Strength, Speed & Technique: How to Adjust Your Focus at Every Stage of Weightlifting
Hey, it’s your boy Coach Sebb here, back with Part 2 of our Speed, Strength & Technique blog series.
Last time, I introduced three main qualities I consider when putting together a weightlifting program: strength, speed, and technique. As mentioned in the last blog, there are many other qualities that make a great lifter, but today, let’s dive deeper into these three and discuss how I would prioritise them for beginner, intermediate, and advanced lifters.
Why Prioritisation Matters
Improving technique enhances efficiency; the more efficient a movement is, the less energy it takes to perform. However, before we jump in, let me clarify something: every individual is different. These are just examples—what works for one person might not work for another. The following priorities are based on someone completely new to Olympic weightlifting. If they come from a different sport or training background, adjustments may be necessary. Changes will also occur throughout different blocks in each stage, but this is just a very broad and general thought process.
Beginner: Technique > Strength > Speed
Beginners move consistently inconsistent—meaning, no two reps look the same, and each rep has a different technical issue.
When coaching a beginner, movement quality should be the highest priority to set them up for success and long-term improvement. The sooner they develop good movement patterns, the sooner they will be able to progress further in their training..
At this stage, I don’t focus too much on specific strength training. Instead, I prioritise building general strength to create a solid foundation. If there are clear weaknesses or mobility restrictions, I’ll address them, but otherwise, my primary focus remains on general strength development.
Because my main emphasis in the Olympic lifts is technique, I can push volume and intensity in general strength work. The recoverability from the Olympic lifts won’t be too taxing, aside from the mental load of learning new movement patterns. That’s the main factor I consider when programming—I ensure the training is structured to avoid excessive mental fatigue.
Speed is the lowest priority at this stage. That doesn’t mean I don’t want them moving fast, but I can easily incorporate simple speed drills in their warm-up. Additionally, elements of speed work can be embedded within Olympic lifting technique drills. Since they’re beginners, increasing speed doesn’t take much thought—it naturally improves with better technique and confidence.
Bottom line: With the right guidance, beginners will experience continuous improvement just by showing up and training consistently.
Intermediate: Strength > Technique > Speed
An intermediate lifter has a technically inefficient consistency, meaning their mistakes are consistent but still present in every rep. However, they have a solid foundation and can now follow more specific training programs.
Now, I know some people will disagree with my prioritisation here, but guess what? It’s my blog, so I don’t care. Here’s my reasoning:
At this stage, all three qualities—strength, technique, and speed—should be regularly addressed. The intermediate phase is where most lifters get stuck because they train the wrong way. Many lifters only focus on one quality for years, neglecting others, and wonder why they aren’t improving. This is also when PBs start to slow down, leading some to lose motivation or quit.
Building strength is a must. The stronger an athlete is, the more potential they have for improvement and the less likely they are to plateau. That said, they still haven’t mastered the Olympic lifts, so they need variation and constraints in their training to refine their technique.
A lifter with a strong technical foundation is less likely to overthink lifts or get in their own way. Plus, an efficient technique reduces fatigue. Let me give you an example: If two athletes have identical strength levels but one has better technique, who do you think can perform more reps and sets? Obviously, the one with better technique, because their lifts are less physically and mentally draining.
Now, why is speed the lowest priority here? It’s not that speed isn’t important—it absolutely is. However, trying to move heavy weights too fast before solidifying strength and technical awareness is a recipe for disaster. That doesn’t mean we ignore speed; instead, we implement it without compromising technique or risking injury.
Advanced: Speed > Strength > Technique
At this stage, an athlete should have very good technique. If technique is still a major issue, I’m sorry, but you’re not advanced yet—go back and sort it out. (Just kidding! You’re cool. Keep reading and tell me how wrong I am later.)
Technique is no longer the highest priority because the lifter is already highly consistent. Of course, they’re not perfect—no one is—but we can challenge them with variations and constraints to make training appropriately difficult.
Now, speed finally takes the top spot. Here’s why:
By this point, the lifter should be strong as hell—and while they’ll continue getting stronger, progress slows down significantly. PBs become rare, volume and intensity are at their highest, and training stress is immense. This is when improving velocity peak time becomes a key factor.
If we’ve done our job right, they should already be moving fast. But now, we focus on making them move even faster. Let me give you a simple example:
Let’s say we track an athlete’s squat velocity and find that they move 80% of their max squat at 0.7 meters per second (m/s). If we improve that to 1.0m/s, their bar speed has dramatically increased, which likely improves their ability to move heavier loads at higher velocities. This leads to a higher squat max, increasing their potential in the snatch and clean & jerk.
Now, here’s the cool part about prioritising speed at this stage: Advanced lifters are handling massive loads and intense volume to continue progressing. But if we improve their speed under heavy loads, they won’t always need crazy high intensities or excessive volume to keep improving. This can be a great alternative from the classic demands of high volume that you might see in most programs, extending their lifting lifespan.
Of course, they’ll still lift heavy—but a properly planned program allows them to train smarter, not just harder.
Final Thoughts
The priorities in a weightlifting program should shift over time as the athlete progresses:
Beginners: Focus on technique first, build general strength, and let speed develop naturally.
Intermediates: Strength becomes the main driver, but neglecting technique and speed will cause stagnation.
Advanced lifters: Strength takes a backseat to speed, allowing for continued progress without excessive breakdown.
If you’ve made it this far, congrats! You must actually care about improving as a lifter. Now go lift some heavy stuff, and let me know how wrong I am in the comments. Until next time.
