weightlifting

Hell, even the words themselves are eerily similar. When, in fact, the two couldn’t be more different. The strength culture that is booming right now needs a little time to sort out some basic ... Continue Reading

The front squat is an exercise that's absolutely vital for weight lifters, not only because of the necessity to come out of the squat clean but also because it works different muscle groups differently ... Continue Reading

A common issue encountered in training female weightlifters is that of body image, and more specifically, bodyweight. In our modern, mass-media controlled culture, both males and females are bombarded from ... Continue Reading

I am a weightlifting coach and competitive athlete, but my introduction to weightlifting was by chance. I experimented with the sport out of a desire to try something new. I am a weightlifting ... Continue Reading

Flexibility is the great bugbear for many weightlifters. Almost all recruits have to do remedial flexibility work when they start training in order to get the most out of themselves. Most trainees need ... Continue Reading

This is a tale of an ordinary athlete doing things that would have been considered extraordinary a few decades ago. This is not about breaking personal records or competing. It's about acknowledging that ... Continue Reading

It’s not uncommon to view exercise protocols through the same lens we view the persistent march forward of technology. Yesterday’s groundbreaking event is today’s antique. What must be kept in mind, ... Continue Reading

As a weightlifting coach, I’m frequently asked about online coaching. But I don’t know of any well-established coaches who are interested in coaching this way, and in fact, I’m not sure what the term ... Continue Reading

As I write this, I have just returned from another Canadian Senior Weightlifting Championship. While I was there, I spoke with a former training partner who is now perhaps the world’s foremost ... Continue Reading

For Christmas 1961, I talked my parents into buying me a 110-pound barbell and dumbbell set from Sears Roebuck. After having been the smallest kid in school for several years, I could hardly wait to get my ... Continue Reading

A few weeks back I wrote an article that rhetorically asked if a lifter should employ the power style of jerk. It was directed mainly at Olympic weightlifters and generally recommended against the power ... Continue Reading

As any keen reader of Breaking Muscle’s Olympic weightlifting articles has probably figured out by now, I am greatly interested in questions concerning weightlifting anthropometry, namely the ideal height ... Continue Reading

I find it rather common that some weightlifters feel the need to consistently exercise with weights of higher and higher intensity. While there is some correlation between heavier training weights and ... Continue Reading

When lifters gather around water coolers, in locker rooms, at bars, or wherever they have an opportunity to sit down and discuss the myriad aspects of their sport, they tend to speculate about the ... Continue Reading

Note: Charles is here on a weekly basis to help you cut through the B.S. and get to the bottom of the biggest questions in health and training. Post your questions via social media or in the comments ... Continue Reading

When it comes to weightlifting coaches, they don't come better than our three panelists for this podcast - Bob Takano, Greg Everett, and Ursula Garza Papandrea. When it comes to weightlifting ... Continue Reading

Note: This week we’re launching my Question & Answer With Charles Staley column. If you have a question for me, post it in the comments and I’ll add it to my list. Question #1: Loosening Tight ... Continue Reading

In the sport of kings, the ultimate prize for a horse, jockey, trainer, or owner is the Triple Crown, composed of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Many horses win the first ... Continue Reading

As any weightlifter will tell you, Olympic weightlifting is a lifetime skill. Mastery of these lifts involves careful consideration of skill development, willpower, technique, programming, and recovery. ... Continue Reading

Weightlifting, powerlifting, and the combat sports are characterized by the fact they give opportunity to athletes of all sizes. In these sports, it is standard practice to cut weight from a bodyweight ... Continue Reading

The bent press was practiced by many old-time strongmen who did not have access to the equipment we have today. It is seldom seen in modern settings, but it is an incredible tool to lift heavy weight ... Continue Reading

Over the last few decades, there has been a trend to begin the training of children at ever-younger ages. This was pointed out most dramatically in 1982 when a fifteen-year-old Naum Suleymanoglu set not ... Continue Reading