Introduction
Olympic Weightlifting is often a sport in which athletes compete for your total weight of 2 lifts: the snatch as well as the clean & jerk. The education methods used in Weightlifting can also be utilized by Strength & Conditioning coaches as a technique of weight training for a number of other sports. One of the first reasons for exploiting various weight training modalities such is good for power development. There are several variations on the party 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 popular method employed to increase athletic power is Olympic Weightlifting (ie power cleans, push presses, snatches, jump jerks along with their variations) conducted within the training (Garhammer, 1993). It has traditionally been viewed as a productive way of manufacturing general explosive ability (Takano 1992; Stone 1993; Garhammer & Gregor 1992). However, there are more important considerations which require to be addressed when implementing Olympic lifting exercises in to the Strength & Conditioning program of an athlete, a few of these include movement competency, training age, sport and coaching time with athlete. The intention of this informative article by Elite Performance Institute (EPI) is always to supply a biomechanical and physiological discussion as to the reasons weightlifting training is beneficial to improve athletic performance and exactly how they must be performed in the exercise program. For additional information, go to www.epicertification.com
Power Defined
Power may be thought as the suitable mix of speed and strength to make movement (Chu 1996). More specifically, power represents draught beer the athlete to make high numbers of work through a given distance. Greater power an athlete possesses the greater the degree of work performed (Wilson 1992). Power is often a mix of strength and speed:
POWER = FORCE (strength) X VELOCITY (speed to move)
There are several physiological and neural adaptations which comprise the force component (Moritani 1992). Physiological adaptations to strength consist of more muscle tissue through hypertrophy, ligament density and bone integrity (Tesch 1992a). Neural adaptations (Schmidtbleicher 1992) that can 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 to move is composed of a number of 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 utilisation of the series elastic component.
Olympic Weightling exercises facilitate growth and development of the middle (Strength-Speed and Speed-Strength) of the force-velocity (FV) curve (see above). The FV curve acts a map to Strength & Conditioning Courses Ireland regarding the sort of strength developed from each exercise, session or phase to train within the program. Therefore, the force & Conditioning coach can effectively plan what sort of power they need to develop and which training modality (powerlifting, Olympic liftining, plyometrics, etc) is best utilised to elicit these adaptations.
Conclusion
Concern still exists as to the ef?cacy of including Olympic weightlifting exercises within the weight training programs of athletes in sports other than weightlifting. These concerns generally fall under 3 broad categories: 1) Perceived time needed to educate yourself on the movements as a result of complexity of the lifts. 2) Deficiencies in understanding of the possible bene?ts that can be based on performing Olympic lifting exercises correctly. 3) Concern on the risk of injury caused by performing these weightlifting movements.
It can be evident there are a large number of biomechanical benefits of performing these lifts with limited disadvantages. The biggest risk may be of the perceived danger of performing these lifts. Judging by the evidence presented by Brian Hammill of the British Weightlifting Association (BWLA), it is usually stated with con?dence how the risk of harm is as low or below most sports provided that there is quali?ed supervision supplied by certi?ed Strength and Conditioning coach who had been trained in coaching the weightlifting movements.
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