Accessories for Weightlifting

In the sport of weightlifting the goal is to take a weight from the ground and put it overhead. It’s done in one motion as a snatch or two movements as a clean and jerk. In training to increase our total between snatch and clean and jerk our main lifts will obviously be the snatch and clean and jerk. All other lifts we do in training will be considered accessories. This includes squats, presses, any type of pull, and any movement that is not a snatch or clean and jerk. All forms of snatch and clean and jerk that are not the classic lifts we consider to be variations. Think hang snatch and power clean. We treat these as separate from accessory movements for defining purposes in program design. Accessories in weightlifting will have the goal of increasing general strength, positional strength, or increasing power. General strength accessories include dumbbell bench press, deadlifts, pull ups, ect. The goal of these is to increase the athlete’s base level of strength. Positional strength accessories will be lifts that mimic a portion of the lift and reinforces stability in these positions. Examples are front squat, press from split, snatch deadlift. Positional strength accessories may also include mobility drills that are specific to the lifts. Power based accessories will include jumps, throws and pulls. Far out from competition the athlete will have more general training with a higher percentage of volume dedicated towards accessory work. As competition gets closer the accessory work will become more specific and decrease in volume.