ZOAR OLY WARM-UP: Snatch and Clean & Jerk

I’ve been on the look out for a quality warm-up for my CrossFit® athletes for some time now. I’ve played with countless warm-up series trying to find the right one: everything from Burgerner to Thacker.

I liked elements of each, but I still felt each one left athletes under-prepared for the demands of Weightlifting within the Sport of Fitness.

Even while using these standardized warm-ups in my programming for my athletes, I still found myself adding additional reps, variations and movement prep items in order for them to be completely ready to lift.

It was inefficient for me as a coach and the inconsistency could certainly be confusing for my athletes.

That’s why I built the ZOAR OLY WARM-UP. It’s more than a Barbell Warm-up: it prepares all the systems that are needed for a great lift or Met-Con.

The Snatch and Clean & Jerk Warm-Ups are the same in layout, but with a few movement-specific tweaks.

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Let’s take a look at each (the “What”) before we dive into my reasoning for the structure (the “Why”).

ZOAR Snatch Warm-Up

Part I: Aerobic Prep

5+ Minutes: Easy on Erg (Bike, Row, Run, Ski)
–Nasal Breathing with a Relaxed Focus

Part II: Position Prep

3 Rounds
-10 Boot Strappers
-10 PVC Dislocates

Part III: Tissue Prep

3 Rounds (empty barbell)
-5 Snatch Grip RDL 
-5 Hip Contact High Pulls
-5 Stage Sotts Press (Standing, Half Squat, Full Squat, Half Squat, Standing)

Part IV: Movement Prep

3 Rounds (barbell + light bumpers)
-3-Positions Snatch: High Hang Snatch + Hang Snatch + Snatch
(For each rep, catch in power and ride into a squat)

ZOAR Clean & Jerk Warm-Up

Part I: Aerobic Prep

5+ Minutes – Easy on Erg (Bike, Row, Run, Ski)
–Nasal Breathing with a Relaxed Focus

Part II: Position Prep

3 Rounds
-10 Boot Strappers
-5 Elbow Rotations per arm; empty barbell
-5 Strict Press; empty barbell

Part III: Tissue Prep

3 Rounds (empty barbell)
-5 RDL 
-5 Hip Contact High Pull
-5 Front Squat with Hookgrip
-1 Overhead Complex: Strict Press + Push Press + Push Jerk + Split Jerk

Part IV: Movement Prep

3 Rounds (barbell + light bumpers)
-3-Positions Clean & Jerk: High Hang Clean, Hang Clean + Clean + Jerk
(For each rep, catch in power and ride into a squat)

The “Why”

Part I: Aerobic Prep

Make no mistake, all movement is aerobic. It’s just that some movement is also anaerobic.

I like using the analogy of a boat taking on water to metabolism and fatigue. The aerobic system is like a sump pump. It’s low-key and highly energy efficient. You start doing work (metabolism) and begin to take on water (fatigue). As long as the ‘water’ is taken on-board at a normal rate, the ‘sump pump’ keeps up and the system is completely sustainable. However, at a certain point work rate becomes high enough that fatigue builds up quickly…you are taking on water too fast. The energy efficient ‘sump pump’ can’t keep up. You grab a bucket and start pitching it overboard. This is the anaerobic system…highly inefficient, but it works for short periods to allow us to go fast and heavy. Mind you, that sump pump NEVER stopped running.

Your body doesn’t flip a switch between aerobic and anaerobic. The only time the aerobic system turns off is when you’re dead.

That being said, preparing the sump pump that is the aerobic system to run on full tilt to clear fatigue is probably the most important thing for work capacity.

That why the ZOAR OLY WARM-UP starts with an aerobic warm-up. I picked ergs because they are low-eccentric, involve many muscle groups and are sport-specific to the functional fitness athlete.

I’ve spoken about the benefits of Nasal Breathing before. One is that intensity is capped at a certain threshold. Keeping output low and steady is important for aerobic prep. Breathing through your nose and keeping a soft focus will help this system come online quicker.

Five minutes is the bare minimum to ensure ideal body temperature, joint lubrication and metabolic pathways have been achieved.

Part II: Position Prep

A warm body and joints allows you to begin to challenge your shapes. Demand more of your positions and they (mobility) will improve. Each warm-up (Snatch and Clean & Jerk) has a couplet of movements to claim the Range of Motion and positions you will need for the respective lift.

Without an aerobic warm-up, active mobility work is blunted at best.

Without transferring mobility work to higher intensity and higher tension movements in the later steps, it’s a short-term hack at best.

In this stage, move deliberately -and when in doubt- slowly.

Part III: Tissue Prep

Tissue prep is the next layer in the movement-specific warm-up. Think of it as parts of the whole with the goal being to get the musculature firing and torque chains prepared for high tension contractions. Tissue prep is the bridge between mobility and movement.

It further claims the Range of Motion (ROM) needed for the full lifts.

It preps joints, ligaments and muscle (tissues) for high-intensity movement.

Part IV: Movement Prep

The final step in the ZOAR OLY WARM-UP is about putting the pieces together. Adding a light bumper plate allows a bit more stimulus and natural bar feel and prevents us from having to guess where the bar contacts the ground. (WTF is “Mid-Shin?”)

The Movement Prep section includes enough reps and an appropriate load to really “grease the groove” (develop feel and refine technique).

Plus, a little bit of extra weight on the bar actually helps most athletes claim a better position in the Olympic lifts. PVC front rack anyone?

Next, the movement prep section includes work from the high hang, hang and the floor. This top to bottom approach reinforces the power position, body-to-bar contact and leg drive.

Finally, by catching in a power and riding the bar into a squat, we ensure you actually finish your pull before pulling underneath the bar. Catching high and riding out the weight is a good way to simultaneously practice finishing your pull and still actually do a squatting variation of the snatch or clean. It is a great way to mimic the demands of heavy loads with a lightly loaded barbell.

I did the ZOAR OLY WARM-UP.
Now What?

It depends. The Warm-Ups stops here because there will be too much variety to determine what should be next. Let’s take it on by category…

Option 1: Strength Work

Build in percentages of the lift, variation or complex you are prescribed on that day.

Option 2: Met-Con or Interval Work

First, prep any other movements in the workout. Then, do a rehearsal round, including the EXACT variation of the snatch or clean & jerk you will be doing in the workout (e.g. Snake Snatch or Hang Power Cleans). Rest 4-6 minutes. Then it’s “Go Time.”

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Related Read: Lift More Weight with Cluster Sets

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