1.

build a movement
foundation first 
It’s fun to go heavy in the snatch, If you’ve got nothing better to do,
clean and jerk, but don’t rush your do it on your rest days too!
progress in these lifts. You’ll never
reach your full strength without Don’t skip the heavy squats,
first taking time to drill position, presses, and pulls from the floor
technique, speed and engagement hat’s what makes you strong! But
of the barbell.  as a novice weightlifter, most of
your snatch, clean and jerk specific
You need a proper movement barbell work should be focused on
foundation before you can express drilling technique until it becomes
your strength. Without that you’ll second nature for you. 
quickly hit a performance plateau
t doesn't matter how much Until you get comfortable with the
strength work you do. Anyone fundamentals nothing else matters.
who has struggled to improve their Don’t try to get fancy with your
snatch record can relate to this.  programming. Don’t pull with bent
arms t doesn’t matter who you
You might be a great squatter, but saw do it. And it’s probably not a
there’s only one right way to get a good idea to start squat jerking all
really heavy barbell from ground to the time because you saw a really
overhead.  ripped lifter from China doing it. 

Practice good movement as often Fundamentals come first.

as you can. Use intensive,
weightlifting specific warm-up
drills like the 
before every single
training session.
 2. get strong in every
position
Weightlifting is a strength sport. Most of your snatch, clean and
To be successful you have to be jerk work should be within
very strong. But that strength is 70-85% of your best.
not limited to how much you can
squat, deadlift or press. You also Training at these loads will help
have to be very strong and develop the strength necessary to
comfortable at all key positions of maintain technique at larger loads
the snatch, clean and   when accompanied by a program
targeting raw strength
If there is a weakness in your improvement.
technique it will breakdown
under heavy load there’s no
way around that. So, the next
thing you have to do once you
can move well is build consistency
with moderate training loads.
Th at steady stimulus of successful
lifts will make you very strong all
over, but it will also expose many
common errors and imbalances
that you might miss if you spent
too much time training light. 
 3. squat the right way
One mistake a lot of novice You will likely crumble in the
weightlifters make is low-bar bottom of your lifts if you don’t
squatting. It’s usually based upon spend the time getting strong in that
preference. This position makes it range of motion.
easier to move more weight in a
shorter range of motion. You don’t Lift according to your goals. If your
have to dip into a deeper, more front, back, and overhead squat stances
vertical, relatively weaker squatting are all wildly different, that is going to
position. But that’s just what harm your consistency. Squat at least
happens during heavy cleans and twice a week, and squat with the bar
snatches. high on you back. 
4. learn exactly when to
push and pull

A big error many novice lifters

make is pulling the bar off the
ground too quickly. 

The first pull is more of a push with

the legs. You need to lift the barbell
up into a position where you can
pull more effectively. Learning to
pull the slack out of your body and
push the barbell off the floor with
balanced feet can take a lot of time
to learn. But it comes with practice.
Try to imagine the floor is like a
trampoline surface, and you have to
use the barbell to pull your feet
down into it. Push the floor away. 

Another thing that hinders proper

pulling is staying on the heels too
much. In this position it s easy to
end up pulling with the shoulders
on top of or behind the barbell,
which doesn’t allow you to stretch
and load your hamstrings very well
during the second pull. That kills
performance. 
 5. be focused in training
You have to set clear, measurable goals to be accomplished within a specific time
frame. Trying to work on a bunch of different, sometimes conflicting things at
the same time is he easiest way to fail. Also, you have to follow programing
that addresses your goals and what you want to accomplish. 

For example, if you want to be a great weightlifter you need to

constantly refine your technique with progressively heavier and
heavier loads. So, it wouldn’t make sense to follow
programming that focuses excessively on conditioning or high
reps performed for speed. You just do not get
enough heavy repetitions to get strong, and it’s far too
easy to develop bad habits under fatigue.

The solution is to follow a program that

matches up with your goal.

If you want to be a great weightlifter

then you have to follow a
weightlifting specific program. 

That doesn’t mean you

shouldn’t work on
conditioning or
strength. It’s quite
the opposite. You
have to be in
great shape
to lift
well.
However, you have to make sure
that everything you do in the gym
contributes to the goal of becoming
a better weightlifter. 

