Olympic Weightlifting for Fitness Clients

Description

A Message from Karsten Jensen, M.Sc., Strength Coach to World Class and Olympic Athletes and Author of The Flexible Periodization Method

Olympic Weightlifting is a sport in itself; consisting of the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk. Both movements require substantial flexibility, coordination and whole body strength and power to move the bar from the floor to a position over the lifter's head.

Because of the power developed in each of the Olympic lifts, they are an effective, popular (and sometimes overused tool!) in the training of athletes. Because the whole body is involved in the lifts, Olympic weight lifts also are a tremendous and currently UNDERUSED tool in the training of the fitness client seeking the lean muscularity of an athlete.

The Olympic lifts are typically taught in settings that include special bars, special platforms and special plates (so-called bumper plates) that allow the lifter/client to drop the weight from any height without damage to the floor or equipment. But what if – in your facility – there are no special bars, no platforms and no bumper plates?

Do you stay away from even trying Olympic weightlifting, because you don't have access to the special bars, special platforms and special plates; and it is not clear to you how to perform Olympic weightlifting – safely and effectively – without what seems to be necessary equipment? If you answered "yes," you miss out on a very effective training tool that can help your client achieve an athletic muscularity with effective, fun and challenging workouts.

I have taught the Olympic lifts to athletes and clients since the late nineties and currently teach an Olympic weightlifting course at the Strength and Conditioning Centre at The University of Toronto. I have created this different workshop on Olympic weightlifting because I wanted to show you, the personal trainer, how you can benefit from this great tool, even if you don't have the special bars, special platforms, special plates or special shoes.

This is the first time this workshop is being offered and specifically tailored to the fitness enthusiast! The techniques are explained from scratch, so there is no need to worry if you don't have any previous experience with Olympic weightlifting.

Attend this 14-hour workshop and be the first trainer in your gym to learn how your clients can use Olympic weightlifting to achieve the lean muscularity of an athlete, even if you don't have a platform or any bumper plates. You will also learn

  • the specific stretches needed to create the flexibility to easily enter the correct start position (even if the plates are of small diameter) AND press the weight overhead. Many coaches solve lack of flexibility by reducing range of motion in the exercise. This is a disservice to the client.
  • unique warm up exercises that help the client increase body temperature AND develop proper lifting technique at the same time.
  • the logical progression of exercises to teach the client the Olympic lifts (this progression is opposite of what is taught in most cases) – including the optimal way to use breathing and other high tension techniques to maximize core activation.
  • the specific exercises that build strength and "program" the client with proper technique at the same time – including a different style of deadlifting.
  • why normal rules of spotting don't apply - Safety precautions specific to the busy gym, including how you must modify the program, when dropping the weight is NOT an option.
  • how to master the technique/fatigue ratio in order to use the Olympic lifts and their variations to build muscle, like the pre-steroid bodybuilders did.
  • how to teach dumbbell variations of the Olympic lifts in a fraction of the time (they are great for circuit training) - a great method to use when your client is scared of the bar but wants results NOW!

Contrary to many gimmicks and fads that come and go, Olympic weightlifting has been practiced for at least a hundred years and has stood the test of time. Further, contrary to many new exercise tools that require the investment of hundreds to thousands of dollars, your only investment in Olympic weightlifting is the workshop fee, all gyms have bars or dumbbells and you can even have your client perform these lifts with medicine balls, sandbags or rocks if you are into outdoor training.

Your investment of time and finance are taken very seriously. As such, in order to maximize the individual attention to each participant, the course is capped at 12 participants. Also, in order to maximize your retention of the material, handouts are provided and you receive access to raw footage of the instruction sequences (sound quality may vary).

Your clients will appreciate you for adding Olympic lifts to your tool box. Your own training can also experience a boost with these new lifts!  Further, mastering this new tool may open the possibility for increased client retention as well as marketing to new segments, in which case you will also receive a substantial financial "return on investment."

Skip to Top

Requirements:

  • Notebooks, pen, pencil, paper etc...

Course Instructors

Karsten Jensen, M.Sc., CPTN-CPT.M, C.H.E.K 2, HLC 3

Strength and Conditioning Expert Karsten Jensen has helped world class and Olympic athletes from 14 different sports since 1993. Many of his athletes have won Olympic medals, European Championships, World Championships and ATP Tournaments. He believes in the unlimited potential of the human being and shares his viewpoints as an international speaker, author of several books and educator with the Certified Professional Trainers Network. He currently works as a high performance trainer at the University of Toronto and also shares "Insider Principles of World Class Strength and Conditioning Methods" through his website www.yestostrength.com. He holds a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology as well as several other certifications. For more information please visit www.yestostrength.com.

Registration