Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program: Exercises and Guide

This intermediate Olympic weightlifting program will prepare you for setting new personal bests in the snatch and the clean & jerk if you follow it for the intended 12 weeks.

It is the ideal next step when you’re past the beginner stage of your weightlifting career (check out our Beginner Olympic Weightlifting Program for the best start to it).

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Signs You’re Ready to Move From Beginner to Intermediate

But how do you determine if and when you’re ready to transition from a beginner Olympic weightlifting program to an intermediate program? It involves assessing your technical proficiency and strength, as well as evaluating if your body can handle greater workloads and training complexity.

Ok, so that made it sound more complicated than it really is. Let’s break it down.

In Olympic weightlifting, a beginner program usually focuses on learning technique, building basic strength, and developing coordination. You’re ready to move to an intermediate-level program when:

• Your technique becomes consistent, meaning your lifts show good technical execution, proper bar paths, and stability in the overhead positions, and you feel confident in the receiving positions, even when the weights approach your current maximum.
• You’ve built a good base through strength lifts like squats, pulls, presses, and basic variations and reached a level where your technique rather than raw strength is your main limiter.
• Your gains have slowed down significantly. Beginner programs are often programmed around linear progression, meaning you increase weight or repetitions each week. When you can no longer reliably add weight each lifting session or each week, you’re likely ready for more advanced programming.
• You are starting to get comfortable with common lift variations like hang snatches, power cleans, snatch balances, and assistance exercises without technical breakdown.

How Beginner and Intermediate Programs Differ

Programming Complexity

• Beginner programs are generally heavy on technical learning and simple linear progression. You might snatch, clean & jerk, squat, and pull several times per week, each session with slightly heavier loads than the last session. The exercises are straightforward, with minimal variation, making learning basic movement skills easier.
• With an intermediate program, you are usually introduced to greater complexity. Rather than a purely linear progression, intermediate programmes often change variables, manipulating intensities, volumes, and recovery periods (periodization). They might utilize training blocks (strength phases, technical phases, and power phases) to peak your performance periodically.

Exercise Variation

• Beginners mainly focus on classical Olympic lifts and essential strength builders like squats, front squats, pulls, and presses. At this point, the priority of a good program is mastering the movements and building a nice strength base.
• Intermediate-level lifters can introduce more advanced variations to work on specific weaknesses or improve technical precision. Some examples include hang or block lifts, tempo lifts, complexes (multiple exercises performed sequentially), and individually chosen accessory exercises for a specific weak point.

Volume and Intensity Distribution

• Beginners need a lower total weekly volume but more frequent exposure to the lifts to allow them to practice consistently (as a beginner, your nervous system tends to “forget” how to perform an exercise with perfect execution if too many days pass without practice) without building up fatigue.
• Intermediate lifters can handle a higher total training volume along with more strategic fluctuations in intensity. Your sessions might alternate between days with heavier weights focusing on strength development and lighter days with more technique work or speed sessions. That kind of approach requires better fatigue and recovery management than a beginner might not yet be ready for.

Progression and Periodization

• Beginner programs usually have a clear, simple progression scheme (adding 1–2 kilos each session or week, for example).
• In contrast, intermediate programs often involve more nuanced adjustments over time, like planned cycles of increasing volume and intensity followed by deload weeks or recovery periods, and progression becomes less predictable.

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How long it takes for a beginner at Olympic weightlifting to progress to the point where they are ready for an intermediate program varies from lifter to lifter, but a ballpark number can be anywhere from six to 12 months of consistent training.

If you have been following our Beginner Olympic Weightlifting Program (or another beginner routine) and feel comfortable with your lifts, your technique is consistently solid, and your program no longer provides consistent improvement, it’s probably time to move to an intermediate program. It’s a natural progression towards more specialized training designed to continue your development and keep you progressing safely and efficiently.

