Olympic Weightlifting Recommendation

Training Q&A [Moderated]
1

I’ve been interested in trying to include the Olympic lifts in my training. I’ve experimented with them several years ago when I had a short fling with CrossFit, but haven’t done more than power clean since then. Coming from the SSLP and into the 12 week Barbell Medicine program you had made available back in February, I have made it a point to do the program and not add in additional lifts that were not included.

In looking for a program that would allow for some practice with the Olympic lifts, I’ve run into some difficulty. I would like to keep the program in the “Rippetoe-ian” school of thought - mainly keeping squatting, pressing, and deadlifts in the mix along with the Olympic lifts. In PPST3 there is a variation of the Texas Method that uses a 4-day split which seems appealing. However, the intensity day for my Olympic lifts is going to be a joke, and probably nowhere near what would be needed to drive progress.

Justin from 70’s Big had a similar program posted on their website from several years ago. It followed a fairly similar model, but had back squats performed only once per week, which doesn’t seem to fill my criteria of getting stronger on the classic barbell lifts.

I would consider myself an early intermediate in regards to barbell training, but a novice in weightlifting. I certainly will not be going to the Olympics, but do want to try and see if I can progress the snatch and clean & jerk. I am curious if there is an approach or recommendation that would allow me to keep getting stronger, in addition to including the Olympic lifts? It’s great to see the growth for Barbell Medicine the last year!

2

whats your age, sex, height, weight? Lifts? squat, dead, OHP, etc?

3

Have you been doing the Olympic lifts at all?

4

I’ve done them intermittently, but have not trained them with any regularity. I’ve read and heard enough of “you’re not doing The Program” where I’ve gone out of my way to not throw them in where they aren’t called for.

5

I haven’t been doing the Olympic lifts with any regularity. I’ve heard the “you’re not doing The Program” line enough where I haven’t thrown them in where they aren’t called for.

6

And what is your current programming like, Greg?

7

As of right now, I’m running Andy Baker’s HLM program. Squats, presses, deadlifts, bench, and rows. Percentage-based. I substituted power cleans for barbell rows on my light deadlift day for a few weeks, but I’m able to row more than I clean, so I went with the movement that would probably make me stronger.

8

Well, if you want to do Olympic weightlifting you’re going to have to do the lifts you know? I would do- at a minimum, the power clean and the power snatch 1x/wk every week for as long as the Olympic WL bug has you smitten.