The Gray Area of Programming Weightlifting Exercises

by Timothy Suchomel, PhD, CSCS,*D, RSCC
NSCA Coach January 2021
Vol 7, Issue 3

Share:

The purpose of this article is to discuss the gray area that should be considered when it comes to implementing weightlifting exercises.

Paywall block issue

This article is not configured properly for members or paid content.
isMemberOnly: {{isMemberOnly}} | isPaidContent: {{isPaidContent}}
spc: One or more parts of the product SPC is missing.

Read the full article

View the video

Login to view more


{{discountDesc}} Valid thru {{discountEnds}}

This {{ogType == 'video.other' ? 'video':'article'}} is available with a NSCA membership

This {{ogType == 'video.other' ? 'video':'article'}} can be purchased for {{prices}}
Price includes membership pricing and promotions

Purchase this {{ogType == 'video.other' ? 'video':'article'}}. Price range: {{prices}}
Price range includes membership pricing and promotions

Become a Member Add to Cart Login

This article originally appeared in NSCA Coach, a quarterly publication for NSCA Members that provides valuable takeaways for every level of strength and conditioning coach. You can find scientifically based articles specific to a wide variety of your athletes’ needs with Nutrition, Programming, and Youth columns. Read more articles from NSCA Coach »

Related Reading

Snatch Balance Technique

The Relationship between Vertical Jump Power Estimates and Weightlifting Ability: A Field-Test Approach

Olympic Weightlifting and Plyometric Training with Children Provides Similar or Greater Performance Improvements than Traditional Resistance Training

The Stop Clean and Stop Snatch: Alternatives to the Hang

An Investigation into the Effects of Excluding the Catch Phase of the Power Clean on Force-Time Characteristics during Isometric and Dynamic Tasks: An Intervention Study

The Effect of Loading on Kinematic and Kinetic Variables during the Mid-Thigh Clean Pull

A Comparison of Catch Phase Force-Time Characteristics during Clean Derivatives from the Knee

The Countermovement Shrug

The Mid-Thigh Pull: Proper Application and Progressions of a Weightlifting Movement Derivative

The Clean Pull and Snatch Pull: Proper Technique for Weightlifting Movement Derivatives

The Pull to Knee—Proper Biomechanics for a Weightlifting Movement Derivative

The Pull from the Knee: Proper Technique and Application

Weightlifting Movements from Full Extension: The Snatch and Clean

Strength and Conditioning Practices of United States High School Strength and Conditioning Coaches

A Survey of the Scientific Data and Training Methods Utilized by Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Strength and Conditioning Practices of National Football League Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Strength and Conditioning Practices of National Hockey League Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Strength and Conditioning Practices of Major League Baseball Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Effects of Different Set Configurations on Barbell Velocity and Displacement during a Clean Pull

Learning the Hang Power Clean: Kinetic, Kinematic, and Technical Changes in Four Weightlifting Naive Athletes

Comparison of Olympic vs. Traditional Power Lifting Training Programs in Football Players

Does Performance of Hang Power Clean Differentiate Performance of Jumping, Sprinting, and Changing of Direction?

Comparing Biomechanical Time Series Data during the Hang-Power Clean and Jump Shrug

Mechanical Demands of the Hang Power Clean and Jump Shrug: A Joint-Level Perspective

A Review of Reflective Practice and its Application for the Football Strength and Conditioning Coach

A Comparison of Kinetic and Kinematic Variables during the Pull from the Knee and Hang Pull, Across Loads

A Comparison of Kinetic and Kinematic Variables during the Mid-Thigh Pull and Countermovement Shrug, Across Loads

Characteristics of Lower Extremity Work during the Impact Phase of Jumping and Weightlifting

Effects of Weightlifting vs. Kettlebell Training on Vertical Jump, Strength, and Body Composition

Investigating “A Consensus of Uninformed Dogma”: CH McCloy and Strength Training Research at the University of Iowa in the Mid-Twentieth Century

Strength and Conditioning Practices of National Basketball Association Strength and Conditioning Coaches

Effect of Various Loads on the Force-Time Characteristics of the Hang High Pull

Enhancing the Force-Velocity Profile of Athletes Using Weightlifting Derivatives

The Hang High Pull: A Progressive Exercise into Weightlifting Derivatives

The Jump Shrug: A Progressive Exercise into Weightlifting Derivatives

Comparison of Joint Work during Load Absorption between Weightlifting Derivatives

Load Absorption Force-Time Characteristics Following the Second Pull of Weightlifting Derivatives

