The Olympic Lift Debate

DEEP DIVE

Let's talk about Olympic lifts.

If you've spent any time in elite sprint training environments, you've seen athletes grinding through cleans, snatches, and jerks. These exercises have been elevated to almost sacred status in sprinting circles. But here's a controversial question: Do we really have the evidence to claim they're essential?

Today, I'm challenging the conventional wisdom. Not because Olympic lifts are bad - I actually like them and use them - but because the training world needs more critical thinking and less blind acceptance of "that's how we've always done it."

Let's get something clear upfront: explosive strength development is crucial for sprinters. That's not debatable. But assuming Olympic lifts are the only or best way to develop that quality? That's where things get interesting.

A recent meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine in 2024 challenges this assumption. Reviewing eight studies with 206 athletes, the researchers found something noteworthy: sprint performance didn't improve significantly more with Olympic lifts compared to other interventions.

Let me say that again. Olympic weightlifting did not improve sprint performance more than traditional strength training or plyometrics. Not at full sprint distance, not in the acceleration phase at 5, 10, or 20 meters.

This challenges a core belief many coaches hold onto like gospel. If your program religiously includes cleans and snatches solely because you believe they're essential for sprint performance, it might be time to reevaluate.

The Technical Barrier To Entry

Here's something we don't talk about enough: Olympic lifts have a massive technical learning curve.

Think about what it takes to perform a clean properly. You need ankle mobility, hip flexibility, thoracic extension, wrist flexibility, and neuromuscular coordination that takes years to develop properly. For every athlete I've seen perform these movements well, I've seen ten butcher them.

Poor technique doesn't just limit the training effect - it creates injury risk. I've watched athletes with questionable clean technique push loads that made me cringe. The performance gains they're chasing might never materialise, but the shoulder, back, or wrist issues definitely will.

Compare this to a simpler movement like a trap bar deadlift. Similar triple extension pattern, far less technical demand, and you can load it heavier with less risk. The question becomes: is the additional complexity worth it when the research doesn't show superior transfer?

What Olympic Lifts Do Provide

Despite my skepticism, there are benefits to Olympic lifts that deserve acknowledgment.

When performed correctly, these movements train the rate of force development and triple extension in a coordinated, explosive pattern. They develop power output across the entire force-velocity curve. For advanced athletes who've mastered the technique, they can be excellent training tools.

The catch phase in cleans also trains eccentric deceleration in a way that's unique. This ability to absorb force quickly might benefit the transition between eccentric and concentric phases in sprint ground contacts.

There's also the neurological benefit. Olympic lifts require total-body coordination and maximal intent. The central nervous system adaptations from this type of training can potentially transfer to sprint performance, even if the research doesn't always capture it.

The Implementation Problem

Even if we assume Olympic lifts offer unique benefits, there's a practical problem most coaches ignore; time efficiency.

Teaching these movements properly takes extensive coaching time. For college or professional teams with dedicated strength staff, this might be feasible. But what about high school athletes or runners without specialised coaching?

A typical track athlete might have 2-3 weight sessions weekly, totaling 3-4 hours. Spending half that time mastering technique for a single lift family isn't efficient when we could be developing broader athletic qualities.

There's also the equipment consideration. Full Olympic lifting setups with platforms, bumper plates, and quality bars aren't universally available. Creating programming that requires specialised equipment excludes athletes without access.

What The Research Actually Tells Us

Let's dive deeper into that meta-analysis I mentioned. The researchers looked at sprint performance in young adults (average age around 21) following Olympic weight training versus control interventions like traditional strength training or plyometrics.

The difference in sprint improvement? Statistically insignificant.

This doesn't mean Olympic lifts don't work - it means they don't work significantly better than other approaches. When you factor in the technical demands and coaching requirements, this becomes a crucial distinction.

What's particularly interesting is that both the Olympic lifting groups and control groups improved. This suggests that the explosive intent behind the training might matter more than the specific exercises chosen.

A More Practical Approach

Instead of treating Olympic lifts as mandatory, I suggest a more nuanced approach based on athlete needs, facility constraints, and coaching expertise.

For athletes with limited training age or technical coaching, focus on these alternatives:

Trap bar jumps: All the triple extension without the catch complexity, and easy to load progressively

Heavy sled pushes: Develops horizontal force application more specific to sprinting mechanics

Weighted split jumps: Trains unilateral power in a sprint-specific position without technical barriers

Clean pulls or high pulls: Gets the benefits of Olympic pull patterns without the complex catch phase

For those with technical proficiency and coaching resources, Olympic variants can be valuable additions - particularly power cleans and hang cleans with moderate loads focused on velocity.

The key is matching the exercise to the athlete, not forcing the athlete into an exercise because of training dogma.

Ask yourself: "What's the training effect I'm after, and what's the most efficient way to achieve it?"

Programming Considerations

If you do include Olympic lifts, here's how to maximize their transfer to sprint performance:

Prioritise technical mastery at light loads before adding weight

Position them early in workouts when the nervous system is fresh

Keep total volume low (3-4 sets of 3-5 reps) to maintain quality

Focus on bar speed over absolute load

Program them at least 48 hours from high-intensity sprint sessions

Use them strategically in certain training phases rather than year-round

Remember that power development exists on a spectrum. Olympic lifts sit at one end, but there are plenty of effective training methods across that continuum.

The Coaching Reality Check

Here's a hard truth many coaches don't want to hear: your athletes are probably not performing Olympic lifts well enough to get the purported benefits.

I’ve visited many high-level training facilities where athletes move through cleans with rounded backs, crashed front racks, and zero hip extension. That's not developing explosive power - it's reinforcing poor movement patterns under load.

If you don't have the coaching expertise or time to teach these movements properly, you're better off with simpler alternatives that athletes can execute with quality. A perfectly performed trap bar jump will transfer better than a poorly executed clean.

Finding Your Path Forward

I'm not suggesting you abandon Olympic lifts if they're working for you. I'm advocating for critical thinking about why they're in your program and whether they're the most efficient path to your goal.

For some athletes, especially those with good technique and years of training, Olympic lifts might be an excellent fit. For others, particularly developing athletes or those with limited coaching, alternative methods might produce equal or better results with less risk.

The takeaway isn't that Olympic lifts don't work - it's that they're not the only path to developing the explosive strength sprinters need. The research suggests we have multiple effective tools in our training toolbox.

What matters most is training the right qualities - explosive strength, rate of force development, and power across the force-velocity curve - not the specific exercises we choose to develop those qualities.