When you are at that point, this Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program is ready to introduce more nuanced programming, variations to refine technique, greater volume and intensity fluctuations, and accessory exercises with structured training to systematically push you past plateaus and toward new personal bests.

Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program

This 12-week Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program is designed to be the best program to take your weightlifting to the next step once you are past the beginner stage and looking to kickstart your improvements in the snatch and clean & jerk.

The program progresses in load (percentages) over the 12 weeks, with light “deload” weeks at Weeks 4 and 8. In Week 12, you will work up to PB (personal best) attempts for the classical lifts, either in actual competition or as a test to beat your own previous records.

General Guidelines for the Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program

• Frequency: 4 workouts per training week (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday).
• Warm-up: Include dynamic movements, mobility drills, and lighter barbell complexes before hitting your working sets.
• Percentages: The percentages are based on your 1RM (one rep max, the most weight you can lift for a single repetition) for each lift, but treat the percentages as guidelines for your training sessions, not necessarily set in stone.
• Tracking & Adjusting: Always prioritize technique over adding weight. If you find the assigned weight too heavy to keep good form, reduce the load to where your technique is consistent. The training plan systematically ramps up intensity. Deload weeks (Weeks 4, 8) reduce volume and/or intensity slightly to aid recovery.
• Accessory movements have suggested set/reps and typically use moderate weight. Progress them gradually as tolerated.
• Peaking & Testing: Weeks 9–11 transition toward heavier singles and lower reps. Week 12 is where you go for a new max single in the snatch and clean & jerk.
• Rest Intervals: For main lifts (snatch, clean & jerk, pulls, squats), rest 2–4 minutes between sets. For lighter accessory work, 60–90 seconds rest.

The Olympic-style lifts are the same week to week, but the auxiliary work will vary throughout the program. The intensities (weight lifted or % of 1RM) and sets/reps are adjusted week to week in a way that accommodates consistent progression and recovery.

Below is a general overview of the program. The exact number of sets and the rep scheme details, including % of 1RM recommendations along with the planned intensity and volume progression route, are available in your StrengthLog workout tracker app.

Workout 1

Snatch, Snatch Pull, Front Squat, Overhead Press variant

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Snatch	3–5	1–2
Snatch Pull	3–4	3
Front Squat	3–4	1–5
Overhead Press or Push Press	3	3–5

Workout 2

Clean & Jerk, Clean Pull, Back Squat, Core Work

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Clean and Jerk	3–5	1
Clean Pull	3–4	3
Squat	3–4	3–5
Weighted Plank or Hanging Leg Raise)	3	Exercise dependent

Workout 3

Snatch Variation, Split Jerk, Front Squat, Posterior chain/Unilateral Accessory

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Hang Snatch	4–8	1
Split Jerk	2–3	3
Front Squat	3	3–5
Romanian Deadlift or Bulgarian Split Squat)	3	6–8

Workout 4

Snatch, Clean & Jerk, Back Squat, Pulling/Upper back accessory

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Snatch	3–4	1–2
Clean and Jerk	3–4	1
Squat	3–4	2–4
Pull-Up or Barbell Row	3	5–8

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Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program Exercise Selection

Here are detailed descriptions of all the exercises in the Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program in the order they appear.

Snatch

The snatch is one of the two competition lifts in Olympic weightlifting (the other being the clean and jerk). It is a full-body exercise where you pull a barbell from the floor directly overhead in one explosive movement, receiving it in a deep squat position with your arms fully extended before standing up.

The snatch hits nearly every muscle group in the body—from legs and back to shoulders and arms—and develops explosive triple extension (hips, knees, and ankles), and athletes in many sports use it to build power and speed.

Good mobility is supremely important to execute the snatch the way it’s supposed to be done. For example, tight ankles or hips can limit the depth of the squat and compromise your form. But the good news is that you don’t have to spend endless hours stretching—the best way to improve mobility in an exercise, including the snatch, is to keep practicing it.

