Snatch Chat

How many times a week should you squat for weightlifting? Are RDLs and good mornings worth it? Is the snatch balance a waste of time? In episode 46 of the Snatch Chat I’m answering your questions on how to actually structure your weightlifting programme.We cover squat frequency if you train 3 to 4 times a week, when to use RDLs and good mornings (and when to pull them out), who the snatch balance really helps, how to build a stronger overhead position for the jerk, technique block vs strength block, what to change in your training if you’re over 40, and the core work that actually carries over to your snatch and clean and jerk.Plus a big announcement: the OptiLift Lift Off this December in Birmingham. A fun, Sinclair scored Olympic weightlifting comp with experienced technical officials walking you through exactly how competition day works. Perfect if you’ve ever wondered whether competing is for you.00:00 Intro and the OptiLift Lift Off04:12 How many heavy squat sessions per week?05:56 Are RDLs and good mornings worth it?08:07 Is the snatch balance useful?10:08 How to build a stronger jerk overhead position12:13 Technique block or strength block?14:15 Weightlifting over 40: what to change16:24 What core work actually helps the lifts?19:55 Final advice on building a programme that fits your lifeSubscribe for weekly weightlifting technique, programming and mindset tips to help you hit new PBs.#OlympicWeightlifting #Weightlifting #SnatchChat #WeightliftingProgramming #CleanAndJerk #Snatch #OPTILIFT

Episode 45 of the Snatch Chat. We recap the Regional Open at Central Staffs, where four OPTILIFT athletes took to the platform. Three made their competition debut, and Jo returned from a knee injury to finish just 5kg shy of her total PB and qualify for English Championships.

Then into your questions:How soon after a comp should you chase PBs again?Hang or from the floor, which should you train more?Push jerk or split jerk for competition?How much does core strength affect your lifts?How do you stay motivated when progress feels non existent?

If you have been on the fence about competing, this one is for you.

Got a question for a future episode? Drop it in the comments.

Is the bar crashing onto your collarbones in the clean? Does your overhead squat feel impossible? Wondering how heavy you should go while learning the snatch and clean and jerk?

In episode 44 of the Snatch Chat Podcast, Coach Oates answers 7 of the most common beginner Olympic weightlifting questions. From fixing a crashing clean with tall cleans and freeze cleans, to unlocking your overhead squat, building a proper weightlifting warm up, getting used to hook grip pain and beating gym nerves before your first competition.

Whether you've come from CrossFit, you're new to Olympic lifting, or your technique just doesn't look like everyone else's, this episode gives you simple, practical fixes you can use in your next session.

Should beginners learn the power snatch or the full snatch first? Most people get it backwards.

In Episode 43 of the Snatch Chat podcast, Coach Oates answers 9 beginner Olympic weightlifting questions: snatch vs power snatch, front rack wrist pain, split jerk vs push jerk, whether the overhead squat matters, the top 3 accessory lifts, how often beginners should train, combining CrossFit with weightlifting, and whether a total beginner can compete in 10 weeks.

The final Broomstick to Barbell cohort of 2026 starts 5th October, online or in person in Birmingham. Apply: https://8weekbroomstick2barbell.coachoates.co.uk/

Free Weightlifting Toolbox, Mobility Manual and Competition Corner in the OPTILIFT Skool community: https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/about

Your snatch collapses overhead, your clean grinds out of the bottom, and your jerk gives way the moment you tire. In this Snatch Chat Q&A, Coach Oates breaks down the real fixes for the faults every weightlifter hits, plus how to peak for a comp, how to eat around training, and exactly what happens on comp day from weigh-in to your last attempt.

Perfect if you are learning the lifts through CrossFit and feel a bit lost, or chasing your first PB.

Final Broomstick to Barbell cohort of 2026 starts 3rd October, six spaces, online or in person in Digbeth - https://8weekbroomstick2barbell.coachoates.co.uk/

Plus a free weightlifting toolbox and Feedback Friday in the OptiLift community - https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/about

Refine technique. Define strength.

Strong in the gym but your Olympic lifts keep falling apart? This Q&A fixes the most common snatch, clean and jerk faults that keep lifters stuck.

Inside this episode:

Why your snatch loops forward past the knee and how to keep the bar close

Chest caving and losing the rack in the clean: strength or technique?

