Thread: Power lifts vs. olympic lifts

Why does it seem as though olympic lifts will develop far more overall power than powerlifting exercises (basically squat, bench, deadlift vs. snatch and clean + jerk)? I would do the olympic lifts in addition to my current routine, but in doing so, I would most likely have to throw the weights down on the floor (which, needless to say, is not good in a basement). Should I do olympic lifts to improve my power, but not slam the weights down? It also seems like they would be very dangerous to do without a spotter, which isn't a good thing. So what would you say is better for overall power: the three main power lifts, or the olympic lifts (snatch and clean + jerk)? Is one better than the other to train with? Will one cause more long-term stress and wear on the body than the other? Feel free to express your general thoughts and/or answer my questions.

Olympic lifts (what is considered true weightlifting) will help develop your power out put more so than powerlifteing (which is more strength lifting) because with power movements there is a time element involved. The olympic lifts are explosive by nature. they are to be performed that way, even when working soley on speed type stuff using 60-70% of a 1RM. It is still supposed to be treated as an all out effort, as explosive as possible. Powerlifters are extremely strong guys but when they are hitting their 1RMs often times, not always though, the weight is not moving at a fast pace. Now, they are not intentionally moving slow. they are moving that bar as fast as they possibley can but the weight is so heavy that the bar is moving much slower. So that can not be defined as true power. Powerhas a time variable that is not relevant in strength.


Why are you throwing the weight on the floor? If I do hang cleans I just go from above my knee to the rack position and do reps like that. The only time the bar hits the floor is when I terminate the set and set the bar down. Since I have no interest in competing in olympic lifting I do the lifts more for power and speed (athletics). So I go with an intensitny of about 70-80% of 1RM and bang out anywhere form 2-5 reps with 30sec rest intervals. At that weight I can contron it enough that I am not dumping the bar on the ground. If I were looking at the clean or the snatch I'd say start with the clean. It is pretty fundamental and easier to grasp. Work your way up to the snatch and make sure you really have good external rotation at the shoulder to be able to cathc the bar appropriatly overhead and make sure that you have a sound overhead squat as well.

Hope that helps.

Starting next month (feb.), my article for the IM new letter is going to on olympic lifting/training. I am going to go through fundamentals of the ppull, catch, and front squat positions. It will probably be done in segments so that people have the full month (4 weeks) to work on each element of the lift before putting it together and finally starting a routine.

-patrick