Take a step back from all other

pursuits. Focus 100% on
weightlifting for a while. Once
you’ve made some real progress you
can take on other training goals, like
improving your overall
conditioning. 

You will be be much stronger and

fitter overall because of it.
Q: What should my Q: How many days
diet look like as of training should
a Weightlifter? I devote purely to
Weightlifting?
Pretty much the same as any
athlete. Eat high quality, whole If you’re a beginner and relatively
foods. Make sure to eat enough new to the sport, you probably can
protein (shoot for about 1g per see a good deal of gains with at least
pound of body weight), and three 1 hour sessions a week of
moderate carbs and fat. dedicated weightlifting practice. The
rest of the days of training can be
Most importantly, eat to match used to improve your strength and/
your goals. or conditioning.

If you aren’t looking to gain or lose If you are really serious about
weight, just eat enough to improving your weightlifting or
maintain your current weight and thinking about taking it to a
the demands of your competitive level, you should be
programming. If you feel yourself putting in no less than five 1hr to
tanking during your workouts, you 1.5 hour sessions a week.
may need to eat more.
Being a good weightlifter takes
If you are trying to gain mass to practice and time.
add more muscle, add more carbs
to the meals around your workout You have to put in both to see the
times. Rice and sweet potatoes are results.
excellent “clean carbs” to add to
your diet if mass gain is your goal.

If you are trying to lose weight to

lean out, focus on eating less
overall
Q: Will my conditioning and gymnastics
suffer if I just focus on
Weightlifting?

Not necessarily. The stronger you become the less effort will be required to
move the weight. For example, if your best clean is 275 lbs, cleaning 135
lbs 30 times as quickly as possible will be much easier than if your best
clean was only 185 lbs. Also, the better your technique, the more
efficiently you can move a barbell during a workout which allows you to
do more reps faster and unbroken.

As for gymnastic movements, again, you won’t necessarily see losses there
either. The most important benefit of Weightlifting is that it trains the
body to fire more muscle fibers simultaneously making handstand push-
ups, pull-ups, muscle ups and etc. a lot easier. As you get stronger, you
may find that many of your gymnastic movements become easier and that
you can do more work faster.

If you only Weightlift, sure your conditioning may decrease a little, but
you can easily add in some short, intense conditioning workouts a few
times a week or gymnastic movements such as handstands or static holds
as accessory work to complement your Weightlifting training to help
maintain your tank and muscular endurance.

Maintaining conditioning/muscular endurance + getting stronger +

improving weightlifting = Killin’ WODs
Q: What supplements Q: Do I have to
do you recommend use the hook grip?
taking and how
much? To quote Greg Everett here: “Get
stronger and faster and you’ll find
out.”  
Make sure to eat high-quality food.
When you start getting stronger
Supplements are exactly that,
and faster, the tremendous amount
supplements, and are not meant to
of power and speed can rip that
replace really awesome, high-
bar right out of your hands.
quality food.
Initially the hook grip is very
As for supplements here’s some that
we take: uncomfortable, but you can’t just
choose to not do it everyday.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: We take the
good high-potency stuff and about Toughen up and use the hook grip
0.5 gram of Omega 3s (DHA/EPA) daily. It will feel much better after
per 10 lbs of body weight. a few weeks of practice.

Vitamin D: We’re healthy and

athletic adults so we aim for about
4000 IU per day.

Creatine: 5 mg a day. No need to

load or cycle off.

ZMA: 3 capsules right before

bedtime for the guys. 2 for the
ladies.
Q: What accessory
gear do I need for
weightlifting?

Technically you don’t really

NEED any accessory gear to lift
but the following can help you
reach your maximum potential:

1: Weightlifting Shoes: In addition

to being very rigid to give you a solid
platform for squatting, weightlifting
shoes have an elevated heel, usually
about 3/4 inch. This heel enables you
to get into a more upright position
during the squat which is essential to
receive a snatch or a clean.

