I'm trying to incorporate more of these into my regimen, but I have a couple of questions.

On John's recent update, he stated he's doing core work, split legs, chest/delt/tris, back/bis. This I don't get, since he's doing Olympic lifts. I thought that Olympic lifts were only the Cleans & the Snatches. Am I missing something? How do you have a day dedicated to chest/etc. with the Olympic lifts?

Does anybody have any tips on doing front squats? My wrists are not flexible at all and when I do them, my elbows point out at about a 45-degree angle, and down some. I can't hold a weight heavy enough for me to do A2G front squats as my arms will give out before my legs do. I used to do them with my arms crossed, hands on opposite shoulders, but I'm trying to get better form on these.

Thanks.

I know nothing about Olympic Lifts but go try here (http://exrx.net/Lists/PowerExercises.html) for some ideas.

Does anybody have any tips on doing front squats? My wrists are not flexible at all and when I do them, my elbows point out at about a 45-degree angle, and down some. I can't hold a weight heavy enough for me to do A2G front squats as my arms will give out before my legs do. I used to do them with my arms crossed, hands on opposite shoulders, but I'm trying to get better form on these.

Thanks.

Don't hold the weight. Open your hands and let the bar roll to the end of your fingertips if you need to. It won't go anywhere. Work on wrist flexibility. Keep elbows high and head up, bar high on the front delts.

Don't hold the weight. Open your hands and let the bar roll to the end of your fingertips if you need to. It won't go anywhere. Work on wrist flexibility. Keep elbows high and head up, bar high on the front delts.


Gotcha. I'll try that. Holding it was killing my wrists and the bar was pressing up against my clavicles & throat, which was uncomfortable...but not as bad as the wrist pain.

Thanks for the tip.

I thought that Olympic lifts were only the Cleans & the Snatches.

Does anybody have any tips on doing front squats? My wrists are not flexible at all and when I do them, my elbows point out at about a 45-degree angle, and down some.

A: There are a few dozen lifts related to clean, jerk, and snatch that are commonly a part of an Olympic lifting program. (Jump shrugs, various pulls, hang clean, hang snatch, snatch balance, overhead squats, etc.)

B: I am having great success with using straps for front squats. You wrap them around the bar and hold the ends:

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This has helped me a lot.

Interesting...but by using the straps, doesn't that limit your progression on exercises like the Clean & Press? I thought one of the bonuses of the front squat was assisting in your arm & shoulder positioning for the Olympic Lifts.

Also, I see what you're saying about the other lifts. I should have been a bit more detailed. I'm mostly interested in Olympic-esque lifts for the chest. The Hang Pull, Clean & Press, & Snatches, as well as the supplementary work (front squat, press under, etc.) seem to work the whole body, or at least back & legs. I'm sure the chest gets hit some on the presses, but I was just curious about any other primary chest Olympic lifts.

Interesting...but by using the straps, doesn't that limit your progression on exercises like the Clean & Press?

I doubt it. My clean has been stuck at 185# for a long time before I bothered starting front squats. I can jerk or push press 185# for a long time now too.

It was sort of tought to front squat at all because of the flexibility issue. In three sessions of using straps I've front squatted 275# easily, and a couple days ago I did

Front squats: 2x15x135#, 12x185#, 10x225#

Barbell back squats: 10x275#, 8x315#, 25x225#


In other words I do all my warm-up squats as front squats now. The thing that was holding back my front squats was the ability to get the delts under the bar and have comfortable hand position. With the straps, that problem is basically gone. I wouldn't be surprised if I could front squat 365#, and 315# for reps now, maybe not quite as easily as back squat those, but I feel like that would be OK. I'm not even close to cleaning or jerking either of those weights, and don't expect to be for quite a while.

Also, I see what you're saying about the other lifts. I should have been a bit more detailed. I'm mostly interested in Olympic-esque lifts for the chest.

Well then the old standing press which is no longer in competition would be as close as it gets.

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But chest is not really essential for Olympic lifting. It isn't really even primary in power lifting either, although bench pressing will eventually develop the chest.

Neither of the Olympic lifts nor any of their assistance exercises are chest builders. You're mostly going to get legs, back, and shoulders out of a program geared towards weightlifting.

For your front squat, as cajunman said, the bar rests on the front delts over the clavicles close to the base of your neck with the hands open and the finger tips resting underneath the bar. The hands are not closed and do not clasp the bar. With the palms open, you should be able to push the elbows up properly so that they are parallel to the floor. If you still cannot, then stretch your wrists/forearms, triceps, and lats until you can get into this position. When you're holding the bar in position, make sure to lift your chest up and don't try to retract your scapula.

Also, John is just incorporating the lifts in his program, which is how he is still able to have a body part split. You're right that, if he was on a weightlifting program, it would make no sense to split as he is doing now.