Association Between Foundation Strength and Weightlifting Exercises in Highly Trained Weightlifters: Support for a General Strength Component

Abstract

Abstract Zecchin, A, Puggina, EF, Hortobágyi, T, and Granacher, U. Association between foundation strength and weightlifting exercises in highly trained weightlifters: support for a general strength component. J Strength Cond Res 37(7): 1375–1381, 2023—In addition to specific weightlifting exercises (i.e., clean and jerk and snatch), foundation strength exercises (i.e., overhead press, front squat, and deadlift) constitute an integral part of the weightlifters' training regime. The unexamined concept behind this training plan is that foundation strength exercises are associated with clean and jerk and snatch performance, implying the existence of a general strength component. We thus determined the relationship between performance in foundation strength exercises (overhead press, front squat, and deadlift) and weightlifting exercises (clean and jerk and snatch) in weightlifters. Well-trained weightlifters (N = 19, age: 26.8 ± 4.4 years; body mass index: 27.6 ± 2.3 kg·m−2; and training history: 4.6 ± 0.8 years) performed 1 repetition maximum tests (1RM) in foundation strength and weightlifting exercises, over 14 days, in a randomized order. We observed significant correlations in 1RM performance between the overhead press and snatch (r = 0.69), front squat and snatch (r = 0.73), overhead press and clean and jerk (r = 0.67), and front squat and clean and jerk (r = 0.72, all r values: p < 0.01). No significant correlations were found for 1RM performance between the snatch and deadlift or between the clean and jerk and deadlift (r-range: 0.20–0.58; p > 0.05). Stepwise linear regression revealed that 1RM performance in the overhead press and front squat explained 62% of the variance in snatch 1RM performance (F = 5.51; p < 0.04). Overhead press and front squat 1RM performance explained 59% of the variance in the clean and jerk 1RM performance (F = 5.14; p < 0.04). Our results demonstrate the existence of a general strength component between selected foundation strength exercises and weightlifting performance. However, the use of the front squat and overhead press to increase 1RM performance in weightlifting exercises needs to be determined in future research using a different methodological approach (i.e., longitudinal protocols), given that the observed correlations do not necessarily imply causation.