awesome for bringing loads of Christmas scent and atmosphere into your CrossFit Box – just ask about fire regulations before trying out Feuerzangenbowle…

4. Christmas WOD Party Design: Part 1

Your WOD is the main star of your Christmas WOD Party. Overall, you have got two options on how to design your Christmas WOD: make an existing WOD all christmassy, or write your own.

The trick for making your Christmas WOD a success is writing a little story around it. If you want to take an existing WOD, there are three which qualify best for this quest: Hollywood, Daniel and Fight gone Bad. You can pretty easily implement these into a little story about how you have to help Santa to deliver his presents on time

Hollywood:

• Run 2km,
• 22 Wall-Balls,
• 22 Muscle-Ups (or scale down),
• 22 Wall-Balls,
• 22 Power Cleans,
• 22 Wall-Balls
• 2km Run again.

This is a nice christmas WOD because you can tell your fellow CrossFitters, they gotta run to catch Santa’s sledge. But Santa lost a couple of presents because he was riding off to fiercely and now you have to throw the presents back onto the sledge. But now, Santa doesn’t care waiting for you – you’re only able to manage grabbing one of the sledges skids and pull yourself back up.

The next rounds of Wall-Balls and Power Cleans can be thought of as helping Santa delivering the presents by throwing them up to him on top of the roof. After that, you need to run again, because the children at one house woke up and you have to get out of there before they see you.

Daniel consists of:

• 50 pull-ups,
• 400m Run,
• 21 Thrusters,
• 800m Run,
• 21 Thrusters,
• 400m Run and
• 50 Pull-Ups.

Just use the segments of the story above for tinkering your X-mas-WOD.

The same goes for Fight gone bad:

• 3 rounds of wall balls
• sumo deadlift high pulls
• box jumps
• push presses
• row

You move from each station to another after one minute and take another minute as a break after each round. Wall-Balls are delivering presents, Deadlift-High-Pulls can be helping pull the sledge out of a ditch, Box jumps are you getting from one roof to another or avoiding obstacles on the way and rowing suits as „fuelling“ the sledge because the reindeer are too exhausted.

Read More: 5 Fun and Festive Christmas CrossFit Workouts

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

5. Christmas WOD Party Design: Part 2

If you want to design your own Christmas WOD party, you should also think of a little Christmas story surrounding it. If you don’t want to do that Santa thing, but you’re not that creative, you can always look up Christmas stories on the internet. The best exercises to implement into a Christmas WOD are sledge-pull, rope-climb, thrusters, wall-balls, running or other cardio, clean+jerk, snatch, pull-ups and planks.

If you are really having a hard time thinking of some Christmas versions of these exercises, here’s a little help: everything that involves pushes can be used for things like „throwing presents“, while climbing and hanging is best for getting up on the roof and stuff.

Also, you can do challenges like sledge-races (different Santas in competition with each other) or putting a chocolate Santa at the top of a rope and having people who want the chocolate treat to climb up the rope. Possibilities are almost endless – but with a little creativity, you are bound to make that Christmas WOD Party a huge success.

Merry WODmas everyone!

The Mind Pump Podcast is an online radio show that talks all fitness related and, usually, is provocative. Its hosts are Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews, and Doug Egge. They also have a YouTube channel with more than 700k subscribers.

The hosts receive various questions revolving around fitness and they answer as simple as possible right on the spot.

5 Tips For Growing Lean Muscle Mass

How Many Sets and Reps Should You Do For Each Body Part to Maximise Muscle Growth?

According to Di Stefano, there are scientific studies that tried to answer the optimal amount of total volume per body part per week. This means you can divide the volume by two workouts, three workouts, it depends on how often you weekly hit the gym and do training sessions.

Walk This Many Steps Every Day to Lose Fat and Transform Your Body

While there isn’t a single number that fits all sizes, Di Stefano says it is anything between 9 and 18 sets total per week per body part.

Source: Cottonbro Studio on Pexels

Of course, there will be people on either end of the spectrum where doing only 9 sets of chest exercises will be great for muscle hypertrophy, while for others they might need 18 sets to get a good pump and get stronger.

Is walking 10k steps a day a good idea for you?

8 steps to lose love handles fast

The only 2 six pack exercises you ever need

10 underrated habits to get you lean now

Adam Schafer says there is even a different range depending on the body part you are training. “You have to figure this out too for you, as an individual.” In Schafer’s own experience, he can handle a lot of bicep training so he gets closer to 18 sets weekly, while his legs are not capable of handling so much work, so he gets closer to 9 sets weekly when squatting, for example.

30,000 USD a year gym membership – what do you get at this gym?

10 bicep exercises better than traditional curls

6 secrets for building a strong and attractive chest

How to use walking to get under 10% body fat

You could do this amount of sets and reps in a single workout, but studies show that you should train your muscles at least twice a week for better results and to maintain them.

See the video below for more information.

7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Lifting

12 Must-Have Exercises In Your Training Program

Does Training to Failure Matter For Muscle Growth?

Learn More

There are many reasons why you should do strength training as part of your overall fitness routine. Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Builds muscle: Strength training is an effective way to build and maintain muscle mass. This can help increase your metabolism, which can help you burn more calories throughout the day.
2. Increases strength and endurance: By challenging your muscles with resistance exercises, you can increase your strength and endurance, which can make it easier to perform daily tasks and activities.
3. Reduces the risk of injury: Strong muscles and joints are less likely to be injured during physical activity, which can help reduce your risk of injury and improve your overall physical performance.
4. Improves bone density: Strength training has been shown to increase bone density, which can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
5. Enhances overall physical performance: Strength training can improve your overall physical performance, whether you’re an athlete looking to improve your performance in a specific sport, or just looking to perform daily tasks with more ease.
6. Boosts confidence and self-esteem: As you see progress and improvements in your strength and physical abilities, it can boost your confidence and self-esteem.
7. Improves quality of life: Strength training can improve your overall quality of life by making it easier to perform daily tasks, reducing the risk of injury, and improving your overall physical health and well-being.

Overall, incorporating strength training into your fitness routine can have numerous benefits for your physical and mental health, and can help you live a happier, healthier, and more active lifestyle.

Source: Dollar Gill on Unsplash

How to Build Muscle: The 6 Day Split Program

Rep Ranges Explained: Learn How to Boost Your Strength and Hypertrophy

How to Keep Making Gains in the Gym as a Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Lifter

How Often Should You Workout?

How often you should work out depends on several factors, including your fitness goals, current fitness level, and the type of workouts you’re doing. In general, the American Heart Association recommends that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, along with at least two days of strength training exercises per week.

Here are some general guidelines for how often to work out based on your fitness goals:

1. For general health and fitness: Aim to exercise most days of the week, for at least 30-60 minutes per day. This can include a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility exercises.
2. For weight loss: Aim to exercise most days of the week, for at least 30-60 minutes per day. This should include a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training, with a focus on creating a calorie deficit through a combination of exercise and diet.
3. For muscle building: Aim to do strength training exercises at least two days per week, targeting all major muscle groups. You can also include aerobic exercise and flexibility exercises as part of your routine.
4. For athletic performance: The frequency and intensity of your workouts will depend on your specific sport and fitness goals. Consult with a coach or trainer to develop a customized training plan.

Remember, it’s important to listen to your body and avoid overtraining, which can lead to injury or burnout. Start slowly and gradually increase the frequency and intensity of your workouts over time.

How to Make The Biggest Visual Change to Your Body Quickly

How to Combine HIIT and LISS to Lose Fat Faster

Top Training Programs to Gain Size and Mass

Can Cardio Increase Muscle Growth?

Training your body has many nuances and variables that can dictate the outcome. One general rule that most people seem to adhere to is that you should be lifting heavy weights, with low rep ranges, if you want to build as much muscle as possible. And on the other spectrum if you want to lose body fat – meaning, you lift lighter weights, but do more reps in total. Is that fact or fiction?

The intricacy and conclusion between heavy weight and light weight, few reps and many reps is one that involves adaptability and personalised discovery. While scientific evidence paints a picture of muscle growth resilience across various rep schemes, the real key to effective weight training lies in an individual’s responsiveness and the delicate balance between stimulus and fatigue.

10 Tips to Build Muscle as Quickly as Possible

Source: Luke Downing

The fitness journey is inherently personal, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead of rigidly adhering to age-old beliefs, be open to the idea that what works for one person might not work for another. Embrace the process of trial and error, using the feedback your body provides to tailor your approach. And that is what we are going to find out with the help of Dr Mike Israetel and his vast knowledge.

Dr Mike Israetel, PhD in Sport Physiology and co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, is a well-respected professor in the bodybuilding community. He doesn’t only talk about workouts and fitness tips, he often dives deep into health and nutrition.

As you embark on the quest for muscle gain or navigate the twists and turns of a fat loss journey, let the evidence guide your choices. Understand that the optimal rep range is a dynamic concept that might shift over time. Listen to your body, track your responses, and be willing to challenge the status quo.

In essence, the journey to building muscle and achieving your fitness goals is a dynamic, ever-evolving process. Rather than seeking a universal truth, embrace the fluidity of your training approach, recognizing that the real magic happens when you align the scientific evidence with your unique physiological responses. Ultimately, the conclusion is an invitation to make your fitness journey an exploration, a continuous refinement of what works best for you.

Now, let’s see what Israetel had to say about weightlifting and the heavy weight vs light weight conversation.

5 Methods of Progressive Overload to Force Muscle Growth

Source: Polona Mitar Osolnik on Pexels

Should You Lift Heavy for Muscle Gains and Light for Fat Loss?

A commonly held belief suggests that heavy loads, typically sets of 5 to 10 reps, are the go-to for packing on muscle mass, while lighter loads, around 10 to 20 reps, reign supreme during fat loss phases. However, the scientific landscape challenges this notion – it is a myth. Extensive research has consistently shown that muscle growth is surprisingly comparable across a broad spectrum of rep ranges, debunking the idea that one range is inherently superior.

Delving into the intricacies, it becomes evident that individual variations play a pivotal role in determining optimal rep ranges. Contrary to the dogmatic belief that heavy weights are universally superior, some muscles respond better to higher reps. For example, the legendary bodybuilder Tom Platz, renowned for his colossal leg development, attributed much of it to ultra-high reps, defying the conventional wisdom of low-rep leg training.

The advantages of heavier weights during a bulking phase become apparent, especially as body fat levels rise. However, the downside emerges when the cardiovascular system becomes the limiting factor, hindering muscle stimulation. On the flip side, higher reps prove advantageous during fat loss phases. Leaning out enhances endurance, making sets of 15 to 30 reps more manageable, leading to sustained progress without the suffocating feeling of heavy breathing limiting your potential.

How Heavy Is Too Heavy to Build Muscle? Do This Quick Test

Navigating the intricacies of weight training involves prioritizing the stimulus-to-fatigue ratio. Instead of adhering to rigid rep ranges, the emphasis should be on experimentation and individualized approaches. Consider going higher rep and focusing on rep progression rather than load progression, especially in the latter stages of a fat loss phase. Transitioning gradually to heavier loads during a bulking phase ensures a safer and more effective progression.

In short, best practice is for you to use the 5-30 rep range and make SFR (stimulus to fatigue ratio) your deciding factor:

• Tension, burn, pump, perturbation, soreness

You should consider going a bit higher rep and adding reps in especially in last meso cycle of fat loss. When in first post-lost muscle gain meso, keep lighter training in – that is because going back to heavy lifting straight away can be needlessly risky.

Research Explains How to Build Muscle Whilst Losing Fat

Embarking on the pursuit of muscle gain or threading through the labyrinth of fat loss is not a linear journey. The optimal rep range is not an unyielding doctrine but a dynamic revelation that unfolds over time. The concluding notes resonate with the heartbeat of your individuality—listen to your body, decipher its cues, and let your fitness narrative be an ever-evolving story.

In essence, the conclusion extends an invitation to view fitness not as a set destination but as a continuous expedition. It’s a call to embrace the fluctuations, recognize the subtleties, and relish the beauty of sculpting a physique that harmonizes with your unique rhythm. As the final curtain falls, remember that your journey is an ongoing masterpiece, and each workout is a stroke that contributes to the evolving canvas of your own fitness tapestry.

Watch the video below for more information, if you still have questions about if you should lift heavy for muscle gains and light for fat loss.

Ultimate Guide on How to Get Shredded

What are the benefits of weightlifting?

Muscle Development and Strength:

Weightlifting stands as a powerful cornerstone for achieving optimal muscle development and strength. Engaging in resistance training induces microtears in muscle fibres, prompting the body to repair and strengthen them during recovery.

Over time, this process leads to increased muscle mass and enhanced strength. Whether you’re a novice lifter or an experienced athlete, the progressive nature of weightlifting allows you to continually challenge and adapt your muscles, fostering consistent growth and improved physical performance.

Metabolic Boost and Fat Loss:

Weightlifting is a metabolic powerhouse, offering more than just aesthetic benefits. The intensity and demand placed on muscles during resistance training elevate the resting metabolic rate, contributing to increased calorie expenditure even after the workout concludes.

This phenomenon, known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), aids in fat loss by promoting the utilization of stored energy. Incorporating weightlifting into your fitness routine becomes a potent tool not only for building muscle but also for sculpting a leaner physique through sustained metabolic effects.

Bone Health and Joint Stability:

Beyond the visible gains in muscle size, weightlifting plays a pivotal role in fortifying bones and enhancing joint stability. The mechanical stress imposed on bones during resistance training stimulates bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Additionally, weightlifting engages stabilizing muscles around joints, fostering a robust musculoskeletal system. This dual benefit contributes not only to immediate physical performance but also to long-term bone health, making weightlifting a valuable investment in overall well-being.

Mental Well-being and Cognitive Benefits:

The advantages of weightlifting extend beyond the physical realm, positively impacting mental well-being and cognitive function. Engaging in regular weightlifting releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood enhancers, leading to reduced stress levels and enhanced mood.

The discipline and focus required during weightlifting sessions spill over into daily life, fostering mental resilience and improved concentration. Research suggests that resistance training may also contribute to cognitive health, with potential benefits for memory and overall brain function. The holistic impact of weightlifting on both body and mind positions it as a comprehensive approach to fostering a healthier, more resilient lifestyle.

How to Make Muscle Gains At Every Level

8 Mistakes Everyone Does Trying to Get Shredded

7 Ways to Look More Muscular

3 Best Diet Rules to Get Shredded Quickly

Dieting vs. Exercise for Weight Loss – How Does it All Work?

When one talks about fitness, usually that person tends to go towards one path, one goal. That could be to become as strong and big as possible, like a bodybuilder, or run as fast as a sprinter, be as flexible as a gymnast, or have a strong cardiovascular capacity as a marathon runner.

But why not all of them together? At least to a certain extent. The conventional wisdom of specialization has given way to a new paradigm— the rise of the hybrid athlete. This modern approach to training transcends the limitations of singular disciplines, advocating for a holistic and well-rounded fitness journey.

As we delve into the intricate world of hybrid athlete training, it becomes apparent that this method not only challenges traditional norms but also offers a multitude of benefits that extend beyond the realms of conventional fitness.

The concept of a hybrid athlete stands in stark contrast to the once-dominant philosophy of specialization. In the past, athletes would meticulously choose a specific discipline, dedicating their efforts to becoming unparalleled experts in that particular field. The pinnacle of achievement was often reached by those who immersed themselves in the singular pursuit of perfection, whether it be in weightlifting, bodybuilding, or running. However, the fitness landscape has undergone a profound transformation in recent times.

Source: The Battle Bunker

The desire for a more versatile and well-rounded athleticism has given birth to the hybrid athlete. This individual seeks to embody the strength of a weightlifter, the aesthetics of a bodybuilder, and the endurance of a runner. The hybrid athlete is not confined by the boundaries of a singular sport but instead thrives on the synergy of multiple disciplines. It’s an approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of strength, endurance, and overall fitness.

How to Build Strength and Mobility at the Same Time

As we embark on this exploration of the three compelling reasons to embrace hybrid athlete training, it becomes imperative to understand the genesis of this fitness philosophy. It’s not merely a trend; rather, it’s a response to the evolving aspirations of individuals who crave a dynamic and all-encompassing approach to their fitness journey.

In this article, we will unravel the captivating narrative of the hybrid athlete, tracing the journey of those who transition from traditional training methods to the liberating world of versatility. The hybrid athlete’s story is one of rediscovery, of finding joy in unexpected places, and ultimately, of crafting a training regimen that harmoniously blends strength and endurance.

Join us as we delve into the heart of hybrid athlete training, understanding not only what it entails but also why it has become a beacon for those seeking a more fulfilling and sustainable path to fitness.

The information you will see below was first shared by Nick Bare. Nick Bare is the founder and CEO of Bare Performance Nutrition. He shaped the idea of a hybrid athlete with hard-training sessions and constant self-experimentation first in the military and then in civilian tests like ultra-marathons.

He uploaded a video explaining 3 reasons why you should train like a hybrid athlete. Check them out below.

Source: Spencer Davis / Unsplash

Read More: 12 Unique Exercises You Are Not Doing (But Should)

3 Reasons Why You Should Train Like a Hybrid Athlete

What is a Hybrid Athlete?

A hybrid athlete is someone who combines multiple training disciplines to achieve a well-rounded fitness level. This can include a mix of sports such as cycling, running, lifting, rowing, or swimming. The focus is on being versatile, having the strength of a weightlifter, the aesthetics of a bodybuilder, and the endurance of a runner.

