Yes or NO to Olympic Lifts? Here’s trainer & PhD candidate Ben Lai on dumbbell high pulls. 10 Facts About Olympic Lifting for Athletes. 1.It’s very common for strength coaches & personal trainers to force barbell Olympic lifts particularly snatch & clean on athletes. 2. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with those movements particularly if the athlete has efficient mechanics, oftentimes athletes struggle technically with these lifts. 3.That means they’re probably not getting the most bang f