8-WEEK OLYMPIC LIFTING DEVELOPMENT CYCLE
• DATES: Week of April 6 – Week of May 30
• MAIN LIFTS: Snatch | Clean & Jerk | Power Lifts
• PRIMARY FOCUS: The First Rule of Lift Club is you don’t talk about lift club.
No, the first rule of Olympic lifting is to develop sound mechanics before forcing
positions…especially when under load.
These 8-weeks will do just that! Athletes of all levels will become more
technically proficient, confident, and comfortable with and without
weight on the bar. Following a RPE/Percentage hybrid progression, each
week will increase the loading, starting at about 60%/RPE 6, and ending
with 85-90%/RPE 9 loading.
PROGRAMMING & COACHING DEVELOPMENT
CYCLE OVERVIEW
This 8-week cycle is built to raise the technical ceiling of our Olympic lifting. The focus is simple: move better, receive
stronger, and build confidence under the bar. We are not chasing max lifts; we are developing skill, speed, and positional
strength that allow heavier lifts to happen naturally.
Each week includes two Olympic sessions and one strength anchor. Squat-based and power-based lifts alternate to manage
fatigue and preserve bar speed. Complexes are built in, to increase quality touches without extending session length. Every
strength session stays within a 20-minute window to protect class flow and recovery.
By the end of this cycle, athletes should feel more comfortable in the receiving position, more aggressive in the pull, and
more confident when lifting heavier loads.
* We will not begin this cycle maxing out; instead, we will go by feel or previous performances, so athletes can focus more
on quality than on weight. In the final two weeks, if athletes feel and look good on the building sets, then allow them to build
up to a 1RM.
WHAT THIS CYCLE EMPHASIZES
• Technical precision before intensity
• Alternating squat and power variations to manage fatigue
• Complexes to increase skill volume
• Strength anchors that support, not compete with, Olympic development
• Confidence-lifting while under duress.
WHAT ATHLETES WILL GAIN
By the end of this cycle, athletes will:
• Move the bar with greater precision
• Catch with stronger, more stable positions
• Extend more aggressively through the pull
• Turn the bar over faster
• Trust their receiving position/catch
• Feel confident under heavier loads when fatigue builds
This is how we build long-term Olympic lifters — not just stronger athletes, but more capable barbell movers.
8-WEEK CYCLE LAYOUT
PHASE 1: BUILD THE POSITIONS
• We start by slowing the lifts down and reinforcing
strong mechanics.
• These weeks focus on tempo, pauses, and
positional awareness. Athletes should leave feeling
smoother and more controlled under the bar.
WEEK 1 -April 6, 2026
DAY 1 – SQUAT SNATCH COMPLEX
Every 2:00 x 7 sets: 1 Hang Squat Snatch + 1 Squat Snatch
+ 1 Overhead Squat @ 60–65% OR RPE 6
DAY 2 — POWER CLEAN + JERK
Every 1:30 x 8 sets: 2 Power Cleans + 1 Push Jerks
@ 65% OR RPE 6
DAY 3 — TEMPO BACK SQUAT
Every 2:00 x 5 sets: 3 Tempo Back Squats @ 65%
WEEK 2 – April 13, 2026
DAY 1 — CLEAN COMPLEX
Every 2:00 × 6 sets: 1 Clean Pull + 1 Hang Squat Clean + 1
Front Squats @ 65–70% OR RPE 6-7
DAY 2 — POWER SNATCH
Every 1:00 x 10 sets: 2 Power Snatch @ 65% OR RPE 6
DAY 3 — BENCH PRESS
Every 2:00 x 5 sets: 5 Bench Press @ 70% OR RPE 7
PHASE 2: POSITIONAL STRENGTH
• We introduce moderately heavier loads and
reinforce pull strength and receiving stability.
• The goal here is to strengthen positions without
sacrificing speed. Athletes should begin to feel
more confident catching the bar.
WEEK 3 -April 20, 2026
DAY 1 – SNATCH + OHS
Every 2:00 × 6 sets: 2 Squat Snatch (singles) + 1 Overhead
Squats @ 70–72% OR RPE 7
DAY 2 — POWER CLEAN + JERK COMPLEX
Every 2:00 × 6 sets: 1 Power Clean + 1 Hang Power Clean +
1 Push Jerk @ 70–72% OR RPE 7
DAY 3 — DEADSTOP DEADLIFT
Every 2:00 x 5 sets: 3 Deadstop Deadlift @ 70% OR RPE 7
WEEK 4 – April 27, 2026
DAY 1 — CLEAN COMPLEX
Every 2:00 × 6 sets:
1 Hang Squat Clean + 1 Squat Clean @ 72–75% OR RPE 7-8
DAY 2 — POWER SNATCH
Every 1:00 x 8 sets: 1 Power Snatch @ 72–75% OR RPE 7-8
DAY 3 — BACK SQUAT
Every 2:00 x 5 sets: 3 Back Squats @ 72–75% OR RPE 7-8
8-WEEK CYCLE LAYOUT CONTINUED…
PHASE 3:
CONFIDENCE UNDER LOAD
• This is where the weight increases — but
standards stay high.
• No missed lifts due to preventable technical
breakdown. Heavy exposure is earned, not forced.
• Athletes should begin to realize they can move
heavier weights with composure.
WEEK 5 – May 4, 2026
DAY 1 – FULL SNATCH DOUBLES
Every 2:00 × 6 sets: 2 Squat Snatch singles @ 75–78% OR
RPE 7-8
DAY 2 — POWER CLEAN + JERK
Every 1:00 x 5 sets: 3 Clean & Jerk singles @ 70% / RPE 6-7
Every :30 x 5 sets: 1 Clean and Jerk @ 75–80% OR RPE 8
DAY 3 — BENCH (Heavy Triples)
Every 2:00 x 5 sets: 3 Bench Press @ 78% OR RPE 7-8
WEEK 6 – Mar 11, 2026
DAY 1 — FULL CLEAN DOUBLES
Every 2:00 × 6 sets
2 Squat Cleans (singles) @ 78–80% OR RPE 8
DAY 2 — POWER SNATCH SINGLES
Every 1:00 x 5 sets: 3 Power Snatch singles @ 70% / RPE 6-7
Every :30 x 5 sets: 1 Power Snatch @ 75–80% OR RPE 8
DAY 3 — CLEAN GRIP DEADLIFT
Every 2:00 x 5 sets:
3 Clean Deadlifts @ 90–95% of 1RM Clean OR RPE 9
PHASE 4: TIME TO SHINE
• We finish by allowing athletes to show off what
they’ve built.
• These are not max-out weeks. These are
confidence weeks. The goal is clean, powerful
singles that show the progress made across the
cycle.
• If form looks good and the athletes are feeling it,
then let them build to a 1RM
WEEK 7 -May 18, 2026
DAY 1 – HEAVY SNATCH SINGLE
Work to 85% OR RPE 8-9. If the form looks good and the
athletes are feeling it, then let them build to a 1RM
DAY 2 — POWER CLEAN + JERK
Build to 80–85% OR RPE 8-9
DAY 3 — SPEED BACK SQUAT
Every 1:30 x 6 sets
2 Back Squats @ 65% (fast out of the hole) OR RPE 6
WEEK 8 – May 25, 2026
DAY 1 — HEAVY CLEAN + JERK
Work to 85% OR RPE 8-9. If form looks good and the
athletes are feeling it, then let them build to a 1RM
DAY 2 — POWER SNATCH
Build to 80–85% OR RPE 8
DAY 3 — DEADLIFT DOUBLES
Every 2:00 x 4 sets
2 Deadlifts @ 80–85% OR RPE 8