Check out this 12-week Olympic Weightlifting Starter Program, designed to pave the way for your success on the platform. And if you’re new to the world of Olympic weightlifting, be sure to dive into The Ultimate Guide To Olympic Weightlifting Lifts for a solid foundation.
Once you’ve delved into the workouts, let’s take a closer look at what this program entails. I’ll walk you through the rationale behind the daily structure, providing insights that benefit athletes and coaches alike. From deciphering the sets and reps layout to managing weight progression, I’ll equip you with the knowledge to navigate the program effectively. Plus, I’ll give you the green light to incorporate some strategic bodybuilding exercises for added muscle development.
All it takes is a touch of determination and commitment. As for equipment, a trusty Olympic barbell and a set of dumbbells are all you need to embark on this journey. Prepare for a program brimming with explosive lifts, strength-building movements, and targeted accessory exercises to fortify your performance.
What’s In the Program
Let’s dive into the program layout real quick. As a USA Weightlifting National Coach, I firmly believe that grasping the program layout is essential for athletes to commit and thrive fully. Once you’ve explored it, all the puzzle pieces will fall into place more smoothly.
Main lifts
Each training day begins with the primary focus lift, whether snatch, cleans, jerks, or technical variations on day 3. These lifts always come first as they thrive on technical proficiency, power, and execution. Knocking these out first thing makes sure you’re practicing your skill with fresh legs (or as fresh as they can be).
Strength lifts
In the starter program, squats and pulls are your primary strength lifts. Pulls are instrumental in enhancing strength and refining bar path precision, while squats build your legs.
When it comes to pulls, it’s essential to handle heavier weights compared to preceding snatches or cleans. However, you must maintain impeccable form throughout. Sloppy repetitions only reinforce improper positions, which is something we aim to avoid at all costs.
Accessory Lifts
Accessories are the foundation for fortifying your body’s armor. They use a variety of upper and lower-body lifts aimed at enhancing unilateral strength, stability, muscle mass, and injury prevention. While it’s important to challenge yourself with accessory lifts, it’s equally vital to avoid pushing to the extent where excessive fatigue compromises your performance on subsequent training days.
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How to Run the Program
This is your tour guide for running the Clean & Jerk starter program. Everything you need to know is here!
Sets and Reps
Your working sets and reps will determine your daily, weekly, and monthly training volume. Since this is a beginner program, start with 3 to 4 rounds of general technique bar work, and move into your warmup sets. I’d recommend starting each lift with 3-4 warm-up sets, slowly progressing in weight to your working sets.
Here are a few examples of how to read the program:
- Front Squat: 4 sets of 3 reps
- Snatch + Overhead Squat: 4×1+1 4 sets of Snatch-Overhead Squat
- Clean + Jerk: 4×2+1 4 sets of Clean-Clean-Jerk
- Clean + Jerk: 4x(1+1)2 4 sets of Clean-Jerk-Clean-Jerk.
How Much You Should Lift
The amount of weight you should lift will depend on your fitness level, how quickly you progress, and ultimately how you’re feeling daily.
For this program, we will rely on an RPE scale per exercise. “Per exercise” means how the exercise felt overall. For instance, an RPE 7/10 on a Clean + Jerk triple (6 reps total) will be much lower than a Clean + Jerk double (2 total reps). Ideally, the fewer reps per set will allow you to lift more weight resulting in progressive overload. Here’s a quick week-to-week breakdown to use for all phases:
- Week 1 RPE 7/10 – Moderate Intensity
- Week 2: RPE 8/10 – Moderate-Heavy Intensity
- Week 3: RPE 5-6/10 (deload) – Low-Moderate Intensity
- Week 4: RPE 9/10 – Heavy Intensity (not max effort!)
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Progression Techniques and Method
Even with an RPE guide to follow, it can be uncertain how much you should increase your weights weekly.
Typically, I recommend bumping the weight in 3-5% increments. This will allow you to push new goals by week 4 of each phase and improve your strength while keeping the increase in weights small enough to develop proficient technique.
Can I Add Extra Lifts?
