An Olympic-Based Beginner Routine - Monsieur Literary Lifter

Article Courtesy of Jay Trigg and The Author

I don't want you to do Power Cleans yet. Makes it a bitch learning the Squat Clean.

Let's start with Snatch Drops and Snatches.

First of all. Grab your Olympic bar with a snatch width grip (you've seen the pictures). Lock the bar at arm's length overhead. Lock it out - not even the slightest bend in the elbows. Feet shoulder width apart. Look straight ahead at a spot on the wall. Keep looking at that spot. Now, do a deep knee bend.

If you can do it without going up on your toes - - Congratulations, young man. But -- you probably can't. Flexibility is the key. In hips, ankles, etc. and in shoulders.
We'll work up to this.

You should have some shoes with some sort of heel. You will eventually have to pawn something of your wife's to buy Olympic lifting shoes. But not yet.

Now we are going to have you do the Drop Snatch. You will practice the most difficult part of the lift -- jumping under the bar. This is purely speed. Stand with the bar on your shoulders. You are holding it with a snatch width grip. Now fast Fast FAST jump down to a snatch squat position locking out the bar overhead . . . You need to train yourself to EXPLODE under the bar.  

Do this again and again. When you are in the low position try to go lower, to settle into a lower position. You are stretching.

You will need to stretch your shoulders. In between doing drop snatches do Shoulder Dislocates with a broomstick. Grab the broomstick with a Snatch grip and bring it over your head and behind your back feeling the stretch. Don't bend your elbows. If you do, take a wider grip until you don't have to bend them to get the broomstick behind your back.

Next, let's practice Snatches From a High Hang. Bar at the thighs, snatch grip, shoulders back, back arched, very slight bend in the knees. Now -- not using your arms or back AT ALL jump that weight up. Keep eyes fixed on a spot on the wall. Practice this again and again with the bar until you are actually jumping it up and NOT PULLING IT. Try it with 65 pounds. No more right now.

Later on you will practice jumping it up from lower positions and jumping under it.

So -- here's what you should do every workout for the next few weeks. Using the bar or 65 pounds at the most do:

1) A set of 20 Snatch Drops, settling into the low position, trying to feel the stretch.

2) 50 Snatches From the High Hang. You are training yourself to explode with the bar.

3) 20 Snatches From the High Hang while attempting to jump under the bar. You have to train yourself to jump the bar up and then at exactly the right moment jump under the bar.

Finally -- you want to do Overhead Squats. Snatch the bar overhead and do deep knee bends with it. Arms always locked. Sets of 5. Start with just the bar.

In two weeks aim for:

Overhead Squats: 2 sets of 5 with the bar

2 sets of 5 with 65 pounds

2 sets of 5 with 85

2 sets of 5 with 95.

The idea right now is to get the stretch, establish the feel of holding the bar overhead.