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Olympic Weightlifting for Strongman: A Comprehensive Guide

Writer's picture: Josh HezzaJosh Hezza


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Olympic Weightlifting for Strongman: A Comprehensive Guide


Introduction - Olympic Weightlifting for Strongman: A Comprehensive Guide


For years, Olympic weightlifting has been an afterthought in strongman programming, often dismissed as "too technical" or "not specific enough" to warrant inclusion. Many coaches and athletes believe that the snatch and clean & jerk are best left to Olympic weightlifters, arguing that strongman is a different beast entirely—one built on maximal strength, brute force, and unconventional event mastery rather than precision and technical refinement.


This perspective, while understandable, is ultimately short-sighted. Olympic weightlifting, when applied correctly, offers a powerful set of tools that can dramatically improve a strongman athlete’s rate of force development, speed-strength, and dynamic control of heavy loads. The ability to generate explosive power and coordinate the entire kinetic chain in a split second is invaluable across nearly every strongman event, from stone loading and log pressing to yoke carries and sandbag tosses.


What follows is a comprehensive guide on why and how Olympic lifting should be integrated into strongman training. This isn’t about turning strongmen into weightlifters or asking them to chase an elusive "perfect snatch"—far from it. Instead, we will focus on the direct benefits, the necessary modifications, and practical programming strategies that allow Olympic movements to complement rather than conflict with strongman priorities.


For years, the push press reigned supreme as the go-to method for overhead lifting in strongman, but recent trends have seen a surge in Olympic-style jerks making their way into elite-level competition. Athletes like Mitchell Hooper and Lucas Hatton have demonstrated the undeniable efficiency of the split jerk in strongman, leveraging Olympic weightlifting mechanics to maximize bar speed and force production. Their success has reignited discussions around the viability of the jerk for strongman pressing events, proving that technical proficiency—when paired with brute strength—can yield superior results.


Of course, this movement didn’t emerge in isolation. Mikhail "Misha" Koklyaev, a rare talent who competed at a high level in both Olympic weightlifting and strongman, paved the way for hybrid lifting styles, showcasing the value of weightlifting explosiveness in the sport of strongman. Rob Kearney, the reigning world record holder in the log press with a split jerk, further cemented the effectiveness of this technique, showing that a well-executed jerk can outclass a raw brute-strength push press when it comes to efficiency and rep endurance.


The Arnold Classic’s inclusion of a jerk event in recent years only reinforces this shift, highlighting the growing recognition of Olympic lifting principles in elite strongman programming. The traditional strict press and push press are still valuable, but for strongman athletes looking to maximise their overhead potential, incorporating the jerk—whether power, squat, or split—offers a clear competitive advantage.


My background as both a competitor and coach in Olympic weightlifting and strongman gives me a unique perspective on this topic. Few have successfully blended these two worlds, and even fewer have applied the principles of weightlifting effectively in the context of strongman programming. This guide distills over a decade of practical experience into a structured approach for strongman athletes looking to harness the power of Olympic weightlifting - Olympic Weightlifting for Strongman: A Comprehensive Guide.


The Key Benefits of Olympic Lifts for Strongman

The primary reason to incorporate Olympic lifting into strongman training is simple: rate of force development. Explosive power is a defining trait of elite strongmen, and while sheer strength matters, the ability to apply force rapidly often determines success in dynamic events. Olympic lifts teach the body to generate maximal force in minimal time, reinforcing the same qualities needed for events like stone loading, log pressing, and yoke carries.


Consider atlas stones—a quintessential strongman event that requires an athlete to accelerate a heavy object from the ground, triple-extend through the hips, and finish with a controlled and forceful extension over a bar or onto a platform. The clean and jerk mirrors this movement pattern closely, training both the explosive pull from the floor and the aggressive triple extension required for maximal force output. Similarly, the push press and power jerk train the rapid application of force needed to move implements overhead, reinforcing lockout strength and pressing efficiency.