The Journey of a Hybrid Athlete

The journey into hybrid athlete training often begins with a realization of the benefits of combining different sports. For the author, the transition from military training (which inherently included hybrid elements) to a focus on strength training eventually led to a rediscovery of the joy of running. The combination of running and strength training became a rewarding lifestyle, leading to the belief that hybrid athlete training is the way to go.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

10 Exercises You Probably Overlooked for Total Performance

So, below you will see Bare’s reasoning and reasons why you should trainlike a hybrid athlete.

1. Improved Body Composition

One common misconception is that running can hinder strength gains and muscle mass. However, recent research and discussions with experts like Dr. Elaine Norton and Thomas Delauer reveal that incorporating cardio, including running, does not necessarily negatively impact hypertrophy or strength. In fact, moderate cardio can be beneficial for hypertrophy, as it promotes nutrient delivery through increased capillary density. The key is to balance running and lifting while ensuring protein needs are met.

2. Improved Health Span and Lifespan

Hybrid athlete training contributes to both health span and lifespan. Strength training enhances bone mineral content, reducing the risk of injuries as one ages. Additionally, maintaining a strong VO2 max through a combination of Zone 2 and Zone 5 endurance training is crucial for overall health. Studies, including one conducted with elderly cross-country skiers, highlight the importance of combining broad strength training and endurance for optimal health in later years.

Best Exercises to Live Longer and Healthier

3. Training Flexibility Promotes Sustainability

The flexibility inherent in hybrid athlete training promotes sustainability. The ability to switch focus between endurance and strength training allows for variety and prevents burnout. The joy and fulfillment derived from the journey remain intact, ensuring that the training plan is one that can be adhered to in the long term.

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

Top Metcon Exercises to Add To Your Workouts

As we wrap up our exploration, it’s clear that the hybrid athlete lifestyle offers more than just physical benefits. It represents a holistic and adaptive approach to fitness that aligns with the diverse and evolving goals of individuals. Whether navigating seasons of marathon preparation, triathlon training, or bodybuilding, the hybrid athlete remains resilient, finding joy in the journey and sustaining a passion for a lifetime.

In embracing the principles of a hybrid athlete, individuals are not merely adhering to a trend but committing to a philosophy that celebrates the interconnectedness of strength, endurance, and the limitless possibilities that lie in the fusion of diverse training disciplines. The journey of a hybrid athlete is an ongoing narrative of self-discovery, resilience, and the pursuit of a balanced and fulfilling fitness lifestyle that transcends the boundaries of convention.

Watch the video below for all the information laid out by Nick Bare and the 3 reasons why you should train like a hybrid athlete.

Read More: How Running Once a Week Changes Your Body

As you know, Olympic weightlifting consists of two exercises: the snatch and the clean & jerk. The clean is not only the first integral part of the clean & jerk but also a whole separate exercise. It has plenty of variations that are used in different sports to develop explosive strength, the power of knee and hip extension, and improve initial running velocity and stability in the athletic position.

If we put the clean technique in a nutshell, it has 3 main blocks: 

– acceleration;

– сatch;

– recovery.

No doubt that each block is equally important. However, since our question today is “how to improve power in the clean?”, we will talk in detail about exercises aimed to improve important positions, step up the accelerating power of the bar, and, thus, the whole clean. 

It is obvious that the proper technique and angles, strong and explosive legs, and optimal mobility are not a secret weapon, but rather a vital condition that makes powerful clean possible. You can find more HERE. 

How To Improve Power In The Clean

Let’s go into more detail about 4 exercises that help answer how to improve power in the clean.

Exercise 1 – Muscle Squat Clean

This is the exercise that teaches you to involve the legs first up to the full knee extension and then switch to the arms in the turnover to rotate the elbows.

• In order to perform the exercise properly, stay flat-footed in the pull as long as you can with shoulders above the bar and relaxed arms. The best weight range for this skill is up to 50-60%.

Accurate and consistent leg and arm work is essential to gain the most power in the clean. By the way, I often combine this exercise with the clean pull till power position, which comes first in a set. Find out the explanation below. 

Exercise 2 – Clean Pull Till Power Position + Clean

The Clean Pull till power position + CLEAN is one of the most effective sets to boost power.

The clean pull is performed up to the middle of the thigh with almost complete knee straightening, but shoulders always remain above the bar, covering it; arms are relaxed, the trajectory of the bar movement is as close to the trunk as possible. After the pull, the athlete slowly lowers the bar along the same trajectory and after touching the floor immediately performs the clean, keeping the same angles in movement.

The first part of the set (the clean pull till power position) makes you feel just the right angle of the power position and slow lowering helps find the most effective starting position for successful clean. 

The feature of this exercise is that the athlete each time alternates the pull and clean. The complex can be used both for tech development on small weights and for full training. This contributes to better skill development. The recommended load: up to 90%, 2-4 sets, 1-2 blocks per exercise.

Exercise 3 – Deficit Clean

Performing the Clean from the stand (height can vary on average from 4 to 8 cm, depending on the athlete’s height and training purposes) extends the path of the barbell and consequently increases the load on the back and leg muscles. So this drill is very beneficial for strength and power development.

In fact, this is a regular Clean, which is performed under complicated conditions. Also, it demands increased flexibility in the lower back and knee ankle joints. More Clean variations you can find in my CLEAN Masterclass.

Exercise 4 – Reverse Clean Pull with 3 Stops

Most of my seminar athletes are well familiar with a lighter version of this exercise with two 3-second pauses at above- and under-knee level with minimal weight. This progression helps you learn the proper pull trajectory quickly and effectively.  

But I have a more advanced variation for the most powerful movement. I recommend doing the clean deadlift with three 3-second pauses on the way down: 

– above the knees;

– under the knees;

– at the lift-off level (1 cm above the platform)

I have to say that it is a killer exercise, but very effective at the same time if you work with up to 85% from your 1-rep max clean & jerk for 2-3 reps up to 4 sets.

Since this exercise is followed by a rather long recovery and vivid muscle soreness, don’t plan it more often than once in two weeks.

It goes without saying that power in the clean is an essential part of your result both in the clean and clean & jerk and this is why you must know how to improve power in the clean. But, as you remember from the beginning of the article, it is only a half of success because, after a powerful explosion, there is the catch & recovery waiting for you.

And we will talk about it next time! 

Sincerely yours, Oleksiy Torokhtiy!

Warm BODY Cold MIND

Read More: 15 Clean Workouts for Better Weightlifting Skills

Mental preparation is one of the most frequent questions at my seminars. As soon as it arises, I know for sure that there is no simple answer: this topic contains too many intricacies.

Athletes wonder how to overcome the fear of heavy weights, cope with anxiety before a competition, and get the courage to hit new records.  

Psychological (or mental) preparation is as crucial as physical one. You should train not only joints, muscles, and tendons, but also your head. No doubt, psychological stability doesn’t emerge at a competition but is constantly developed at a gym.  

3 Expert Tips to Improve your Mental Game for Olympic Weightlifting

I’d like to share 3 tips on how to improve your mental game for Olympic weightlifting:

Tip 1. Perform at competitions more often to gain confidence on the platform.

Competitions are always stressful for athletes of all levels. Everyone is worried, everyone is scared – it’s OK!

The only way to cope with that is to compete. However, there are 2 points to remember: 

A. The less experience you have, the more often you should take part in competitions.

Beginners (with up to 2 years of training, especially young athletes) can perform every 3-5 weeks; experienced weightlifters (more than 2 years) – 6-8 times a year; advanced athletes (more than 4-5 years into weightlifting) – around 4 times. 

B. A competition is NOT an attempt to set a personal record.

A common mistake among newbies and often even coaches is to think that once an athlete is on the platform, they must bust a gut to perform at 103%.

Yes, in another reality we all strive for that though it is not always necessary.

Use competitions to learn how to go six-for-six on a regular basis, get used to a stressful environment and “the pace” of such events.

Therefore, it is not reasonable to constantly push an athlete towards new records. Sometimes, it’s better just to feel the vibe and accrue competition experience.  

I share more details on this topic in my book Competition Day – X.

Tip 2. Improve your Mental Game for Olympic Weightlifting, Trick your “Glass Ceiling” 

Athletes tend to impose some limits on themselves and dread breaking them even if their muscles are completely ready.

My coach used to call it “a glass ceiling”. Personally, I’ve stumbled across 3 such ceilings at different stages of my career, and all in the snatch: 100, 132,5 and 180 kg. Don’t ask me why – I have no idea)))

The best strategy is to trick your “glass ceiling” with the help of particular methods and exercises. 

There are various solutions: 

– Lifting lighter weight for more reps. 

– Choosing “more comfortable” positions for an exercise: the high hang snatch or the snatch from blocks. 

– Using straps.

– A good way to gain confidence in the snatch is to boost the Snatch Push PRESS up to 110-120% from 1RM: holding a new heavy weight overhead makes you more confident. 

– Split the clean and the jerk to lift records separately and then put everything together. 

One of my friends couldn’t snatch 100 kilos till he lifted 95 kg for 6 reps. 

Another one always arranged a PR session in the snatch from blocks and only after that lifted from a platform. 

The third one used to do the jerk behind the neck before a PR session in the clean & jerk. 

My problem throughout my whole career was the snatch confidence. In peak condition, when I snatched 200 kg, my Snatch Push PRESS was 240. It was kind of a psychological relief. 

Tip 3. Get Used to “New-Big” Numbers. 

Any weightlifting result is measured in numbers. Thus, their magic as well as the competition barbell strongly affects all athletes.

It happens that a new weight becomes both a dream and a serious obstacle. It can be a particular number that makes your heart beat faster or additional plates on a bar. For example, 100 is a turning point for most athletes: first, in the squats, then in the clean & jerk, and finally in the snatch. The same happens with a competition barbell: for example, snatching red plates, then two pairs of them, and so on.   

In my opinion, the best way to cope with “new-big” numbers is visualization.

Set your dream weight on a cellphone or laptop screen, and hang a poster above a desk or bed. In the national team, we used to hang a paper with numbers on the wall near our working platform and write it on every page of a training diary. 

Finally, you should teach your brain that these “new-big” numbers are not something that causes panic, fear, or sends your pulse to space. It is your inevitable future or, perhaps, even present. 

And when my athletes ask what is the best short phrase to improve your mental game for Olympic weightlifting, I answer right away: Warm Body – Cold Mind.

Learn More: Improve your Mental Game for Olympic Weightlifting

How to build overhead strength and balance for weightlifting

How to set new Squat PBs

My coaching experience, observation, and communication with many athletes around the world show that they like the clean, they more or less are okay with the snatch and most of them don’t like or do not understand the jerk movement.

How to Build Overhead Strength and Balance for Olympic weightlifting

The reason for the dislike of the later ones is the need to hold a bar above one’s head and, moreover, do it with your hands straight. This point tends to be a huge challenge while lifting heavy weights in extreme training or competition environment. 

Source: Aleksey Torokhtiy

In this article, I will walk you through three helpful exercises by implementing which you will get to a new overhead strength and balance level in just a month. 

1. SNATCH OVERHEAD SQUAT “OHS”

It is a basic exercise that is often used by coaches as a test for newbies to check their mobility and balance. When I first came to a weightlifting gym, I failed it because of poor mobility. After years of training, I managed to lift 220 kilos/ 485 pounds in this exercise. 

In this video, my OHS is 205 kilos.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oleksiy TOROKHTIY (UKR) (@torokhtiy)

Recommended load:

My advice is to add 1-3 reps of OHS to every set of the snatch during the warmup (up to 60% from 1RM of the SNATCH). It helps prepare your body, establishes balance, and, therefore,  improves stability in the overhead position. 

2. SNATCH PUSH PRESS

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oleksiy TOROKHTIY (UKR) (@torokhtiy)

It is a strength exercise for adjusting the overhead position. An athlete holds a bar on the shoulders with a wide grip, performs the dip and drive, and after the full leg extension presses the bar out till the lockout and fixes it above the head. Doing the SNATCH PUSH PRESS even once a week, you may increase this exercise result up to 105-110% from 1RM in the snatch and enhance both overhead strength and balance and confidence for working with new snatch weights.

How to Build Overhead Strength and Balance for Olympic weightlifting

Recommended load: 

Option “А”: If you have 3 or fewer training sessions a week, I advise adding 1-3 reps of the SNATCH PUSH PRESS to every snatch set during the warmup (up to 60% from 1RM of SNATCH). It will prepare the body and toughen upper body muscles for a solid overhead position.

Option “В”: If you have 4 or more training sessions a week, I advise adding a separate workout (apart from the option “A”) with a combination of the SNATCH PUSH PRESS and OHS in one set: 

Example:

3 reps * PUSH PRESS + 3 reps * OHS up to 85% from 1RM of SNATCH

3. SNATCH BALANCE

Any athlete, who performs the snatch, knows that they need incredible precision and balance to catch a bar at speed and firmly fix it above the head.

This exercise particularly targets coordination, speed, precision, and balance in the receiving position.

Recommended load:

Option “А”: If you have 3 or fewer training sessions a week, add 1-3 reps of SNATCH BALANCE to every snatch set during the warmup (up to 60% from 1RM of SNATCH).

Option “В”:  If you have 4 or more training sessions a week, add a separate workout (apart from the option “A”) with a combination of the SNATCH PUSH PRESS, SNATCH BALANCE, and OHS in one set. 

Example:

2 reps * PUSH PRESS + 2 reps * SNATCH BALANCE + 2 reps * OHS up to 75% from 1RM of SNATCH.

BONUS:

Find two auxiliary strength jerk exercises below: 

MILITARY PRESS with RUBBER BANDS

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Oleksiy TOROKHTIY (UKR) (@torokhtiy)

The main purpose of this exercise is to involve tiny upper body muscles and strengthen core stabilizers.

You shouldn’t rush for heavy loads but rather work with comfortable ones. The main point is to hold the weight above the head and fix a barbell in that position despite oscillations created by the plates hung on rubber bands. There are two ways of performing this exercise:

1. A very slow press – this option is perfect for strengthening weak shoulders and post-injury recovery;     
2. A more aggressive press – at the stage of fixing, plates will give more oscillations so it takes more time to stabilize the position. 

SPLIT PRESS + OHS

It is a great coordination and strength complex for improving the OH position in jerk. Using the split stance, an athlete presses a bar from the chest or from behind the neck (a combination is also possible) and then performs the OH split squats. In order to develop stability, you better choose NOT heavy weights and do more reps. 

Example: 

SPLIT PRESS + OHS: 6+6 reps for RIGHT side + 6+6 reps for LEFT side

You may have noticed that mainly snatch exercises focus on overhead strength and balance. The reason is that the wide (snatch) grip is more effective for balance training and stabilizers enhancement, especially when it comes to beginners. By the way, professional athletes (Asians in particular) also use the JERK OVERHEAD SQUAT and JERK BALANCE. 

Yet, don’t forget to work in other positions and planes. Therefore, you should definitely include in your training plan those exercises from the BONUS part. 

Also I would like to remind to all BOXROX readers the you can find a bunch of awesome training programs on torokhty.com

Crossfitters and competitive fitness athletes might be especially interested in EMOM weightlifting and WL4CF, because completing these 2 programs will definitely increase Olympic weightlifting skills, training capacity and results in snatch and clean & jerk. So go for it now!

Keep in mind that overhead stability demands not only physical strength but also joint mobility, muscle flexibility as well as patience and proper load planning.

In addition to strength and power, the clean requires speed, flexibility, coordination, accuracy, and balance.

Only the snatch rivals the clean when it comes to functional barbell movements.

CLEAN TECHNIQUE

• Set-Up: Start with your feet at a hip-width stance. Set your hands on the barbell so they are approximately one thumb’s distance from the hips. Grip the barbell with a hook grip. Brace your core.
• Execution: Your hips and shoulders should rise at the same rate on the pull.
• Extend the hips and knees rapidly and fully. Shrug your shoulders and pull yourself under the bar.
• Receive the bar in the front rack position, at the bottom of the squat.
• Finish: Stand tall to reach full hip and knee extension at the top of the movement.
• Keep the bar in the racked position until your hips/knees have fully extended.

If the WOD calls for a “power clean,” receive the barbell in a ¼ squat or ½ squat position. If the WOD calls for a “muscle clean,” receive the barbell in an upright position.

If the WOD calls for a “hang clean” or a “hang power clean,” begin the movement with the barbell anywhere above the knees.

Source: Dave Lisson on Unsplash

Points of Performance: To get a “good rep,” ensure the following:

• The barbell starts on the floor (unless a “hang” position is required)
• Your hip crease drops below your knee crease at the bottom of the squat (unless a “power” or “muscle” clean is required)
• You reach full hip and knee extension at the top before bringing the bar back down to the ground
• In the front rack position, your elbows remain in front of the bar

Pro-Tip: The first pull of the clean (when you lift the bar from the ground to mid-thigh) should be a controlled, balanced pull. If you rip/yank the bar from the ground, you can shift your position and get off balance. The result will be a missed lift, especially if the weight is heavy.

CLEAN TRAINING TIPS

DEPTH IN THE POWER CLEAN

Mark Rippetoe is an American strength training coach and author. Watch his video to learn some useful Clean training tips when it comes to depth.

