Why do we olympic lift?
Do you know? When I first started my fitness journey I had no clue. I thought they were historic lifts that only people in singlets did during the Summer Olympic Games. Well I was partially correct, but I had completely glanced over the benefits of doing these very skilled and advanced movements.
When done properly speed, power, agility, and body awareness are all improved by olympic lifting. How is this possible? Let’s break down these lifts to see exactly what we are doing that makes our athletic performance improve:
- STRENGTH – pulling the load from the floor.
- SPEED – driving our hips to full extension propelling the bar upwards.
- AGILITY / COORDINATION / FLEXIBILITY – Pulling ourselves under the bar, catching and stabilizing the bar in the perfect position at the perfect time.
- STRENGTH – standing up with the load in a completely new position to finish the lift.
As you can see throughout the clean, jerk, and snatch our entire body is utilized to complete the lift. Our muscle groups work together in harmony to complete an amazing feet of strength, speed, coordination, and flexibility. In addition, these lifts create a massive amount of power to complete, and power is directly correlated to intensity. Intensity is the main variable that drives our results in the gym.
So the next time you see one of these lifts in class, get excited. You are about to improve your movement quality, strength, speed, and much more.
Any Questions? Ask me in class.
Thanks,
KB