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As an organized sport, Olympic Weightlifting has been around for over 100 years. There are two distinct movements contested in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. They are the "Snatch" and the "Clean and Jerk".
The Snatch (illustrated above) is a one-motion lift from the floor to an overhead position, with the lifter catching the barbell in either a split or a squat position. Modern athletes almost unanimously use the squat style; the split style has all but disappeared. In the Snatch the bar travels close to the body and is accelerated by a jump and shrug motion during the second "pull" phase of the lift. The Snatch has been described by some as the fastest movement in Olympic sports. Most coaches regard it as the more difficult of the two Olympic lifts to teach. To date, the most weight lifted in the Snatch was approximately four hundred and seventy-three pounds.
The second event contested in Olympic Style Weightlifting is the Clean and Jerk (illustrated above). As its name would suggest, the Clean and Jerk is a two-part lift. The first part of the movement, the Clean, is from the floor to the shoulders. The barbell is accelerated to the shoulders by a jump-and-shrug motion, where it is received either by splitting or by squatting under it. The athlete then Jerks the bar overhead with an explosive drive of the legs and hips. After this overhead acceleration the competitor rapidly positions him- or herself under the bar, again receiving it in either a split or squat position. This lift has been called the "king of lifts" --- and for some very good reasons. Most athletes can Clean and Jerk considerably more weight than they can Snatch. World and Olympic titles are more often won with a high Clean and Jerk than with a high Snatch. The most weight lifted in the Clean and Jerk was approximately five hundred and eighty-six pounds.
When properly executed both lifts require and in fact enhance speed, flexibility, timing, balance, strength and power. Powerlifting, body building and the use of machines have much less potential with regard to the high level enhancement of these important athletic qualities. Many of the nation's top athletic teams are now using these lifts as a prime method for preparing their athletes. The lack of well-educated coaches continues to be one of the main reasons that these lifts are not being used by a larger number of people. A great deal of study is needed to fully understand the complexities of learning and teaching these all-important lifts. Unfortunately there is generally more interest in cosmetic results than in the practical power and strength benefits gained through using the olympic lifts.
A great deal of what we know about technique, bio-mechanics and high-level training is based on Russian and eastern European research. In the European countries weightlifting coaches are required to have a lengthy formal education in the discipline. It's hard to argue with the success of competitors from the top European countries, therefore much of the training at the Power Sports Athletic Center is a reflection of what we've learned from the Europeans.
In the sport of Olympic Weightlifting no one has to ride the bench, and individuals can participate with varying levels of intensity throughout their lives. With age and weight classifications, it would be hard to find a sport that would be more fair to the participants.