Introduction
Olympic Weightlifting is really a sport through which athletes compete for the total weight of 2 lifts: the snatch and the clean & jerk. Working out methods used in Weightlifting can also be utilized by Strength & Conditioning coaches as a technique of lifting weights to get a number of other sports. One of the first reasons for exploiting various lifting weights modalities such is for power development. There are lots of variations on the theme of power training. A few of these training modalities include plyometrics (Wilson, Elliot & Wood 1990), assisted and resisted training (Faccioni 1993a; 1993b) and speed and acceleration drills (Cinkovich 1992). A well known method used to increase athletic power is Olympic Weightlifting (ie power cleans, push presses, snatches, jump jerks as well as their variations) conducted within the weight room (Garhammer, 1993). It has traditionally been described as efficient way of manufacturing general explosive ability (Takano 1992; Stone 1993; Garhammer & Gregor 1992). However, there are more important considerations which need to get addressed when implementing Olympic lifting exercises in to the Strength & Conditioning program associated with an athlete, many of these include movement competency, training age, sport and training time with athlete. The intention of this post by Elite Performance Institute (EPI) is always to give a biomechanical and physiological discussion why weightlifting exercises are beneficial to improve athletic performance and just how they will be performed in the training curriculum. For more details, check out www.epicertification.com
Power Defined
Power may be defined as the perfect mix of speed and strength to generate movement (Chu 1996). Particularly, power represents draught beer the athlete to generate high degrees of function with a certain distance. The greater power an athlete possesses the higher the degree of work performed (Wilson 1992). Power is really a mix of strength and speed:
POWER = FORCE (strength) X VELOCITY (speed of movement)
There are lots of physiological and neural adaptations which comprise the force component (Moritani 1992). Physiological adaptations to strength contain a boost in muscular tissues through hypertrophy, connective tissue density and bone integrity (Tesch 1992a). Neural adaptations (Schmidtbleicher 1992) that may be produced are: (1) increased recruitment of motor units; (2) increased firing rate of motor neurones; (3) synchronised firing of motor neurones; (4) rise in intra-muscular coordination; and (5) rise in inter-muscular coordination.
Speed of movement is made up of many different interrelated factors (Ackland & Bloomfield 1995). These are generally; (1) muscle fibre type; (2) skill; (3) muscle insertion points; (4) lever length; (5) muscular posture; and (6) elastic energy use of the series elastic component.
Olympic Weightling exercises facilitate progression of the middle (Strength-Speed and Speed-Strength) from the force-velocity (FV) curve (see above). The FV curve acts a guide to Strength & Conditioning Certification regarding the form of strength developed from each exercise, session or phase of education within the program. Consequently, the Strength & Conditioning coach can effectively plan what sort of power they would like to develop and which training modality (powerlifting, Olympic liftining, plyometrics, etc) is most beneficial utilised to elicit these adaptations.
Conclusion
Concern still exists regarding ef?cacy of including Olympic weightlifting exercises within the lifting weights programs of athletes in sports other than weightlifting. These concerns generally get into 3 broad categories: 1) Perceived time forced to learn the movements due to the complexity from the lifts. 2) Too little understanding of the potential bene?ts that may be derived from performing Olympic lifting exercises correctly. 3) Concern over the risk of injury resulting from practicing these weightlifting movements.
It can be evident there’s a multitude of biomechanical important things about practicing these lifts with limited disadvantages. The biggest risk may be from the perceived danger of practicing these lifts. Judging by the research presented by Brian Hammill from the British Weightlifting Association (BWLA), it can be stated with con?dence that this risk of injury is really as low or under most sports providing there’s quali?ed supervision furnished by certi?ed Strength and Conditioning coach who had been competed in coaching the weightlifting movements.
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