Squatting has been performed by weightlifters since before the first modern Olympics in 1896. This exercise was later used by powerlifters to test the strength of their legs, and bodybuilders to build bigger, stronger thighs. An Olympic squat requires you to squat deeply and hold the bar high on your back. Your foot position remains critical for your success in this lift. Consult a health-care practitioner before beginning any strength-training program.
An OIympic pre-trial is also known as a qualifying event. The criteria for winning an Olympic qualifying event depend on the sport. For instance, individual swimming events have their own Olympic qualifying standard times that ...
Jackie Joyner got into the Olympics due to an undying belief in herself and her athletic abilities, combined with the love and support of her family and the guidance of a coach who would one day become her husband, Bob Kersee. ...
The deadlift is contested in powerlifting, with both conventional and sumo deadlifts allowed in competition. Snatch and clean-grip deadlifts may be done by weightlifters as part of their Olympic lifting training, but only to st...
The Olympics have changed considerably since their humble beginnings in ancient Greece. At first, only Greeks were allowed to compete; now the Olympics are a worldwide event. The ancient Greek Olympics had few events in compari...
In the annals of Olympics history, few athletes have distinguished themselves and dominated their sport as much as Matt Biondi did during his participation in three different olympiads. When the United States looks back at its ...
Barbells are long, straight, metal bars that you use as resistance for strength-training exercises. They are available in two types: regular barbells and Olympic barbells. You can do the same exercises, including squats, deadli...
Both powerlifting and weightlifting require a barbell for training and competition. These barbells differ slightly in composition and flexibility. Both sports have specialized bars for special purposes. Both sports use bars wit...
The modern triathlon was developed in the early 1970s, but it wasn't until 2000 when the triathlon made its debut in the Olympic Games. Since the 2000 Olympic Games, the triathlon has united the best triathletes from around the...
The powerlifting squat allows you to squat maximal weight using a wide stance and a low bar position. The Olympic squat uses a closer squatting stance with a high bar position. The Olympic squat places more strain on the knees ...
...ly has been around for centuries. With origins in Norway, luge became a popular competitive sport throughout Northern Europe and now is an international sporting interest and has been an event at the Olympics since 1964. How...
...s, Michelle Kwan was the face of American figure skating. During her career, Kwan became the first skater to win eight U.S. championships. Her other accomplishments included five world titles and two Olympic medals. Kwan's c...
...r in the labyrinth. Not everyone was a fan, however. The poet Xenophanes described pankration as "that new and terrible contest... ." There's solid historical evidence that pankration was added as an Olympic sport in 648 B.C...
Citius, altius, fortius, which means faster, higher, stronger, is the official motto of the Olympics. Because fractions of a second separate Olympic medal winners from those who go home empty-handed, Olympic competitors take th...
Mexico City was the first Latin American city to be the host of the Olympic Games in 1968. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will be the second host in 2016. Mexico City was a "controversial" choice to be the site of an Olympics because ...
Jumping is integral to many Summer Olympic sports. There are no Winter Olympic sporting events that require an athlete to jump since all the sports are performed on either skis or skates, or on sliding equipment such as a bobsl...
The tradition of presenting the three winners of each Olympic event with flowers extends back more than 3,000 years to the original Games in ancient Greece, when wreaths or garlands were the only prizes presented to a champion ...
Diets for Olympic weightlifters mirror the diets of non-Olympic weightlifters. Olympic weightlifters compete in two events: the one-movement jerk and the two-movement snatch. Both Olympic and non-Olympic weightlifters need tech...
Olympic weightlifting is the oldest official strength sport, having been included in the first Olympics in the 19th century. Weightlifting consists of two events: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Both lifts require speed, str...
The Olympics, the most famed sporting competition series on earth, bring the world's best athletes to one stage to compete for their countries. The events and the reasons for the Olympics are much different now than when the an...
The individual trampoline event became an official Olympic sport at the 2000 Olympic Games held in Sydney, Australia. USA Gymnastics added trampoline events to its purview one year prior, in 1999. Competitors complete three rou...
... god Prometheus had stolen it from the gods to give to man. A sacred flame burned on altars dedicated to various gods, including Hestia, the goddess of home and hearth. During the time of the ancient Olympics, the Greeks hel...
The Korean word tae kwon do translates to "the way of kicking and striking," an apt name for a form of martial arts that places emphasis on kick sequences. Some say the sport came from the fighting style of Silla Dynasty warri...
