Recently I had an athlete ask, "Coach, what muscle does this Clean and Jerk work?"
Most of us are taught to look at exercises by what muscles they work (this is derived from America's bodybuilding obsession). Yet, in sports we don't say, "What muscle does dribbling this basketball work?" We dribble, and we practice dribbling, so we can score more and help our team win more.
So when athletes lift to improve performance, we have to ask questions like, "Coach, how will this exercise make me a faster, stronger, more powerful athlete?"
How does the Clean and Jerk (and the Snatch, all of which are classified as Olympic Lifts) help improve athletes' performance? Here's a list of benefits for athletes:
- Improved Coordination
- Improved Triple Extension (jumping, throwing, tackling, kicking...)
- Stronger Deceleration
- Overhead Strength
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance
No comments:
Post a Comment