Olympic lifting, consisting primarily of the snatch and the clean and jerk, requires a blend of strength, speed, power, and technique. To excel in these lifts, accessory exercises are essential to target specific muscle groups and movement patterns. Below, we delve into five of the best accessory exercises, explaining how each supports Olympic lifting performance.
ROMANIAN DEADLIFTS (RDL’s)
Muscles Targeted: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back.
How it Helps: Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) are fantastic for developing the posterior chain, which is crucial for powerful Olympic lifts. By strengthening the hamstrings and glutes, RDLs improve your ability to maintain a strong hinge position, essential for the pull phase in both the snatch and clean.
Execution
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip.
Slightly bend your knees and hinge at the hips, lowering the barbell while keeping your back straight.
Lower the bar until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
Return to the starting position by driving your hips forward.
Benefits
Enhances hamstring strength and flexibility.
Improves lower back stability.
Reinforces proper hip hinge mechanics.
Push Press
Muscles Targeted: Shoulders, triceps, upper back, core.
How it Helps: The push press is excellent for developing upper body strength and power, which are critical for the jerk portion of the clean and jerk. It teaches the lifter to use leg drive effectively to propel the bar overhead, mimicking the jerk movement.
Execution
Start with the barbell on your shoulders, feet shoulder-width apart.
Slightly dip by bending the knees, then explosively extend your hips and knees to drive the bar overhead.
Lock out the arms and stabilize the bar overhead.
Lower the bar back to the shoulders and repeat.
Benefits
Increases shoulder and triceps strength.
Enhances coordination between the lower and upper body.
Improves overhead stability.
Zombie Squats
Muscles Targeted: Quads, glutes, core.
How it Helps: Zombie squats are a variation of the front squat that emphasizes maintaining an upright torso and proper squat depth. This exercise directly translates to the receiving position in the clean, building strength and stability in the quads and core.
Execution
Hold the barbell across the front of your shoulders with your arms extended straight out in front of you, like a zombie.
Keep your chest up and core tight, descend into a squat.
Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Drive through your heels to return to the starting position.
Benefits
Strengthens the quads and core.
Improves posture and upper back strength.
Enhances the front rack position used in cleans.
Snatch/ Clean Grip Deadlifts
Muscles Targeted: Entire posterior chain, upper back.
How it Helps: Both snatch-grip and clean-grip deadlifts improve strength and stability in the specific positions required for the snatch and clean, respectively. The wider snatch grip forces the lifter to engage the upper back and lats more, improving overall posture and control during the snatch pull. The clean grip focuses more on replicating the initial pull phase of the clean.
Execution
Stand with feet hip-width apart, taking a wide snatch grip or shoulder-width clean grip on the barbell.
Engage your lats, keep your back straight, and lift the bar by extending your hips and knees.
Lower the bar back to the ground, maintaining a strong back position.
Benefits
Builds a strong posterior chain.
Enhances grip strength.
Improves positioning and strength for both the snatch and clean.
Bent Over Row
Muscles Targeted: Upper back, lats, biceps, core.
How it Helps: Bent over rows are crucial for building a strong upper back and lats, which are essential for maintaining proper posture and control during Olympic lifts. A strong back is necessary for stabilizing the barbell and executing powerful pulls.
Execution
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell with an overhand grip.
Bend at the hips, keeping your back straight and allowing the bar to hang at arm's length.
Pull the bar towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Lower the bar back to the starting position and repeat.
Benefits
Strengthens the upper back and lats.
Improves posture and shoulder stability.
Enhances pulling strength for the snatch and clean.
Conclusion
Incorporating these accessory exercises into your training regimen will address specific weaknesses and enhance overall performance in Olympic lifting. Romanian Deadlifts, Push Press, Zombie Squats, Snatch-Grip and Clean-Grip Deadlifts, and Bent Over Rows each target different muscle groups and movement patterns essential for the snatch and clean and jerk. By focusing on these exercises, lifters can build a strong, resilient body capable of handling the demands of Olympic lifting, ultimately leading to improved lifts and reduced injury risk.