GET THE BEST RACK POSITION YOU CAN

A strong rack position improves your chances of standing up out of a heavy clean. It is common for beginners to struggle with the position as people often have incredibly tight lats and triceps. Rolling the lats, triceps and wrists and stretching them during your warm up will help get those elbows higher and the bar comfortably resting on the shoulders whilst gripping the bar.

Stretching out using the bar is also a fantastic way to improve it, place the barbell into the back squat position, and use the weight of the bar to rotate one elbow up at a time whilst keeping the hands on the bar and the body straight.

Tip: If you have to sacrifice gripping the bar in the rack position to have your elbows up, sacrifice the grip and open your hands.

GOOD POSTURE EQUALS A BETTER CLEAN

Having a tight mid-back from all those hours racked up at the desk can be a complete hindrance on a strong clean. Catching a clean with a rounded mid-back will force the elbows down and cause you to grind up the squat which can zap the energy from you and put unnecessary pressure onto the wrists – which is a one way ticket to injury.

PERFECT THAT FIRST PULL

Due to the heavier weight used in the clean versus the snatch, a bad first pull will cause serious problems. During the first pull the shoulders should stay over the bar AND the back angle should remain the same. Often people mistakenly let those hips rise as soon as the bar moves. Your knees only have to move fractionally to get out of the way of the bar as it passes the knees. Pushing your knees back switches off the legs and puts it all on the back.

The more pressure you can keep on the front of the foot, the more your legs will be primed to move into the extension.

Source: Stevie D Photography

CLEAN WORKOUTS

Add these clean workouts into your training, develop explosive power and improve your weightlifting skills.

1. CLEAN BATTERY

For Load

• 1 rep max Squat Clean

Rest 10 minutes

Then, AMRAP in 8 minutes of:

• Cleans (90% of 1RM)

There are two tests that must be put together to complete Clean Battery. First, you must establish a one-rep maximum in the squat clean, then rest, then perform an 8-minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible) at 90% of your one-rep maximum.

2. JOHN GIORDANO

For Time

• 37 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)

Source: Stevie D Photography

3 ELIZABETH

21-15-9 Reps For Time

• Cleans (135/95 lb)
• Ring Dips

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform 21 Cleans and 21 Ring Dips, then 15 Cleans and 15 Ring Dips, then 9 Cleans and 9 Ring Dips. “Elizabeth” can be performed with either Squat Cleans (typical Rx) or Power Cleans (sometimes called “Power Elizabeth”).

Score is the time on the clock when the final repetition (the 9th Ring Dip) is completed.

Good Times for “Elizabeth”
– Beginner: 10-14+ minutes
– Intermediate: 7-10 minutes
– Advanced: 4-7 minutes
– Elite: <4 minutes

Tips and Strategy

As needed, break the Ring Dips up into manageable sets from the beginning. If you go to failure on the Ring Dips, you’ll be stuck at the rings, performing singles, resting for several seconds between repetitions.

If you perform Squat Cleans, break the reps into smaller sets, as Squat Cleans are more muscularly fatiguing than Power Cleans are. Try one of these rep schemes, and rest a few seconds between sets:
Round of 21: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 6, 5, 5, 5
Round of 15: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 5, 5, 5
Round of 9: 4, 3, 2 or 5, 4

If you perform Power Cleans, aim for big sets during the rounds of 21 and 15, and go unbroken on the round of 9.

Intended Stimulus

“Elizabeth” should make you feel both physically exhausted (your triceps should be on fire and your quads–if you performed Squat Cleans–should be burning) and mentally fatigued. “Elizabeth” is highly mental, especially for athletes that don’t know their limits when it comes to Dips. You’ll constantly be walking the line between intensity (good) and burnout (bad), and that’s a tough place to be. Scale “Elizabeth” so you can get it done in around 10 minutes; but don’t scale it to where you walk away completely unscathed–it should still hurt.

Scaling Options

“Elizabeth” is a classic benchmark that should be completed relatively quickly. It can be performed with either Squat Cleans or Power Cleans. Decide which version/technique you’ll use before you start, then stick with it. Go lighter on the Cleans and modify the Ring Dips so you can complete the work in fewer than 10 minutes.

Intermediate
15-12-9 reps for time of:
Cleans (115/75 lb)
Ring Dips

Beginner
15-12-9 reps for time of:
Cleans (75/55 lb)
Push-Ups

4. J.J

For Time

• 1 Squat Clean (185/135 lb)
• 10 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 2 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 9 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 3 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 8 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 4 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 7 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 5 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 6 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 6 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 5 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 7 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 4 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 8 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 3 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 9 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 2 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 10 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 1 Parallette Handstand Push-Up

For the parallette handstand push-ups, only the top of the head must pass below the top of the parallettes.

This ascending squat clean and descending parallete handstand push-up workout is relatively unusual as it gets easier and harder at the same time. Make sure you keep your core engaged throughout the workout and perform a specific arms and shoulders warm up beforehand.

5. ERIN

5 Rounds For Time

• 15 Dumbbell Split Cleans (40/30 lb)
• 21 Pull-Ups

Scaling

Reduce the weight and reps on the split clean. Modify the pull-up so that each round can be completed in 3 or 4 sets. Compared to other Hero WODs, this workout is quick and should not be drawn out into a long slog.

Intermediate Option
5 rounds for time of:
12 dumbbell split cleans
15 pull-ups

Men: 35-lb. dumbbells
Women: 20-lb. dumbbells

Beginner Option
4 rounds for time of:
10 dumbbell split cleans
12 ring rows

Men: 20-lb. dumbbells
Women: 15-lb. dumbbells

6. GRACE

For Time

• 30 Clean-and-Jerks (135/95 lb)

Complete 30 clean and jerks for time. Power cleans or full cleans are acceptable. You may re-set after the clean, or catch the bar in the rack position for the clean and push straight into the jerk without pausing. Push jerks or split jerks are acceptable. Snatches are not allowed.

Score is the time it takes you to complete all 30 reps.

Good Times for “Grace” (source)
– Beginner: 6-7 minutes
– Intermediate: 4-5 minutes
– Advanced: 3-4 minutes
– Elite: <2 minutes

Tips and Strategy

Elite athletes complete “Grace” in one big set of 30 reps. If that’s not possible for you yet, decide before the workout starts how you’ll break up the reps. For example, 6 sets of 5, a cascading/descending rep scheme like 12-8-6-4, or even 30 singles with little or no rest between each. Stick to the game plan–even when it starts to hurt.

Intended Stimulus

“Grace” should feel light. You should be able to move through the reps quickly without taking long rests. This WOD should leave you breathless and sweating–like you just ran a really fast mile.

Scaling

“Grace” is one of the fastest CrossFit benchmark workouts. Reduce the load so you can perform multiple reps unbroken and complete all the reps in less than 5 minutes. Athletes less familiar with Olympic lifting should take time to drill the mechanics of each movement and reduce the load drastically.

Intermediate Option
30 Clean-and-Jerks for Time (115/75 lb)

Beginner Option
30 Clean-and-Jerks for Time (75/55 lb)

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

The snatch balance involves dropping under the barbell fast to finish in the lockout position of the overhead squat. You start with the barbell resting on your shoulders, a hip-width stand and an overhead squat grip on the bar.

After dipping your torso and then extending your hips in an explosive motion, driving the weight of the bar off your shoulders, you quickly press under the bar, ensuring it doesn’t move significantly.

Your feet should move to a shoulder-width stance as you press under the bar, and you receive it at the bottom of an overhead squat. Stand up and lock your hip, knees and arms. The snatch balance should look like this:

By standing back up from the bottom of the overhead squat position, you ensure that your midline works on control, stability and balance. Because you have to hold the weight overhead you shift your centre of gravity upwards, forcing your core to work hard to stabilise you and preventing you from falling forward, back, or get crushed when you load your back with a heavy barbell.

NOTE: THE SNATCH BALANCE IS NOT THE SAME AS THE DROP SNATCH, WHICH REQUIRES AN ATHLETE TO GET UNDER THE BAR WITHOUT THE INITIAL DRIVE.

There are little exercises more effective than the snatch balance at working your midline and increasing its strength. Snatch balance core and abs workouts will develop your:

• Speed
• Timing
• Precision
• Strength
• Coordination
• Balance
• Mobility

The snatch balance develops strength in the receiving position for the snatch like the overhead squat, but also adds the elements of speed, timing and precision. Some athletes are able to snatch balance more than they can snatch – improve your skill and strengthen your midline with these snatch balance core and abs workouts.

SNATCH BALANCE CORE AND ABS WORKOUTS

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – 1

• Overhead squat 5-5-5 reps
• Snatch balance 3-3-3 reps
• Hang squat snatch 1-1-1 reps

This progression will help you get comfortable with some weight in the beginning with the overhead squats before adding dynamics and technique.

THE SNATCH BALANCE ADDS SPEED, TECHNIQUE AND MAKES YOU PERFECT GETTING INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE OVERHEAD POSITION QUICKLY. IT ALSO HELPS TO BUILD UP CONFIDENCE.

Your receiving position will feel strong, solid and quick after the snatch balance.

Scaling this WOD

“Focus on excellent technique on every set. The beginner should focus on mechanics instead of loading. If you have previous maximal loads for these movements and reps, use this as an opportunity to attempt new PRs. For more experienced athletes, only increase the load if your technique is consistent.

Beginner

• Overhead squat 3-3-3 reps
• Snatch balance 3-3-3 reps
• Hang squat snatch 3-3-3 reps

“Warm up with a few sets of light loads for each movement. Only increase the weight if mechanics are sound. Make small increases in load if technique is consistent. Due to the complexity of these lifts, load is a secondary goal for the beginner.”

Intermediate

Perform original workout.

“Find your first set by warming up to a load that is challenging but where there is no chance of a miss for any of the movements. Aim to exceed any previous PRs. Determine a goal for the day for each movement and work backward in 5-to-10-lb. increments to find a starting weight. If technique degrades, decrease the weight slightly and resolve the error before continuing. Rest as needed between sets.”

Text from CrossFit.

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – 2

1. Every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 8 minutes:

• 2 Snatch Balance

1. For Time:

Buy in:

• 100 Double Unders

15-12-9-6-3

• Overhead Squats (100/70lb)
• Pull-Ups

Cash out:

• 100 Double Unders

Scale double unders to singles on a 3:1 scale. Score is the snatch balance load and time it took to complete the workout.

Snatch balance workouts will increase your core strength, help you handle big loads and improve your pull underneath the bar during the snatch.

Source: CrossFit Inc

Workout from CrossFit Midtown.

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts 3 – Snatch Balance

Snatch Balance

• 2×3 @ 70%
• 2×3 @ 75%
• 1×3 @ 80%

For a total of 5 quality sets.

Followed by 3 Rounds for Time:

• 10 Snatches (95/65lb)
• 200 meter Sprint

The snatch balance can be done as accessory or strength work and is a great drill to practice if you struggle on the receiving portion of the snatch or lack the speed to get under the bar.

Snatch balance ab and core workouts allow strong and fast athletes to push themselves under loads that exceed their best snatches.

Source: RX'd Photography

7 Fiery Overhead Squat Ab Workouts for CrossFit Athletes

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – Snatch Balance Pyramid

For Quality:

5×5 Reps of:

• Snatch Balance
• Overhead Squat

For Time 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Reps of:

• Power Snatch (115/85)
• Lateral Bar Burpees

For the first portion of this workout, focus on your technique more than the load.

The second section is intended as a sprint; your goal should be to finish under nine minutes.

“RECEIVING THE SNATCH IN ANYTHING BUT A VERTICAL AND STABLE TORSO POSITION WILL RESULT IN A LIFTER PRODUCING EXCESSIVE LEAN OF THE TRUNK, OFTEN LEADING TO MISSED REPS,” CERTIFIED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SPECIALIST MIKE DEWAR WRITES.

The snatch balance will reinforce your core and abs strength and stability, as well as give you awareness of the correct bar path in the recovery position of the snatch.

Source: RX'd Photography

Workout by Joust CrossFit Ann Arbor.

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – WOD Wednesday 181128

For Load:

• Snatch balance 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Increase the load with every rep.

Beginner Option:

• Overhead squat 3-3-3 reps
• Behind the neck jerk 1-1-1 reps
• Snatch balance 1-1-1 reps

Source: Stevie D Photography

The snatch balance is a great drill to perfect footwork and arm speed.

Experienced athletes should lift as heavy as possible and work toward a PR. New athletes should use light loads and slightly larger sets to focus on speed and positioning.

If you enjoyed these Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts then try these Sit Up and Strict Press WODs.

The term “hang” describes the starting position of the bar. If you want to perform a movement with the prefix “hang”, it means you should start the movement while standing.

The hang clean is usually performed with a barbell, but can also be done with dumbbells, kettlebells, or any other weight.

What is a hang clean?

Hang cleans are compound weightlifting movements that primarily work the posterior chain, including muscles in your legs, back and core.

The main characteristic of a hang clean is that the movement starts with the weight somewhere between your hips and your knee, as opposed to dead on the ground. Athletes then drive through the heels and use the power of a triple extension to help pull the weight up to chest height.

Hang cleans are popular in CrossFit workouts and weightlifting training. No emphasis is placed on the initial pull from the ground, instead athletes learn to master the second and third pulls of the clean, from the hang position to the full squat receiving the bar.

“The timing, powerful hip extension, and coordination remain similar to the clean. However, the technical demands of arriving at the correct position are reduced compared to pulling the bar from the floor.” – CrossFit Training

How to do a hang clean

To execute a hang clean with perfect form, perform the following steps:

1. Start with the bar directly in front of you and your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Bend down to pick the bar up, grabbing the bar with your hands about a thumbs distance form your hips.
3. Bring the weight up (preferably with a hook grip) and stand tall, this is where the hang clean starts.
4. Lower the bar to around the middle of your thighs, keeping you back straight throughout and pushing your hips back. Your heels should be on the ground and your arms straight.
5. Drive through the heels and extend your hips and legs rapidly, creating power and moving the bar up while keeping it close to your body. The force should come from the legs and hip thrust, not the arms.
6. Perform a shoulder shrug and jump under the bar, bringing your elbows high in front of you.
7. Catch the bar at the bottom of a front squat.
8. Keeping the core engaged, complete a full hip and knee extension with the bar in the front rack position.

Top faults

Make sure you avoid the following common mistakes:

• Bringing the shoulders too far forward
• Not finishing the pull
• Moving the bar away from the body

Bringing the shoulders too far forward during the initial lowering movement is a common hang clean mistake. By committing this fault, you’ll be moving the weight far away from your centre of mass and making the exercise less efficient, while increasing your risk of injury. To fix this, make sure you push your hips back and keep your back straight.

Not finishing the pull will make it harder to dip under the bar and happens when athletes try to rush the exercise. While speed and coordination are required, they won’t matter if your timing and technique are wrong. If you start bending you elbows before your body is fully extended you’ll lose power by trying to control the bar with your arms to finish the lift. If you’re dropping under the bar too early and not finishing the pull, try practicing some barbell shrugs and clean pulls.

Moving the bar away from the body when you pull it up is incredibly inefficient. The bar shouldn’t do a semicircle but travel in one line upwards – the shorter the bar travels, the least force you’ll require to move it. Keeping the bar close to your body allows for the most efficient bar path. Hang cleans are a great exercise to get a feel of having the bar close to your body, so if you’re committing this mistake try the exercise again with less weight.

Hang clean muscles worked

Hang cleans are a full body exercise, working the muscles in your shoulders, neck, core, back and legs.

Specifically, this exercise activates the trapezius and deltoid muscles with the initial and second pulls of the hang clean; the lower back muscles, glutes, quads and adductors during the hip thrust and throughout the squat; and the hamstrings, forearm flexors, calves and core on the lowering phase of the weight, as well as when catching the weight and standing back up.  

Hang clean and hang power clean, what is the difference?

The difference in the hang clean and the hang power clean lies in the way you catch or receive the weight.

In a hang power clean, your hips remain above your knees at all times. A hang clean allows you to catch the weight under a full squat, which means you generate less power but are able to lift more weight.

Both exercises begin the same way.  

What are hang cleans good for?

You can get different benefits from performing hang cleans depending on where you are on your training journey. Hang cleans are great for developing power, strength and speed among athletes of all fitness levels.

Hang cleans can be easier to perform for many beginner athletes who haven’t yet mastered the full clean and its challenging coordination requirements. The exercise can teach athletes to finish the last pull during the clean and fix early elbow bending.

They are also a brilliant full-body exercise, so if you want to perform the least work for the most results, hang cleans can be a great exercise to add to your training.

They don’t allow for as much weight to be lifted as with a standard clean because the power from the first pull from the ground is lost, so athletes whose main goal is to build strength might want to consider hang cleans more as an accessory exercise and less as their main lift.

The hang clean is also a great exercise to master for daily activities, where you might find yourself having to lift weights and bring them to shoulder height.

Hang clean workouts

Try these 5 CrossFit hang clean workouts.

Workout 1

EMOM 12

• 3 Deadlifts (185/135 lb)
• 3 Hang Power Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 3 Front Squats (185/135 lb)

Every minute on the minute for 12 minutes, perform all exercises in the order written, then rest until the next minute starts and repeat. If you find you’re unable to finish the work within a minute then lower the weight of the barbell.

Try to complete all exercises unbroken to save yourself extra work.

