Introduction of weightlifting
Weightlifting has been practiced since ancient times by Egyptian and Greek societies. It was the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. At the beginning, Austria, Germany, and France were the most successful nations. However, in the 1950s, the Soviet Union’s weightlifters rose to prominence and stayed there until the 1990s, when China, Turkey, Greece, and Iran took the lead.
Weight lifting vs Weightlifting
There is a lot of confusion between “weight lifting” and “weightlifting”. In simple words, Weightlifting, is the sport that is contested in the Olympics that tests strength and technique of athletes. Weight lifting mainly involves training with weights or strength training.
Improves stamina, strength, speed, skill & suppleness
The sport of Olympic weightlifting has two lifts – snatch and clean & jerk. These lifts are highly technical, and it takes years to get better at them. It’s like playing golf with multiple repetitions performed repeatedly you start making less mistakes and become proficient. Each of the lifts done correctly under the guidance of coach helps build stamina, strength, speed, skill, and suppleness. Just two lifts but with multiple benefits!
Weightlifting has benefits for all age groups
Weightlifting is a sport which can be performed for long-term. It has benefits for all age groups. For youths it helps to improve their speed, strength, force production, quickness, and agility in a major way which are traits required in most of the sports.
Exercise cannot stop the biological aging process; however, a systematic training regime like Olympic weightlifting will lead to slower declines in strength & aerobic capacity. Olympic style weightlifting is a skill-based sport and requires both physical and mental presence to perform them. This is very helpful for making decisions and being alert as we age. Since weightlifting is a skill-based sport there is always a hunger to get better at it, hence, is beneficial for all age groups.
Olympic style weightlifting improves posture
Weightlifting helps with maintaining correct posture. The snatch, the clean, the jerk, and all the other exercises weightlifters perform, lifters maintain a posture with these important characteristics:
1) the chest is inflated and “up” and shoulders are back as if the athlete is standing at attention. The upper back is never rounded or hunched;
2) the lower back is arched in the same way as it is when a person is standing at attention so that the natural curvature in the lower back is always maintained;
3) the head is vertical or looking slightly up, and the eyes are looking straight ahead or slightly upward.
Risk of injuries in weightlifting
Weightlifters like most other athletes will experience injuries from time to time, it is part of the game. In Olympic weightlifting injuries are less serious than in many other sports as there is no physical contact and no direct impact. The first thing that is taught in weightlifting is how to fail safely when you miss a snatch, clean, jerk, back squat, or overhead squat. The best part of weightlifting is that it exposes you to know what weakness you lack in your body. The weaknesses could be flexibility, core/ shoulder stability, poor posture, etc. These are very important not just for weightlifting but also for performing activities of daily life. Working on your weaknesses before training is the best way to prevent injuries.
Well one reason is familiarity, we are not so afraid of injuries sustained in activities that we are familiar with.If you are unfamiliar with weightlifting, you will probably think of injuries and not try it. You are losing the opportunity of reaping the benefits of weightlifting.
Train with us at Lift With Mobility Weightlifting Center in Langley, BC.
Train with us at Lift With Mobility Weightlifting Center in Langley, BC.
We offer the best coaching and athlete development for Olympic Weightlifting and provide training programs for beginners and advanced athletes.
Come join us and achieve your weightlifting goals!
Lift With Mobility Weightlifting Team
