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Home » clean and jerk » Getting Started in Olympic Weightlifting

Getting Started in Olympic Weightlifting

September 23, 2011 By Gregor Winter

Dan John wrote about a “Beginners Program for the Olympic Lifts”.

  • he suggests starting out the Bulgarian way, with deep squats
  • then learn the clean – “Push the floor away”
  • then get the bar overhead – learn true military press, push press, push jerk,split jerk, and the corresponding behind the neck variations of these exercises
  • then learn the snatch (with squat variation – front /overhead)
  • include lots of flexibility work
  • perfect technique with broomstick / PVC pipe work, light weights
For an absolute beginner he proposes the following program

Warm Ups
Snatch: 8 Sets of Doubles
Clean and Jerk: 8 Sets of Singles
Front Squat: 5 Sets of 5
Press: 5 Sets of 3

“If your form is perfect, you add weight the next workout, if not, you stay at this weight.”

Filed Under: clean and jerk, Dan John, flexibility, instruction, overhead press, press, program, snatch, squat, technique, weightlifting

About Gregor Winter

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