Crossfit, Olympic lifts (ii)

Crossfit is a training methodology or system that aims to maximize an athlete’s capabilities in every aspect. In this sense, the exercises or sports modalities that best sum up this condition can be seen in:

• Olympic movements
• Gymnastics

I’d add, for their direct transfer and the skills they work on, powerlifting or basic movements like: squat, deadlift, bench press.

Only by applying a strategic periodization within the training of both modalities will you manage to become a good crossfitter 🙂

Olympic movements

In my opinion, these are the stars of this system, and they “force” you to fall in love with a great sport, unknown to many and “unprotected” by the responsible parties, which is weightlifting.

If one of the qualities to improve in crossfit is power, these are the ultimate expression of it. No other sport generates more power than an Olympic lift.

One of the criticisms many throw at crossfit is precisely the lack of technique in these exercises, and this is a vital issue to avoid any risk of injury and inefficiency during a WOD.

If you want to progress in crossfit, there’s no other way than giving Olympic lifting a lot of frequency, automating the technique and movement pattern, and progressively doing progressions.

This point is very hard to train on your own, and the best advice is to go to a specialized center, like a box.

Even mastering the technique (which is somewhat subjective…), there’s still a long way to go to guarantee meeting the necessary condition in order of priority:

Technique > Intensity

Here’s a brief description of the exercises done in crossfit related to this group, as well as possible variations, both in form and equipment. Obviously, there’s a huge difference between these mere words and reality, but as a first contact, I think it’s enough.

Exercises

Clean

This movement starts with the load on the floor, similar to the deadlift, combined with a vertical jump, passing through a front squat, and finishing standing upright, with the bar (mostly used) resting on the shoulders.

Common variants include:

• Power clean or strength clean. The bar is “caught” at a quarter squat (instead of low or in front squat position)
• Hang power clean or clean from hang. It’s the same as the original movement, but the bar starts held with elbows locked and legs bent over the thigh.
• Dumbbell Clean or clean with dumbbell
• Kettlebell Clean or clean with kettlebell

These last ones are often used as an alternative to the barbell, and as a complement or accessory within a WOD or metabolic circuit.

Jerk

This movement starts from the rack position, where the clean ends, to throw the bar and hold it overhead. Arms must be extended and elbows locked, with no “press” or movement progression during execution, otherwise it’s a “no lift.”

Variants include the final foot position:

• Push jerk
• Split jerk

These basically show how the feet end up after the movement; in the first case, feet in rack position, and in the second, legs apart, one advanced compared to the other.

A special mention goes to the Clean and Jerk or “two lifts,” which is competitive in the Olympics and weightlifting events as a measure of each athlete’s skill level.

It’s the combination of the clean + jerk explained above, starting with the bar resting on the shoulders in rack position (the clean’s final position), then performing the jerk by throwing it up, using lower body power, finishing with arms locked and the weight fully overhead.

Snatch

This is the other big movement also used in competitions. Basically, it involves moving the weight (the bar) from the floor to overhead, passing through an overhead squat.

The movement is broken down (and trained) in 3 parts:

• Pull or lift-off, the first part, starting the bar lift until it’s near the hips, while raising the shoulders.
• Quick drop, the ultra-fast transition from the bar’s highest point to “getting under” it, forming a compact position between your body, extended and locked arms, and the bar. You end up in an overhead squat position.
• Overhead Squat, the actual overhead squat, finishing the full execution when you stand up straight.

Common variants are similar to those in the clean:

• Power snatch or power snatch. The movement follows the reference pattern, but the bar is caught at a quarter overhead squat instead of a full squat.
• Hang power snatch or power snatch from hang. Exactly like the original snatch, but starting with the bar elevated around thigh height. The catch can be at quarter or full squat.

Our collaborator and buddy Power Explosive offers an excellent tutorial for this movement, hope it helps you!

For this exercise, variables are also often used in WODs, alternating the “equipment”:

• Dumbbell Snatch or snatch with dumbbell
• Kettlebell Snatch or snatch with kettlebell

Since a picture is worth 1000 words, and a video even better, here’s a virtuoso example of how to perform a clean & jerk and snatch. Enjoy it and I hope you start practicing it soon… I mean, at the box!!!