Combine Weightlifting With Bodybuilding - Ash Kallos

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Combine Weightlifting with Bodybuilding
by Ash Kallos

Too many present day physical culturists specialize on the showy muscles and develop inefficient, out of proportion bodies. Weightlifting movements like the snatch, clean & jerk, power clean, and power snatch can add a strength, speed and cleaner lines to the lifter’s physique.

Most bodybuilders are weak in the areas that weightlifters are strong in. Many bodybuilders have good arm, pectoral and lat development, but usually lack deltoid, trapezius and lower back development. Snatching, cleaning, etc. will do wonders for these areas, and it is not necessary to devote more than 30% of your training to lifting movements.

Power cleans and power snatches can be incorporated into your workouts immediately, as can many of the great variety of “assistance” pulls. Weightlifters generally employ lower rep sets, but for bodybuilding purposes you can increase the reps to between 5 and 7. Once you have mastered decent snatch proper and clean & jerk performance you can include them in your routine.

As your workouts may prove lengthy when covering the whole body, concentrate either on the snatch or clean and jerk. One training period power snatches and snatches can be done; another period power cleans and clean & jerks.

Most bodybuilders are inclined to spend much of their training time doing lying down or seated exercises. That is why their physiques in general give an appearance which lacks the look of power. Do more standing movements like the clean and press, standing dumbell presses, power cleans and snatches, and all forms of deadlifting to change this.

If you are to weightlifting movements these exercises will leave you very tired and muscle weary at first, especially in the back, traps, spinal erectors and even forearms. Don’t overdo it in the beginning, and continually work on your technique. You will rapidly adapt to full body lifts.

Here is a simple suggested routine to be done three times a week. Remember, this is only an example to give you a framework for developing your own routines.

1.) Standing Press – 5 sets of 5 to 7 reps.
2.) Power clean or snatch – 5 x 5-7. These two lifts can be alternated each workout.
3.) Snatch proper or clean & jerks – 5 x 3-5 reps. Again, these lifts can be alternated.
4.) Barbell Row.
5.) Bench Press (flat or incline, barbell or dumbell).
6.) Curl (barbell, dumbell, standing, seated, etc.).
7.) Triceps Extension (barbell, dumbell, lying, standing, seated, pulley etc.)
8.) Squat (front, regular, power, Olympic, etc.)
9.) Calf exercises.
10.) Abdominal work.

You will find it necessary to adjust the bodybuilding part of your workout as the poundages on your lifting movements increase. Consider the two sections in totality when planning workload. Make no mistake, weightlifting is tough, but wonderful for all-round development and wellbeing. I have seen so many bodybuilders who were strong in the bench press or curl and weak in pressing and cleaning, and so few who were strong in both disciplines.

Incidentally, snatches, clean and jerks, and other pulls done with light weight in high reps will help in reducing bodyweight. Combine them with a short-rest bodybuilding program and a sound abdominal program and you will be surprised how quickly you harden up.