4 Ways to Improve Power Output | Snatch and Clean & Jerk
The snatch and clean & jerk aren’t just about brute strength—they’re about precision, timing, and power. If you’re feeling stuck in your lifts or not seeing the transfer to athletic performance you expect, it’s time to take a closer look at how you're training for power.
At Athletic Edge Physical Therapy, we work with CrossFitters, Olympic lifters, and functional athletes every week—and we’ve seen firsthand that small changes can lead to huge results.
Here are four key strategies to boost power output in the snatch and clean & jerk, rooted in both clinical practice and performance science.
1. Prioritize Explosive Hip Extension
Both lifts rely heavily on hip speed and extension power. But athletes often compensate with early arm pull or an over-reliance on brute strength.
What to focus on:
Include trap bar jumps, high pulls, and kettlebell swings in your programming.
Keep barbell work snappy—focus on speed through the middle, not just pulling heavier.
Why it matters:
The faster and more forcefully you can open the hips, the more vertical power you generate—and the easier it is to get under heavy weight.
2. Improve Front Rack and Overhead Mobility
Poor thoracic and shoulder mobility leads to inefficient bar paths and unstable overhead positions. This limits not just your lifts, but your power expression.
Quick check:
Can you comfortably hold a front rack without elbows dropping or wrists collapsing?
Does your overhead position allow you to lock out the bar without overextending your back?
Fix it with:
Wall-facing overhead squats
Foam rolling and mobility drills for lats and thoracic spine
Scapular stability work (e.g. serratus and trap-focused exercises)
3. Train Eccentric and Isometric Phases
Most lifters train the concentric (lifting) phase—but eccentric (lowering) and isometric (holding) work builds control, tendon stiffness, and power potential.
Incorporate:
Slow eccentrics on pulls and squats
Paused front squats or overhead holds
Tempo lifts (3-1-X tempo = slow down, pause, explode)
Why this works:
Eccentric strength increases force absorption and energy storage—key for rebound power during lifts.
4. Address Asymmetries and Instability
Even the strongest lifters can have small imbalances that throw off timing and bar path—especially when fatigued or under load.
What we assess at AEPT:
Single-leg strength and pelvic stability
Core timing under load
Ankle dorsiflexion and big toe extension (yes, really—it affects squat depth and balance)
Try this:
Front foot elevated split squats
Pallof presses and anti-rotation drills
Balance work with eyes closed or unstable surfaces
Bonus Tip: Know When to Back Off
Power output isn’t just about pushing harder—it’s about managing your CNS (central nervous system) recovery, sleep, and volume. If you're flat, achy, or missing lifts, it's a signal—not a weakness.
How We Help at Athletic Edge
Our team blends manual therapy, movement assessment, and sport-specific strength training to help you get stronger—without sacrificing mobility or long-term health.
Whether you’re prepping for a meet or trying to PR that lift you’ve been chasing for months, we help you move with more intention, more speed, and more confidence under the bar.
Want More Power in Your Lifts?
If you’re hitting plateaus or training through pain, don’t just push harder—train smarter.
Call or text us to book a performance assessment with one of our expert physical therapists.
📞 858-371-2575 or book online HERE
Related Resources
Depth Jump + Box Jump: Perform 5 sets x 5 reps of this exercise in your warm up or early on in the workout.
The second pull phase of a snatch and clean, the pull from the knee to the hip, exhibits the greatest ground reaction force, power output and barbell velocity compared to all other phases of the lift. The meta analysis suggests that developing maximal force capacity in this position will correlate with greater load lifted with the snatch and C&J.
This exercise is also an excellent option in building strength when pain is a limiting factor. When someone is dealing with an injury, moving through full ranges of motion can be difficult or painful. Isometric exercises load our tendons extremely well when appropriately prescribed. It allows injured or weak tissue to work without allowing the strong, healthy tissue to compensate.
Although this movement is generally used as a “test” for force production, it can definitnely be incorprated into a training program as an exercise as well. The appropriate prescription for an isometric when we are dealing with injured tissue" is 5 sets x 45 second holds. This is the optimal time for the “healthy tissue” to shut off, while the “injured tissue” is forced to work, thereforce building resilience in the injured tissue. Although, since the overall goal of this movement is to build maximal force production, a shorter hold may be necessary as one would fatigue by 45 seconds. If you would like to incorporate this exercise and are not dealing with a current injury, but are focused on maximal force capacity in this position, I would suggest 5 sets x 10-15 second holds.
Back Squat and Front Squat
With the isometric exercise above, we are strengthening the strongest mechanical position. When squatting, the goal is to develop strength and familiarity throughout the full range of motion, which in turn will build strength at the weakest mechanical position(s). I would argue that improving our leg strength with our squat will not only improve the power of our leg drive during the pull(s) of our cleans and snatches, but it will help improve our strength and confidence in the bottom of our squat when catching either of these lifts.
There are various ways to incorporate squatting into training. Research shows that with a goal of building strength ~2-5 reps is optimal, for muscle hypertrophy 6-8 reps is optimal, and for muscular endurance >12 reps is optimal.
Check out my favorite squat warm up to help improve squat mobility and prime our body for both front and back squats.
In conclusion, due to the strong correlation between these specific movements and weight lifting performance found in the meta analysis, I am confident to state that incorporating each movement into a training program will more than likely improve overall power output during the snatch and the clean and jerk.
References:
Joffe, Shaun & Price, Phil & Chavda, Shyam & Shaw, Joseph & Tallent, Jamie. (2022). The Relationship of Lower-Body, Multijoint, Isometric and Dynamic Neuromuscular Assessment Variables With Snatch, and Clean and Jerk Performance in Competitive Weightlifters: A Meta-Analysis. Strength & Conditioning Journal. Publish Ahead of Print. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000755.
