We tend to think of the Olympic lifts as just two lifts, but there are numerous derivatives that each provide their own unique benefits. The muscle snatch is one overlooked variation that can help you maximize power while minimizing the technical demands. On this week’s episode lifting coach Wil Fleming breaks down the lift and what makes it special.
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The site theme in June was Olympic weightlifting. Athletic development coaches often debate the role of Olympic lifting in athletic development. But there is one thing we can probably all agree on: athletes need power and Olympic lifting is one tool coaches can use to develop it. Throughout the month we shared a variety of new articles, videos, and podcasts on Olympic lifting looking at how to teach the lifts, programming, complexes, and alternatives. Our archives have even more in depth content on the topic. Below we have links to all our new and archived content on the topic.
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Training is often thought of in terms of exercises. Exercises might be the building blocks of training, but as Vern wrote about today, it isn’t about the exercise. Good programs stand out more from the continuity and progression between each exercises. They look at the synergies created by exercises rather than how an exercise works in isolation.
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Recently I wrote an article on substitutions and alternatives for the Olympic lifts. Those of you who have not read the article may be asking why would you want any substitutes for Olympic Lifting? Why not just do the Olympic lifts? For some coaches the reason is that they take too much time to teach. For those coaches I have another option for you: microdosing. Teaching the Olympic lifts in small doses means that you don’t take time away from other forms of strength training to learn the basic lifts.
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Many athletes pick up weightlifting as a hobby after retiring from their primary sport. After years of training without proper technique, transitioning to a new sport often requires a step back to relearn technique. That’s exactly what we’ve been struggling with lately. On this week’s episode Wil Fleming joins us to break down our own technique, and shares some ideas on submaximal lifting, variations, complexes, warming up, meet preparation, and much more.
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Throughout my coaching career I have come to understand that the majority of coaches who work in athletic development can be divided into two categories. On the one side there are those who feel the Olympic lifts are the end-all-be-all to training. They often think that in order to be successful you must do the Olympic lifts. On the other side are those coaches who feel that the Olympic lifts are only necessary for those who compete in Olympic lifting. These coaches don’t necessarily use any type of Olympic lifting or variations of Olympic lifting in their training.
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Our mailbag is full, so it’s time to go through some listener questions about a variety of topics. On this week’s episode we dive into questions on the planning for truncated seasons, recovery, teaching the Olympic lifts, rest periods in circuit training, who do we want to grab a beer with, and more.
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The sport of weightlifting requires speed, strength, coordination, and mobility all packed together with skill. Anyone can pick something off the floor, but picking something heavy up and lifting it above the head is much more difficult. Even the strongest individuals can only lift heavy weights so far off the floor. Therefore, in order to lift, you have to get under the bar. And do it quickly under time constraints. This is the essence of weightlifting and distinguishes it from the other ‘strength’ sports such as powerlifting and strongman.
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Lots of people write about common myths or the core principles of training. But it’s easy to find what always works and always doesn’t. What about the half truths of training? What about the statements that hold some water until you take them too far? On this week’s podcast we share some of the half truths we encounter in training and how to navigate them.
Take a look around Instagram and you’ll see hundreds of variations of your favorite exercises. Exercise variation is critical to sustained progress, but how you vary exercises matter. Randomly copying what you see online isn’t going to do the trick. The latest training program we posted in the HMMR Classroom provides a great look at how exercise variation can fit into a training plan. Read more
