Why Weightlifting?
I was never encouraged to lift weights. Although I participated in a variety of sports up through high school, it was never brought to me as a way to advance my athletic performance. And to be fair, as a young high school girl I was probably too insecure to give it a try even if it WAS brought to the table.
I touched a barbell for the first time as a 23-year-old who found CrossFit as a means to not only exercise, but to deal with a difficult time in my personal life. After a few years, I decided to focus specifically on weightlifting with the intention of improving my CrossFit performance.
It did just that.
After a few months, due to my increased strength and technique, I was able to PR my Fran time by nearly a minute. However, I didn’t just gain some PRs… I gained a love and appreciation for an entirely new sport…
What is Olympic Weightlifting? Is it Power Lifting?
Weightlifting (often referred to as Olympic weightlifting) consists of two lifts:
- the snatch and
- the clean and jerk.
A beautiful combination of raw strength, technical accuracy, and graceful (yet aggressive) execution.
Although it may seem intricate and intimidating, the explosion and power from weightlifting can be transferred to nearly every athletic endeavor.
The power position in weightlifting (the point where the bar reaches the hips) is universal. It’s the golf stance… the ‘ready’ position in basketball and baseball… the approach in volleyball… the crouched position in wrestling and jiu jitsu before you shoot for a takedown… the platform position before a swimmer dives into the pool for their race.
It’s the loading of the hips: a stretched rubber band before you let it go to see the power it generated cause it to launch across the room… and the majority of sports and athletics, if not all, require it in some shape or form. In fact, even running to catch up to your kids requires a quick, explosive hip extension that is demonstrated in both the snatch and clean.
How will weightlifting benefit me?
Weightlifting training programs focus on form and technique. However, although heavy weights might be the end goal for most, it’s not necessary to reap the rewards. Many collegiate and professional teams’ strength and conditioning programs incorporate variations of the snatch and clean and jerk to improve athletic performance… without ever establishing a true one rep max lift. In addition to hip extension execution, weightlifting improves core stability, positional awareness and strength, and promotes efficient movement patterns.
Weightlifting has improved my strength and overall performance but has also given me a sense of confidence that not all sports have. For me, there are very few things in life more exhilarating than throwing weight overhead… and if something in my life seems awry, kilos on the bar have seemed to always bring me back to center.
But… no matter what your health or performance goals may be, weightlifting can be a catalyst that propels you a little further.
All you have to do is bring it to the table.
How Do I Start?
Questions? Feel free to reach out to any of the Barbell Coaches at Tribe Athletics. We’re here to help!
Written By: Dr. Tori Reccord, Barbell Coach