Weightlifting Essay

Olympic Weightlifting as a sport has not yet reached its full potential in the United States, but it has become a very important aspect in sports in foreign countries. The Olympic level of weightlifting is at its peak in European Countries. It is not a complicated sport; however, the endurance, power, and strength of an individual are crucial. It is important to recognize the physical ability of a person through this sport and the impact on their wellbeing. Although commonly seen as a test of strength, Weightlifting is a sport which develops many other positive physical and psychological attributes in its participants. Qualities such as flexibility, speed of movement, coordination and concentration are imperative components for success on
The first lift, called the snatch, is one of the fastest movements in all sports. The bar is taken from the ground to full arm’s length overhead in a single continuous movement. The best lifters in the world can lift well over double their own bodyweight in this movement. First, the bar is placed horizontally in front of the lifter's legs. It is then gripped, palms downwards and pulled in a single movement from the ground to the full extent of both arms vertically above the head, while straightening the legs. The bar passes with a continuous movement along the body of which no part other than the feet may touch the ground during the execution of the lift. Once the bar is caught overhead in the bottom of the squat, the lifter must stand up to full extension in order complete the lift. This portion of the movement can otherwise be termed as an overhead squat. The only difference is the lifter must take the bar from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion where they pass through the bottom of a squat. The second lift is the clean and jerk. This movement entails the same end result. However, it has as a pausing position in between the movement. The barbell is brought from the ground to the shoulders, again landing in a full range of motion squatting position. After standing up with the barbell from the bottom of the squat, the bar is pushed overhead. More specifically, it is split jerked or squat jerked
The Olympic lifts essentially involve every muscle in the human body. The lifts never single out a specific muscle like body building does, making it a great overall workout. A sport that has taken over the globe is CrossFit. It has redefined what it means to be fit and has produce great results. Along with gymnastics and cardio, CrossFit incorporates Olympic Weightlifting into its regimen. These lifts are used because they preach functionality. CrossFit is all about preparing you for the most extreme and unknown situations. For instance, lifting a heavy rock can require certain technique, power, and an overall effort from the body. This is not so easy unless you understand how to use your hips, legs, and back efficiently. Olympic lifting can properly instruct someone how to do so and is an excellent training method for developing power and skill. Many of the movements that we do in strength training are those found in CrossFit. We have been taught the basics of the clean and jerk and snatch. It is difficult to complete these movements at a high intensity without knowing the proper