What is Olympic Weightlifting?

Olympic weightlifting is the sport of lifting a barbell as seen at the Olympics every 4 years. The sport consists of 2 contested movements, the snatch, and the clean and jerk.

What is a snatch?

The snatch is performed by lifting the bar from the floor to overhead with the arms fully extended in one fluid motion.

What is a clean and jerk?

The clean and jerk is a 2 part lift. In the clean the barbell is lifted from the floor to the shoulders in one fluid motion. The jerk is when the barbell is lifted from the shoulders to overhead with the arms fully extended in one fluid motion.

How does someone win at weightlifting?

The winner of the sport is determined by who lifts the most weight within the confines of the definition of the lifts. Athletes are separated in to weight and age categories to create a level playing field. 3 referees observe the contest and determine if a lift was performed within the boundaries of the rules, and if the majority of the referees agree a lift was good, the athlete receives credit for the lift.

Athletes are given 3 attempts in each style of lift. Whoever lifts the most weight between their best snatch and clean and jerk has the highest total and is determined the winner. At national and international meets, medals are awarded for the best 3 snatches and best 3 clean and jerks independent of the total. At the Olympics, only the total is contested.

How often should i train to get better?

The honest answer is, it depends. Someone who has been lifting weights and playing sports but never done the movements before will see faster progress more easily and someone who is untrained or coming from a sedentary background will see a different level of progress. Beginners tend to see significant progress early on and can train 2-3 times a week and have success, someone who has been training a long time and needs higher levels of stimulation to see results may need to train closer to 5-6 times a week. overall your general level of fitness will dictate how frequently and how hard you should train.

What does a training session look like?

In the first week most workouts are taken day by day to assess general readiness and fitness and make sure things that are being learned are being retained. Workouts are heavily supervised to maintain safety and create a sense of understanding. Once someone shows a full understanding of terminology and how to proficiently move, they will graduate to “club programming”, and fully join the rest of the group.

What is club programming?

Within our club, we apply a blanket level of programming to the group as a whole. Athletes check in with coach daily and we assess readiness for the workload planned for the day and adjustments are made to meet the athlete where they are at. If an athlete needs more strength work, adjustments are made to make sure they get what they need. If they need more skill work, adjustments are made there.

Do you offer remote programming?

We generally do not offer remote programming, however exceptions have been made in the past and depending on circumstances, can be made again.

How often are training sessions?

We meet for 2 hours a day Tuesday - Friday, and Sundays from 10- about noon. There are other options available for access to the facility for training that can be discussed upon request. Most athletes do not need to train more than 10 hours per week. However there are exceptions.

How much does it cost?

To join the weightlifting program it costs $159.00 a month. This gives you access to the facility for training, programming, competition coaching, and help cover the cost to get coach to important national level events you may travel for. There is a different rate available for youth sports programs and if there is interest reach out and we can discuss it.