BWLA

THE ORIGINS OF WEIGHTLIFTING

In the earliest days of mankind, strength, speed and agility were essential to stay alive. Soon these skills were used in contests against other members of the same group or tribe, and sport was born.

 

 

Some sports have become so complex that their origins can hardly be identified, while others – particularly many of the team games – have been invented within the past century. However, along with running, throwing and wrestling, the pedigree of modern weightlifting can easily be traced back for thousands of years, to long before the days of the ancient Greek Olympics.

Strength has always been regarded with great respect, and in many countries there are legends about the prowess of local strong men. The objects that were lifted were often great stones, and some of these, such as the Dinney Stones in Scotland and the Christofof stone of Munich, exist to this day.

In the nineteenth century interest grew in weightlifting as a spectacle. Strong-man acts became very popular in circuses and music halls, even though the claims made by the showmen were often false.

Weightlifting featured in the first modern Olympic Games at Athens in 1896. This was the first major international weightlifting contest, and Launceston Elliott of Great Britain and Viggo Jensen of Denmark won gold medals for the one handed and two handed lifts respectively.

Although there are still many different lifts used in national competitions, those in international events, such as the Olympics, have been steadily reduced over the years. By the late 1920s the one-handed lifts were abandoned, and in 1972 the number of internationally recognised lifts was finally reduced to the two handed snatch and the two handed clean and jerk.

The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) was formed in 1905, to control the sport by setting down rules of performance, and verify world records. Many countries have weightlifting federations affiliated to the IWF, and weightlifting is now a truly international sport which is practised throughout the world under the same rules.


THE CHALLENGE OF WEIGHTLIFTING

As a beginner in the sport, you will soon find yourself involved in a whole spectrum of training and competition activities. Provided you are really dedicated to training, you will soon be:
•    developing great strength
•    developing great speed
•    learning the application of special techniques
•    using a full range of mobility
•    acquiring a positive psychological approach

When you become a skilled lifter, you become a complete power athlete. Your sport may eventually lead you to the World Championships and Olympic Games. At these great festivals which bring together some of the strongest and fastest men and women in the world, weightlifters demonstrate supreme levels of fitness, speed and strength.

A SPORT FOR ALL

Lifters come in all sizes, from very small to very large, and both sexes. Fairness is ensued by dividing competitors into bodyweight classes according to age and sex; details of these are:


EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING

Clothing:
For general training you can use any comfortable sportswear such as T-shirt and shorts.

When you start to take part in competitions you will need a lifting leotard. This is a special one-piece weightlifting costume which leaves your arms and legs uncovered and free. You are permitted to wear an additional vest or T-shirt under the leotard, but it must have short sleeves which come no more than half way down the upper arms.

In competitive lifting, your clothing is subject to the rules of the competition and may be inspected by the officials. It is your responsibility to ensure that your clothing complies with the rules.

You will also need a warm, loose-fitting tracksuit which allows a full range of movement. Wear I while you are warming up, training and cooling down afterwards; and also at competitions, to keep you warm between lift attempts and exercises, even if the day is warm.

Lifting belts:
Most lifters find that a broad leather or canvas belt gives extra support and stability. To comply with competition rules it must not be wider than 10 cms.

Footwear:    
Right from the start of your lifting career you need very sound weightlifting boots or shoes. Look for plenty of support around the insteps, and flat stable heels. The heels can be of any height you find comfortable, but must not extend out sideways, or be tapered (wedge-shaped). The top or the upper part of the boot must not be more than 130 mm above the top of the sole.

Although special weightlifting shoes can be rather expensive, you will find that they are a good investment. They are a great aid to balance and consequently to the mastery of technique. The shoes should fit closely without pinching; when you are buying them, wear the socks you will be using for your sport and try on a few pairs until you find a perfect fit.

If you look after your shoes and keep them clean, they will last you for many seasons.

Straps:
During practice sessions many lifters use fabric straps to help them keep grip on the bar. Such aids are not permitted during competition, although you are allowed to dust your hands with chalk. Note also the stout lifting shoes with support straps around the insteps.