Workout 2

21-15-9 reps for time:

• Hang Cleans (135/95)
• Pull-Ups

With a running clock, perform 21 reps of both exercises, then 15 and then 9. The aim of the workout is to finish as fast as possible. If you’re unable to perform the hang cleans efficiently you can lower the weight. You can also get assistance with the pull-ups by using a band.

Workout 3

6 rounds for time:

• 400-meter run
• 15 Hang Cleans (95 / 65 lb)
• 10 Handstand Push-Ups
• 20 Wall Ball shots

With a running clock, perform 6 rounds of the prescribed work in the order written as fast as possible.

This is a challenging and demanding workout. It’ll tax your endurance, strength and determination by combining aerobic work with weightlifting and gymnastics. Pace yourself from the start and reduce the number or reps or rounds if it becomes too challenging.

Workout 4

AMRAP in 20 minutes:

• 8 Toes-to-Bar
• 10 Dumbbell Hang Clean-and-Jerks (50/35 lb)
• 14/12 calorie Row

This is the first CrossFit Open workout for the year 2018. The aim of the workout is to perform as many rounds as possible of the prescribed work within 20 minutes.

Workout 5

For time:

• 100 Hang Cleans

Perform 5 Burpees with every minute that goes by.

This variation of the Hero workout Kalsu is performed with hang cleans instead of thrusters. The aim is to complete 100 hang cleans as fast as possible, but you must perform 5 burpees at the start of every minute.

To make sure the burpees don’t catch you by surprise, think of a strategy at the start of the workout to partition your reps and have enough time to rest between minutes.

This guide will help to show you how to calculate and improve your one rep max.

What Is Your One Rep Max?

The phrase literally means “one repetition maximum”.

It is a commonly used technique to identify and measure strength levels of athletes across different lifts for bodybuilders, powerlifters, CrossFit® athletes and bodybuilders.

Scale up your training experience - Get BOXROX Pro

• Exclusive premium content
• Ad free browsing
• Members only access
• Enhanced reading experience
• Cancel anytime

Subscribe now

Already a member? Click here to sign in

The snatch balance involves dropping under the barbell fast to finish in the lockout position of the overhead squat. You start with the barbell resting on your shoulders, a hip-width stand and an overhead squat grip on the bar.

After dipping your torso and then extending your hips in an explosive motion, driving the weight of the bar off your shoulders, you quickly press under the bar, ensuring it doesn’t move significantly.

Your feet should move to a shoulder-width stance as you press under the bar, and you receive it at the bottom of an overhead squat. Stand up and lock your hip, knees and arms. The snatch balance should look like this:

By standing back up from the bottom of the overhead squat position, you ensure that your midline works on control, stability and balance. Because you have to hold the weight overhead you shift your centre of gravity upwards, forcing your core to work hard to stabilise you and preventing you from falling forward, back, or get crushed when you load your back with a heavy barbell.

NOTE: THE SNATCH BALANCE IS NOT THE SAME AS THE DROP SNATCH, WHICH REQUIRES AN ATHLETE TO GET UNDER THE BAR WITHOUT THE INITIAL DRIVE.

There are little exercises more effective than the snatch balance at working your midline and increasing its strength. Snatch balance core and abs workouts will develop your:

• Speed
• Timing
• Precision
• Strength
• Coordination
• Balance
• Mobility

The snatch balance develops strength in the receiving position for the snatch like the overhead squat, but also adds the elements of speed, timing and precision. Some athletes are able to snatch balance more than they can snatch – improve your skill and strengthen your midline with these snatch balance core and abs workouts.

SNATCH BALANCE CORE AND ABS WORKOUTS

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – 1

• Overhead squat 5-5-5 reps
• Snatch balance 3-3-3 reps
• Hang squat snatch 1-1-1 reps

This progression will help you get comfortable with some weight in the beginning with the overhead squats before adding dynamics and technique.

THE SNATCH BALANCE ADDS SPEED, TECHNIQUE AND MAKES YOU PERFECT GETTING INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE OVERHEAD POSITION QUICKLY. IT ALSO HELPS TO BUILD UP CONFIDENCE.

Your receiving position will feel strong, solid and quick after the snatch balance.

Scaling this WOD

“Focus on excellent technique on every set. The beginner should focus on mechanics instead of loading. If you have previous maximal loads for these movements and reps, use this as an opportunity to attempt new PRs. For more experienced athletes, only increase the load if your technique is consistent.

Beginner

• Overhead squat 3-3-3 reps
• Snatch balance 3-3-3 reps
• Hang squat snatch 3-3-3 reps

“Warm up with a few sets of light loads for each movement. Only increase the weight if mechanics are sound. Make small increases in load if technique is consistent. Due to the complexity of these lifts, load is a secondary goal for the beginner.”

Intermediate

Perform original workout.

“Find your first set by warming up to a load that is challenging but where there is no chance of a miss for any of the movements. Aim to exceed any previous PRs. Determine a goal for the day for each movement and work backward in 5-to-10-lb. increments to find a starting weight. If technique degrades, decrease the weight slightly and resolve the error before continuing. Rest as needed between sets.”

Text from CrossFit.

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – 2

1. Every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 8 minutes:

• 2 Snatch Balance

1. For Time:

Buy in:

• 100 Double Unders

15-12-9-6-3

• Overhead Squats (100/70lb)
• Pull-Ups

Cash out:

• 100 Double Unders

Scale double unders to singles on a 3:1 scale. Score is the snatch balance load and time it took to complete the workout.

Snatch balance workouts will increase your core strength, help you handle big loads and improve your pull underneath the bar during the snatch.

Source: CrossFit Inc

Source: CrossFit Inc

Workout from CrossFit Midtown.

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts 3 – Snatch Balance

Snatch Balance

• 2×3 @ 70%
• 2×3 @ 75%
• 1×3 @ 80%

For a total of 5 quality sets.

Followed by 3 Rounds for Time:

• 10 Snatches (95/65lb)
• 200 meter Sprint

The snatch balance can be done as accessory or strength work and is a great drill to practice if you struggle on the receiving portion of the snatch or lack the speed to get under the bar.

Snatch balance ab and core workouts allow strong and fast athletes to push themselves under loads that exceed their best snatches.

Source: RX'd Photography

7 Fiery Overhead Squat Ab Workouts for CrossFit Athletes

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – Snatch Balance Pyramid

For Quality:

5×5 Reps of:

• Snatch Balance
• Overhead Squat

For Time 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Reps of:

• Power Snatch (115/85)
• Lateral Bar Burpees

For the first portion of this workout, focus on your technique more than the load.

The second section is intended as a sprint; your goal should be to finish under nine minutes.

“RECEIVING THE SNATCH IN ANYTHING BUT A VERTICAL AND STABLE TORSO POSITION WILL RESULT IN A LIFTER PRODUCING EXCESSIVE LEAN OF THE TRUNK, OFTEN LEADING TO MISSED REPS,” CERTIFIED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SPECIALIST MIKE DEWAR WRITES.

The snatch balance will reinforce your core and abs strength and stability, as well as give you awareness of the correct bar path in the recovery position of the snatch.

Source: RX'd Photography

Source: RX’d Photography

Workout by Joust CrossFit Ann Arbor.

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – WOD Wednesday 181128

For Load:

• Snatch balance 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

Increase the load with every rep.

Beginner Option:

• Overhead squat 3-3-3 reps
• Behind the neck jerk 1-1-1 reps
• Snatch balance 1-1-1 reps

Source: Stevie D Photography

Source: Stevie D Photography

The snatch balance is a great drill to perfect footwork and arm speed.

Experienced athletes should lift as heavy as possible and work toward a PR. New athletes should use light loads and slightly larger sets to focus on speed and positioning.

If you enjoyed these Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts then try these Sit Up and Strict Press WODs.

1. Snatch, losing the bar in front or jumping forward: hip snatch
2. Snatch, losing the bar behind: muscle snatch
3. Split Jerk, unstable: elbow position
4. Clean, catching too high: hip clean
5. Jerk, push presses, forward bar path: weight in heels

There is nothing I love more in the world than weightlifting! No two people lift the same and no two coaches teach the same. There are hundreds, if not thousands of strength drills, speed drills, mobility drills, programs, you name it. All of that…. And it’s just two lifts, the snatch and the clean & jerk.

An advanced athlete to me, is someone that can do the basics extremely well and that has precision and consistency. A beginner athlete should only focus on those things. Precision first of all, can you hit every position needed to make a good lift and can you do it at speed? Then could you take a video of 100 lifts and be able to tell them apart? Only really when you have your consistency should you think about loading up, by all means go as heavy as you want in the rack but don’t cut corners with your technique or you’ll get stuck later on down the line! Play the long game!

Strength is cool, technique is cool but both combined are a recipe for success!

Here are some of the common errors I see with lifters all across the board, beginner to advanced and a few things you can add to your practice and warm ups to start hitting some PR’s in the near future! Remember, strength programs aren’t worth a damn if you don’t move well!

1. Snatch, losing the bar in front or jumping forward: hip snatch

Probably the most disheartening one, being under the bar and it just falling in front of your very eyes reminding you of the disappointment you have become as you still sit there in your squat. Missing your “triple extension” will be a massive cause of this, especially for newbies. Wanting to be fast under the bar can cause you to be too fast at the wrong point (a favourite saying of mine is “be fast but don’t rush it”) if you mess up your timing then you’re basically going to have to try to adjust in mid air and that will only get you so far.

You have to remember that when you make contact with the bar, that bar is weightless for a moment and in that moment you have all the time in the world to get under IF you finish your pull and close the hip at the right point (listen for the two sounds). The hip snatch is a great drill for giving you confidence in that position and really lets you see how much power comes from that small hip extension!

–

Calculate your weights here

Snatch technique requires all the elements of flexibility, strength, and power, without one of these your snatch will eventually suffer. This article is here to help prevent the frustration that the snatch can inevitably bring.

1. Start Right, End Right

The start position in the snatch is often ignored by many beginners because we only really know we have failed the snatch if it doesn’t make it above your head. If you do not start correctly, the bar path and your power can be severely handicapped. When you set up, check your feet, knees, hips and shoulders.

Firstly, start with your toes under the bar, if the bar starts far away, its stays far away. Pressure should be distributed on the balls of your feet to allow your legs to drive through the floor. Points your feet and knees slightly out, this will help the bar stay close without smashing into your knees.

Keep those hips down! Hips should always be lower than your shoulders, so make sure they are in your start position.

The shoulders must be over the bar to start, this will allow you to produce that powerful hip extension when you move into the extension at the top of the lift.

2. Problem? Reverse the Chain

Working backwards from the snatch is the ideal problem solver. If you have a problem with your catch position, overhead squats and snatch balance are going to be your friends.  For 90% of beginners it is the second pull (from the knee into the extension). Dip snatch and hang snatch above knee will be your next port of call.

Finally, if there are issues transitioning from below the knee to above, hang snatch below the knee or pause snatch (pausing at the knee) will help your mind and body connect to the two. Don’t just continue to snatch from the floor, experiment with a warm up drill of Hang snatch, Hang snatch below the knee, snatch from the floor until you feel the floor snatch is perfect.

Source: Rx Photography

Firstly, let’s get back to the bar and brush up on technique.

How to Clean

This excellent technique guide from Catalyst Athletics is a great place to start.

“Execution: With a clean-width grip (typically hands slightly outside shoulder width), set a tight starting position:

• Feet approximately hip width and toes turned out slightly with the weight balanced evenly across them
• Knees pushed out to the sides inside the arms
• Back arched completely
• Arms straight and elbows turned out to the sides
• Head and eyes forward
• Arms approximately vertical when viewed from the side

Push with the legs against the floor to begin standing, maintaining approximately the same back angle until the bar is around mid-thigh.

At this point, continue aggressively pushing against the floor and extend the hips violently, keeping the bar close to the body and allowing it to contact the upper thighs as the hips reach extension.

Once you have extended the body completely, pick up and move your feet into your squat stance as you pull your elbows up and to the sides aggressively to begin moving yourself down into a squat under the bar.

Bring the elbows around the bar quickly and into the clean rack position as you sit into the squat.

Use the rebound in the bottom of the squat to help stand back up to the standing position as quickly as possible. Once you’ve stood completely with the bar in control, you can return it to the floor (or continue to a jerk).”

Clean WODs

Browse through our list of Clean WODs and find the right one for you.

Clean WODs 1 – DT

5 Rounds For Time

• 12 Deadlifts (155/105 lb)
• 9 Hang Power Cleans (155/105 lb)
• 6 Push Jerks (155/105 lb)

How do you perform the “DT” workout?

With a running clock, as fast as possible complete the prescribed work in the order written for 5 rounds.

How do you score the “DT” workout?

Score is the time it takes you to complete 5 rounds.

What is a good score for the “DT” workout?

– Beginner: 15-19 minutes

– Intermediate: 10-14 minutes

– Advanced: 6-9 minutes

– Elite: <5 minutes

What are the movement standards for the “DT” workout?

Hang Power Clean: This variation of The Clean starts with the barbell in the “hang” position (anywhere above the knee).

The landing position is a quarter or a half squat rather than a full-depth, below-parallel squat (like in a Squat Clean). Like any version of The Clean, you must reach full hip/knee extension at the top before you lower the bar back down to the starting position—which in this case is the “hang” position.

Push Jerk: In this variation of The Jerk, you’ll receive the bar in a partial squat. Like any version of The Jerk, you must reach full hip/knee extension at the top before you lower the bar back down to the starting position—which in this case is the “front rack” position.

What are the tips and strategy to use for the “DT” workout?

To avoid any unnecessary reps, move from the 12th rep of the deadlifts directly into the 1st rep of the hang power cleans.

Then move from the 9th rep of the hang power cleans directly into an unbroken set of the push-jerks.

Be strategic about when you put the barbell down in “DT.” The place to rest during this WOD is in the middle of your sets of deadlifts and hang power cleans, and at the end of your sets of push jerks.

Clean WODs – What is the intended stimulus of the “DT” workout?

This WOD should feel very uncomfortable. The sets should be mostly unbroken, which will make your hands/grip suffer–in a good way.

The load should feel easy on the deadlifts, moderate on the hang power cleans, and tough on the push jerks. The load should be such that you can get through the first couple rounds unbroken. This isn’t designed to be a heavy day, so scale accordingly.

Clean WODs – How do you scale the “DT” workout?

The volume in this workout isn’t supremely high (there are only 135 total repetitions) so the place to scale “DT” is (1) the load, and/or (2) the movement(s).

Keep the same number of rounds and reps, but lessen the load of the barbell or lower the skill level of the movement(s) so you can perform these movements with virtuosity.

Beginner A

• 12 Deadlifts (75/55 lb)
• 9 Hang Power Cleans (75/55 lb)
• 6 Push Jerks (75/55 lb)

Beginner B

• 12 Deadlifts (45/35 lb)
• 9 Muscle Cleans (45/35 lb)
• 6 Strict Shoulder Presses (45/35 lb)

Clean WODs 2 – Bear Complex

5 Rounds For Load

Complete 7 Unbroken Sets of this Barbell complex:

• 1 Power Clean
• 1 Front Squat
• 1 Push Press
• 1 Back Squat
• 1 Push Press

How do you perform the “Bear Complex” workout?

The five movements known as the “Bear Complex” comprise one repetition. Complete the complex seven times, unbroken (without letting go of the bar or resting it on the ground) to complete one round.

Complete five unbroken rounds, increasing the weight and resting as needed between each round to complete the workout. Rest as needed between rounds. You may not change the load mid-round.

How do you score the “Bear Complex” workout?

Score is the max weight used for your fifth unbroken round.

Clean WODs – What is a good score for the “Bear Complex” workout?

– Beginner: Men 75/Women 55 lb

– Intermediate: Men 115/Women 85 lb

– Advanced: Men 155/Women 105 lb

– Elite: Men 225+/Women 155+ lb

What are the movement standards for the “Bear Complex” workout?

A “strict” Bear Complex requires each movement to be done individually as written.

A CrossFit-style Bear Complex allows an athlete to link movements together, such that one rep may look like a Squat Clean Thruster (when you go from the squat clean directly into the thruster with no pause) then a Back Squat Thruster (when you go from the back squat into the thruster with no pause).

Complete unbroken reps of the following complex: Clean (any style), Front Squat (Squat Cleans are acceptable), Shoulder to Overhead from the front rack (any style- including thruster-jerks), Back Squat, and Shoulder to Overhead from the back rack (any style).

What are the tips and strategy to use for the “Bear Complex” workout?

Big jumps are for chumps! Make conservative increases in load from round to round to avoid early failure.

Clean WODs – How do you scale the “Bear Complex” workout?

The “Bear Complex” is a very fatiguing CrossFit benchmark workout. If you’re new to these barbell movements, it’s best to stay with one load for the entirety of the workout (rather than increase weight for each set).

In order to get the endurance benefits from this workout, you need to complete unbroken sets; so pick a load that allows you to achieve that goal.

Intermediate

Go up in weight (conservatively) in rounds three and five. Skip the load increase in rounds two and four.

Beginner

Choose a light load and stick with that weight through all five rounds.

Building a stronger back, core and solid mechanics is straightforward with deadlift workouts. The deadlift, where you pick a weight from the floor and then stand straight, levelling the weight with the hips, is the exercise in which many athletes can lift the most weight.

As such, the deadlift is a great upper and lower-body exercise to build strength.

