Snatch Focus: 4-Week Specialization Program

Snatch Focus is a 4-week intermediate weightlifting program for improving explosive power and new personal bests in your snatch. Designed to maximize your snatch strength, speed, and precision, it blends proven Olympic lifting principles and lifts with the right strength exercises and accessories to peak your performance.

Whether you’re a competitor or simply passionate about mastering this technical lift, this snatch-focused Olympic weightlifting Program will help you achieve remarkable results—fast.

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When Do You Need a Snatch Focus Program?

This is a 4-week program dedicated to one thing: making you stronger in the snatch.

But why should you follow a program specializing in the snatch? Who really needs it?

The short answer is that snatch specialization works best when technique, confidence, or strength in this specific lift is holding back overall weightlifting performance.

The longer answer contains a number of reasons.

A snatch specialization program is beneficial for a weightlifter primarily under these circumstances:

• You’re struggling with technique. If you are having trouble with technique or efficiency in the snatch, the solution is spelled practice. Spending dedicated weeks on specialization will help you refine the lift through increased volume, frequency, and coaching feedback (film yourself if you are your own coach).
• If your snatch is disproportionately weaker than your clean and jerk—let’s say below 75–80% of your c&j—a dedicated specialization block can rebalance your lifts and improve your competitiveness.
• If you happen to injure yourself—shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, or ankle—and have to take it easy or even rest completely, you will lose some proficiency in your lifting technique. After recovery, a structured snatch specialization program can reintroduce proficiency, confidence, and strength in the snatch pattern.
• When you have plenty of time before an upcoming competition, a dedicated specialization block can improve snatch weaknesses without the pressure of maintaining peak performance in both competition lifts simultaneously.

Recommended Duration and Other Considerations

A typical snatch specialization phase usually lasts between 4 to 8 weeks. Shorter periods (~4 weeks) are effective for technical improvement, while longer durations (~6–8 weeks) are great if you’re looking for technical mastery and more meaningful strength gains specific to the snatch.

Snatch Focus is a 4-week program. However, you can adapt it to your needs by following it for four weeks, recalculating your 1RM, and doing another round if you want to specialize in the snatch longer.

During specialization, reduce the volume and intensity of the clean and jerk (and possibly the accessory lifts as well) to allow your body and nervous system to recover adequately. When you specialize in a lift, you put more stress on those specific muscles and movement patterns, and you might have to restructure the rest of your training to accommodate.

Snatch Focus Olympic Weightlifting Program

Here is an overview of the Snatch Focus program.

• Experience: Snatch Focus is intended for intermediate lifters and above. If you are a beginner, follow a beginner’s program with balanced training. You do not need to specialize from the get-go.
• Frequency: 4 workouts per training week. You can pick the days that fit your schedule the best, but Monday + Tuesday and Thursday + Friday is the most popular option, and you free up your weekends.
• 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.
• Rest Intervals: For main lifts (snatch, clean & jerk, pulls, squats), rest 2–4 minutes between sets. For lighter accessory work, like core exercises, 60–90 seconds rest.

Weekly Schedule Overview

• Day 1: Snatch technique & strength
• Day 2: Clean & jerk maintenance
• Day 3: Snatch variation & accessory strength
• Day 4: Heavy snatch & strength

Below is a general overview of the Snatch Focus 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.

Weeks 1–3

Workout 1: Snatch Technique & Strength

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Block Snatch	5	1–2
Overhead Squat	4	2–3
Snatch Pull	4	2–3
Snatch Balance	4	2–3

Workout 2: Clean & Jerk Maintenance

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Clean and Jerk	3–4	1–2
Front Squat	4	2–3
Clean Pull	4	2–3

Workout 3: Snatch Variation & Accessories

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Hang Snatch	5	1–2
Snatch Grip Deadlift	3–4	3–4
Push Press	4	3–5
Core (Weighted Plank, Hanging Leg Raise)	3	Exercise dependent

Workout 4: Heavy Snatch & Strength

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Snatch	4–5	1–2
Squat	3–4	2–3
Power Jerk	3	1–2

Week 12

This week starts with a deload leading up you setting a new PR in the snatch.

Workout 1

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Snatch Balance	4	1
Overhead Squat	3	2
Snatch Pull	3	2

Workout 2

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Clean and Jerk	3	1
Front Squat	3	2

Workout 3

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Snatch	3	1

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Snatch Focus Exercise Selection

Here are detailed descriptions of all the exercises in the Snatch Focus program in the order they appear.

Block Snatch

The block snatch is a variation of the classical snatch where you lift the barbell from elevated blocks instead of directly from the floor. It complements the full lift and allows you to refine your technique and build explosiveness because you must generate maximal force rapidly from a static start—there’s no momentum from the initial pull of the traditional snatch.