Beyond direct carryover, Olympic lifting also develops technical proficiency under fatigue. One of the biggest challenges in strongman is executing complex movements while fatigued - something weightlifters understand all too well. The ability to remain explosive and efficient even when fatigued is crucial for events like medleys, max reps overhead pressing, or high-volume loading races. Training Olympic lifts under controlled fatigue conditions teaches an athlete how to maintain speed and technical efficiency despite increasing metabolic demand.


Additionally, the dynamic control of heavy loads developed through weightlifting transfers exceptionally well to strongman. The ability to pull, stabilize, and move a loaded barbell in space carries over directly to awkward implement events. High pulls and snatches reinforce upper back and trap engagement, while jerks develop the ability to drive through the legs and transfer force overhead. Strongmen who train these lifts intelligently find themselves more explosive, more coordinated, and better equipped to handle dynamic events with precision and power.


Incorporating Olympic weightlifting into strongman training can significantly enhance an athlete's performance by developing explosive power, mobility, and refined technique. While some may view Olympic lifts as overly technical or not directly applicable to strongman events, these movements offer substantial benefits that translate well into the diverse challenges faced in strongman competitions.


Enhancing Explosive Power and Mobility


Olympic weightlifting movements, such as the snatch and clean and jerk, are unparalleled in their ability to develop explosive power. The rapid force production required in these lifts mirrors the demands of many strongman events, where generating maximal power in a short timeframe is crucial. Additionally, the dynamic nature of Olympic lifts promotes increased mobility, particularly in the hips, ankles, and shoulders, which is essential for the varied and often unconventional movements in strongman competitions.


Technical Proficiency and Athleticism


Engaging in Olympic weightlifting hones an athlete's technical skills, emphasizing coordination, balance, and precise movement patterns. This technical proficiency enhances overall athleticism, enabling strongman competitors to execute event-specific tasks more efficiently and safely. The discipline required in mastering Olympic lifts fosters a heightened body awareness, contributing to improved performance across all strongman events.


Integrating Olympic Lifts into Strongman Training


To effectively incorporate Olympic weightlifting into a strongman regimen, it's important to adapt the lifts to align with strongman objectives. Focusing on variations such as power cleans, push presses, and high pulls can provide the explosive benefits without the necessity of mastering the full lifts. Programming these movements into training sessions should be done thoughtfully, ensuring they complement rather than detract from event-specific preparation.


While Olympic weightlifting may initially seem distinct from traditional strongman training, its incorporation can lead to significant improvements in power output, mobility, and technical skill. By thoughtfully integrating these lifts, strongman athletes can enhance their performance and gain a competitive edge in their events.


Olympic Lifting vs. Strongman-Specific Explosiveness


While the benefits of Olympic weightlifting for strongman are undeniable, it is important to recognize that the movement demands of the two sports are not identical. This means that Olympic lifts must be adapted rather than performed in their traditional form.


A common mistake among strength athletes attempting to integrate Olympic lifting is trying to replicate textbook weightlifting technique rather than modifying it to serve strongman objectives. Unlike weightlifters, strongmen are not judged on bar path efficiency, perfect pulling mechanics, or maximal load efficiency. Instead, strongman rewards the ability to apply force quickly and effectively, often with less-than-optimal leverage. As such, the key is to extract the benefits of Olympic movements while adjusting execution to fit the needs of a strongman athlete.


Compensatory acceleration training (CAT) plays a critical role here. CAT is the practice of applying maximal force to submaximal loads in order to reinforce explosive intent. Westside Barbell popularized this approach, emphasizing speed-strength and dynamic effort work as a means to build explosive power. In this sense, Olympic lifts and dynamic effort training share common ground. When integrated correctly, Olympic lifts become another tool in the explosive training arsenal, complementing speed squats, speed pulls, and box jumps.


