What are some images that come to mind when you hear the words “Olympic Weightlifting”? Big, barrel chested men in unitards, chalk flying everywhere, meaty guys in the gym lifting dangerous amounts of weight, or maybe just thoughts of that time in high-school when you tried to squat a heavy load and the plate fell off the end of the bar? Ok, that last one was from personal experience. Today I want to give you loyal readers a taste of what Olympic weightlifting is and how it can benefit you on the tennis court. Impossible you say? Well strap into your favorite unitard and read on!
The Queensland Weightlifting Association (www.qwa.org) describes Olympic lifting as “a contest between an athlete and his or her belief in themselves” and “a pure test of flesh and blood against iron and gravity.” While that is a rather romantic way of putting it, I think it would benefit us to understand the principles behind the many elements that make up the sport as a whole and how they can be used for us mortal, non-tights-wearing tennis players. Being a tennis player makes you an athlete! Surprised? I know that we may not all look like top level beach bodies, but in reality the rigors of tennis, even at the recreational level, can be quite demanding on the body. As we’ve discussed in past articles, we need to be limber and strong in order to play at the level we desire. I trust that you do at least a little training off-court, right? Anyone……anyone…….Bueller? In all seriousness, we need to take our fitness seriously regardless of our athletic endeavors. You don’t want to be one of those bent over, stumbling elders you see in the grocery store now do you?
So you’re working out maybe a few times a week, doing some cardio and strength training, and maintaining your flexibility by stretching out before and after you exert yourself. Good on ya mate! Let’s see how we can incorporate some of these seemingly intimidating exercises in order to gain some performance on the court!
Ok, finally we get to the heart of the matter, the exercises. The main lifts that we will be discussing are the “snatch” and the “clean and jerk”. Sorry if your IP filter just booted you off – we aren’t talking about anything ‘R’ rated! These two lifts are comprised of multiple elements that can be broken down and used by themselves, but when combined, they are truly complex and challenging.
Snatch What?
Want to work most of your major muscle groups, involve your core, and develop your fast-twitch muscle fibers all at once? The snatch is for you. This lift starts with a loaded barbell on the ground and the lifter with a wide grip on it. The lifter lowers his hips and then explodes upward with a straight back, and while keeping the bar close to the chest drives it overhead while again lowering the hips to a squat position. The lift is completed when the lifter stands up with the bar balanced overhead with arms locked. The legs, shoulders, abs, forearms, and back are all involved. This lift is done one way at the top level: fast. It generally takes under one second for a top level lifter to jack over 300 pounds overhead! I won’t go into all the details, but this site gives you all the basics you need to complete the lift: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/Snatch.html
As with any new exercise, you should start off slow and low in order to get form down perfect and learn to move your body correctly. Injury prevention is key.
So now that we are somewhat familiar with this lift, you are probably wondering why you would want to do it in the first place, right? Well, aside from developing strength, this lift is at the pinnacle for developing the power transfer from the lower to the upper body. Anyone know any sports that require this skill? Everything we do on the tennis court starts with the legs and ends with the hands, right? Practicing the snatch will build this skill in spades while adding endurance, balance, and power to your tennis game. Who can say they don’t need more of all that? It’s fun to do some sets of these with low weight and in the higher rep range – you will get an unbelievable burn and your endurance will really be increased.
To Be Continued…
Well, I hate to leave you hanging, but the Clean and Jerk is a very complex exercise that will require an entire article to cover and I want to give it all the attention it deserves. Do some research on the Snatch, start slow, and work on your form to reap the multitide of benefits both in the gym and on the court.