Training with Weightlifting Derivatives: The Effects of Force and Velocity Overload Stimuli

Kinetic Comparison of the Power Development between Power Clean Variations

Comparison of the Power Output between the Hang Power Clean and Hang High Pull across a Wide Range of Loads in Weightlifters

Comparing the Effectiveness of a Short-Term Vertical Jump versus Weightlifting Program on Athletic Power Development

Short-Term Effects on Lower-Body Functional Power Development: Weightlifting vs. Vertical Jump Training Programs

Share:

References

1. Altepeter, M, and Mike, J. Snatch balance technique. Strength and Conditioning Journal 39: 82-88, 2017.

2. Carlock, JM, Smith, SL, Hartman, MJ, Morris, RT, Ciroslan, DA, Pierce, KC, et al. The relationship between vertical jump power estimates and weightlifting ability: A field-test approach. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 18: 534-539, 2004.

3. Chaouachi, A, Hammami, R, Kaabi, S, Chamari, K, Drinkwater, EJ, and Behm, DG. Olympic weightlifting and plyometric training with children provides similar or greater performance improvements than traditional resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 28: 1483-1496, 2014.

4. Chiu, LZF, and Schilling, BK. The stop clean and stop snatch: Alternatives to the hang. Strength and Conditioning Journal 26: 10-12, 2004.

5. Comfort, P, Dos’Santos, T, Thomas, C, McMahon, JJ, and Suchomel, TJ. An investigation into the effects of excluding the catch phase of the power clean on force-time characteristics during isometric and dynamic tasks: An intervention study. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 32: 2116-2129, 2018.

6. Comfort, P, Jones, PA, and Udall, R. The effect of load and sex on kinematic and kinetic variables during the mid-thigh clean pull. Sports Biomechanics 14: 139-156, 2015.

7. Comfort, P, Udall, R, and Jones, PA. The effect of loading on kinematic and kinetic variables during the mid-thigh clean pull. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26: 1208-1214, 2012.

8. Comfort, P, Williams, R, Suchomel, TJ, and Lake, JP. A comparison of catch phase force-time characteristics during clean derivatives from the knee. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 31: 1911-1918, 2017.

9. Coté, J, Saimela, J, Trudel, P, Baria, A, and Russell, S. The coaching model: A grounded assessment of expert gymnastic coaches’ knowledge. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology 17: 1-17, 1995.

10. Dahlin, TE, Krosshaug, T, and Chiu, LZF. Distribution of lower extremity work during clean variations performed with different effort. Journal of Sports Sciences 36: 2242-2249, 2018.

11. DeWeese, BH, and Scruggs, SK. The countermovement shrug. Strength and Conditioning Journal 34: 20-23, 2012.

12. DeWeese, BH, Serrano, AJ, Scruggs, SK, and Burton, JD. The mid-thigh pull: Proper application and progressions of a weightlifting movement derivative. Strength and Conditioning Journal 35: 54-58, 2013.

13. DeWeese, BH, Serrano, AJ, Scruggs, SK, and Sams, ML. The clean pull and snatch pull: Proper technique for weightlifting movement derivatives. Strength and Conditioning Journal 34: 82-86, 2012.

14. DeWeese, BH, Serrano, AJ, Scruggs, SK, and Sams, ML. The pull to knee—Proper biomechanics for a weightlifting movement derivative. Strength and Conditioning Journal 34: 73-75, 2012.

15. DeWeese, BH, Suchomel, TJ, Serrano, AJ, Burton, JD, Scruggs, SK, and Taber, CB. The pull from the knee: Proper technique and application. Strength and Conditioning Journal 38: 79-85, 2016.

16. DiSanto, M, Valentine, G, and Boutagy, N. Weightlifting movements from full extension: The snatch and clean. Strength and Conditioning Journal 37: 1-4, 2015.

17. Duehring, MD, Feldmann, CR, and Ebben, WP. Strength and conditioning practices of United States high school strength and conditioning coaches. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 23: 2188-2203, 2009.

18. Durell, DL, Pujol, TJ, and Barnes, JT. A survey of the scientific data and training methods utilized by collegiate strength and conditioning coaches. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17: 368-373, 2003.

19. Ebben, WP, and Blackard, DO. Strength and conditioning practices of National Football League strength and conditioning coaches. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 15: 48-58, 2001.

20. Ebben, WP, Carroll, RM, and Simenz, CJ. Strength and conditioning practices of National Hockey League strength and conditioning coaches. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 18: 889-897, 2004.

