Back Squats: Place the barbell on the back of your shoulders and get your feet slightly wider than hip-width.  Tighten your back and push your hips back.  As your hips move, unlock your knees and squat down as far as you can.

Behind the Neck Press, Snatch Grip: Place the barbell on the back of your shoulders and take a snatch-width grip on the bar.  Perform presses with this grip.  This should be done standing up.

Behind the Neck Press, Snatch Grip + Overhead Squats: Perform the indicated number of behind the neck presses.  After the last press, leave the bar overhead and perform the indicated number of overhead squats.

Behind the Neck Press, Snatch Grip, Squat: Start out with the bar on the back of your shoulders.  Take a snatch-width grip on the bar.  Squat down until you are in a full squat.  Hold this position and perform behind the neck presses.  Make sure to keep your arms under the bar – it will make this exercise easier.

Classic Clean (or Snatch), b, AK:  Clean (or Snatch), from blocks, bar starts out above the knee.  Set up wooden blocks so that the bar starts out at a height that is just above your knees.  Perform cleans (or snatches) from the height.  It makes the lift more difficult because you have to become more explosive to lift it.

Classic Clean (or Snatch), b, BK:  Clean (or Snatch), from blocks, bar starts out below the knee.  Set up wooden blocks so that the bar starts out at a height that is just below your knees.  Perform cleans (or snatches) from the height.  It makes the lift more difficult because you have to become more explosive to lift it.

Classic Clean + Split Jerk:  Perform the indicated number of cleans.  After the last clean, stand up with the bar on your shoulders then perform the indicated number of jerks.

Classic Snatch + Overhead Squats:  Perform the indicated number of snatches.  After the last snatch, stand up with the bar overhead and perform the indicated number of overhead squats.

Clocks:  Lie flat on the ground, place your arms out to either side of you.  Lift your legs straight up into the air.  Rotating, try to put your feet on the ground next to you.  Now try the other side.  This will kill your obliques.

Counter-movement jumps:  Stand with your feet hip-width apart.  Quickly squat down and jump up as high as you can – just straight up, not forwards or backwards.  Use your arms to add to the jump.

Feet to Bar:  Hang from a pull-up bar.  Moving from your hips, try to touch the pull-up bar with your feet.

Front Squats: Place the bar on the front of your shoulders.  Open your hands so that you can keep your elbows high.  Use a clean-width grip on the bar. Tighten your back and push your hips back.  As your hips move, unlock your knees and squat down as far as you can.  Remember to keep your elbows high or you will kill your wrists.

Front Squat + Split Jerk:  Perform the indicated number of front squats.  After the last front squat perform the indicated number of jerks.

Good Mornings, Seated:  Sit down on a bench with the bar on the back of your shoulders.  Have your feet on either side of the bench.  Keeping your back flat, bend forward and try to touch your chest to the bench.  Sit up and repeat.

Good Mornings, Standing:  Start out with the bar on the back of your shoulders.  Get your feet about hip-width apart.  Keeping your back flat, bend forward from your hips.  Go as far forward as you can, keeping your back flat.  You should feel this in your hamstrings and lower back.

Hanging Straight Leg Raises:  Hang from a pull-up bar.  Moving from your hips, try to raise your legs straight up in front of you until they are parallel to the floor.

Incline Sit Ups:  Perform sit ups on an incline board.  If they get easy then raise the incline.

Lunges, bar on back of shoulders:  Place the bar on the back of your shoulders.  Take a large step forward, heel to toe.  Your other knee should be close to the ground.  Take as many steps back as you need for balance.  Repeat the indicated number of times and then switch legs.

Lunges, bar on front of shoulders:  Assume the starting position of the front squat.  Perform lunges with the bar on the front of your shoulders.

Lunges, bar overhead:  Start out with the bar on the back of your shoulders.  Take a snatch-width grip on the bar.  Press it overhead.  Lock out your arms and perform lunges with the barbell overhead.

Medicine Ball Sit Ups:  Perform sit ups holding a medicine ball over your head.

Military Press:  Start out with the barbell on the front of your shoulders (just as if you’d cleaned it).  Use a clean grip-width on the bar.  Press the bar overhead.  Perform this exercise standing up.