Scale up your training experience - Get BOXROX Pro

• Exclusive premium content
• Ad free browsing
• Members only access
• Enhanced reading experience
• Cancel anytime

Subscribe now

Already a member? Click here to sign in

An elite athlete like Vellner makes the 255lb complex look like a breeze, so if you want to challenge yourself and your lifting, here’s everything you need to know about each lift to hit your targets with confidence.

Watch Pat Vellner’s Backyard Barbell Lifts

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Patrick Vellner (@pvellner)

Snatch Deadlift

The first lift Vellner hits in his latest Instagram post in a snatch deadlift. The difference between the snatch deadlift and a traditional deadlift is the grip on the bar. The wide griper means the athlete works more muscles in the upper back during the lift.

• Begin with a wide snatch grip with the barbell placed on the platform.
• The feet should be directly under the hips, with the feet turned out. Squat down to the bar, keeping the back in absolute extension with the head facing forward.
• Initiate the movement by driving through the heels, raising the hips. The back angle should remain the same until the bar passes the knees.
• At that point, drive your hips through the bar as you lay back.

Hang Squat Snatch

From this position (also known as the hang position), Vellner moves into a hang squat snatch. From the hang position, initiate the snatch by pushing against the floor with the legs first.

• Drive the legs against the floor and extend the hips aggressively, keeping the bar in near to the body and bringing it into contact with the hips as you reach complete extension.
• After extending, pick up and move your feet into your squat stance while pulling your elbows high and to the sides to move yourself down into a squat under the bar. Keep the bar and your body as close to each other as possible.
• Punch straight up against the bar overhead as you sit into the squat, stabilize, and recover to a standing position with the bar overhead.

Overhead Squat

Now in the correct position for the overhead squat, Vellner continues into this movement.

Source: CrossFit Inc

• With your feet shoulder width apart and the barbell above your head using the wide grip you started the complex with, brace your core to protect your lower back.
• Keeping your torso upright, drop bend your knees and drop your hips a few inches down into the squat, keeping the barbell above your head.
• From here, extend your knees and hips and drive the barbell up over your head, fully extending your arms.
• Lock your elbows in place at the top at the top of the movement.
• Return the barbell to the platform.

Pat Vellner regularly shares his workouts on his Instagram, which gives hungry athletes a taste of what it takes to reach elite level CrossFit and excel.

There are a number of muscles worked when you bench press (also sometimes called a chest press) so if you’ve ever been curious about where you’ll make huge gains in your upper body, then we have you covered.

Furthermore, there are several variations of the typical bench press that put more emphasis on individual muscles; meaning you can target specific areas depending on what kind you decide to train with, making it a very versatile upper body barbell exercise.  

Traditional Bench Press Works What Muscles?

The muscles worked while you bench press depend a lot on the kinds of bench presses you perform. There are a number of variations based on the angle of the bench, the position of your hands on the bar, and what equipment you’re using.

A traditional bench press involves a barbell and a bench, which is what we will be focusing on. However you can build mass with dumbbells and kettlebells, providing further variation on a classic.

A typical bench press setup will look like the following:

• Setup. Lie on the flat bench with your eyes under the bar. Lift your chest and squeeze your shoulder-blades. Feet flat on the floor.
• Grab the bar. Place your pinky on the Knurl (ring) marks of your bar. Hold the bar in the base of your palm with straight wrists and a full grip.
• Unrack. Take a big breath and unrack the bar by straightening your arms. Move the bar over your shoulders with your elbows locked.
• Lower the bar. Lower it to your mid-chest while tucking your elbows 75°. Keep your forearms vertical. Hold your breath at the bottom.
• Press. Press the bar from your mid-chest to above your shoulders. Keep your butt on the bench. Lock your elbows at the top. Breathe.

The movement should be performed with an arch in the back. The reason for this is to protect your shoulders and allow your upper back muscles to pull your shoulders down and into a safe, stable position. It also helps you lift bigger weights.

Keep your feet flat on the floor, and your core braced throughout the movement. Push up from your chest and repeat for the desired number of reps.

The main muscles used during a traditional bench press are the pecs, shoulders, and triceps. These are the muscles that exert the most force on the bar and will ultimately feel the benefit of the resistance. 

That said, the erector spinae, lats, and rotator cuff are also at work during the bench press, stabilising the movement and decelerating the bar on the way down. They make sure the exercise is controlled.

When you put them together, these muscles work together to create a powerful upward force that builds strength throughout your upper body.

Bench Press Variations (And the Muscles they Work)

There are a few bench press variations that will target more specific muscle groups, as well as others not so present in the regular bench press. What muscles they work can depend on grip-width and bench incline. 

Close Grip Bench Press

• Best For: Triceps

For a bench press variation that will give your triceps a real workout, try a close grip bench press. The closer position of your hands on the barbell will specifically help target your triceps, taking some of the effort out of the shoulders, which means they are also beneficial for CrossFitters bouncing back from a shoulder injury or strain.

The effective tricep exercise is also a compound movement, so you won’t be missing out on the overall benefits of the traditional bench press. The only real difference is the placement of the hands, other than that the set-up and method remain the same. 

Keep in mind: a wider grip on the bar means your biceps play more of a role in the movement. If your triceps aren’t as strong you might not be able to lift as much weight as you would with a traditional bench press.

Wide Grip Bench Press

• Best For: Pecs

A wide grip bench press is one considered as such when the width between your hands on the bar is 1.5 / 2 times the width measured between your shoulders. The wide grip will engage the pectoral muscles and the anterior deltoid, activating the muscles in your chest. 

This variation of the bench press reduces the range of motion, which decreases the amount of work required to push the barbell upwards. The narrower the grip, the more range of motion you’ll have access too, and the more energy you’ll exert lifting the bar up and down overall.

Keep in mind: If you do have a history of shoulder pain or injury, be wary of this movement. According to a study by the Strength and Conditioning Journal, the amount of force in the shoulders is nearly 1.5x greater when performing a wide-grip bench press vs. a narrow-grip, which increases the potential for injury.

Incline Bench Press

• Best For: Shoulders

Another popular variation on the bench press is the incline bench press. This is essentially adapting the bench to a 45 degree angle, putting more emphasis and more of the weight on your shoulders. If we’re getting specific, incline bench press works the clavicular head of the pectoralis major — in other words, the upper portion of your chest.

The form for the incline bench press remains the same; make you continue to push from your chest and not rest the barbell on your stomach. The front of your shoulders will take the brunt of this movement, so that’s where you’ll want to feel it.

Keep in mind: The incline bench press is harder than the traditional, flat bench press. You also won’t have easy access to the rack like you normally would. Because of these reasons, it would be beneficial to perform the exercise with a spotter, or use a lighter weight than your max rep weight for the normal bench press.

In addition to strength and power, the clean requires speed, flexibility, coordination, accuracy, and balance.

Only the snatch rivals the clean when it comes to functional barbell movements.

CLEAN TECHNIQUE

• Set-Up: Start with your feet at a hip-width stance. Set your hands on the barbell so they are approximately one thumb’s distance from the hips. Grip the barbell with a hook grip. Brace your core.
• Execution: Your hips and shoulders should rise at the same rate on the pull.
• Extend the hips and knees rapidly and fully. Shrug your shoulders and pull yourself under the bar.
• Receive the bar in the front rack position, at the bottom of the squat.
• Finish: Stand tall to reach full hip and knee extension at the top of the movement.
• Keep the bar in the racked position until your hips/knees have fully extended.

If the WOD calls for a “power clean,” receive the barbell in a ¼ squat or ½ squat position. If the WOD calls for a “muscle clean,” receive the barbell in an upright position.

If the WOD calls for a “hang clean” or a “hang power clean,” begin the movement with the barbell anywhere above the knees.

Source: Dave Lisson on Unsplash

Points of Performance: To get a “good rep,” ensure the following:

• The barbell starts on the floor (unless a “hang” position is required)
• Your hip crease drops below your knee crease at the bottom of the squat (unless a “power” or “muscle” clean is required)
• You reach full hip and knee extension at the top before bringing the bar back down to the ground
• In the front rack position, your elbows remain in front of the bar

Pro-Tip: The first pull of the clean (when you lift the bar from the ground to mid-thigh) should be a controlled, balanced pull. If you rip/yank the bar from the ground, you can shift your position and get off balance. The result will be a missed lift, especially if the weight is heavy.

CLEAN TRAINING TIPS

DEPTH IN THE POWER CLEAN

Mark Rippetoe is an American strength training coach and author. Watch his video to learn some useful Clean training tips when it comes to depth.

GET THE BEST RACK POSITION YOU CAN

A strong rack position improves your chances of standing up out of a heavy clean. It is common for beginners to struggle with the position as people often have incredibly tight lats and triceps. Rolling the lats, triceps and wrists and stretching them during your warm up will help get those elbows higher and the bar comfortably resting on the shoulders whilst gripping the bar.

Stretching out using the bar is also a fantastic way to improve it, place the barbell into the back squat position, and use the weight of the bar to rotate one elbow up at a time whilst keeping the hands on the bar and the body straight.

Tip: If you have to sacrifice gripping the bar in the rack position to have your elbows up, sacrifice the grip and open your hands.

GOOD POSTURE EQUALS A BETTER CLEAN

Having a tight mid-back from all those hours racked up at the desk can be a complete hindrance on a strong clean. Catching a clean with a rounded mid-back will force the elbows down and cause you to grind up the squat which can zap the energy from you and put unnecessary pressure onto the wrists – which is a one way ticket to injury.

PERFECT THAT FIRST PULL

Due to the heavier weight used in the clean versus the snatch, a bad first pull will cause serious problems. During the first pull the shoulders should stay over the bar AND the back angle should remain the same. Often people mistakenly let those hips rise as soon as the bar moves. Your knees only have to move fractionally to get out of the way of the bar as it passes the knees. Pushing your knees back switches off the legs and puts it all on the back.

The more pressure you can keep on the front of the foot, the more your legs will be primed to move into the extension.

Source: Stevie D Photography

CLEAN WORKOUTS

Add these clean workouts into your training, develop explosive power and improve your weightlifting skills.

1. CLEAN BATTERY

For Load

• 1 rep max Squat Clean

Rest 10 minutes

Then, AMRAP in 8 minutes of:

• Cleans (90% of 1RM)

There are two tests that must be put together to complete Clean Battery. First, you must establish a one-rep maximum in the squat clean, then rest, then perform an 8-minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible) at 90% of your one-rep maximum.

2. JOHN GIORDANO

For Time

• 37 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)

Source: Stevie D Photography

3 ELIZABETH

21-15-9 Reps For Time

• Cleans (135/95 lb)
• Ring Dips

With a running clock, as fast as possible perform 21 Cleans and 21 Ring Dips, then 15 Cleans and 15 Ring Dips, then 9 Cleans and 9 Ring Dips. “Elizabeth” can be performed with either Squat Cleans (typical Rx) or Power Cleans (sometimes called “Power Elizabeth”).

Score is the time on the clock when the final repetition (the 9th Ring Dip) is completed.

Good Times for “Elizabeth”
– Beginner: 10-14+ minutes
– Intermediate: 7-10 minutes
– Advanced: 4-7 minutes
– Elite: <4 minutes

Tips and Strategy

As needed, break the Ring Dips up into manageable sets from the beginning. If you go to failure on the Ring Dips, you’ll be stuck at the rings, performing singles, resting for several seconds between repetitions.

If you perform Squat Cleans, break the reps into smaller sets, as Squat Cleans are more muscularly fatiguing than Power Cleans are. Try one of these rep schemes, and rest a few seconds between sets:
Round of 21: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 6, 5, 5, 5
Round of 15: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 or 5, 5, 5
Round of 9: 4, 3, 2 or 5, 4

If you perform Power Cleans, aim for big sets during the rounds of 21 and 15, and go unbroken on the round of 9.

Intended Stimulus

“Elizabeth” should make you feel both physically exhausted (your triceps should be on fire and your quads–if you performed Squat Cleans–should be burning) and mentally fatigued. “Elizabeth” is highly mental, especially for athletes that don’t know their limits when it comes to Dips. You’ll constantly be walking the line between intensity (good) and burnout (bad), and that’s a tough place to be. Scale “Elizabeth” so you can get it done in around 10 minutes; but don’t scale it to where you walk away completely unscathed–it should still hurt.

Scaling Options

“Elizabeth” is a classic benchmark that should be completed relatively quickly. It can be performed with either Squat Cleans or Power Cleans. Decide which version/technique you’ll use before you start, then stick with it. Go lighter on the Cleans and modify the Ring Dips so you can complete the work in fewer than 10 minutes.

Intermediate
15-12-9 reps for time of:
Cleans (115/75 lb)
Ring Dips

Beginner
15-12-9 reps for time of:
Cleans (75/55 lb)
Push-Ups

4. J.J

For Time

• 1 Squat Clean (185/135 lb)
• 10 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 2 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 9 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 3 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 8 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 4 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 7 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 5 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 6 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 6 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 5 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 7 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 4 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 8 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 3 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 9 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 2 Parallette Handstand Push-Ups
• 10 Squat Cleans (185/135 lb)
• 1 Parallette Handstand Push-Up

For the parallette handstand push-ups, only the top of the head must pass below the top of the parallettes.

This ascending squat clean and descending parallete handstand push-up workout is relatively unusual as it gets easier and harder at the same time. Make sure you keep your core engaged throughout the workout and perform a specific arms and shoulders warm up beforehand.

5. ERIN

5 Rounds For Time

• 15 Dumbbell Split Cleans (40/30 lb)
• 21 Pull-Ups

Scaling

Reduce the weight and reps on the split clean. Modify the pull-up so that each round can be completed in 3 or 4 sets. Compared to other Hero WODs, this workout is quick and should not be drawn out into a long slog.

Intermediate Option
5 rounds for time of:
12 dumbbell split cleans
15 pull-ups

Men: 35-lb. dumbbells
Women: 20-lb. dumbbells

Beginner Option
4 rounds for time of:
10 dumbbell split cleans
12 ring rows

Men: 20-lb. dumbbells
Women: 15-lb. dumbbells

6. GRACE

For Time

• 30 Clean-and-Jerks (135/95 lb)

Complete 30 clean and jerks for time. Power cleans or full cleans are acceptable. You may re-set after the clean, or catch the bar in the rack position for the clean and push straight into the jerk without pausing. Push jerks or split jerks are acceptable. Snatches are not allowed.

Score is the time it takes you to complete all 30 reps.

Good Times for “Grace” (source)
– Beginner: 6-7 minutes
– Intermediate: 4-5 minutes
– Advanced: 3-4 minutes
– Elite: <2 minutes

Tips and Strategy

Elite athletes complete “Grace” in one big set of 30 reps. If that’s not possible for you yet, decide before the workout starts how you’ll break up the reps. For example, 6 sets of 5, a cascading/descending rep scheme like 12-8-6-4, or even 30 singles with little or no rest between each. Stick to the game plan–even when it starts to hurt.

Intended Stimulus

“Grace” should feel light. You should be able to move through the reps quickly without taking long rests. This WOD should leave you breathless and sweating–like you just ran a really fast mile.

Scaling

“Grace” is one of the fastest CrossFit benchmark workouts. Reduce the load so you can perform multiple reps unbroken and complete all the reps in less than 5 minutes. Athletes less familiar with Olympic lifting should take time to drill the mechanics of each movement and reduce the load drastically.

Intermediate Option
30 Clean-and-Jerks for Time (115/75 lb)

Beginner Option
30 Clean-and-Jerks for Time (75/55 lb)

Source: Courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

It is not typical to see many CrossFit gyms program Bench Press, either in the strength portion of the workout or in the WOD itself. This is likely part of a precedent set by the first few years of CrossFit demonizing anything that looked like bodybuilding.

While no one currently has a problem with the Bench Press, it’s still not a common lift in the CrossFit box.

I want to see this change, as bench pressing has the potential to build stronger overhead lifts and more functional shoulders.

The downfall of the current training style

The current CrossFit training style tends to favour going overhead both with pulling and pressing. This is great because it has got many people to increase their overhead mobility, which was sorely needed.

The shoulders, however, need to be trained in “frontal” pulling and pressing, to make sure that the muscles surrounding the shoulder, the chest, lats, and upper back are healthy and strong like the delts and triceps are.

Frontal pulling and pressing that is commonly seen in CrossFit are movements like the Push-Up, and the Ring Row. However, those are typically seen as Scaled options for Pull-Ups and Handstand Push-Ups, so once someone gets to the point where they can do the RX version, they stop doing these frontal pulling and pressing movements.

Because of this, the average CrossFit athlete tends to have weak chest and lats, which can be a spell for injury down the road.

How to Implement Bench Press in Your Box

The Bench Press can be one of the best ways to fix a weak chest and lats and, if done correctly, will carry over to your overhead lifts by creating a more stable shoulder.

If you’ve never or rarely implement the Bench Press, then try a variation of the Texas Method: one day per week for 8 weeks, try a progression where you do 5 sets of 5 reps at about 70% of your 1 rep max, or a “light to moderate weight” which should feel easy for every set.

Then each week add 2.5-5kg, and by the end of the 8 weeks, everyone will be setting PR’s! If your gym doesn’t have benches, then sub them out for the Floor Press and you’ll get similar benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Noah Ohlsen (@nohlsen)

If you want to get the most out of your time, then between sets of bench press, do a set of 8-12 heavy dumbbell or barbell rows. This will help you build a strong back along with the strong chest!

