I’ve heard that O lifter are faster than 100m sprinters for the first 25 meters.
So those people who never trained for sprinting are actually quite good at doing it.
So let’s say we take a already fast O lifter and make him learn the right technique. By how many seconds could he improve his 100m, considering he has an incredible potential due to his strength?
And after maibe 6 months of sprint training?
O lifters are faster than “what” sprinters for the first 25 meters. I doubt any Oli lifter is faster than the top 25 sprinters in America over the first 25 meters. I think your question is very vague and way too hypothetical. Oli lifters may have impressive explosion for not sprinting ever but when was this survey taken, or where did you get the information from. I doubt enough oli lifters have ever even taken a 25 meter start and compared it to that of an elite sprinter to even make those assumptions. Besides, didn’t we already prove this theory wrong in Levrone v. Chaimbers?
Levrone is a bodybuilder not a world class olympic weight lifter they do not train the same way.
Alexy Alexeyev purportedly run 11 secs for 100m with 100kg + bodyweight. There must be some truth in this because to train your first 20-30m you need to concentrate on max strength in squats and cleans.
Some throwers in T&F can much world class athletes over 25m so why not olympic weightlifters?
I heard that, too, but I believe it’s BS! A world class spinter arrives at 25m at about 3.40 sec. I would bet a lot of money that there is no weightlifter, powerlifter or any lifter in the world to run even a 3.5 25m FAT under regular cicumstances.
These rumors might start when one of these guys is hand-timed somewhere under questionable circumstances maybe for a 3.40 which might convert into a 4.0 FAT - and my 11 year old son would be even faster than that.
Put a lifter in the blocks beside Mo, Tim, even Marion whoever - the lifter will be at least 2-3m behind at the 25m mark which might look close (compared to being 15 meters behind at the 60m mark), but it’s the world or in other words: the difference between a sprinter an the “others”.
Sprinting is all about technique - you just can’t sprint the perfect technique without certain physical qualities (power, strenght,…).
I have seen shot putters olympic weight lifters from a standing start match men running 10.30 secs for 100m. It is plausible and very possible. After the first 30m they are left for dust. Out of blocks ( a skill they do not practice) they would be at a disadvantage. It is not BS its possible. It also depends on the body weight of the thrower/ O L weight lifter
I can’t remember the details off the top of my head but I believe what you are referring to was a study conducted at the 1964 (or maybe it was 1968) Olympics that showed that on average the Olympic lifters could run short sprints (40yrd I believe) faster and vertical jump higher than both the sprinters and the high jumpers. This study supposedly showed that strength training was very important to speed and explosiveness and basically paved the way for the relationship between athletics and Olympic lifting that continues to this day.
Remember at this time most athletes still did not strength train and a prerequisite for world class Olympic weightlifting is a high percentage of fast twitch muscle fibres and the natural ability to produce large amounts of force in a short period of time.
Although these qualities are very important to spiriting and jumping so are other genetic factors such as lever length (arm or let length) and muscle attachment positions (where muscles are attached to the skeleton). The ultimate human genetic makeup for very short sprints is very different for longer sprints – hence why not all 60m world champs are also 100m or 200m world record holders and why people who are great indoors (where the bends are tighter) are not always so good outdoors. The same goes for Olympic lifters. The body needed to be great at Olympic lifting is not the same as that required for sprinting so even with technique work top Olympic lifters still probably wouldn’t cut it as world class sprinters – if they could then they would all be trying to catch Mo at Athens.
Today every sprinter strength trains so I would not expect to see the same results if the study was repeated.
When looking at anything to do with human performance always be careful not to confuse cause with effect. Does dribbling a basketball make you tall? So why are most basketball players taller than the average person? It’s because being tall is a prerequisite for being exceptional at basketball. The same goes for every other sport – sprinting and Olympic weightligting included. Olympic weightlifting will help make you stronger and strength is important for speed but being good at Olympic weightlifting does not make you a good sprinter
As for how much of a factor is strength in speed production the answer is of course very important but not ultimately important. If you look at the breakdown of my times (Experiement: How good can you get? - http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=5919) you will notice that I improved by almost 2.5s in the 100m simply through 9 months of strength training but then just by learning to lift my knees I took off another 0.94s in just 4 weeks.
Once I have finished my experiment in 4months time I’ll let you know my best guess in terms of strength vs technique vs training!
how can an OL be as fast as an olympic sprinter?? absolute BS! they can’t match OS from the gun.the movements are different and any OL will lie ina heap if he tries to even attempt to keep up with a OS.they maybe explosive but in different movements. why not post a vid clip of this happening would love to see it.
Some things are worth arguing about and backing up this one is not. The point is we are talking about two types of athletes. Of course a world class 100m sprinter would destroy a world class OL lifter out of the blocks with a gun start. The fairest way that it is done is by a standing start. This equalises things.
I am not going to back up with vids because it was not filmed, you can believe it or not. At the end of the day it will not change anything because it won’t help you to run faster, all it suggests it that the acceleration is aided by maximal explosive strength development, whilst elastic components take over after the first 30m. Its not bull shit.
