Damect Dominguez
October 16, 2024
5 Keys to PR Your Snatch & Clean + Jerk: Part 4, Progressive Overload
Welcome to part 4 of our 5-part series on improving the snatch and clean and jerk. In the first 3 parts we covered the importance of the pull, the push press and back squat, and bodybuilding accessory work (part 1, part 2, part 3). Today, we'll be discussing the importance of progressive overload.
Progressive overload is a fundamental training principle that involves gradually increasing the stress placed on the body during exercise to promote continuous improvement in strength, endurance, and/or muscle size. The idea is to challenge the body by increasing the intensity or workload over time, encouraging it to adapt and grow stronger.
There are two primary ways to apply progressive overload: by increasing load or by increasing volume.
1. Overloading Load
This refers to increasing the amount of weight or resistance used in a given exercise. By lifting heavier weights, the muscles experience greater stress, which leads to muscle growth, strength gains, and adaptations in the nervous system. For example, if you're squatting 200 pounds, over the following training sessions you might progressively increase the weight to 205 pounds, then 210 pounds, etc., as your strength improves.
2. Overloading Volume
Volume is the total amount of work done, usually measured as the product of sets, reps, and load (e.g., sets × reps × weight). You can overload volume by increasing the number of sets or reps without necessarily increasing the weight. For example, if you’re doing 3 sets of 10 reps of squats, over time you might increase that to 4 sets or aim for 12 reps per set. Generally, when I use this in any of my programs, I implement it by increasing reps. So for example, week 1 you performed 3 sets of 5 reps at 100 pounds. On week 3, you might perform 3 sets of 6 reps at 100 pounds.
Difference Between Overloading Load and Volume:
- Overloading Load: Focuses on increasing the intensity or weight lifted. Historically, this has been used to target strength and power development and is especially effective for athletes seeking maximal strength gains.
- Overloading Volume: Focuses on increasing the total amount of work by adding more sets, reps, or exercises. It is commonly used for muscle growth (hypertrophy) and endurance.
Both methods are essential for continued progress but they serve slightly different purposes depending on your fitness goals. Now, let’s examine how different these purposes are.
Several recent studies including this one and this one, show that progressing load lifted led to similar results as progressing reps–when looking at both strength and muscle hypertrophy. Now, while the results were very similar, progressively overloading reps did lead to slightly better muscle growth while progressing load led to slightly better strength gains.
How I Use Progressive Overload in My Programs
It’s important to reiterate some of the points made previous to this section–that strength gains can be achieved through both popular methods of progressive overload (increase reps and increasing load, respectively) although greater gains can be seen through load increases.
Often when putting together a program that focuses on increasing strength, I’ll implement both methods, though I’ll rely more heavily on load progressions.
Let’s take a look at some examples:
One of the most common accessory exercises I use to improve the snatch and clean and jerk are pulls (full article on our use of pulls here).
From my Oly Strong program:
(Week 1) Mid-Hang Snatch High Pulls: 4 x 3-4 Reps, at 85-95% of your max snatch.
(Week 3) Mid-Hang Snatch High Pulls: 4 x 3-4 Reps, at 95-100% of your max snatch.
(Week 5) Mid-Hang Snatch High Pulls: 4 x 3-4 Reps, at 100-105% of your max snatch.
(Week 7) Mid-Hang Snatch High Pulls 4 x 2-3 Reps At 105-110% of your max snatch.
In this example from Oly Strong, the load increases bi-weekly, while the number of reps stays mostly the same. This highlights another key principle: progressive overload doesn’t need to happen every session or even every week. Constantly pushing for increases can lead to overtraining, injury, or frustration. I've intentionally spaced out the mid-hang snatch high pulls by two weeks to allow for proper strength development, ensuring that the load increases are properly earned over time.
From my Power program:
(Week 6) Back Squat: 4 x 8 Reps, at 68% of week 5’s 2-rep max.
(Week 7) Back Squat: 4 x 7 Reps, at 72% of week 5’s 2-rep max.
(Week 8) Back Squat: 4 x 7 Reps, at 75% of week 5’s 2-rep max.
(Week 9) Back Squat: 4 x 6 Reps, at 78% of week 5’s 2-rep max.
In this example, I use a hybrid style that relies heavily on load progression. While load increases every week, during weeks 7 and 9 reps also decrease. The progression during these weeks can be considered volume overloads (reps x sets x load). This strategy allows us to increase the load each week while managing overall intensity. By slightly reducing the total reps when necessary, we maintain a balance between total intensity and load progression.
In conclusion, progressive overload is a foundational principle in strength and conditioning that ensures continuous improvement by gradually increasing the demands placed on the body. Whether through increasing load or volume, this approach encourages adaptation, leading to gains in strength, endurance, and muscle size. Both methods—overloading load and overloading volume—serve distinct purposes but complement each other in achieving long-term progress. By strategically implementing these principles in your training, and understanding that progression doesn’t need to occur every session, you can avoid overtraining and maximize your potential for growth and strength.
If you’re aiming for significant strength gains, our Power program is perfect for you. This 10-week program is intense but will deliver major improvements in your squat, deadlift, and press. If your focus is on Olympic lifts, then Oly Strong is the way to go. This 12-week program is designed specifically to enhance your snatch, clean, and jerk (yes, I meant to separate the clean and jerk as more often than not you will be training those as their own individual components).
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