Split jerk landing short and feeling unstable overhead

Back squat vs front squat: does the gap matter for your clean?

Are snatch pulls pointless, and how heavy should they be?

How to stop bottling your heavy singles in training

Fitting the comp lifts, squats and accessories into three sessions

Training after night shifts when you feel flat

Do you actually need a lifting belt?

We open by recapping episode 40 with Maria, who added around 30kg to her snatch in 10 months without ever chasing strength. Listen to her full story here: https://youtu.be/Ageocgt8-xw

Want the drills behind these fixes? Get the free Weightlifting Toolbox inside our Skool community: https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/aboutRefine technique. Define strength.#olympicweightlifting #snatch #cleanandjerk #crossfit #weightliftingtechnique #snatchchat

Feeling stuck with your snatch and clean and jerk no matter how many CrossFit classes you do? You are not alone.

In this episode of Snatch Chat, Coach Connor sits down with Maria, a lifter who went from a frustrated CrossFitter with a 25kg snatch to a 52kg snatch in just 10 months of focused Olympic weightlifting coaching. She was training five to six days a week, seriously strong, but her lifts would not budge. One correction here, another there, no real follow up, and the constant worry of getting injured. Sound familiar?

We break down exactly what changed, why busy group classes and generic downloaded programs keep most lifters stuck, and how personalised programming plus video feedback finally unlocked her snatch, clean and jerk, and her confidence under heavier weights.

What we cover:

• Why doing more classes is not the same as getting better
• The strength vs technique disconnect that holds strong lifters back
• How to actually fix a stuck snatch
• Whether online weightlifting coaching really works
• The mindset shift behind trusting the process

If you are frustrated with your Olympic lifts and wondering whether it is time to change how you train, this one is talking directly to you.

Like, subscribe and follow for a new episode every week.

Missed badly in front of everyone and now every heavy attempt feels like a gamble? In this Snatch Chat Q&A, Coach Oates breaks down how to rebuild confidence after bombing out, why consistency (not courage) is what actually adds kilos, plus real fixes for your front rack, thoracic mobility, first competition prep and training on just three sessions a week. Everything you need to lift heavier without the fear.

Following a programme you found online but your totals haven't moved in months? In episode 38 of Snatch Chat, Coach Oates breaks down whether it's your programme or you, and what a coached, individualised approach actually changes in your snatch, clean and jerk.

In this episode:
Programme vs coached approach and why generic plans plateau
Fixing a clean you keep catching forward (zombie squats and front rack)
Grip slipping in the snatch: strength vs hook grip technique
Comparison and staying motivated without killing your progress
Starting Olympic lifting in your late 30s: too late?
What a proper Olympic lifting warm up actually looks like
What 6 months of coached training really changes

Free to join: the OPTILIFT Performance Lab community (mobility manual, weightlifting toolbox and more). Want your snatch, clean and jerk assessed one to one? Ask about the OPTIPASS. Links below.

https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/about

In episode 37 of the Snatch Chat podcast, Coach Oates breaks down why your lifts have stalled and exactly how to fix it, answering 10 real questions on Olympic weightlifting technique, programming, mindset and recovery. If your snatch, clean or jerk has plateaued, this one is packed with fixes you can action in your next session.

In this episode we cover: why you keep pressing out on heavy snatches and how to build a rock-solid overhead position with pauses and snatch balances; what to do when two coaches give you contradictory first pull advice (aggressive vs patient) and how to know which cue is right for you; why your wrists ache after every clean session and how to fix your grip before it becomes an injury; the single most valuable thing to do if you train alone at a commercial gym with no weightlifting community; how to eat on heavy training days versus recovery days without overcomplicating your nutrition; how to rebuild your split jerk stance when the landing feels unstable; how poor sleep and a young child affect your lifting, and how to train smart around it; the real difference between a lifter who improves every month and one who stalls for a year; how often to film your lifts and what to actually look for; and when you finally cross from beginner to intermediate.

The truth is, most plateaus are not about working harder. They are about finding the minimal effective dose, training smarter, and becoming weightlifting savvy.

Join the free OPTILIFT Skool community and grab the Weightlifting Toolbox to pinpoint exactly what is holding your lifts back. https://www.skool.com/optilift-performance-lab-3529/about