In the world of Olympic weightlifting, achieving the perfect positions during cleans and snatches is an ongoing pursuit for athletes.
One effective strategy to enhance your performance is to incorporate clean and snatch pulls into your training.
Here are 5 ways pulls can contribute to significant improvements in your positional awareness and execution during the Olympic lifts.
- Isolating Key Phases:
Clean and snatch pulls allow lifters to isolate and focus on specific phases of the lift. By breaking down the movement into distinct parts, you can pay meticulous attention to your starting position, the first pull, the transition, and the final extension. This isolation allows for a deeper understanding of each phase, helping you identify and correct any positional weaknesses that may be effecting your overall lifts.
- Enhancing First Pull Mechanics:
The first pull, the initial movement from the floor to just above the knee, is critical for setting the stage for a successful lift. Clean and snatch pulls target this phase, enabling lifters to refine their mechanics and maintain optimal positioning. Practicing the first pull with pulls allows for a more controlled and deliberate execution, leading to improved posture and leverage as you progress through the lift.
- Developing Explosive Power:
By incorporating pulls, you can train your muscles to generate more force and speed during the second pull (the phase where the bar accelerates from knee height to the fully extended position), resulting in a more powerful and efficient lift when you return to the full movements.
- Addressing Weak Points:
Every lifter has unique strengths and weaknesses in their Olympic lifts. Clean and snatch pulls help identify and address specific weaknesses in your positional awareness and strength. Whether it’s maintaining an upright torso, improving balance, or refining your bar path, pulls provide a targeted approach to address these weak points, ultimately contributing to a more technically sound and proficient lift.
- Reinforcing Muscle Memory:
Consistent practice is key to reinforcing muscle memory and ingraining proper movement patterns. Clean and snatch pulls serve as a valuable tool for honing your technique without the added complexity of the full lifts. Regular inclusion of pulls in your training routine helps solidify correct positions, making it easier to translate those improvements when performing the complete clean and snatch.
Incorporating clean and snatch pulls into your training routine can be a game-changer for anyone striving to improve their positions in Olympic weightlifting.
If you’re not already following an intentional Olympic Lifting program, you can add in one day a week of snatch and clean pulls at the end of a regular training session.
Perform 5-6 sets of 2-3 reps, recording yourself to make sure you’re hitting the positions correctly. Pulls are a great way to manage and get comfortable with heavier weight – we suggest warming up and hitting your pulls at 100-110% of your current 1RM Clean and Snatch.
Need a program to follow? Check out our 10 Week Oly Program or our Ongoing Oly Cycles!