Region 5-3A weightlifting contest Saturday @ MCHS

[cbg]

Why do the high school lifting contest never include the snatch, clean & jerk, or dead lift? Those 3 lifts take more technique and demonstrate explosion, power, strength, and balance than any of the other lifts.

[BigRed62]

This probaly sounds dum but wat is a jerk? thx lata

[bobcats56]

Not sure what the jerk is either. But I believe that these are the only three lifts used because they better develop the muscles used in football, espcially power cleans.

[bigchief]

The snatch and clean and jerk are not used around here because most of the coaches I have seen lack the knowledge to teach them properly. The technique required to do them correctly is much more involved than the squat and bench. Most coaches don't take the time to TEACH the lifts! It is easier to send them over to the bench where the technique is straightforward. To say that the olympic lifts don't develop the muscles needed for football borders somewhere between uninformed and stupidity. These lifts teach explosion with heavy weights which translates to stronger faster players. You cannot grind out a slow max on the snatch or C & J like you can with a bench, squat or deadlift. Last time I checked, you want a strong, fast , explosive player for football (or any other sport for that matter). The jerk is simply the push press whether with even feet or by splitting them where you put the bar over your head. Check out the MAJOR college programs. They are ALL doing them in some form. Someone tell me how the strength used for the deadlift comes into play in a football game. Doing the snatch and clean and jerk will give you the strength to deadlift your opponent after you put him on his can.

[Edited by bigchief on 4-16-03 6:53A]

[cbg]

bigchief,

 

I am glad that someone on this forum understands the advantages of doing the olympic lifts. If only some of the coaches would get off their lazy tails and learn to teach the lifts correctly. Most coaches that I have seen don't even know how to teach the bench press or hex bar squat correctly.

[rjduck50]

bigchief you are exactly right those lifts help immensely with explosion. we do two forms of the clean & jerks and we also do snatch.