Emily Asks: Hey Greg... do you have any suggestions for assistance exercises to help improve my clean and jerk? Right now I am following your strength by feel cycle—and for my 4RM jerk from the rack I am easily able to hit 90%+ without an issue... however on Saturdays when it comes to maxing out the Clean and Jerk after snatches, I can barely hit over 90%... what gives? Is this expected, especially if I hit 98% of my snatch even though I refueled between the heavy single lifts... am I just spent? Any suggestions for adding maybe an extra assistance Jerk work during one day with this program?

Thanks! (note: I am a newbie lifter—self taught- for only 1year—but love your programs and my progress so far... strength is definitely my limiting factor in my lifts as when I use your "clean and jerk/snatch percentages based on my back squat calculation"- I am right where I should be) Thanks again!!

Greg Says: A few things to consider here. First, remember that, at least in my programs, a heavy single doesn’t mean you’re going to hit a PR, and sometimes you won’t even hit 90%. The goal is to go heavy in the lifts, but “heavy” is a relative term—in this case, it’s relative to whatever else you’ve been doing in the program. The Strength by Feel cycle is a tough one, and the volume is really high. Monday through Thursday, you’re doing a huge amount of work, so by Saturday, even with a rest day Friday, you’re not always going to feel amazing. Hitting 98% in the snatch is really good during that cycle, but that won’t always be a reflection of how your clean & jerk will go. Because you’re doing so much squatting and pulling work during the week, your clean & jerk will definitely suffer on Saturdays—you’re just not going to have much left in your legs by then. Because the volume of training on Saturday is low, and you have rest days Friday and Sunday, by Monday you’re usually feeling pretty good again for the main work of the cycle, which means you can beat yourself up more before the next Saturday and experience the same thing.

One of the big reasons to do heavy singles in the snatch and clean & jerk, even when you know you won’t be able to hit PRS or even near your current PRs, is for the mental training. Going into those lifts fatigued both mentally and physically is very difficult, and doing it regularly will better prepare you to be confident and commit to lifts when you’re not feeling great. If you can get yourself to hit a 90% clean & jerk when you’re totally beat, just imagine how it will feel when you’re recovered and fresh, like you will be when peaked for a competition or max testing at the end of a training cycle.

In other words, don’t worry about it—it’s normal. Focus on getting the work done during the week, and work hard on Saturdays with the understanding that there’s nothing wrong if you’re not hitting 95%+ in the snatch and clean & jerk.

Steve Asks: Should I be concerned that my feet do not move much during the clean? I currently FS 330# and clean 285#. I am self-taught (along with YouTube, of course). Have been weightlifting since April 2013. Wondering if not moving my feet is holding me back; if it is I would like to start trying to correct it now. I realize everyone is a little different, so I guess my question could be answered "in general". Thanks!

Greg Says: Your clean is not bad relative to your front squat, but I do think it has the potential to be a little better (10-15 lbs). Without actually seeing you lift, I don’t know how realistic that is, because how much of your squats you can actually snatch or clean & jerk largely depends on how you’re wired, i.e. naturally explosive or not.

That said, I do prefer the feet to move in the snatch and clean during the transition under the bar. If your pulling stance and squat stance are identical, it’s not as big of a deal. However, even in that case, likely your heels are coming up off the floor as you finish the pull, which means you’re landing on the balls of your feel and rolling back down into a flat-footed receiving position. This often creates some instability and slows the movement under the bar. It’s preferable to reconnect the feet flat with the floor.

The actual brief lifting of the feet will also speed up your transition and pull under the bar, because there is exactly zero resistance for that moment. If this is well-timed, you can generate a huge amount of acceleration under the bar that will carry you through the turnover, meaning you can get under heavier weights that you’re not able to lift as high.

Of course, individual variation does need to be considered, and ultimately, you have to use the technique that produces the best results for you. I can’t tell you exactly what that is—it will require experimentation and time to discover. Just be careful not to chalk up everything to individuality without giving it a genuine evaluation against more “textbook” technique.