Weightlifting shoes will help you lift

better by reducing the effects of
mobility restrictions and improving
range of motion but they aren’t a fix
for poor mobility. Make sure you are
working on improving your
mobility trouble areas,
especially in the hips and ankles.
2: Wrist Wraps: Wrist wraps are 3: Weightlifting belts: Belts can be
used to support the wrists for useful for max effort squats, cleans,
pressing or overhead exercises if deadlifts or overhead presses.
you have sore or achy wrists.
The belt works by allowing you to
Leather aps are more secure, increase the amount of intra-
but elastic wraps with Velcro abdominal pressure when you take a
provide the best fit. deep breath and push your belly full
of air against it (Valsalva maneuver).
If you wear wrist wraps, wear them
on both wrists (even if only one The pressure helps better stabilize
wrist is hurt), as this can affect the spine which can allow you to lift
lifting mechanics. heavier weights and protect the
lower back from injury so it can be
Again wrist wraps are not a cure. If a very useful tool when going really
you have trouble with your wrists, heavy.
make sure you are mobilizing your
wrists often. But you don’t have to lift with a
belt. In fact, it can be very beneficial
to train without it in order to
properly strengthen and train the
core muscles when lifting.
4. Lifting Straps: Straps will help save your grip and hands from excessive
wear if you are performing high repetitions of heavy snatch or clean pulls
or deadlifts during training.

They allow you to focus on the lift instead of your grip or your sore hands.

You can also use them for the full snatch lift but we don’t recommend
using them for the clean (you might have seen what happened to our
friend Zach Krych).

You shouldn’t use straps all the time and definitely not with warm-up
weights unless your hands are really beat up.

If you’re a beginner you don’t really need to use straps at all. Take the time
to build up your grip strength.  

If you have more experience with the lifts, use straps sparingly throughout
training and stop using them a couple of weeks before a competition or a
testing week.
Q: Do I need a weightlifting coach?

Olympic lifting is highly technical and having a knowledgeable coach to

guide you through the learning process definitely helps.

If you don’t have access to a coach, you could always go online and watch
elite lifters and try to mimic their style, but are you 100% sure you are
doing the lift correctly re you sure that their style, which they have
developed over decades and may be unique to them, is best for you?

You could also find a good coach online who is willing to help you with
your technique and programming remotely. And should you get injured
or sign up for a weightlifting competition, a good coach can help you get
through those as well.
Q: How do I get from the floor. Tall snatches can
better at catching also help you improve your
timing between the 2nd pull and
snatches and the catch. These exercises can
cleans in a full help with your timing to the
squat? bottom of the squat and increase
your level of comfort with
The full clean and snatch will allow receiving heavy weights in an
you to move more weight than the overhead squat position.
power versions. Receiving a clean or
a snatch at the bottom of your squat Receiving a clean at the bottom
requires you to be able to get into a requires you to be able to get into
proper front squat or overhead squat a proper front squat position. You
position. Possessing adequate speed, can also do front squats with a
footwork, and mobility are all pause at your lowest position to
necessary. help you get more comfortable in
the bottom.
Before you attempt to full snatch,
you should be comfortable with Having a strong front squat will
overhead squats. You should have help you be comfortable in the
good wrist, ankle, hip, shoulder, bottom of a clean with heavy
and thoracic mobility. weight. To help with timing,
perform tall cleans which are
If you have the mobility to perform basically just tall snatches but you
a good overhead squat here are use a clean grip and receive the
many assistance exercises that can bar in a front squat.
help you receive the snatch in a
better position. Snatch balances and
drop snatches are great as you don’t
need to worry about the bar path
Q: Can’t I just max my Snatch and
Clean and Jerk every time I do them
and get stronger?

ere are plenty of folks out there who love to lift, but lack the
direction of being on a well designed program.

What we see happen a lot is lifters going into the gym, not knowing what
to do, so they max their lifts. While this can net you strength gains for a
short while, it does nothing for mechanics that need to be worked on or
improve consistency.  

You’ll find new lifters who go heavy all the time usually can’t hit 80% or
more for a quick double, and then they will fail to hit their maxes on the
platform.

Being consistent and precise is crucial to this sport.  The saying “the little
things kill” couldn’t be more true. Get on a program, and stick to it.

Patience is key, and that can be tough in the “I want it now” society we
live in.  

In short,  you may get stronger for a while maxing out daily, but it’s not
going to do anything to fix your lifts. The point of a program is to build
you to be more consistent at heavier weights over time. Put in the time!
Q: How do I get faster in weightlifting?

Speed is probably the most If you’re at an intermediate or

difficult to master. higher level, where your
technique and strength are
With more practice and already solid, then yes, you
familiarity with the lifts and should definitely train to
more consistency with your increase speed.
technique, you will get faster.

