I have been in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting for 29 years, and have seen the Olympic lifts used with athletes of various disciplines to get stronger, faster, more powerful and explosive, to increase fast twitch muscles, force production and power output, work capacity, to improve the athlete's vertical jump, teach body awareness and balance… to name a few. 

Strength coaches may use variations of the Olympic lifts for their volleyball, basketball and football players and track athletes- sprinters, throwers, and jumpers. Any athlete who plays a sport that requires high-load speed strength will benefit from Olympic Weightlifting.

So why isn't the same BELIEVED in CrossFit®? Why do some still believe that Olympic Weightlifting ONLY benefits barbell cycling or the Snatch and Clean and Jerk if they show up in competition?

I received a message recently that gave me the idea for this article, as I genuinely believe that Olympic Weightlifting is a valuable resource for all athletes, NOT just Olympic Weightlifters. Training in Olympic Weightlifting benefits the beginners, the intermediate, AND the elite. The recreational levels include those who train for health and fitness and those who don't have a desire to compete. I wanted to talk about something other than the HOW'S and the WHY'S behind this in this blog, but instead share perspectives from the non-competing beginner, the GOAT, the coach, and even a couple HWPO PRO members.

FIRST, non-competing beginner.

The message I received filled my heart with pride, as I see every day how Olympic Weightlifting is changing people's LIVES, and not just their athletic life:

"I usually run 1-2 10Ks per week. I've generally kept this up in addition to my lifting. I consider this my 'thinking' time and, therefore, don't push myself but instead always maintain a comfortable, easy pace. My Apple Watch has noted a significant improvement in my min/ mile pace for the last few runs I've completed. I always run the same route, which is very hilly. When I looked at my splits, I realized the pace improvement was most notable in the uphill portions of the course, which I attribute to improved power output from my legs without any increase in exertion. I'm almost positive it's directly attributable to increased leg strength from all the lifting.

Also, I had a few routine doctor's appointments over the last month or so. At the first one, my height was noted at 4'11", which I assumed was a fluke given that I've been a solid 4'10" for the last 25+ years of my life. By the 3rd appointment, where I measured in at 4'11", I realized I might have had a mid-life growth spurt! Actually, I think that all the lifting (especially the OH work) has improved my posture by making me stand more naturally upright. This is phenomenal news for someone who spends the majority of her days hunched over a keyboard and computer screen! 

I know I also mentioned to you that I'm seeing unexpected strength gains in other ways, such as performing unassisted pull-ups, etc., which is super fun as well!"

SECOND, the GOAT.

After receiving this message, I decided to talk to the one person I know who was a successful Olympic Weightlifter and who became a five-time CrossFit Games Champion, the greatest of all time, Mat Fraser. I knew Mat's thoughts surrounding Olympic Weightlifting for CrossFit® because we have discussed it before when creating HWPO LIFT and coaching with him. I wanted to share what a Champion's opinions were compared to my own beliefs, what I hear from my athletes and my own experience in the sport.

Aimee (AAE): "Why did you believe as an athlete that it was important to keep Olympic Weightlifting and assistance strength work (i.e. Olympic lifting style front and back squats and pulls, compared to powerlifting style) in your program each year you were competing?"

Mat Fraser (MF): "I always thought Olympic weightlifting was important to keep as a priority in my training because it helped on so many fronts. Explosiveness, body coordination, hip drive, and "stacking the joints" are what come to front-of-mind. Each one of these qualities shows themselves in so many other movements we do in the gym on a daily basis. Using your hips on gymnastics movements, "timing" the turnover on a muscle up, overhead carries, to list a few, all become more proficient when I would have my Olympic lifting dialed in."

AAE: "How do you feel that having such a strong Olympic Weightlifting focus helped you be a better CrossFitter?"

MF: "By coming into CrossFit® already proficient at Weightlifting, I already had so many foundational tools, I just had to learn how to apply them to my CrossFit®. Whether that was using my hips to assist with a ring muscle up or "stacking my joints" while doing an overhead walking lunge, I felt like I just had to learn the movements, but I was somewhat proficient in the skills for each movement."

