Plyometrics

[jpmuscle]

I have a personal rule....no lifting weights above the waist while standing....I love doing power jerk, clean and squats with an Olympic bar over my shoulders. BUT, if I hurt my back even the slightest, I'm out my job... I still do deadlift, but very carefully and only weight that I know I can do 8 reps or more.

No curls? Lol

[Ovrmydeadbdy]

I've never considered curls an Olympic lift... But yes, tons of curls!!

[Kyohte]

You're only allowed to do curls in the squat rack.

[brickboy240]

No weights above the waist while standing?

That would cut out my standing dumb bell double rows.

Do kettle bell swings count as pylometrics? I love doing those...they will make you a big sweaty mess in a hurry! LOL

[dth4lf]

You're only allowed to do curls in the squat rack.

Yes.

You get extra douchebag points if it's the only squat rack your gym has.

[Kyohte]

Yes. I was using sarcasm, too.

Kettlebell swings. I remember when those became really popular. My problem with them is 1) most people do them very poorly, and 2) my gym only goes up to 50 lb bells.

My advice for the OP is once you have a good strength base (see novice ExRx standards) begin training in olympic lifts. Take it slow and learn the form. This is where it's at for developing and displaying power. Powerlifting excersizes get you strength (squat, deadlift, press), weightlifting turns it into power (snatch & clean and jerk).

I am only suggesting olympic lifts because they are essentially plyometrics for weight training.

[Benito]

I have a personal rule....no lifting weights above the waist while standing....I love doing power jerk, clean and squats with an Olympic bar over my shoulders. BUT, if I hurt my back even the slightest, I'm out my job... I still do deadlift, but very carefully and only weight that I know I can do 8 reps or more.

I see where you are coming from, but standing overhead lifting with a bar is a lot different than with dumbells, sandbags, etc.
In my experience, it's a lot less taxing and risky to do it with non-bar weights, and you get similar benefits, if not even more so, due to the unilateral nature of the exercises.
If an overhead bar lift goes bad, it's trickier to dump the bar safely and get out of the way than with a dumbell or sandbag.

[Ovrmydeadbdy]

I see where you are coming from, but standing overhead lifting with a bar is a lot different than with dumbells, sandbags, etc.
In my experience, it's a lot less taxing and risky to do it with non-bar weights, and you get similar benefits, if not even more so, due to the unilateral nature of the exercises.
If an overhead bar lift goes bad, it's trickier to dump the bar safely and get out of the way than with a dumbell or sandbag.

Agreed!
Don't let me talk anyone out of doing the Olympic lifts. if I wasn't the sole bread earner in my family, I would still be doing them! Just make form your top priority.

[Benito]

Agreed!
Don't let me talk anyone out of doing the Olympic lifts. if I wasn't the sole bread earner in my family, I would still be doing them! Just make form your top priority.

I am in a similar situation. When I was younger, more limber, quicker to heal, and with less responsibility. I did overhead barbell lifting almost every workout.
Now, I do it very seldom, apart from strict standing presses.
But things like dumbbell snatches, I do frequently with far less concern for putting myself out of commission.