Because the snatch is one of the two main lifts in Olympic weightlifting, let’s break down the step-by-step instructions in extra detail.

Phase 1: The Pull

1. Setup
   • Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
   • Grip the bar wide, at least 1.5x shoulder width, using a hook grip (thumb wrapped under fingers).
   • Position your shoulders slightly in front of the bar, with a flat back and your chest up.
2. First Pull
   • Push through your legs and extend your knees.
   • The bar moves vertically, staying close to the body.
   • Your hips and shoulders rise at the same rate to maintain balance.
3. Second Pull (Explosive Phase)
   • Once the bar passes mid-thigh, perform an aggressive triple extension (hips, knees, and ankles).
   • Shrug your shoulders and start pulling yourself under the bar. Your goal is to generate maximum upward force.
4. Third Pull (Pulling Under the Bar)
   • Quickly drop under the bar, turning the wrists over while pulling yourself into a deep overhead squat.
   • Keep the barbell directly overhead, with locked-out arms.
   • At this point, you can transition out of the hook grip or release it into a regular overhand grip if you can’t maintain it without pain or mobility issues.

Phase 2: Catch and Recovery

1. Overhead Catch
   • Land in a deep squat with the bar locked out overhead.
   • The bar should be over the base of your neck and mid-foot.
   • Keep your core braced for stability.
2. Standing Up (Recovery)
   • Keep the bar stabilized overhead while maintaining an upright torso, and stand up with the weight overhead.
   • The lift is complete once you fully extend your legs and control the weight.
   • Lower the bar in front of you, with control.

Common Snatch Mistakes and Fixes

Mistake	Fix
Pulling with the arms too early.	Your main focus should be on leg drive first, then shrug and pull under.
Not fully extending in the second pull.	Make sure you have completed a full hip, knee, and ankle extension before pulling under.
Catching the bar too far forward.	Keep the bar close to the body and pull straight up.
Poor squat depth or mobility.	Improve ankle, hip, and shoulder mobility for a deeper catch.

Snatch Pull

The snatch pull is a great accessory exercise for reinforcing snatch mechanics while allowing you to use more weight than you could handle in the full movement. Unlike the snatch itself, where you receive the bar overhead in a squat, the snatch pull stops at the top of the second pull, meaning you don’t actually catch the bar—you just focus on the forceful upward pull.

Snatch pulls have several benefits that make them indispensable for weightlifters. First and foremost, they build confidence and strength in the specific movement patterns you need to snatch heavy weights and improve your capacity to generate force quickly—a quality referred to as “speed-strength,” which is central to success in Olympic lifting. It also helps you fine-tune your positioning by ingraining a vertical line of drive.

You can program snatch pulls both during hypertrophy phases, with higher repetitions and moderate weights to build posterior chain strength and technique, and lower reps with heavier weights to maximize force production and speed.

How to Snatch Pull

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, gripping the barbell with a wide snatch grip. Keep your back straight, chest up, and shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
2. Push through your legs to lift the bar off the floor, keeping it close to your body. Maintain a straight back and keep your arms extended.
3. As the bar passes your knees, shift your torso upright and prepare to extend your hips.
4. Explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension), shrugging your shoulders and pulling the bar upward.
5. Keep the bar close to your body as it rises, then control it back down to the floor.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Front Squat

The front squat is a variation of the traditional squat, but instead of resting the barbell on your upper back, you position it across the front of your shoulders and support it with your fingertips and upper chest.

It is a knee-dominant movement focusing more on the quadriceps than the back squat. Unlike the back squat, which allows for a more hip-dominant hinge, the front squat requires you to stay vertical, or the bar will roll forward, and your lift will fail.

You front squat strength gains directly carry over to Olympic weightlifting, the clean & jerk in particular. The receiving position in the clean is essentially a front squat. However, that doesn’t mean you should only do front squats and not back squats. You can use more weight in the regular squat, which makes it better for overall strength-building, so doing both is a good idea. In the Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program, you’ll do just that.

