YOUTH TRAINING PROGRAM: Olympic Lifting Teaching Exercises

The following Youth training plan focuses on what exercises you can implement in your training program to teach Olympic lifting movements.  The Olympic Lifts are very technical exercises that require years of training to master the proper movement and execution of the lift.  Olympic lifts are used as a means to develop and enhance power output in many strength and conditioning programs.  They are also used to develop body awareness, technical lifting awareness and the understanding of the triple extension concept of the ankle, knee and hip during athletic movement. 

My interest in writing about such a technical movement for a youth training article is to expose your athletes to simple movements that will first and foremost help to teach technique and training efficiency.  As your hockey players continue to play at higher competitive levels, it will be common for them to be exposed to Olympic lifting in their off-ice training sessions.  Developing a foundation rooted in exercise technique will reduce injury and enhance their growth and physical development. 

UNDERSTAND.....  Heavy loads are not a concern when performing these exercises for athletes at the youth level!!!!  The main focus is for the athletes to understand technique and master it because strength gains early on will be due to neuromuscular coordination during these movements.  Please use broken hockey sticks, wooden dowels and unloaded 45lb Olympic bars when introducing these exercises to be safe. 

Enjoy, Mike Potenza

VIDEO 1:  Lift Position // Back Posture

VIDEO 2:

Muscle Clean x5                                              

Hands Free Front Squat x5                          

Clean Grip RDL x5                          

Clean Pull x5                                      

Drop Clean x5                   

VIDEO 3:

Muscle Snatch x5

OH Squat x5

Snatch Grip RDL x5

Snatch Pull x5

Pressing Snatch Balance x5