Iron Lion Studio

On March 16th of 2014, I successfully completed the USA weightlifting – Sport Performance Coaching certification at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. It was a great learning and reinforcing experience as it was ¾ hands on practical work and ¼ lecture and written content.

During the practical portion we learned and reviewed the competitive sport lifts of the Snatch, Clean and Jerk and all the related components. We then delved into the power assistance exercises that are used to increase performance for the sport of Weightlifting. We also got to observe some Junior Olympians and residents that train at the Olympic Training Center, which offered great insights to high levels of training for Weightlifting. We spent approximately 3+ hours a day lifting and practicing technique.

During lecture we covered the basic premise of the sport, safety and program design. This course also explored the rational and applicability for using Olympic Weightlifting training for other sports. Preventative methods for injury and overtraining were taught in addition. Like how to screen for muscular restrictions and the amount of volume you want a beginner to experience over their first year. A thorough written exam was given at the end of it all which tested our knowledge of all of the above.

Olympic Weightlifting is the only Barbell sport in the Olympics consisting of two lifts, the Snatch and Clean and Jerk. These two lifts are performed for a 1 repetition maximum by the athlete. Weightlifting has been a part of the modern Olympic Games since 1896 (1). There are 8 weight classes for men and 7 for women (1). There are regional, national and international competitions where athletes gain status toward Olympic competition or personal recreation.

Weightlifting is a passion of mine and plays a big part in the advanced levels of training here at Iron Lion Studio. These lifts can be achieved healthfully by most people with proper technique and can impact athletic performance, strength and body composition greatly. Whether you want to enter competitive weightlifting events or just learn great technique, I am certified and experienced to do that for my clientele.