As a newcomer to the CrossFit community, you might wonder why CrossFit considers Olympic weightlifting essential to fitness. Olympic Weightlifting helps you build strength, technique, and overall athletic performance. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the essential role of Olympic weightlifting in CrossFit and explore the reasons why it’s a cornerstone for improving health and fitness.
4 Reasons Why Olympic Weightlifting is right for you!
- Strength, Power, and Endurance – Olympic weightlifting is renowned for developing explosive strength and power. The snatch and clean and jerk engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, enhancing overall athleticism. As CrossFit is built on the principles of constantly varied, high-intensity workouts, Olympic weightlifting complements the program by building the strength and endurance needed to excel in diverse challenges. For example, the snatch involves lifting a weight from the ground to over your head in a single motion. This requires a lot of power, balance, and mobility. Like the snatch, the clean and jerk requires a lot of power to lift weight from the floor to your shoulders, reset, and then from the shoulders to overhead. If you are new to CrossFit, don’t worry we will set up some time with you to walk you through these movements so that you can start to get the hang of them.
- Technical Precision – The intricate techniques of Olympic weightlifting demand precision and focus. Learning the proper form and mechanics not only enhances your performance in these lifts but also translates to improved technique in other CrossFit movements, such as deadlifts, squats, and overhead presses.
- Functional Application – CrossFit prioritizes functional movements that mimic real-life activities. Olympic weightlifting’s emphasis on full-body coordination and explosive power makes it incredibly relevant for everyday tasks and sports performance. It strengthens your ability to lift, carry, and move objects efficiently, benefiting your daily life outside the gym.
- Find your starting point – As a newcomer to Olympic weightlifting in CrossFit, it’s crucial to begin with foundational movements and gradually progress to more complex lifts. Our Coaching team will break down the movement into its parts and we will start with safe and light weights (the PVC Pipe) before graduating to the barbell.
Curious to know more about the benefits of the Olympic Lifts in our workouts and why they are part of our workouts? Check out this informative article from CrossFit – https://www.crossfit.com/pro-coach/in-defense-of-high-rep-olympic-lifts
Olympic weightlifting is the powerhouse that fuels your CrossFit journey, igniting your strength, power, and technique. As a newcomer to the CrossFit community, embracing weightlifting will propel you to new levels of athleticism and patience as you learn new movement patterns. Through the guidance of experienced coaches and the support of the CrossFit community, you’ll experience the power of Olympic weightlifting and witness the positive impact it brings to your overall fitness journey. So step into the realm of Olympic weightlifting with determination, embrace the challenge, and watch as you unleash the power within, becoming a stronger, fitter, and more empowered version of yourself in the process!
