Weightlifting
Conventionally athletics
involves running and jumping. The word athlete stems from a citizen of Athens.
Read The Naked Olympics, by Tony Perrottet (Author).
http://www.amazon.com/The-Naked-Olympics-Story-Ancient/dp/081296991X
Anyway, weightlifting does not
involve running or jumping necessarily. Technically the lifts are accomplished
with a jumping action but the jump is not measured in competition. Running and
jumping skills are enhanced with the core curriculum of weightlifting. Every event
in the ancient Olympics involved added weight. The final event was a race in
full combat body armor. Strength is obligatory in these types of events. All of
my writings and speaking engagements stress the importance of applicable
strength. Strength is a basis for anything physical.http://www.allthingsgym.com/jared-fleming-170cm-64in-running-box-jump/
The sport of
weightlifting has been a part in every modern Olympics, since 1896. The events
have changed but strength is always measured. All Olympic events and sports are
based on a participant’s capacity to fight in war. Sports were invented to
compare warriors without going to war. This is why the Olympic Games are
supposed to be free from political influence. The athlete who won the
weightlifting competition is, and always has been, the strongest athlete on
earth. Relevant strength is indispensable!
If one athlete
is more powerful than another he/she is faster, stronger, and more capable with
regard to functional strength.
Weightlifting includes training for each component of functional
strength in modern vernacular. All training is functional. If abilities gained
are not useful it is not training. All of the concrete science done with regard
to training is based on this fact.
The
assistance movements in weightlifting are countless. They are needs based above
all. In competition weightlifters execute the snatch and the clean & jerk.
Anything added in training must augment these lifts. Athlete’s weight class is
determined by their height. Leverages are explicit. The ideal build for a
weightlifter is arms, torso, and legs of the same length. Once fully developed
the weight of an athlete’s body optimizes leverages. Think of a catapult.
Launching something requires weight. More weight changes the trajectory.
Positioning on the snatch, clean, and jerk are finite. If one’s levers are not
most favorable spacing changes. Shorter arms requires deeper hips to start the
lift and helps jerk power. Let’s look at an example.
Lifter
A:
·
Height
= 173cm = 68.11024
inches (≈ 5’8”)
·
Weight
= 94kgs = 207.2345lbs
·
Sport
= Olympic style weightlifting
Lifter
B:
·
Height
= 173cm = 68.11024
inches (≈ 5’8”)
·
Weight
= 100kgs = 220.4623lbs
·
Sport
= powerlifting
Lifter
C:
·
Height
=173cm = 68.11024 inches (≈5’8”)
·
Weight
= 65.77089kgs =
145lbs
·
Sport
= running
Lifter
C:
·
Height
=198.192cm = 78inches (6’6”)
·
Weight
= 136.0777kgs = 300lbs
·
Sport
= American football, weightlifting, powerlifting
At
173cm, Lifter A is a 94 kgs lifter in weightlifting. More bodyweight will not be
of assistance. The resultant forces created by increasing body mass only
propels the bar further from the center mass of the system (the barbell and the
body) in weightlifting. The levers are not long enough, at this height, to
contain the force produced in motivating the weight of the system. Even if it
is all muscle. If the same lifter is heavier (≈5’ 8” is a 100 kgs) they have
compromised weightlifting leverages and become a powerlifter. Adding body mass
helps in powerlifting. Greater forces are produced, in combination with a
greater counter weight, and both further motivate the system (catapult). The
leverages are explicit. The parts of the system are finite. Body mass will help
on squats, deadlifts, and bench press (to a degree). Lifter A will find it
difficult getting to the bar for deadlifts, snatches, and cleans if body weight
surpasses 125 kgs. It will hinder performances (at a given height=lever length).
Every position in every sport is reliant on this type of scrutiny. Athletes
with short arms, torso, with long legs will find running long distances
enjoyable/rewarding. Large athletes (300lbs, 6’6”) who like pushing people
around will find an oasis in American football. You understand, I hope!
There are three
referees in weightlifting who judge each lift. After an attempt they either
give a white light or red light. A white light indicates a successful lift with
regard to the rules. A red light indicates a failed attempt for one reason or
another. A successful lift only requires two of the three referees approve the
lift. A majority rule. Each lifter is allowed three attempts on each
discipline. The snatch is the first discipline and the clean & jerk is the
second discipline in competitions. Each lifer must complete at least one of
each discipline to complete the competition.
The snatch is extremely
technical. The bar starts on the platform (floor) and finishes overhead in one absolute
movement. The widest lateral markings, on an Olympic barbell, are called the
snatch marks. These markings remain on powerlifting bars and limit the width of
the grip on bench presses in competition. The grip is relatively wide which
requires lifters descend further with the hips than clean pulls or regular
deadlifts. This ultimately limits the weight lifted. A snatch should be around
78% of a lifter’s best clean & jerk. If this ratio is out of balance we
have explicit needs which must be dispatched. The squat under is the most
powerful component of a snatch and the finishing of the pull is a close second.
We must go under the bar after exploding as fully as possible. The squat under
must be done abruptly since the lift must be received at arm’s length without
pause. Do you see how this helps athletes in other sports? Do you believe
changing direction is different with or without weights in athletic endeavors? If one can do it quickly with weight and
practices without weight the movement pattern is reinforced. The heavier the
weight the greater the reinforcement. Athletes can run faster, jump higher, and
change direction in any direction better after snatch skills are developed.
The clean &
jerk is a two part lift. The bar starts on the platform and travels to the
shoulders in one absolute movement and is then thrust overhead in another
absolute movement. This lift is stronger than the snatch because of this
segmentation. The grip is narrower and the hips do not need to travel as far
down to simply grasp the bar. From start to finish, the C & J journeys a
greater distance with greater weight than the snatch and this makes it a more
powerful lift. Power cleans only involve a partial squat to secure the weight
on the shoulders. Power cleans travel roughly the same distance as snatches
with roughly the same weights. If one jerks the weight overhead, after power
cleaning it, the power measurements are far greater than snatches.
Some coaches have
recently called the snatch the most powerful lift based on the speed and
distance lifted. More weight, plus a greater distance lifted (because of the
narrower hand spacing), makes the C & J more powerful. The snatch needs to
travel further than the clean but the lifting is not done after the clean has
been completed. A narrow hand spacing projects the weight further than the
snatch. Clean & jerks are far more power oriented than anything in sports.
Snatches are a close second when it comes to powerful sports movements.
Everything else is contending for third.
The athletic
world is based on moving powerfully. Running faster, jumping higher, lifting
more weight, projecting an implement most effectively, achieving the best position,
and holding one’s ground all result in fruitful sports performances. It comes down to being in the right positions
at the right times. Weightlifting demands all of this. Athletes who combine
this work with proper conditioning are more capable. Strength feeds
conditioning. Conditioning is different for a football player than a
weightlifter. Strength is universal. Conditioning is sport specific.
Find a qualified
strength coach and buy his/her help. Strength coaching is best addressed by a
retired or current strength athlete. The best strength and conditioning
programs make athletes stronger and condition them for sports. If you
understand the fact that strength is central to strength and conditioning hire
a strength athlete who teaches proper positioning and timing. After following
this advice, my bet is, you will want to thank me later!
Strength and
conditioning is founded on strength work and practice. We learn skills in the
weight room, apply these skills in practice, and perform better in
competitions. Skills are numerous. Weightlifting is athletic. Weightlifters
possess more speed, strength, agility, and mobility than most, if not all,
athletes.
Weightlifting
feeds all athletic and sporting endeavors. Many weightlifters have seen success
in powerlifting (Dr. Squat!).
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