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"The Chalk Box!"
What's up with all this Olympic Lifting? Part III and Conclusions
By Israel A. Sanchez
Strength & Conditioning Coach
In the previous two installments the benefits of properly learning and applying the lifts were covered, as well as the importance of a good coach for optimum learning and safety. This last installment will focus on the idiosyncrasies of the industry in regards to the usefulness of the sport, common scenarios, and why Next Step Conditioning Systems puts a great deal of emphasis into understanding and mastering this discipline.
The practice of Olympic Weightlifting still seems alien to the branch of exercise and fitness that reaches the masses; the commercial fitness industry. This industry has grown by leaps and bounds in the past two decades, going from garage/barn family operations, to major corporations with shareholders.
The growth of the industry is not the problem per se, but rather, the deterioration of the quality of services offered to the members. This has nothing to do with the amenities crammed in locker rooms, or the pseudo-spa ambience many of the newer chains are heavily investing to accomplish. These are nice to have, but they are in no way or form a substitute for proper and knowledgeable instruction. This problem is very evident when it comes to the incorporation of the lifts in the training programs of those who are physically ready and could benefit from them.
The commercial fitness industry in general has a distorted perception and does not understand the Olympic Lifts. In fact, it dismissed and discouraged their practice in the past. No general fitness certification in the past addressed the learning, let alone mastery of the sport. Those who wanted to learn were fed fallacies that persist today and warned about engaging in such a dangerous endeavor.
However, like everything else in fitness, athletes led the way. They showed the world they could develop a terrific, strong and powerful body without adding the superfluous size many dislike or do not need. Soon, research was validating what Olympic Weightlifters had known all along. That theirs is a sport with one of the lowest rates of injuries, that after gymnasts they have the best levels of functional flexibility, that they have some of the highest vertical leaps, that they are some of the fastest people in the planet.
The world started to pay attention and previous credos that condemned Olympic Weightlifting as the scourge of exercise programs were now questioned, if not dismissed. Many institutions started investigating more into this Olympic Weightlifting thing and added it to their curriculum. Many successful strength and conditioning programs started incorporating the lifts. Soon the coaching courses offered by USA Weightlifting (USAW), The Governing Body of the sport, were getting the respect they deserved.
Now the fitness industry started watching again. This time however, it had been made aware of the benefits, and it too, wanted to jump on the bandwagon.
This in itself would not be a problem; however, the fitness industry in general is more concerned about memberships and ways to attract members. Again, it is a business, as a business it must make a profit, and memberships are one of its main sources of revenue. Training and conditioning services are tailored more for programs that are fashionable at the moment, thus attracting more prospective members, or modalities that require the least amount of supervision.
With Olympic Weightlifting being an activity that requires experienced, competent supervision, and not suited for an environment of choreography under thumping beats, commercial facilities had to come up with ways to incorporate them while not having to pay the fees a qualified coach commands.
Under misconceptions and little or no understanding, the lifts were being presented as simple exercises akin to bicep curls and leg extensions as opposed the highly precise and skilled components of the sport they really are. Some places would even throw colorful plates for their rusty, spin-lacking bars just to boast how they incorporated Olympic Weightlifting.
Qualified experts are rarely found in such type of setting. The qualified expert may get a head start in a commercial club and perhaps reach out a few fortunate individuals. However the qualified coach will soon realize the environment of the commercial fitness setting is not conducive to this type of training and that both remuneration and professional satisfaction are better elsewhere. Rarely do these coaches last more than a few months in these facilities.
This situation leaves the commercial facilities without permanent qualified personnel and only two options when in it comes to the instruction. Should a potential client inquire about the lifts, these are the two scenarios that are most likely to come out. One, the client will be told immediately that those lifts are downright dangerous and have no benefit. Or, the client will be given unqualified instruction by an unqualified coach/trainer who only wants the business. The client meeting the right coach is still a fortuitous coincidence rather than a regular occurrence.
When the injuries do happen, the client, who usually knows less than the coach/trainer, usually blames “that dangerous stuff”. Rarely does the person think “maybe I was not ready to learn this” or “maybe my coach/trainer is not qualified to teach this”.
And that is why we spend so much time studying this misunderstood sport. Under the guidance of some of the most respected coaches in the country, several of who have coached at the international level and even in the Olympic Games, we keep learning and improving.
We make it our mission to gain knowledge from the best so in return you get the best instruction. We want the full experience, not the watered down version. That is why we constantly take part of the competitions and camps as athletes and coaches. The sport is constantly evolving and we know that in order to learn and keep up with this sport properly and SAFELY, a good coach is a must.
Through our initial postural assessment and Objective Biomechanical and Structural Analysis, we determine if the individual is physically ready to learn the sport (provided that it is suitable to the goals) and how to best adapt it to the individual’s unique structure and physiology. This approach has allowed us to introduce and implement this valuable modality with a remarkable rate of success and safety to those whose goals would benefit from them, were physically ready, and were willing to learn.
One very important and final point, please keep in mind that we do not preach that Olympic Weightlifting is THE only way to go. There are other productive modalities that could be just as beneficial. However, we are aware of the complexities of the activity and the high level of skill and physical preparation required to be successful. More than just exercises, these lifts are a sport of high skill, and as such, their learning and instruction require competent practice and supervision.
That’s why we do not mind spending all those hours learning from the top coaches and traveling to competitions and camps. It is helping us serve you better and provides us with lessons that cannot be found in a classroom.
Good health and see you on the platform
Return to Part I | Click here to return to archives
Next Step Conditioning Systems, LLC
9929 NE. Lafayette Avenue
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
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