What are the best books to read about Olympic Weightlifting?

Olympic weightlifting involves the snatch and clean & jerk, exercises which involve. Jim Schmitz coached Team USA in the 1980, 1988, and 1992 Olympics.

It depends on whether you are a lifter or a coach, and whether you are new or experienced. It might be that you are just interested to learn about the sport. You might be looking for technical information, or for a programme to follow.Here are 6 books I have recently read and used to some degree, it might help you choose.

Skilful Weightlifting: John Lear. Paperback £7.95

I got this book from my coach Keith Morgan back in 2002 and I still refer to it now. The book starts off with a brief summary of the rules, what kit might be needed and then a section on biomechanics.

It has very clear instructions on how to perform the lifts, with cues for each part of them. It gives advice for coaches on how to manage beginner lifters and what are the key areas to look out for.

There are clear diagrams and pictures throughout, which I find useful to show to my lifters (who are amused by the old school outfits). After the technical section, there is information on assistance exercises and how to fit them into your programme.

There is a section on programmes for 16-18 year olds, more advanced lifters and also a 5 day a week programme for those who are unable to lift twice a day! This is clear information, set out in loads and sometimes %s. I would say that the youth programme lacks variation, which may be necessary to keep them interested and also to expose them to different aspects of the lifting.

I used Assimil German Without Toil to learn German with absolutely no previous knowledge of the language. In a couple of months I was holding simple conversations with German friends and in six months I was speaking well. I made mistakes and I had to rephrase things I wanted to say so I could be understood but I was able to ask for explanations.

However, this is a very good book, easy to read, contains enough relevant information, a great place to start.

Olympic Style Weightlifting for the Beginner and Intermediate Weightlifter: Jim Schmitz paperback $16:95

This is basically a set of programmes for 1 year of training for those new to weightlifting, or returning from a lay off. The book’s strengths are its description of the assistance exercises and how the programme is laid out.

It is designed around a 3 days a week programme, with each week being on one A4 page which is easy to follow in practice. This does mean that some of the sessions are quite long: over 90 minutes, so be prepared to spend some longer sessions in the gym.

It starts off with very simple programmes for the first 8 weeks, then progresses to the more varied programme which introduces different assistant exercises as well as increasing the load. In total there are 66 different exercises used.

The technical information is limited to a few paragraphs on the major lifts and the quality of the photos is poor. The layout of the book is functional to put it nicely, but is basically photocopied sheets bound together.

This book is best for those who have an existing technical understanding of the lifts, but want some idea of how to plan their year. It does that well.

The Weightlifting Book; Tamas Feher pdf £29.95

This is a very technical book and covers more than just weightlifting. It looks at the overall coaching process as well as talent identification for WL. The book starts with a detailed information on training methods, anatomy and physiology and then training processes.

It then moves to an in depth analysis of the major lifts and their variations. This includes foot positions, hip and back angles and descriptions of how the different muscles are working at each phase. The accompanying pictures are clear, but very small.

The next section is about strength development, followed by planning of loads and intensity, then overtraining and how to avoid it. These are well written and in depth. The sections on technical coaching for beginners, coaching philosophy and implementation are excellent.

The training planning and training programmes are more difficult to read. Feher is Hungarian, and they use a system where numbers replace the names of the exercises. This results in the programme looking like this:

In a normal book, it might be ok to flick backwards and forwards to see what you are doing, but in a pdf it is just too laborious. The pdf format is the downfall of this book: I avoid screen time when not working, and carrying my laptop around in the gym is precarious. The other books I can just pull off a shelf and put in my bag, or keep them in the gym for reference. This one is strictly reference only.

There is a dedicated section on coaching females, and another one on the role of the coach. Both of these contain very useful information and philosophies. I am unable to comment on the efficacy of the programmes (Still waiting for Bletchley Park to crack the codes), but the detail of the information around them is excellent.

This book is strictly for coaches only.

Preparing for Competition Weightlifting: David Webster Paperback 1 penny.

This book is from 1986 by the then Scottish Coach. It has some useful technical points, with good illustrations in the opening section. This is the only place that I have seen a weightlifting coach advise that the double knee bend should be coached specifically. Every other WL coach I have met, trained with or read has said avoid doing that (the UKSCA offers a different opinion, but they are not weightlifters).

Webster offers some useful insights into Eastern European and Soviet training methodologies: remember this was written before the fall of the Iron Curtain and YouTube. He also looks at annual planning and preparation. He borrows heavily from his friend John Jesse (Wrestling Physical Conditioning Encyclopedia) and so circuit based training and interval runs feature prominently.

At 1 penny, how can you complain? But this book was strictly one of curiosity and historical context with a few useful points.

Weightlifting Programming A Winning Coach’s Guide: Bob Takano Paperback £20.92

(Thanks to Topsy Turner for the loan).

A well written, well laid out book which makes a huge difference to this reader’s experience. Takano offers a unique perspective at the beginning, looking at the Human Body and training systems from a Biology teacher’s viewpoint.

There is almost no technical information on the lifts in this book. Instead it concentrates on how to develop programmes for different categories of lifters and explains the underlying rationale. The categories are:

• Class 3 (85kg lifter Total 170kg)
• Class 2 (85kg lifter Total 195kg)
• Class 1 (85kg lifter Total 225kg)
• Candidate for Master of Sport (85kg lifter Total 255kg)
• Master of Sport (85kg lifter Total 295kg)
• International Master of Sport (85kg lifter Total 365kg)

The 85kg male lifter gives you an idea of how the classes progress. Takano then devotes a chapter to the programming of each class, followed by a 20 week sample programme from his club athletes. This is very well laid out, easy to follow and well explained. I am unable to verify the efficacy of these programmes, having only class 3 lifters at our Weightlifting Club at present. But, I do like how the categories are sub-divided beyond beginner, intermediate and advanced.

