Olympic lifting & Gymnastic exercises

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From Dr. Quinn Henoch...

The long-term effects of adding gymnastics-type strength training as part of an Olympic weightlifter’s program.

Here is a picture of Lu Xiaojun. He is a weightlifter, not a gymnast. Yet, for some reason the Chinese find that movements such as this human flag, handstand pushups, dips, etc, benefit the snatch and clean and jerk. Here are a few possible reasons as to why:

1. Kinesthetic awareness

Controlling one’s own body is the foundation to athletic development. Young lifters typically do not begin their careers lifting maximal loads. They learn the movements with minimal loads, while developing general physical preparedness through running, jumping, playing, etc. Gymnastics movements such as levers and planches require an incredible amount of proprioception and body awareness to perform; yet they are highly scalable. This means that no matter the strength or skill level, one can reap the benefits of a progression or regression. The ability to manipulate your body in those complex ways lends itself to the ability to development other complex movement patterns, such as the snatch and clean n jerk.

2. Shoulder stability and resiliency

Clearly, Lu Xiaojun is demonstrating some monster stability through the trunk and shoulder complex. Do you think the straight-arm strength you get from levers carries over to being able to adequately stay over the barbell during the pull, while keeping the arms relatively straight? Do you think the immense trunk control combined with the perfect combination of mobility and stability through the shoulder girdle, carries over to manipulating a barbell around a stable trunk? I cannot say for sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the answer is yes. And again, the scalability of these movements allows the athlete to spend enough time under tension to obtain a stimulus with minimal risk of overloading tissue (if performed and scaled appropriately, of course).

3. Connective tissue strength

Many weightlifting programs focus on improving neuromuscular strength and assume connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, cartilage, etc) will adapt at the same rate. Obviously, training the lifts will aid in connective tissue adaptation. However, connective tissue has been shown to adapt more slowly. So, while your muscles may be firing more efficiently, the tendons, ligaments, and cartilage may not be ready for the increased volume and loads. This may help explain all of the joint related issues that I see in the clinic with my fellow weightlifters. The static nature of lever, cross, and planche progressions seem to be a great way to load connective tissue over the course of months, in a way that compliments the dynamic pounding of the snatch and clean and jerk.