The History of Olympic Lifting

21.09.2011 | Author: jjl245 | Posted in Health
Print Email More

What’s the advancement of Olympic lifting?  Why is it seen as the pinnacle of strength?   If we truly need to understand the Olympic weight lifting process and what it means for modern day strength training, let us have a second and revisit history. Olympic weight and the power to lift have been the key determinants in winning at the Olympic Games from 1896.

Olympic lifting is serious business. In 1932, there were 5 weight classes. In 2011 there’re 8 weight classes for males and seven weight classes for females.  Females competed in Olympic lifting for the first time at the 2000 Sydney Australia Olympic Games.
Actually there were 3 lifts in the competition, but The Press was discontinued in 1972.  Since 1976, there have been 2 main Olympics lifts in the event: The Snatch and The Clean &Jerk.
Snatch requires lifting an Olympic weight in a single pull from ground to an arm’s length over the head.   It’s permitted to duck below the weight, either by squatting or by splitting the legs.  A good lift is judged with a snatch that reaches an arm’s length and the feet of the lifter are together, and he stands upright, displaying that he has a great control on the weight. The best lifters can lift two and half times their own bodyweight in this event.
The Clean &Jerk  includes lifting the Olympic weight to the shoulder blades, all in a single movement, and then it’s either pushed, jerked or hoisted to an arm’s length over the head. The lifter need to show he has total control by standing upright with the weight held aloft for several seconds. (Here also the lifter can squat under the weight as it is pulled or split the legs and duck under the bar as it rises). As the lift is in two stages, more weight could be lifted; the top lifters may lift 3 times their weight.
Only if we look carefully at Olympic lifting in the context of these 2 remarkable feats of speed, strength, force and kinetic chain coordination can we understand the exceptional athleticism of Olympic lifters, and why they are some of the most conditioned people on the globe.
Winning Olympic contests is a enormous task.  Each contestant is allowed three attempts at each lift, and must attempt both lifts.  Three referees judge the lifting, and a minimum of two must judge the lift a success.  The weightlifter with the greatest total from the two lifts is the winner.  If there is a tie, the contestant with the lower body weight wins.
Olympic weight sets have started out the competitions, designed, calibrated, and updated with the requirements of these lifters in mind. The Olympic weight set is meant to carry enormous plate loads.
These days, though not all weight lifters focus specifically on developing power in the 2 Olympic weight lifts, they believe in the idea of Olympic lifting to maintain muscle tissue, improve power, core strength, balance, and coordination.  Olympic lifting remains the benchmark for physical strength and maximum efficiency.

What’s the advancement of Olympic lifting?  Why is it seen as the pinnacle of strength?   If we truly need to understand the Olympic weight lifting process and what it means for modern day strength training, let us have a second and revisit history. Olympic weight and the power to lift have been the key determinants in winning at the Olympic Games from 1896.  Olympic lifting is serious business. In 1932, there were 5 weight classes. In 2011 there’re 8 weight classes for males and seven weight classes for females.  Females competed in Olympic lifting for the first time at the 2000 Sydney Australia Olympic Games.
Actually there were 3 lifts in the competition, but The Press was discontinued in 1972.  Since 1976, there have been 2 main Olympics lifts in the event: The Snatch and The Clean &Jerk. Snatch requires lifting an Olympic weight in a single pull from ground to an arm’s length over the head.   It’s permitted to duck below the weight, either by squatting or by splitting the legs.  A good lift is judged with a snatch that reaches an arm’s length and the feet of the lifter are together, and he stands upright, displaying that he has a great control on the weight. The best lifters can lift two and half times their own bodyweight in this event.
The Clean &Jerk  includes lifting the Olympic weight to the shoulder blades, all in a single movement, and then it’s either pushed, jerked or hoisted to an arm’s length over the head. The lifter need to show he has total control by standing upright with the weight held aloft for several seconds. (Here also the lifter can squat under the weight as it is pulled or split the legs and duck under the bar as it rises). As the lift is in two stages, more weight could be lifted; the top lifters may lift 3 times their weight.
Only if we look carefully at Olympic lifting in the context of these 2 remarkable feats of speed, strength, force and kinetic chain coordination can we understand the exceptional athleticism of Olympic lifters, and why they are some of the most conditioned people on the globe.
Winning Olympic contests is a enormous task.  Each contestant is allowed three attempts at each lift, and must attempt both lifts.  Three referees judge the lifting, and a minimum of two must judge the lift a success.  The weightlifter with the greatest total from the two lifts is the winner.  If there is a tie, the contestant with the lower body weight wins.Olympic weight sets have started out the competitions, designed, calibrated, and updated with the requirements of these lifters in mind.

The Olympic weight set is meant to carry enormous plate loads. These days, though not all weight lifters focus specifically on developing power in the 2 Olympic weight lifts, they believe in the idea of Olympic lifting to maintain muscle tissue, improve power, core strength, balance, and coordination.  Olympic lifting remains the benchmark for physical strength and maximum efficiency.

Processing your request, Please wait....

Additional Articles From "Health"