How to Front Squat

1. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Step forward and place the bar on the front of your shoulders: on top of your clavicles, and tight against your throat.
2. Inhale and brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
3. Take two steps back, and adjust your foot position.
4. Squat as deep as possible with good technique.
5. With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips and legs again.
6. Exhale on the way up or exchange air in the top position.
7. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Overhead Press / Push Press

The overhead press (also called the strict press or simply “the press”) is a classic exercise in weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, sports, and general strength training. It used to be a contested lift in Olympic weightlifting (as the clean and press) but was removed in 1972 as lifters developed more and more excessive back-bending techniques to lift heavier weights, making it difficult for judges to determine if a lift was performed correctly.

The main movers in the overhead press are the shoulders, triceps, and upper chest, making it great for improving stability and lockout strength in the snatch and clean & jerk. You also use your core to stabilize the movement and the upper back to control the bar path.

When doing overhead presses, keep your legs straight and avoid using them for momentum. That’s a push press, but the overhead press should be a strict upper-body movement.

The overhead press is the default programmed accessory exercise in the Day 1 workout of the Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program, but feel free to substitute it for the push press, or rotate between the two.

Clean and Jerk

The clean and jerk is one of the two competitive lifts in Olympic weightlifting, alongside the snatch, but you also see it in gyms around the world as a staple for athletes who want to build strength and explosiveness for their sport.

It is actually two lifts combined into one. The first part, the clean, gets the bar from the ground to your shoulders. The second part, the jerk, takes it from your shoulders to overhead. It looks effortless when you see a good weightlifter do it, but it takes time to get the technique right. If you’re starting out, the key is to have patience. Speed and power will come once you’ve ingrained the correct form into your muscle memory. Start with just the bar (or even just a PVC pipe) and practice until the movement feels natural.

Because the clean and jerk is a complex movement involving the entire body, it can be a good idea to seek guidance from a coach or experienced lifter, at least in the beginning. They can spot form errors and suggest mobility drills. If you don’t have access to a coach, filming yourself can be a reasonable alternative and reveal issues you might not feel in the moment.

Like we did with the snatch, let’s break down the step-by-step instructions in extra detail.

Phase 1: The Clean

The clean is the first part of the movement, where you pull the bar from the ground to the front rack position.

1. Setup
   • Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width with a hook grip (thumb wrapped under fingers).
   • Position your shoulders slightly in front of the bar, keeping your back flat and your chest up.
2. First Pull
   • Drive through your legs, keeping the bar close to your body.
   • Extend your knees while keeping your hips and shoulders rising at the same rate.
   • Brace your core throughout.
3. Second Pull (Explosive Phase)
   • Once the bar reaches mid-thigh, aggressively extend your hips, knees, and ankles (triple extension).
   • Shrug your shoulders and begin pulling yourself under the bar. Your goal is to generate maximum upward force.
4. Third Pull (Pulling Under the Bar)
   • Pull yourself under the bar quickly, transitioning into a front squat position.
   • Catch the barbell on the front rack (shoulders) with your elbows high and chest up.
5. Front Squat Recovery
   • Stand up from the squat.

Phase 2: The Jerk

The jerk follows the clean and is where you push the bar overhead to straight arms.

1. Setup for the Jerk
   • After standing up from the clean, stabilize the bar in the front rack position.
   • Your feet should be hip-width apart, and your elbows slightly in front of the bar.
2. Dip and Drive
   • Take a deep breath and brace your core. Slightly bend your knees and dip straight down (not forward).
   • Drive upward by extending your knees and hips, generating force to launch the bar upward.
3. Split or Power Jerk
   • As the bar moves overhead, split the feet (split jerk) or dip slightly (power jerk).
   • Catch the bar with locked-out arms and an active shoulder position.
4. Recovery
   • Stabilize the weight overhead.
   • Bring the front foot back, then the rear foot to stand up fully.
   • The lift is complete once you stand still with the bar overhead.
   • Lower the bar in front of you, with control.

