Olympic weight lifting consists of 2 exercises which work all the major muscle groups in the body. The 2 exercises are the clean and jerk along with the snatch. The 2 movements provide great advantages to the average athlete, gym rat, and fitness enthusiasts. Olympic weight lifting improves flexibility, muscle hypertrophy, power, fat loss, maximum strength, balance, and coordination. Olympic weight lifting not only has its fitness benefits but is also characterized as an Olympic sport that also has local and national level competitions.
Many people perform the Olympic weight lifting exercise to improve strength and power. Both exercises recruit the fast-twitch muscle fibres which improve the person’s maximum strength and maximum power. Having more strength and power not only helps an Olympic weight lifting athlete improve at his or her sport, but it also helps the average person become stronger with more power. The Olympic lifts also improve strength and power for an athlete that is trying to get better for their chosen sport. Olympic lifts are generally performed by athletes that play football, rugby, basketball, and water sports. These sports benefit from the Olympic lifts because of the transfer of speed, strength, and power.
Most fitness enthusiasts don’t understand that Olympic weight lifting can help improve fat loss. Several studies have indicated that both the clean and the snatch burn double the calories as basic weight training exercises and increase the body’s metabolic rate. These exercises’ will benefit the athletes or fitness gurus who want to lose a few pounds of body fat to increase lean body mass.
The snatch and clean work multiple muscle groups which in return will help build a significant amount of muscle mass. If you look at an Olympic weight lifter you will notice that they are very muscular and have very wide shoulders and upper backs.