Top athletes all over the world perform Olympic lifts to improve power and explosive strength/speed and their trainers teach them correct form and technique.
Recently, a video of Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli went viral on social media. Virat was in the gym performing an Olympic barbell snatch albeit with weights that would be more suitable to a pre-pubescent girl and not the athletic symbol of the sport in India! The form was embarrassingly poor but the video escaped scathing criticism from the strength and conditioning community because most of its Indian members are anyway part of this idol worship culture involving cricketers.
Some even raved about the video and others opined that since Virat was not a weightlifter, he was not expected to have perfect form. Point noted, but not agreed upon. Top athletes all over the world perform Olympic lifts to improve power and explosive strength/speed and their trainers teach them correct form and technique.
Virat is a tremendous athlete and should be lauded for trying to attempt lifts. He takes pride in his physique, much like a Cristiano Ronaldo, which extends beyond the need of his sport. Virat needs to be taught to master the lifts. It is extremely heartening that today’s cricketers are even attempting to master lifts of a technical nature. Until a few years ago, the cricket team had a foreign strength coach who would teach them ‘look good bare bodied’ exercises typically performed in spas and lifestyle health centres!
Here is what you need to work on Virat, to become a better lifter:
1. IMPROVE YOUR SQUATS
This story is from the February 20, 2016 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the February 20, 2016 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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