How Westside Barbell Integrated Olympic Lifting


Louie Simmons, the architect of Westside Barbell’s conjugate system, was a strong proponent of explosive training. While he did not program full Olympic lifts in the traditional sense, he saw value in incorporating variations such as high pulls, power cleans, and jerks. The Westside system used dynamic effort work to develop bar speed and rate of force production, a concept directly aligned with Olympic lifting principles.


Westside athletes often performed heavy pulls, jumps, and dynamic pressing to reinforce explosive power. The incorporation of Olympic-style movements—particularly power cleans and power jerks—allowed lifters to develop violent hip extension and rapid force application, both of which are essential in strongman. The takeaway here is that Olympic lifting does not need to be performed in its purest form to be effective; rather, elements of Olympic training can be strategically applied to serve the needs of the strongman athlete.


How to Program Olympic Lifting for Strongman

Programming Olympic lifting for strongman requires a structured approach to ensure that these lifts enhance rather than detract from overall performance. The key is to position Olympic movements where they can provide maximal benefit without interfering with primary strongman work.


For most strongman athletes, Olympic lifts should be incorporated within max effort or dynamic effort training sessions, rather than as standalone exercises. Power cleans, power snatches, and high pulls work well as dynamic effort movements, while push presses and jerks can be programmed as max effort overhead lifts.


In terms of volume and intensity, one approach for the Olympic lifts would be follow a structured wave progression similar to dynamic effort squats or speed pulls. Working at 50-75% of a training max allows athletes to develop explosiveness without excessive fatigue, ensuring that they can still perform at a high level during strongman event training.


Olympic lifters typically train at very high percentages of their max—often working in the 85-95%+ range—which is a stark contrast to traditional speed work in powerlifting and strongman, where submaximal loads (50-70%) are used with accommodating resistance to develop explosive force. However, one major distinction with Olympic lifts is that they lack an eccentric portion, meaning there’s no controlled lowering phase like in a squat, deadlift, or bench press. This allows for more frequent exposure to heavy loads without the same degree of muscular fatigue or tissue damage.


That being said, in the early stages of learning Olympic lifts, your true max percentages are not a direct reflection of your strength, but rather of your technical proficiency, mobility, and coordination. A 90% lift in the snatch or clean & jerk is not just a test of strength but also of timing, positioning, and bar path efficiency. If you're new to the lifts, don't get discouraged by the numbers. Instead, focus on refining technique, reinforcing movement patterns, and developing mobility before worrying about absolute load. In the long run, technical mastery is what allows strongmen to transfer Olympic lifting principles into event performance without unnecessary breakdowns in execution.


Additionally, Olympic movements can be used as accessory work, particularly for trap, upper back, and posterior chain development. High pulls, shrugs, and snatch-grip deadlifts reinforce strongman-specific explosiveness while also reinforcing proper movement patterns.


Sample Training Blocks with Olympic Lifting


For beginners, the best approach is to introduce Olympic lifts in a controlled manner, focusing on power variations rather than full lifts. A basic weekly split might include power cleans or high pulls as a dynamic effort lower-body movement and push presses or jerks as a max effort pressing movement.


For advanced strongmen, Olympic movements can be pushed harder, with dedicated power sessions emphasizing bar speed, technique, and maximal force application. Integration with the Super Simple Off-Season DIY Programhttps://www.teamjoshhezza.com/post/the-super-simple-off-season-diy-program-you-ll-wish-you-d-known-about-years-ago can be achieved in two ways:


  1. As an additional two-day component focused on power cleans, snatches, jerks, and high pulls.


  2. By incorporating Olympic variations into main training days, using power movements as max effort or dynamic effort lifts where appropriate.

Alternatively there are some other approaches:


Here’s a well-structured Olympic weightlifting program tailored for strongman athletes, designed to enhance explosive power, rate of force development, and technical proficiency. This program balances Olympic lifts with strongman priorities, ensuring strength, speed, and efficiency without excessive fatigue from overly technical movements.



