Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Olympic Weightlifting

It always makes me sad when I show how much progress one of our athletes has made in the snatch or clean & jerk and the viewer of the video winces or looks away and says "It hurts my shoulders just looking at this". If you're a weightlifter, I'm sure you've had this experience at some point. While I don't think that Olympic Weightlifting is for everyone, I truly believe it could be for a lot more people if we can educate those who are unfamiliar with the sport that a lifter does not start on Day 1 by learning a full snatch. Weightlifting, like any other sport, is about proper progression.

I've used this analogy before but it would be ludicrous to have a football player's first experience tackling an opponent be in a full pads, full contact drill. It simply wouldn't be safe. This is the same thing with a snatch or clean & jerk. First, the coach makes sure the trainee can safey achieve an overhead snatch grip or front rack or press before we have them start a learning progression for any of the classic lifts. Olympic lifting is far safer than many other sports if it is coached correctly.

Learning the olympic lifts should be done incrementally at a pace that is right for the athlete, not simply according to the timeline that the coach wants or that their teaching progression dictates. Additionally, I think it is crucial that coaches take care to desensitize the athlete to the humbling experience of being a beginner. In other words, make it abundantly clear that EVERYONE starts out feeling silly trying to learn the lifts and that it is utterly normal.

Getting back to the title of this article, entering weightlifting would be less fearfull for newcomers if they understand that they will "start where they are" and progress safely and appropriately. The part that we as coaches don't have much control over is that being a beginner at anything is tough on the ego. That said, process driven athletes who like to be coached tend to fall in love with this sport. It gives meaning to our physical training regimen, a community with a shared interest, and an opportunity to challenge ourselves. For those interested, it even can even provide us the most primal of human experiences, the chance to compete.

Athletes who are thinking of trying weightlifting, find a good coach, be open to being a beginner, and be willing to learn new things. On the other side of that fear there could be something life changing.

Best of luck with your training today!

With Thanks,