21. Ebben, WP, Hintz, MJ, and Simenz, CJ. Strength and conditioning practices of Major League Baseball strength and conditioning coaches. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 19: 538-546, 2005.

22. Haff, GG, Whitley, A, McCoy, LB, O’Bryant, HS, Kilgore, JL, Haff, EE, et al. Effects of different set configurations on barbell velocity and displacement during a clean pull. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17: 95-103, 2003.

23. Harbili, E, and Alptekin, A. Comparative kinematic analysis of the snatch lifts in elite male adolescent weightlifters. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine 13: 417-422, 2014.

24. Haug, WB, Drinkwater, EJ, and Chapman, DW. Learning the hang power clean: Kinetic, kinematic, and technical changes in four weightlifting naive athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29: 1766-1779, 2015.

25. Hoffman, JR, Cooper, J, Wendell, M, and Kang, J. Comparison of Olympic vs. traditional power lifting training programs in football players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 18: 129-135, 2004.

26. Hori, N, Newton, RU, Andrews, WA, Kawamori, N, McGuigan, MR, and Nosaka, K. Does performance of hang power clean differentiate performance of jumping, sprinting, and changing of direction? Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 22: 412-418, 2008.

27. Kelly, J, McMahon, JJ, and Comfort, P. A comparison of maximal power clean performances performed from the floor, knee and mid-thigh. Journal of Trainology 3: 53-56, 2014.

28. Kipp, K, Comfort, P, and Suchomel, TJ. Comparing biomechanical time series data during the hang-power clean and jump shrug. Published ahead of print. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2019.

29. Kipp, K, Malloy, PJ, Smith, J, Giordanelli, MD, Kiely, MT, Geiser, CF, and Suchomel, TJ. Mechanical demands of the hang power clean and jump shrug: A joint-level perspective. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 32: 466-474, 2018.

30. Kipp, K, Suchomel, TJ, and Comfort, P. Correlational analysis between joint-level kinetics of countermovement jumps and weightlifting derivatives. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine 18: 663-668, 2019.

31. Kraemer, WJ. Education and learning. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal 12: 72-73, 1990.

32. Kraemer, WJ. A fundamental skill of the profession. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal 12: 72-73, 1990.

33. Kuklick, CR, and Gearity, BT. A review of reflective practice and its application for the football strength and conditioning coach. Strength and Conditioning Journal 37: 43-51, 2015.

34. McGuigan, MM. Extreme positions in sport science and the importance of context: It depends? International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 11: 841, 2016.

35. Meechan, D, McMahon, JJ, Suchomel, TJ, and Comfort, P. A comparison of kinetic and kinematic variables during the pull from the knee and hang pull, across loads. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34: 1819-1829, 2020.

36. Meechan, D, Suchomel, TJ, McMahon, JJ, and Comfort, P. A comparison of kinetic and kinematic variables during the mid-thigh pull and countermovement shrug, across loads. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34: 1830-1841, 2020.

37. Moolyk, AN, Carey, JP, and Chiu, LZF. Characteristics of lower extremity work during the impact phase of jumping and weightlifting. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27: 3225-3232, 2013.

38. Nagao, H, Kubo, Y, Tsuno, T, Kurosaka, S, and Muto, M. A biomechanical comparison of successful and unsuccessful snatch attempts among elite male weightlifters. Sports 7: 151, 2019.

39. Otto III, WH, Coburn, JW, Brown, LE, and Spiering, BA. Effects of weightlifting vs. kettlebell training on vertical jump, strength, and body composition. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26: 1199-1202, 2012.

40. Shurley, JP. Investigating “A Consensus of Uninformed Dogma”: CH McCloy and strength training research at the University of Iowa in the mid-twentieth century. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 33: 3201-3212, 2019.

41. Simenz, CJ, Dugan, CA, and Ebben, WP. Strength and conditioning practices of National Basketball Association strength and conditioning coaches. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 19: 495-504, 2005.

42. Stone, MH, Byrd, R, Tew, J, and Wood, M. Relationship between anaerobic power and olympic weightlifting performance. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 20: 99-102, 1980.

43. Suchomel, TJ, Beckham, GK, and Wright, GA. Lower body kinetics during the jump shrug: Impact of load. Journal of Trainology 2: 19-22, 2013.

44. Suchomel, TJ, Beckham, GK, and Wright, GA. Effect of various loads on the force-time characteristics of the hang high pull. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29: 1295-1301, 2015.

