The Olympic weight lifts are the most complex and oldest. But, there is a reason they have withstood the test of time. Two words come to mind: EXPLOSIVE POWER. The motions require you to perform complex moves and a great deal of athleticism to complete. So if you want to look athletic with more explosiveness and power than everyone else, these lifts are for you!
Experienced fitness enthusiasts can use Olympic-style lifts to improve their athleticism and appearance. Olympic lifts are not just for world-class athletes. These lifts will challenge you if you have seen everything in the weight room and need a challenge. Compound workouts like these are excellent for increasing muscle mass and power, and they serve as the foundation for many CrossFit activities.
The movements used in Olympic weight lifts are challenging and require some athleticism. And to carry them out, you’ll need good mobility and fluidness. Also, this is because smaller muscle groups need to be worked equally hard as the bigger ones on these lifts. In addition, you need your central nervous system, grip strength, and technique to perform at a high level for these lifts.
Perform Olympic Weight Lifts Requires Mobility and Fluidness
When attempting Olympic-style lifts, it’s essential to address any mobility issues. Many novices struggle with Olympic-style lifts for virtual mobility, but they may improve their mobility by doing flexibility and agility exercises.
Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion. Agility is the ability to change direction quickly and smoothly. Flexibility is necessary for proper range of movement when performing Olympic weight lifts. Poor flexibility can lead to poor technique and increase the risk of injury.
Agility is essential for quickly changing direction during a lift. Athletes who are flexible and agile will move more efficiently and perform the lifts with greater accuracy and precision. Improving flexibility and agility can help athletes increase their performance with world-class lifts and a muscular appearance away from the gym.
There are several ways to improve flexibility and agility
Stretching is the most common, but you can also improve flexibility by using resistance bands or by performing dynamic movements that mimic the flexibility needed in Olympic lifts. Agility drills include shuttle runs and ladder drills, which quickly help improve flexibility when changing direction during a lift.
The benefits of flexibility training stretch far beyond athleticism. Stretching can decrease the risk of injury, improve posture, and increase blood flow to muscles. Stretching can also help relax muscles after a workout or competition by allowing lactic acid to dissipate more quickly from the muscle tissue.
Strength training is essential for becoming an Olympic-style lifter because it builds muscle strength and power. However, flexibility and agility training is also critical for improving performance. The more flexible and agile an athlete is, the more mobile and fluid they will be on the compound, hip-thrusting, knee bending, and weight jerking lifts. Therefore, improving flexibility and agility is crucial to becoming a successful Olympic-style lifter.
The Push Press is the first Olympic weightlift move you should master
The push press is a fantastic exercise for improving athleticism and muscle appearance. Its primary benefit is that it trains the body to use more muscle fibers when lifting weights. Also, this results in improved strength, power, and explosiveness.
The push press also helps to improve muscle definition and tone. Unlike traditional weightlifting exercises like the bench press or squat, the push press involves many muscles. The movement works the entire body in a single exercise, resulting in a more well-rounded and naturally athletic-looking body.
So if you’re looking to improve your athleticism and build an impressive physique, be sure to add the push press to your workout routine!
How to perform the push press
You can do the push press with a barbell or dumbbells. It might be a good idea to use a lighter weight until you become comfortable with the movement when starting. As with any exercise, consult with a qualified personal trainer before starting.
Make sure that the bar rests comfortably over your collarbone. Now grip the bar with your hands more than shoulder-width apart. Next, wrap your thumbs around the bar, then lift the bar off the rack.
Next, keep your shoulders back and your core firm. Explosively push the weight with your legs and drive through your hips as you push the barbell up. Don’t forget to bend your knees and exhale as you set a higher standard over your head. Ensure that you’re not dropping into more than a quarter squat while performing the push press. As with most exercises, you must breathe correctly to maximize the lift. Also, use your triceps and shoulders to increase the force from your legs by fully extending your elbows at the peak.
Now, continue to push until you are standing upright. After landing, the bar should be above your head and your elbows locked out in the closed position. Imagine being on a pogo stick and trying to push down hard enough so that it never hits the ground. Also, this is what you want your push press to look like. Finally, reverse the movement by lowering the bar back into the push press position.
The power clean is the second Olympic weightlift move you should master
Could you do it if we asked you to pick up a heavyweight from the floor? If you’re unsure if your back can handle it, don’t try. Power Cleans are dangerous for people with weak muscles. Also, they improve athleticism and muscle appearance by strengthening specific muscles. Thus, power Cleans build explosiveness in a sport or exercise requiring excessive power. Finally, they teach the body to use multiple muscle groups at once.