Of course! While this program has everything you need to improve at the Olympic lifts, a few dumbbell curls or triceps extensions won’t hurt. Toss these in at the end of your workout, preferably on Day 2 and Day 4, followed by rest days.
The Program
It’s what you’re here for, so check it out! A program built to teach you the ins and outs of the clean and jerk in preparation to crush PRs. It’s progressive by nature and is decked out with main lifts, strength lifts, and accessories.
Pre-Program Guide
Let’s clarify a few things before you take that first glance at the program. This should help process the exercise ordering and identify how to read the sets, reps, supersets, and trisets.
Once you finish checking out the program, we will take a moment to dive deeper into the ins and outs. Of the 12-week Olympic Weightlifting Starter Program
Exercise Order
- Each exercise is denoted alphabetically, with supersets or tri-sets noted by numbers.
- Letters (i.e. D1., D2., D3) indicate a superset or triset. Perform one set of the first exercise, immediately followed by one set of the next. That equals one set. Repeat for three total sets.
Sets and Reps
Here are a few examples of how to read the program:
- Front Squat: 4×3 4 sets of 3 reps.
- Snatch + Overhead Squat: 4×1+1 4 sets of Snatch-Overhead Squat
- Clean + Jerk: 4×2+1 4 sets of Clean-Clean-Jerk
- Clean + Jerk: 4x(1+1)2 4 sets of Clean-Jerk-Clean-Jerk.
- Snatch Pull + Hang Snatch Above Knee + Overhead Squat: 3-5×1+2+1 3 to 5 sets of Snatch Pull-Hang Snatch Above Knee-Hang Snatch Above Knee-Overhead Squat
Rest Periods
Keep your rest periods to 1:30 – 2:00. I always advise my athletes to use a timer, as time can quickly pass!
Weekly Training Schedule
Ideally, this program will be performed as follows:
- Day 1: Monday
- Day 2: Tuesday
- Day 3: Thursday
- Day 4: Saturday
If this schedule doesn’t fit yours, do what is best for you! Here are a few quick items to note regardless of your training schedule:
- Make sure to have (1) rest day between Day 4 and Day 1.
- Try your best not to run all 4 days consecutively.
- The main training days are Day 1, Day 2, and Day 4. If you can only train three times per week, drop Day 3 of the program.
- If you train 3x per week, move the Front Squats to Day 4 after the Snatch Pull and before accessory exercises.
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Phase 1
Day 1 Snatch, Back Squat
A1. Dip Snatch: 3 to 5 sets of 3 reps
B1. Snatch Grip Push Press: 3 sets, 5 reps
C1. Back Squat: 3 sets, 5 reps
D1. Dumbbell Alternating Reverse Lunge: 3 sets, 8-12 reps (each side)
D2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: 3 sets, 8-12 reps (each side)
D3. Plank + Pull-Through: 3 sets, 10 reps (each side)
Day 2 Clean & Jerk, Clean Pull
A1. Behind the Neck Press in Split: 3 sets, 5 reps
B1. Dip Clean + Jerk: 3 to 5 sets, (1+1)2 reps
C1. Clean Pull: 4 sets of 4 reps
D1. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
D2. Dumbbell RDL: 3 sets, 6-8 reps
D3. Side Plank Hold: 3 sets, 30 seconds (each side)
Day 3 Variation, Front Squat
A1. Snatch Balance + OHS: 4 sets, 2+1 reps
B1. Push Press + Jerk (2-sec.Pause in Dip): 3 sets, 5+1 reps
