Olympic-style Weightlifting:
One of Many Elements at FIT

by Tracey Downing
Co-Founder and Co-owner, FIT

(This article first appeared in Los Altos Town Crier)

Activity in adults and children has declined over the past few decades while obesity rates have soared. Nearly two of every three Americans are overweight and obese - a 50 percent increase from just a decade ago. More disturbing: nearly 15 percent of our children and teenagers are overweight, about eight million kids. Studies show that overweight children will probably grow up to be overweight adults who may develop serious illnesses as a result. Type-2 diabetes is one weight-related illness; its prevalence increased almost 50 percent from 1990 to 2000. As a result, parents are on the lookout for fun activities at which they and their children can succeed. Physical education in school has been a big part of children's exposure to sport, but it's been limited by budget cuts and shifting priorities. Organized sports, another traditional choice, have their downside: Someone is always going to sit on the bench, and someone is always going to be a bit more talented. Olympic weightlifting is an excellent exercise option for parents and children. It is a form of resistance training, which improves strength, flexibility, balance and coordination - all of which help improve confidence in one's physical abilities and overall health and fitness.

Olympic-style weightlifting refers to the collection of exercises called the snatch and the clean and jerk. Their fundamental purpose is to build power throughout a full range of motion, using every major muscle group to perform each lift. In the snatch lift, the barbell is lifted from the ground to arm's length overhead in a single, continuous movement. In the clean and jerk, the barbell is lifted from the ground to the shoulders and then to the overhead position. If performed with poor technique, the lifter, in most cases, will fail to accomplish the lift. The enormous amount of technical skill required to perform these lifts makes them among the safest activities for adults and children, if closely supervised by qualified professionals. Such programs as FIT Kids and FIT Teens allow children and teenagers to hone their athletic skills by helping them become quicker and more powerful, to increase their muscle and connective tissue strength, to enhance coordination and motor awareness and to build strength and flexibility.

For adults, Olympic-style weightlifting is among the most efficient ways to train every muscle of the body as long as trainers and coaches provide training and supervision. The Olympic-style lifts and their derivatives are incorporated into FIT's personal training programs for all the benefits listed above, as well as many of the other physiological benefits they elicit. These include a metabolic shift, which is effective for weight loss; improving flexibility; building strength throughout the individual's range of motion; offsetting age-associated loss in bone mineral density; and increasing functional strength and power.

Olympic-style weightlifting is included in FIT’s overall health and fitness program, not by whim but by thoughtful analysis of all its benefits.