CrossFit Bench Press Workout

PUMP SESH TRIPLET

3 Rounds for Time:

• 2/1 Legless Rope Climbs (18 ft)
• 15 Dumbbell Bench Presses (2×70/50 lb)
• 9 Dumbbell Thrusters (2×70/50 lb)

Time Cap: 8 minutes

Scaling

3 Rounds for Time:

• 2/1 Rope Climbs (15 ft)
• 15 Dumbbell Bench Presses (2×40/25 lb)
• 9 Dumbbell Thrusters (2×40/25 lb)

Pump Sesh Triplet was the 4th of 8 total WODs for the 2019-2020 Wodapalooza Miami Sanctional competition.

Want to take your Bench Press to the next level? Check out the “Moose Method” 6 Week Bench Program that I co-wrote with JUCO Football player, Sam Neely. We used this program to take him from a 168kg/370lb Bench Press to a 183kg/405lbs Bench Press in 6 weeks.

If you found this article useful, then make sure to follow Brian’s gym, Big Bend Strength and Conditioning, on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or listen to their Podcast and sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date on all the content they put out weekly.

The snatch balance involves dropping under the barbell fast to finish in the lockout position of the overhead squat. You start with the barbell resting on your shoulders, a hip-width stand and an overhead squat grip on the bar.

After dipping your torso and then extending your hips in an explosive motion, driving the weight of the bar off your shoulders, you quickly press under the bar, ensuring it doesn’t move significantly.

Your feet should move to a shoulder-width stance as you press under the bar, and you receive it at the bottom of an overhead squat. Stand up and lock your hip, knees and arms. The snatch balance should look like this:

By standing back up from the bottom of the overhead squat position, you ensure that your midline works on control, stability and balance. Because you have to hold the weight overhead you shift your centre of gravity upwards, forcing your core to work hard to stabilise you and preventing you from falling forward, back, or get crushed when you load your back with a heavy barbell.

Note: the snatch balance is not the same as the drop snatch, which requires an athlete to get under the bar without the initial drive.

There are little exercises more effective than the snatch balance at working your midline and increasing its strength. Snatch balance core and abs workouts will develop your:

• Speed
• Timing
• Precision
• Strength
• Coordination
• Balance
• Mobility

The snatch balance develops strength in the receiving position for the snatch like the overhead squat, but also adds the elements of speed, timing and precision. Some athletes are able to snatch balance more than they can snatch – improve your skill and strengthen your midline with these snatch balance core and abs workouts.

SNATCH BALANCE CORE AND ABS WORKOUTS

Snatch Balance Core and Abs Workouts – 1

• Overhead squat 5-5-5 reps
• Snatch balance 3-3-3 reps
• Hang squat snatch 1-1-1 reps

This progression will help you get comfortable with some weight in the beginning with the overhead squats before adding dynamics and technique.

The snatch balance adds speed, technique and makes you perfect getting into the bottom of the overhead position quickly. It also helps to build up confidence.

Your receiving position will feel strong, solid and quick after the snatch balance.

Scaling this WOD

“Focus on excellent technique on every set. The beginner should focus on mechanics instead of loading. If you have previous maximal loads for these movements and reps, use this as an opportunity to attempt new PRs. For more experienced athletes, only increase the load if your technique is consistent.

Beginner

• Overhead squat 3-3-3 reps
• Snatch balance 3-3-3 reps
• Hang squat snatch 3-3-3 reps

“Warm up with a few sets of light loads for each movement. Only increase the weight if mechanics are sound. Make small increases in load if technique is consistent. Due to the complexity of these lifts, load is a secondary goal for the beginner.”

Intermediate

Perform original workout.

“Find your first set by warming up to a load that is challenging but where there is no chance of a miss for any of the movements. Aim to exceed any previous PRs. Determine a goal for the day for each movement and work backward in 5-to-10-lb. increments to find a starting weight. If technique degrades, decrease the weight slightly and resolve the error before continuing. Rest as needed between sets.”

Text from CrossFit.

EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. Finish a particular set of movements in less than a minute and use the rest of the time remaining to rest your muscles before the next round at the beginning of the minute. You can pace yourself, or you can do as fast as possible to get the maximum rest at the end. It really is up to you.

EMOM workouts are used to test skill together with endurance and, when done with a barbell, you can stack up weight and work on your strength as well.

Barbells are the unparalleled tool when it comes to stacking big loads of weight. For really big numbers, nothing beats a barbell.

If you’re only getting started, you shouldn’t shy away from them. Olympic lifting is a big part of CrossFit and working on all aspects of your fitness is the way to go to become an excellent athlete.

Source: CrossFit Inc

Because of the short but granted rests, EMOM workouts not only improve your conditioning but also your strength and skill. It’s important to note that the rest between sets is important; if it takes you the whole minute to complete the reps, either reduce the load or lessen the number of reps.

EMOM barbell workouts are incredibly versatile; they can be made longer when programming for cardio or you can work with heavier weights when programming for strength.

Try out these five EMOM barbell CrossFit workouts to improve your athletic skills all-round.

1. EMOM barbell CrossFit workouts – Thrusters, Squats and Rows

EMOM in 12 minutes:

• 12 Barbell Thrusters
• 10 Front Squats
• 10 Bent Over Rows

Barbell rows train muscles used for squats, bench press and deadlifts. Ensure your back is neutral when doing this exercise to avoid injury.

BARBELL ROW: AN IMPORTANT ACCESSORY EXERCISE FOR ALL CROSSFITTERS 

2. EMOM barbell CrossFit workouts – Overhead Squat

EMOM in 10 minutes:

• 12 Overhead Squats
• 12 Barbell Bench Press

Overhead squats are a great mobility-training exercise as they work on your spine, ankles, hips and shoulders. They also help stabilize your core.

5 TRAINING TECHNIQUES TO IMPROVE YOUR OVERHEAD SQUAT 

3 – Thrusters – EMOM Barbell CrossFit Workouts

EMOM in 30 minutes:

• 5 Box jumps
• 5 Thrusters (55lbs/20kg)
• 5 Kettlebell swings

This WOD is on the longer end for an EMOM workout, so it will train your conditioning and stamina. Make sure you pace yourself from the start, it’s important you keep your form throughout the workout.

Source: Photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc.

4 – Barbell Front Squats

EMOM in 10 minutes:

• 20 Reps of
• Front Squat with Barbell

Adjust the weight to something that feels challenging but comfortable according to your strength.

WHY ALL CROSSFIT ATHLETES SHOULD BE DOING MORE FRONT SQUATS 

5. EMOM barbell CrossFit workouts – Alternating everything

EMOM 12 alternating

• min: 9 Front squats 30kg
• min: 9 Push Press 30kg
• min: 9 Thrusters 30kg

Source: RX'd Photography

Enjoyed these EMOM barbell CrossFit workouts? Have a look at these fun EMOM workouts you could try next time you head to the Box.

A big snatch requires all the elements of flexibility, strength, power and technique. Without one of these, your snatch will eventually suffer.

Practising the snatch teaches one to apply force to muscle groups in proper sequence – from the centre of the body to its extremities. Learning and perfecting this vital movement benefits all athletes who need to impart force to another person or object, as is commonly required in nearly all sports.

If you want to learn more about technique, check out 5 ways to improve your snatch technique.

Pick one of these 8 snatch CrossFit workouts and have some fun!

1. SNATCH CROSSFIT WORKOUTS: PARTNER WOD WITH MIKKO SALO AND GRAHAM HOLMBERG

This workout sees the 09 and 10 CrossFit Games champions team up for a partner WOD. Pick a friend and challenge their score!

• 5 minute AMRAP
• 61 kg (135 lb) power snatches
• The first person completes 5 snatches while the other rests. Alternate like this for the full 5 minutes.

They managed to each hit 50 power snatches, 100 in total, what can you and your partner get?

2. HERO WOD RANDY

• 75 power snatches for time
• men 35 kg (75 lbs)
• women 25 kg (55 lbs)

Jason Khalipa is a machine!

3. ASCENDING REPS SNATCH WOD

• 3 rounds for time
• 10 snatches (men 61 kg, women 43 kg)
• 20 air squats
• 30 double unders
• 40 pull ups
• 50 bar facing burpees

Source: RX'd Photography

4. SNATCH CROSSFIT WORKOUTS: ISABEL

• 30 snatches for time
• men 61 kg (135 lbs)
• women 43 kg (95 lbs)

For more advice on how to breathe and control your movements, check out the video of Emily

5. RICH FRONING SNATCH CROSSFIT WORKOUT

This is from Rich’s training so feel free to scale this to suit your own abilities. If you can hit these numbers then go for it, do what Rich does!

EMOM

• 6 reps on min for 5min at 61 kg (135 lbs) rest 2 min
• 4 reps at 84 kg (185 lbs) rest 2 min
• 3 reps 93 kg (205 lbs) rest 2 min
• 2 reps 102 kg (225 lbs) rest

Singles

• 116 kg (255 lbs)
• 120 kg (265 lbs)
• 122 kg (270 lbs)

6. OPEN 12.2 – THE SNATCH LADDER

MEN – includes Masters Men up to 54 years old

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
34 kg (75 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
61 kg (135 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
75 kg (165 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
95 kg (210 lbs) Snatch, as many reps as possible

WOMEN – includes Masters Women up to 54 years old

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
20 kg (45 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
34 kg (75 lbs)  Snatch, 30 reps
45 kg (100 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
54 kg (120 lbs)  Snatch, as many reps as possible

MASTERS MEN – includes Masters Men 55+

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
20 kg (45 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
34 (75 lbs)  Snatch, 30 reps
45 kg (100 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
54 kg (120 lbs) Snatch, as many reps as possible

MASTERS WOMEN – includes Masters Women 55+

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
16 kg (35 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps
25 kg (55 lbs) Snatch, 30 reps

7. SNATCH CROSSFIT WORKOUTS – AMRAP

• 10 minute AMRAP
• 15 Snatches (men 61 kg, women 43 kg)
• 15 toes to bar
• 15 pull ups

Source: RX'd Photography

8. SNATCH 1RM

Not every workout has to be difficult or a full whiteboard. It can be as simple as this one.

You have 7 minutes to find your one-rep max.

Source: JFZ Photography

Keep the focus to incorporate technique and activate the necessary muscles in the correct order. Record yourself doing a snatch to see your form and possible weaknesses.

The following tips and thoughts draw from his extensive experience at the top level of the Sport of Fitness. Text is from Ben Smith.

ON DESTROYING EXCUSES

What's your excuse for not working to get better today?

Everyone's got one, let's hear yours... write it down next to your goals... Look at them both and make a decision, which voice do you want to listen to?

What path do you want to take? When you realize that life's just about choices and you’re in control it changes your perspective. Cross that excuse out and go do something that's gonna make you better today.

This exercise is an explosive hinge movement that creates great momentum in the barbell and makes it easier to pull. The sumo deadlift high pull is invaluable for learning to transfer power from the hips and legs, through the upper body, and into the object being lifted with maximal efficiency.

Part of the nine foundational movements of CrossFit, the sumo deadlift high pull proves to be a very useful conditioning tool with its large range of motion, significant contribution from most major muscle groups, and the potential for fast cycle time.

What is a sumo deadlift high pull?

The sumo deadlift high pull starts with a conventional deadlift with a wider stance (sumo deadlift) and requires the athlete to move the load (usually a bar or kettlebell) from shins to chin, keeping the elbows high.

Sumo deadlift high pull movement pattern

Using a sumo deadlift stance and grip, stand until the barbell gets to mid/upper thigh height. Without stopping the upward momentum of the bar, violently extend the knees and hips. Finish the movement by flexing the elbows, pulling the barbell upwards until it reaches neck height. Elbows should sit above the bar at the end of the movement. The knees and hips must extend before the arms ever bend.

“For range of motion, line of action, and length and speed of action, the Sumo Deadlift High Pull is a great conjugate to the ‘Thurster’. At low loads this is our favourite substitute for Concept II Rowing,” says the CrossFit’s Journal Moves Guide.

SUMO DEADLIFT HIGH PULL BACK WORKOUTS

1. At Home Sumo Deadlift High Pull Workout

For Time:

Buy In

• 200 Double Unders

Then 50-40-30-20-10 Reps of:

• Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (Pick Load)
• Walking Lunges
• Burpees Over Object

This is a great travel or home workout, as it requires little equipment and can be completed pretty much anywhere.

2. Fight Gone Bad

Three rounds of:

• Wall-ball, 20 pound ball, 10 ft target (Reps)
• Sumo deadlift high-pull, 75 pounds (Reps)
• Box Jump, 20″ box (Reps)
• Push-press, 75 pounds (Reps)
• Row (Calories)

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute.The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. On call of “rotate”, the athletes must move to next station immediately for best score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

Fight Gone Bad is one of the CrossFit benchmark WODs. It was designed to simulate the time domain of a mixed martial arts bout of five minutes of work followed by one minute of rest.

Source: RX'd Photography

If you’re doing a clean or a front squat, and your elbows are so low that they touch your knees, the point that is most likely to give way now is your wrists. Often times they end up breaking (and that is from personal experience).

So now that you know how important it is to maintain a good front rack position, here are 3 key areas/techniques you can use to mobilise and improve upon it. We’ll go through each of them below.

1 IMPROVE FLEXION / EXTENSION

One of the main culprits for a poor front rack position is a tight tricep. Thankfully, this area is quite easy to mobilise.

Simply grab a rubber band and attach it to a stationary platform on the ground. Grab the band with the arm that you want to stretch, turn around, and lift your elbows high up into the air. It should look like the image above.

• Hold this position for 30 seconds and feel the stretch in the triceps before switching arms.
• Normally I’d do this for 30 seconds on each side, and repeat it 2-3 times (giving a total of 90 seconds per arm).

If you’re not feeling much of a stretch, try increasing the thickness of your rubber band.

2 DECREASE TENSION IN THE SHOULDERS / LATS

‘Perhaps one of the most common reasons for a poor rack position is an extremely tight shoulder.’

By that I am referring to everything in the shoulder region, including the rotator cuff, deltoids and the latissimus dorsi.

Whilst you can use an elastic band to stretch these areas, my favorite treatment method is using Gua Sha¹. Gua Sha is a scraping technique that removes adhesions under the skin, allowing blood to flow again and promoting mobility. You’ll see many different variations of this being used regularly in CrossFit now, such as Graston, and whilst the instruments are slightly different, they ultimately accomplish the same thing.

 

A video posted by TrainedTo (@trained.to) on Feb 17, 2016 at 3:38pm PST

Note: Often times when Gua Sha is applied, the skin gets very red with bright spots. These are normal and encouraged. In fact, you want to be seeking out the bright red spots as those are indications that the areas need to be worked on. Do not be afraid of it!

Here’s how you can use it.

• Grab your favorite gua sha tool and start by scraping the neck area (avoid scraping the spine).
• Work your way down across the shoulders. I would work on each area for about 20-30 seconds. (If it is turning red, then that is an indication that you’re doing it in the right spot.)
• Next, lift your arm above your head so you can start scraping the lats/rotator cuff area. Often times, just by working on this area alone, we’ll see results within a few minutes.
• You can do all of this on your own, however if you have a partner, the results are usually much better even.

Take a look at this video for an explanation on how you can have your partner apply Gua Sha on you.

If you do not have access to a gua sha tool, a trigger ball could work, but fundamentally the technique is quite different, so the effects won’t be exactly the same. The trigger ball works by compression, whereas the gua sha tool works by breaking up scar tissue in order to increase blood flow.

3 FRONT RACK MOBILITY: IMPROVE YOUR THORACIC POSITION

‘The thoracic spine is the area between your middle and upper back.’

A common problem we see with athletes is that their back is rounded when coming up from the front squat. This can be an indication that they are missing mobility in the thoracic region. By loosening up this area, athletes will be able to rise in a more upright position, thereby allowing them to keep their elbows high and prevent the bar from falling forwards.

The best way to improve thoracic extension mobility is to use a foam roller.

• Place the foam roller on the floor and lie on it with it just sitting under your middle back.
• Relax your breath and extend your body until it arches over the foam roller and your arms are touching the floor.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds before moving the roller up your body.
• Keep repeating this all the way up to your shoulders.

Here is an excellent video to help explain this:

Give these 3 techniques a shot and let us know in the comments below how they work for you!

¹Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

Featured image © Nero @ RX’d Photography

Battle of south image © Nero @ RX’d Photography

Band mobility stretch image © Kelly Starrett

Instragram © TrainedTo

Youtube Video Gua Sha © TrainedTo

Youtube Video Thoracic Extension Mobility Exercise © The Proactive Athlete Channel

• Improves your ability to generate and control force
• Strengthens your core, shoulder, arms, back and legs
• Taxes your entire body

TECHNIQUE AND EXECUTION

1. Secure the bar in the jerk rack position with the feet at approximately hip-width and the toes turned out slightly.
2. Keep the weight balanced on the heels while maintaining full foot contact with the floor.
3. Bend slightly at the knees only, keeping the trunk vertical and the weight on the heels.
4. Transition immediately at the bottom of this dip and drive aggressively with the legs against the floor to accelerate the barbell upward.
5. As you finish the extension of the legs, begin pushing against the bar with the arms, keeping the knees straight and immediately drop back to flat feet.
6. Pull the head back out of the way of the bar to clear a direct path, and push the bar into a fully locked overhead position behind the neck as you would in the jerk.
7. As the bar leaves the shoulders, spread the elbows to move them under the bar as soon as possible, and bring the head forward through the arms as the bar passes.

