Should You Learn Olympic Lifting? Benefits and a 20 Week Plan to Start

Olympic lifting, the snatch and the clean and jerk, builds explosive power, coordination and mobility. In trained athletes it improved vertical jump more than regular strength training and about as much as plyometrics. It takes patience to learn. After months focused on powerlifting, I decided to learn it, and this is the plan I set for myself.

Why add Olympic lifting to strength training?

Powerlifting builds strength: moving heavy weight slowly. Olympic lifts build power: moving weight fast. They also demand strict technique, ankle, hip and upper back mobility, and timing that powerlifting does not require.

A review of studies in athletes found Olympic lifting improved vertical jump height by about 8 percent compared with no training and about 5 percent compared with traditional resistance training, with results similar to plyometrics (Hackett et al., 2016).

Why combine Olympic lifting with boxing?

That was my plan when I wrote this. I wanted boxing back in my training for timing, footwork and conditioning. Olympic lifting builds hip drive and power. Boxing trains reacting fast and moving your feet under pressure. Many lifters can deadlift heavy but cannot move well, and many fighters have conditioning but less raw strength. Training both covers each gap.

How should a beginner learn Olympic lifting?

My plan in three phases:

Weeks 1 to 4: movement basics

• Overhead squat with a dowel or empty bar
• Front squat
• Ankle and upper back mobility daily
• Romanian deadlift and hang position drills

Weeks 5 to 12: learning the lifts

• Hang power clean and hang power snatch
• Push press and push jerk
• Clean and snatch pulls
• Light weight, low reps, lots of sets. Form first, always.

Weeks 13 to 20: power and conditioning

• Full clean and jerk, and snatch, from the floor
• Boxing rounds two to three times a week
• Keep squats and pulls for strength

Do I need a coach to learn the snatch and clean?

It helps a lot. These lifts are technical, and small errors are hard to see on your own. Film your lifts from the side at minimum. A few sessions with a weightlifting coach can save months of bad habits.

Is Olympic lifting dangerous?

Not when you learn it progressively. Start with a dowel or empty bar, use bumper plates and learn to bail out of a failed lift safely.

If you want a power and conditioning plan, take the XPL quiz. For more on training tools, read why you should use the sled.