The Essential Stretches for Olympic Lifting

Thanks to CrossFit and functional training gyms, Olympic lifting (snatches and clean & jerks) have become increasingly popular over the last few years. No doubt they are a great exercise for developing full body strength and power, but due to their complexity they can easily cause injuries. The two reasons for injury are lack of flexibility (mobility) and lack of muscle strength (stability). In this blog post, I will explore the importance of mobility as a preventative measure against sustaining injuries for the specific movements of snatched and clean & jerks.

Correct technique for performing the ‘Snatch’

    

Looking at the above picture of a snatch, you can see that most of the major joints in the body are pushed to their limits. Now if these joints can’t reach those angles something has to give – either the athlete will be physically unable to lift the barbell into position, or a muscle or joint will give way to allow it – ouch!

Starting from the base, we’ll systematically look at each joint in the body and how to overcome any limitations. The first few stretches below are applicable for both snatches and clean & jerks, but the upper body stretches differ.

Essential stretches to prevent injuries

Calf Stretch for the ankle joint

Tight calves will limit ankle mobility and pull the lifter backwards, preventing them from getting the bar overhead. A calf stretch is recommended as per the below image.

Ankle joint impingement may also prevent ankle mobility and is common in those who have had previous ankle injuries. Manual therapy from your physiotherapist can also improve this.

Lifting shoes with heel support can also improve ankle mobility by lifting the heel which will create more range.

Quadricep stretch for the knee joint

The primary contributor to lack of knee range is tight quadriceps so stretch those quadriceps! Ensure you keep the knee of the stretched leg close to your opposite leg and that your upper body stays tall.

Glutes, hamstring and hip flexor stretches for the hip joint

The hip joint is a bit more complex than the rest of the leg joints due to the number of muscles involved and the range it can move in. There are three key stretches which will aid flexibility of this area. Make sure to stretch out your glutes:

And your hamstrings and hip flexors. Tight quads can also limit hip range so stretch those out as well:

                  

Foam roller technique for thoracic spine stretches

Easily the most important part of the body and the most overlooked. Thoracic spine stiffness will cause you to hunch forward and prevent your shoulders going overhead, especially while at the bottom of a squat. It will cause shoulder, neck and back injuries and takes the longest to correct. Lying down on a half foam roller with arms overhead will improve this range. This is especially important if you are an office worker because spending eight hours a day sitting at a desk is the most common cause for thoracic spine stiffness. You can purchase a foam roller from your local Back In Motion practice.

Pectorial stretch for the shoulder joint

Thoracic spine range is the first thing to address for shoulder range, as per the above. Tight pictorials will also limit shoulder range by pulling the shoulders forward, preventing you from lifting the bar into the overhead position so a pec stretch is also essential. You can complete this stretch in a door frame as per my demonstration below.

Correct technique for performing the ‘Clean & Jerk’

This series of images shows the correct technique and form for performing the clean & jerk movement. Note the position of my arms on the bar and feet stance.

Essential stretches to prevent injuries

Lat stretch for the shoulder joint

Having the elbows in front of the body changes the demands placed on the shoulder. Tight latissimus dorsi muscles will pull the arms down and outwards so these will need to be stretched.

This stretch can be performed on a park bench, chair or low table.

Tricep stretch for the elbow joint

It is essential to keep your elbows up as high as possible at the bottom of the clean, so a tricep stretch is recommended.

Wrist flexor stretch for the wrist joint

Flexibility through the wrist flexors is needed to allow the bar to sit on the shoulders while still maintaining finger contact so stretch these well as per the below.

In conclusion, if you are finding it difficult to get the barbell into the correct position, it will be due to lack of range in one or more of these areas, so do these stretches daily for the next few weeks and you should notice the difference. Not only will these allow you to do the lifts correctly, but they will boost performance, help prevent injury and you might even hit a PB!

Bonus tip: learn how to use the foam roller! It can provide a more powerful release on those tight muscle than regular stretching.

A Back In Motion physio can assess any pain or flexibility issues you may have and provide you with a custom stretching plan. Find your nearest practice and book your Free Initial Assessment today.

Jacob Bryant – Physiotherapist, Back In Motion Bundall

Jacob graduated from Griffith University with M. Physiotherapy and B. Exercise Science, as well as five years’ experience in personal training and strength and conditioning. Jacob is passionate about weightlifting, specifically powerlifting and Olympic lifting, and loves to treat athletes in these fields. Jacob has also served in the Australian Army Reserve for the last six years keeping him in top physical shape.