When setting up for the Push Press, you should unrack the bar high and tight to your clavicle with the elbows just in front of the bar but pointed toward the ground. Not fully racked (like a front squat) but rather with a more vertical forearm to create leverage under the bar. The torso should be upright and vertical throughout the entirety of the movement dip, with weight on the heels.

Source: RX'd Photography

THE DIP

There are different cues and descriptions accounting for how to initiate the Push Press, but most often, this part is called the “Dip.” Effectively, you want to sink into your heels, bend the knees about 1-2 inches, and explode out of the bottom. Don’t sink slowly or get into a squatty type of mentality. Simply “bounce” the knee and start accelerating that weight up!

• Chest up
• Squeeze glutes
• Squeeze quads
• Flex abs
• Tempo

Speed wins in the Push Press. You are not going to grind this lift out and you’re not going to see a slow tempo notation assigned to this lift. Bounce the knee, punch the weight, lock it out.

FINISH STRONG

To finish strong, you should seek to throw your fists to the ceiling and drive your chest forward and down. Imagine it as “putting your head through the window”.  You can also drive your chest forward to help the movement of your head. Keep your eyes forward, don’t follow the urge to look at the floor, and you will be well on your way to perfecting this exercise and building explosive strength and power.

Source: twimg

MOVEMENT AND ANATOMY

THE ROTATOR CUFF

A rotator cuff (Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, and Teres Minor muscles) pathology of the shoulder is a highly overstated false consequence of the Push Press (or any overhead exercise for that matter), when appropriately implemented into the athlete’s training program design. It is usually an unsuitable program design or an excessively prescribed overhead exercise volume, not the exercise itself that may place the athlete at risk of injury. It has been demonstrated that during overhead pressing type exercise performance the rotator cuff is active, with the supraspinatus exhibiting the highest recorded EMG activity of the muscle group.

SHOULDER MOVEMENT

The gleno-humeral joint of the shoulder is comprised of two osseous structures: The scapula and the humerus. The ball and socket articulation of this joint is comprised of the head of the humerus and the glenoid which is actually a component of the scapula. The scapula also comprises the scapula-thoracic joint at the posterior aspect of the thorax.

During overhead exercise performance there is a relationship to both the shoulder range of motion and the gleno-humeral and scapula-thoracic joints “rhythm” to maintain the head of the humerus appropriately centered in the glenoid. Disruption to this “rhythm” over time may place the rotator cuff at risk of pathology.

Source: RX'd Photography

Overhead exercise performance with a bench backing will “pin” or “compress” the scapula of the shoulder between the bench backing and the athlete’s thorax including the athlete’s body and barbell weight. Joint compression is synonymous with joint stability resulting in a less mobile scapula. This likely will affect the natural and necessary required scapula movement and rhythm during the repeated overhead exercise performance thus setting the table for possible shoulder injury. The Push Press allows for free scapula movement and proper rhythm throughout the exercise performance.

PUSH PRESS: LOWER EXTREMITY POWER DEVELOPMENT

Yes you read this correctly, lower extremity power development. The Push Press has been documented to produce greater lower extremity maximum mean power when compared to the jump squat exercise. Thus the Push Press exercise provides a time efficient combination of lower body power and upper extremity and trunk strengthening during the exercise performance. This exercise may not only be utilized in the athlete’s training, but may also be appropriately utilized at end stage upper and lower extremity rehabilitation as well.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BYiMXW0D4Vh/?hl=en&taken-by=tiaclair1

Want to improve and test your lift? Check these out:

7 Snatch Accessory Exercises Every Crossfitter Needs to Use

5 Training Tips to Improve your Snatch Technique for Crossfitters

In comparison to a Conventional Deadlift, the Sumo Deadlift requires a much wider stance with the weight pulled from the floor with the arms positioned inside the legs. Both are highly technical lifts if you want to do do them well. Both will give you plenty of bang for your buck.

SUMO OR CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT- WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR ME?

The best way to find which type of Deadlift is optimal for you is to train each one specifically for a few months at sub-maximal loads and stick with the one that is stronger and more comfortable for you. You can use each respective training period to pinpoint weaknesses. Your hip structure impacts your strength and comfort in the conventional and sumo deadlift much more than factors like your height and/or the length of your limbs.

During this time make sure to use a decent pair of lifting shoes such as the adidas Powerlift 3.1 and be consistent, so that you will ensure that you collect fair data about each trial. These will also provide you with a solid platform to generate power and force from.

Source: adidas

Neither lift is ‘easier’ or ‘harder’ than the other, it comes down to individual preferences, but conventional pulls are a little easier on your quads, and sumo pulls are a little easier on your back. Hip extension demands are nearly identical between the conventional and Sumo Deadlift variations.

THE SUMO DEADLIFT

Most lifters and athletes tend to gravitate towards the conventional Deadlift, but it is worth taking the time to discover if the Sumo Deadlift is in fact even better for someone of your build and qualities.

Advantages of the Sumo Deadlift

• Powerful exercise to help develop your hips and entire posterior chain
• Doesn’t require as much ankle or t-spine mobility
• Perfect for those with poor mobility who can’t get in the proper position for conventional deadlifts
• It shortens the range of motion of the pull
• It works your hips more
• It’s less stressful on the low back

Typically the sumo deadlift is suited for a lifter that has more of a typical “squatter” build. People with thicker legs and hips can typically pull sumo well.

SUMO DEADLIFT TECHNIQUE

Stance

Start with a moderate stance until you feel confident with the foot positioning. The Sumo Deadlift is typically harder to get moving off the floor and easier to lock out, so don’t go so wide that you can’t even get the bar moving. Get your toes pointed towards the plates so that your femur and kneecap are in line with your toes. Root your feet into the ground.

Source: Zamuruev

Hip position

Ideally you want to get your hips as close to the barbell as possible to improve leverage. think about getting your hips in a low enough position that you can keep your back straight whilst maintaining hamstring tension.

Body behind the bar

You want to keep your chest up with shoulders over the bar as you lift. Wedge the hips in, rather than trying to stand.

Boris Shieko “Imagine that you were deadlifting in a very narrow corridor with a wall about ½” in front of your knees and chest and ½” behind your butt. As you get to the bar, don’t let your knees, chest or butt touch the wall.”

Lockout

Shoot the hips through. Focus on driving your hips into the bar to finish with a smooth lockout.

USE QUALITY FOOTWEAR

The adidas Powerlift 3.1 is a breathable, supportive shoe built with a stable, comfortable fit.

Source: adidas

The lightweight synthetic upper provides durability and support, while a midfoot strap secures the fit. I have lifted in these for a while and am continually impressed by the outstanding durability that the Adiwear outsole and tough materials provide.

Source: adidas

They are a great choice for Deadlifting as the solid sole makes it easy to generate power and to root your feet into the ground.

Source: adidas

CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT

Advantages of the Conventional Deadlift

• Develop a powerful posterior chain
• Build solid full body strength

Great form is absolutely essential for both types of Deadlift. The fastest way to increase your Deadlift is to improve your form. Lifting with poor form will probably result in injury or a complete lack of progress. By pulling more efficiently, you can use your muscles more effectively and lift heavier weights.

This results in more strength and muscle gains. The best way to improve your form is by practicing Deadlifts with proper form. Sounds obvious but it’s true.

CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFT TECHNIQUE

Walk to the bar

Stand with your mid-foot under the bar. Your shins shouldn’t touch it yet. Put your heels hip-width apart, narrower than on Squats. Point your toes out 15°.

Grab the bar

Bend over without bending your legs. Grip the bar narrow, about shoulder-width apart like on the Overhead Press. Your arms must be vertical when looking from the front.

Bend your knees

Drop into position by bending your knees until your shins touch the bar. Do NOT let the bar move away from your mid-foot. If it moves, start from scratch with step one.

Lift your chest

Straighten your back by raising you chest. Do not change your position – keep the bar over your mid-foot, your shins against the bar, and your hips where they are.

Pull

Take a big breath, hold it and stand up with the weight. Keep the bar in contact with your legs while you pull. Don’t shrug or lean back at the top. Lock your hips and knees.

5 HELPFUL CUES FOR THE DEADLIFT

1. Never bend your elbows
2. Keep heels hip width apart and narrower than your squat stance
3. Your bar path should trace a vertical line over your mid-foot (when viewed from the side
4. Maintain a neutral lower back
5. Keep your traps relaxed, don’t shrug at the top

GRIP

When it comes to the grip, there are many variations depending on the preferences of the respective athlete and the type of Deadlift they are using.

Mixed grip

This means that one hand is pronated (pointed inwards, overhand) and the other is supinated (pointed outwards). Experiment to find which way feels more natural to you. This will give you a solid, secure feel on the bar, and will stop any rotating of the barbell during the lift.

Overhand Hook Grip

This involves both hands being placed in a pronated position, with both thumbs locked into place by hook grip. Hook grip is the technique where you grip the bar with your thumb and palm before locking it in place by wrapping your thumbs over the top.

Hook grip will enable you to lift heavy weights securely. At first it feels tremendously uncomfortable as your thumb is crushed into place, but you will get used to this.

Double Overhand Grip

This is the same as the above lift, minus the hook grip. You will simply not be able to hold onto as much weight with this method, but it is a great way to train your grip strength as well. Many lifters use this method in their warm up sets, and switch to another method once the weights start stacking up. Give it a go.

Source: adidas

Lifting with straps

Straps help to stop your grip becoming the limiting factor when you Deadlift. Don’t use them all the time though. You don’t need them on lighter lifts, so be intelligent about when you choose to use them in your training.

DEADLIFT ACCESSORY EXERCISES

To improve your lockout, try using hip-hinging exercises such as:

• Pull throughs,
• RDLs,
• Hip thrusts
• Barbell glute bridges

Banded Deadlifts and even clean pulls can be useful for improving power from the floor, and try Deadlifting from blocks to strengthen your lifts from as many different angles as possible. Snatch grip Deadlifts are also especially taxing and effective as well.

Even if you are not as familiar with the Sumo Deadlift, don’t write it off as it may even be a more effective way for you to lift. Otherwise, alternating between the different Deadlifting variations will help you to improve in new ways.

Enhance your lifts now

RELEVANCE FOR OTHER ATHLETES

The Jerk can be a great way for other athletes that do not participate in Olympic Weightlifting or functional fitness to develop upper body, core and overhead strength and mobility.

Source: Squats & Pixels

For strength work and hypertrophy training, it can be utilised as a highly effective accessory exercise. For example, bodybuilders can add push Jerks into shoulder day and the change in stimulus under load will help to stimulate adaption and growth. They also develop power and explosive force, allowing you to lift more weight when it comes to movements such as the overhead press or seated dumbbell press.

In a similar way, rugby players can use Jerks to develop stronger shoulders for tackling, or even for building functional strength for overhead work such as holding players up in the line out. The Jerk transfers well to other sports such as swimming and gymnastics.

SO WHICH JERK IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Of these three variations, the split Jerk is the most common. You should always work on this lift, but if you ignore the other two then you may miss out on a technique that you prefer, or that suits your body type more effectively. Additionally, bringing the squat or push Jerk into your training is a way to switch up the stimulus and test your body in new ways in order to determine if you weak or ineffective (in terms of strength and mobility). Also make sure that you choose the right footwear to enhance your lifting.

OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING FOOTWEAR

Wear proper Olympic Weightlifting shoes such as the adidas Leistung 16 II as this will allow you to support and enhance your performance. 

Source: adidas

These shoes provide:

• Micro-adjusting Boa® Closure System for ultimate, consistent hold
• Flat, flexible forefoot for the transmission of power
• Strong TPU midsole for a perfect foothold; Weightlifting-engineered chassis with lightweight injected polymer for structured strength
• Rearfoot cradle ensures superior lockdown stability
• Flat outsole for maximum surface area
• Heel lift: 24.8 mm; Heel height: 37.8 mm (size 9)

THE SPLIT JERK

The Split Jerk is a movement that requires immense amounts of power and technique and in contrast with the push or power Jerk, is used to lift the most weight. If you want to push your clean and Jerk PR through the roof, perfect this technique.

Split Jerk Technique

Look for a nice straight line between the bar, shoulders and hips with an even distance between the feet. This allows your legs to take the weight rather than your lower back or joints.

Use these simple positioning cues:

• Is the shin of the front leg vertical?
• Is the back leg bent?
• Is the back foot on the toes and correctly aligned with the knee?

Sound is Important

A quiet or a ‘pitter-patter’ split Jerk is usually an indication of the lifter being too slow or not giving the bar enough float in order to move the feet into the right position.

At the top of the Jerk drive the feet need to slide out as opposed to lifting up and out, many people are slow because they try to lift the legs in an arc, as opposed to a skim across the surface. Perfecting this will take time.

It is common at the beginning to be able to push press more than you can Jerk. Split Jerk refinement takes a lot of patience, but when perfected, the Jerk drive will become snappier. This will allow your well-crafted split to be ready to receive the weight BEFORE the weight starts falling and you will be able to slam that bar in triumph.

If you are struggling to feel stable in the split Jerk I recommend engaging in some single-leg strengthening exercises such as alternate leg lunges and overhead split squats.

Routine to Improve Your Split Jerk

This simple Jerk routine will improve your strength, stability and balance:

• 3 sets of 5 Push Press,
• 3 sets of 3 Power Jerk and
• 3 sets of 1 Split Jerk

THE SQUAT JERK

The squat Jerk is an impressive and technically difficult lift, but if you aren’t scared to challenge yourself and love to learn new things, then read on.

Source: Squats & Pixels

Performed after a full squat clean, you dip and drive the barbell up, and instead of splitting your legs, you drop into a full squat with the barbell directly over your head whilst your feet widen a little.

This lift requires tremendous shoulder flexibility.  You know how hard overhead squats are with a snatch grip; now imagine doing an overhead squat with a clean grip.

“In theory”, you should be able to lift more weight with a Squat Jerk since you don’t have to lift the bar as high (this is why, outside of masters athletes, you basically never see split cleans/snatches anymore). The reality is much more complicated though, as the squat Jerk does have some issues:

1. The mobility requirements. Getting into a clean grip OHS with a limit load is tough. Ankles, hips, shoulders – all joints must be supple.
2. It’s much harder to save. You basically have zero margin for error in technique…any deviation front-to-back and you’ll lose it. The split position provides a much more stable base.
3. You have to stand up from a squat again, this time with the bar overhead. At snatch weights, this is basically never an issue. But at clean and Jerk weights, after having already stood up from a heavy clean, this seems far more exhausting.

Even with basically unlimited training time to develop the requisite mobility, technique, and strength – 90%+ of elite lifters still split, and that should tell you something. For the average the split is almost certainly going to allow you to move more weight.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SOLID BASE

The adidas Leistung II has a specially designed flat, flexible forefoot for the transmission of power during the Jerk. This is essential because the Jerk MUST be explosive in its execution.

Source: adidas

The new synthetic woven material is much more flexible for the toes and natural bend of the foot, making it perfect for stabilising the back foot during Split Jerks. This gave me more flexibility throughout every lift and I had a much lighter impression in general in comparison to the previous model. The shoes felt responsive and sensitive to the movement of my feet.

All weightlifting shoes take time to break in, but the new upper of the adidas Leistung 16 II provides a decent amount of flexibility right from the start.

THE PUSH JERK

This movement, also one of the key exercises in Olympic weightlifting, is a powerful overhead movement that requires both raw strength and expert technique.

Source: Squats & Pixels

When performing the push Jerk, it is imperative to keep your body upright and core tight. The movement of the Jerk involves a dip and drive. While dipping down, make sure to keep your body upright and drive the bar directly overhead.

Push Jerk Technique

• Hip width stance
• Hands just outside of shoulders
• Elbows slightly in front of the bar
• Full grip on the bar
• Torso dips straight down
• Hips and legs extend rapidly then press under
• Receive the bar in a partial overhead
• Heels stay down until hips and legs extend
• Bar moves over the middle of the foot
• Complete at full hip, knee, and arm extension

Finally, some other key points to address is the importance of having active shoulders, and a small dip to facilitate the drive of the load upwards. The drop under the bar makes it so the load doesn’t have to travel as far to make the catch easier. Note that the dip is not so low as to be a front squat, which takes away the stretch that helps drive the force up enough to pull underneath it during the catch.

It is also common to “jump” the legs from hip width into a squat stance, where the hips are about shoulder width apart.

WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

The split Jerk is most commonly used, and in most scenarios will allow you to move the largest amount of weight. However don’t rule out the other forms of Jerk because they can be great ways to challenge yourself and improve your strength and mobility as well.

THE BENEFITS OF THE SQUAT CLEAN

The squat clean allows you to lift heavier weights than the power clean. If you want a decent clean and jerk – an essential lift for both weightlifting and CrossFit® – then you need to put effort into improving your squat clean. This exercise will significantly help to build long term strength, power and enable your full potential as an athlete and a healthy human.

Rehband athletes Josh Bridges, Camille Leblanc-Bazinet and Annie Thorisdottir all competed in the squat clean ladder in the last CrossFit Games®. This event involved 30 lifts of progressively heavier weights, and demonstrates the importance of this lift within the sport. Having an entire event devoted to this single lift clearly shows its importance as a functional exercise within the sport.

