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Why Olympic Lifting is Always an Option at Seacoast Athletics
At Seacoast Athletics, our mission has always been to create an environment where anyone can access high-quality strength training, receive expert coaching, and have options that align with their individual goals. No matter where you train with us, we offer a variety of paths and approaches, recognizing that each person’s journey toward their goals is unique.
When it comes to building strength, power, speed, coordination and movement efficiency, there are many paths to take to improve those metrics and some are a little more technical than others.
Olympic Lifting is one of the more technical approaches. If you are someone looking to get more explosive or you simply enjoying learning a hard new skill, the barbell can be a great tool. It's one of many things that we love to teach, but it does require some pre-requisites and a ton of practice.
A hang squat clean and push jerk, for example, and is an incredible expression of athleticism. If you can safely and fluidly move a heavy barbell from the ground to overhead, we can pretty safely assume that you are strong, mobile, explosive, coordinated, and accurate. Not to mention, doing something so complex and demanding can literally rewire the brain. So in that sense, the Olympic lifts are an efficient way to train a multitude of fitness metrics.
But, there are also plenty of movements that can provide the same benefits without such a technical barrier or mobility requirement, which is why it's always an option and never a requirement. Single-arm DB snatches, box jumps and kettlebell swings, combined with lower and upper body strength work can all help you achieve many of the same qualities.
We always want to emphasize that that no option is better, worse, or more superior - they all have their purpose. Understanding how a training tool may or may not fit into your individual fitness journey is so important to us, because you can be more invested in the "what," if you understand the "why."