The chapter on regeneration is insightful, categorising the different types of restorative methods available. I think Tom Kurz in “Science of sports training” is the other book that covers this well. The nutrition section is very short and lacking in helpful real information, talking about macronutrients, rather than food.

The book finishes on the role of the coach and a call to action for coaches who want to improve what they do. Overall, it does what it says in the title, and it does it very well. One for club coaches I think, and a resource to use over time.

The Sport of Olympic-Style Weightlifting: Carl Miller with Kim Alderwick. Paperback £30

An A4 size book with 118 pages of text and charts, no images. The sub title is “Training for the connoisseur“, It has an interesting start, looking at identifying different limb and torso ratios and giving advice on how to adjust the lifts accordingly.

Miller then briefly summarises Selye’s work on stress and adaptation, before devoting the next few chapters to training programmes. There is minimal technical advice here, just overviews of programmes and a list of exercises that should be included. This part of the book is weak, and is done better elsewhere.

The last part of the book is based around weightlifting competition preparation including nutrition advice for making weight and mindset. This is better. I especially like this section on coaching at competition:

“Any words should be simple and meaningful. Don’t clutter your mind with a lot of thought. You want a few cues that will allow things to happen automatically.

In the heat of the competition, only basic, familiar prompts are meaningful. The rest goes in one ear and out the other.”

Applies to every other sport too!

I got lent this by Topsy, but would have felt aggrieved at shelling out 30 quid for this. Guess I am no connoisseur!

Summary

These are the 6 books I have read on the subject in the last year or so. If you have any further recommendations, then please comment below. For more technical information, I did enjoy reading Jim Schmitz’s series of article here.

Our Weightlifting Club trains on Monday and Wednesday and Friday nights, and we run beginner sessions. Please contact me if you are interested.

Read more: Best books for sports coaches

Comments

(Source: Bev Childress)

It is not unusual to find the strength training community divided when it comes to what style of training is best or how and when to employ the many training techniques and variables available. One of the most classic battles is methodology is the one between the proponents of High Intensity Training (HIT) and those coaches and athletes who seem to prefer Olympic-Style Weightlifting (OSW). I personally have never really understood the almost religious fanaticism with which some may argue for or against their preferred approach to getting stronger.

For years I have been a fan of brief, intense, and infrequent training. Having tried just about every one of the recognized (as well as the obscure) training programs that have come along in the last twenty years, I can honestly say this preference is still true today. My goal has always been to find the precise amount of volume, frequency, and intensity that will allow me to reach my goals with maximum efficiency and minimum downtime. With years of trial and error, creative experimentation, and hard work under my belt I have discovered a few combinations that seem to produce consistent results.

Now counter to the notion of this brief, intense, infrequent style of training, often referred to as HIT, I am also a fan of Olympic-style weightlifting. For many this might seem odd. For some it may seem the two styles are not compatible with one another. I assure you it is not odd and they are very compatible.

Olympic-style weightlifting is very technical. The movements are often difficult to master and some of the positions may cause a great deal of discomfort in the early stages of learning. I guess that is one of the reasons I enjoy Olympic-style weightlifting, the focus, and attention to detail required to attain a sense of mastery is a lifetime journey. Almost anyone can learn to work hard on a basic movement such as a lat pull-down or a seated row, but to truly master the snatch or clean-and-jerk requires far more patience and dedication.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about hard work on the basics when it comes to efficient strength training. I am not one of those coaches who feels Olympic-style weightlifting is required for athletic success (unless of course, you are an Olympic weightlifter). But I do enjoy it and that is why I often include some Olympic-style weightlifting movements in my personal training plan.

Which brings us back to the dilemma at hand, how to combine HIT with OSW.

One way to combine the more classic HIT style of training with OSW is as follows:

1. Start with a basic O-lifting routine (see below). Practice this routine in a strict order of exercises, as well as a certain and consistent amount of sets, reps and rest periods.
2. For your HIT training days create short routines which are made up of basic pushing, pulling, and squatting movements along with some assistance exercises. Perform these in a classic High Tension/Low Force manner with an emphasis on slow, controlled movement.
3. Workout roughly every other day alternating one of these basic HIT routines with the OSW routine.

In this way you will perform both the OSW and HIT routines three times every two weeks. Use the O-lifting days as technique polishing opportunity and active recovery days. Still train hard and heavy, however, do not train to failure and strive to always leave a few reps in the tank. On the HIT days perform single sets to failure of a handful of movements and strive to take each set to the limit. This can be an excellent way to combine these two styles of lifting, reaping the maximum benefit each has to offer while maintaining a balance between stimulus and recovery.

If you have always been a practitioner of either one or the other of these two styles of lifting perhaps now is the time to try something new. If you have never tried OSW then I recommend you find a qualified coach for your initial instruction as this style of lifting is quite technical. With HIT, if you have rarely if ever trained to momentary muscular failure then ease into it as the muscular soreness sometimes associated with this style of training can be quite intense.

Give this HIT/OSW combination a try and I think you may find it to be a fun and effective way to reap the rewards each of these styles of training has to offer.

(Source: Bev Childress)

Example HIT/OSW Hybrid

For the O-lifts I tend to stick with each routine for 12 workouts. Following the above described pattern that has me changing things up about every eight weeks or so. On the HIT days I get a little more creative, varying the order of the exercises, reps, and rest intervals, as well as employing advanced overload techniques when my energy and recovery allow.

Keep in mind the following routines are just a few examples of thousands you could employ.

Sample Olympic Weightlifting Workout

(Courtesy of Jim Schmitz)

Sample H.I.T. Workouts

Workout 1 - (A.J. Classic)

Workout 2

Workout 3