Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Lifting for Athletic Performance (Part 2)

Hello Everyone!

Our last post discussed why training for improved athletic performance is different than training for specific muscles and why the Olympic Lifts can have huge benefits for athletes. In this post we will better breakdown one of the specific benefits athletes receive from Olympic Lifting.

Better Coordination is obtained when athletes learn how to Olympic Lift (Clean and Jerk, Snatch). Simply stated, the best athletes are the most coordinated! Think about it - whether it is dribbling, pitching, tackling, passing, kicking, swinging... all athletic skills are demonstrations of coordination.

Whoever has the best mapped out neuro-pathways has the best sport skills. (Your thoughts travel through your nervous system to the muscular system so your desired action is performed.) The faster and more detailed your neuro-pathways, the faster and more detailed you play!

The Olympic Lifts are all about coordination. To be successful in the lifts, your body parts must move at the right time and at the right speeds. Now reread that last sentence as if it were describing a skill for your chosen sport. It is universal to athletics (moving your body parts at the right time at the right speeds). When you become a more coordinated athlete you become a more skilled (and successful) athlete!
 
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Kephart and Akron General Sports Performance 

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