The beautiful thing about fitness is any one can tailor it to their exact liking if they know what they’re doing. Fitness can take many forms may it be bodybuilding, powerlifting, crossfit, circuit training, marathon running and the list goes on. But these days weightlifting is tarting to pick up popularity like powerlifting did a few years back. But don’t be confused, weightlifting or Olympic weight lifting as some may call is a completely different style of training. So whats the difference? How do you get started? Is Olympic weight lifting right for you? Well this is GYMCADDY’s Olympic Weight Lifting Beginner’s Guide.
First off, if you’re brand new to fitness we can not stress how important it is you have the basics covered before you attempt any style of training. If you simply jump into weight lifting without any prior experience you will get injured. So try out our Beginner’s workout routine before moving on to weight lifting. Our beginner’s workout routine will increase your balance, strength, stamina, hand eye coordination, and mind muscle connection.
Olympic Weight Lifting can be considered as a cousin to Powerlifting. They both focus on in creasing strength, and have specific primary lifts. For powerlifting, the primary lifts are the bench press, dead lift, and squat. But for weight lifting, the primary lifts are the Snatch and Clean & Jerk. Both the Snatch and Clean & Jerkare very dynamic movements that require a lot of raw strength, mobility and balance. Usually Olympic Weight Lifting is reserved for athletes who already have a few years of workout experience under their belt.
Image Credit: HookGrip
In order to start training for weight lifting you should first start off by separating the main lifts into sections and work on strengthening those specific instances. For example, the clean and jerk can be broken down to the few sections. The dead lift, snatch, over head press, and jerk portions should be trained individually and then brought together into one major movement. The squat, bench press, barbell row, and front squats should also be incorporated into your training to help with over all strength and mobility development.
When it comes to equipment, not all gyms will be capable to meet your olympic weightlifting needs. First off, every gym should have a squat rack no matter how small or commercial it may be. But thats not enough. You should try to find a gym that has bumper plates, blocks, and preferably a weightlifting platform. And if you find a gym that allows the use of chalk you've hit the jackpot.
Image Credit: HookGrip
And when it comes to equipment you may need to invest in a few things. First off a must have for weight lifting is weight lifting shoes. Weight lifting shoes are special because they offer a lot more support and stability than your average shoe on the market. They have a non comparable sole which prevent your feet from rolling inward. They also have a sticky rubber outsole that gives you the optimal grip you need. And finally they also have a high heel drop to help you push off of your heels for added power and drive. If weight lifting shoes are out of your budget you can also train in chucks. Although chucks don't give you all of the benefits as proper weight lifting shoes, they do have a stiff mid sole.
Olympic Weight Lifting is a specialized sport that focuses on technique, strength, and mobility. Before you embark on Weight Lifting you should first have a some experience with working out and preferably power lifting. But if you get the hang of it you will be able to master new movements and challenges yourself indefinitely. Over the next few months we will be releasing working out plans centered around weight lifting for free.