45. Suchomel, TJ, and Comfort, P. Developing muscular strength and power. In: Turner, A, and Comfort, P (Eds.), Advanced Strength and Conditioning - An Evidence-based Approach. New York, NY: Routledge; 13-38, 2018.

46. Suchomel, TJ, Comfort, P, and Lake, JP. Enhancing the force-velocity profile of athletes using weightlifting derivatives. Strength and Conditioning Journal 39: 10-20, 2017.

47. Suchomel, TJ, Comfort, P, and Stone, MH. Weightlifting pulling derivatives: Rationale for implementation and application. Sports Medicine 45: 823-839, 2015.

48. Suchomel, TJ, DeWeese, BH, Beckham, GK, Serrano, AJ, and French, SM. The hang high pull: A progressive exercise into weightlifting derivatives. Strength and Conditioning Journal 36: 79-83, 2014.

49. Suchomel, TJ, DeWeese, BH, Beckham, GK, Serrano, AJ, and Sole, CJ. The jump shrug: A progressive exercise into weightlifting derivatives. Strength and Conditioning Journal 36: 43-47, 2014.

50. Suchomel, TJ, Giordanelli, MD, Geiser, CF, and Kipp, K. Comparison of joint work during load absorption between weightlifting derivatives. Published ahead of print. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2018.

51. Suchomel, TJ, Lake, JP, and Comfort, P. Load absorption force-time characteristics following the second pull of weightlifting derivatives. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 31: 1644-1652, 2017.

52. Suchomel, TJ, McKeever, SM, and Comfort, P. Training with weightlifting derivatives: The effects of force and velocity overload stimuli. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 34: 1808-1818, 2020.

53. Suchomel, TJ, McKeever, SM, McMahon, JJ, and Comfort, P. The effect of training with weightlifting catching or pulling derivatives on squat jump and countermovement jump force-time adaptations. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 5: 28, 2020.

54. Suchomel, TJ, McKeever, SM, Sijuwade, O, Carpenter, L, McMahon, JJ, Loturco, I, and Comfort, P. The effect of load placement on the power production characteristics of three lower extremity jumping exercises. Journal of Human Kinetics 68: 109-122, 2019.

55. Suchomel, TJ, Nimphius, S, Bellon, CR, and Stone, MH. The importance of muscular strength: Training considerations. Sports Medicine 48: 765-785, 2018.

56. Suchomel, TJ, and Sato, K. Baseball resistance training: Should power clean variations be incorporated? Journal of Athletic Enhancement 2: 2013.

57. Suchomel, TJ, and Sole, CJ. Force-time curve comparison between weightlifting derivatives. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 12: 431-439, 2017.

58. Suchomel, TJ, and Sole, CJ. Power-time curve comparison between weightlifting derivatives. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine 16: 407-413, 2017.

59. Suchomel, TJ, Wright, GA, Kernozek, TW, and Kline, DE. Kinetic comparison of the power development between power clean variations. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 28: 350-360, 2014.

60. Suchomel, TJ, Wright, GA, and Lottig, J. Lower extremity joint velocity comparisons during the hang power clean and jump shrug at various loads. Presented at XXXIInd International Conference of Biomechanics in Sports, Johnson City, TN; 749-752, 2014.

61. Takei, S, Hirayama, K, and Okada, J. Comparison of the power output between the hang power clean and hang high pull across a wide range of loads in weightlifters. Published ahead of print. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2020.

62. Teo, SY, Newton, MJ, Newton, RU, Dempsey, AR, and Fairchild, TJ. Comparing the effectiveness of a short-term vertical jump versus weightlifting program on athletic power development. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 30: 2741-2748, 2016.

63. Tricoli, V, Lamas, L, Carnevale, R, and Ugrinowitsch, C. Short-term effects on lower-body functional power development: Weightlifting vs. vertical jump training programs. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 19: 433-437, 2005.

64. Van Manen, M. Linking ways of knowing with ways of being practical. Curriculum Inquiry 6: 205-228, 1977.

About the author

Timothy Suchomel, PhD, CSCS,*D, RSCC*D

East Tennessee State University

Contact Timothy Suchomel

Contact Timothy Suchomel

Your first name is required.
Your last name is required.
Your email is required.
Your message is required.
Your reCaptcha is required.

Your email was successfully sent to Timothy Suchomel

Dr. Tim Suchomel is an associate professor of exercise science and the program director for the Sport Physiology and Performance Coaching graduate pro ...

View full biography
#NSCAStrong #NSCAStrong

has been added to your shopping cart!

Continue Shopping Checkout Now