Common Mistakes and Fixes

Mistake	Fix
Pulling with the arms too early.	Focus on leg drive first, then shrug and pull under.
Catching the clean with low elbows.	Keep your elbows high to prevent bar slippage.
Leaning forward in the dip of the jerk.	Maintain an upright torso during the dip.
Pressing the jerk instead of driving it.	Use leg power to push the bar overhead.

Clean Pull

The clean pull is a weightlifting exercise for developing explosive power, strength, and technique for the clean portion of the clean and jerk. It is like the first and second pull of the clean and reinforces those movement patterns but without the additional technical demand of receiving the bar in a front squat. Because it eliminates the catch, you can use heavier loads than your max clean, making it very effective for overload training.

Clean pulls might look similar to snatch pulls, but there are differences in grip width, pulling mechanics, and body positioning.

Factor	Snatch Pull	Clean Pull
Grip Width	Wide grip (snatch grip)	Narrower grip (clean grip)
Starting Position	Hips lower, chest higher	Hips slightly higher, chest slightly lower
Pulling Path	Bar stays closer to the body but moves higher due to wider grip	Bar follows a more vertical path
Final Extension	Often involves an exaggerated shrug and more aggressive triple extension	Powerful but less exaggerated triple extension

How to Clean Pull

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grip the bar just outside your knees. Keep your back straight, chest up, and shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
2. Push through your legs to lift the bar from the floor, keeping it close to your body. Maintain a straight back and extend your knees while keeping your torso angle constant.
3. Once the bar passes your knees, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles while pulling the bar upward.
4. As you extend, shrug your shoulders forcefully and let the momentum bring the bar up. Keep your arms relaxed and elbows pointing up.
5. Let the bar descend under control and reset for the next rep.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Squat

The squat is one of the most basic but essential exercises in all of strength training, regardless of whether you’re training for raw strength (powerlifting), muscle growth (bodybuilding), or athletic performance.

As a weightlifter, you mainly utilize the back squat to build general leg and hip strength. Because you position the bar on the upper traps (high-bar and low-bar variations exist, but weightlifters almost exclusively do high-bar squats), you can handle heavier weights than in the front squat. Both squats have their place—the back squat is a foundational tool for building strong legs, and the front squat is a movement-specific strength tool.

How to Squat

1. Place the bar on your upper back with your shoulders blades squeezed together. Inhale and brace your core slightly, and unrack the bar.
2. Take two steps back, and adjust your foot position.
3. Squat as deep as possible with proper form.
4. With control, stop and reverse the movement, extending your hips and legs again.
5. Exhale on the way up or exchange air in the top position.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Plank

The plank is an isometric core exercise that is hugely popular for general fitness purposes but also very valuable for Olympic weightlifters. It is a simple yet effective exercise to develop the supplemental muscular endurance and stability you need for successful snatch and clean & jerk performance.

A strong core is essential for maintaining proper positioning during heavy lifts in Olympic lifting. When performing movements like the snatch or clean & jerk (and variations thereof, plus squats), the ability to brace and transfer force from the legs through your torso into the overhead or rack position relies on your core being able to handle it.

The plank strengthens many muscles, but the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and internal and external obliques in particular. While it may seem basic compared to more dynamic Olympic lifts, its isometric nature replicates the bracing required during maximal lifts.

The Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program will call for planking a set amount of time; use added resistance if you can do more than that.

How to Perform the Plank

1. Stand on your elbows and feet.
2. Brace your abs and try to form and hold a straight line from your head to feet.
3. Hold the position for the intended length of time or as long as you can.

Hanging Leg Raise

The hanging leg raise is a great ab exercise for general strength and bodybuilding but also a valuable supplementary exercise for Olympic weightlifting, building core strength, stability, and control—elements essential for maximizing your lifting performance.

