Know your Strength Sports

How many times have people referred to me as a "Power Lifter" or a "Body Builder?"
I guess people don't know the differences at all. Hopefully this will help settle any confusion for some of the main "strength sports." I'll show you pictures then give a brief description. Enjoy!

Powerlifters  
compete in three events: 
1.) Bench Press
2.) Squat
3.) and Dead Lift

There are many different federations in this sport. There are also different variations of the competition such as "push/pull" which is bench and dead lift, bench only, squat only, dead lift only, equipped or raw (which means with or without special suits/shirt), tested and non tested, and some are even incorporating a strict curl contest. (Hard not to roll your eyes at the last one.) The list I'm sure goes on I'm sure. Here are the three main events:

Bench Press

Squat

Dead Lift

Body Builders
compete in three rounds: 
1.) Muscle Balance (symmetry)
2.) Presentation of size and shape
3.) Separation and definition

I am not too well versed in Body Building but, I understand there to be pretty much two different types: natural, and drugged. There are several organizations just as in power lifting. There are quite a few different competitions that fall under the umbrella of body building like fitness, and figure.

Natural Body Building

Natural Body Building

Bodybuilding

Olympic Weightlifters
compete in two events. Snatch and Clean and Jerk. This is my sport. There is only one national and one international governing body of our sport. No lifting suits, and no doping allowed. At this point you can probably imagine what I am thinking when someone asks if I participate in any of these other sports.

Snatch

Clean

and Jerk

Strongwoman
 I am having a hard time finding some reliable information about this event. If you've seen the World's Strongest Man competition on t.v., you'll get the idea of what this sport is. It's a sport that contests many different events. I believe it started with the idea of moving heavy objects like those that were done in mythology, like the atlas stone for example. 

More popular events that I can think of off the top of my head are: fingal finger, yoke, farmer's carry, dead lift, axle clean and "press," atlas stones, and tire flips. Many events have their own combination of events based on what the venue can handle or preference.

Here's a few photos of different events

Atlas Stone

Farmer's Carry

Tire Flip

Hopefully I got my facts straight. If you're in one of these sports and would like me to explain something better, let me know.

Sarah

Olympic Weightlifting is "Sport Specific!"

If you don't think Olympic lifting i.e. Snatch and Clean and Jerk are "sport specific" you have been misinformed. They are in fact, sport specific! I will show pictures so you can physically see how they are. I can promise using the Olympic lifts will help you improve in your sport and can give you the "edge" that you need.

 Triple Extension

"If you think of athletic power, consider the vertical jump.It is the most often used method to assess lower body power. In its liftoff phase, the body needs to explosively extend at the ankle, knee, and hip. This is how the body can propel itself upward. I know of no other way you can do it and jump any great distance, or in other words demonstrate power. This explosive extension of the knee, hip, and ankle is triple  extension, and this is the key to athletic power or explosiveness  if you wish to call it that."(Triple Extension: The Key to Athletic Power Greg Frounfelter, DPT, SCS, LAT, CSCS)
                                                                                  

 This is me lifting at the World Championships

Notice the triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles

"But why chose weightlifting movements? Well to be honest, if you want
 to develop maximal explosiveness, these lifts are unparalleled in their ability to develop and train power" (Triple Extension:The Key to Athletic Power Greg Frounfelter, DPT, SCS, LAT, CSCS )

"The ability to move powerfully and explosively is a critical aspect in developing athletic success.Training triple extension ability is a critical factor to this success. Use of weightlifting movements is an important bridge to this. By using weightlifting movements such as the power clean and power snatch, you can begin to unlock explosive power that can help propel you to increased athletic success." (Triple Extension: The Key to Athletic Power Greg Frounfelter, DPT, SCS, LAT, CSCS)

 

Ali Troost plays for the University of San Diego. We used to lift together

in my coaches garage. If you don't know, the top of the Volleyball net is 7 ft 4 1/8 

inches from the ground so, major power and extension is necessary to get up there.

Loree Smith releasing the hammer

This final extension is critical to a hammer thrower

Loree uses variations of the Olympic lifts to increase her power

The Jerk

The Jerk is also a very explosive movement. It works best for first-step movements,
and strengthening the "power position" most sports have.
This position is seen a lot in: batters, pitchers, throwers, boxers, golfers, jumpers, runners, etc.

                                            

Melanie Roach 2008 Olympian

                                                  

 

Trish Bartholomew

400 meter runner from Grenada. Former team mate from the University of Alabama

This is an example of a "first-step" movement. Exploding out of the blocks. She uses variations of the Olympic lifts to be able to get faster out of the blocks. 

Eric Weddle

NFL Saftey San Diego Chargers

The Chargers use variations of the Olympic lifts in their training

This is another example of a "first-step" movement.

 Catching the ball and starting to run. 

Overhead strength and stability

Rachel Crass 2010 World Team member

Former team mate and editor of Strength Plus Magazine

Having a Snatch or Jerk overhead, strengthens

and uses the stabilizers in the shoulders

I had a couple of friends on the cheerleading team at Northern Michigan Uinversity.

 Cheerleaders need stength and stability for everyone's safety and success.

Maegan Snodgrass (former gymnast) and

Caleb Ward (former team mate) doing handstands.

Gymnast also do a variety of exercises that require

upperbody strength and stability. The lifts are helpful to them, too.

I hope this has helped educate all you out there who think the lifts aren't sport specific or who don't even give them the time of day. The Snatch and Clean and jerk are SUPERIOR. No other lifts or forms of training will give you the leg strength, power, explosiveness, and stability that these lifts do. If you still don't believe me. try them out yourselves and see how they work. If NCAA D1 schools, professional teams, and athletes all over the nation and the world use the lifts, there must be a reason why...