olympic weightlifting

Those new to the Olympic lifts sometimes are confused about foot positioning in the execution of the snatch and clean. When I started lifting many years ago the squat style of catching the weight was still ... Continue Reading

Last week we talked about the correlation between your quick lifts and your strength lifts. In this week's piece I will continue the discussion centering on Anatoli Chernyak’s 1978 book Methods Of Planning ... Continue Reading

Whether you're an Olympic lifter, a CrossFitter, or any other type of athlete training the Olympic lifts, there are some important rules you need to obey when stepping on the platform: Rule #1: ... Continue Reading

EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to our 12 reps feature. In each appearance of 12 Reps, our coaches, writers, and occasional guests will be answering the same twelve questions each time. Go "into the locker-room" ... Continue Reading

If you’re like a lot of people entering the fitness world now you’re a square peg trying desperately to smash yourself into a round hole. You’re surrounded by seemingly good advice to focus on whole body ... Continue Reading

Some months ago I mentioned in one of my articles that correlation is not the same as causation. I believe I was referring to the ethnic origin of many champion athletes. I now wish to revisit that ... Continue Reading

The sport of weightlifting appeals strongly to the individual sport athlete for a variety of reasons. The most obvious of these is that once you are out on the platform, you are completely on your own. No ... Continue Reading

Every day in the gym you can hear trainees complain about having an unexplained bad day. The weights just seem too heavy and they don't go up like they did even a few days ago. Days like that can be ... Continue Reading

The road to success in Olympic weightlifting is often a complex one to navigate. There are many routes to take, some more direct than others. An experienced lifting coach can help you map out your journey, ... Continue Reading

In my real life I am an accountant. I've been a number cruncher almost as long as I've been a barbell cruncher. It might seem these two activities have little in common. One is cerebral, the other very ... Continue Reading

Last week we looked at the top ten worst training exercises. You know, those ones you see at the gym that make you turn and run for cover. This week we're going to look at the ten exercises you should be ... Continue Reading

We are a point in American weightlifting history where there is a relatively huge market demand for coaching weightlifting technique. Consequently some people are rushing to fill this need and have taken ... Continue Reading

Have you ever noticed that the power clean seems to have about 237 different variations? The power clean, the hang power clean, the high-hang power clean - why all the versions? Today's study from the ... Continue Reading

Weightlifting has long been an outsider among the many sports. We were probably isolationist long before the “America First” movement rose. Soon after taking up the sport a new lifter will find out that he ... Continue Reading

EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Athlete Journal of Olympic weightlifter Holley Mangold. Follow her journey here as she trains for the 2016 Olympics! Holley's journal will be posted every Friday. You can ... Continue Reading

Every weightlifter can point to his greatest day in the sport. Usually this is a big meet where he set records, successfully did six for six lifts, or perhaps broke a major barrier like a 400lb jerk (or ... Continue Reading

2012 was a big year for Olympic weightlifting here at Breaking Muscle. Not only did we add a few new coaches and Olympic weightlifters to our list of contributors - including Bob Takano and Dresdin ... Continue Reading

There has been a long history of a lack of consumer information in the field of coaching engagement, especially in the sport of weightlifting. At one time, not too long ago, nobody in the United States ... Continue Reading

If you want solid Olympic weightlifting information, you've come to the right place. Here are 10 of our best pieces on perfecting your lifts, written by expert athletes and coaches, including Bob Takano, ... Continue Reading

The back squat, or simply the squat, has the greatest carryover value of any exercise to the Olympic lifts, short of the actual lifts themselves. It is simply not possible to develop a weightlifter to his ... Continue Reading

As a 63 year old weight trainee involved in Canadian masters weightlifting, naturally I am interested in why former athletes often end up making a comeback. Some come back not too long after they ... Continue Reading

Retiring from competitive weightlifting is not a subject often covered in the research, magazines, or on websites. Those in the throes of our sport do not like to think about this eventuality. We are ... Continue Reading

When I see lifters competing in a meet, I and other experienced coaches can easily determine the appropriateness of their trainings and the expertise of their coaches. I can see common features of the ... Continue Reading

Photos provided by Miguel Tapia Images and CrossFit LA. In recent years the power clean (PC) and the similar power snatch (PS) have emerged as prime exercises in many athletes' weight programs. Bill ... Continue Reading