Olympic Lifts

In our series of articles over the past year or so, we've introduced all the basic elements of the snatch and clean and jerk, as well as some of the important assistance and skill-transfer exercises. Starting this month, we'll address strategies for going beyond the basics. We'll make some assumptions about different types of CrossFitters and create programs for them. The goal is not to create competitive… Continue Reading

Continuing our series on the Olympic lifts, we focus this month on addressing a common problem for many CrossFitters: looping and floating under the bar. All three lifts--the snatch, the clean, and the jerk--must be fast, explosive, aggressive movements. Success in these movements requires the attitude of a junkyard dog. Unfortunately, we see too many CrossFitters pulling aggressively off the ground only to get… Continue Reading

Over the past twelve months, we've described a complete set of progressions and skill transfer exercises for teaching and developing the snatch and clean and jerk. They can be used in order to learn the movements, or they can be used at any point in an athlete's progress to refine a skill or strengthen a weakness. In this and the following months, we'll talk about specific issues lifters often face and how to use… Continue Reading

In the last part of a four part series, Coach Mike Burgener of Mike’s Gym introduces four skill transfer exercises that develop proficiency in the four main aspects of the jerk: executing a powerful dip and drive, aggressively driving the body under the bar, receiving the barbell overhead in the frontal plane, and stabilizing the load overhead while standing upright.

We assume that the basics have… Continue Reading

In part 3 of a 4-part series on the jerk, Coach Mike Burgener of Mike’s Gym uses text, photos and videos to show a progression that develops into a full clean and jerk.

With decent instruction, most people can, without too much difficulty, learn the proper landing position for the split jerk and learn to jump the dowel, PVC pipe, or light bar through a range of motion, receiving the bar overhead with the legs… Continue Reading

In part 2 of a 4-part series on the jerk, Coach Mike Burgener of Mike’s Gym takes athletes through a progression for developing an effective split landing position for receiving the barbell overhead. Photos and videos illustrate the progression and show how to correct faults.

The overwhelming majority of all competitive Olympic-style weightlifters use the split foot position when receiving the bar in the… Continue Reading

In the first of a four part series, Coach Mike Burgener of Mike’s Gym begins a detailed discussion of the jerk: how to learn it, how to master it and how to teach it.

The jerk moves the barbell from the shoulders to a locked-arm position overhead in a single explosive movement. The barbell is driven off the shoulders with a violent dip-drive. In the split second that the upward drive of the hips and shoulders… Continue Reading

Over the past few months, we've taken you through a series of exercises designed to teach you the full squat snatch. This month, we're introducing the clean. This ordering was intentional. Anyone who can perform the snatch properly can perform the clean properly within a few quick steps. The opposite is not true. There are many folks who can clean properly who never learned (or can't easily learn) the snatch.

… Continue Reading