Hanging leg raises develop the rectus abdominis (the front abdominal muscles), hip flexors, and deep core stabilizers like the transverse abdominis. When you build these muscles stronger, it becomes easier to maintain a rigid torso during dynamic lifts (like the big two), especially during overhead stabilization, receiving positions, and squatting under load.

Perform your hanging leg raises with controlled tempo and minimal swinging or momentum, pivoting at your hips until your legs reach parallel to the floor or higher. If you have the strength, you can bring your toes all the way up to touch the bar (“toes-to-bar”).

How to Do Hanging Leg Raises

1. Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
4. Raise your legs towards your chest, as high as you can, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
5. Slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.
6. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Hang Snatch

The hang snatch is a variation of the snatch, but unlike the full snatch, which begins with the barbell resting on the ground, you initiate the hang snatch from a standing position, holding the barbell above the knees, around mid-thigh or knee level. It’s regularly included in training programs to address specific technical issues, reinforce lifting mechanics, and develop explosive power and speed.

Hang snatches are particularly useful for improving the explosive phase of the snatch, especially if you struggle to generate enough speed or extension during the critical moments of the full snatch. When you eliminate the initial pull from the floor, you can focus more on the triple extension phase, where you explosively extend the hips, knees, and ankles to propel the bar upward.

How to Hang Snatch

1. Grip the bar with a wide overhand grip, and lift it up to get into the starting position, with the bar resting in the hip crease.
2. Hold your breath, and brace your core slightly.
3. Lower the bar along your thighs, down to about knee-level, by bending your hips and knees.
4. Reverse the movement, and lift the bar in a smooth but fast motion, by extending your legs and knees simultaneously.
5. Once the bar has reached maximum speed, squat down deep and catch the bar on straight arms over your head.
6. When you’ve got control of the bar, stand up straight.
7. Lower the bar in front of you, with control.

Split Jerk

The split jerk is one of the classic Olympic weightlifting movements, performed after a clean as the second part of the clean and jerk, but it is also a stand-alone exercise even though it’s not a competition lift. It builds explosive power throughout the body, overhead strength, shoulder stability, coordination, balance, and body awareness, and the rapid force transfer from the lower body through the core and into the upper body as you perform it makes it invaluable for competitive Olympic lifters. It is also a fantastic exercise for athletes in many other sports that require overhead power and stability, like track and field throwers.

Verticality is fundamental to the jerk. It’s easy to lean forward or backward during the dip or drive phases, but maintaining a vertical torso allows you to transfer maximum force into the barbell. It sounds simple but can be challenging, so it can be a good idea to have someone who knows their weightlifting business observe you or film your split jerks.

Another good idea is to perform them early in your workout to maximize technical quality and power output, and that’s how they are programmed in our Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program when you’re still fresh, and your nervous system can fire on all cylinders.

How to Split Jerk

1. Get into the starting position by cleaning the bar or lifting it out from a rack. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and let it rest on the front of your shoulders.
2. Hold your breath, and brace your core slightly.
3. Slightly bend your knees, then forcefully extend them to push the bar up.
4. Duck under the bar and catch it on straight arms, with your legs in a lunge position.
5. First, take a step back with your front foot and then step forward with your back foot until you’re standing with your feet side by side while controlling the bar on straight arms above your head.
6. Lower the bar in front of you, with control.

Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift is a hip-hinge movement that builds the posterior chain—the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Unlike the standard barbell deadlift, you don’t reset the bar on the ground each rep. Instead, you begin from a standing position and lower the bar to around mid-shin or just past the knees, then drive back up.

While the RDL isn’t a competitive lift itself, it makes you stronger and more explosive in them, especially the first and second phases of the pull.
For example, in both Olympic lifts, you begin the movement by pulling the bar off the floor using your posterior chain, and the RDL makes you stronger in this portion by training the hamstrings and glutes in a way much like the pulling mechanics of these lifts. That strength translates directly to your ability to explode off the floor and extend fully at the hips.

