5-Week Front Squat Emphasis
Catalyst Athletics
Weightlifting, Olympic LiftingThis 5-week, 5 day/week program is intended to improve the front squat specifically. It does NOT finish with a snatch and clean & jerk peak, although you will still get plenty of snatch and CJ work and many people do improve significantly in these lifts as well as the squat.
"FS went from 305lbs to 350lbs!"
"FS went up from an iffy 300 lbs with questionable depth to a smooth, deep 325 lbs. Snatch and clean and jerk both improved by 20 lbs."
"97kg to 120kg front squat!."
"FS 138 to 147. Snatch 105 to 107. Clean 129 to 134. And jerk 127 to 129 Kg."
"FS 137.5 to 145kg (+7.5kg), while dropping almost 7kg of fat and hitting 100% of my 1RMs on Snatch and C&J in the process."
"FS 115kg to 125kg."
"FS 255# to 285#. Snatch 160# to 185# and C&J 215# to 235#."
"Put 25lbs on my FS! Snatch went up 23lbs, and CJ up 30lbs on this program."
"FS 245lbs to 275lbs. CJ up 10lbs to 250lbs and Snatch from a lucky 200lbs to a pretty consistent 205lbs."
Prep
A
Prep Circuit A
3 sets: A1. Bird Dog - 3 x 10 + 10 sec hold last rep A2. Jack knife crunch - 3 x max 3 sets: Band External Rotation + Press - 3 x 10
B
Snatch
5 x 3 @ 75 %
C
Jerk (Split Jerk)
5 x 3 @ 75 %
D
Front Squat
5 x 3 @ 75 %
E
Snatch Deadlift
3 x 5 @ 100 %
Successory
F
4 sets: A1. Weighted Plank x 20-30 sec A2. Jack knife crunch x max
Prep
A
Prep Circuit B
3 sets: Single leg glute bridge x 10 (10 sec hold last rep) McGill Curl-up Crunches x max 3 sets: Band IYT + Snow Angel x 5 each
B
Power Snatch + Snatch Push Press + Overhead Squat
5 x 9 @ 70, 70, 70, 75, 75 %
C
Power Clean + Power Jerk
5 x 4 @ 70, 70, 70, 75, 75 %
D
Snatch Pull
5 x 3 @ 90, 90, 95, 95, 95 %
Successory
E
4 sets: A1. Single-leg DB RDL x 10/side A2. V-ups x max
Prep
A
Prep Circuit A
3 sets: A1. Bird Dog - 3 x 10 + 10 sec hold last rep A2. Jack knife crunch - 3 x max 3 sets: Band External Rotation + Press - 3 x 10
B
Clean
5 x 3 @ 75 %
C
Split Jerk Behind the Neck
5 x 3 @ 75 %
D
Back Squat
5 x 2 @ 70 %
E
Clean Pull
5 x 3 @ 90, 90, 95, 95, 95 %
Successory
F
4 sets: A1. Weighted Side Plank x 20-30 sec A2. Deadbug x max
Prep
A
Prep Circuit B
3 sets: Single leg glute bridge x 10 (10 sec hold last rep) McGill Curl-up Crunches x max 3 sets: Band IYT + Snow Angel x 5 each
B
Power Clean + Push Press
5 x 6 @ 75 %
C
Snatch Push Press + Snatch Balance
5 x 4 @ 70 %
D
Snatch Pull
5 x 3 @ 90 %
Successory
E
4 sets: A1. Back Extension x 10-12 (add weight if needed) A2. Russian Twist x 10-15/side
Prep
A
Prep Circuit A
3 sets: A1. Bird Dog - 3 x 10 + 10 sec hold last rep A2. Jack knife crunch - 3 x max 3 sets: Band External Rotation + Press - 3 x 10
B
Front Squat
5 x 3 @ 80 %
C
Snatch
1 x 1 @ MAX kg
D
Clean & Jerk
1 x 2 @ MAX kg
E
Clean Deadlift
3 x 5 @ 100 %
Successory
F
4 sets: A1. Weighted Sit-up x 10-12 A2. Side bend x 10-12/side
Greg Everett
In over 15 years, he’s coached multiple national champions & record holders, Pan Am & European Championships medalists, & World Championships competitors from multiple countries. He’s coach of the Catalyst Athletics USA Weightlifting national championship team, a USA Weightlifting International Coach, and was named 2021 Danish Coach of the Year—the first non-Danish coach to be awarded the honor.
