Olympic lifting has become a lot more than a sport. Many people are starting to incorporate Olympic lifts into their workout routine for the strength, stability and power it improves. This is especially helpful for athletes who play sports, like rugby.
There are six different types of Olympic weightlifting techniques that you can incorporate into your workout:
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Power Clean
Standing over the barbell with your feet hip-width apart, squat down and grip the bar just outside your feet. Your shoulders should be over the bar.
Keeping the bar as close to your body as possible, drive it up with your legs. Once the bar passes your knees, extend your hips in an explosive movement and use the momentum to carry the bar up.
When your hips are fully extended, quickly drive your body under and catch the bar in the front rack position (with your elbows as high as possible). You should be in a partial quarter squat at this point.
Then, slowly lower the bar to your hips. Absorb the bar with your bent knees and hips and lower to the ground.
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Front Squat
Starting with the bar in the front rack position, place your feet hip-width apart. Then slowly sit back into a squat, ensuring not to fold your knees in.
Squat until you can’t maintain an upright posture, keeping your elbows high and chest pressed forward.
Then press through your glutes and drive back up to a standing position.
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Squat Clean
Start the same as you would for Power Clean. Once you have fully extended your hips like with a Power Clean, immediately drive the bar above your waist. Drive under the bar into a full squat.
In an explosive movement, drive the bar up to your shoulders. Then slowly lower it back down, absorbing with your knees bent and hips.
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Push Jerk
Holding the bar over your shoulder while standing with feet hip-width apart, slightly dip and drive the barbell up off your shoulders with your legs in an explosive movement. Keep your posture upright and elbows under the bar.
Before it reaches the full height and slows down, quickly dip under the bar and catch it with your arms extended in an overhead position. Your arms should be locked out and your hips and knees should be extended to stabilise the barbell.
Slowly lower the barbell back to your shoulders.
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Power Snatch
Standing over the barbell with your feet hip-width apart, squat down and grip the bar in a very wide overhead grip. Your shoulder should be over the bar.
Drive the bar up with your legs, keeping it close to your body. Once it passes your knees, extend your hips in an explosive movement and use the momentum to carry the bar up.
Once your hips are fully extended, quickly drive your body under the barbell and catch it in an overhead position.
Slowly lower it back to your hips while absorbing it with your knees bent and hips before lowering to the ground.
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Squat Snatch
Starting in the same position as you would for Power Snatch, however, after extending your hips and driving the barbell above your waist, immediately drive under the barbell into a full squat.
Drive it up over your head with your arms extended.
Then slowly lower the barbell to your hips and absorb with your knees bent and hips before lowering to the ground.
These six Olympic lifts are a great way to add strength, endurance, speed and power to your performance. By combining them with your workouts, you get the benefits of Olympic weightlifting without the competition.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
If, after going through this article, you feel that you want to learn more about Olympic lifting, you should really consider doing our Olympic Lifting Course. For more information as well as to register, please follow this link.
