Weightlifting: Then and now

Weightlifting is a test of pure strength – the oldest and most basic form of physical competition.

Early ‘strongman’ contests developed into the modern sport of Weightlifting during the 19th century.

Today, the world’s strongest men and women regularly lift more than three times their body weight. They need to combine power, speed, technique, concentration and timing.

How to play – and win

The aim of Weightlifting is simple – to lift more weight than anyone else. Competitors perform two types of lift – the ‘Snatch’ and the ‘Clean and Jerk’.

In the snatch, the bar is lifted from the floor to above the head using one smooth movement.

The ‘Clean and Jerk’ is a two-stage action – the bar is brought up to the shoulders before being ‘jerked’ over the head using arm and leg strength.

In each case, it must be held at arm’s length above the head for at least two seconds. Lifters are allowed three attempts at every weight.

Weightlifting at the Games

One and two-arm lifting contests formed part of the Athletics programme at the first modern Olympic Games at Athens 1896. Weightlifting was introduced as an individual sport at Paris 1924, and has featured at every Games since. The first women’s events were held at Sydney 2000.

Facts about Weightlifting

• Weightlifting is a global sport – competitors from more than 30 countries have won medals at the Olympic Games.
•  The first Weightlifting World Championships were held in London in 1891.
• The ‘Press’ lift, in which the bar is lifted from the chest, was used in Olympic Games competition until 1972.
• Competitors’ bodyweights are used to break ties, with the lighter lifter winning out.
• Weightlifters put chalk on their hands to help them grip the bar.

Jargon buster

• Press out: An illegal move where the Lifter bends the arms while holding the bar overhead, then presses them out to make them straight.
• No lift: A lift that is judged to be illegal.
• Squat: To drop while bending the legs with the feet to either side.
• Hooking: A technique used to hold the bar, where the thumbs are placed around the bar and underneath the index and second fingers.

Get involved

It’s very important to get proper instruction, so contact the British Amateur Weightlifting Association to find out where you can learn (see 'related websites').