E-lifts are explosive movements that can dramatically boost your strength and power. Read on to see what they can do for you.
Introduction:
Part of the fun of working out is searching for that little something that gives you an edge, that will make a difference to your training. Recent research suggests that the answer for many of us could be Explosive Lifts (E-Lifts).
For those of you unfamiliar with E-Lifts, they are the explosive movements used in Olympic Lifts such as the Clean & Jerk, or Snatch. They have long been used by professional athletes - indeed, a recent survey revealed that 88% of US professional football coaches use Olympic Lifts in their training programs, and 94% use plyometrics.
Professionals use these explosives types of lifting because they are proven to yield better results in power than traditional power lifting (bench press, squat, dead lift). What has been less clear until recently was how useful these exercises are for the general population.
However, the journal Gerontology has published a report (2005) that demonstrates that even older people respond better to rapid-rate-of-force movements (E-Lifts), and that this type of training can be performed safely even at older ages.
The researchers concluded that "using heavy loads during explosive resistance training may be the most effective strategy to achieve simultaneous improvements in muscle strength, power, and endurance in older adults."
Other research has shown that these same benefits apply to people of all ages. The bottom line? No matter who you are, these exercises are more effective than traditional lifting for building strength, power, and endurance.