Olympic Weightlifting for Strongman: 2-Day and 3-Day Programs


  • Focus Lifts: Clean, Power Clean, Snatch, Power Snatch, Jerk

  • Accessory Work: Pulls, Push Press, High Pulls, Squats, Reverse Hypers

  • Primary Goal: Increase speed-strength, technical efficiency, and event carryover

  • Secondary Goal: Maintain maximal strength without unnecessary volume



2-Day Olympic Weightlifting Program for Strongman


Best For: Strongman athletes who need Olympic lifting as a supplement but must prioritize event work and maximal strength lifts.


  • Day 1: Power-Based Olympic Work (Lower Body Emphasis)

    • Power Snatch – 5x3 @ 70-80% (Fast, explosive reps)

    • Clean Pulls – 4x4 @ 85-95% of Clean 1RM (Overload posterior chain)

    • Front Squats – 5x3 (Strength & posture under load)

    • Reverse Hypers – 3x12 (Low back, hamstrings, glutes)

    • Core Work (Hanging Leg Raises) – 3x15


  • Day 2: Full Olympic Lifts (Overhead & Strength Focus)

    • Clean & Jerk – 5x2 @ 75-85% (Strength-speed development)

    • Power Clean – 4x3 @ 80-90% (Emphasis on rapid bar turnover)

    • Push Press – 4x5 (Triceps & overhead power)

    • Snatch-Grip High Pulls – 4x5 @ 90% of Snatch (Trap & upper back development)

    • Glute-Ham Raises – 3x10-12 (Hamstring resilience for explosive movements)



3-Day Olympic Weightlifting Program for Strongman


Best For: Strongman athletes who want a dedicated focus on Olympic lifting, improving efficiency and speed while maintaining strength.


  • Day 1: Speed & Power (Explosiveness)


    • Power Snatch – 5x3 @ 70-80%

    • Snatch-Grip Deadlift – 4x4 @ 85% (Posterior chain overload)

    • Overhead Squat – 3x5 (Upper back & mobility)

    • Reverse Hypers – 3x12

    • Hanging Leg Raises – 3x15


  • Day 2: Strength & Positioning


    • Clean & Jerk – 5x2 @ 80-90% (Technical consistency)

    • Power Clean – 4x3 @ 85%

    • Push Press – 4x4 (Overhead drive)

    • Snatch-Grip High Pulls – 4x5 @ 90% of Snatch

    • Glute-Ham Raises – 3x10-12


  • Day 3: Pulling Strength & Jerk Focus


    • Snatch – 4x2 @ 75-85%

    • Clean Pulls – 5x3 @ 90-100% (Max force output)

    • Front Squats – 5x3

    • Jerk Recovery (from rack) – 3x3 @ 90% of Jerk (Lockout endurance)

    • Reverse Hypers – 3x12



4-Week Progression for Each Program


Week 1 (Technical Emphasis)


  • Moderate intensities (70-80%) to focus on clean technique & explosive movement

  • Speed-focus in power cleans & power snatches

  • Emphasize snatch grip pulls & overhead stability work

  • Lower accessory work volume for recovery


Week 2 (Strength Phase)


  • Increase intensities to 80-90% on cleans, snatches, and jerks

  • Maintain dynamic work on power movements (5x3 @ 75-85%)

  • Increase squat and pull volume (5x3 → 4x4)

  • Introduce pause variations to reinforce stability


Week 3 (Overload Phase)


  • Push intensity closer to 85-95%

  • Reduce reps on main lifts but maintain high intent

  • Increase front squat frequency for clean carryover

  • Increase accessory work (high pulls, hypers, GHRs) for posterior chain reinforcement


Week 4 (Deload & Power Phase)


  • Reduce volume by 30-40%

  • Lower squat & pull intensity

  • Focus on bar speed (Power Snatch & Power Clean at 70-75%)

  • Prioritize movement efficiency over load


Alternatively, Conjugate athletes could add olympic life variations to dynamic lower days:


How a Strongman Athlete Can Integrate Cleans, Power Cleans, and Snatches on Dynamic Lower Days


In a Conjugate-based strongman training approach, dynamic lower days typically focus on speed pulls (e.g., speed deadlifts with bands or chains) to develop rate of force development (RFD), bar speed, and maximal intent with submaximal weights. However, Olympic lifts—cleans, power cleans, and snatches—offer a unique alternative or complement to speed pulls by reinforcing explosive power, hip drive, and technical efficiency under load.