C1. Front Squat: 5 sets, 3 reps
D1. Pullup: 3 sets, As many as possible (AMAP)
D2. Dumbbell Walking Lunge: 3 sets, 10-12 reps (each side)
D3. Weighted Forearm Plank: 3 sets, 30 seconds
Day 4 Competition Day, Snatch Pull
A1. Snatch, Pause Above Knee: 5 sets, 2 reps
B1. Clean, Pause Above Knee & Jerk: 4 sets, 2+1 reps
C1. Snatch Pull: 4 sets, 4 reps
D1. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
D2. Barbell Good Morning: 3 sets, 6 reps
D3. Weighted Straight Leg Situp: 3 sets, AMAP
Phase 2
Day 1 Snatch, Back Squat
A1. Snatch Pull + Hang Snatch AK + Slow OHS: 3 to 5 sets, 1+2+1 reps
B1. Overhead Squat: 4 sets, 4 reps
C1. Back Squat: 4 sets, 3 reps
D1. 2-Dumbbell Box Stepup: 3 sets, 6-10 reps (each side)
D2. Chest-0Supported Dumbbell Row: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
D3. Pallof Press: 3 sets, 10-15 reps (each side)
Day 2 Clean + Jerk, Clean Pull
A1. Clean Pull + Hang Clean AK: 3 to 5 sets, 2 reps 1+1(2)
B1. Jerk, Pause in Split (:02): 3 to 4 sets, 2 reps
C1. Clean Pull, Pause in Extension: 3 to 4 sets, 3 reps
D1. Dumbbell Single Arm Push Press: 3 sets, 6 reps
D2. Dumbbell Hip Thrust: 3 sets, 8 reps
D3. Side Plank & Hip Dip: 3 sets, 10-15 reps
Day 3 Variation, Front Squat
A1. Muscle Snatch: 4 sets, 3 reps
B1. Hang Below Knee Power Clean & Power Jerk: 4 sets, 2+1 reps
C1. Front Squat: 6 sets, 2 reps
D1. Dumbbell Lateral Lunge: 3 sets, 6-8 reps (each side)
D2. Lat Pulldown: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
D3. Back Extension: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
Day 4 Competition Day, Snatch Pull
A1. Hang Snatch Below Knee & Snatch: 4 sets, 1+1 reps
B1. Hang Clean Below Knee & Clean & Jerk: 4 sets, 1+1+1 reps
C1. Snatch Pull, Pause in Extension: 3 to 4 sets, 3 reps
D1. Barbell RDL: 3 sets, 5-7 reps
D2. Dumbbell Pushups: 3 sets, 8-15 reps
D3. Reverse Crunch: 3 sets, 5-8 reps
Phase 3
Day 1 Snatch, Back Squat
A1. Snatch Pull & Snatch: 4 sets, 2 reps (1+1)2
B1. Snatch Balance: 3 sets, 2 reps
C1. Back Squat: Work to a heavy 3 reps
D1. 2-Dumbbell 1/4 Squat Jump: 3 sets, 5 reps
D2. Chinups: 3 sets, 6-10 reps
D3. Hollow Hold: 3 sets, 30 second holds
Day 2 Clean + Jerk, Clean Pull
A1. Clean Pull + Clean + Jerk: 4 sets, 1+1+1 reps
B1. Push Press: 4 sets, 3 reps
C1. Clean Pull: 4 sets, 2 reps
D1. ½ Kneeling Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets, 8-12 reps (each side)
D2. Dumbbell Single-leg Glute Bridge: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
D3. Copenhagen Plank: 3 sets, 20 second holds
Day 3 Variation, Front Squat
A1. Hang Above Knee Power Snatch: 4 sets, 3 reps
B1. Power Jerk + Jerk: 3 sets, 2+1 reps
C1. Front Squat: Work to a Heavy 2 reps
D1. Single-leg Db RDL: 3 sets, 6-8 reps (each side)
D2. Dumbbell Arnold Press: 3 sets, 8-12 reps
D3. Dumbbell Deadbug: 3 sets, 6-10 reps (each side)
Day 4 Competition Day, Snatch Pull
A1. Snatch: 4 sets, 2 reps
B1. Clean + Jerk: 4 sets, (1+1)2
C1. Snatch Pull: 4 sets, 2 reps
D1. Dumbbell Rear-foot-elevated Split Squat: 3 sets, 8-12 reps (each side)
D2. Kettlebell Gorilla Row: 3 sets, 8-12 reps (each side)
D3. Plank + Shoulder Taps: 3 sets, 10-12 reps (each side)
