It's important that the right equipment is used when completing Olympic weight-lifting exercises. Besides the appropriate flooring, to complete Olympic lifts, you need a barbell, weighted plates and -- in some circumstances -- barbell collars. The plates used in Olympic lifts are different than those used in traditional weight training. There are numerous suppliers of Olympic weights, and the notable brands are the ones certified by the International Weightlifting Federation.
Olympic Weight Lifting
Olympic weight lifting is a sport in itself where athletes compete over how much total weight they can complete specific exercises with, but it's also a training technique to improve power. Olympic weight lifting exercises include the snatch and the clean and jerk. The exercises recruit muscles throughout the entire body and are designed to be done at high speed, requiring your muscles to produce a significant amount of force in a short amount of time. Other athletes besides weight lifters, including basketball, football and volleyball players, incorporate Olympic weight lifting exercises into their training to improve their power.
Equipment
Olympic weight lifting exercises are completed with a significant amount of weight, so once a lifter completes a repetition, it's common that they will need to let go of the weight and control it as it drops down onto the lifting platform. Therefore, the plates used in Olympic lifts are different than those used for traditional strength-training exercises. They're also referred to as bumper plates, because they have a soft, rubber coating to increase safety and allow the weights to drop without doing significant damage.
Best Suppliers
United States Weightlifting, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, uses barbells and bumper plates provided by its official sponsor, WerkSanUSA. It supplies bumper plates, barbells and barbell collars to hold the plates securely onto the barbell during the explosive movements. All its weight-lifting equipment is certified by the International Weightlifting Federation. WerkSanUSA also supplies the strength and conditioning organization Cross Fit with its Olympic weightlifting equipment. Another top supplier of Olympic weightlifting equipment is Zhang Kong, or ZKC, which supplied the equipment used at the 2008 Olympics.
Considerations
The movements and techniques required in Olympic weight-lifting exercises are advanced and can take some training. The exercises are safe for nearly everyone as long as the exercises are completed correctly. It's recommended that you receive personal training assistance when you first implement Olympic lifts into your regime. Because the movements require explosive movements, there is an increased risk of injury if you use an inappropriate amount of weight or complete the movement incorrectly.
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