Introduction to Olympic Lifting

or, Good Things to Know Before You Start

As a worldwide sport, Olympic weightlifting is pretty big. In the United States and the UK, it's rather small. That means a lot of people don't know about Olympic Lifting. They have never heard about it, except, maybe, that it has something to do with power cleans. Olympic lifting is a little difficult to learn, and that turns off potential lifters. Time has to be spent learning the lifts with the empty bar. A lot of folks like powerlifting. It is easier to learn, however, it is just as hard to be a record holding champion in either sport. I have tried both, and, personally, I like holding the bar overhead in a "victory" position, waiting for the referee's down signal; the cameras are flashing; life is great! Olympic weightlifters compete on two lifts: the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk. In the snatch, the lifter takes a wide grip on the bar (just because that works better than a narrow grip) and lifts the bar from the platform to overhead in one motion. He is allowed to duck under it, or split his feet to the front and rear, but the weight is overhead in one motion. It's a fast lift. In the clean and jerk, the barbell is lifted to the shoulders, and then overhead. The clean and jerk is also a fast lift. but it has two parts, so it takes longer. There are several qualities that an Olympic lifter should have to be successful. The most important, and this is true in any sport, is to have a burning desire to lift and compete. A lifter must be strong. He or she must be quick. They must be flexible. Last of all, they must have proper technique. This last quality, technique, is what makes Olympic lifting so difficult and frustrating for so many people. Learning the proper technique takes a lot of time. Lots of workouts must be done with a broom handle and the empty bar. Having a good coach is best, but it is possible to learn the lifts without one. For a beginner, training three times a week is perfect. After that, some lifters will build up to working 4 or 5 days a week, several times a day! The Olympic lifts don't make you sore or wear you out, or need as much recuperation time as typical bodybuilding routines. Since they are not focusing on muscle growth, the reps are lower. It means you can squat three times a week. Or train the lower back every workout. In other words, a lot of weight can be lifted in a week's time. Don't worry about enormous workout programs. You can go a long way working out the traditional "3 times a week."