Because the blocks remove the initial pull from the floor, you don’t build up as much fatigue and can concentrate your effort and attention on the transition and acceleration phases, which makes it easier to isolate and correct technical issues.

How to Block Snatch

1. Lower the bar down to the blocks again, with control.
2. Place a barbell on two blocks, so that it is resting just above knee height.
3. Lean forward and grip the bar with a wide overhand grip.
4. Inhale, and brace your core slightly.
5. Lift the bar in a smooth but fast motion, by extending your legs and knees simultaneously.
6. Once the bar has reached maximum speed, squat down deep and catch the bar on straight arms over your head.
7. When you’ve got control of the bar, stand up straight.

Overhead Squat

The overhead squat is one of the fundamental accessory lifts in Olympic weightlifting, developing the stability, mobility, strength, and technical proficiency you need for a successful snatch. It requires more shoulder, thoracic spine, and hip mobility than either the back or front squat, combined with positional accuracy and the ability to brace and stabilize your core under load because of the fact that you hold the barbell overhead during the entire movement.

Mastering the overhead squat correlates with performance in the snatch—if you can’t overhead squat a weight, you likely lack the overhead strength and stability to snatch it—making it an important component of many weightlifting routines. It builds strength and confidence in the bottom catch position and drives the neurological adaptations to stabilize heavy loads in a dynamic way.

In Snatch Focus, you’ll do overhead squats for moderate-volume sets with relatively lower intensity compared to back squats or front squats to hammer good technique and build muscle endurance and positional strength.

How to Overhead Squat

1. Stand about shoulder-width apart. Grip the barbell wider than shoulder-width and press it overhead, locking your arms and shoulders into place. Ensure the bar is positioned slightly behind your head in line with your heels, stabilizing your core and squeezing your glutes.
2. Engage your shoulders by pushing up into the bar, keeping your elbows locked. Keep your gaze forward, and your spine neutral.
3. Start the squat by moving your hips back and down. Keep your chest up and the barbell stable overhead.
4. Lower yourself as deep as your mobility lets you, but at least parallel to your knees, without compromising your form.
5. Drive through the soles of your feet to return to the starting position, keeping the barbell overhead and your body stable.
6. Stand up fully at the top of the movement, with your hips and knees fully extended and the barbell still overhead.
7. Repeat for the deisred number of repetitions.

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.

Snatch Balance

The snatch balance is an accessory movement to improve your ability to drop under and stabilize a heavy load in the receiving position of the snatch. Unlike a standard snatch, you start the snatch balance with the bar already placed across your shoulders behind the head, like in the back squat position. It helps you get comfortable receiving heavier weights overhead while improving your mobility and positional strength in the hips, ankles, thoracic spine, and shoulders.

A common mistake in the snatch balance is allowing the barbell to drift forward when driving upward. That can happen if your torso angle changes too much during the dip and drive phase. If you notice this happening, make sure your dip and drive are very vertical—your torso should remain upright, with your knees tracking directly forward and outward slightly, avoiding a forward tilt at the hips.

Another common fault is a passive or slow descent beneath the bar. If you find yourself pressing the bar overhead rather than pushing yourself down beneath it, try consciously practicing moving faster and being more aggressive in driving your body under the barbell, even if you have to sacrifice load to do so.

How to Do Snatch Balance

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a barbell behind your neck in a snatch grip (wide grip), resting on your traps.
2. Engage your core, keep your chest up, and look straight ahead.
3. Perform a quick dip by bending your knees slightly, keeping your torso upright.
4. Explosively extend your legs to drive the bar upward, then immediately drop under the bar into a deep overhead squat position.
5. Lock out your arms overhead as you receive the bar, with the bar directly above your shoulders and midfoot.
6. Pause briefly in the bottom position to stabilize the bar.
7. Stand up from the squat while maintaining control and keeping the bar overhead.
8. Carefully lower the bar back to your shoulders or the ground and repeat as needed.

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.

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 Snatch Focus, 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.

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.

Hang Snatch

The hang snatch is a variant of the classic snatch, frequently used by athletes and weightlifters who want more speed, power, and technical precision.

Unlike the conventional snatch, you start the hang snatch with the barbell already lifted off the ground and held in a hanging position, at mid-thigh or just above the knee. It improves explosiveness, coordination, and positional awareness, making it ideal both as a teaching progression and as a strength-building movement.

By removing the pull from the floor, you zero in on the second pull phase—the explosive extension—without being hindered by the complexity of the initial lift-off. You can focus more on technique, particularly extension speed, timing, and the mechanics of pulling under the bar. Also, the limited range of motion allows the hang snatch to train correct positioning, helps you maintain close bar proximity to the body, and teaches you to use your hips and legs more efficiently.

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.
8. Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.

