weightlifting

weightlifting, sport in which barbells are lifted competitively or as an exercise.

For other activities using weights but distinct from weightlifting, see weight training, bodybuilding, and powerlifting.

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History

Weightlifting has a lengthy history. For many prehistoric tribes, the traditional test of manhood was the lifting of a special rock. Such manhood stones, some with the name of the first lifter incised, exist in Greece and in Scottish castles. The competitive lifting of stones still persists locally in Germany, Switzerland, the highlands of Montenegro, and the Basque region of Spain. In many such events the consecutive number of lifts within a given time period is used to declare a winner.

The origins of modern weightlifting competition are to be found in the 18th- and 19th-century strong men, such as Eugene Sandow and Arthur Saxon of Germany, George Hackenschmidt of Russia, and Louis Apollon of France, who performed in circuses and theatres. By 1891 there was international competition in London. The revived Olympic Games of 1896 included weightlifting events, as did the Games of 1900 and 1904, but thereafter these events were suspended until 1920. In that year, at the suggestion of the International Olympic Committee, the International Weightlifting Federation (Fédération Haltérophile Internationale; FHI) was formed to regularize events and supervise international competition. By 1928 the one- and two-hand lifts of earlier Games had given way to only two-hand lifts: the snatch, the clean and jerk, and the clean and press (described below). The press was abandoned in 1972.

In the Games before World War II, the leading weightlifters were French, German, and Egyptian. After the war American weightlifters were dominant until 1953. Thereafter Soviet and Bulgarian weightlifters held a virtual monopoly on world records and championships. By the late 1990s the leading countries competing in weightlifting were Turkey, Greece, and China. World championships were held in 1922–23 and from 1937, except during the war years, and European championships were held from 1924 through 1936. A weightlifting competition for women was added to the Olympic Games in 2000.

Equipment

The weight used in modern competitive lifting is the barbell, a steel bar or rod to which cast-iron or steel disk weights are attached at each end on a revolving sleeve. The range of weights added is 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 2.5, and 1.25 kg (55, 44, 33, 22, 11, 5.5, and 2.75 pounds).

Lifts

From 1928 to 1968 the three international lifts were the snatch, the clean and jerk, and the press (or clean and press). In all lifts the barbell rests on the floor initially. Lifts are performed on a wooden platform 4 metres (13.1 feet) square. If a lifter steps off the platform during a lift, the lift is not allowed.

In the snatch the barbell is lifted from the floor to arm’s length overhead in a single, continuous, explosive movement, with the lifter being permitted to move his feet or to squat under the barbell as he lifts it before recovering to an erect position. The clean and jerk is a two-part lift. After lifting the barbell to the shoulders, the lifter jerks it overhead to arm’s length, with no restrictions on the time necessary to complete the lift or on leg movements. In both lifts, the lifter must complete the lift with feet in line, body erect, arms and legs extended, and the barbell in control overhead. The lifter must either hold the weight overhead for two seconds or wait for the referee’s signal before lowering the barbell back to the floor.

The press was also a two-part lift. As in the clean and jerk, the barbell was brought to the lifter’s shoulders, the same foot motion being allowed. Then the lifter had to stand erect until the referee signaled for the completion of the lift, which was achieved by pressing the barbell upward in a steady continuous movement to arm’s length overhead but without any assistance by moving the legs.

Weight categories

Men’s competitions are divided into eight body-weight categories (upper limits given): 56 kg (123 pounds), 62 kg (137 pounds), 69 kg (152 pounds), 77 kg (170 pounds), 85 kg (187 pounds), 94 kg (207 pounds), 105 kg (231 pounds), and more than 105 kg.

For women there are seven weight divisions: 48 kg (106 pounds), 53 kg (117 pounds), 58 kg (128 pounds), 63 kg (139 pounds), 69 kg (152 pounds), 75 kg (165 pounds), and more than 75 kg.