Emme being introduced to the back squat.

WOD:

OTM 15 min.:

1 Power Snatch (work up as technique allows)

then

OTM 8 min.:

20 KBS (power swings)

then

4 minutes in front plank (break up as needed)

Why learn the Olympic lifts?

Anyone who has picked up a barbell and dedicated themselves to learning the snatch and the clean and jerk knows how difficult it can be to learn these lifts.  It requires a great deal of patience, dedication, and definitely some humility...not to mention the amount of time it takes to develop proficiency.  At times, it can become quite frustrating.  So, why bother?  Why not just move on to something simpler?

Talk to someone who has spent countless hours with a barbell, honing their skills on these lifts, training hard for each and every PR, earning every pound on that bar.  They will tell you first what a struggle it was in the beginning, but then they will tell you about how rewarding weightlifting can be.  They will tell you about how much stronger they have become and also how great it feels to finally hit that goal PR and keep moving on for the next one.  The rewards, both physical and mental, are profound.

Physically, the snatch and clean and jerk  are two of the most valuable movements that you can do in the gym.  Because the performance of these movements is extremely demanding in regards to flexibility, strength, speed, power, and coordination, these are all areas that will be improved.  Learning how to move a barbell quickly from the floor to the locked-out over head position will carry over into nearly any athletic movement you can do, be it jumping, running, throwing, hitting, pushing, pulling, etc.  Not only will these lifts make you stronger and faster, but when used correctly they can be an excellent conditioning tool as well.  Bottom line, these lifts teach you how to apply force rapidly, and rapid force production is always better than slow force production.

The mental aspect of lifting is arguably more demanding than the physical.  Learning the lifts will test your patience.  Practicing them will measure your discipline, and working your way through some of the grueling workouts will test your dedication.  When you are already tired and not sure if you can make the next lift, but you pull yourself under the barbell anyway, you are building mental fortitude that stays with you in and out of the gym.  When you finally meet that goal PR you've been training hard for months to acheive, you build self-confidence.  You learn that you can do things that you set your mind to.  You learn that you are not too old, too weak, too new, or too whatever to meet your goals and be who you want to be.  Sometimes, it is the most difficult things in life that can teach us the most.