Overhead Squats: The bar starts out in a squat rack.  Place the bar on the back of your shoulders, take a snatch-width grip on the bar, and press it overhead.  With the bar overhead, perform squats.  Make sure to keep your elbows locked and keep your feet flat.  This is to train the bottom position of the snatch.

Plyometric Sit Ups:  Lie flat on the ground.  Have your partner stand behind your head.  Grab your partner’s ankles.  Lift your legs straight up into the air and have your partner throw them to the ground violently.  You are trying to keep your feet from hitting the ground.

Power Jerk:  The bar starts out on the front of your shoulders.  Use a clean-width grip on the bar.  Dip and drive the bar off your shoulders using your legs (just like in the push jerk).  When the bar reaches its point of maximum ascent, squat underneath the bar and “catch” it at arm’s length.

Push Jerk:  The bar starts out in a squat rack.  Start out with the barbell on the front of your shoulders (just like you had cleaned it to your shoulders).  Use a clean grip-width on the bar.  Quickly squat down into a ¼ squat and drive the bar off your shoulders with your legs.  When the bar has reached its point of maximum ascent, press the bar the rest of the way overhead.  This develops the dip and drive of the jerk.

Push Press, Snatch Grip:  Start out with the barbell on the back of your shoulders.  Take a snatch grip on the bar.  Quickly squat down into a ¼ squat and drive it off your shoulders.  When the bar reaches its point of maximum ascent, press it the rest of the way overhead.

Push Press, Snatch Grip + Overhead Squats:  Perform the indicated number of push presses.  After the last push press keep the bar overhead and perform the indicated number of overhead squats.

Romanian Deadlifts:  Start out with the barbell in your hands.  Pull your shoulders back and tighten your lower back.  Push your hips back and bend forward as far as you can, keeping your back flat.  Reverse direction until you are standing straight again.  This trains your hamstrings and lower back.

Snatch Balance:  Start out with the bar on the back of your shoulders.  Take a snatch-width grip on the bar.  Quickly perform a ¼ squat and drive the barbell off your shoulders.  When the bar reaches it’s point of maximum ascent squat down under the bar and “catch” it in a full squat, with the barbell overhead.

Snatch (or Clean) Pull, NE:  Grip the bar and assume the starting position for the snatch (or clean).  Lift the bar from the floor until it makes contact with your hips (or mid-thigh for the clean).  Set the bar back down on the floor.  This is supposed to mimic the first half of the snatch (or clean).

Snatch Pull, NE + Shrug:  Perform a snatch pull until the bar reaches your hips.  When the bar touches your hips; extend your hips, rise up on your toes, and shrug your shoulders up – all three at the same time.

Squat Jumps:  Stand up with your feet about hip-width apart.  Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.  Pause for a second.  Without a countermovement, jump as high as you can straight up.

Squat Jump, 3x3x30% of back squat 1-RM:  Perform squat jumps with a loaded barbell on the back of your shoulders.

Step Ups:  Start out with the bar on the back of your shoulders.  You need a bench in front of you.  Put your right foot flat on the bench.  Using your right leg, step up onto the bench.  Switch legs.

Twisting Sit Ups:  Perform a sit up.  When you are at the top of the sit up, twist left and then twist right.  Sit back down.

Weighted Crunches:  Hold a dumbell on the front of your shoulders.  Lie down with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.  Flex your trunk so that your shoulders come up off the ground.  Lower yourself all the way back down.

Weighted Sit Ups:  Hold a dumbell on the front of your shoulders.  Lie down with your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent.  Flex your trunk and your hips so that you sit up until your elbows touch your thighs.  Lower yourself all the way back down.

Vertical Jump, bar on shoulders:  Place the barbell on the back of your shoulders.  Have your feet about hip-width apart.  Quickly squat down and jump straight up as high as you can.

Vertical Jump, Snatch Grip, h, AK:  Stand up with the bar in your hands.  Take a snatch grip on the bar.  Keeping your back flat, push your hips back until the bar is touching your hips.  From this position jump straight up into the air as high as you can.

Coming Next Month: Johns final installment will teach you how to perform a proper clean and jerk and snatch.
 
 

  Reproduction of this article, in whole or part, for any purpose other than personal use is
        prohibited without written consent. Copyright 1999 John Cissek, MS, CSCS.