Enhanced core strength and stronger long-term movement patterns

When performed with the correct technique, with weight being built up progressively over time, this exercise is a great tool for strengthening the core.

Core strength stabilises your body, improves your posture, protects your spine and helps you to generate and control force and power. Good quality movement has many positive knock on effects for long term health and is instrumental in helping you to prevent injury.

Enable your full potential for other exercises

A better squat clean will lead to significant results in other exercises in your workouts and performance. The full range of motion for a squat clean involves a front squat, so these two exercises have a symbiotic relationship. Work on one and it will help to improve the other. You will also start to find exercises such as wall balls and thrusters easier as your increased mobility, strength and movement from the squat cleans is transferred.

Additionally, squat cleans will help you develop more explosive power and speed for push presses and any exercise that requires a strong leg drive.

Source: Rehband

Improved mobility

The squat clean requires good mobility to perform correctly. As a result, work on your hips, ankles, shoulders, elbows and wrists will all allow you to move more effectively and lift more weight. This improved mobility will then help your performance in other areas.

Source: Rehband

TECHNIQUE TIPS FOR THE SQUAT CLEAN

As with all weightlifting, focus more on moving the bar with speed and good form at first, rather than worrying how much weight is on the bar. The weight will come if you have good technique and generate a lot of power by moving the bar with some speed! You should never sacrifice form for more weight when doing your working sets.

Stages of the lift

1. Starting position
2. First Pull
3. Transition / Second Pull
4. Catch
5. Recovery

Source: Rehband

1. STARTING POSITION

• Feet shoulder width apart
• Straight back
• Hips below shoulders
• Thighs almost parallel to the ground (dependent on anatomy)
• Shoulders in front of the bar
• Elbows are straight
• Bar is right over toes
• Shins almost touching bar

Using hookgrip, grip the bar slightly wider than where the knees are positioned, so that the knees touch the arms. Never let the knees and legs track inwards at any point during the lift!

TIP: If you have long arms, try gripping slightly wider. This will bring the bar a little higher on the hips during the first pull and can give better leverage for the Clean.

2. FIRST PULL

This phase involves the movement from the ground to above the knee (mid-thigh). Push the knees back, keep your back straight, shoulders still in front of the bar, arms still straight, end mid-thigh.

3. TRANSITION / SECOND PULL

Maintaining a vertical back, push your knees under the bar (bend slightly) and bring the shoulders back. As you rise up into a standing posture (known as the “power position”) this puts you in a good position to explode the weight upwards onto the shoulders.

Some people like to row the weight slightly at this phase of the movement and do a hip clean with slightly bent elbows. You can keep your arms straight, or bend the elbows slightly at this phase, but this is really a personal preference. People have success with both styles.

4. CATCH

Extend, shrug and drop below the bar to complete the catch.

TIP: To jump or not?

Justin Thacker,founder of The Lab and competitor in over 100 Olympic Weightlifting, Strongman, & Powerlifting competitions since the mid 1990s, teaches this phase of the squat clean as a jump when an athlete is learning (in order to produce more explosive power), then forces them to avoid the jump once they become more proficient.

As you get more experienced, you can improve your speed under the bar and won’t need to drive the bar so high. This will allow you to lift more weight and make the entire movement of the exercise more efficient, saving you more energy. This is especially useful for longer workouts involving high repetitions, where it will make you a more effective athlete.

Drop below the bar with speed. Use the shrug phase not so much to pull the weight upwards, but more to pull yourself under the bar much faster.

Equipment to assist and support the movement

Source: Rehband

Knee sleeves are a great help when performing the squat clean and for lifting in general. They will help to:

• Support movement – in terms of balance, coordination and muscle activation.
• Provide feedback to your body by increased receptive input from the knee.
• Keep the knees warm throughout your training. The advantage is not only in winter.

This 7mm thick knee sleeve offers powerful stabilisation for heavy lifting and extra support during rehabilitation. Historically, the 7mm has been most used by weightlifters needing extra support during a lift, but today it is also common in gym fitters for those doing heavy lifting. The 7mm gives a very distinct receptive input and awareness of the knee, to ensure that shorter activities are performed more precisely and securely.

“The compression and warmth from Rehband knee sleeves is a physical and mental help.”​—​Josh Bridges,CrossFit® Athlete

Hand positioning and shoulders, elbow and hand mobility

Good front rack mobility can take time to develop, so open your hands if you are not able to grip the bar fully. This is the optimal position to work towards, but an open hand works just fine in the meantime.

CAMILLE LEBLANC-BAZINET DOING A DOUBLE BODYWEIGHT CLEAN AND JERK

Here we can see the importance of the squat clean for other lifts.

 

A post shared by Camille Leblanc-Bazinet (@camillelbaz) on Dec 18, 2016 at 9:01am PST

Bar path and rotating elbows around the bar

The bar path should travel upwards in a vertical line. Bring elbows up and back, then rotate the elbows around the bar. Don’t curl the weight. The bar should be caught on your body, around collarbone height, tight to the body and as high as possible.

Catching the bar at the right point (timing it correctly)

You don’t want the bar to crash down onto you but catch the bounce. Try to time the catch so that you control the last few moments of the descent and can use the momentum to start to rise again. This also stops the rise to your feet phase of the exercise from becoming a dead stop, which makes things much more difficult.

Where possible, the catch should be smooth.

5. RECOVERY AND RISING OUT OF BOTTOM POSITION

Keep an upright torso position for the catch, front rack and when you rise upwards in the front squat position. If you find that you keep falling or tipping forwards in the ascent, poor ankle mobility is often a cause, but consult with your coach before you make any self-diagnoses, and they can help you with the exact mechanics and what to work on.

Keep elbows nice and high, with the bar resting high on the shelves of your shoulders.

GENERAL TIPS

Get a good Rack Position

Catching the bar in a strong rack position will give you a much better chance of controlling the ascent and completing a successful rep.

Get the timing right, meeting with the bar

This takes time, practice and patience. Meeting with the bar just below parallel and “catching the bounce” out of the squat is essential to rising out of a heavy squat clean with ease. The following exercises are also very useful:

• Hang Cleans
• Block Cleans
• Semi-Power Cleans (catching halfway and then squatting all the way down)

Vertical Bar Path

Keep the bar path as vertical as possible throughout the entire lift.

Commit to the lift

You have to pull that bar with all your might, utilising a strong hip drive and extension followed by a do-or-die rapid movement underneath the bar with the elbows up in full confidence.

Expand your knowledge

Check out these amazing Barbell Complexes and try some Thruster Workouts or include these Snatch Accessory Exercises in your training.  Or why not try these Creative Barbell Exercises, strengthen your core with these Unusual Barbell Abs Exercises and perfect your lifting with these Front Squat Benefits.

More: Interview with Erwin van Beek

We asked Erwin for his general tips on how to improve your Deadlift.

Erwin: I don’t want to complicate things but I read all kinds of online articles about improving your deadlift. There is a lot of good information available BUT:

I am believe in specifying stuff for the individual so I would also say this to people who ask me general questions like “do you have a strength program, how can I improve my deadlift” – my answer would always be: “Let me see you deadlift, let me see your training program and let me see your diet”.

Most of the time I begin with looking at the deadlift itself of course, and in most cases I get an idea when I see it: this is my starting point to make a program and coach people to improve.

If you force me to go “general” I would have a few points on how to improve deadlift:

1. Misconception about building strength: it won’t come fast.

Advice: make it your life project!

2. Quality of training: don’t do deadlifts before MetCons

I see a lot of programming that looks like 3×8 or 3×5 (or likewise) sets of deadlifts in 15-20 min before your MetCon. In my opinion that won’t work in building real strength. I would advice to make a macro planning of minimum a year to build real improvements in strength and NOT attach it directly to typical MetCon workouts.

3. Volume within strength training

That doesn’t mean you won’t be working on “lung function” ‘ in that period. I really believe in volume within the strength training with some time pressure, so training is focused both on strength and stamina, and at the same time going for 1-3-5 rep maxes within that training.

When you do heavy sets you can also attach “simple” very short lung function stimulus to the program (if you want to connect it to Crossfit even more) for example: a set of 5 back squats and then for time 50 double-unders and 30 sit-ups. Rest as needed and go for 5 or 7 rounds.

The focus should always be on the lift and not on the MetCon, so when you Deadlift make it the only training you do that day, and after it you should be DONE!

4. Leave it alone for a while

Often when people reach their plateau on their deadlift for example, they tend to train more on it even more. I would say “leave it alone for a while” and train other lifts that will support improvement.

That could be other types of deadlifts. But still sometimes the body is a blackbox: it‘s all connected so even working on your pull up strength would help your deadlift in the end.

5. Find a good coach

I could put this as number one. Find a quality coach. A coach is not someone who just gives you a program or the person who encourages you, but there are many, many things a coach should be able to do.

6. The general technique steps for deadlift are:

1. Feet under the hips weight on the heels.

2. Barbell in hook grip (reversed grip if you are really only deadlifting).

3. Activate the body: make sure your hips are not too low (less active hams, etc) and not too high (less active quads etc). Set your lower back: pull all you got towards your spine (hollow back, chest “up” and neutral face) and retract the shoulders. Remember it is a total body lift.

4. Hold your breath while you are lifting and “explode” from start. Open all angels at the same time and keep the barbell glued to your body (pull the barbell back) during the lift.

5. If you want to go touch and go for multiple reps exhale and inhale on top of the lift (full extension),  push your butt back (close the hip) and DON’T lose tension at the bottom!

Important: it always needs to be a personal set up, so looking at the individual and making a plan is most important!

Photos: Berry de Mey Nutrition, personal archive

My name is Freyja Mist Olafsdottir and I am 19 years old. I am a full-time student as well as a coach at Crossfit Reykjavík. I do both Crossfit and olympic weightlifting. I’m on the national weightlifting team and I’m two time Junior Nordic Champion.

Ready. #90kg #nationals

A video posted by Freyja Mist Ólafsdóttir (@freyjamist) on Jul 28, 2016 at 8:53am PDT

How did you first get involved in Crossfit?

My mom started back in 2011 and she was always telling me how fun it was. At first I thought it sounded awful and I was completely sure it wasn’t for me, even though I didn’t really know much about it. Then in 2013, when I finally saw what Crossfit actually was, I decided to try it out. Now it’s absolutely impossible to drag me out of there!

Favourite and least favourite exercises?

Everything heavy – except deadlifts. If I had to chose one favorite, it’d probably be heavy snatches and power cleans. I really like chest to bar pull ups as well. Least favourite = deadlifts

Source: Freyja Mist Olafsdottir

What 3 pieces of advice would you give people looking to improve their Clean?

1. Squat. It sucks getting stuck in the bottom position.
2. Practice clean pull unders, they help with speed under the bar.
3. Nail the starting position as well as your receiving position.

105kg ?? solid. #wodin’ #gettingthere #sportvorur #zeropointiceland #crossfitgirls #SummerofPRs #crossfitgames #crossfit #roguefitness #gameface ?

A video posted by Freyja Mist Ólafsdóttir (@freyjamist) on Jun 30, 2016 at 12:48pm PDT

What 3 pieces of advice would you give people looking to improve their Snatch?

1. Work on your mobility. Snatching is way easier if you feel good in the bottom position.
2. Keep the bar as close to you as you can throughout the lift.
3. Use your hips! Hit full extension and everything else just kind of happens.

Bonus: Work on your snatch pulls.

What does your training plan look like?

I mostly follow The Training Plan by Jami Tikkanen, which is a great program. However, I’m very bad at following programs and like to do what I want. So if someone else is doing a brutal workout or a fun weightlifting session, I’ll jump in with them without worrying too much about the program. I often add extra weightlifting sessions and try to do some barbell work everyday.

Last two reps at 97.5kg’s from the @crossfitgames clean chipper. That hurt like hell. Ouch. #gettingthere #sportvorur #zeropointiceland #SummerofPRs #girlswholift #crossfitgirls #crossfitgames #newprsong #centuries ???????

A video posted by Freyja Mist Ólafsdóttir (@freyjamist) on Jul 19, 2016 at 9:22am PDT

What is the training atmosphere like at Crossfit Reykjavik?

Amazing. We have so many phenomenal athletes training here and they inspire me to be better every single day. There is always someone fun here to train with and always someone to cheer you on. We have a lot of Regional and Games athletes and of course, two Crossfit Games champions, which is crazy. It’s extremely motivating to be around them and see all the hard work they put in everyday.

How is it different to train and live in Iceland with the huge change between summer and winter?

Icelandic winters are really cold and dark. We only get a few hours of sunlight everyday and everything is covered in snow. So in the winter, we just train inside all day with the heating on.

The summers are much better. It’s bright all day around and a whole lot warmer than in winter, even though it doesn’t really get that warm. When the sun’s out, we take advantage of it and we train outside all the time, no matter what we’re doing.

Source: Freyja Mist Olafsdottir

Iceland has a proud tradition of strongman, fitness and crossfit, why do you think so many people take part in these sports?

Icelanders have had a lot of success in these sports and I think that it inspires a lot of people to try them out for themselves. Here it’s considered pretty cool to go to the gym and lift weights, it’s cool to be strong.

PARTNER CLEAN PR at 135kg’s with @unnmag ??. #gettingthere #dottir #crossfitgirls #girlswholift #crossfit #crossfitgames #zeropointiceland #sportvorur #nobullproject #justthehorns

A video posted by Freyja Mist Ólafsdóttir (@freyjamist) on Jul 12, 2016 at 6:50am PDT

What kind of impact do you think Crossfit has on the issue of female body image?

A very good one. I can see it both in myself as well as the younger girls I’m coaching. I think it’s really awesome to see how the younger girls at our gym think, they think it’s cool to be strong and to have muscles. When I was younger, I was very aware of everything I ate. I only thought about calories in and calories out. I only ate to look good and felt guilty if I ate something unhealthy. My perception changed immensely after I started Crossfit. I don’t eat to look good, I eat to perform.

What Superhero power would you like to have?

Probably to stop and control time, that’d be pretty cool.

If you were stuck on a desert island and could take only one luxury item, what would it be?

A boat, right?

• you need to be squatting two-three times per week front squat and back squat,
• and you need to be doing cleans, cleans pulls and a lot of repetitions.

These tips will help you get those big weights flying onto your shoulders!

1 GET THE BEST RACK POSITION YOU CAN

A strong rack position improves your chances of standing up out of a heavy clean. It is common for beginners to struggle with the position as people often have incredibly tight lats and triceps. Rolling the lats, triceps and wrists and stretching them during your warm up will help get those elbows higher and the bar comfortably resting on the shoulders whilst gripping the bar.

Stretching out using the bar is also a fantastic way to improve it, place the barbell into the back squat position, and use the weight of the bar to rotate one elbow up at a time whilst keeping the hands on the bar and the body straight.

Tip: If you have to sacrifice gripping the bar in the rack position to have your elbows up, sacrifice the grip and open your hands.

2 GOOD POSTURE EQUALS A BETTER CLEAN

Having a tight mid-back from all those hours racked up at the desk can be a complete hindrance on a strong clean. Catching a clean with a rounded mid-back will force the elbows down and cause you to grind up the squat which can zap the energy from you and put unnecessary pressure onto the wrists – which is a one way ticket to injury.  Kelly Starrett shows us the way to work on that area:

In addition, overhead squats are a great way to improve your mobility, if you can do a clean-grip overhead squat without the bar falling forward and you can front squat more than your best clean without your back rounding, consider your posture fit for purpose!

3 PERFECT THAT FIRST PULL

Due to the heavier weight used in the clean versus the snatch, a bad first pull will cause serious problems. During the first pull the shoulders should stay over the bar AND the back angle should remain the same. Often people mistakenly let those hips rise as soon as the bar moves. Your knees only have to move fractionally to get out of the way of the bar as it passes the knees. Pushing your knees back switches off the legs and puts it all on the back. The more pressure you can keep on the front of the foot, the more your legs will be primed to move into the extension.

4 MEET WITH THE BAR

Ever found yourself pulling the bar so high and diving under the bar so fast that the bar comes crashing down onto your shoulders and crumbles you into a ball? Timing is very important, meeting with the bar just below parallel and “catching the bounce” out of the squat is essential to coming out of a heavy clean with ease.

• Hang Cleans,
• Block Cleans and
• Semi-Power Cleans (catching halfway and then squatting all the way down)

Can all improve that timing for heavier weights.

5 BE MORE ZLATAN

‘When you are cleaning at your limit, there isn’t any room for being soft.’

Just take a look at Zlatan Vanev cleaning 1 kilo off of the 77kg world record 5 times in one session. You have to pull that bar with all your might, with a strong hip drive and extension followed by a do-or-die rapid movement underneath the bar with the elbows up in full confidence. If you have any doubt, the weight will crush you! Vanev’s Rage is how I get myself through clean and jerks!

These are my five tips that I feel will help beginners and those further along the line who have hit a plateau. Once again I leave you with a quote from the Olympian and British record holder Jack Oliver which perfectly sums up what one must do when it comes down to a heavy clean:

“just smash and stamp!”

– if this confuses you, see tip number 5.

Mat Fraser Image (c) red line gear

Featured Image/Clean (c) Nero RX’d Photography