Why Olympic Lifts on Dynamic Lower Days?


  • Superior Rate of Force Development: Olympic lifts require maximum power output with submaximal weight, a perfect fit for dynamic effort (DE) work.


  • Triple Extension Development: Explosive hip, knee, and ankle extension carries over to stone loading, log press leg drive, yoke acceleration, and keg toss.


  • Reactive Strength & Coordination: Unlike speed deadlifts, which are purely concentric, Olympic lifts demand precise control in both concentric and eccentric phases, improving an athlete's ability to redirect force quickly.


  • Bar Speed Development: If the goal of speed pulls is force production, then power cleans and snatches do the same but with a more dynamic, full-body demand.


  • Stronger Carryover to Strongman Events: Cleans and snatches teach bar path control, force absorption, and rate of contraction—critical for events like log press, axle clean & press, and stone loading.



Programming Cleans & Snatches on Dynamic Lower Days


Instead of or in addition to traditional speed pulls, strongman athletes can replace some DE deadlift sets with Olympic lifts to enhance explosive output while maintaining bar speed and posterior chain engagement.


Option 1: Replacing Speed Pulls with Olympic Lifts


If an athlete is highly posterior-chain dominant and benefits from more quad-dominant explosive work, they can replace speed pulls entirely.


  • Power Clean – 8-10x2 @ 75-85% (fast, explosive reps with crisp technique)

  • Power Snatch – 6x2 @ 70-80% (focus on speed and hip drive)

  • Front Squat – 4x4 @ 80% (reinforce clean receiving position)

  • Romanian Deadlifts – 3x8 @ moderate load (hamstring durability)

  • Reverse Hypers – 3x12 (spinal traction & glute endurance)

  • Core Work – Hanging Leg Raises – 3x15


🔹 Best For:


  • Athletes struggling with starting speed or hip extension explosiveness


  • Those needing more upper-back involvement for stone loading & cleans


  • Athletes who feel beat up from speed pulls and need a variation that loads differently



Option 2: Adding Cleans & Snatches After Speed Pulls


If an athlete still needs the barbell deadlift stimulus, but wants to incorporate Olympic movements, cleans and snatches can follow traditional speed pulls.


  • Speed Pulls (Deadlift) – 6-8x2 @ 65-75% (keep bands/chains if using accommodating resistance)

  • Power Snatch – 5x2 @ 70% (lighter, reinforcing bar speed & triple extension)

  • Power Clean – 4x2 @ 80% (slightly heavier than snatch, but still fast)

  • Front Squats – 4x4 @ 75-80% (drives clean carryover, reinforcing strength in the rack position)

  • Good Mornings – 3x8 (posterior chain work)

  • Core – Weighted Plank Holds – 3x45s


🔹 Best For:


  • Strongman athletes who still need deadlift-specific development

  • Athletes who recover well and can handle high-speed, high-intensity lower-body sessions

  • Those looking to improve Olympic lift proficiency while keeping deadlift explosiveness intact



Option 3: Alternating Between Speed Pulls and Olympic Lifts


For strongman athletes who want the best of both worlds, alternating one week of speed pulls with one week of Olympic lifts provides an excellent way to maximize explosive development without excessive fatigue.