You will get faster the

stronger you get as well.
Don’t fear, there are a
number of drills and exercises
you can add to your training
to help you get faster.

Snatches or cleans off of

blocks or from the hang are
commonly used to improve
speed. If you’re a beginner,
don’t worry so much about
moving fast as much as
moving properly and with
consistent technique.

The speed will come. Focus

the majority of your efforts
on honing your technique
and getting stronger.
Q: Should I do a dedicated squat cycle?

Let’s face it, we all need to squat more weight.

However, if you are on a good lifting program, squats should be a regular part
(at least 2x/week) of your training, so getting your reps in shouldn’t be an
issue.

Your lifting program should provide challenging squats and often.

Early on in your weightlifting journey, doing high volume squats can help you
figure out how you squat, and that will allow for consistency while building a
base of strength.
Q: What weight Q: Where can I
class should I find information
be? on competing as a
weightlifter?
If you aren’t a competitive
weightlifter or compete in Typically you’ll need to go to your
the sport of Cross t, you nation’s governing body for
don’t need to worry about Olympic Weightlifting.
your body weight in terms of
competing. In the United States, you can find
all the information you need to
If you’re a competitive register as a competitive athlete as
weightlifter you’ll need to well as information on competitions
compete in particular weight at USA Weightlifting.
class in order to qualify for
national meets.

What body weight you will

enter a weightlifting
competition will depend on
quite a few factors that you
should probably discuss in
more detail with a coach.
Q: What accessory Good mornings, Romanian
exercises should I deadlifts, glute ham raises and
back extensions are a favorite
be doing? amongst Weightlifters for
developing and strengthening the
There’s really no set prescription. posterior chain muscles in order
to improve pulling heavy weights
A lot of it depends on what your from the floor.
personal weaknesses are and it helps
having a coach pinpoint those Most sound weightlifting
weaknesses or strength imbalances. programs will include various
accessory exercises so your best
There are several great accessory bet is to get on board a solid
exercises that will help just about program and then get with a
everyone. knowledgeable coach (online or
in-person) to tweak your exercises
to fit your needs.
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 the clean: starting position

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 the snatch: the catch

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COACH JOIN ​FLIGHT WEIGHTLIFTING TEAM​! 
 

 
 Week 3 of Flight
 Another important component of
this early phase of training is
This early phase of training is gymnastics work.
devoted to preparing the body for
heavy training. Weightlifters typically focus on
strengthening the back, glutes and
The overall volume is high with hamstrings so that they can pull
most skill work focused on more effectively.
improving the snatch and clean
pull. This is the quickest way to That’s great, but you also have to
increase work capacity and spend a lot of time developing your
performance in the Olympic lifts, anterior muscles.
and it allows us to limit injury risk
long-term. Incorporating some fundamental
gymnastic movements helps
Shoulder injuries and restrictions improve core strength and motor
are very common in athletes. For control, which further increases
that reason, explosive overhead performance.
movements are minimized in
training for now. Take your time. Build your base.
You’ll only grow stronger because of
Instead, tempo work and static it.
holds are utilized to improve
mobility, stability, and connective
tissue strength.

This not only makes the shoulder

more durable but also improves
upper body position and allows the
athlete to put heavier barbells
overhead.
 Week 33 of Flight Carefully prescribed assistance
exercises are utilized to address
This is the beginning of a weaknesses and raise 1-RM
competition or testing phase. performance.

The athlete should be strong in each Maxing out every Friday sounds
key position with no significant like it would zap you, but it’s
movement limitations. actually not that tough. It’s just the
fastest way to build strength skill.
At this point, heavy training loads
can be programmed on a regular The following day of training is
basis to accelerate strength gains. actually much harder.

The overall goal is to go as heavy as This high volume day is designed

possible in the snatch, clean & jerk. to keep the athlete in shape during
the final realization phases of
This is one of the most intense training, which helps to peak
phases of training because the performance and keep injury risk
barbell will start to get heavy very low as the competition approaches.
quickly. It is also one of the most
rewarding phases because this is
when strength development and
attention to the fundamentals of
position and technique will pay off.

Every Friday is a “Max Out Day”

where record attempts will be taken
on the competition lifts. The four
days that come before max out day
are devoted to building overall
speed and strength.