“I just want to get better at CrossFit, I’m not trying to be a weightlifter”

I’ve heard many a crossfitter and coach say this exact statement when it comes to working on improving their weightlifting technique, and it’s some backward ass thinking if I’ve ever heard it.

Good technique is good technique because it is more efficient, and in CrossFit, efficiency is the name of the game. 

The best athletes are able to get faster times and do more work in the same amount of time because when they do a snatch, it is actually does not feel as hard for them compared with someone who uses inefficient technique. 

This concept is easy to understand in a heavy squat. You probably know that if you do a squat and accidentally tip forward at the bottom, the squat feels much harder because you were pulled forward. However, that same rep can feel much easier if you keep the bar in a vertical bar path. 

This same exact concept applies in the snatch and clean and jerk. If you hip thrust the bar away from you and need to chase the lift forward to get under it so it “counts in crossfit”, you are doing more work than necessary for less reward, as it will be too hard to add weight or do more reps in the same workout. 

Improving your weightlifting technique to become more efficient IS synonymous with getting better at crossfit. For everyone except maybe the top 10% of the open, focusing on your olympic lifts will absolutely make you a better crossfitter. 

You can check out this article on the three principles of weightlifting technique to learn exactly where you should be focusing your efforts.

One place to start that will help you cover your bases with practicing your olympic lifts, while also scratching that itch to feel out of breath, and simultaneously improving your ability to perform the olympic lifts under fatigue is to use a method called On-The-Minute training. 

If you’ve done crossfit for a decent period of time, you’re probably familiar with EMOM’s. 

These are one of my favorite methods for getting volume work in for the olympic lifts. They are huge for getting higher quality technique work in, with heavier weights than you normally could use, while also helping you stop overthinking and improve your conditioning. 

If you want to learn more about this, then check out my e-book, OTM Secrets, with three sample months of training and four sample training splits to help you get stronger, improve your technique, and set PRs!