Traditional Olympic lifts can be adapted and used in strength and conditioning programs to develop speed, power and strength. These lifts offer unique opportunities to blend load and speed in movements that are hard to replicate.
Olympic lifts typically have the highest power outputs of any strength and conditioning exercises—between 50 and 80 percent of your 1RM, compared to between 30 and 50 percent for other exercises. Higher loads can lead to higher levels of strength and speed.
But not everyone can do Olympic lifts, so let’s take a look at alternatives that are easier on the joints.