Here at Outlier we have a class called “Barbell Proficiency.” On Saturday mornings we spend an hour and half learning how to either clean, jerk or snatch a little bit better than you did before you came into the class. We usually post ahead of time what movement we will be focusing on to make it even better. So why do we have this class and why should you be attending on a regular basis?!

In case you didn’t realize or have forgot, weightlifting is an olympic sport. Meaning that most people aren’t that good at olympic sports unless they spend lots of time learning the details. So regular focused practice is probably a good idea.

First off the class is great because we have so much time to spend on warming up specifically for the movement we are doing. In normal classes we typically have several movements to prep for only a limited amount of time. Typically we can fit several warm up drills to prep the body for these movements. Guess what, those drills you learn in the barbell class can be done before or after others classes on your own time! Meaning you get more knowledge to help you in the rest of the week. Typically after we get warmed up we do two to three different accessory drills that help build awareness of a particular aspect of the lift. After we have spent about 40 minutes reviewing the focus for the day we have a max out session, where we get to go heavy and see how much of what we did was able to sink in. It is pretty common for people to hit new personal records or get very close to weights they haven’t hit in a while. Barbell work is something that needs to be practiced and should be overseen by a trained eye in order to see improvement. Very few people have to ability to self coach and correct. So a slower paced class allows for more cues and more eyes on you.

So why is it a good idea to practice the lifts and get better at barbell work and increase your understanding and up your numbers?

Because we have barbell work almost every day here at Outlier! And complex bar work translates to better gymnastic movements. Because they all have similar principles.

One of the foundational principles of weightlifting is taking energy developed by the body and directing it through the arms and moving a heavy barbell. This isn’t much different than bar muscle ups or kipping handstand push ups. Better understand how to move the power created by your core and direct to an outside object, whether it be a barbell or a pull up bar is key to athletic development and increased fitness. While we are talking about increased fitness… imagine how much more you get out of an rx’d Grace time that is sub 5 minutes or an rx’d fran with rx’d weight versus a scaled workout in the same time. A scaled 5 minute grace just doesn’t feel the same as the full 135 or 95. Being able to move better will not only get you stronger but allow you to move faster with less effort. Like I said just a little bit ago, we have barbell movements in our daily workouts a lot. We also have dumbbells and kettlebells too, but moving a barbell for high reps creates a response from the body that isn’t like much else.

So whether you are new or a veteran. Feel that you are great at the lifts or that you are terrible. The Barbell Skillz class (as I like to call it) should be on your schedule on a regular basis. Take the time to improve and get better at something that translates to everything else!  

Coach P