Ive been lifting for past 2years now. Im getting stronger and technically efficient in o-lifts and powerlifts. As im training both sports separately in alternate phases.
How to combine both in single phase (main lifts +assistance lifts)? I’m not competing, just average guy trying to get stronger.
Well it is actually fairly simple since the deadlift and squat are good assistance lifts for the olympic lifts.
It’s only the bench that can be problematic as if you do too much it can hinder your overhead mobility for few days. But even that is not a huge problem.
I don’t know how many days a week you train so it’s hard to make a very precise recommendation but here is a suggestion:
PHASE 1 - ACCUMULATION
*More volume on the 3 powerlifts
*More emphasis on technical work for the olympic lifts (I like to use complexes here)
*More “muscle -building work” to fix any potential muscle weakness
For example:
DAY 1
A. Snatch (technical practice with sets of 3 reps with 65-75%)
B. Snatch complex (to focus on technical weakness… see note below)
C. Back squat higher volume work (here I like to focus on getting stronger in the 4-6 reps range)
D. Squat assistance exercise to fix weakness (see note below)
E. Core work
DAY 2
A. Jerk (from racks) … technical practice with sets of 3 with 65-75%
B. Jerk assistance exercise (push press, power jerk, jerk from half split, behind the neck jerk, etc.)
C. Bench press higher volume work (getting stronger in the 4-6 range)
D. Upper back exercise
E. Triceps isolation work
DAY 3
A. Clean … technical practice with sets of 3 @ 65-75%
B. Clean complex to fix weakness (see note)
C. Deadlift … get stronger in the 4-6 range
D. Deadlift assistance exercise (see note)
E. Lower back work (back extension, reverse hyper, high reps goodmorning, seated good morning, etc.)
DAY 4
A. Snatch … sets of 3 in the 75-85% range
B. Clean & jerk … sets of 3 (either 3 cleans + 1 jerk or 1 clean + 3 jerks depending on weakness) in the 75-85% range
C. “Other squat” (front squat, zercher squat, box squat, etc.) for sets of 4-6
D. Posterior chain exercise (pull-through, reverse hyper, glute ham raise, RDL, etc)
E. Upper back exercise
NOTES
A. Snatch complex examples:
Not solid in catch position: 1 snatch + 2 drop snatch + 3 overhead squats
Bar is pulled forward: 1 snatch low pull + 1 snatch high pull + 1 power snatch + 1 snatch
Bad first pull (lift from hang better than lift from floor: 2 “floor to knees” + 1 snatch from floor paused at the knees + 1 snatch
“Pull and pray” (super explosive with lower body but essentially throw the bar in the air and hopes it will fall in the right spot: 2 snatch high pull from hang + 1 muscle snatch from hang + 1 power snatch from hang + 1 snatch from hang
B. Squat assistance exercises
Weak out of the hole:
Option 1: paused squat (the pause is around 1" from ATG and you must maintain torque/tension not relax… do not catch the rebound to lift)
Option 2:1 & 1/2 squat: go down, lift back to the mid range without using the rebound, go back down, stand up completely … this is ONE rep
Pitching forward on the way up:
Option 1: Frankenstein squat (front squat without holding the bar, so arms extended in front llike Frankenstein)
Option 2: Safety bar squats
C. Clean complexes
Slow under the bar: 2 tall cleans + 1 hang clean (above knees) + 1 hang clean (below knees) + 1 clean
Bar crashing on you: 1 “no feet”* power clean + 1 “not feet” half squat clean + 1 no feet clean
Bar rolling off of your shoulders/upper back rounding in catch: 2 half squat clean with pause** + 2 clean with pause + 1 clean
*No feet = doing the lift without being allowed to have any part of your feet leaving the ground… this means that even the heel cannot leave the ground on the pull. Use a slightly wider stance than usual to be able to properly squat under it
** Half squat clean with pause means that you receive the bar at the parallel position and hold the position for 2 seconds. The key is key rock solid as soon as you catch it and maintain maximum tension during the pause
D. Deadlift assistance exercise
Weak off floor
Option 1: Deficit deadlift (deadlift standing on a 2" platform to increase ROM)
Option 2: 1 & 1/2 deadlift (each rep is: lift to knees, pause for 1 sec, slowly lower back down to floor, lift completely)
Weak past the knees
Option 1: Deadlifts with chains/bands
Option 2: Pin pulls from just below knees
E. Bench assistance exercises
Weak off of chest
Option 1: Spotto press
Option 2: Paused bench press (3 sec pause on chest while maintaining tension)
Option 3: 1 & 1/2 bench press (each rep = lower to chest, lift up to mid range, lower back down, lift up)
Weak lockout
Option 1: close-grip bench
Option 2: Top 1 & 1/2 bench (each rep = lower to mid-range, lift up, lower to chest, lift up)
Option 3: Bench with chains / bands
PHASE 2 - INTENSIFICATION
- Here the focus in on maximizing performance on the powerlifts
- The focus is still on technical efficiency on the olympic lifts, but with less volume (no complexes) and more intensity