Weightlifting has been part of the Olympic Games since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. However, women's weightlifting has only been an Olympic event since the 2000 Games in Sydney. Like men, women compete in two lifts...
The Olympic Football Tournament features top soccer players, especially in the under-23 age bracket. The success of the Olympics inspired Federation Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, the international governing b...
Women's gymnastics, long a favorite in the Summer Olympic Games, boasts an array of events that showcase the athletic ability of the participants. For sheer dramatic, high-flying action, however, it is difficult to beat the une...
Olympics for a third-grade class is a way to engage every student in a unit about the ancient Games and modern changes. By learning more about the Olympic Games, the history and the various sporting events, third-graders will b...
The sport of fencing had its debut as an Olympic event in 1896. It has been a part of all Olympic Games since then. In 1896, competition was limited to the disciplines of foil and saber, which are similar weapons, although the ...
The Winter Olympic games are held every four years. The International Olympic Committee chooses a new city around the world to host each Winter Olympics. However, although the cities may change, the competition remains the same...
The International Olympic Committee awards gold, silver and bronze medals in each event of the Summer and Winter Games. In team events, such as basketball and ice hockey, every member of a medal-winning team receives a medal, b...
The original Olympics were an ancient religious festival in honor of Zeus, the most powerful of all Greek gods. For many centuries, the Games were held in the shadow of sacred Mount Olympus but suspended for more than 1500 year...
A family Olympics event showcases everyone's talents, even if you aren't headed to the actual Olympic games. Your own family Olympics activities allow you to customize the events to fit the things you like to do as a family. Mo...
Fencing is an ancient practice that dates back to the days of early Greek and Roman civilizations. Fencing competitions take place worldwide and many countries compete in fencing events at the Olympics. The United States Fencin...
The diet for an Olympic athlete can vary quite a bit depending on his sport. At one extreme, you have cross country skiers, male and female, who need to eat 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day to thrive. At the other extreme, an Ol...
Many Olympic athletes utilize advanced body weight exercises to condition their bodies for competition. Body weight exercises with reduced leverage will have enough resistance to build staggering strength, much like using free ...
In Olympic swimming, gold medalists can win by fractions of a second. Swimmers depend on their own fitness and technique to beat out the competition, but what they wear matters, too. Apart from swimsuits, racers wear swim goggl...
The Olympic Anthem, also known as the Olympic Hymn, was first performed at the opening ceremony for the Games of the I Olympiad -- better known as the 1896 Summer Olympics, in Athens, Greece. Spyridon Samaras composed the music...
Olympic barbells have become something of an industry standard for weight training equipment. The bar is standardized at 45 lbs. The rotating sleeves on the ends of the bar facilitate complex lifts that move the bar in multiple...
Along with the torch, few things represent the pageantry and competition of the Olympics more universally than the five Olympic rings. The multicolored pattern adorns both flags and official apparel. Though the modern-day Olymp...
Women's track and field in the Olympics has provided some of the most inspiring and memorable moments of the modern Olympiad. Notables such as Babe Didrikson, Fanny Blankers-Koen, Wilma Rudolph, Irena Szewinska, Jackie Joyner-K...
The 2008 Summer Olympics, hosted by the People's Republic of China and held in the city of Beijing, was among the most memorable of all recent Olympic competitions. Several hundred million people around the world viewed the gam...
Olympic weightlifting was one of the events at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Olympic weightlifters perform two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Both movements involve lifting the bar overhead with the maximum...
Every four years marks the beginning of a new Summer Olympics. In 2008, the honor of hosting these games fell on the city of Beijing, China. These games went down in the history books both for good and bad reasons, as the city ...
Fencing is a formalized ballet of sword fighting and enjoys the rare distinction of being one of only four sports included in every Olympics since the first Games of the new era in 1896. Historical records indicate that it date...
Softball at the Olympics is a women-only sport. The rules are similar to baseball, but pitchers throw underarm and the balls are larger. Throughout the history of softball at the Olympics, the USA team usually has dominated. Ho...
The 1968 Winter Olympics were held in Grenoble, France. For the first time, the games were broadcast in color. The opening ceremony, hosted by French president Charles de Gaulle, took place on February 5. Some 1,159 athletes fr...
Olympic weight plates are one of two types of weight plates. The other type is standard weights. Olympic weights are used in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. They are often found in commercial gyms and fitness centers. Altho...
The 1896 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, were the first of 47 Olympic Games held around the world as of 2011, with some cities hosting the Olympics more than once, including Athens in 2004. Winter Olympics are hosted by select...
