The Olympic lifts are the Snatch, and the Clean and Jerk. Despite their incredibly unfortunate names, these two lifts are some of the absolute best things you can add to your training to improve your speed, explosive strength, and athleticism. Both variants involve literally jumping the bar overhead, using almost every muscle in the body. There is no equivalent lift that is as “full-body” as either the Snatch or C&J. Elite Olympic lifters are some of the strongest and fastest people on the planet with vertical jumps comparable to high jumpers, with short range sprinting ability better than NFL running backs.

But Olympic lifting can be intimidating for new trainees. With SFB Fitness however, they will be introduced gradually, paying extra attention to technique. As well, O-lifting doesn’t need to be done exclusively with barbells. Here’s a great demonstration of Ross Enamait doing snatches with a dumbbell (0:15 – 0:25):

Starting light, dumbbell snatches are an excellent introduction to Olympic lifting. One of my clients picked them up quite well in less than 15 minutes. After working on them for a few additional sessions she had no trouble at all with 30lb dumbbells doing 20+ reps in just over a minute. From dumbbell snatches, most trainees will move on to the power clean with a barbell. Similar to the full squat clean in the first video, the bar is instead received while the person is still standing in a partial squat. The difficulty can be decreased further by having the trainee pick the bar off the ground first – then clean it (a hang clean).

There exist even more variations on the Olympic lifts, but all have in common a powerful jump with the barbell/dumbbell/heavy implement. They are a valuable addition to your training program, even if you don’t play a sport. The explosive nature of the lift trains your body in ways slower movements such as the deadlift, squat, or overhead press do not. You’ll find improved strength and appearance in your upper back, hamstrings, and even calves. Plus, they’re a hell of a lot of fun!

Want to learn the Olympic lifts safely and properly? Book a free first session with SFB Fitness!