Week 1: Speed Deadlift Focus


  • Speed Deadlifts – 8x2 @ 65-75% (bands/chains optional)

  • Box Squats – 4x3 @ 80%

  • Good Mornings – 3x8

  • Glute-Ham Raises – 3x10

  • Reverse Hypers – 3x12

  • Hanging Leg Raises – 3x15


Week 2: Olympic Lift Focus

  • Power Cleans – 6x2 @ 80%

  • Power Snatches – 5x2 @ 75%

  • Front Squats – 4x4 @ 80%

  • Romanian Deadlifts – 3x8

  • Reverse Hypers – 3x12

  • Hanging Leg Raises – 3x15


🔹 Best For:


  • Athletes who struggle with fatigue from speed pulls but still want speed-strength


  • Those with moderate Olympic lifting experience who need less exposure but better quality reps


  • Strongman competitors during offseason who can afford to focus on broad power development



Choosing the Right Approach


When to Use Olympic Lifts Instead of Speed Pulls


✅ If you’re stiff off the floor in deadlifts and need more aggressive hip drive 

✅ If your stone loads and axle cleans lack speed at triple extension 

✅ If pulling against bands feels grindy, slow, or fatiguing over time 

✅ If you’re developing overhead pressing and need better leg drive in jerks/log press



When to Use Olympic Lifts After Speed Pulls


✅ If you still want to develop deadlift bar speed, but need more upper-body power 

✅ If you handle dynamic effort deadlifts well but lack explosiveness in event work 

✅ If you need more vertical force production, rather than just hip-dominant pulls


When to Rotate Speed Pulls and Olympic Lifts


✅ If you struggle balancing recovery, but need both strength and power 

✅ If your speed deadlifts start to stagnate and you need a new explosive stimulus 

✅ If you want strong Olympic lifting carryover without excessive technique focus



Olympic Lifts for Strongman Dynamic Days


Incorporating power cleans, snatches, and jerks into dynamic lower days reshapes how strongman athletes develop power. Instead of relying solely on barbell deadlift variations, these explosive movements offer superior rate of force development, better triple extension mechanics, and a direct transfer to stone loading, log pressing, and keg tosses.


By strategically replacing, adding, or alternating them with speed pulls, strongman athletes can unlock a new level of explosiveness without sacrificing maximal strength or strongman specificity.





The Role of Olympic Weightlifting in Strongman & How to Apply It Effectively


When discussing Olympic weightlifting for strongman, the question isn’t whether cleans, snatches, and jerks should be included—it’s how they should be adapted and integrated into a strongman-specific program for maximal transferability. Strongman and Olympic lifting share a fundamental goal: generating as much force as possible, as quickly as possible. However, the way that force is applied in competition varies significantly, meaning strongman athletes cannot and should not train these movements in the same way as competitive weightlifters. Instead, they should take the best elements of Olympic lifting—its emphasis on explosiveness, speed-strength, and dynamic control under load—and modify the programming and execution to better suit strongman demands.


Throughout this article, we have broken down why Olympic lifts are valuable for strongman, how they should be adjusted, and where they fit into a well-structured strongman program.



Why Olympic Lifting Has a Place in Strongman Training

Olympic weightlifting develops several key attributes that are directly applicable to strongman:


  1. Explosive Hip Drive & Triple Extension:


    • Power cleans, snatches, and jerks reinforce powerful hip extension, which translates into better stone loading, keg toss, and log press efficiency.


  2. Rate of Force Development (RFD):


    • Olympic lifts require athletes to generate maximal force in a fraction of a second, reinforcing the fast-twitch strength necessary for loading and pressing events.


  3. Technical Proficiency Under Fatigue:


    • Many strongman events require executing lifts in a state of fatigue, whether it’s the final reps of a max log clean or the last stone in a series. Olympic lifting trains the ability to coordinate explosive movement under stress, enhancing efficiency in event performance.


  4. Dynamic Stability & Bar Control:


    • The catch position in cleans and snatches demands upper-back and core stability, which directly improves a strongman’s ability to stabilize axles, logs, or sandbags in unstable positions.