WEIGHTLIFTING EQUIPMENT

Weightlifting equipment is expensive and not easily portable, so most lifters use club equipment in preference to owning their own. The basic equipment consists of a straight barbell, to the ends of which wheel like weights can easily be fixed. Suitable racks and supports are needed to hold the equipment. Because very heavy weights are involved, everything must be of high quality and properly maintained.

Weights can damage normal flooring: it is usual to practise on a reinforced wooden floor, which is often covered in thick rubber. In most clubs this will be four metres square – the size of the lifting area used in competition.

Barbell:
The high tensile steel barbell is 2200 mm (approximately 7 ft) long and weighs 20 kg for men’s bar and 15 kg for women’s bar without any discs on it. The centre part is sleeved, so that the whole bar can rotate even when gripped. The weights are held in place by two retaining collars, each which weighs 2.5 kg.

Weights:
The discs are supplied in the following weights, which are clearly marked on them, and are colour-coded:

These weights are all discs 450 mm in diameter, but of different thicknesses:


Racks and supports:
The club will have a selection of racks and supports for the weights and bars. These must always be maintained in a safe condition. It is particularly important that the support stands are easily adjustable: you will use these when performing exercises which start with the bar at chest height.

TRAINING LOG BOOK

You will need a training book to record all your work-outs and training plans. Do get into the habit of keeping this up to date, as it is an essential record of your progress. By referring back to it, you will be able to see whether your training programme is effective and to spot in good time if things are not going as planned.

Often coaches will make valuable comments in your book, so look after it and take it with you to all your training sessions.

MAKING A START

Join A Club:
Although some famous lifters have trained at home in their own garages, the best way for someone new to the sport to take up weightlifting is to join a good club. Here you will be able to use all then necessary equipment, and you will have the services of a skilled coach to guide your training. The comradeship of other lifters will be a bonus.

If there is a choice in your area, make sure that the club you choose has a good training scheme with qualified coaches, and is affiliated to your national governing body. In Britain this is the British Weight Lifters’ Association.

If you have any difficulty in contacting a club, you may find that your local library can help. Alternatively, you can write to your national governing body or sports association.

Schools:
Many schools teach weightlifting as part of the physical education programme. In Britain this is so popular that the BWLA National Schools Championships is held on a two platform event. Another development is the annual Strongest Schoolchild Competition in which the competitors tackle only the clean and jerk. Many young lifers have started successful careers in the sport through taking part in this event.

Sports Centres:
Most sports centres deal mainly with machine weight training (multigyms) and fitness training, but some have a competitive weightlifting section. Sports centres are a common way of finding out whether you have a taste for lifting weights, but unless you join a club you may develop bad lifting habits that can be hard to cure later.

THE LIFTS

In this section, we will deal with the two lifts which are used in modern international competitive weightlifting. In your club you will find many other lifts being used, and your coach will probably teach you some of these to use as exercises during your training.

The snatch:
The rules for the snatch require the bar to be taken in one movement from the floor to above your head with your arms locked. As the bar is lifted above your head, you may lower your body under the bar by squatting or splitting. However, if you “catch” the bar on bent arms and then press it upwards to lock them, you will be disqualified.

The clean & jerk:
The clean & jerk is a two stage lift in which the bar is raised to the top of the chest – the clean phase – and then raised above the head – the jerk.

The clean:
To perform the clean correctly, you must lift the bar from the platform and onto the top of your chest in one movement. You may squat or split under the bar to facilitate this action, but your elbows must not touch your knees at any time. Take care to keep your elbows high throughout this phase, as this is a common cause of disqualification. Before going on to the jerk, you may stand upright and adjust the bar on your chest.

The jerk:
Having “cleaned” the bar to your chest, you now jerk it above your head by dipping your body and driving the bar upward. You are allowed to split to lower your body under the bar so that your can “catch” it on locked arms. You must then finish the lift by getting your feet back in line while the bar is still above your head.

At the end of both lifts – the snatch and the clean & jerk – you must remain motionless until the referee signals you to replace the bar on the platform. You can then lower the bar in a controlled manner.