AAE: "What advice do you have for an athlete, or a coach, who believes that Olympic Weightlifting ONLY carries over to barbell cycling or Snatch or Clean & Jerk specific events?"

MF: "I would advise them on the benefits of Olympic Weightlifting on things other than strength, such as a vertical jump, coordination, and speed, just to name a few. Some of the most impressive vertical jumps I have ever seen came from Olympic weightlifters!"

AAE: "What advice do you have for someone just starting a progression-based program in order to incorporate more of the Olympic lifts and assistance strength work (squats, pulls, OHS, jerks, etc.) into their training?"

MF: "My advice to someone starting out in training Olympic Weightlifting is to take your time. Put aside the temptation to load up the bar and try to lift heavy, as long as possible. Instead, focus on the technique. The heavy lift you hit today will not translate into much tomorrow if it doesn't have a good foundation to build on. Focus on making each lift you do feel as effortless as possible by keeping your body and the bar in the perfect positions."

AAE: "Do you feel it is important to work technique and movement, and not nearly strength? And if so, why?"

MF:" I tried to keep a good mix of technique and strength work throughout my career. Typically, my focus would be largely technique work through the front half of my season (70% or below). Mid to end of the season is when the heavier weights would get introduced, but I would still rarely be going over 90%. I typically cared more about cycling a 245-pound snatch flawlessly for reps than chasing the "sexy new 1 RM". I found that if I could cycle the mid-weights efficiently, consistently, and with good technique, the heavy lift would still be there when I needed it to be. But the correlation wasn't as strong going the other way."

THIRD, the Coaches.

Building on my conversation with Mat, I asked two of HWPO's other coaches their opinions, as it is important to share multiple views aside from my own. I asked Josh Godinez and Michele Letendre how they felt focusing on Olympic lifting and assistance strength (Olympic style back squat, front squat, pulls, ohs, push presses, etc.) helps someone be better at CrossFit®:

Michele, HWPO Affiliate Head Coach: 

(from a Class perspective)

"Being exposed to Olympic Lifting and its Accessories and strength movement allows us to develop power & strength in ways that translate effectively to the demands of our everyday lives in ways we may not realize: Picking up dirtbags when gardening or picking up our kids when they're happy to see us after school. In addition, it helps us continuously learn new things, which is crucial for mental health and a sense of accomplishment. This translates to more confidence and overall helps boost our mood."

Josh, HWPO Coach:

"I think that focusing on the Olympic lifts and the strength work to assist these lifts helps athletes be better at CrossFit® first and foremost because these movements are seen in competition and are part of the sport/training methodology. They help train power and body cohesion/awareness that can translate to many other seemingly unrelated movements in CrossFit®, such as rowing or certain gymnastics movements. In my experience, stronger athletes typically have an easier time managing the weight and body demands seen in CrossFit®."

LASTLY, the HWPO Pro Hard Workers.

AAE: "I am interested in hearing how you feel focusing on the Olympic Lifts and strength has helped your CrossFit®?"

Robert M.:

"The first thing that comes to my mind is efficiency. When a Metcon has Olympic Lifting, I can complete the Olympic lifts much more efficiently, thus preserving energy for other parts of the workout and improving my score.

The second thing that comes to mind is overall power development, body awareness, and mobility improvement, especially in regard to hip strength, front rack, and overhead squat mobility. So much of CrossFit® is about using the hips to generate power.

And more obviously, when a workout has heavy Olympic Lifting, training the lifts simply raises the skill/strength limitations allowing me to lift more!"

Casey B.:

"Other than obvious reasons usually stated, I found focusing and learning about Olympic Weightlifting taught me a model of how to break down skills, train power, and respect rest, which I then translated to gymnastics and other skill development. When teaching gymnastic movements at our local gym, I always reference the different drills, movements and complexes that Olympic weighting has exposed to us for context for them to understand why and how we can break down a pull-up or handstand push or muscle up into different parts and drills and "percentages" and work on components and not just the full "lift" or movement. Olympic Weightlifting taught me a different mindset."

I hope these perspectives help you, the reader, see how incorporating Olympic Weightlifting into your training can help your CrossFit®, or whatever your choice of fitness is, and more importantly, your life.