In addition, the RDL is fantastic for flexibility, great both for the mobility you need for optimal pulling positions and injury prevention.

How to Do Romanian Deadlifts

1. Get into the starting position by deadlifting a barbell off the floor or by unracking it from a barbell rack. Stand feet hip-width, inhale, and brace your core slightly.
2. Lean forward by hinging in your hips. Keep your knees almost completely extended.
3. Lean forward as far as possible with good form (no rounding your back). You don’t have to touch the barbell to the floor, although it is OK if you do.
4. Reverse the movement and return to the standing position. Exhale on the way up.
5. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is a valuable accessory exercise for Olympic weightlifters of all levels that builds unilateral (one-sided) leg strength, balance, and stability—qualities that translate directly to the competition lifts. It also addresses several weaknesses that can hold you back as a weightlifter, including hip mobility and strength in the receiving positions of both the snatch and clean.

As an accessory exercise, the split squat won’t stress the body as much as heavy squatting, allowing you to accumulate productive volume without overly stressing the spine or central nervous system, which can be very valuable during intense training for managing fatigue.

How to Do Bulgarian Split Squats

1. Place a bar on your upper back or hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
2. Stand with your back turned against a bench, which should be about knee height. Stand about one long step in front of the bench.
3. Place your right foot on the bench behind you.
4. Inhale, look forward, and squat down with control until right before your right knee touches the floor.
5. Reverse the movement and extend your front leg again, while exhaling. Your back foot should only act as support.
6. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions, then switch side and repeat with your right leg forward and your left foot on the bench.

Pull-Up

The pull-up is a fantastic exercise for building a wide back and has been a staple in fitness and bodybuilding since forever, but it is also a valuable accessory in Olympic weightlifting. It develops upper-body pulling strength and stability in the back and shoulders, which indirectly improves your weightlifting performance as your pulling capacity contributes to better positioning and stability in the main lifts.

If you can do more repetitions than the Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program calls for, you can strap on a backpack or hang a weight belt between your legs for added resistance.

How to Do Pull-Ups

1. Stand beneath a pull-up bar and reach up to grasp it with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you), slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Ensure your grip is secure and comfortable.
2. Hang freely from the bar, fully extending your arms. Your feet should be off the ground.
3. Engage your core muscles by squeezing your abs and glutes.
4. Inhale and initiate the movement by pulling your body weight up towards the bar by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Focus on using your back muscles rather than relying on your upper arms.
5. Continue pulling yourself up until your chin reaches or clears the bar. Keep your torso upright and avoid excessive swinging or kicking with your legs.
6. Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position while maintaining control and stability, fully extending your arms.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Barbell Row

The barbell row is one of the best compound pulling exercises for building upper body muscle and strength and a staple in bodybuilding and powerlifting. For weightlifting, it plays a more supportive, accessory role rather than being a direct competition lift.

Olympic weightlifting is about power and speed, but you still need raw strength to pull heavy weights. Barbell rows hit your upper back, lats, and rear delts, which help you keep the bar tight and give you a stronger first and second pull in both the clean and snatch. A weak upper back leads to looping the barbell away from your body, which can throw your lift off from the start or make catching the weight much harder.

How to Do Barbell Rows

1. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than feet hip-width apart, bend your knees slightly, and hinge forward at your hips, maintaining a straight line from your head to your hips.
3. Brace your core and keep your back straight. Pull the barbell towards your lower chest or upper core, keeping your elbows close to your body. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
4. Lower the barbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
5. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Final Words: Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program

Thank you for checking out this intermediate Olympic weightlifting program. 🏋️ Follow it for 12 solid weeks of training, and you’ll be ready for new PRs, whether in a competition against other lifters or against yourself.

To follow the Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program, download our workout log app and start tracking your workouts today:

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