DAY 1
A. Snatch sets of 2-3 reps in the 75-85% range
B. Squat (the goal is to work toward improving your 1RM strength. See below for a progression I like)
C. Squat assistance exercise to fix weakness
D. Glutes OR quadriceps exercise (the weaker of the two)
E. Core work (I like loaded carries for sets of 20m in that phase)
DAY 2
A. Jerk sets of 2-3 reps in the 75-85% range
B. Bench press (same as squat)
C. Bench assistance exercise to fix weakness
D. Upper back work
E. Triceps exercise
F. Deltoid exercise
DAY 3
A. Clean sets of 2-3 reps in the 75-85% range
B. Deadlift (same as squat and bench from earlier)
C. Deadlift assistance exercise
D. Posterior chain exercise
E. Hamstring exercise (leg curl, seated leg curl, etc.)
F. Lower back exercise
DAY 4
A. Snatch sets of 2-3 reps in the 70-80% range
B. Jerk sets of 2-3 reps in the 70-80% range
C. Bench press assistance 1 (to fix weakness)
D. Overhead press exercise
E. Upper back exercise
F. Triceps exercise
PROGRESSION MODEL FOR 6 WEEKS INTENSIFICATION BLOCK ON POWERLIFTS
Week 1: Ramp to technically solid 3RM
Week 2: 3 cluster sets (after proper warm-up) with your 3RM, shooting to get 4-6 reps, 15 sec of rest between reps
Week 3: Ramp to a technically solid 2RM
Week 4: 3 cluster sets with your 2RM, shooting for 3-5 reps, 15 sec of rest between reps
Week 5: 3 sets of 1 (after warm-up) with your week 1 3RM
Week 6: Ramp up to 1RM
PHASE 3 - REALIZATION
- The main goal is to peak the olympic lifts
- We want to maintain strength in the powerlifts, but the amount of work is reduced to accomodate high volume of olympic lifting work
DAY 1
A. Snatch heavy (see note for recommended progression)
B. Snatch assistance exercise to fix weakness (see note)
C. Clean & jerk technique doing sets of 2+1 or 1+2 with 75-85%
D. Snatch-grip deadlift
E. Power snatch a few sets of 3 very explosive reps with a moderate load
DAY 2
A. Clean & jerk heavy (see note for recommended progression)
B. Clean assistance exercise to fix weakness (see note)
C. Jerk assistance exercise to fix weakness (see note)
D. Bench press work in the 3-5 rep range
E. Upper back exercise
DAY 3
A. Snatch technique work, sets of 3 in the 70-80% range
B. Power snatch variation (hang, floor, blocks) sets of 3 for maximum speed
C. Clean & jerk work sets of 2+1 or 1+2 in the 70-80% range
D. Power clean variation (hang, floor, blocks) sets of 3 for maximum speed
DAY 4
A. Snatch heavy (see note)
B. Clean & jerk heavy (see note)
C. Front squat (same progression as powerlifts during intensification phase)
D. Floor press work in the 3-5 range
SNATCH/CLEAN & JERK PROGRESSION
Week 1: Ramp up to technically solid 2RM (or 2+1 or 1+2 on c&j)
Week 2: 2 cluster sets with your 2RM, shooting for 3-5 reps with 15-20 sec of rest between reps
Week 3: 3 sets of 1 with your week 1 2RM (or slightly less if you are not in good form)
Week 4: 2 cluster sets with your 2RM, shooting for 4-6 reps with 1-20 sec of rest between reps
Week 5: 3 sets of 1 with your week 1 2RM (or slightly less if fatigued)
Week 6: Ramp up to 1RM
A. Snatch assistance exercises
Slow/unstable under the bar:
Option 1: Drop snatch
Option 2: Hip snatch
Bar is too far forward on pull
Option 1: No feet snatch
Option 2: Muscle snatch
Weak pull or pull & pray
Option 1: Snatch grip high pull (hang, floor or blocks)
Option 2: No feet snatch
B. Jerk assistance exercises
Shallow split
Option 1: jerk from half split (do your dip with your feet midway to your a full split position and reach the full split in the catch)
Option 2: Push press from split position
Losing torso position on dip & drive (torso pitching forward)
Option 1: paused jerk (2 sec pause in the bottom of the dip)
Option 2: jerk drives focusing on upright posture
Option 3: Behind the neck jerk
Weak drive/lack of bar height
Option 1: power jerk
Option 2: push press
Unstable in split position
Option 1: jerk with 2 sec pause in catch position
Option 2: Military press from low split position
C. Clean assistance exercises
Slow under the bar
Option 1: Tall clean
Option 2: No feet clean
Weak catch position (torso pitching forward, upper back rounding)
Option 1: Clean with pause in the catch position, 1" higher than normal catch position. STICK THE CATCH… do not catch soft then tense up. You must be rock solid in the catch
Option 2: 1 & 1/2 clean. Catch 1" higher than you normal catch, stand up halfway, go back down, stand up
Bad first pull (weight shifting on toes, making you pull forward)
Option 1: Floating cleans … this is essentially a low hang clean… you lower the bar to 2" from floor, pause for 2 sec and clean from there
Option 2: Clean with pause just below knees
You notice that I haven’t mentioned VOLUME, its because this is highly individual. But it’s better to start doing less and be more conservative
7 Likes
Luckily i train usually 4 day/week (sometimes 5 times/week ,doing light bodybuilding work on that day). When i was trying to combine both i was doing too much work,(volume) and failed.
The program itself looks awesome.
Thanks.
The issue is that all 5 lifts (well, all 4, the bench is not in that category) are super draining neurologically. You can easily burn yourself out doing too much volume
1 Like
This is gold. Awesome stuff.