Why Olympic Weightlifters Are Some of the Best Athletes in the World

If you watch the Olympics every four years, you’ve likely noticed the many commercials and promotions for the weightlifting portion of the games, referred to as ‘Olympic Weightlifting’. The sport of Olympic Weightlifting has been around since the first Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece in 1896 A.D. The objective of Olympic lifting is simple: start with the bar on the floor and get it over your head — with the heaviest weight possible!

Modern Olympic Weightlifting

In the time of the first Olympic Games, athletes performed the “One Hand Lift” and the “Two Hands Lift”. The barbell strict press, also called Military Press, was even a competition Olympic lift at one time.

Today, Olympic lifting is comprised of two exercises:

1) Snatch: Weightlifter lifts the barbell from the floor to overhead in a single movement.

2) Clean and jerk: Weightlifter lifts the barbell first from the floor to the shoulders (the clean) and then from the shoulders to overhead (the jerk).

Technical Aspects of High-Level Performance

Each of these lifts requires the lifter to generate force against the ground to accelerate the bar upward. From there, the lifter uses force against the inertia of the barbell to accelerate themselves under the bar in the receiving position. Even though this is a complicated and in-depth description, the best weightlifters in the world are actually able to execute the movements with fluidity and remarkable precision.

Both the snatch and the clean and jerk are best described as having 3 phases — or “pulls”.

• First pull: the lifter raises the barbell off of the floor to the highest point possible (commonly mid to upper thigh).
• Second pull: the athlete achieves “triple extension” This means that the athlete is extended at the ankles, knees, and hips.
• Third pull: the lifter is actively pulling themselves under the bar into the receiving positions

In an Olympic competition, the snatch is the first exercise that is performed. The snatch begins with the barbell on the floor and the hands in a wide grip on the bar. The barbell is moved from the floor to the overhead receiving position (on overhead squat). Once each athlete has had three attempts to perform the heaviest snatch that they are capable of, each athlete then gets three attempts to perform the heaviest clean and jerk that they are capable of.

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The finished snatch position[/caption]

In the clean, the athlete starts with the barbell on the floor, in what closely resembles the starting position of a deadlift. From there, the lifter accelerates the bar off the ground and quickly catches the bar in a front squat position. After catching the bar in the clean, the athlete must stand up and prepare for the jerk. The lifter bends the legs, quickly straightens them, and accelerates the bar overhead while splitting the feet — one foot moves forward, and the other foot moves backward into the receiving position.

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The first movement in the Clean and Jerk.[/caption]

In order to successfully complete each lift, an Olympic lifter must not only be strong, but also powerful. A strong person can move a heavy weight through a range of motion. A powerful person must be able to move heavy weight through a range of motion — but do it fast!

Increasing power output requires the typical strength exercises such as squatting, deadlifting, and pull-up variations. Once high strength levels are attained, it is possible to move submaximal weights faster. This is how Olympic weightlifters train in order to increase the weights that they compete with in the snatch and the clean and jerk.

Importance of Flexibility

Weightlifters are not only strong and powerful but also extremely flexible! They are actually among the most flexible of athletes. High levels of flexibility are required in order to perform the lifts with the necessary ranges of motion.

For example, before you can perform the snatch, you must be able to achieve an overhead squat position, which requires flexibility in the shoulders, upper back, hips, hamstrings, and muscles around the ankles. Before you can clean with heavy weights, you have to be able to catch the bar in the front squat position, which requires a similar level of flexibility.

Is Olympic Lifting Safe?

Despite the assumed “danger” of having a heavy barbell over your head, the sport of weightlifting has one of the lowest reported injury rates. Even if the athlete fails at successfully completing the lift and has to drop the barbell, there are several safety mechanisms in place.

First, the athlete should have been taught by a competent coach how to “fail safely”. This means dropping the bar and moving out of the way as the bar falls to the floor or platform. Secondly, the equipment used during weightlifting has been specifically designed to accommodate a failed attempt.

The plates that should be loaded onto a barbell during an Olympic lift are called bumper plates. Bumper plates are able to absorb the forces associated with contacting the ground at a high velocity without breaking or bouncing in an unpredictable direction.

In addition to the material the plates are made of, the dimensions of bumper plates were intentionally designed so that the radius (the distance from the edge of the plate to the center where the barbell is inserted) will not pin the lifter down and will roll over an average sized person in case the athlete falls during a lift and finds themselves underneath the barbell.

Is Olympic Lifting For You?

In conclusion, Olympic lifting is a highly finessed sport requiring patience, flexibility, strength, power, and determination. Olympic weightlifters are considered some of the best athletes in the world, and rightfully so.

Luckily, the sport is growing in popularity and is easily accessible in many Crossfit and garage-style gyms. If you are looking for a way to change up your typical exercise routine and challenge yourself both mentally, and physically, Olympic weightlifting might be the sport for you!