The 65-80kg OL world class weight lifters would match world class 30m sprint times, definitely.
Exactly! I’d like to see that. Put a Lifter beside a world class sprinter - make him start out of a standing position, if you like - I simply do not believe there is a lifter who runs 25m faster than 3.4s FAT. No way. If there is I’d like to see the video or get the reliable FAT data!
Could, would does not count. A world class sprinter runs 25m in 3.4s. If somebody is faster it has to be proven.
Yes sprinters do weigths but the world of weight lifting has moved on also, the creatures that graced the platform in that study are below par to the equivalents of today. You are talking about men lifting in clean and jerk 2.3-3x bodyweight today. Acceleration has a significant principle component that relates to max strength fact they will match world class sprinters if they bothered to sprint train. But remember speed endurance is a form of endurance. Strength and endurance are opposites never the twain shall meet. That is why it is very hard to develop max strength qualities with speed endurance at the same time. This is why OL world class lifters would match 30m times but would suffer after 30m. Also max strength requires high levels of muscle tension. OL lifters would risk tearing a muscle or loose gains in ther event. These guys are beyond good they are world class, and when it comes to clean and jerking 2.5-3x bodyweight it will count.
Yes sprinters do weigths but the world of weight lifting has moved on also, the creatures that graced the platform in that study are below par to the equivalents of today. You are talking about men lifting in clean and jerk 2.3-3x bodyweight today. Acceleration has a significant principle component that relates to max strength fact they will match world class sprinters if they bothered to sprint train. But remember speed endurance is a form of endurance. Strength and endurance are opposites never the twain shall meet. That is why it is very hard to develop max strength qualities with speed endurance at the same time. This is why OL world class lifters would match 30m times but would suffer after 30m. Also max strength requires high levels of muscle tension. OL lifters would risk tearing a muscle or loose gains in ther event. These guys are beyond good they are world class, and when it comes to clean and jerking 2.5-3x bodyweight it will count.
i would take on any OL or SP over 30m and i’d bet my car that i’d whip him.standing start or 3pointer or whatever.i’m not boasting just proving a point that its BS.OL are very very explosive athletes but are designed to be explosive while pulling a weight from a static position.sprinting is not just about blasting,it has a mechanical aspect just as any sport has.
martn i just don’t agree and have never seen it happen.if you can post something and would again love to see it.i know alot of pro golfers…they have a similar movement to baseball players in the swing pattern but just different planes.in reality they should be capable of developing into a great BB player but won’t.just because techniques in training are similar dosen’t mean a thing verses other sports!
If there are SP or OL who can match the speed of a world class sprinter at 30m, teach him to block and pull and make him a guard in the nfl, or teach him to carry a ball, give him lateral speed and make him a full back or even a half back. Sounds very pathetic and hypothetical, but this is what you are saying, with no proof, how is this even an argument. I think the only comparison we can make is in football where guys of different sizes and weights have lined up next to each other, I have never heard of the fastest lineman being close to the fastest receiver.
If you want to say OL can match times at 30m with 11.0 sprinters, fine, a much better argument, but you are going to tell me that if you put him next to Mo and take a picture at 30m he will be right next to him, I say no way.
Did you see the Home Depot meet, other WC sprinters were left behind Mo at 30m. Here is what we are missing, if you are right about this, what would happen if we made Mo an OL… 9.3 100m? I think this is worth proving because in a way I think some WC sprinters would be offended by even the mention of this. Here they are working on block clearance, technique, and reaction, when all the while some OL isn’t even seeing the track and is matching speed with them at 30m.
Well it will never be proven so we will agree to disagree until a world class athlete takes on a world class olympic weight lifter. Until then this BS as you call it stands and has not been disproven, it is very possible. I did not say that it follows the other way around that MO or any sprinter could be world class at OL now that IS BS. I will even dare to suggest that a world class OL lifter in the weight class of 60-80kg can sprint 3.7-5 secs electronic. Track athletes and coaches do not like this because it hurts their pride, it makes them think that they are doing something wrong. Do not argue so much against it, it is very very possible.
Remember match a world class sprinter for speed/time over 30m. Very possible.
Bwahahaha. 
Will someone just post the Mexico City study already?
Perhaps you are right, I don’t know what the optimum anthropometrics (body dimensions) are for the 25m sprint (apparently it was 25m), also I don’t know when relaxation and technique kick in but it probably isn’t till at least 30m. Also I don’t know how stride length varies at the start of races and hence how much OL (who usually have shorter levers) would give up in terms of distance.
By the way, this study was done in 1968 by Michael Yessis. If anyone has a copy please let me know.
If you could snatch, clean and squat an insane amount of weight do you think you would be more explosive out of the blocks?
An other question would be: how fast over 25m could be an elite sprinter training like an O lifter during several month?
I don’t pay those stories about lifters, bodybuilders, NFLers, Shot Putters beeing faster than sprinters. Legends…
Yes lets all laugh, hahahahahahahaha!!!