Olympic Lifting: Not Just for Olympians Anymore

Looking to change up your fitness routine and build strength and power that can manifest themselves in the real world? Olympic lifts, provided you can do them correctly, add a kick start to any weight lifting program. These lifts are violent, explosive exercises that teach your body to use all of the muscles in your body at once. Traditionally these lifts are used to enhance performance and are seldom seen outside of sport specific programming. That's about to change. You'll love and hate us for it.Olympic lifting by the book only includes two lifts.The Snatch, where the barbell is taken from the floor to overhead in one fluid motion, rapidly and violently, with the final position having the arms extended.The Clean and Jerk, where the barbell is taken from the floor to the chest in one violent, fluid motion, then explosively driven overhead, utilizing the legs in conjunction with the muscles of the upper body.These two lifts can be broken down into rapid, violent, muscle building exercises that will absolutely kick start your work out. Here are a few.The High Pull: The High Pull is a great replacement exercise for the upright row. Upright rows tend to destroy shoulders like it's going out of style. The hang high pull utilizes a wider grip and a shrugging motion to incorporate the back as well as the shoulders. The Hang High Pull will certainly improve the musculature of your shoulders and upper back, which lead a great looking physique.

The Power Clean/Hang Clean: These variations are great for developing power through the hips and lower body. Utilizing a closer grip, the bar is ripped from the ground( or starting hang position), driven by the triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles. The bar then comes to rest across the deltoids. This move is highly technical. What it does for you, increases the rate at which your motor neurons fire, meaning all of your motor units (the entire muscle) fires at once, producing the greatest amount of force. While sculpting the ever famous booty, it also improves your other lifts, such as the squat and deadlift.

The Snatch: The Snatch is by far one of the most violent, powerful displays of athleticism that one can do off of the court or field. It takes every piece of muscle you have to as we've hinted at throughout VIOLENTLY rip the bar from the floor to overhead in one motion. Like the other two before, this lift will teach your motor neurons to fire on command producing a massive amount of force, as well as strengthening muscles from the legs all the way up the body.

Utilizing these lifts will prime your nervous system to engage your muscles at a much higher rate, increasing your performance on the field or in the gym. With primed, warm muscles you're guaranteed to have a much better session in the gym with a great body to show for it.