Why Olympic Lifts (and General Training) Matter for Athletes
The other day I was talking with a parent about why the Olympic lifts are such a powerful tool in sports performance training. It’s easy to look at a clean or a snatch and think, “I don't get it.” But the truth is, these lifts—and strength training in general—do something really special for athletes.
Most athletes don’t actually need hyper-specific training that mimics every movement in their sport. What they need is GPP—General Physical Preparation. This means building the broad qualities that make them better movers in any arena: strength, explosiveness, agility, coordination, and body control. It’s the foundation you lay before sport-specific skills really shine.
Think about it this way:
If your squat improves, you’re stronger.
If your power clean improves, you’re more explosive.
If your broad jump improves, you can produce and transfer force more efficiently.
Now, if all three of those markers move up in a big way, what are the odds that athlete is better off in their sport? Pretty close to 100%. It doesn’t matter if you’re a basketball player, volleyball hitter, soccer forward, or football linebacker—being stronger, faster, and more powerful is only going to help you.
That’s why we focus so much on training the general qualities of athleticism. It’s not about copying the exact movements you’ll see in a game. It’s about raising your ceiling as an athlete so that when you go back to practice, your skillset lands harder.
Olympic lifts are special because they train that explosive, whole-body coordination that carries over to nearly everything else you do athletically. Squats and jumps are simple, measurable, and brutally honest—no shortcuts. Together, they give us the clearest picture of whether training is working.
So if you see your kid cleaning heavier weights, squatting stronger numbers, and flying further on broad jumps, you can bet they’re becoming a more complete athlete. And the best part? Those improvements don’t just matter in the weight room—they show up on the field, the court, and anywhere else an athlete has to move fast, be strong, and make plays.
Best of luck with your training today!
With Thanks,