Although Bodybuilding doesn’t use olympic training techniques, it is useful to understand the differences between them.

What is Olympic Training?

Olympic training is often confused with other training techniques, like powerlifting or athletic training. Sports athletic training encompasses a variety of training techniques, to meet the goals of that particular sport. Powerlifting’s goals is to reach maximum strength in the 3 lifts, deadlifts, squats, and bench. Olympic lifting main goal is for overall body strength. It is more primitive and the excercises are explosive body movements. The goal is not to be strong in certain excercises like powerlifting, but to be strong overall.

Olympic Workout Routine:

Olympic workouts are centered around two weight excercises: Snatch and the Clean & Jerk. These are compound excercises done with explosive speed. The Snatch is lifting the barbell from the ground to above your shoulders in one smooth explosive motion. The Clean & Jerk is a two step motion, with each step being an explosive jerk. The first step you lift it from the ground to chest level and hold briefly. Then you will jerk it up above your head explosively, while spreading your legs simultaneously in a lunge position.