The Only Two Lifts Olympic Weightlifter Kolbi Ferguson Recommends to Skyrocket Strength Without Wrecking Your Joints

Aside from Mark Rippetoe, there's almost no one I trust more to help pack on muscle and skyrocket strength than an Olympic weightlifter. These athletes are unusually powerful, and they work alongside the industry's top coaches to tweak their programming, nutrition, and mechanics. The goal is simple, get as strong as possible in the shortest amount of time without absolutely wrecking the body. Olympic lifters understand how to hone in on the movements that offer the most bang for your buck, building dense muscle while protecting the joints from the wear and tear of daily life mixed with ultra-heavy lifting.

For Team USA weightlifter Kolbi Ferguson, those two crucial movements are the squat and the power clean. He believes they belong in everyone's routine, regardless of age or experience level.

"I've seen older individuals start squatting and their body feels better, and start doing power cleans just to get their body flowing," Ferguson says. "You have a lot of strength coaches now that are doing snatches, and they've always done power cleans, and now their athletes are jumping higher and moving quicker. I think those are the most explosive movements to help build what they need to build."

Related: Is the Trap Bar Deadlift Better Than the Barbell for Building Muscle? Here's What Experts Say

As an elite weightlifter, Ferguson relies on this exact foundation. He currently holds the senior American record for a total at 110 kilograms, and his rapid rise in the sport is remarkable. After transitioning from college football at Mars Hill and The Citadel, he quickly climbed the ranks to win the 2023 and 2024 National Championships, became one of the top-ranked US lifters competing at the 2025 IWF World Championships, and he just secured a silver medal at the Pan American Championships this year. If anyone understands the power of a solid lifting foundation to fast-track results, it's him.

If you want to build raw strength and explosive power for yourself, try these two foundational compound movements straight from the mouth of an elite Team USA weightlifter.

How to Do Barbell Back Squats

1. In a squat rack, step under the barbell and place it securelyon your rear delt muscle across the middle of your shoulders, to start.
2. Place your hands a few inches outside shoulder-width to keep the bar stable.
3. Step back and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly outward.
4. Take a deep breath, then bend your hips and knees to lower your body as if you were going to sit down in a chair.
5. Aim for your butt to go lower than knee level while maintaining a tall, upright posture with your upper body.
6. Extend your hips to come back up, continuing to push your knees outward.
7. Perform 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps.

How to Do Power Cleans

1. Start with the barbell on the floor, using the exact same setup and body position as a standard deadlift.
2. Pull the bar up from the floor in one fluid motion, driving your hips forward and shrugging your shoulders once you are standing up tall.
3. Quickly whip your elbows forward and up to catch the barbell on the front rack shelf created by your chest and front shoulders.
4. Allow your feet to naturally leave the ground during the extension, but make sure they land in the exact same spot where they started.
5. Focus on keeping your landing stance tight, ensuring your feet do not drift forward, backward, or out into a wider position.
6. Perform 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps to maximize your explosive power.

Related: How to Do the Clean Exercise, Olympic Weightlifters' Go-To for Explosive Power

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 12:23 PM.