The Power Clean is a weightlifting exercise that involves lifting a weight from the floor to your hips and then raising it to your shoulders. Unlike the traditional lift, Power Cleans uses an explosive hip extension to generate power for lifting the weight. One of the best lifts in noncompetitive weightlifting, the deadlift comes from the power clean.
How to perform the power clean
To perform a power clean, roll a bar to your ankles. Then lift the weight to your hips with your palms towards your body.
Now explosively swing the weight up to your shoulders as you drop your hips while maintaining a straight and neutral spine. Next, flip your elbows beneath the bar and crouch slightly to approach the catch.
Now lower the bar to your shoulders (palms facing up). You should be in a standing position with the weight on your shoulders. Also, this lift requires absolute power, mobility, and concentration.
The barbell snatch is the third Olympic weightlift move you should master
The barbell snatch is one of the most effective exercises that you can do to improve your athleticism and muscle appearance. This exercise involves using a barbell to lift a weight from the floor to overhead in one smooth motion. The barbell snatch is a complex exercise that requires coordination, power, and strength. In addition, it is a total body movement, so it targets the muscles of the legs, back, and arms.
The barbell snatch is one of the best exercises to improve your power output. Also, this will lead to improved performance in all activities that require explosiveness. Olympic weightlifters use this exercise to train for strength and power because it closely simulates movement patterns seen in sport.
The barbell snatch is an excellent exercise for toning and sculpting the muscles of the legs, back, and arms
Also, this exercise effectively shapes the muscles of the upper body, including the shoulders, chest, and arms. So if you are looking for an effective workout that will improve your athleticism and muscle appearance, the barbell snatch is a superb choice. In addition, the barbell snatch is a very efficient way to burn calories and torch fat, making it a popular choice for those looking to lose weight.
You can perform the barbell snatch with a variety of different weights. It is best to use a weight that you can comfortably lift for 10-12 repetitions when starting. As you get stronger, you can increase the weight that you use.
The barbell snatch is a complex exercise that you should perform under the guidance of a qualified instructor. When you are new to this exercise, it is crucial to learn the correct technique before attempting to lift a heavyweight. Thus, if you are unsure how to barbell snatch correctly, ask a qualified instructor for guidance.
How to perform the barbell snatch
You perform the barbell snatch in quick succession, starting from the ground up. First, you must set your grip on the barbell and then drop into a quarter squat. Next, explosively push up through your legs and pull yourself under the bar. As your body passes under the bar, keep it as close as you can to your body to avoid losing any of the momenta from the bar.
Finally, after you have gone underneath the bar, extend through your hips and shrug up with your traps so that the bar is now resting on those muscles. The bar should be just high enough off the ground to where you can unhook your arms from underneath it. Once you are in this position, slowly let the bar fall back down to the ground before getting underneath it again.
What are the benefits of Olympic weight lifts?
Strength
Each lift in Olympic weight lifts requires a significant investment of effort. Put another way. Also, this implies that they enable you to increase the power you can generate during training, eventually leading to greater efficiency.
Performance
Weightlifting movements in the Olympic Games require advanced skills. You’re boosting your total strength and capabilities by having to move the weight from one position to another while hitting practically every angle as you go.
Effective
Olympic weight lifts routines are compound exercises targeting various muscle groups, including some that you would not regularly train. In addition, they are effective at improving power and explosiveness.
Core engagement
The Olympic-style lifts force you to engage your core as you perform multiple movements in one lift. Also, the different moves and power generated require a lot of calories which burns stomach fat and creates an athletic body. Thus, Olympic weight lifts are terrific for toning your abs and lower back simultaneously.
The last word on Olympic weight lifts
Olympic weight lifts are a great way to improve athleticism and build muscle. Check out some of our articles on Olympic Style lifts if you want to get started. Olympic weight lifting can help you achieve your fitness goals!
If you’ve been looking for new ways to get in shape, consider doing some Olympic weight lifting workouts. The exercises will help you gain physical strength and endurance and have other benefits, such as improving your balance and coordination skills.
Don’t let the exercises intimidate you if they look complicated at first glance. There are many tutorials available on YouTube or written instructions on how to perform each exercise correctly from trusted sources!
What has been your experience with these types of workouts? Have they helped you become more athletic or lose weight? Let us know in the comments section below so others can gain inspiration from your story.
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