5 Keys to PR Your Snatch & Clean + Jerk: Part 3, Bodybuilding Accessory

Welcome to part 3 of our 5-part series on improving the snatch and clean + jerk.

In parts 1 and 2, we covered the importance of pulls, squats, and the push press. Today, we’ll discuss an often underutilized training component in Olympic Weightlifting:

Bodybuilding.

Now, when most people think about Olympic Weightlifting, they think about speed, power, technique, mobility, and heavy barbells.

And, of course, all of that matters.

But if you look closely at many great weightlifting programs, you’ll also find a healthy amount of bodybuilding-style accessory work.

Recently, bodybuilding has gained a lot more popularity among weightlifting coaches and athletes. And honestly, who can argue with its effectiveness when one of the most successful teams in international weightlifting uses bodybuilding so effectively in their training?

Take a second and Google the Chinese national team.

You’ll see some of the most developed and aesthetically impressive upper backs, shoulders, legs, and physiques in the sport. Seriously, some of these lifters look like they could step into a bodybuilding competition.

But this isn’t just about looking good.

There’s a reason they train this way.

The use of bodybuilding accessory exercises is a significant component of the Chinese weightlifting training methodology, as well as many other successful programs in the sport. These exercises serve several important purposes.

1. Muscle Hypertrophy

The first benefit is muscle hypertrophy.

In simple terms, hypertrophy means building muscle.

And building muscle matters.

More muscle gives the athlete a larger foundation for strength and power development. Hypertrophy training increases the size of muscle fibers, particularly Type II fast-twitch fibers, which are crucial for generating high levels of force.

Larger muscles have the potential to produce more force.

Of course, muscle alone doesn’t make someone a great weightlifter. Technique, timing, mobility, speed, coordination, and nervous system efficiency all matter. But strength has to come from somewhere.

If an athlete lacks enough muscle mass in the legs, back, shoulders, triceps, or trunk, they may eventually hit a ceiling.

Bodybuilding work helps build the physical structure needed to support bigger lifts.

2. Addressing Weaknesses

Bodybuilding accessory work is also a great way to address weaknesses.

Olympic lifts are full-body movements, but that doesn’t mean every muscle gets developed equally.

Some athletes have strong legs but weak upper backs.

Some have powerful pulls but poor overhead stability.

Some can front squat a lot of weight but fold over in the clean because their trunk and upper back can’t support the bar.

Some athletes constantly miss jerks because their triceps, shoulders, or upper back aren’t strong enough to finish and stabilize the lift overhead.

This is where targeted accessory work becomes valuable.

You can use bodybuilding exercises to bring up lagging areas and strengthen weak links in the chain.

For example, if an athlete struggles to keep the bar close during the pull, rows and upper-back work may help.

If an athlete collapses in the front rack, more trunk, upper-back, and quad work may be needed.

If the overhead position is unstable, shoulder, trap, tricep, and rotator cuff work can play a big role.

The Olympic lifts expose weaknesses.

Bodybuilding helps fix them.

3. Injury Prevention

This is one of the biggest arguments for incorporating bodybuilding into an Olympic Weightlifting program.

Olympic Weightlifting is repetitive and demanding. The same positions show up over and over again: pulling from the floor, receiving in the squat, supporting the bar overhead, catching in the front rack, and driving out of heavy positions.

If certain muscles are underdeveloped or certain joints lack support, problems can start to show up.

Bodybuilding accessory work helps strengthen stabilizer muscles and improve overall muscle balance, which can reduce the risk of injury.

This includes exercises like rotator cuff work, upper-back work, core stabilization exercises, hamstring work, tricep work, and accessory lifts that promote joint health.

For example, stronger hamstrings and glutes can support the knees and hips.

A stronger upper back can improve posture and front rack stability.

Stronger shoulders, traps, and rotator cuffs can help protect the shoulder during snatches and jerks.

A stronger trunk can help protect the spine during heavy pulls, squats, and recoveries.

No program can prevent every injury. But a stronger, more balanced body is usually a more resilient body.

And resilient athletes can train more consistently.

That matters.

4. Improving Stability and Control

Another major benefit of bodybuilding work is improved stability and control.

Olympic Weightlifting is not just about producing force. It’s about producing force and controlling it.

You have to pull the bar aggressively, then receive it with precision.

You have to drive the bar overhead, then lock it out and stabilize it.

You have to move fast, but you also have to be strong enough to own the positions.

Bodybuilding-style accessory work can improve this by strengthening the muscles that help control movement.

Core exercises, unilateral movements, upper-back training, overhead stability work, and controlled tempo exercises can all help the lifter feel more stable under the bar.

This is especially important for beginner and intermediate lifters.

A lot of athletes miss lifts not because they aren’t explosive enough, but because they can’t control the positions after the explosive part happens.

They pull the bar high enough but crash in the catch.

They drive the jerk high enough but can’t lock it out.

They receive the snatch but can’t stabilize overhead.

Bodybuilding work helps build the structure and control needed to finish lifts with confidence.

Bodybuilding Work in Oly Strong

In my program, Oly Strong, we do a lot of bodybuilding accessory work.

Specifically, Oly Strong incorporates a lot of pulling variations for the back, such as barbell rows and weighted pull-ups, as well as core work like weighted decline sit-ups, holds, and other trunk-strengthening movements.

The goal isn’t to turn weightlifters into bodybuilders.

The goal is to use bodybuilding principles to build stronger, more durable, more balanced athletes.

That means more upper-back strength for the pull and front rack.

More shoulder and tricep strength for the jerk.

More trunk strength for heavy squats and cleans.

More posterior chain development for pulling strength and overall power.

More muscle in the right places so the athlete can train harder, stay healthier, and lift more weight.

Sample Bodybuilding Accessory Work From Oly Strong

Here are a few examples of bodybuilding-style accessory pieces from Oly Strong.

Accessory Piece 1

4 Sets
6-10 Close-Grip Barbell Tricep Press
-straight into-
8-12 Lu Raises

Rest as needed between sets.

This piece targets the triceps, shoulders, and upper back. It’s great for building overhead strength, lockout strength, and shoulder stability for the jerk and snatch.

Accessory Piece 2

4 Sets
8-12 Overhand Snatch-Grip Bent-Over Barbell Rows
-straight into-
1 Minute Max Wide-Grip Pull-Ups

Rest as needed between sets.

This piece targets the upper back, lats, grip, and pulling muscles. It has direct carryover to keeping the bar close, improving pulling strength, and building a stronger receiving position.

Conclusion

In summary, while bodybuilding primarily aims at muscle hypertrophy, it also promotes significant strength gains through neural adaptations, connective tissue strengthening, improved muscle density, and better muscular balance.

More importantly, it helps build a stronger and healthier body.

For Olympic Weightlifting, that matters.

A bigger upper back can help your pull and front rack.

Stronger shoulders and triceps can help your jerk.

More trunk strength can help your clean recovery.

Better muscle balance can help reduce injury risk.

More muscle in the right places can give you a stronger foundation for long-term progress.

The snatch and clean + jerk will always require technique, speed, mobility, and timing. But if you want to keep progressing, you also need a body strong enough to support those qualities.

That’s where bodybuilding accessory work comes in.

If you’re looking for a program that puts all this together for you, give Oly Strong a try.

Every single one of the 25 athletes who tested this program set personal bests in at least one variation of the squat, clean + jerk, or snatch. This included beginner and intermediate lifters who trained in functional fitness.

If you want to blast through your old personal bests, this is the program for you.

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