New voice for athletes?
Sarah Davies, Lu Xiaojun Named to IWF Athletes Commission
Related Content
- Great mobility isn't developed overnight. Here are five weightlifter-friendly mobility movements to help get you started!
- Weightlifting Equipment Review: Adidas Adipower
Latest In Weightlifting
Browse Goals
What Is Weightlifting?
Weightlifting is a weight-classed strength sport. In competitive weightlifting, there needs to be a focus on balance of strength in the snatch and clean & jerk. An athlete’s platform success is comprised of the two competition lifts and these lifts include the,
- Snatch
- Clean & Jerk
Out of every strength sport, weightlifting tends to be regarded as the most technical and tough to pick up. Whether you’re setting records or brand new to the sport, this page will serve as your all-in-one weightlifting home!
The snatch is the first contested movement at your standard weightlifting meet. In respects to weightlifting, the snatch is arguably the most technical and difficult movement to perform. Athletes need to possess multiple athletic attributes to successfully snatch.
An athlete needs to have a foundation of strength, ample coordination, body awareness, mobility, and power to properly snatch, and those are only tipping the iceberg. It takes years to learn how to successfully snatch, which is why so many athletes get hooked on the sport of weightlifting, or get frustrated and give it up far too quickly!
The snatch can be trained in many ways, and in reality, a great snatch is the summation of many things. Another major benefit of performing the snatch is that multiple athletes can benefit from this exercise. Whether you compete in weightlifting, a different strength sport, or a regular sport — the snatch can be useful tool for developing power, coordination, and strength.
Are you interested in learning all of the benefits of this extremely technical movement? Check out the 13 Undeniable Benefits of the Snatch!
The clean & jerk is the second contested movement at your standard weightlifting meet. The clean & jerk is arguably equally as technical as the snatch and involves two distinct movement phases: The clean and the jerk. What can be most difficult with the clean & jerk is deciding what style works best for you.
In competition, the way a jerk is completed will vary from athlete-to-athlete. Split, squat, and power jerks are the common styles used by weightlifters. No matter which jerk style you prefer, the elbows must be locked out upon completion for it to be deemed a “good lift”.
Whether you are a beginner or veteran to the weightlifting platform, the clean & jerk is an essential movement to improve and hone in on. In many cases, a great clean & jerk can help save a snatch performance that didn’t go as planned.
The clean & jerk can be a useful movement for nearly every athlete. Check out the 10 Undeniable Benefits of the Clean & Jerk!