Snatch Grip Deadlift

The snatch grip deadlift is a strength-building exercise where you pull the bar from the floor using the wide grip of the snatch, wide enough that the bar rests at hip level when you stand upright. Because of the wide grip, you must start from a slightly deeper and more upright position, which requires greater mobility in the hips, knees, and thoracic spine.

Snatch grip deadlifts build positional strength (particularly off the floor and through the mid-thigh position, much like the initial pull of the snatch) that helps you maintain posture, tension, and bar path.

How to Do Snatch Grip Deadlifts

1. Step up close to the bar, so that it is about over the middle of your foot.
2. Inhale, lean forward and take a wide grip, like in a snatch.
3. Hold your breath, brace your core slightly, and lift the bar.
4. Pull the bar close to your body, with a straight back, until you are standing straight.
5. Lower the bar back to the ground with control.
6. Take another breath, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Push Press

The push press is a version of the overhead press. It is used in Olympic weightlifting as an accessory exercise, a technique builder for the jerk, and for general overhead strength. Unlike the strict press, where you move the weight with your upper-body strength alone, the push press involves a quick dip and drive with your legs to initiate momentum, which allows you to handle heavier loads.

Push presses strengthen the triceps, shoulders, upper chest & back, and core while building posture and stability. I’ve found that it improves your ability to transfer power generated from the lower body through the torso and into the overhead pressing action more than the strict press, which is why it’s the default pressing accessory in the Snatch Focus program.

How to Push Press

1. Clean a bar to your shoulders, or lift it out from a squat rack.
2. Let the bar rest against the front of your shoulders, with your grip slightly outside your shoulders.
3. Inhale and lightly brace your core.
4. Bend your knees, and then forcefully push yourself and the bar upwards using your legs.
5. When your legs are extended, immediately start pressing the bar with your arms, until your arms are fully extended.
6. With control, lower the bar back to your shoulders.
7. Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions.

Plank

The plank is an isometric core strength 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 Snatch Focus program will call for planking a set amount of time; use added resistance if you can do more than that.

How to 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.

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 all muscle groups 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.

Power Clean + Power Jerk Complex

A complex in Olympic weightlifting combines two or more exercises performed sequentially without setting the barbell down. In the 5 Day Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program, you’ll do one such complex—the power clean + power jerk complex—where you perform the two movements in succession to build explosive strength, technical proficiency, and coordination and improve your confidence in handling heavy loads during dynamic movement.

The movement pattern of this complex improves the force transfer and rapid extension of the hips, knees, and ankles required in sports like basketball, football, tennis, track and field, and many other explosive sports disciplines. And, of course, Olympic lifting.

In this training program, you’ll perform this complex at moderate loads (moving from 70 to 85% of your one-repetition max power clean) for moderate to low repetitions to maintain high movement quality and explosiveness throughout.

How to Do the Power Clean + Power Jerk Complex

1. Stand close to the barbell with your feet hip-width apart. Grip the bar just outside your legs, using a hook grip or regular overhand grip. Keep your back flat, chest up, and shoulders slightly in front of the bar.
2. Push through your feet and lift the bar off the ground, maintaining a flat back. Keep the bar close to your body and arms fully extended.
3. Once the bar passes your knees, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles upward. Shrug your shoulders aggressively upward to create momentum on the bar.
4. Quickly pull yourself under the bar, rotating your elbows forward under the barbell.
5. Catch the barbell across the front of your shoulders, in a partial squat (above parallel), elbows high and chest upright.
6. Stand tall to fully stabilize the bar in the front rack position. Take a brief moment to stabilize and reset your stance if needed.
7. Perform a short, controlled dip by slightly bending your knees while keeping your torso vertical. Immediately drive forcefully upward through your legs, extending your hips, knees, and ankles.
8. As the bar moves upward, quickly drop into a shallow squat position. Press yourself beneath the bar and catch it overhead with straight, locked-out arms.
9. Secure the barbell overhead, then carefully stand up fully with arms locked out and feet aligned.
10. Lower the bar back to the shoulders and carefully return it to the floor or perform another repetition.

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 mass (bodybuilding), or athletic performance. It also has a permanent spot in any beginner to advanced Olympic weightlifting program.

As a weightlifter, you mainly utilize the back squat to build general hip and leg 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.

Final Words: Snatch Focus Olympic Weightlifting Program

Thank you for checking out this snatch-focused weightlifting program. 🏋️ Follow it for four weeks weeks of training, and you’ll be ready to break your snatch PR, whether in a competition against other lifters or against yourself.

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

Click here to go directly to the program in StrengthLog.

More Olympic weightlifting:

>> Beginner Olympic Weightlifting Program: Exercises & Guide

>> Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program: Exercises and Guide

>> 5 Day Intermediate Olympic Weightlifting Program

>> Advanced Olympic Weightlifting Program: Exercises & Guide