  5. Accommodating Resistance & Strength-Speed Adaptation:


    • The ability to absorb force and immediately redirect it in Olympic movements mimics the rapid force absorption and reapplication required in yoke walks, frame carries, and tire flips.



Key Modifications for Strongman Training


That said, traditional weightlifting programming does not translate perfectly to strongman. A strongman athlete should not train Olympic lifts with the same technical rigidity or volume as a competitive weightlifter. Instead, they should focus on:


  • Power Variations Over Full Lifts:

    • Power cleans and power snatches reduce unnecessary fatigue while still developing fast hip extension and pulling speed.


    • Full cleans and snatches can be useful but should be limited in frequency and volume to avoid overloading recovery capacity.


  • Emphasising Strength Over Pure Efficiency:


    • Strongman is not about perfect technique—it’s about generating maximum force in the least efficient way possible to increase raw strength adaptations.


    • High pulls, push presses, and jerks should be adapted to strongman-specific pressing and loading mechanics rather than mimicking weightlifting standards.


  • Programming Olympic Lifts Within Conjugate-Based Training:


    • Olympic lifts should be integrated within max effort, dynamic effort, or accessory work, rather than treated as an isolated discipline.


    • Power cleans/snatches can replace speed deadlifts on dynamic effort lower days.


    • Jerks and push presses can be used as overhead max effort or speed-strength movements.


    • High pulls and heavy shrugs reinforce trap and posterior chain development for stone loading and carries

      .

  • Reducing Unnecessary Volume to Manage Fatigue:


    • Strongman already places high demands on recovery, especially with loaded carries, heavy pressing, and event training.


    • Olympic lifting should be trained in lower volumes, at lower technical demand, and at intensities that maximise explosive output without excessive fatigue.



How to Structure Olympic Lifting in Strongman Training


To maximize the benefits while avoiding drawbacks, strongman athletes should:

  • Train Olympic lifts 1-3 times per week, depending on training phase and event focus.

  • Use low to moderate rep ranges (2-4 reps) to emphasize explosiveness without excessive fatigue.


  • Treat Olympic lifts as dynamic effort work or explosive strength builders, not as the centerpiece of training.


  • Cycle Olympic variations based on weak points—if hip drive is weak, more power cleans/snatches; if leg drive in log pressing is weak, more push press/jerks.



What This Means for You & How to Get Started


If you are a strongman competitor who has never trained Olympic lifts, don’t overcomplicate it. You don’t need to move like a weightlifter—you just need to harness their training principles to improve your performance in strongman events.



Start with: 

✅ Power cleans for explosive deadlift and stone loading carryover 

✅ Push presses & Jerks to build overhead drive and stability 

✅ Power snatches for upper-back and posterior chain engagement 

✅ High pulls for trap and grip development



From there, adjust programming based on event demands—if a strongman event requires rapid, high-rep clean and presses, Olympic lifting can directly reinforce that skill. If an event requires pure brute force, then cleans/snatches might take a back seat in favour of maximal strength work.


Strongman is a sport of adaptation, and Olympic weightlifting—when modified correctly—offers a powerful tool to enhance overall performance.




If you’re a strongman athlete looking to integrate Olympic lifts properly, I offer custom coaching, programming consultations, and access to proven strength training resources.


🔹 Want a structured plan? Check out my Super Simple Off-Season DIY Program, which integrates Olympic variations into strongman strength cycles.


🔹 Need personalised coaching? I work with athletes at all levels to develop explosive strength, technical efficiency, and strongman-specific programming—DM me or visit TEAMJOSHHEZZA.com for details.


🔹 Struggling with technical execution? I offer video breakdowns and 1-on-1 consulting to refine your power cleans, snatches, and jerks for strongman application.


No matter where you are in your strongman training journey, Olympic lifting can be a game-changer when applied correctly. Let’s make you stronger, faster, and more explosive than ever.


💪🔥 Get in touch today & start dominating your training and the competition ! 🚀






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