The Olympics showcase amazing athletes, but the games can also serve to improve the state of the entire world. At least that's the take a prime minister and academic publication has on the event. Others are not so sure the Olym...
Humans have practiced swordplay for thousands of years, but modern fencing did not become a sport until the 15th century, according to Olympic.org. Early competitive fencing began in Italy and Germany when people practiced it a...
All Olympic sports have a strict set of rules, trampoline included. The rules set forth by the Olympic committee for trampoline covers safety rules and equipment specifications along with scoring guidelines. Many national tramp...
...ts. What sets these athletes apart is their spirit to overcome and do what many others have told them is impossible. The Paralympics includes many of the same events that take place in the mainstream Olympics. The games are ...
The use of goggles by swimmers was not allowed in the Olympics until 1976. Presently, Olympic swimmers use goggles to be able to see under water while swimming at high speeds and to keep their eyes protected from chlorine and o...
Women began competing in Olympic track and field events in 1928, and the world has watched in awe ever since. The athletic performances are impressive, and the stories behind them equally so. In 1960, for instance, American Wil...
Weight plates are available in two sizes: standard or Olympic. Olympic weight plates are large, cast iron discs used for strength training and named after Olympic weightlifting. Olympic weight plates have specific characteristi...
In skeleton, considered the world's first sliding sport, athletes race head first down an icy track on a small sled, while lying on their stomachs. Skeleton acquired its name from the bare frame of the sled frames used in the s...
The Olympics have a long history, from their origins in ancient Greece to the modern-day games held in host cities throughout the world. Today's Olympics represent a uniting of and professional competition among countries in a ...
Olympic lifts refer to the snatch and the clean-and-jerk. The clean-and-press was once included in Olympic competition as well, but was banished in 1976 because of difficulties in judging form, notes the Olympic Weightlifting R...
The Winter Olympics began in 1924, when the games were held in Chamonix, France. The games had only seven events, in which Norway dominated, notes CBS News. Norway still dominates the Winter Olympics with 303 medals over the pa...
From Aug. 8 to 24, 2008, China hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. It was the country's first time to host the Games since the Modern Olympics began in 1896. More than 10,000 athletes competed in 28 sports, includi...
Speed skating. Gymnastics. Cross-country skiing. These are just a few of the sports we associate with the modern Olympic Games. Every two years millions around the world cheer on their country's athletes as they participate in ...
Olympic lifts and power lifts are terms that are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different concepts. Power lifting is a broad category that encompasses a particular style of exercise, while Olympic lifting is a sp...
If you've ever watched the Olympic Games and seen an athlete lift a barbell loaded with hundreds of pounds, chances are you were watching an Olympic lift being performed. Olympic weightlifting exercises incorporate large muscle...
Olympic weight lifting consists of various lifts, such as the snatch and the clean and jerk. While some athletes use Olympic lifts as their primary sport, some fitness enthusiasts use Olympic lifts to develop strength, speed an...
The Snatch and the Clean and Jerk are the competition lifts in Olympic weightlifting. These lifts are complex and physically demanding. As with most things, they are easy to do but difficult to perform at a high level. In or...
Olympic lifts refer to the explosive, power lifts used for competition in the Summer Olympics. These lifts test a combination of strength, coordination, power, flexibility and balance and include the snatch as well as the clean...
The Olympic weightlifting bench, one of the most widely used gym pieces of exercise equipment, primarily helps gym goers to perform the bench press, an exercise that develops the chest muscles. The bench press is one of the thr...
...lmed. This might result in wasting your workout time deciding which piece of equipment to use. Several different bar options exist for loading up weight plates. Although both the deadlift bar and the Olympic bar can be used ...
Fencing has its roots in early sword combat dating back as far as ancient Rome. It has since developed in to an Olympic level competition pitting two competitors with sword-based weapons against each other to score points for s...
The International Olympic Committee hosts the summer Olympics every four years, but you can hold your own backyard version of the Olympics with your family. The inspirational stories of athletes and the camaraderie among the na...
China's dedication to the world of running is surprisingly strong. In Olympic track events, numerous Chinese runners are famed throughout the country for their pure ability, work ethic and winning records. Both male and female ...
An athlete's diet is not one-size-fits-all, especially on the professional or Olympic level. Performance is everything, and fuel is just as important as an athlete's training schedule. Olympic athletes that expend the most calo...
... events that you can compete in. Alpine skiing, biathlon and cross country skiing. These are all individual sports. To prepare for these activities, look for a local team that trains year-round. Many Olympic skiing teams tra...
